《Son of Flame (Stubs Dec. 13)》 Ch.1 Regrets 15 minutes before Transference. There is nothing like being in a burning building. Flames roll overhead, and you descend into the eerie calmness that waits for all those who walk the knife''s edge between life and death. Even after all his years in the service, Tilly still felt most like himself in this place. Doing what few others could. They were on primary search of the building and his rookie had just cleared the last room in the basement when a terrible moan reverberated through the joists above. The ''Orange Shield'' froze in a doorway looking up at the growing flames in confusion. He had probably never heard the sound of a building collapsing from the inside. This is where he would either fall in love with this job, or quit. Tilly remembered his first fire, the feeling of stepping into a new world, one painted in orange and red. He had forced himself to move one step at a time in the pitch-black smoke as they searched for and eventually found the seat of the fire. Every man or woman in this profession faces a moment like this. All the noise, all the talk burns up in that flame, and all that is left is your training and discipline. Everything you think you know about yourself is tested, and you find out who you are when your choices can kill one of your brothers or sisters on the line next to you. Tilly gave the rookie one more second, waiting for him to conquer his fear and remember his training... but he just stood there, filling the doorway like a mannequin masquerading as a firefighter, as he continued to look up at the groaning ceiling. That¡¯s it, times up. Tilly grabbed him roughly by the strap of his Air-pack, and pulled him close, facepiece to facepiece. ¡°Get moving kid,¡± Tilly growled, he shoved the panicked rookie towards the stairs leading up from the basement and out of the collapsing building. The moaning from above crescendoed into a terrible splintering sound like a man with pneumonia finally coughing up his last breath. Both men were now rushing towards the stairs in a crouch to keep the heat off their heads as they covered the distance as fast as possible. The rookie made it to the stairs and scaled them in a few bounds, showing none of his previous hesitation. But Tilly stopped short, some niggling feeling tugged at his subconscious and he turned to take one last look down the darkening hallway. Then he saw it, ten feet down the hall to the right. A small side door, probably a closet they had missed, opened on its own and a terrified tear-stained face peeked out from the bottom of the opening. Tilly''s stomach turned to stone, and his limbs went heavy as the ceiling slowly collapsed under the weight of the collapsing timbers above it. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. It was already too late... Even if he got to her, she wouldn''t survive the smoke and flames on the way out. While his mind struggled to process through his lack of options, his body was already moving. At this point, he was limited to a crawl toward the closet to keep the heat off him. He reached the door as the sounds of the building''s collapse thundered to a conclusion of shattered drywall and splintered joists. In a flash decision, he pushed her back from the door and dived in, jamming the door shut behind him. In the dark cramped space, he could barely hear her coughing between weakening sobs, and then the staticy crackle of his radio blared into their flimsy haven. ¡°I repeat, all crews evacuate, there has been a collapse in the primary fire floor,¡± the radio droned. Yeah, I noticed. Tilly thought wryly to himself as he took a deep breath and keyed up his radio. ¡°Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Command, this is Firefighter Tillman, I have a victim in the basement near the A side of the building. We are sheltering in place, and will be conserving oxygen.¡± He turned and his jacket light lit up her face. She was staring at the heated door in shock, her eyes slowly glazing over. Tilly knew she was probably experiencing CO poisoning and made another flash decision. He was bigger and had breathed clean air more recently, so if anyone had a chance to survive the exposure... it was him. He took a few last deep breaths into his mask, before taking it off and putting it over her face. It only took seconds for the cloying smoke that was seeping through the cracks in the doorway to invade his unprotected airway. ¡°It''s ok Sweetie *cough*. "This *cough* will help you feel better *cough*. " He stuttered out as he tightened the straps around the back of her head on either side of her little ponytail. When he turned her now limp head back towards his light he saw that she had passed out under the mask and figured it was for the best. He coughed a few more times, and fogginess began to set in. His thoughts came to him more slowly, as if billowing through his mind on a lazy cloud of smoke. Why did it have to be a little girl? His mind began to wander, and he was taken back unwillingly to that flat, gray Wednesday afternoon when he had finally said goodbye to his daughter after her long fight in the hospital. He could still feel her small cold hand going limp in his. It wasn''t going to be enough...He was failing all over again, The lines between past and present slowly blurred along with his vision and there was suddenly no difference for him between that sad Wednesday so many years ago, and this one. ¡°It''s OK Emma, *Cough* it''s ok.¡± He mumbled as he took off his jacket in the growing heat and draped it over her curled-up form. His arms felt like they had been filled with cement and he distantly heard his radio crackling. Little cinders fell from above to sear his shoulders, but the sharp pain felt distant and unimportant for some reason. ¡°Tilly!...5 minu¡­ old on!¡± ... Ch.2 Transference He awoke to a strange light that seemed to have no source but filled the space all around him with a soft golden warmth. He felt almost weightless and was having difficulty looking around. In fact, he couldn''t even look down at his own body, everything felt distant and disjointed, the soft warmth glowing around and through him. He didn''t know how long he floated there bathing in that light. The movement of time seemed hard to comprehend in this space. Even the flow of his thoughts seemed hazy and sluggish, the linear nature of logic having difficulty establishing any momentum in this place. What might have been minutes or years passed until a sound like the ringing of bells reverberated all around Tilly. Transference complete, uploading Administrator... Then the light bloomed in front of him and rich hues of purple, blue, and red burst forth in front of him as a figure emerged, breathing up the endless nothingness that had been the light. Each of its features seemed painfully real in this place of softness. The figure had a royal cast to its bearing that was neither masculine nor feminine. They wore a laurel of light on their brow and wore a robe slightly reminiscent of a Roman Senator. ¡°It has been quite some time since one from the Middle Realm was bumped up to me. Most simply move on to the appropriate option, but you are an interesting case aren''t you?¡± Words emanating from this figure seemed to echo from all around Tilly and it felt like each sentence imposed on his fragile thought process, bringing pain, and with it greater cognizance. Its mouth didn''t move at all as it spoke, but nonetheless, its words echoed around and through Tilly inviting some response. ¡°Hmmm,¡± Tilly tried to speak but all that emerged was a low hum. One that did not originate from his mouth, or any place at all for that matter. Despite that, the figure had no difficulty understanding the intention of Tilly''s inquiry, ¡°Yes, you have left behind your corporeal form, but I would not call this ¡®death¡¯. Do not bother trying to speak, I can understand your thoughts plainly, Jonathan Luke Tillman.¡± The figure stated, a small comforting smile softening its otherwise statuesque face. Those instructions sunk into Tilly''s being slowly and in response, he strung together a full sentence in his mind, ¡°Where am I if I''m not dead?¡± ¡°You are nowhere and everywhere." The figure said, leaning forward before continuing. "Perhaps ¡®The Infinite¡¯ would convey it best in your language. And before you ask, this is not the afterlife. You are here to make some decisions that will impact your future greatly. In a moment, I will return you to your full emotional and intellectual capacity, but before I do that you need to listen, so for now you will feel¡­ muted.¡± Muted? His head felt like it was full of wool, and the concerns of his past life had been reduced to faint shadows of memories¡­ ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I am a System Administrator. I work for a being far beyond your scope of understanding, who created all known and unknown realities bound by time. The Origin. "You have some understanding of Him from your world as God, but very few understand His goals. In the beginning, He gave all His creation true freedom in the hope that one day it will return to Him as wholly unique and new. You are a soul, one small piece of this incomprehensibly large work, but significant all the same. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "At this point in your existence, you would typically either move from the middle plane to a higher one and come closer to Him. Or you move down into the lower planes, having dedicated yourself to the pursuit of goals outside His intent. While power is abundant in the many Realms, complete freedom of choice is reserved for those few He placed in the Middle Realm. And make no mistake, everyone chooses.¡± At this the figure paused and its eyes took on a very peculiar focus. Wells of deep liquid light flowed from them and moved through Tilly and he felt a deep instinctual fear take hold even in his detached state. ¡°I am only called in when one has given up a life of extraordinary potential to save another soul, yet is not an obvious candidate to move up or down in the Realms¡­ And in you, I find a very interesting case. Get ready, I am removing the Mute, and the shock of your situation will hit you. This effect would be far more powerful in a physical body, but it will be significant all the same.¡± Then the figure gestured with its hand which released a flash of... something. Along with the flash came the immense weight of Tilly''s past, his few triumphs, and his many failings. Memory after memory flooded him, lending cadence to the high and low notes of his 46 years on the planet. His daughter Emma, sick on her hospital bed. His ex-wife Laura looked up at him with guilt and accusation mingling like poison in her eyes. Drink after drink trying to forget but never quite able to. Endless nights spent trying to escape his reality through any kind of fantasy or game he could get his hands on. Decades on the job passing up promotions, and staying out in the streets as long as possible. Avoiding the responsibility of leadership at all costs. Catching a fire call on his last shift of work. ¡­That little girl. If he had a throat he would have screamed as the reality of his entire life was summed up in one eternal moment. Instead, he felt the insubstantial substance of his being begin to tremble as regret racked his soul. He had been weighed and measured and found that his whole life with all of its struggle and pain had barely made a drop of meaningful impact in the grand scheme of things. Only in his last reckless minutes of life had he truly moved and lived entirely for the benefit of another, his decisions motivated more by sorrow and loss than any sort of hero complex. ¡°Did she make it?¡± He thought towards the administrator, shakily pulling himself back from the deep abyss that was his past. At Tilly''s question, the administrator''s small smile grew. ¡°Yes Tilly, she lost some lung capacity and her only parent in that fire. But she will go on to live an amazing life, one made no more or less precious by her accomplishments. She will find a new family and burn with a bright joy for the rest of her days.¡± Then it paused, leaning back as if pondering something. Tilly sagged in relief at the news, knowing at least something good came out of the complex shades of escapism and self-punishment that had made up his life. Too many thought being in his profession made him inherently less selfish than others. The sad truth was he had spent the last decade of his life distant and disinterested in anything but his next paycheck and the future distractions it would buy him. ¡°This is where we come to the conundrum. You see you are not actually dead, you are moments away from death in your world, lingering on the brink. Before today, your self-pity, and bitterness would have sent you to a lower realm, the life you lived had the potential for far more nobility than you realized, and you squandered it in fear and bitterness. Many moved through your life made less for their time with you... "That is until your very last moments when you choose to become something much greater. The man you were always meant to be. This qualified you to move up. Yet, I have been sent to evaluate you because in your case there is another option. You represent almost perfect balance on the cosmic scale, and with your great potential, it can be moved in either direction. Because of this, I am empowered to make you an offer.¡± ¡°There is another Realm, one that is neither closer nor further from Origin. One that touches on the hearts and minds of each soul in the cycle, this realm is called Nephesh. It is the realm of myth and legend and the place where all of the stories of mankind come together to do battle for the minds and hearts of the collective psyche of creation.¡± ¡°So I can go ¡®up¡¯ to heaven or go to this place Nephesh? Why wouldn''t I take my ticket up?¡± ¡°Good question Tilly. The answer is quite complex, and due to the rules, I can not influence your decision one way or another¡­ But I can say, that Nephesh represents more opportunity to make a difference, than your standard path towards Origin. Think of it this way, you have won money at the casino, and you can take your winnings and leave¡­ or you can put it all on the table for one more roll." Ch.3 Decisions Decisions All of this new information washed over Tilly like a raging river, both overwhelming him with its implications and somehow calming him with the cold shock of truth. His life, the summation of all his decisions, had equaled out to barely anything. One child lost to cancer, one wife who he had pushed away as he slowly closed in on himself in the pain. No lasting impact in the fire department, no continuous group of friends. It was only because of his last few moments that he even had the option to go "Up". Here, faced with some sort of higher power, he couldn''t muster up the strength to feel bitter. He just felt acceptance. There was no one else to blame or reward for his circumstances. Life had dealt him a mixed hand, and he had chosen to barely play it. But in this cosmic moment, face to face with an agent of the Divine, one concept appealed to him like a life raft to a drowning man. ¡°This is another chance?¡± ¡°That is correct Jonathan Tillman. You, with all of your faults and strengths, have the potential for greatness. Whether great evil or great good is up to you. I will not lie to you, to choose Nephesh is to choose a path of suffering. This is not a kind world. It has been formed of the dreams and myths of men, and I fear lately that those dreams have grown into nightmares more often than not.¡± The fact that trying again would be hard didn''t even faze him. If there was anything Tilly had going for him after decades in the fire service it was the ability to make a choice quickly and stick to it. ¡°Alright, I''m ready, give me a second chance." He thought, his essence slowly firming under the weight of a new purpose for his being. This time would be different, he would be what he had failed to be in his first life. The Administrator nodded still smiling and that same voice from before spoke. ¡­Accord Acknowledged¡­ Uploading available paths of ascension. Then light bloomed behind the Administrator again, and they started to fade into it. ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you, Jonathan Tillman. Good luck out there, and remember, it''s not about how much power you have¡­ It''s what you do with it.¡± With those words, the figure was gone, leaving behind only the soft light of its immense power, which slowly thickened into four outlines of the same figure. As the light finished coalescing Tilly found himself looking at different versions of his old corporeal body. They all had the same blunt features. His overhanging brow and too-hairy face. His dark strong features, on top of a dad-bod that did a great job hiding the deceptive physicality of the man underneath. But that was where the familiarity ended. Soul-scan complete, four possible paths to power available¡­. Tilly noticed medieval weaponry and robes on the first two figures and he felt an incorporeal grin form on whatever passed for a face in this form. Something he had almost never spread around the department was his obsession with all things fantasy and gaming. For him, it had been a greater escape than alcohol and women combined. Almost no one knew the extent of Tilly''s passion for the nerdier side of life, and he had kept it that way through his decades in the fire service. Now it seemed like he was being offered a new life that in some way would involve swords and sorcery. To see something that he had always thought a distraction become so useful confirmed his choice to go for this second chance. He had no clue what life in a world full of walking myths and dreams would be like, but he guessed he was about to find out. Starting with the four options standing in front of him. As he studied the first figure, a flicker of blue light caught the corner of his vision. He focused in that direction but all he saw were four other figures of himself. He shrugged his non-existent shoulders and looked back at the first option. The figure was armored in plate mail and had an oversized ax in his hand.
Knight of the Eternal Flame. Your past life experience qualifies you to enter into the Brotherhood of the Eternal Flame as a Knight. + 3 Endurance, Strength, and Constitution every third level. Starting abilities; weak flame manipulation, Flame blade, and Fiery rush. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Tilly frowned. He had a good idea of what each of these values meant theoretically but had no clue how many points he would get per level, or what the other values would be, but he decided to keep looking to see if that would clear anything up. The second figure showed a younger version of Tilly wearing a robe and cackling as his hands burned with a crimson flame.
Pyromancer of the 6th Circle. You have spent more time watching the destructive effects of fire than almost any other ascension aspirant. For this, you qualify to walk the path of a Pyromancer. You will forsake all other magic for a supreme affinity for fire. Any fire damage dealt to you will be added to your health instead. +4 intelligence at every level. Starting abilities; Flame mastery, Pyrokinesis.
As attractive as that +4 was to intelligence, something about seeing his face filled with such an unbridled glee gave Tilly the heebee-jeebees. He didn''t want to go for a full mage class anyway, it had never been his style. He had always leaned more towards the more well-rounded classes, like Ranger or Bard. So he moved on. The next figure had a bow on his back and was covered in tan leathers that seemed to meld into each other. His face was determined and he seemed to be searching for something.
Dune Ranger of the Sand Seas. Your survival instinct and basic medical knowledge qualify you for entry into the clandestine order of sand rangers. Roaming the endless sands, this order originated from the sand elves. Part ranger, part treasure hunter, these masters of survival are known to be difficult to find and even more difficult to kill. +1 to Endurance, Wisdom, and Dexterity at every level. Starting abilities and skills; Basic first aid, Piercing shot, concussive shot, stealth, long walker, and last legs.
Now, this was more his style! Although he didn''t like the idea of the endless sands... Well, he wasn''t sure if there was a requirement for him to stay in his starting area or not but the prospect of living in a sandy desert was a huge deterrent for him. He was the kind of guy who spent his beach vacation poolside. He never cared what other people thought, there was nothing pleasant about covering yourself in an abrasive, impossible-to-remove substance. Tilly eagerly focused on the next figure. This one showed him wearing a dirty chef''s hat stirring a caldron with a cheerful look on his face.
Line Cook for the Thousand Phalanx Legion. You have spent much of your life cooking for a crew of rowdy rough men. They weren''t always grateful, but you kept them full and ready to face the challenges of the day. Go out into the wild and find rare delicacies to push your comrades to new heights. +1 to constitution, wisdom, and strength at every level.
¡°As much as I liked cooking for the guys at the station, I''m going to go with ¡®no¡¯ for this one,¡± Tilly grumbled to himself. Well, he would have if he could grumble. With a silent sigh, he moved on to the fifth figure¡­wait didn''t that voice say there would only be four choices? This figure showed him wearing a collection of skins that were arranged in a way that was vaguely reminiscent of his firefighting gear. Hooked through leather loops on his hips were two large hatchets that were similar to his favorite spike-headed fireman''s ax.
Son of Flame Fire destroys, renews, and purifies. It is time for Nephesh to feel the Wrath and Renewal of Origin¡¯s Flame.
That was it¡­ No other details about stats or any abilities. Something about this whole option seemed off and it left Tilly with the feeling that it was by far the riskiest choice. Yet, something about this display of a possible ascension path spoke to him. The cast of the figure''s face seemed fierce and his body was postured with its arms spread wide like it was protecting something behind it. Before he could think about his options any further, that same voice rang out. Survey of available paths to power complete. Selection required in 3 seconds - What? Just like that, he had to choose? 2 Well, what the heck, if he was going to roll the dice, he might as well roll big. 1 Son of Flame path selected. Initializing transference¡­ Tilly felt the space he had been occupying grow brighter as his soul self was fused with the selected image. As he became one with the figure, he felt his sense of place rush back to him as he dropped out of that plane of non-existence and into a new place. His five senses returned to him with a roaring rush as he found himself once again in possession of a physical form. The experience was so intense that before he could take in any of the sights or sounds around him, his mind put his body through a full reboot, and he collapsed unconscious.
As the brightness died back down, the space was filled with two figures sitting in comfortable chairs overlooking the vast cosmos. ¡°Don''t you think that was a little on the nose, Sir? What if he is used to weigh the scales of free will further in Corruption''s favor? There is far too much bitterness and selfishness for me to be comfortable with this.¡± ¡°Addy, I think you have been with me long enough to know that I care little for what Corruption will or won''t do. I care for my people and I think this man is the perfect Catalyst. For far too long many have believed they are stuck in the systems those with some modicum of power have set forth. The truth is coming for them, whether they are ready or not.¡± Ch.4 Hardcore Mode Tilly felt something digging into his back. He groaned and rolled over, groggily coming to his senses. He was in some sort of forest. He looked down at the rock-strewn dark soil and realized he had been lying on one of the plentiful small half-buried rocks that filled the areas between sparse shrubs and tall trees. He stared down at the ground, taking some time to reconcile the radical turn his life had just taken. Everything he knew was gone. The life he had lived and the choices he had made were gone. Now he was in some sort of new world that was at least in part governed by a system that somehow managed and defined all of the legends and dreams of mankind. It was a lot to take in. A burgeoning panic started to well up in his psyche in a delayed reaction to his recent radical shift in existence. He tamped it down in frustration and did what he always did with an overwhelming problem, he broke it down one piece at a time. He couldn''t do anything about the vast majority of his circumstances. So start small. Where had he been sent? Tilly lifted his head from his downward musings and took in his surroundings. Aside from the dark soil, he found a forest not that different from any temperate climate on earth. While the flora wasn''t exactly identifiable, it was at least familiar. He got up from his knees and found himself facing up a slope in a small clearing surrounded by foliage. He heard crickets chirping, and a bird in the distance and started to relax a little. He still seemed to have the body of a man moderately fit in his 40s. He had never slacked when it came to staying fit for the job, but a lifetime of gaming and alcohol with a moderate amount of exercise hadn¡¯t exactly made him a male model. None of that stood out to him nearly as much as what he was wearing. ¡°UGH, this is not at all what I was shown!¡± He choked out in frustration. Instead of the well-stitched quality padded leather outfit and twin hatchets, he had seen on the figure, he was wearing a rough stitched animal skin coat with stiff matching pants. The pants seemed to be held up with some leather thong suspenders over his shoulders and had two loops built into the waist that held two stone-headed hatchets. Moccasins that could have been made by a child hung loosely around his feet and to top it all off, he felt absolutely no undergarments between him and the scratchy material. ¡°Chafing is going to be a nightmare.¡± He muttered darkly as he scowled down at his starter gear.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Identify. You can intuit basic facts about the things and people in the world around you.
¡°What the--¡± Tilly started, while flinching back at the glowing screen that popped into view with the sound of fanfare. He swiped at the screen and it disappeared from view before quickly being replaced by others.
You have identified Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor: +10% to Endurance You have identified Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. Caution! This is a Legendary Soul Bound set of equipment, and cannot be discarded or replaced.
Tilly again swiped at the front of his face as if trying to get rid of an annoying insect. ¡°How do I get these to stop exploding in my face!¡± He yelped desperately, a life of endless phone notifications rearing its menacing head in his already bruised psyche.
System messages are set to silent. All new updates will be cached behind an update icon.
The boxes stopped appearing and instead, he found a blinking icon flashing at the top right of his peripheral vision. He tried to focus on it to see what the icon was and instead, a new screen popped up in his field of view.
Transference complete. Status debuff Unconscious removed. .005% of health damage taken by small forest rock Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Identify. You can intuit basic facts about the things and people in the world around you. You have identified primitive leather armor: +10% to Endurance. You have identified primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. Caution! This is a Legendary Soul Bound set of equipment, and cannot be discarded or replaced.
Tilly absently thought about swiping away the screen, and it minimized on its own. "That''s a relief, I don''t think I could have survived here for 5 minutes with those things popping up all¡­ wait a second, ¡®Legendary Soul Bound?''¡± Tilly looked down at his gear incredulously. ¡°You have got to be kidding me!¡± He griped, holding up one sleeve of his jacket for closer inspection. It seemed to be an amalgamation of several different patches of animal fur stitched together. But something seemed off with the fur, it went in and out of focus when he tried to look at the individual hairs on the animal skin patches. Then the blurring snapped into clarity and Tilly saw minute glowing symbols crawling over and between the sewn-together animal skins. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, seeing his gear in a new light. Then the icon started blinking again, and he focused on it curiously.
identify level up! level 1 identify level up! level 2¡­ identify level up! level 15. Congratulations! By taking time to analyze a Legendary set of gear you have greatly advanced your skill! Study new and interesting things to level up this skill even further.
¡°Oooh, that''s more like it!¡± An idea struck him, and he reached down towards one of his hatchets and tugged it free from its loop. Before he could pull it up to his face to try to study it, he heard a rustling from a nearby bush. Tilly¡¯s grip on his weapon tightened and he crouched down suddenly alert. A bush about ten yards up rustled again and a creature that looked a lot like a desert hare with antlers hopped into view. ¡°It can''t be¡­ is that a-¡± Tilly whispered, bringing up his once again flashing notification log.
You have identified a level 2 Juvenile Jakalope!
At first, the Jakalope just sniffed at the air, looking in a different direction and Tilly slowly took a step back, before snapping a twig under his foot and cursing softly. The Jakalope¡¯s head whipped around and focused on Tilly. It was then that Tilly saw the blackened veiny pattern fanning out from the creature''s mouth into its eyes and antlers. It looked like it had caught a serious bug, like ''zombie apocalypse serious'', and did not look friendly. ¡°Nice bunny¡­¡± Tilly said lamely gesturing the universal calm-down motion with his hands, and trying to pretend that he wasn''t holding a weapon. ¡°Ggrrruuuggg¡± The creature gurgled in reply, a frothy black substance foaming at the corners of its mouth as its bloodshot eyes quivered in its sockets. Tilly slowly tried to take another step back, his hands upright, palms out. The Jackalope took in his posture and then snapped forward in a springing charge. Its head tilted down with its antlers thrust forward.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Tilly tried to swing his hatchet in some sort of defensive block and failed miserably as the sharpened tips of the antlers pierced his forearm and bicep in several places. ¡°ARRGGG¡± Several points of pain bloomed on his blocking arm, but Tilly was no stranger to pain and the need for quick decision-making in the face of danger. The thing shook its head back and forth trying to free itself for another attack, but Tilly took the opportunity it had presented by getting lodged in his arm to hook his leg around the dog-sized creature. He locked it in place and grabbed his hatchet from his pinned arm before bringing it down furiously on the creature''s neck. The creature gurgled again and redoubled its effort to get free even as Tilly brought the hatchet down over and over, turning its neck into a bloody mess. With a final jerking motion, the Jackalope stopped moving. ¡°Holy Crap¡­ that sucked.¡± Tilly gasped as he looked down at the corpse of the creature he held to the ground with his leg even as it still pinned his arm in place on its antlers. Its dark red blood had stained the whole front of his patchwork leather gear and his arm was on fire with the pain of being shallowly impaled in several places. ¡°Ok, just rip off a band-aid¡­¡± He muttered to himself and then before he could think about it more, he yanked his arm free from the antlers. ¡°JESUS CHRIST!¡± He yelled before collapsing to the ground gasping as he attempted to distract himself from the pain. He should have gone for the ¡°Cook" class... Tilly was willing to bet that guy wouldn''t have had antler bunnies trying to stab him as soon as he woke up in a new world. And what was with that black stuff going on around the bunny¡¯s mouth and under its eyes? He tried to ignore the blinking icon at the edge of his vision and pulled his arm out of his jacket gingerly to look at the stab wounds. They were painful, but not very deep. The two on his forearm were barely bleeding, while the one on his bicep was releasing a small trickle. The bleeding would resolve on its own with pressure, but what he was most concerned with was infection. ''Wait, did infection even happen in this world? How did the health system even work?'' He forcibly took his mind out of EMT mode and looked up at the blinking icon, sending it a mental command.
You are now in combat. You suffer 5% damage from a piercing attack. You are partially restrained. You cannot move your right arm. You have successfully pinned a Juvenile Jakalope, it is Fully Restrained. You suffer 1% damage from a Continuing Pierce attack. You attack the Juvenile Jakalope for 25% of its health. Bonus x2 damage from striking a critical area. You have inflicted Major Bleeding on your opponent, they will suffer 5% damage per second until resolved. You attack the Juvenile Jakalope for 25% of its health. Bonus x2 damage from striking a critical area. Juvenile Jakalope is defeated, you have now exited combat. Congratulations! You have defeated your first creature with a martial weapon. You have learned the skill, Beginner Hatchet. Beginner Hatchet level up! Adjusting for previous experience¡­ Beginner Hatchet level 1 Beginner Hatchet level 2¡­ Beginner Hatchet level 9 You have earned 200 exp Congratulations! You are now level 2. 500 exp until the next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame.
Even after the traumatic encounter he just had with the horned bunny from hell, Tilly was excited to see that some of his experience from his previous life would be quantified by this world. Suddenly, a full career of shoving his personal ax into his belt before every fire call didn''t seem so pointless, no matter how many times he got written up for improper PPE. ¡°Take that Captain Burnard!¡± He growled in triumph at the memory of his many pointless write-ups. He squinted at that last line of his notifications, trying to ground himself in what was most important about this world first. ''Ok, What am I learning here? There are stats issued to me at every level, and health is measured in percentage points instead of some arbitrary numeric¡­ is there some sort of status screen I can-'' As soon as he thought to look for one, it popped up in front of him like a glaring beacon of numeric certainty.
Jonathan Luke Tillman Level: 2 (500 experience to next level) Display Name: Tilly Race: Human Class: Son of Flame Titles: [Harbinger]
Stats: Health: 93.945% (+.8% per minute) Mana: 100% (+.7% per minute) Constitution: 8 Endurance: 12(13.2) Dexterity: 8(8.8) Strength: 9 Wisdom: 7 Intelligence: 5
Abilities: N/A Skills: -Identify level 15 -Beginner Hatchet level 9 Equipment: -Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, growth type) -Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor set: +10% to Endurance. (Legendary, growth type)
Everything more or less made sense to Tilly from his previous experience in gaming. He had a level that increased any time he gained enough Experience. His skills could also level with use, Identify had gone crazy high the moment he tried to puzzle out his gear, which was one thing he had going for him. He looked down at his patchwork leather and fur pants and shrugged. Legendary sounded pretty good, even though he had nothing to compare it to at the moment. He did love the wording, ¡°Growth type.¡± If he understood that right then for better or worse he would never need another set of gear. No abilities though... all the other classes had come with abilities. Maybe it was a trade-off for starting with legendary gear. The one thing he completely didn''t understand was the Title. What was a [Harbinger]? Almost in reply to his question, another screen popped up.
[Harbinger] One touched by Origin to bring about change, ¡°None may interfere.¡± This and all other Origin-related titles, abilities, and items will be changed and seen as unremarkable by any deity or deity-aligned faction.
''Huh, there is that Origin guy again, I guess he is like God with a big ¡°G¡± but seems to have some sort of non-interference thing going¡­ well kinda, or else I wouldn''t be here with some strange class with zero explanation. Speaking of explanations-'' ¡°Can I get details on stat breakdowns or how health is calculated?¡± Tilly asked in the open air. Nothing. ¡°Well, any explanation on my class?¡± The annoying ''pop in your face any time you had a thought'' system was again, completely silent. ¡°Well isn''t that great!¡± Tilly snarked while taking his hand off his wound. Insanely, it had already stopped bleeding. He quickly checked the other two and saw that they had already scabbed over. ¡°Ok, well can I at least have my health and mana show above my line of sight?¡± Instantly his configuration changed and he had his health and mana showing at the top of his vision opposite the notification Icon. Health: 96% Mana: 100% ¡°Now we are talking. Well while we are at it, show me any active status effects when they happen.¡± Tilly breathed out in exasperation. Nothing changed, but Tilly hoped that was because he didn''t have any effects at the moment. Then a thought struck him like lightning. ¡°Inventory!¡± He declared triumphantly. Nothing. Tilly¡¯s dreams of an endless magic storage space were dashed. No carrying around tons of rocks that he could just drop from a high overlook and defeat his enemies. That also meant he couldn''t just steal everything in sight and save it for a rainy day. ¡°I guess this is the hardcore, ¡®bring camping equipment and rope or else¡¯ kind of world.¡± He huffed, his shoulders dropping in disappointment. The motion brought his attention to his now completely clean gear. He examined the sleeve that had just been covered in blood and pierced through a few times. Nothing, completely restored to its previous state, which juxtaposed annoyingly with his arm which was still covered in a mixture of blood and dirt. ¡°Legendary huh? Well if you are going to do that magic clean-up thing, why don''t you share the love?¡± he said as he rubbed off as much of the drying filth as possible in the dark loamy dirt. ¡°...grruugg¡± Tilly instantly froze, picking up a faint but now dreadfully familiar gurgle. His head snapped up and saw some movement behind a distant tree. He looped his hatchet and turned to flee, before looking back at the dead Jackalope with a grunt of frustration. ¡°I hope you aren''t poisonous¡­¡± He growled as he hefted the surprisingly light creature over his shoulder and made his way as quickly and quietly as he could through the forest in the opposite direction of the noise. He was all for leveling, but survival came first. It was time to go full man vs. wild. Ch.5 No One Likes Camping Tilly moved at a decent pace for a while, until he had put enough distance between him and the possible danger that he felt good about coming up with a plan. With the dead Jakalope over his shoulder, he knew his first priority was water, then food, then shelter. So he decided to make his way through the forest going perpendicular to the slope at an easy and cautious pace. He hoped to find a stream or river at some point if he kept circumnavigating the mountain he was on. If Bear Grylls had taught him anything it was that water liked to flow downhill. Plus moving water meant the ability to clean, and whatever infection this jackalope had, he really didn''t want to catch it. Hopefully, after butchering and washing the edible parts of the animal, it would be safe. He continued to distract himself with practical and goal-oriented thoughts as he walked for a few hours over rough terrain. He would be lying if that first encounter had not stirred an acidic anxiety that churned his stomach. Had he made the right choice coming to this world? He knew he had banked some stat points, but until he had taken care of the basics, he wasn''t ready to start working on his "build." Every rustle of a bush froze him in his tracks and set his heart racing. Despite all this, he thought he was coping with his new circumstances surprisingly well. He had always been pragmatic, you needed some sort of go-with-it attitude to last any period of time in the Fire Department. Need a guy to keep calm and carry on, no matter how crazy things got? Tilly was your man. He swallowed down the churning worry and kept hoofing it. He was on foreign soil with little to no knowledge of this world or its inhabitants. He had left behind a life spent ignoring the pain in front of him by coping with alcohol and escapism. He had run a few tabletop games as a DM and had read every kind of fantasy there was. That experience was already helping him to cope, but he had no clue how the concepts in those games and books would play out here. Luckily even with his nerdy hobbies, he had spent enough time camping with crazy family and coworkers to have some common sense out in the wild. He wouldn''t exactly call himself a wilderness expert, but he wasn''t going to die from exposure if he could help it. As he walked he kept trying to Identify things, but none of the trees and rocks seemed to want to activate the ability, looking at them closely didn''t pop up any new notifications, nor did looking at his gear give him anything new. He needed to find a way to gain some sort of advantage or he wouldn¡¯t last long. Sighing to himself he shifted the weight of the dead Jackalope. He had exhausted all of the normal concerns he would have, being lost out in the woods¡­ so his mind reluctantly turned back to the words the Administrator had used when describing this place. ¡°This is the world of the dreams and myths of men, and I fear lately that the dreams have grown quite dark.¡± He really hoped they didn''t include everyone¡¯s dreams¡­ if his coworkers were anything to go by, things were going to get gross, fast. His thoughts were interrupted by a faint rushing sound at the edge of his hearing, and he smiled to himself and picked up the pace. ¡°Where there are mountains there is water,¡± he whispered with a smile. He finally broke through the tree line and found a large stream. It looked to be a few feet deep and had a rocky pebble-strewn shore, like something you might find on the Appalachian Trail. The canopy was fairly thick but not tropical, and one or two of the trees nearby were climbable. What made it perfect was the large rock outcropping that jutted out of the shore making it a passable place to set up a fire and protect his back from any encroaching dangers. Tilly looked around suspiciously for a second before making his decision. He would make camp on this side of the brook, but ford it and find a tree to climb before dark to sleep and hang his stuff. It would be rough restless sleep, but it is not like he would sleep any better on the hard ground, completely defenseless. He couldn¡¯t be sure, but this didn''t seem like an environment with many predators that prowled the tree canopy. The temperature was temperate, and as long as this world followed some loose ecological rules, this place probably wouldn''t have a bunch of monkeys or crazy insects. There was no way his campsite would be safe, but hopefully, any potential threats would pass him by once they lost his scent in the water. He dropped the Jakalope near the stream and knelt down to drink and wash off some of his accumulated grime. While he reveled in the icy cold running water he pulled up his notifications which had started flashing the moment he had decided to make camp.
Congratulations! You have found a moderately safe place to camp! You have learned the skill Forestcraft. Forestcraft - You are at home in the wilds, many fumble through this environment, but you have committed to blending into it and folding yourself into its ecosystem. Your Forestcraft level has increased. Adjusting for previous experience¡­ Forestcraft level 1. Forestcraft level 2¡­ Forestcraft level 5.
''Okay, so skills are a thing I can learn by demonstrating any beginner level of competence. Then once I demonstrate a skill somehow, the system seems to factor in my past knowledge and calculate a level based on the combination of the two. Whereas abilities seem to only be gained through other means, like class-level rewards or something.'' So far the Son of Flame class seemed like a real mixed bag. Supposedly amazing gear but no starting abilities to speak of, and the same average 3 assigned stat points that his other class options had, that is of course assuming they would have all gotten the base five points to assign at every level.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Now that he had a seemingly system-approved place to camp he got to setting up the basics. Tilly worked with enough ¡°country¡± firefighters in his time to know the basics of processing an animal. That plus his general medical knowledge and comfort with the natural mechanics of a living being made figuring out how to strip the animal of skin, head, and organs moderately painless. While crude, his two Primitive Hatchets were plenty sharp and made decent forestry tools. He made a pretty good mess of it, but in the end, he had a skin laying over a nearby bush drying, and a mostly cleaned animal ready to cook and run through a spit. He then arranged some of the larger rocks into a fire pit on the side of the rock outcropping and gathered some fallen wood from the surrounding area, before starting a fire. He had only ever watched the friction fire-starting method on TV but he could feel the influence of his Forestcraft skill kicking in as he rubbed the dry stick between his fingers into a pile of fat lighter, over and over until smoke started to show. He enthusiastically blew on the little pile of dry kindling and it caught, all in a few minutes. ''That was way easier than it should have been.'' That wasn''t the only way his new skill was making itself known. Things like how to find and burn a strong-smelling plant from near camp to disguise the presence of his cooking, also just came to him. He set up the cooking spit over the coals with the smoldering fragrant herbs off to the side and finished up by washing off in the stream and hunkering down near his fire with his hatchets out, in case something wandered across him even with his meager precautions. He was also rewarded with another skill as he finished processing and skinning his kill.
Congratulations! You have skinned and processed your first animal. You have learned the skill Animal Processing. Animal Processing- You know your way around the creatures of this world and you honor them by taking all they have to offer upon their deaths. Your Animal Processing level has increased. Adjusting for previous experience¡­ -Animal Processing level 1 -Animal Processing level 2¡­ -Animal Processing level 5
¡°4 skills and I¡¯m not dead yet¡­ Not a bad day I guess,¡± he grumbled as he hunkered closer to the fire. Night was beginning to fall and in the distance, Tilly heard a howl, answered by others even farther away. A shiver ran down his spine and he hoped he was right about his tree idea. Before any creature came calling Tilly wanted to have the meat cooked and packed away. He eyed the haunch that was slowly beginning to brown and willed it to hurry. ¡°Ok, this isn''t going to happen any faster for me by worrying. Let''s assign these five stat points,¡± he said, rubbing his hands together. He wordlessly called up just his basic stats to give them another look.
Stats: Health: 100% (+.8% per minute) Mana: 100% (+.7% per minute) Constitution: 8 Endurance: 12 (13.2) Dexterity: 8 (8.8) Strength: 9 Wisdom: 7 Intelligence: 5
Huh, so no charisma or stamina¡­ He didn''t really know what that would signify for this world. What exactly was Endurance? Was Dexterity the same as in DnD? Did strength make him hit harder or do more damage in general? Not for the first time Tilly wished there was some sort of basic primer or description that came with all these new terms. Even the descriptions of skills were more flavor than help. Well, nothing to it but to take what he had been given and Minmax the hell out of it. He saw that his class heavily favored Endurance with an additional emphasis on Dexterity, especially with that percentage increase on the weapons. As a DM he had hated when players tried to play too balanced in their stats, trying to avoid paying the cost of power that any game offered to those who were willing to work around the drawbacks. He resolved to lean into whatever benefits Endurance would give him, betting that his emphasis on Dexterity would somehow end up working well with the weapons that came with this class. Alright. 1 point in Constitution to get himself to 9, health was health after all. Then 4 points in Dexterity to match it to Endurance and get the most out of his percentage increase. The strategy wouldn''t do much for him now, but if he kept it up, he would hopefully see some crazy gains in the future. He just had to live long enough to see them. The Jackalope had just begun to sizzle, clear juices emerging from the haunches.
Congratulations! You have cooked your first meal. Your Cooking level has increased. Adjusting for previous experience¡­ Cooking level 1 Cooking level 2¡­ Cooking level 12
Twenty years of coming up with meals out of whatever was in the firehouse fridge had paid off. Tilly smiled, no salt, no tent, and surrounded by a forest filled with creatures that probably wanted to kill him. Hell of a way to start his new life. Ch.6 Axing the Right Questions To say Tilly had slept would be a vast overstatement. He spent the night wedged between two fat tree limbs with the burnt Jakalope meat wrapped in a bundle of fat leaves he had pulled from a nearby tree. The night had passed fretfully as he shifted from one extremely uncomfortable position to another. He had managed to doze off a few times but was frequently awoken by pain from his sleeping position, or the sound of different creatures moving through the forest below him. He finally ¡°awoke¡± to 100% Health 100% Mana and a Minor Exhaustion debuff. He mentally pinged the debuff and was surprised at an actual explanation.
- After sleeping in an environment not conducive to rest, you are afflicted with Minor Exhaustion. -10% Endurance, Dexterity, and Intelligence for 10 hours. Caution! If you are affilicted with Minor Exhaustion debuff three nights in a row it will be upgraded to Exhaustion.
Well, he added better sleeping arrangements to his growing mental to-do list and absently reached for his burnt meat bundle. After choking down a few mouthfuls of the Jakalope meat, he gingerly climbed down from his perch and looked around warily to make sure the area was clear. Something he hadn''t noticed last night in his rush was how easy it was to scale the tree. While the night had passed painfully and slowly, he hardly needed to stretch before he felt the lingering effects of the terrible sleeping surface recede. ''Looks like my Health Regen would take care of small aches and pains as long as I don''t have too many debuffs.'' He dropped from the final limb with something that could have been mistaken for cat-like grace. In a fit of inspiration, he decided to draw both his hatchets at the same time with a flourish and they pulled from their loops smoothly. He hadn''t had time last night, but his extra points in Dexterity were really showing. ¡°Well hello future superpowers¡­¡± he said as he flipped one of his weapons and caught it deftly. The motion seemed trivial, and he repeated it with both hands, unable to keep a smile from blooming on his face. He wouldn''t have called himself uncoordinated in his past life, but he was now certainly displaying abilities beyond what he could do even in the prime of his youth. He looped both hatchets back into his pants and lifted his leather jacket excitedly to see if the new changes had included abs. Nope. The same disappointing dad-bod paunch looked back up at him, exuding a comfortable level of sluggishness, even in the face of Tilly''s burgeoning superpowers. ¡°I guess it''s gonna be a few weeks of the carnivore diet before I say goodbye to you old friend.¡± He said, patting his jiggly abdomen like a favored pet. He then crossed over the stream to his ¡°camp¡± which for now was just a ring of rocks and looked around, finding it pretty much undisturbed. He knew he was going to have to level if he was going to stay alive long enough to worry about things like real shelter and finding the actual inhabitants of this plane. He leaned against his big rock and took some time to think through his situation. Just because he had survived the night didn¡¯t mean he was ready to rush off and go full murder-hobo. He didn''t have much to show from his last life, but he sure as hell knew how to manage time and resources when it came to gaming. First, he needed to know exactly what he was capable of with his weapons. Hopefully, he could unlock one or two other useful skills in the process. He had Basic Hatchet at level 9 and he wondered if that just represented his current skill or if it was augmenting what he could already do like his Forestcraft had last night. Then he had to find some of these other weird imagination/dream creatures and hope they were edible. That way he could kill two birds with one stone when it came to leveling and building up his food supply. The Jackalope would probably last him two more meals... It had been pretty lean, but on the plus side with the head gone, none of that black stuff had been present in the rest of the meat. Finally, he had to find some sort of high point and get his bearings. If he could spot some sign of civilization he would happily stop being survivor-man and head toward whatever passed as people in this place. ''Dwarves¡­ I hope its Dwarves.'' Something about the accents, the drinking, and the axes had always spoken to him. But all of that was in the future. First, he had to make sure he lived long enough to get there. He took a deep breath and reached down to draw his weapons and get started. He was about to start practicing when his blinking icon finally got his attention. It had been flashing away merrily all night and Tilly had just given up looking at it. It was insane how fast that thing had become background noise when it blinked at him all the time, especially when most of the notifications were details he didn''t need in the moment. He might have to set up a new method for notifications in the future, but for now, it was too dangerous to leave them to pop up whenever something happened with the System. Which seemed to be all the time. He mentally opened the notification log and was surprised and annoyed by how the game quantified his attempted night''s sleep.
-.02% of health damage taken from a large tree limb. -.02% of health damage taken from a large tree limb. -.02% of health damage taken from a large tree limb.¡­
It went on and on like that and he assumed that he had taken damage all night, but it had not been enough to outpace his passive regeneration. There had to be a way to filter out some of this detail, having this notification show up every time he stubbed a toe or something would be unbelievably annoying, and it would keep him from finding the stuff that actually mattered. ¡°System, can you remove any damage notifications that don''t result in a net loss to my health?¡± The log instantly shortened and he was left with a very pleasant surprise. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Congratulations! You have survived your first night in the wilderness! Forestcraft level up! Level 8. Congratulations! You have learned the skill; Stealth. Stealth - Discretion is the better part of valor. Your attempts to avoid detection are more successful than most. -You have successfully avoided detection by a very dangerous hostile creature. -You have successfully avoided detection by a dangerous hostile creature. -You have successfully avoided detection by a hostile creature¡­.
Notifications like the last three had come disconcertingly frequently through the night and Tillys¡¯ only solace was that he had received some great leveling for Stealth out of the crazy dangerous environment.
Stealth level up! Level 1 Stealth level up! Level 2¡­ Stealth level up! Level 6
It looked like this forest was much more active at night... That did not bode well for his future in these woods. Tilly shrugged off the dread that wanted to encroach on his happy moment. Instead, he decided he was on a roll and drew a hatchet. He wasn''t ashamed to admit that the motion had a few needless flourishes, the Dexterity boost was just too fun to ignore. He stepped forward gracefully and chopped the weapon down diagonally across his body. The motion felt good. Not quite the same as forcing entry on a door, or chopping through walls to find possible fire extensions. But near enough that the motion felt at home in his body. Like sitting in your favorite chair in the living room. He tried a few more moves and found that the hatchet felt exceedingly comfortable in his hand as he moved through imaginary enemies. The weapon was only slightly smaller than the axe he had carried on his belt for decades, and he had used that thing for all kinds of interior work over the years. Whatever else was true about this Class, the starting weapons were perfect. Feeling confident, he went ahead and drew his second weapon and started trying to chain attacks. He immediately found the motions awkward, even with his newly improved Dexterity. It felt like all of his Skill assisted grace had drained away, now that he held a second weapon. He disappointedly popped open his merrily blinking notification screen.
Caution! You do not meet the prerequisite skill to wield two small weapons at once. -50% penalty to Dexterity while wielding two weapons at once.
¡°Of course, Dual-Wielding is a thing here! And it is very much a skill I don''t have from my previous life.¡± He grunted. Nonetheless, he continued to step forward and hack down at an angle alternating each arm in a motion that felt awkward as hell with a hatchet in each hand. It was extremely frustrating that something that had felt so natural just a moment before could be nerfed down by such an arbitrary change. He went on like that for 15 min and built up a deep burn in his forearms and wrists from the repetitive motions. Finally, he stopped. He was panting and felt the familiar sensation of being drenched with sweat under thick clothing. He glanced hopefully at his notification Icon and saw it just sitting there smugly staring back at him with unblinking eyes¡­or eye. Or whatever. Looks like he would have to do more than just repetitive swings to learn a new Skill. The others seemed to have been awarded to him after he accomplished some sort of feat with the skill. Unfortunately, that probably meant he was going to have to learn this one in real combat... Tilly cringed at the thought, but before he let his anxiety begin to spiral, he hardened his expression and tamped down any thoughts of complaint or worry. This was his new life and he was going to try his damndest to make it count. There was no escaping this reality. No video game to go veg out and play, or bar top to stare at over cheap whiskey... This time it was nut up or shut up, and unlike the Fire Department, there was no end of shift. Before he could find any reasons not to, he took a long drink of water and started moving upstream hoping to stumble across something that he could level against without being outright killed. He cautiously followed the treeline ready to hightail it across the stream or up some tree if he had to. Identify still wasn''t working for him as he tried to look deeply at different plants and natural features. He sighed, he knew from Forestcraft that the fragrant herb growing around the stream bed was good to burn along with food to hide its scent, but it would be nice to know other information about it¡­ like if it was edible or poisonous. As he continued to move upstream his stomach grumbled and he grimaced in consternation as the urge to have a bowel movement started building in his lower abdomen. ¡°Guess these haven¡¯t been magicked away either.¡± He grumbled to himself looking down at his abdomen in accusation. One thing he had definitely learned at the fire station was to always go when you have the urge. Nothing was worse than being on scene, fighting fire and all you were thinking about was finding a place to take a dump. Many foolish firefighters have been known to search out a bathroom in a burning building and drop trow right there, consequences be damned. With that sage wisdom in mind, he moved into the treeline and found some fat tan leaves hanging from a shorter tree. He plucked one from the dwarf tree and rubbed it between his fingers. He was pleased to find the leaf to have a supple feel, yet a soft strong surface that didn''t break or tear as he rubbed it against itself. He sighed and looked around for a place to do the deed. Moving next to some nearby bushes, he dropped his pants and squatted down. Everything came out okay, and nothing jumped out of the forest to attack him in his moment of vulnerability. He used a few of the leaves to clean up, then awkwardly kicked some dirt over the evidence of his humanity. He grinned up at the short tree that had made what was usually a miserable experience much more bearable. ¡°I dub you Charmin Leaf Tree,¡± He said, taking a moment to nod to the sapling. Then he noticed that his notification icon had started blinking and he opened his log in surprise.
Congratulations! You have discovered a new valid entry into the Herb Lore Codex. Notify any qualified Alchemist or Herbalist to add it to the Codex. Congratulations! You have learned the skill Herb Lore by discovering a new previously unknown use for a piece of flora on Nephesh. -Herb Lore - Mana infuses everything on Nephesh, you have become a student of the unique effects this has on its plant life. Herb Lore Level up! Level 1 Herb Lore Level up! Level 2
Tilly barked out a laugh at finally figuring out how to Identify plants. He couldn¡¯t wait to find some herbalist somewhere and inform them of his discovery. He excitedly reached to pluck some more leaves from the tan tree but froze as several gurgling yips sounded from deeper in the forest, answered by a loud snort and the clickety-clack of hard objects colliding. Tilly¡¯s hands immediately dropped the leaves and found his hatchets, clutching the handles tightly. This was it... he would have to try himself against the inhabitants of this forest eventually and it sounded like there was already a conflict playing out nearby. He wouldn''t get a better chance than this. Putting any doubts aside, he took a deep breath and drew one of his weapons moving cautiously through the undergrowth towards the sound of combat, leaving the Charmin Tree behind, forgotten and alone. Ch.7 A Noble Gift Tilly crept through the trees noticing that his ability to move silently had increased significantly with his Stealth Skill and improved Dexterity Stat. He wouldn''t say he was undetectable by any means, but it no longer seemed like he was tromping through the woods on a weekend hike. The sounds of combat grew as he drew closer and stopped short of entering the clearing where the snarls and yips originated. He double-checked his notifications to make sure he hadn''t been noticed in his approach.
You have entered into Stealth. You have avoided detection by several hostile creatures.
Something about the scene in the clearing struck Tilly as wrong. Despite his unfamiliarity with the ways of this world, he knew what he was witnessing was not an occurrence in the natural order of things around here. Four skinny Hyena-like creatures with bulbous heads surrounded a majestic white stag-like creature with a set of antlers so thick they resembled brambles. Scattered around the clearing were numerous gored bodies of the hyena creatures. All of their bodies, including the four still alive were riddled with the same veiny black affliction that had marred the face of the Jakalope. They had obviously been harrying the stag with attacks for a long while, and Tilly noted that it alone was free of the infections that had marked every other creature Tilly had seen in this forest so far. While the Stag had held its own against many opponents, it was clearly on its last legs. Its beautiful white coat was covered in an oozing network of cuts and teeth marks. Tilly called up his log for more information on what he was seeing.
You have identified a level 4 Corrupted Crocotta. You have identified a level 4 Corrupted Crocotta. You have identified a level 4 Corrupted Crocotta. You have identified a level 5 Corrupted Crocotta. You have identified Level 47 Carnonos. Caution This is a Local Forest Spirit and holds sway over this domain.
As he was reading, two of the Crocottas rushed towards the Carnonos¡¯ front with gurgling yips and snaps of their black frothing jaws. The Carnonos lowered its antlers to meet the charge, but their attack was a feint, and a third Crocotta lunged from behind, latching its teeth onto the Carnonos¡¯ bloody flank like a yellow and black stained vice. The Carnonos¡¯ antlers glowed bright green as he thrust them forward and Tilly was surprised to see some of the antler tips vanish and appear to stab into the opponents who had feinted ten feet away. The glow faded and the antler tips returned leaving gaping holes with rivulets of dark blood pouring from the hyena''s sides. The move had depleted whatever remaining energy the Carnonos had and it drunkenly swayed from side to side, trying to dislodge the Crocotta from its hindquarters. Tilly ground his teeth as he watched the stag fighting to its last breath even though it was outnumbered and surrounded. A burning sensation started to build in the pit of his stomach. Almost like his anger at the sight had manifested a physical sensation giving weight to the dissatisfaction he felt at the injustice playing out in front of him. The black substance, or ¡°Corruption¡± as the System called it, was clearly attempting to infect everything in this forest. The idea of this stuff spreading through the local wildlife evoked memories of all sorts of movies and books that told him this kind of thing, if left unchecked, would quickly become a calamity for everyone in this region. He didn''t know what he could do against such a huge problem, but a long time ago he had learned to follow the tug in his guts. He once again found himself moving before he had consciously thought through his actions. He needed to level, and these assholes seemed like a great place to start. He lifted his right hatchet above his head and let it fly at the Crocotta still flanking the stag and charged one of the two in front with the fresh wounds. While the infected creatures were slow on the uptake, the Carnonos¡¯ eyes lit up with renewed energy as it spotted him. It suddenly leapt back ramming its unwelcomed rider against a tree. That was all he was able to take in before Tilly''s entire attention was taken by the enemy in front of him. The creature had begun to turn its head, but it was too late, Tilly had it. He arrived at its side in a full sprint and brought his hatchet down in a crossbody chop that eviscerated the already wounded torso and knocked the Crocotta flat, exposing the interior of its infected and nearly liquified chest cavity. A vicious gurgling snarl sounded to his right as he regained his balance from the half-tackle, half-chop. He stumbled back to his feet from what was a much more effective attack than he had anticipated and instinctively threw up his right arm to shield his body, as foaming jaws chomped at him. In a sickeningly familiar twist of fate, his right arm had been pierced again in several places under the creature''s chomping onslaught. Yelling in defiance at the shock of being mauled, Tilly brought around his hatchet in an overhand strike. The head of his weapon lodged in the creature''s neck even as the creature began to try and rag-doll him in the grip of its jaws. Tilly planted his feet and ripped the head of his hatchet free in a spurt of dark blood. The creature weakly swiped at his leather-clad legs with its front paws before falling completely still. Tilly quickly worked his arm free of its jaws and looked up to try and locate the other two. He shook out his injured arm and was surprised to find that while the sleeve had holes in it, the armor had held up fairly well, keeping the wounds superficial. The Crocotta that had clamped onto the Carnonos¡¯ hindleg was in a boneless heap on the ground, with a possible broken neck, and the other was pinned against a tree by several ethereal antler tips. Surprisingly it also had Tilly¡¯s other hatchet lodged into its back. ''Score one for ax throwing at the county fair!'' The Carnonos however was barely any better off. Its sides were covered in weeping gashes that seemed inflamed even from a distance, and worse, the Crocotta it had managed to dislodge from its back had taken a significant chunk of its flank with it. It was now free-flowing with bright arterial blood.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The creature''s features however seemed calm. It settled down into the grass of the clearing as if to rest and stared at Tilly. Tilly was at a loss for what to do, it was clearly beyond help, yet his heart went out to the thing. He moved slowly with deliberate steps towards the Crocotta pinned to the tree, and with a quick jerk, he pulled his weapon free. He then turned to look at the Carnonos once again, at a loss for what to do. ¡°You may approach Son of Flame.¡± A bass voice resounded in Tilly¡¯s thoughts. Tilly stood stock still for a second, completely shocked to hear a voice in his head. ¡°CAN YOU HEAR MY THOUGHTS?¡± Tilly shouted in his head like a senior citizen using speaker phone. The creature just looked at him placidly. ¡°Guess that''s a no.¡± Tilly thought with a shrug, before approaching slowly. ¡°Uh, the first thing I have officially met in this place...¡± Tilly began, lamely trying to find what would pass for small talk with the Forest Spirit. ¡°I was once the Elder Spirit of this area, but my authority has been usurped, and what you see now is a result. I am a shadow of my former self, and even that shadow now fades.¡± Tilly slowly closed the distance between them until they were just a few feet apart, keeping his movements calm and measured. It didn''t seem like it held any animosity against him, but just to be safe he made sure to appear unthreatening. ¡°Is that how you know my class name?¡± ¡°It is how I know many things, none of which can help me now. But perhaps I can help you.¡± The Carnonos answered tiredly, his large eyes beginning to droop. Tilly almost sagged with relief, the unnoticed feeling of being abandoned had been subtly grinding down any hope he had of actually surviving such a hostile environment. To find someone even slightly sympathetic to his plight was a huge relief. Even if that someone was a giant magical deer-thing. ¡°That would be incredible! I could use any help you can give me. They kind of dropped me off here yesterday without a tutorial or guide or anything..." Tilly''s ramblings cut short as he saw the creature''s head begin to dip as if finally succumbing to the weight of its numerous antlers. "Wait. Is there anything I can do to help you? Those wounds don''t look too good.¡± ¡°My time has passed. If I linger too much longer I will become like one of them... No, I would rather give up the rest of my power to one who will fight.¡± It said, some ferocity entering back into its voice as it thrust its head upright by sheer force of will. Tilly felt that same strange burning stir behind his navel at the sound of those last words of defiance. The fire there churned and intensified and he could feel the slight nausea of doubt and anxiousness begin to burn away. ''This isn''t a game, and I will survive! I can''t let this thing go without getting some information.'' ¡°What is infecting the forest? How is it getting into the creatures around here?¡± ¡°It is not just here, it is many places across the Land. The time for choosing sides has come, and I realized it far too late. It has taken root in the temple dedicated to the old one, not far up the mountain from here. There it is attempting to claim a place of power and grow unstoppable. Hold out your weapons to me. My time comes to an end, and if I am to give my gift, it must be now.¡± The voice finished urgently in his head, as the Spirit dipped its antlers forward again. Well, whatever this thing wanted to do, Tilly was pretty sure it wouldn''t hurt his chances at survival. He wasn''t so sure about getting caught up in this conflict, but as things stood, he didn''t think he had much of a choice. The infection was raging all around him, and he would need every resource he could get to survive. He slowly lifted his two hatchets before the Carnonos. As he did, the new fire at his center roared in approval, and he realized it was tied to the part of him that was tired of running. It might have been reckless to choose another life on this plane and risk whatever reward he had earned. But he had done it. He had rolled the dice, and now it was time to see just what he could do in this new world. No more running from pain, or other people''s problems. Tilly didn''t know exactly what he could do against something like this. He was used to simple problems. Someone in front of you is dying? Save them. You pull up to a burning building? Put it out. But this? An infection growing to threaten all of the ''Land''? He didn''t know if he would be able to do anything about it, but he was going to try. He was done quitting on life before he even tried. The Carnonos nodded to him as if it could sense his decision and lowered its head until his huge brambly rack of antlers touched the ends of his weapons. As they made contact, the handles of the hatchets and the antlers began to glow. The light grew brighter and brighter until, in a flash, Tilly was blinded. He tried not to panic and continued to hold up the weapons, but his world had become a blueish-white haze. With the light came heat and that heat grew until even Tilly couldn''t stand to hold onto them any longer. He dropped them with a grunt and shook out his hands while blinking rapidly to try and gain back his vision. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them with the heels of his hands for a few long moments and then opened them again. As soon as he did, he found the Carnonos was gone. Lying on the grass in front of him were his two hatchets with completely new handles. They now seemed to be made out of an antler-like material and were covered in indecipherable markings. Tilly began to reach for them, and they popped out of existence before his eyes, reappearing in his hand instantaneously. He stood there marveling at them when Identify triggered.
Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Ability Recall.
¡°Oh hell yes!¡± Tilly exclaimed loudly to himself. Without another thought, wound back his arm and threw one away, sending it soaring through the trees. Then he made a grasping motion with his hand and it reappeared back in his grip. ¡°Hello, very exploitable power!¡± He said in triumph as his DM mind started furiously processing the possibilities of such an ability. He did note that the two recalls had depleted his mana by 2% each, which while negligible was still something to keep in mind. He was about to throw both off into the distance to further test his new power when more of the gurgling barks sounded from outside the clearing. ¡°Shit, I guess they are still looking for this guy!¡± Exclaimed Tilly as he realized he was already caught in the crossfire of this conflict. Hoping to evade pursuit, he tucked his hatchets through the loops on his belt and dashed in the opposite direction from the sounds. This time, as he moved, he prioritized speed over stealth. He needed to find a way out of their reach and none of the thin, pine-like trees surrounding the clearing were going to work. He leaped over bushes and swiped away branches as his eyes roamed his surroundings looking for something climbable and tall. The gurgling barks had grown more aggressive as they entered the clearing he was just in, before pausing and then continuing on in his direction. Tilly spotted what he needed up ahead and took a running leap to catch on the lowest hanging branch before hauling himself up. The whole action might not have been quite to Spiderman level yet, but it definitely would have been impossible for him just yesterday. He continued to climb until he was comfortably two stories off the ground. He then turned back towards the ground and found a brand new pack of Crocottas milling around the bottom of his tree. There looked to be about eight of them and just as Tilly started to wonder what he was going to do now, one of them looked up and started to bark manically. Ch.8 Fish in a Barrel Tilly was alone in a tree, surrounded by big-headed hyena things. The only plus was that the crazed creatures didn''t seem to be able to get to him. They just crowded the base of the tree yipping madly at him. A few of them jumped up to try and grab the lowest branch in their oversized jaws, but they clearly weren¡¯t built to climb. For a few moments, Tilly just crouched on his perch, catching his breath, while the Crocottas jumped and snarled and barked to no avail. As the flight instinct slowly subsided, a smile crept up the edges of his lips. ¡°I would have been in a real pickle if this had happened half an hour ago¡­ but now, you guys just became free levels. Let the grinding begin.¡± Tilly quickly pulled up his notification log and scrolled it back to the fight in the clearing to confirm what he had been hoping for.
Congratulations! You have struck down your first creature from a distance with your ax. You have learned the skill Ax throwing. -Ax throwing. Level up! Level 1 Congratulations! You are now Level 3. 500 experience to next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame.
Tilly¡¯s smirk turned into a full-on grin, and he threw 3 of his available points into Dexterity, and one into Constitution, because he didn''t seem to be able to avoid getting hit just yet. And finally, one into Endurance to stay focused on his build. He then took in all his stats, ignoring the sound of furious barking in the background.
Health: 95% (+1% per minute) Mana: 100% (+.7% per minute)
Status Effects: -Minor exhaustion -10% Endurance, Dexterity, and Intelligence for 10 hours. (7 hours remaining)
Stats: Constitution: 10 Endurance: 15 Dexterity: 16 Strength: 9 Wisdom: 7 Intelligence: 5(4.5)
He didn''t love the debuff, but at least it was mostly offset by the bonuses his gear gave. He hoped he was doing the right thing by leaning into the build his class seemed to want from him. In the short term, he knew the increase in Dexterity was going to help him make full use of his hatchet''s new abilities. In the long term, he knew he couldn''t leave things like his Intelligence at 5. Tilly looked back down at the creatures driven almost insane with anger. They were still stuck in the cycle of snarling and barking without displaying any of the animal cunning they had shown on the ground against the Crononos. Tilly¡¯s smile fell. ''Yep, I need to put some points in Intelligence.'' He wedged his thigh in between two sturdy branches and launched one of his hatchets down at the abundance of enemies. This time, he missed fantastically, but he also noticed that besides continuing to rage up in their infection-addled delirium, they didn''t react at all to him throwing the hatchet or it reappearing back in his hand. ''Looks like live target practice it is¡­ This might take a while.'' He then tried a throw with his offhand, missing again. Part of him knew that if his build was going to work he was going to have to become ambidextrous and while such movements felt more natural than ever with his 16 in Dexterity there was still the trick of getting the ax to rotate the right amount of times before it hit the target. After seven or eight attempts, Tilly was finally rewarded with a hit, a rather spectacular one at that. From his safe perch, he turned on battle notifications to learn a little more about how the damage was quantified, and what influenced those numbers. His hatchet tumbled through the air before rotating into a perfect downward chop onto the bulbous black veined head of one of the Crocottas. It shattered the fragile skull and lodged into the brain. The Crocotta collapsed bonelessly to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Tilly scanned his notifications to catch what had happened on the system''s side while continuing to throw, his motions becoming rote as he took aim, threw, and recalled the weapon.
You attack the Crocotta for 50% of its health. *Bonus x4 damage from striking a critical area.* You have earned 75 Exp. Ax Throwing Level up! Level 2
That was the second time he had seen that critical strike multiplier. He knew that his hatchets were never going to be devastating damage dealers per strike, but if he could develop a fighting style that incorporated many quick strikes at critical areas, he felt like he could stack some significant DPS for his build. He also saw that while two of the creatures had earned him the 200 Exp to get him to level 2, now they were each only giving him 75 Exp a piece. Which followed game logic comfortably and let Tilly know that there was very much going to be grinding in his future. That said, he had not given up his dreams of finding some ways to cheat the system and gain some sort of unfair advantage that would increase his survivability significantly. He kept throwing for the next few minutes, the motion beginning to burn as he tried aiming from different angles and postures to make sure his hatchet throwing became as dynamic and useful as possible. After what seemed like 50-60 throws, he finally killed the last of the creatures. He found himself unsurprised that through the entire process, they had not tried to leave or even dodge for the most part, they had just kept snarling and barking up the tree as he picked them off one by one. Not that he was complaining. The last few minutes had been immensely profitable for him and he spent a moment silently thanking the Carnonos for its gift. With the ability to almost instantaneously recall his axes, he had been able to make some serious gains in levels and abilities.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
-Ax throwing. Level up! Level 2 -Ax throwing. Level up! Level 3¡­ -Ax throwing. Level up! Level 6 You have earned 75 exp for defeating level 4 Crocotta You have earned 75 exp for defeating level 4 Crocotta¡­ Congratulations! You are now level 4. 950 exp until the next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame.
Tilly thought about it for a moment, before deciding, to leave his Endurance and Dexterity at their normal increases for this level, and put the rest of his points to balance out some of his glaring low points in his stat build. He put 3 points in Intelligence and 1 in Wisdom before throwing the last one in Strength to get it to 10. His low Intelligence stat hadn''t bothered him before, thinking it only affected his mana total, but after basically killing the Crocottas like fish in a barrel, he decided it was better to be safe than sorry and make sure there was at least a healthy presence of points in each stat, while still leaning into the strengths of his build. He then pulled up his full character sheet to take stock of where he was at level 4.
Jonathan Luke Tillman Level: 4 (950 Exp to next level) Display Name: Tilly Race: Human Class: Son of Flame Titles: Harbinger Health: 100% (+1% per minute) Mana: 38% (+.8% per minute)
Status Effects: -Minor exhaustion -10% Endurance, Dexterity and Intelligence for 10 hours. (7 hours remaining)
Stats: Constitution: 10 Endurance: 17 Dexterity: 17 Strength: 10 Wisdom: 8 Intelligence: 8(7.2)
Items Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Ability Recall. Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor: +10% to Endurance. (Legendary, growth type)
Skills: -Forestcraft level 12 -Identify level 15 -Cooking level 12 -Hatchet level 9 -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 6 -Herb Lore Level 2 -Ax Throwing Level 6
Abilities: -None.
He still found the Abilities section of his character sheet to be depressing when he thought about some of the starting abilities he had read about on the other Paths to Power, but at the end of the day, he did have Legendary gear. Sure its bonuses didn''t do much for him now, but he imagined that as he continued to invest in his build¡¯s stat superiority, 10% would pay out more and more dividends, plus whatever increases they would show from their Growth characteristic. As he climbed down through the tree, he looked up at the sky through the canopy, noting that even though it felt like hours had passed since his encounter in the clearing it had probably been less than one. The sun was reaching its apex and he still had plenty of time to look around before trying to make it back to camp. The Carnonos had asked him to look into the temple further up the mountain and it was the least he could do while keeping an eye out for more food. He was starting to get freaking hungry. Plus he still wanted to find a vantage point above these trees to get a feel for the surrounding area. He climbed down and took in the emaciated bodies of the Crocottas and briefly considered them as food, before gagging at the thought. The search for food continued and he moved on, holding his conspicuously clean sleeve over his nose as he moved past the carnage of his recent leveling. He made his way back toward the general direction of the stream, knowing it was his most dependable landmark for navigating this area. Whilst moving in more or less open underbrush of the forest, he continued to try and train his stealth skill, but it was becoming more and more apparent that the sorts of skills involving interaction with hostile creatures could only be trained in a live-combat environment. Maybe more target practice with his hatchets wouldn¡¯t be remiss, but it was obvious that he had only made gains in these areas while in actual danger. That didn''t mean he couldn''t train any of his other skills. Every time he passed by a plant that seemed to have some specific characteristic that set it apart from the rest of the forest he would try and activate Herb Lore.
You have successfully used Herb Lore to identify Goose Grass. This long lush greenery is found in virgin forests and can be used for bedding for all sorts of domesticated fowl. It helps with egg production and fertility.
Hmm, interesting, but useless.
You have successfully used Herb Lore to identify Maiden''s kiss. This flowering bush is known for its small white blooms. The scent of which can cause lightheadedness and a persistent flush to the blood vessels around the nose. For additional information, level up your Herb Lore.
The Herb Lore Skill continued to supply him with interesting but unhelpful bits of knowledge. He didn''t have a way to store any of the things he was finding and didn''t know if there would be any benefit to doing so anyway. He wondered what the Lore Codex was and if his discovery being added to it would let the world know about the wonders of the Charmin Tree. Finally, he came around to something edible, and while he was hungry enough to eat them despite the consequences, he didn''t think he would be making them a regular snack.
You have successfully used Herb Lore to identify Fingle''s Flatulence berries. These pleasant-tasting yellow berries are filling and energizing, but are also known to cause gas in any of the taller humanoids. They are however a beloved snack of gnome kind. For additional information, level up your Herb Lore.
Tilly''s stomach growled insistently, and with a grimace, he reached over and plucked a berry, before popping it in his mouth. The supple skin burst with bright tangy juice that tingled as he chewed. His grimace melted away, and he figured he was alone in the woods anyway, consequences be damned. He quickly grabbed a few handfuls of the stuff and started eating them en masse. With great satisfaction, he satiated the hunger that had already become his constant companion in his short time on Nephesh. After making a sizable dent in his hunger he grabbed a handful for the road and sighed in contentment. ¡°Ppppfffttt¡± His anal sphincter happily agreed. Ch.9 Can you take me higher After maybe an hour or two of traveling along the stream uphill Tilly found the landscape growing more sparse and rocky. The sound of wildlife also faded leaving only the occasional snap of a twig and puff of escaped berry gas to mark his passing. He tried to move forward as cautiously as possible, depending on his nascent skills in stealth to keep from being too obvious. He was only Level 4 and it seemed like this area didn''t have too much for him to worry about so far, but then again, he was hardly going to bet his life on an unconfirmed starting area theory. Anything in this forest could kill him as far as he was concerned, until he identified it, it was deadly and should be avoided. Apart from avoiding the local fauna, Tilly kept his eyes out for anything that seemed climbable and would let him see over the canopy to get his bearings. The mountain itself was pretty standard, with occasional interesting plants, a hoot or a chuff in the distance, and rock formations that kept getting bigger and bigger. This point was driven home by the fact that his way upstream was anything but clear. It was marred by the fact that he had to scale several waterfalls and small cliff faces to keep next to the stream. And even this was only possible because of his growing Dexterity and Endurance. One thing that was showing up more frequently the farther up he went up the mountain was evidence of the Corruption''s growing influence. Sometimes it was a long scar like a gash on a tree, oozing darkly infected sap. Other times it was a sludge-like puddle that collected in the natural dips of stone and smelled like a mixture of rotting flesh and sulfur. These signs were accentuated by the absence of any of the smaller wildlife he could at least hear in the distance further down the mountain. This whole world was new to Tilly, but even he could tell that what was going on here was deeply wrong. Each time he came across some new sign of the natural landscape becoming twisted into something nightmarish it set his teeth on edge, like the visual version of nails on a chalkboard. By the time he found an immense tree that had a trunk as thick as a car that seemed climbable, Tilly was seriously considering giving up on his favor to the Crononos. It was too early to take on something that was so obviously above his pay grade.
You have successfully used Herb Lore to identify a Sentinel Oak. These trees are known to grow in deeper parts of the wilderness, and if left undisturbed they can grow to three or four times the size of their surrounding counterparts. Sentinel Oak is a much-sought lumber, known for its strength and supernatural durability.
¡°This will work... Spiderman powers activate,¡± he mumbled to himself as he started to scale the tree, his new Dexterity making equal use of tree limbs and cracks in the old, gnarled bark. His nominal Strength was more than enough to lift his body weight, and his growing Endurance made the repetitive pull-up motion possible if not yet easy. He went up and up and up until he must have been six or seven stories in the air and could clearly see far over the natural canopy. He first scanned the rest of the way to the top of the mountain to see if he could catch a glimpse of his target destination. Near the peak, several hundred yards up was some sort of structure. It was carved into the mountainside itself with columns, crumbling statues, and a large relief of a burning flame above a relatively small opening. This itself was extremely impressive considering the logistics of building something like that this far up the mountain. But Tilly hardly noticed the crumbling majesty of the architecture, because snaking out of the entrance were dark thick growths that stretched into the surrounding forest and brought desolation wherever they touched. Tilly had to squint to make it out, but it seemed like these things were reaching into the local plant life and robbing it of vitality. This produced a semi-circle of fallen trees and blackened bushes that were slowly advancing down the mountain. The sight again set his insides buzzing, and the burning reignited in his stomach. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. It was probably early afternoon by this point and Tilly couldn''t spot anything moving up there, so he decided he would at least give it a closer look before returning to camp. He owed the Crononos that much for its final gift, and he felt an unexplained animosity at the Corruption''s continuing subversion of the area. Tilly shuffled around the huge diameter of the tree to face down the mountain and saw a sea of trees covering thick mountains reaching to the horizon. Nestled in a valley perhaps two or three miles past the base of his mountain, plumes of lazy gray smoke were visible. He also saw the curved impression of a mountain river snaking past the area and figured that even without frequent climbs to catch his bearing, he would be able to follow his stream down until it met up with the larger body of water and let it lead him to the point of his interest. Tilly couldn¡¯t see their origin from his angle, but he knew smoke. That was not the smoke from a burning forest fire, it was the simple sedate smoke trail that would climb up from a campfire or even better, a chimney. There were enough of them that they had to represent a significant gathering of people or creatures or whatever. Whatever they were, they weren''t too concerned with hiding, and Tilly hoped that meant they were settled. The seductive call of possible civilization reorganized Tilly¡¯s goals. He would check out the cave/temple to see what he was up against and then make his way toward the smoke. With a set of clear goals in mind, he scampered down the tree back to its base and continued his cautious trek upstream. After another hour of rough hiking upward the trees had almost completely cleared out and he had made it to a sheer cliff face marred by a huge crack. His stream had shrunk to a trickle and seemed to originate from the mountain face. At this point, Tilly was on high alert, the sun was three-quarters of the way through the sky and he knew he would have to make his inspection quick if he wanted to put any distance between this place and himself before nightfall. As quickly and quietly as he could, he followed the sparse treeline around the mountain until the temple came in sight. Its front would have seemed noble and ancient, if not for the thick ropy tendrils that choked the bottom half of the entrance, reaching greedily out into the surrounding forest and spreading death. Even though he was almost a hundred yards away, one of the things was rooted into the ground at the base of a tree nearby and Tilly could see the veiny black protrusion spidering up the trunk. As he followed the path of the root back to the temple entrance, he found a history of infection and death, marked by fallen logs and bushes turned into dry skeletal structures. The roots were not only infecting these plants, they were robbing them of their water and life. The whole scene sent goosebumps running along his arms under his jacket. It was one thing to see it from hundreds of yards away, it was a magnitude more intimidating to witness the effects up close. Thankfully as Tilly continued to scan the unnatural clearing he saw no sign of movement. He even held his breath for a while and heard no evidence of other creatures near his location. The only sound was the gusty breeze that one finds in all mountain ranges near the peaks. No birds, no squirrels, nothing. The absence of living things was eerie, but Tilly figured that whatever was going on here had probably either chased off the locals or infected them already. He followed the line of a nearby root back to the temple complex. The heart of what was happening here hid much deeper in the temple complex. Tilly sighed deeply as he realized that a quick peek at the entrance wasn''t going to tell him anything useful. So far he had learned nothing besides that plants and animals were being infected and that the infection originated from this temple, which is exactly as much as he knew after he had spoken to the Crononos. If he wanted any new information he would have to see what was going on inside. He really didn''t want to go inside. He looked around again, indecision tugging him in multiple directions. The place seemed empty, and he could always run at the first sight of... well anything. So much of him wanted to turn back right now and try to find some semblance of shelter. Forget all about everything he had seen and just try and survive. The logic of it whispered convincingly at the back of his mind. ''You¡¯ve gone far enough. Don''t be an idiot. Run, get stronger, then you can come back.'' This line of thinking was achingly familiar to Tilly. It had been by his side, offering counsel since he was little. It had encouraged him to hang back as he saw others get bullied in school. It had told him not to bother trying to change the hazing and abuse he had found in the Fire Department. It was there when his marriage got rocky and when his daughter got sick¡­ it had whispered to him his whole life, inviting him to take care of himself, come back later, Run. ''This is the moment... The moment where I choose to be something different.'' Something deep inside shouted in defiance, raging against the complacency that had grown to mark his previous life. The warm, unnoticed burning behind his navel bloomed into a full and complete heat, radiating up his torso and into his extremities. ¡°I''m going in...¡± He whispered to himself, surprised. Ch.10 NO Lions, NO Tigers... Just a Freaking Bear He moved over to the nearest ''root of all evil'' in a crouching walk, attempting to keep his presence out in the open as subtle as possible. Once he arrived at the gnarled and organic appendage, he slowly put the weight of his foot down, wincing in anticipation of some nightmarish reaction. He strained to hear any new disturbance in the terrain as he ever so gently set his weight down on his foot. Nothing happened. He didn''t hear any reaction and couldn''t feel or see the roots moving in response to his weight. Maybe it was just a mindless plant? That would be a huge relief! Even if it was evil, all he had to do was go in and chop it down at the base¡­ That''s typically how these things go right? He continued towards the entrance in a crouch, hoping that if he just kept moving the idiocy of what he was doing wouldn¡¯t overwhelm him and lock up his extremities. If there was one thing Tilly could do, it was, move first, and ask questions later. He ignored the weathered and crumbling statues that flanked the approach to the temple and kept moving. Dirt gave way to ancient paving stones, and he found himself before the entrance to the temple. The ground he walked upon was now covered in layers of roots, and the opening to the desecrated temple yawned before him, choking on the mass of plant matter that filled its bottom third and dived deeper into the complex. Tilly couldn''t see any windows, and the roots didn''t seem to be coming from any other part of the mountain. Just this one, towering, dark, entrance. ''One way in, one way out... a firefighter favorite.'' He mentally quipped as moved into the large entrance, trying to take up as little space as possible. The light from outside faded the farther in he went and the roots got thicker. He walked for a while until the passageway opened into some sort of large entryway chamber, where none of the light from outside could reach. But to his surprise, Tilly could still see a decent distance in front of him and he looked around trying to discern the source of this new subtle light. After a while, he realized that the whole interior was covered over with different stones of natural shapes and sizes and the places where they met had no gaps. It seemed like each was fitted uniquely with the ones around it, making the walls and ceiling feel almost like a natural occurrence even though they must have been painstakingly placed by hand. Even though there was no gap, the joint was easy to see because it showed a very faint radiance. The light was subtle, yet the whole of the structure shone with it keeping the interior from feeling dark. But the fact that it had taken Tilly minutes to figure out where the light was coming from gave the whole place an eerie feeling, not to mention what was carpeting the floor. The first room he came to was still covered in thick roots, which formed a strange sort of depression as the layers lost some of their height and fanned out to spread across the wider footprint, before gathering together again and leading even further into the structure. The walls had unlit torches at regular intervals calling back to a time when the temple wasn''t some sort of living nightmare. As Tilly crept forward, he belatedly drew both hatchets and continued on with a hunched gait. The presence of the place seemed to weigh heavier on his psyche with each step deeper into the structure as if every foot forward was another strike against his chances to make it out again. ''I''m just going to get a look... if I can take this thing out, I will'' He repeated to himself for the thousandth time as the space in the temple seemed to stretch, making his progress seem almost comically slow. The next doorway was not as big as the front entrance and the roots had only increased in size crowding the bottom half of the walkway and leaving significantly less room above Tilly''s head. While he hadn¡¯t seen so much as a twitch from the roots, he couldn¡¯t shake the malevolent feeling that emanated from them. He couldn''t stop picturing them suddenly rearing sinuously up and looping around his extremities. An eternity of achingly slow steps later, he reached an opening into a natural-looking cavern. Before clearing the doorway he strained one more time to hear even the slightest sound, holding his breath. Still nothing. He sighed subvocally and crept forward the last few steps. The same dim light subtly shone from the walls and ceiling of this room, revealing a scene of brutal contest. At the center of the auditorium-sized room was what seemed to be a simple altar of unhewn stone, with an intense blue flame flickering on its top surface. The flame radiated an electric blue light and flickered wildly, hovering just above the altar. It would have been mesmerizing if it wasn''t for what filled the rest of the room. Behind the altar was the source of the seemingly endless, root-like appendages. It looked like a cross between a tumor and a dead oak tree and it expanded to fill the entire back of the room. Pod-like growths marked each new expansion the tree had made, fanning out from the center trunk in concentric circles. The newest growths were closest to the altar, with rows and rows of pods filling the room as far as Tilly could see in the dim light. Each pod hung from a thick vine that led up into the branches of the tree, like a corpse hanging in a noose.Stolen story; please report. These background details filtered in slowly as horrific context to the main contest playing out around the altar. The roots all ran around the altar as if held back by some invisible barrier, but three appendages thicker than any other growth on the tree seemed to be straining toward the flame from different directions. Each one ended in an impossibly sharp point, oozing the same ghastly black substance Tilly had seen plaguing the forest. Nearer to the walls, far away from the altar were all sorts of creatures in varying states of infection and decay slowly being subsumed by the roots. Tilly saw that many were still breathing, but had entered into some sort of extreme stupor and had each found places to lay against the roots or bark. To his horror, Tilly saw small fresh root growths reaching out and burrowing into the creatures at the places where their bodies touched the tree. Tilly barely registered his notification icon blinking at him, as he just stood there in shock. His mind reeled at what he was seeing. Torn between immediately fleeing and attempting to do something. He couldn''t even imagine where to begin, but someone had to stop this thing from growing any further. There had been no reaction to his presence so far. Not from the creatures slowly being eaten alive or from the tree itself and he desperately clung to the fact that he had gone unnoticed. Maybe he could do something after all. He took a deep panic-averting breath and stepped inside, fighting every instinct to flee while trying to come up with some sort of plan. There had to be something he could do to change what seemed to be an inevitable victory this creepy tree and the Corruption it was spreading through the forest. Could he kill all the creatures it was eating? Would that wake them up? Could he even cut one of these creepy roots with his Strength stat where it was? Tilly hesitated. Each of these ideas seemed to be futile, but he also couldn''t face the crushing hopelessness that came with doing nothing in the face of such evil. Maybe he would find some hint of what he was supposed to do if he could make it to the altar. He took a few more crouched steps into the chamber when he suddenly retched. As he closed the distance to the newest pods, he saw that the bark-like skin covering them was thin, almost transparent. Floating in coffin-sized pods were emaciated humanoid bodies infested with the smaller root feelers. The sight hit Tilly on such a visceral level, that his stomach clenched in rejection, and attempted to empty itself. All reason left him, strategy forgotten as he lurched into a run at the nearest pod, desperate to free the thing trapped inside or end its nightmare of an existence. The fire at his center roared in approval, and he felt something building within him as he rushed forward, his face drawn in a rictus of pain and terror. Then the root-covered floor in front of the altar started to shift, and a small mountain of patchy infected fur and dirty yellowed claws rose from the ground. It was a Giant Freaking Bear. One the size of a minivan, trailing root appendages like power cords hanging from a VCR. Tilly had never frozen in a fire during his decades-long career. He knew good men and women who had, describing the moment as so overwhelming that all thoughts shut down and you were left blank, unable to do anything but stare. While he understood how that could happen to someone it had never happened to him. No matter the danger, he would always find that his body would move according to his training, and his mind would catch up later. But this was different. He had never trained on how to fight a giant bear from hell. His body locked up, and his grip on his weapons grew so weak that he was afraid he would drop them. He just stood there, arms out as if welcoming his inevitably grizzly end. But his impending death never came. Well, it was coming, but seemed to be moving at a glacial pace. The snarl painting its already horrific features seemed to be locked in place as it moved toward Tilly in slow motion. Tilly couldn¡¯t help but watch, mystified at its approach. Some part of his mind noted that as the bear moved away from the flickering flame, its movements were incrementally speeding up. Then it clicked for Tilly, the roots reaching for the flame were not being blocked by a barrier, they had been immensely slowed. The Flame was slowing time around it to a monumental degree with an effect that grew weaker the father from the altar you were. This immediately sent his mind whirling. The barrier that the corrupted tree was pushing against, wasn''t some kind of force field, it was a time-dilation field. Something about the analytical nature of his conclusions was enough to break through his fear, and he found his hand whipping forward, launching one of his hatchets at the bear''s slowly opening maw. Tilly watched for one more fascinating second, as his weapon slowed on its rotational path, also affected by the time dilation. The sight fully snapped Tilly out of his shock. His NOPE threshold reasserted itself, and he turned and sprinted for the exit. The journey to the entrance passed by in a blur as a roar of fury washed over him from behind. He didn''t know if the time dilation was gradual or had a fixed boundary of effect, but he went ahead and called back his other hatchet as he burst through the entry door. He immediately slid to a halt, stopping himself before an environment that was completely different from the sunny afternoon he had left behind just a few minutes ago. It was fully dark now and the radius of destruction wrought by the corrupted roots had doubled in size. Not only that but the clearing that had been empty during the day was now filled with different creatures, all showing signs of infection. Tilly had just a moment to process his increased danger before the dark glazed look that clouded their eyes transformed into bloodshot fury. ¡°Shit, shit, shit¡± he stuttered to himself, diving into a roll as several of the closest creatures lunged at him with tooth and claw. He came up from his roll surrounded on all sides, with another furious roar emerging from the entrance behind him, sounding much closer. Ch.11 Rafting, Ill Show You Rafting From the moment he exited the cave, Tilly''s world became one of exhaustion and pain. He sprinted through the surrounding creatures taking advantage of their momentary confusion to push, hack, and dodge past any in his way. His recent increases in Dexterity allowed him to survive the manic sprint through his surrounding foes, but he certainly didn''t get away unscathed. He dodged, ducked, dipped, dived, and dodged, avoiding getting pinned down or tangled. But every movement brought with it a new wound or near-death miss.
You suffer 3% damage from a slashing attack. You suffer 7% damage from a crushing blow. You suffer 2% damage from a piercing attack¡­
By the time he had broken through the gauntlet of tooth and claw, he was gasping in a wobbling sprint, barely propped up by his Endurance and Dexterity. His body was covered in bloody gashes and bruises.
Warning, you have been inflicted with the debuff Minor Bleeding. (-1.2% per minute.)
Warning, your debuff Minor Exhaustion has been upgraded to Moderate Exhaustion. (-20% Endurance, Dexterity, and Intelligence for 10 hours. )
Health: 65% (-.2% per minute)
The notifications came and went, and some part of Tilly dimly recognized that despite the discomfort with his new body, he should be able to keep moving as long as he didn''t damage either of his legs too badly. The combination of snarls, snaps, and growls that followed his mad retreat mixed into an audiological soup that ultimately shouted the same thing. ¡°As soon as we catch you, we will rend your flesh from bone.¡± Not that Tilly needed the encouragement. He continued to push his injured body, his lopsided gait staying just ahead of the furious pursuit until he reached the stream that had guided him up the mountain. He jumped into the shallow path and started making his way down the slope squeezing every bit of juice out of his newly enhanced body as possible. Many of the smaller infected had less of a problem keeping up once he was moving over rougher terrain and he had to bat away or dislodge several infected squirrel and bird-like creatures. While they didn''t do much to slow his momentum, they threw themselves at his legs and face to try and slow him down, or trip him so that the other hobbled creatures could catch him. He exhaustedly fended them off as he focused almost all his remaining energy on moving as fast as possible down the mountain without breaking something important. He half jumped half climbed down the first small waterfall, narrowly avoiding the grasping claws and teeth of his pursuers. The infected animals hesitated only a second before jumping down after him with little to no regard for their own bodies. He heard several jarring cracks and whimpers as he stumbled through his landing, turning his own ankle in the impact. Unfortunately, he could hear even more unimpeded splashes of pursuit behind him as he kept up his best speed downhill. New body or not, the near-death encounter, and now the injured flight down the mountain had ground his reserves to nothing, and a deep burning began to set into his lungs on top of the pain shooting through his body from multiple injuries. The wounds that covered his body continued to burn like lines of fire in the wind, slowly being covered in his salty sweat, introducing a new ecstasy of pain. His whole left side felt like a bruise at this point, and he was losing the ability to take a deep breath as something in his ribs grated painfully. Then he felt something click into place, and his breathing became slightly less difficult. He quickly threw up his most recent notification, shooting it a glance as he splashed down the stream in the low light of the evening.
Congratulations! You are now level 5. 9000 experience until the next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame.
Tilly didn''t let the surprise distract him and he quickly spread his new stat points out distributing them to the places he needed them most. He put 2 points in Constitution to mitigate the loss from bleeding, one in Endurance and two in Dexterity on top of the automatic point allocations that came with his class. In his desperation he even found he was able to assign the points without pulling up the screen, willing them to the right places and feeling his body respond with a rush of endorphins and adrenaline. He felt something snap at the back of his coat, attempting to rip it free. Tilly blindly swung one of his hatchets back and knocked the attacker loose before turning to throw both his hatchets at his closest pursuers, missing one, but nailing the other in the head. Spinning to throw while on the run was something that was just on the edge of his ability, even with all the recent dumping he had done in Dexterity. The distraction of a successful attack pulled his attention from the route just long enough that he didn''t notice the next drop-off down the stream. He ran straight off the edge falling and rolling down the mountain for 20-30 feet, hitting every rock in the stream bed.
You suffer 10% damage from falling.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. You suffer 7% damage from a crushing blow to the chest. You suffer 3% damage from straining your ankle. Health: 45%
Tilly groaned as he stumbled to his feet, and grinned manically as he heard several more of his pursuers miss the same drop and land badly. The crunch of their bones resounded in a symphony of vindication. He struggled forward for a few more stumbling steps before croaking out a yell and forcing his body back into an asymmetrical jog. His ligaments and muscles strained at the continued pace through all the abuse, and knives of pain plunged deeper as he poured everything he had into continuing his all-or-nothing flight. After several gasping minutes, he looked back and was surprised to see that he had put some distance between himself and the much-diminished crowd of infected forest pursuers. If they had not already been weakened by infection, they probably would have never let him escape. There was no way he should have been able to stay ahead of animals in their natural habitat, but Tilly had begun to notice a pattern with how the Corruption affected the body of its host. Their ferocity increased, even as the physical vessel was weakened and drained of life. While they were still very much deadly, their movements were all characterized by a sort of twitchy ferocity, reminding Tilly of some of the more intense zombie movies he had seen. This difference showed in the shambling run they used to pursue him, instead of the more natural animalistic movements that they probably normally had. That didn''t mean he was out of the woods yet, he was barely moving faster than a shuffling jog himself, and he had no clue how long his pursuers would be able to go at this pace. It had become a war of attrition. They would catch him if he stopped or passed out, and it would all be over. ''I just have to keep going'' His journey down the mountain became a never-ending slog of gasping breath, soaked leather, and wounds that didn''t seem to be healing. At least the pain had dulled to a deep ache the longer he stumble ran down the mountain. His legs were lead, every breath sent a knife deeper into his chest, but he couldn''t stop. The disjointed rhythm of his shuffling gait clashed with the harsh regular sound of his shallow breaths as his mind narrowed down to a singular focus. Keep moving The snarls and splashes continued after him, constantly pushing him to keep moving. At some point, he dropped both his weapons, as the drive to take another step gained precedence over all other worries. Time faded, and even his reason for running was ground out of his mind, one exhausted step after another. The excruciating chase went on until the stream deepened enough that he could no longer cross it without wading up to his waist. The sound of his pursuit had fallen far behind as the terrain became even more difficult, but things like strategy or hiding had slipped from Tilly''s exhaustion-addled mind.
Warning, your debuff Moderate Exhaustion has been upgraded to Major Exhaustion. (-50% Endurance, Dexterity, and Intelligence for 10 hours.)
At this point, his legs had turned to stone, and every step was a monumental act of will. His mind had been reduced to simple, stubborn self-talk, descending into an exhaustion-induced fugue. ¡°Just another step.¡± He didn''t notice as the horizon above the tree line began to lighten with dawn''s glow and he missed it as the stream connected with the river. He just kept moving until he was up to his chest in water and started treading water. Some deep-seated instinct prioritized air and kept him kicking even as he struggled to stay conscious. His new reality became one of slowly waving arms and occasionally kicking feet, his light armor proving to be slightly buoyant. The light brightened the surrounding forest, and if he had the presence of mind to take it in, he would have seen a healthier and more populated temperate valley. The birds could be heard greeting the morning and some deer watched from the shore as he passed by, his stubbornness as much a part of his survival as any conviction. The river current had carried him along a fair distance when his path was intersected by a large line of logs floating along the middle of the river. He numbly pulled himself up on two logs floating side by side and let the sweet soundless embrace of unconsciousness take him.
Jonathan Luke Tillman Level: 5(9000 Experience to next level) Display Name: Tilly Race: Human Class: Son of Flame Titles: Harbinger Health: 45% (+1.2% per minute) Mana: 87% (+.8% per minute)
Status Effects: -Major Exhaustion -50% Endurance, Dexterity, and Intelligence for 10 hours. (5 hours remaining) -Minor Bleeding - 1% to Health per minute. -Unconscious - You are not alert or oriented to your surroundings. Lasts until well rested or you receive medical intervention.
Stats: Constitution: 12 Endurance: 20 (12) Dexterity: 20 (12) Strength: 10 Wisdom: 8 Intelligence: 8(4)
Items Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Ability Recall. Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor: +10% to Endurance. (Legendary, growth type)
Skills: -Forestcraft level 10 -Identify level 16 -Cooking level 12 -Beginner Hatchett level 9 -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 6 -Herb Lore Level 2 -Ax Throwing Level 7
Abilities: -None.
Ch.12 Whats up Doc? ¡°Kuro¡­ what''s that on the logs.¡± ¡°Well, Nyuk, how am I supposed to know? Looks like another one of those washed-up dead animals.¡± ¡°I don''t think so, It''s something else wearing furs... Hold on, I''ll hook that bunch and pull it in.¡± ¡°God¡¯s above and below! It''s a pit-cursed human!¡± ¡°AYAH! What do we do?! Should we just dump it in the river? It''s obviously dead.¡± The back-and-forth conversation slowly dug deeper into Tilly¡¯s consciousness and he was able to rouse just enough to mumble. ¡°Please¡­ don''t.¡± ¡°Ugh did you hear that, it said something!¡± ¡°Kuro, you need to calm down, pull him in and I''ll go tell Lord Hiro about this.¡± ¡­. Tilly came to consciousness feeling warm and weak. He was lying on a bed of scratchy fabric that felt like a memory foam king after his past two nights in the forest. He looked around at his one-room abode and saw a small window and sliding shoji-style door opposite a river stone fireplace and a hewn plank floor. His patchwork leather jacket, pants, and moccasins were folded neatly next to the bed with his two hatchets laying on the floor next to them. He attempted to sit up and found it very difficult. He reflexively pulled up his notification log to catch up with what had happened during his escape. He scrolled through the numerous damage notifications trying to find an explanation for his leveling during the escape.
A creature that you are in combat with has taken environmental damage. A creature that you are in combat with has been defeated due to environmental damage. You have earned 75 Exp.
Tilly guessed that the system counted any damage they took trying to follow him as if it was partially dealt by him. It hadn¡¯t led to a ton of experience, but at least he gained a level, which had probably been the difference between life and death for him. He also learned that his Identify Skill had picked up some of the insane things he had seen yesterday.
You have identified a Corrupted Ancient Cave Bear level 38. You have failed to Identify the source of the corruption. Congratulations! You have found a Place of Power. These are the source of all life and growth across Nephesh and can be used for great and terrible purposes.
Aside from that, he had leveled Forestcraft for his ¡°Successful Night Hike¡± and had gained one more level in Ax Throwing. Probably from the few lucky shots he had managed to get off while on the run. His health was at 100% and his debuffs were gone. All that was left was a status effect called Recovery.
You are in a state of Recovery. You have experienced extreme emotional and physical trauma over the last 24 hours and your need for healing goes deeper than just your body. -50% Strength and +50% wisdom while in Recovery.
He was wearing some bandages with old blood stains on them, and his ankle and the right side of his chest had some sort of poultice pressed against them. Pleasantly, neither of them even showed a twinge of pain as he gingerly attempted to move those parts of his body. Feeling encouraged he unwrapped one of his bandages and found that they only covered areas of faint scarring. Despite everything he had just been through, Tilly found himself smiling. This world certainly had its drawbacks, but he could get used to the insane healing factor he already had with a Constitution of just 12. Just as he was about to struggle into his clothing, the sliding door whispered open. Standing in the doorway was a full-on rabbit person holding a tray. The figure was feminine and had on a distinctly Japanese-style kimono. She took his level of consciousness in stride and firmed the lines of her mouth before removing her sandals and moving into the space. She put the tray down on the floor next to his clothing, smoothly moving into a seated position on her knees. Tilly didn''t know what he was expecting when he had awoken in this mysterious village¡­ but it wasn''t this. ¡°Please eat,¡± she said in a voice barely above a whisper, looking down to avoid eye contact. ¡°Uh¡­ can you tell me¡­ where I am?¡± Tilly stumbled over his words, not sure where to even begin when it came to resolving his ignorance of this new world.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Her face was covered in a light fur that only slightly changed her mostly human features and her long rabbit-like ears were laid flat, falling behind her head and laying over her bun. She just shook her head at his question and bowed again, before rising and backing out of the room. ¡°Lord Hiro will answer your questions. So sorry.¡± She then stepped back out and gracefully slid the door closed. Tilly was left there with his mouth hanging open. He had been expecting something weird¡­ but Japanese rabbit people took the cake. Apparently this wasn''t the bread and butter Middle Earth-style fantasy land. If they were any representation of the population of this place, things were only going to get stranger. A loud growl from his stomach interrupted his musings and he looked back down at the tray, now noticing the generous bowl of rice, some grilled fish, and a glazed mixture of carrots. The bowl was of course topped with chopsticks and accompanied by tea. Any of the shock he felt at his first civilized interaction faded before the all-powerful call of hunger. Sometime later, a burp sounded out through the room, signaling man¡¯s triumph over food once again. Tilly could feel strength returning to his limbs and happily noted that the Recovery effect cleared once he had eaten and gotten dressed. He was glad they had left him his hatchets, hopefully, this meant he wasn''t seen as a threat to these people. Not knowing what else to do, he hesitantly moved towards the door and just as he was reaching for it, it seemed to open of its own accord revealing two rabbit men armed with spears. The one on the left flinched in surprise, while the one on the right nodded at the sight of him standing and dressed. It was difficult for Tilly to tell them apart. ¡°Lord Hiro said you would be up, Come with us please.¡± After the request they simply turned and walked away, leaving Tilly to follow. Both rabbit men wore simple peasant clothes in the Japanese style and had their ears tied behind their heads with thongs of leather. He tried to keep up with their odd hopping gait, and did his best to take in the village that surrounded the small house he had woken up in. It was every bit feudal Japan, except with rabbit people instead of Japanese. For some reason, the strangeness of it all was already wearing off on him. Maybe it was the monsters or his afterlife experience but his pragmatism kicked into overdrive and he quickly adjusted to the reality of the people in this new world. Underneath the strangeness, Tilly couldn''t help but notice other things. The few children he saw were somber, the people; worn down and dirty, even as they went about their tasks with an aloof dignity that spoke of deep cultural pride. They quickly made their way through the village of simple but well-built wooden houses with sliding doors and opaque white grid siding. Before them reared a tightly built palisade of logs with an inner platform that seemed to circle the whole circumference of the town. The front gate was a large counterbalanced affair rigged to collapse down if its tightly bound winch was disturbed, and it was manned by men in well-worn clothing either holding spears or longbows in hand, their vigilance outward remained unchanged by Tilly¡¯s approach. There were several ladders up the lookout walkway but no stairs, and as his escort reached the base of the one nearest the gate they turned and posted up on either side of it. The one on the right jerked his head up, towards the top. With a small smile for the ease with which he could now scale vertical surfaces, Tilly climbed up the ladder and found himself facing the back of an actual samurai in full armor. Tilly could see from the ears pulled back and held by a thong that this was another rabbit-man, but that did nothing to ease the air of controlled death that emanated from the warrior. Something about his posture spoke of a profound readiness for violence as he stood facing the distant line of trees. ¡°When I heard my people had found you, my first thought was of killing you, just to save my people the grief you will inevitably bring if left alive.¡± His voice rumbled in a deep base, every bit a match for his intimidating aura. This sudden threat to his person instantly put Tilly into a surly mood, ¡°I''m sorry, I don''t understand what you mean. I just got to your world and barely lived through a couple of nights in those woods over there. You have a serious problem brewing at the top of that mountain. What do you mean, ¡®save my people grief¡¯?¡± At that the Rabbit man who could only be Lord Hiro turned and revealed a profoundly care-worn face, weathered by time, but unbowed before its relentless passage. His eyes were hard and carried a deep sorrow. ¡°I should have known one of your kind would come, you always do in times of great change, and change is seldom kind to its victims.¡± He said, looking over Tilly as if searching for something. Something about Tilly''s presence seemed to set off an internal conflict in him, and suspicion warred with a flicker of hope on his heavily lined face. ¡°Look, uhh¡­ Sir I don''t know what you think you know about me, but I have barely survived my first few days here and while I appreciate your hospitality, you need to get over your prejudices and send people to stop what is happening up in that mountain.¡± Tilly said with a forceful gesture towards the looming mountain at the head of the valley. "Some evil has taken over a Temple up there and it is spreading all throughout these lands!" Nothing in Lord Hiro''s countenance changed at his gesturing, but Tilly couldn''t help but notice the nearest guard tighten his grip on his spear shaft as he struggled to not look like he was listening. His words seemed to strike some deep chord of worry in these people... ''They already knew about the Corruption'' The pieces he had seen on his way over to the wall fell into place. These were a people under attack, they had probably already lost friends and family, and here he was mouthing off. The angles of Tilly''s self-righteous scowl softened and in a lower voice he asked, ¡°I can see that things have not gone easily here, but whatever is growing at the heart of that mountain is only getting stronger. I think that whatever forces you have seen are only a small portion of what will be brought to bear if it goes unchecked.¡± Shadows deepened across Hiro''s features as Tilly''s simple statements hit him one by one. ¡°Do you think we are ignorant of this Human? We have already gambled our future to see this threat eradicated, and we lost.¡± He replied, a dark stormy fury settling over his expression. ¡°We sent our best, and the attacks have not ceased. Every night they come, and with me, we stand with few losses. But without me, my people would be overrun before I reached the source and attempted to stop them. Our loggers are good men but they have to sleep in the middle of the river on rafts to stay safe from attack at night. We simply have no one left to spend on this mission. We have lived with this burden for many days. Now tell me human, have you come to defeat this abomination, or are you simply a fresh harbinger of our doom?" Something about Hiro using the same word as the [Title] he had below his name struck Tilly. He had been content with just warning the people after his narrow escape, but try as he might, he could not shake the feeling that there was still something he could do. This couldn¡¯t all just be an accident, his starting point in this world, his only title, even these people, locked in a struggle for their lives. These were all variables stacked next to each other like dominos, in the hope that one would impact the other in a cascading effect that led to some unseen outcome. This line of thinking and its implications played out in conflict openly visible on Tilly¡¯s face. Hiro watched the human struggle to answer his question, his own face inscrutable. Tilly was vastly underpowered when considering the challenges these faced, and the idea of heading up that mountain to try and fight the bear again caused a surge of panic to rush up his throat from the pit of his stomach. A desperate thought crossed his mind and he flicked open his notification log to see just how powerful Hiro was. Level 52 Samurai Lord The idea of this guy asking him to solve a problem so far above his ability filled him with bitterness. This guy could snap him in half and yet here they were, in the classic, ''send the new guy to fix all of our problems'' situation. ¡°There must be something you can do, I know you said you can''t leave, but¡­ For God''s sake, It''s feeding off of people up there.¡± Tilly uttered, trying to keep down his growing panic. The gut-level horror at what he had faced in the temple caused his voice to crack, and he looked down to cover the naked fear in his eyes. But even looking down, he felt the air around him change, growing heavier. Then he heard the creak of armor in front of him as if it was straining to hold back the taut body beneath. ¡°Human¡­ Answer me carefully. You said it is feeding off people. Did you see any alive?¡± Ch.13 Voluntold Tilly was suddenly deeply aware of how close he was standing to the Samurai with a death grip on his sword. The warrior''s proximity was beyond intimidating, but the memory of the man-sized fleshy pods had been burned into his psyche. However dangerous Lord Hiro was, it was nothing compared to the room full of nightmare fuel at the top of that mountain. He pushed through his warring fears and the pressure of Hiro¡¯s presence to carefully answer the question. ¡°Look, from what I saw, the thing causing this Corruption is some sort of demonic, subterranean tree. Around its base, there are these pod-like things with shapes inside them. I think it has been capturing things for a long time and sets them up as some sort of energy source to maintain its growth. The pods nearest to the entrance looked like the newest growths and had some figures in them that were already husks, but one particular pod near the altar at the center of the room seemed to still have an intact figure within. It might have something to do with how time works in the chamber. Whatever is in that pod, there is only a small chance it could still be alive. It''s suspended in liquid and I have no idea how it could still be breathing, but yes, it did not have the sucked-dry look the other bodies had.¡± Tilly tore his mind away from the memory to find a new, wild hope burning in the Samurai¡¯s eyes. He looked like a man on death row given a fresh appeal. Tilly was suddenly concerned that he was giving the wrong impression. ¡°Look I''m saying I don''t know¡­ and even if that someone is still alive, there is no way they are not totally infected with Corruption.¡± Lord Hiro¡¯s eyes had already lost focus in thought, and Tilly could tell he had lost the man to whatever machinations his news had aroused. Finally, Hiro looked back at Tilly, his eyes focused with determination. ¡°It will have to be enough. They have abandoned us here to die a slow death... Well if death comes, let it be by our own choosing.¡± Then as if his decision came with a jolt of electricity, he jerked his head to the side and called down to Tilly¡¯s escort. ¡°Take him to Shuji. Make sure he has whatever he needs that we can spare, and bring me Kuro and Nyuk. They will leave with him at dusk.¡± He said, his authority ringing out across the wall and into the village. Its effect was impossible to miss, as people stopped what they were doing and looked up at their leader, hope dawning on their faces. One of the guards rushed off, while the other waited at the bottom of the ladder. ¡°Um... Am I leading you guys up there or something?¡± Tilly asked lamely, hoping against hope that he misunderstood the events unfolding before him. ¡°No, your words have spurred me to one final gamble. The walls are as good as they can be for now, I will send my logging team scouts with you and you will do whatever you can to free anyone alive in that place and end this threat.¡± His words landed on Tilly like an avalanche, crushing him with their implications. The fear and panic that he had barely been holding in check slipped from his control, ¡°You have got to be kidding me, man¡­ That tree is guarded by all kinds of monsters, and a level 38 Ancient Cave Bear! I don''t know if you noticed, but I¡¯m only level 5! You''re level 52, it''s gotta be you!¡± At his words, the Samurai Lord slowly turned his head away from the conversation and back towards the forest boundary, flat dismissal showing in his posture. ¡°You know nothing of the obligations I am under. I would like nothing more than to go off on this quest, but to leave my people is to condemn them to certain death. This I can not do as their lord. I will risk some of my few remaining men, and I will spend precious resources on you, Human. That is all. "There is a chance that some God looks down on you with favor, I see a divine mark on you. There is little possibility that you will succeed, but I have precious few options left to me. It will be you, and if you fail, we are doomed to continue our slow march to oblivion.¡± Tilly stood floored, his mouth opening then closing as he failed to come up with a response. He didn''t want to die if he could help it, and he was sure these people felt the same way¡­ But the panic that his traumatic experiences had seared into him raged against the thought of doing anything but running away. As if sensing this, Lord Hiro added, ¡°If you do not go, I will kill you myself,¡± Hiro stated simply before turning completely away from Tilly and putting the final nail in the coffin of his dismissal. Here he was again¡­ Getting shit on by life, with no way out. His feelings roiled and churned within him and threatened to overwhelm him. Then he thought of the person who was trapped in that pod one more time. Maybe he felt trapped, but anything still alive in the clutches of that tree had to be living in hell...The heat started to bloom behind his navel once again, as his world expanded beyond his own fears. How many times had he run into burning buildings when others were running out? This was no different. It was who he was. Idiotic or not, he got people out. It was what he had built the best parts of his old life around. If he ran now, he would always be running. Either he manned up and figured out how to fight back against this fantasy-horror bullshit or he might as well let Hiro kill him. He wasn''t perfect, but he knew enough about himself to know that if he didn''t tighten up now, the rest of his short life here would be on the back foot, always reacting, never taking any initiative. Wasting his second chance at life... Something in him settled, then firmed, and Tilly realized it was resolve. Resolve to draw the line here, and either fight back or die trying. His conflicted expression relaxed and a small self-deprecating smirk formed at the corner of his mouth. ''How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.'' Without wasting any time in further pointless conversation with the desperate leader, Tilly turned and climbed down the ladder. The remaining guard stared at him, seeming to be just as amazed by his leader''s decision as Tilly was. Under his scrutiny, Tilly awkwardly put his hands on his weapons, attempting to appear far more confident than he was. "Nothing to it but to do it... Let''s get going." He said, lifting one of his hands from his stance and waving vaguely back down the street. The motion seemed to wake the guard from his stupor and he nodded quickly before turning around and jogging off, not saying a word. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Tilly blinked in surprise before lurching to follow. ¡°Um, do you have a name?¡± Tilly called to the guard''s back. No answer. ''Hopefully, Shuji is a little more talkative than the rest of these guys.'' ¡­ Shuji, as it turned out, was part logistics officer, part general store manager, and part crazy Librarian. He presided over the only completely stone building in the village. As they approached the squat structure, the door banged open and by far the largest rabbit-man Tilly had seen thrust himself out of the entryway, followed belatedly by the other guard. Tilly immediately pulled his notification log, wanting to find out as much about his lifeline as possible. Level 39 Librarian ¡°So this is the Human I have heard so much about! I, of course, have never seen one of your kind in person but I can''t help but confess a burning curiosity.¡± The rotund rabbit man boomed as he approached with a strange sort of jiggly grace. He was wearing a robe slightly more ornate than the others and besides his girth, his features were set apart by an impressive Fu-man-chu mustache and a pair of spectacles sitting on top of his flat rough nose. Before Tilly fully understood what was happening, Shuji slid into his personal space and began manipulating his extremities and tutting to himself. ¡°Hmmm yes, similar to most nonbeastial bipeds¡­¡± Tilly coughed and stepped back trying to find a way to gain back the space he had lost along with any possible initiative in the conversation. ¡°Um, I just got here¡­ the world I mean, not the village. Although that too¡­ Lord Hiro sent me to you for supplies.¡± Tilly said, stumbling over his words as he was completely thrown off by the out-of-place gregarious mannerisms Shuji displayed, along with his complete lack of social awareness. ¡°Oh yes, of course! You showing up now can only mean one thing.¡± Shuji said, nodding to himself, while once again stepping into Tilly¡¯s space and reaching to feel the sleeve of his jacket making interested humming sounds. Tilly gently pulled his arm away and tried to keep the conversation going. ¡°Would you mind explaining what that means? Hiro said something similar and I would really like to know what being human implies in this place.¡± "Ah! Yes." Shuji clucked. ¡°Your coming signifies that things are about to change! If we were happy, and we lived in a stable society, a human showing up could mean calamity. But lucky for us, we seemed to be doomed, so change is most welcome!¡± He replied enthusiastically. ¡°Well that''s good, I guess¡­ Look man, I have been here for barely three days. I don''t even know what you are. I''m willing to try and help, but I am going to need some sort of baseline of information.¡± ¡°Why yes! Of course, where are my manners? Come in, come in.¡± He said, his wide cheerful face not at all dimmed by the grim context of his existence. He moved adroitly through the doorway into a large well-lit room covered with trinkets, candles, and scrolls. At the back of the room was a large iron banded door, guarded by a counter that gave this place the barest appearance of a shop. It reminded Tilly of a disorganized fantasy Goodwill. ¡°Please sit, sit!¡± Shuji said, gesturing at a bench adjoining the cluttered table. It was of course also covered in stuff and Tilly hesitantly stacked as many things as he could to one side, making enough space for him to set himself down without knocking anything over. Meanwhile, Shuji had seemed to pick two cups from the mess at random and produced a steaming teapot from God knows where. He poured both of them a cup and handed one to Tilly. ¡°Tea?¡± ¡°Thanks..." Tully said, accepting the steaming cup. "First off, please tell me, what do I call your people? I mean, you know I am a human, but I have no clue what you are.¡± ¡°We are called Lapins.¡± He said with an indulgent smile and in a tone that would have been at home in a kindergarten classroom. Then he took a loud sip of his tea and gestured for the human to continue. Tilly felt torn between the tension of being somewhat safe for the first time in a few days and the grim reality of having to go back up the mountain in a few hours. He had so many questions, but he had no clue where to begin. Any line of information could be superfluous or it could save his life¡­ Noting the conflict on the human¡¯s face, Shuji interrupted his conflicted stare. ¡°Look, I can understand you are in an impossible situation, it seems we share that fate. But seldom does one of your kind show up with no way forward. Many of you die of course, but the ones who live almost always end up as the monarchs and emperors of this world. In fact, I believe it was a human thousands of generations back that had a hand in the beginning of our race¡­ although it is that belief that got me sent here in the first place.¡± Something in that statement poked out at Tilly, not the puzzle of how to make a human/rabbit hybrid. Something else. ¡°Lord Hiro said something about being abandoned. Why is no one coming to help?¡± ¡°I am afraid that is perhaps a longer story than you have time for on the eve of your departure¡­ Rather I think we should focus on what abilities and talents you have, and how I can supplement them with our meager supplies to give you the best chance at success.¡± Tilly got back on track focusing on the immediate future. The problem was he literally didn''t know anything and the questions that had come up over the last couple of days about stat distribution and class progression probably wouldn''t make a single difference in his coming fight with the ancient cave bear. So he started by sharing everything he knew could bring to the fight. Except for his strange [Title], something about its language hinted that it was best to keep it close to the chest until he knew more about what was going on. ¡°Well, As you can probably see, I''m level 5 and I have zero abilities. The only thing I have going for me is that when I throw these I can make them appear back in my hand.¡± To emphasize his point, Tilly caused one of his hatchets to appear from his belt loop into his waiting palm. He decided to also keep the fact that they were legendary to himself until he knew more about what that meant too. All in all, he has zero idea of the role his class was meant to fill and no hints at what Abilities if any would appear as he grew stronger. ¡°Yes, yes. I see¡­ very rare not to have a single Ability at your level, but not unheard of. And a soul-bound set of equipment is nothing to sniff at either¡­ but it won''t help you much at this stage.¡± Tilly''s poker face broke as he realized if he could identify his gear as Legendary, then of course someone in this village would have been able to! Shuji missed none of this and waved Tilly down as if it wasn''t a big deal. ¡°Do not worry Human, you are right to keep such things hidden from strangers, part of the nature of soul-bound equipment is it is very difficult to detect much about it unless you are the owner. We would not have known except that every time we confiscated your gear while you were unconscious, it kept appearing next to you neatly folded. We are not in the habit of letting armed strangers walk through our Village, especially not one of your kind.¡± ¡°Huh, that makes sense...Well now that you know what I am working with, any ideas? Because I am pretty sure I could hit that bear a thousand times, and it could still rip me in half.¡± ¡°Yes, that does pose a significant problem. The two Lord Hiro has ordered to accompany you are talented Loggers, but they will not be much help against such an enemy. There must be something. Some strange outworld knowledge or magic that can even the odds in your favor. If there was not, I doubt you would have been thrust into such a precarious situation. The Gods can be mysterious and inscrutable, but they are hardly ever frivolous when it comes to expending their power.¡± Tilly raked his mind, reviewing all the information he had on the terrain he was returning to. Dead plant life everywhere, a cave with only one entrance, and an enemy that was far beyond his ability to fight¡­ ¡°Shuji, how much do you know about what Corruption does to these creatures? Do they become some sort of undead... Wait even more importantly, do they still breathe?¡± Ch. 14 Mission Impossible, Literally ¡°This is the best I can do. ¡± Shuji said with a grimace as he produced something that looked suspiciously like a Chinese firework covered in arcane symbols. ¡°It is meant for celebrations and we were saving it for when the village became fully self-sufficient¡­ but this is the closest thing I have in our our current stock. I can think of several things back in the Capitol that would serve you much better, but this will have to do. I am fascinated by your theory, and hope you live to tell me if it works.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too Shuji... Me too.¡± Tilly replied distractedly as he adjusted the tight-fitting satchel designed to sit on the small of his back over his jacket. In it were two health potions, some bandages, flint, and tinder along with some simple rations and water. ¡°I wish we had more for you, but our stock is dangerously low, and we have no healer here. Just a few farmers with some poor medicine skills, and these last potions. It says much that Lord Hiro is issuing them to you... they are the only thing that can save a dying man on the walls.¡± Tilly nodded slowly in understanding as he looped the satchel around his back and let it settle in place. It may have been his imagination, but he thought he felt his jacket shifting for a second. But then the sensation passed, and Tilly found the storage item sitting snuggly but not uncomfortably on his lower back. ¡°Don''t worry Shuji, I get it. No one wants this, but we all have to do what we have to do... Your village is in trouble, and Hiro is risking some of his most precious remaining resources in a last-ditch effort to change the situation. Another potion or better fire starter won''t make much of a difference. Either my plan works or it doesn''t.¡± With those words, the door opened and one of the escort Lapins grunted in Shuji¡¯s direction. Through the open door, Tilly heard a loud nasally voice complaining. ¡°Nyuk, are you sure we can''t just raft him to the bottom of the mountain and wait to see if he comes back?¡± ¡°Kuro, you idiot, you heard Lord Hiro. If he doesn''t stop whatever is up there, we all die anyway. Your wife and son included! Now if you don''t shut up, I will shove-¡± He stopped talking as he noticed the guard had opened the door, and both Shuji and Tilly were watching the pair. ¡°-It was just a joke, you don''t have to be so harsh,¡± replied Kuro in a low petulant voice. ''Well, looks like it''s time to go.'' Tilly looked back at Shuji and gave him a small bow. ¡°Thanks for your help Shuji, I hope I see you again. I would love to be able to ask other questions.¡± ¡°Good providence human, I too look forward to your triumphant return.¡± The lapin replied with just a hint of worry coloring his cheerful tone. With that, Tilly brushed past the guard and stood before two particularly muscular Lapin males with felling axes strung behind their backs. The sun was beginning to set, and the rest of the village had taken on a hushed defeated tone. Women were shooing children toward homes and sharply shutting doors. The men not already on the wall were moving in that direction. The gurging calls of the Corrupted began to ring out from the surrounding forest. All the energy seemed to go out of the Loggers as they turned to look at the gate. Tilly emerged from the squat building and the pair looked back at him with their faces set in grim lines. The two guard lapins checked that the trio was set and then hurried off to join the others at the wall. ¡°So Kuro, Nyuk. My name is Tilly. Nice to meet you, did you say something about rafting?¡± Tilly started, not exactly knowing how to begin with the reluctant duo. ¡°That is correct, human. We typically lash our logs together upriver and ride them downstream to the mill. Instead, tonight we will take some of the logs and use them to pole upstream and ride out the night on the river. Tomorrow morning we will hike up the mountain and face whatever we find there, likely our deaths. These creatures seem most active at night, so we plan to arrive at our target around noon tomorrow.¡± Nyuk answered solemnly. ¡°Huh, well I can''t say I like the death part, but everything else sounds good. I want you guys to know, I do have a plan, and if it works, none of us will die tomorrow.¡± ¡°I have already kissed my son goodbye, human. Don''t ruin my mood with false hope.¡± Kuro stated dismissively before turning and walking towards the small dock on the river bank. ''Well, so much for team building'' Tilly thought wryly as he and Nyuk followed after the sullen lapin. They marched through the village, toward the area where the wall met the river. When they arrived a few minutes later, Tilly was interested to see that they had built the palisade a good distance into the river. This created a small harbor that sheltered a small dock leading out into the water. At the edge of the platform rested a crude but sturdy-looking raft of eight large logs.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
The trip upriver was uneventful. There were a few Corrupted creatures on the banks of the river, but they mostly headed back toward the Village for what Tilly learned was a nightly battle. They would spend twilight crowding the forest around the village and then throw themselves at the wall until their numbers were spent. For some reason, they only attacked at night, and did so in a steady stream, almost as if they didn''t want to take the village, but rather exhaust its inhabitants night after night. The tactic was disturbingly sophisticated for something Tilly still hoped was not sapient. He spent the ride taking throws at the passing creatures. He only managed to wound a few and didn''t get any experiance for his efforts. The two loggers just ignored the creatures as they steadily poled up the river. For them, this was business as usual. ¡°How long have these attacks been happening?¡± Tilly asked one of the stoic lapins after missing another impossible throw at a creature moving through the dark forest. The one called Kuro looked over at him, almost surprised he wanted to talk as they set out on such a grim task. He looked over at Nyuk incredulously and the other lapin just pretended not to have heard. With a wearied sigh, Kuro answered. ¡°First our hunters started discovering creatures slain in the forest by unnatural means. They were killed but not eaten, and the killing was uncommonly savage. Then attacks began to happen at the logging camp. We always posted a guard and were able to fight off the creatures but Lord Hiro grew concerned. He sent our hunters to follow the creature''s trail during the day and find their source.¡± At this point, Kuro slowed in his story and watched another creature stumble by on the river bank, clearly ravaged by corruption. ¡°Only one hunter returned from the mission. He was wounded and severely poisoned by the Corruption. Before he died, he spoke of an evil spreading at the top of the mountain and reaching down towards the valley.¡± At this, Nyuk lifted one of his hands from the pole and made a sign to ward off evil. Kuro looked over at the motion and narrowed his eyes in annoyance. ¡°At this point, Ichiro, our Lord¡¯s son, and our last true warriors formed a party and went to stop this threat before it grew too great for our village to overcome¡­ they failed. ¡°They have not been seen since that day, and the attacks on the village started a week later. With Lord Hiro on the wall, we have held.¡± ¡°In no small part because we finished the palisade far ahead of schedule,¡± Nyuk grumbled Kuro just ignored him and continued, ¡°But our supplies run low. Our rice fields and gardens have gone untouched so far, but the game we used to subsist on from the forest is all but gone. We fish the river for now, but even that has its limits. If the attacks intensify, there will be too many for Lord Hiro to handle with only our militia to assist. Even if they merely continue as they are, we will flag and fail eventually.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you run? Or at least send your women and children to safety?¡± Tilly asked quietly, the weight of the villager¡¯s plight weighing down on him. Kuro¡¯s sneer returned with a vengeance, ¡°Our teleport platform is inactive, and our messages go unanswered. They told us we were being sent to ¡®Subdue this area of the frontier for the glory of the Empire¡­¡¯ what a load of pit-cursed shit.¡± Kuro finished before spitting vehemently over the side of the raft. That answer only produced another round of questions in Tilly¡¯s mind, but he saw the flat look of fury burning in the lapin¡¯s eyes and decided to hold back for now. It wasn''t too much longer before the lapins seemed to notice some landmark that was invisible to Tilly¡¯s eyes in the dark. They moved the raft closer to the bank and lodged the poles deep in the silty river bed through two holes in the middle of the raft that seemed to be made for this purpose. Tilly looked around and saw that the eddy they were in was produced by a small but familiar stream flowing down into the river from the nearby shore. The poles seemed to be able to anchor the raft well enough in the reduced current near the mouth of the stream, and Tilly noted that they were still far enough away from shore that any creatures would have a difficult time approaching the raft without making a lot of noise. Without a word, both lapins settled down and reached into their packs to produce some of the rice ball and fish rations that each of them had been issued. Tilly followed suit and hunkered down on the unsteady raft, reaching into his satchel for his own rations. He felt sick to his stomach when he thought about what they would be attempting tomorrow, but he knew he had to eat, so eat he did, with mechanical efficiency. ¡°We will get what rest we can here until dawn. Then Kuro and I will go with you up the mountain to this ¡®temple¡¯ and we shall see if this plan of yours works.¡± Nyuk said with finality. Kuro just let out a quiet burp before curling up on his side of the raft, and almost instantly began snoring. ¡°Wow, he doesn''t waste time does he?¡± Tilly wondered, unable to keep the awe from his voice. ¡°Kuro is only really good at two things. That Lapin can fell and haul more trees than any other two put together and he can sleep through anything.¡± Nyuk said looking over at his companion with something other than the hard expressions he had worn for the whole of the trip. Tilly simply nodded, wondering if he would be able to sleep at all with the horrors he planned to face tomorrow. Nyuk laid down himself, but surprisingly continued in a voice just loud enough for Tilly to hear, ¡°Kuro likes to say that he is only really good at three things¡­ But don''t ask him what the third thing is.¡± Tilly snorted and almost choked on the last of his rice ball, shooting a glance at the more serious Lapin, but he was already snoring. Looked like they both were no slouches when it came to that second skill. Tilly gingerly followed suit, laying back and looking up at the sky visible through the overhanging branches. He hadn''t gotten a chance to do so during his last two harrowing nights, and what he saw hit him in the chest with the force of its beauty. It was like one of those special Hubble images that NASA used to raise money. Instead of shining from a computer screen, the incredible sight spanned the night sky. There were uncountable stars, intermingling with nebulae and something resembling the northern lights dancing beyond the mountain tops. It was truly incredible, and Tilly idly started to wonder just how many of the dreams of men were nightmares, and how many were things like this. Sometime during his reverie, he fell asleep to the sound of the quiet rush of the river. Ch. 15 The Plan Tilly awoke to a not-so-gentle kick in the leg. ¡°Ouch, man!¡± ¡°Come on human, dawn is in an hour and we have a long way to hike before getting to work,¡± Nyuk replied dryly, not looking away at all from Tilly¡¯s glare. Kuro stood to the side, chuckling as he used his pole to push the raft up on the bank of the river. Tilly took a few quick drinks from the river before splashing some on his face to help wake himself up. By the time he was done, the lapins had already hopped onto shore and were looking back at him, with longsuffering frowns. Tilly sheepishly wiped his hands on his leather armor and leaped to shore next to them, almost slipping as the soft sand gave way under his feet. Nyuk turned and started moving uphill, while Kuro took the time to slowly shake his head at Tilly before turning and moving uphill as well. They did not set an easy pace¡­ Something about the obvious teasing set Tilly at ease. He had spent his whole life around salt of the earth, manual labor types. In those kinds of groups, if you weren''t being made fun of, you weren''t accepted. They might not be an elite team, but Tilly was beginning to think these guys wouldn''t be so bad... if they lived through the day. They forged ahead, not waiting for him as they moved easily through the undergrowth, up the mountain. ¡°So, that''s how it''s gonna be, is it?¡± Tilly growled, ready to show these two the power of his 20 Endurance.
Turns out these particular lapins ate 20 Endurance losers like Tilly for breakfast and asked for seconds. Tilly barely managed to keep up, each time they would pull too far ahead, they would turn and look back at him, faces oozing disappointment. At this point, Tilly couldn''t tell if these two were sent to help, or torture him. Whatever the case, it was clear they spent a lot of time moving through these mountains. They moved with an almost mechanical consistency, seeming to effortlessly avoid obstacles that continued to catch Tilly unaware. Like hidden roots, low-hanging branches, or the occasionally ankle-breaking rock. In exasperation, Tilly realized he had never even checked his log to see what level his merciless companions even were. He spent a few moments trying to jog and scroll through his log before he finally found them. Level 28 Logger Level 23 Logger ''I totally forgot to check their actual levels when I met them.'' He thought as he continued to huff up the hill. He had just assumed that they would just be typical lower-level NPC-type characters when they had been assigned to this mission¡­ and here they were making him look like a bumbling idiot. ¡°System, can you float identifiers over any sentients I meet showing me whatever information Identify can produce?¡± He whispered between breaths. As if in response, he saw his notification Icon begin to blink, and opened it curiously.
Congratulations! You have found a new way to utilize your existing skill.
Identify level up! Identify level 17.
He was so busy fiddling with his screens while trying not to trip that he almost missed it when they arrived at the temporary camp he had made a few days ago. The lapins had found it easily, following a stream up the mountain, just like he had on the way down. He stumbled to a halt next to the pair as they examined the campfire and the skin he had left to dry near the stones. The Jakalope hide just lay there, splayed out in all of its incriminating glory. He hadn''t even thought of the implications of what he had killed in the forest being so anatomically similar to the people he had found in the village. ¡°This your camp?¡± Nyuk asked with a blank face. ¡°Uh¡­ yep.¡± Tilly gasped out between breaths. ¡°You do that,¡± Kuro said, gesturing at the hide with a nod of his head. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He answered, looking back and forth between their rabbit-like faces. They stared back at him impassivly. ¡°-It was corrupted... and it attacked me first!¡± He blurted out, feeling immensely uncomfortable, not for the first time wishing he had some guidebook to this crazy world. They gave him a flat stare for another few seconds before Kuro busted out laughing. Nyuk allowed his lips to twitch upward. ¡°It''s all good, next time we see a monkey, we will make sure to murder it,¡± Kuro said in between laughing breaths. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Hope that doesn''t bother you too much monkey man.¡± ¡°Ha. Ha. Ha¡­¡± Tilly scowled back. ¡°You should consider trying out for an amateur hour at the local comedy club. You guys would kill.¡± He shot back, giving them a taste of their own sarcastic medicine. Both of their expressions instantly turned serious. ¡°What club?¡± ¡°Who would we have to kill?¡± Tilly choked down his frustration and stomped past them, not quite yelling back, ¡°Let''s keep moving! We have a demon-bear to kill.¡±
The desolate clearing surrounding the temple was just as he remembered it. Vein-like roots stretched into the forest in all directions sucking the life out of anything they touched. The sun had fully cleared the tree line and hung high in the air as they emerged into the open. There wasn''t a Corrupted creature in sight. Tilly slowed his breathing and listened, making sure they weren¡¯t missing anything¡­ but absolutely no life could be heard anywhere nearby. Just like last time. Whatever happened here, it seemed to stay pretty dormant during the day. The only sound he could hear was the steady breeze blowing against the side of the mountain. Whoever had built this entrance knew exactly where the prevailing winds were and had planned for them to ventilate the structure. The persistent wind pressed against his back as he looked at the entrance again, reviewing its size and shape. ¡°Ok, so last time I was here, nothing was guarding this place until the final chamber, which is a straight shot once inside. I''m going to scout and make sure there is nothing active inside the first chamber and then we will start.¡± ¡°I still don''t understand. How will starting a fire that far away from the bear burn it?¡± Kuro asked, dropping his pack, and detaching his ax from its cord over his shoulder. ¡°We are not trying to burn it. We are creating a fire hot enough to consume all of the oxygen in the chambers.¡± Tilly explained again. ¡°What is oxygen?¡± ¡°Yeah, never mind, just set up the logs to cover the entrance like we talked about. I''ll scout and then set up the fire.¡± ¡°Yes, Yes. We are clear on our part, get moving before something shows up to kill us.¡± Nyuk grunted, moving towards the nearest fallen tree. Tilly hurried towards the entrance and only hesitated at the stone arch for a moment before grimacing and ducking inside. Once again as he moved towards the first chamber, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the strange light faintly showing between the rocks. He moved down the hallway with furtive steps, trying to keep his breathing under control. After a minute or two he made it to the first chamber where the floor of roots thinned and fanned out. Nothing was waiting for him there and he eyed the next doorway. ''Here''s to hoping you don''t have a fire science degree, Mr. Bear'' He waited for one moment more, making sure he couldn''t hear any response from deeper in the chamber, before legging it back to the entrance. As he emerged into the bright day, he saw that the lapins had already cut one log into two pieces just higher than the entrance and were hauling it to the door. They didn''t even spare him a glance as he signaled them to continue. All was clear for now. He sighed and moved away from the ancient statues. It wasn''t far before he reached the beginning of the deadened clearing and began gathering as many small husk-like bushes as he could carry. He then crept back to the first room and placed them in the center, before exiting to find slightly larger fuel to surround his first pile. He took these back-and-forth trips for over an hour until he was hauling anything he could find that would burn to the perfectly engineered pile of fuel. ''This thing will make one hell of a bonfire.'' He thought to himself as he wiped his hands free of the dust and sweat that covered them. He had left himself a small pathway to the center with the smallest brush lightly packed together into a sort of nest, surrounded by the rest of the dead wood. The whole time he worked, his nerves had tweaked his senses to the edge of sensitivity. He had found himself frequently stopping at some imagined sound or distant movement. But by the time noon came around, the lapins were done and ready to seal the entrance with a reinforced log barrier, and Tilly was standing at the center of his creation. He could no longer see the far doorway, but he looked in its direction nonetheless trying not to think about the horrors that lay deeper in the temple. He shook his head once to clear it and pulled out the final item Shuji had secured for him. It was a deep red paper construct with a simple fuse on the end. He gently nestled it at the center of the small dried-out twig nest he had carefully created. ¡°God, if you are out there, I need this thing to burn hot and fast.¡± He whispered to himself, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead and he once again looked up in the direction of the doorway. He then took out his flint and began to strike it with the head of one of his hatchets. The impacts echoed through the room and Tilly winced each time the sharp noise rang out through the structure. His motions became more panicked as he silently willed the emerging sparks to catch. Finally, a perfect, beautiful spark landed right in the nest under the fuse and began to smoke. Tilly immediately leaned forward and blew on it, giving it the gentle constant stream of oxygen it needed to live and grow. Then, suddenly, a flame sprang up and soon after the sparkler-like burning of a fuse followed. Tilly didn''t need to see anything else, he sprang up from his crouch and ran out of the room not bothering with stealth any longer. He ran down the hallway, passing the neat rows of thick branches, placed against the walls on either side. This place had become a death trap... hopefully. Just as he cleared the entrance, the blood-curdling sound of a roar emerged from the depths of the temple. Looks like whatever intelligence the Corruption possessed, had finally noted that there was something wrong. ¡°Close it up?¡± Nyuk asked, desperation coloring his voice. ¡°Not yet, We need to see smoke billowing out first, or else the fire won''t have grown past its incipient stage.¡± ¡°It doesn''t sound like we have much time,¡± Kuro answered tensely, staring at the entryway. Just then, the high-pitched whine of a firework went off and echoed through to the entrance. ¡°Look, I told you, there is a time dilation, it will take longer than you think for the bear to emerge from the central room, plus who knows what it will do when it comes to the fire room." The lapins hunched their shoulders against the noise and waited. A minute passed, then two, and Tilly was beyond tense, every muscle in his body seemed to be trying to twist him in knots. Finally, what started as a light stream of smoke began to thicken and push out of the entrance faster, matched by the constant stream of air that rushed through the bottom of the entryway, feeding the growing conflagration. There was another furious roar, this time sounding much closer, followed by sudden silence as something ended the high-pitched squeal of the firework. ¡°Now!¡± Tilly yelled. Ch. 16 Plan B Showing a strength far beyond what their frames should have been capable of, both lapins deftly hefted the logs into place, rolling them over the entrance, and shoving them together so closely that hardly any gaps remained. Then they wedged logs in at an angle to brace the whole structure. Tilly then rushed forward and started shoving dirt and leaves in any opening larger than an inch. Soon they had the entrance completely barred, with lazy streams of smoke escaping through any crack it could find. Another roar sounded from within the temple. This time, it was more muffled. The two Loggers had taken up their position on either side of the door, and both stiffened, adjusting their grips on the shafts of their axes nervously at the terrifying noise. ¡°That one sounded a lot closer,¡± Nyuk muttered through gritted teeth. ¡°Roars are good. The more oxygen it uses, the better for us. We gave the fire all the oxygen it needed to grow into a real monster of a burn. Now we have cut it off. The fire will consume all the oxygen in the structure at an enormous rate, while at the same time, filling the space with toxic smoke. At least that''s the plan...¡± Tilly shouted, rushing through an explanation, more for himself than for his science-averse companions. The reality was, just because he hadn¡¯t seen any other openings, didn''t mean there weren¡¯t any, and then there was always the possibility of some magic bullshit exception throwing a wrench in the plan. He just had to hope that the conditions would deteriorate rapidly enough to take out the beast. But for better or worse, this was the best they could do. Tilly¡¯s notification log was flashing like crazy, so he took two more steps back from the barricade and pulled it up.
You have entered Combat with a Level 38 Corrupted Ancient Cave Bear. You have poisoned your opponent with¡­ Error¡­ Your opponent is suffocating. Your opponent takes 0.5% radiant heat damage Your opponent takes 0.5% radiant heat damage Your opponent takes 0.5% radiant heat damage¡­
There were a lot of those, but not enough to take more than half the thing¡¯s health.
Your opponent is suffocating. Without access to a fresh air supply, it will lose consciousness in 30 seconds.
¡°Holy Hell guys, I think it''s working,¡± Tilly exclaimed, eyes wild with excitement at the sight of the notifications continuing to pour in real-time. ¡°Human¡­¡± ¡°No seriously, check your notification logs!¡± ¡°Human Tilly!¡± Kuro said, his voice strained. Tilly looked up from his notification screen in confusion. His face fell as he saw Kuro and Kyuk looking not at him, or the entrance, but out into the surrounding forest. Tilly whipped his head around in dismay. Corrupted animals and mythological creatures emerged from the treeline all around the clearing, moving towards the temple in their twitchy uncoordinated manner. They still had about 150 yards before they reached the temple, but that wouldn''t add up to much time. ¡°...It must have called for reinforcements. SHIT! How smart is this thing?¡± Tilly snarled looking down at the swollen dark roots he was standing on in accusation. Just then, another roar demanded their attention from just inside the structure, followed by a huge thump that caused every log in the barrier to jump. Tilly¡¯s head whipped back around to his notification log. The timer till unconsciousness was still ticking down.
7 seconds until loss of consciousness.
Another thump, this time causing a few logs in the barrier to teeter away from the wall, before miraculously falling back into place. The knuckles on Tilly¡¯s hands turned white from how hard he was gripping his weapons. It wasn''t going to be enough¡­ He looked over at the two lapins and a sardonic smile cracked his anxious features. ''Time for plan B. I hope this shit works...'' ¡°Alright, you guys take the infected monster army, I¡¯ll take the bear! Make sure to stay clear of the entrance when it opens up.¡± Kuro¡¯s eyes widened and he nodded, moving past Tilly to stand between him and the oncoming wave. Nyuk quickly formed that same warding sign with his hand, before stepping up beside Kuro, and Tilly took one last steadying breath before hunkering down just outside the falling radius of the logs. A final terrible impact sounded against the log barrier, flinging them in all directions. Air was immediately sucked into the void created by the escaping plume of thick smoke.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The corrupted bear loomed in the midst of the vortex, its already grotesque appearance had not improved under the deadly conditions inside the temple. Its matted, dirty fur had become a nightmare landscape of melted hair and burned flesh. Its front forepaws and head were charred so badly that Tilly could see bone, but none of that compared to the sound of its breathing. A deep crackling gurgle sounded from its throat, revealing what should have been life-ending burns in its lungs from attempting to breathe superheated gasses. Yet still, it stumbled forward, its forepaws barely able to hold its weight, the furious hatred in its eyes undimmed by the damage it had endured. The air rushing back into the Temple had not been lost on Tilly. Plan A had failed. It was time to bet it all on Plan B. In this case, ¡°B¡± stood for Backdraft. Tilly''s mind had gone so far past panic at this point, that he had nothing left but stupid snarky lines and movie references. The words of his captain after Tilly''s first fire filtered up through the chaos that was his internal environment, "Rookie, I don''t give two shits if you are nervous. Process that shit later. When you are on scene, it''s go time. However you feel on the inside, all I want to see out here is a Salty Jake, unimpressed by the shitstorm unfolding before you. I want you to look like you see this shit every day." ''Just another fire... Another day at work... '' His mind spun on manic wheels, attempting to beat down the animalistic fear that had closed in on his chest like a vice. ''It was just a giant bear trying to claw his face off. No big deal.'' ¡°Wow, you don''t go down easy do you?¡± Tilly shouted, his voice full of false bravado. He then stepped right into the bear''s face, pouring it on thick. ¡°Did you hurt your little pawsies in the fire?¡± He asked in a shout, his voice rising several octaves as if addressing a toddler. For just a moment, the bear''s charred face froze in incomprehension, then its eyes glazed over in fury again, and it stood up to its full height, ready to squash another pitiful annoyance. Its immense size filled the entrance as it squared up against its challenger. With its full attention on Tilly, it completely missed the wall of flame now rushing up the hall, greedily following the flow path of fresh air right up to its source, consuming all of the fuel Tilly had laid in its path like a train on tracks. ¡°Kurt Russell sends his regards.¡± Tilly snarled before diving to the side under the bear''s furious swing. It turned its head sluggishly to follow where the prey had landed and was engulfed in an explosion of flame. The heat was so intense that it burnt the skin on the back of Tilly''s legs under his leather pants as he crouched in a protective huddle at the side of the entrance. The fire almost immediately burned through the fuel Tilly had left near the entrance. As it died down, nothing remained of the corrupted bear other than a charred husk. Tilly had no time to gloat as the sounds of a fresh conflict started to build behind him. Gurgling barks and snarls approached the entrance and Nyuk and Kuro stepped up to the tide and began to swing their simple but effective axes in wide sweeping arcs. This fazed the creatures for all of two seconds before they began to try and flank the pair and Tilly leaped to his feet to join the fray. He started throwing his hatchets one after another trying to take the pressure off the two lapins as they continued their fighting retreat. They carefully moved backward until they came up against the charred bear husk, lying half in the temple and half outside. The Corrupted seemed to hesitate at the heat. That or the sight of their huge immolated ally. Whatever the reason, the lapins and Tilly took their chance and leapt around the bear''s corpse, using it as a macabre barricade, and took up new positions just inside the temple. The heat had reduced to bearable levels, as fresh air continued to vent the structure, leaving the entrance full of thin lingering smoke. They fought through coughing fits and reengaged the infected creatures, who in turn moved forward with renewed ferocity. This new position limited the creatures'' possible approaches to over the corpse or around one side, the other being completely blocked by the corpse. This created a bottleneck that reduced the attack from overwhelming to barely manageable. Tilly felt something changing in his Legendary Leather Armor, as he continued to fight in the unbelievably hot conditions. ¡°You will go now and we will hold them off!¡± Kuro grunted through a cough while absolutely demolishing what once might have been the face of a cute forest deer. ¡°I can''t leave you guys to fight all these alone!¡± Tilly replied between racking coughs, continuing to fling his weapons at anything that appeared over the top of the body. ¡°We did not come here to slay its minions¡­¡± Nyuk said, pausing to plant a vicious kick on some poor jungle cat¡¯s head. ¡°You will find a way to kill the abomination, or you will die trying. This is our duty.¡± He finished, shoving Tilly out of the way, and moving shoulder-to-shoulder with Kuro. Kuro didn''t add anything else, but Tilly saw him nod fiercely along with Nyuk''s statement. Tilly took one long look at the struggling Loggers bravely holding the line and felt a burning heat begin to build in his torso, mirroring his environment in its intensity. He turned and laid a critical eye on the path forward. The thick roots covering the ground seemed burnt on top but by no means destroyed. Tilly had built his trap to draw the fire towards the entrance, so the deepest chamber would have gone untouched by flame. That didn''t mean it wouldn''t be hot. He doubted he would even survive the environment he was about to enter without some sort of a crazy resilient body. Just then, Tilly heard Nyuk grunt in pain, and he stopped thinking and sprang into action. He didn''t bother looking at how many levels he had gotten from the battle with the bear. He had felt something change as he received the automatic Dexterity and Endurance that came with each level, but he didn''t have time to check on exactly what he had gained. He just mentally dumped all of his free stat points into Endurance. This time the effect was impossible to ignore. The pain in his lungs from his wracking cough numbed down to a mild dryness and the fiery pricking sensation covering his exposed skin felt like it had been covered by a cool blanket. Even the weariness that had been weighing down his body from the long day of strenuous physical activity had lightened. He reached around for his satchel and pulled out his water container and bandaging. He took a quick drink to wet his throat and then used the water to completely soak the bandaging through. Then he wrapped the soaked gauzy cloth around his mouth and nose several times until it felt slightly difficult to breathe through. Slinging his satchel back over his shoulder, he started moving down the hall in a low crouch, towards the superheated epicenter of the fire. The sounds of the two lapins fighting faded as Tilly moved quickly but carefully, controlling his breathing in anticipation of what he would find in the center room. The bear was only the beginning of his problems. A prologue to the hellscape that was the tree''s domain. Tilly fought through his instinct to stop moving forward, even as the heat on the front of his face built to unimaginable levels. He arrived at the entryway to the first room and found that while the flames had died down, it still felt like his skin was about to melt off in the face of the heat radiating off the smoldering embers that filled the room, turning it into a giant oven. A path stretched out before him through the burning wreckage. Left by the giant bear''s rampaging charge out of the inner sanctum. If he was ever going to stop this thing, he had to make it through the rest of this blaze before the two behind him were overwhelmed. Tilly didn''t hesitate, it was too late to turn back now. He lowered himself face down on the ground and took a few short breaths of the best available oxygen in the room, fighting down an almost irresistible need to cough. As he filled up his lungs with hot dry air, he rose up like a sprinter on blocks. He then locked down his desire to breathe, and before he could rethink his cobbled-together idiotic plan, he leaped forward into a sprint. Ch.17 Getting to the Root of the Problem Tilly¡¯s world was fire. Some part of him registered that he was running through actual flames, but something seemed wrong with the sensation. He could feel burning distantly but it was nothing like being exposed to fire back on earth. The heat was there, and so was the pain, but he recognized that he was resisting taking any actual damage from the contact. His lungs had begun to spasm after the first few steps, and he continued to run forward blindly, despite the pain. He had squeezed his eyes shut in order to save his sight when he had begun his sprint and the desire to open them to make sure he wasn''t off course was almost overwhelming. But he pushed onward, through the fire, trying to keep as straight a course as possible to stay on the cleared path. Then as suddenly as it began, it was over. The unimaginable heat abated and he slid to a halt in the noticeably cooler hall. He took a slow breath in through his improvised mask and found the air to be hot and thin¡­ but not deadly. He tried cracking his eyes next and saw everything painted by the orange glow of the blaze behind him. The path deeper into the temple had a downward slope and this actually helped with pulling the smoke up and out in the other direction. Tilly wondered if his plan would have succeeded at all if the bear had not come charging out of the inner chamber. He took the time to pull in another couple of shallow breaths, attempting to slow his racing heart. He could not believe that he had actually lived through that. He looked down at his body, to check for burns and was surprised to find his armor completely changed. Earlier that day, it had appeared to be made up of different patches of the fur-covered hide. Now it looked like it was cut from some sort of yellowish leather and Tilly noted the presence of soft leather gloves and a deep hood now hanging over his head. As he felt the material in wonder, it slowly changed back to its earlier form. Tilly shot a curious glance at the blinking icon in the corner of his vision but shook the thought from his mind. Now he understood how he had managed to withstand the blaze... ''I don''t have time to mess around with blue screens.'' He said, sparing a glance back the way he came. He swallowed down on his sandpaper-coated throat and turned back towards the path deeper into the temple. He put min-maxing and nerdy upgrades out of his mind and moved forward in a crouched jog. He would have time to mull over his gains later, now he had a tree to kill¡­ Or not, it was pretty likely that even with the guardian gone, he wouldn''t stand a chance against such a creature. He found himself wondering about that brief time he had spent in the infinite. He was beginning to think that no matter what the Administrator had said, he had died that day on earth. That life and its regrets were over. He had another chance, and he would be damned if he wasn''t going to lay it all on the line and actually try to do something from the start with this one. If he was going to go down, he wanted to show back up in that stupid glowing room, with a goofy smile on his face, knowing he had gone out doing everything he could to do what was right. He moved through the last hall and out into the final chamber. The emotions now burning in his chest continued to give strength to his limbs even as they grew heavy with doubt at the sight of the overwhelming scene before him. There again, was the altar of uncut stone with a flickering blue flame above it. Looming behind it was the bulbous, disfigured trunk of a tree, its roots and branches filling three-quarters of the chamber. Hanging everywhere were coffin-like pods that for the most part had hardened and become opaque, with the exception of one or two near the altar, holding the remains of some poor soul. Tilly did a quick scan of the room and found none of the previously living creatures had made it through the temporary removal of oxygen, each one laying in its place against the roots, unmoving. He really hadn''t thought about what he would do when he got here, but he knew he couldn¡¯t hesitate for long, every second spent closer to the time dilation equaled some exponential amount of time that his two companions had to hold on. His eyes were drawn back to the flickering flame, being pressed in by the three thickest roots in the room. Each one straining towards it, attempting to pierce it with a jagged sharpened tip. The tree clearly wanted that flame, and it was only inches away from achieving its goal. Fuck that. Tilly threw himself forward with a yell, determined to thwart the Corruption any way he could. The fire in his chest roared in agreement, and Tilly felt the heat start to move in a completely new way, flowing down his arms into his weapons. This sensation fell to the back of Tilly¡¯s mind as he approached the center of the chamber at a dead sprint and felt the roots under him begin to writhe. Each step towards the altar pulled Tilly deeper into the time dilation, and as a result, what had initially appeared relatively frozen, began to move. Tilly realized that the flame had not just been protecting itself, but locking down the core of the source of Corruption with its time dilation. As he entered deeper into the effect, he saw the three roots begin to creep toward the flame, and he felt the roots under him reach up to try to snare his legs. Squeezing every drop of improved agility from his Dexterity he turned the snaring motion of the floor roots into a springboard and leapt the remaining yards toward the altar. He swung each of his hatchets at one of the straining roots, and while his previously slow-moving targets had sped up in his perception, they weren¡¯t quite fast enough to avoid the blades of his weapons cleaving into their fleshy bark. The heat that had begun free-flowing from his chest exploded out from the head of each weapon, leaving a blazing trail of fire in their wake. When the blades met the body of each root, they moved like a hot knife through butter, making a meaty sizzling sound. Each of these things seemed to be playing out in slow motion, and Tilly strangely found himself able to comprehend and think through it all as he moved through the air on a collision course with the top of the altar and the flame that rested there. Every part of Tilly''s body was committed to the momentum of his attack, and there was no way he was going to avoid crashing into the stone structure. Just as he was closing his eyes in anticipation of the impact, he saw the third root snaking around the flame and reached eagerly to pierce his side as he slammed into the altar. On the tip of its spear-like appendage was some sort of fleshy seed, and Tilly felt the entire thing stab into him just above his right hip. The horror of this sensation was oddly not drowned out by the jarring impact of his body on the altar, which hurt, but was nothing compared to the roiling acidic sensation that was shooting out from the root lodged in his side.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The momentum of his tumbling crash was immediately halted as his body reached the flame. As soon as he came in contact with it, his vision flashed white and he found himself completely frozen in place mid-roll over the stone top of the altar with one of Corruption''s roots lodged deeply in his torso. His perception however was not at all frozen, and the acidic burning from the root tip continued to radiate agony. It no longer seemed to be spreading, but it hurt like hell, and he was having trouble with the mounting panic that felt like it would explode through his mind at any moment. The flame stopped flickering and grew brighter. Sacrifice acknowledged and accepted. One Major Boon granted to Jonathan Tillman. Eligible candidate for Origin¡¯s Champion detected¡­ Do you accept the Mantle of Champion? Y/N The words each hovered in the air before him, similar to the system''s blue screen, but at the same time, different, more primitive. Tilly was having trouble thinking through the feeling of panic at his body being violated by something so disturbing. ''What was that thing that had been thrust into his body?" ''What was it doing to him?'' He couldn¡¯t take a deep breath to steady himself, he was just stuck and it seemed like he would be until he made a decision. Time itself took on a sort of ephemeral dreamlike quality, and he couldn''t really tell how long he had been locked in place by the temporal blast. He only knew that everything was being held in place until he made his decision. He wondered if he was allowed to choose his boon before answering the flame¡¯s question about accepting the Mantle of Champion, whatever that meant. Major Boon is available in two different forms at this point in the Temporal Spiral. It was difficult to understand how he was receiving this information because the flame¡¯s text wasn¡¯t just appearing out of nowhere, it was just there. Like it had always been there and he was only now just noticing each new word. His mind began to bend as he tried to comprehend it, and he decided instead to just keep reading. Option 1: You have been infected with a mythic-level artifact, Seed of Corruption. You may choose to destroy the Seed, removing any of Corruption¡¯s influence on your soul and suffering no ill effects. Option 2: This Temple and surrounding area is suffused with Corrupted Growth. You may choose to purify this growth and anything this growth has infected, leaving the Seed within you intact. Tilly took that in for a moment before silently asking if he could get any more information on the Mantle of Champion. Mantle confers all rights and responsibilities of a Champion of Origin, and cannot be removed or changed until the eligible Soul has ascended or descended from the Conflict Plane of Nephesh. Seemed like legal jargon was all he was going to get there. At this point, the vice of pain in his side had become an almost familiar companion to his frozen existence, and he pondered his dilemma. On one hand, the ability to just end the infection in this area would be extraordinary. He hoped his boys at the entrance were still alive, not to mention the village. To be able to choose a boon to instantly wipe out the infection was incredible. It should have been easy for him to choose the area purification. But it wasn¡¯t, Tilly was frozen in the middle of a hellscape of gnarled life-stealing bark and flesh-invading plant appendages. The thought of something like this growing inside him filled his mind with such abject terror that he just blanked out a couple of times. It was a while before he was able to settle on a choice. The other notification held even more unanswered questions. He had no idea what the Mantle of Champion would do to him, and maybe if he was free of this seed, he could use it to do a lot of good for this area and its people¡­ Of course, that was gambling with an awful lot of lives. Not to mention, he was sure if he chose this option, the lapins with him at the entrance would die. Maybe he could fight free of this chamber and maybe he could make it back to the village to make a difference for the people there. But something about this option struck him as cowardly. He just couldn''t choose the death of the lapins over himself, and he couldn''t choose whatever life of horror keeping that seed inside himself might lead to. So he stayed there, literally frozen in indecision for an indefinable amount of time. Then a question broke through his gridlocked thinking. ''What would old Tilly have done?'' ''He would have chosen to purify himself, and played the decision as if it was all about helping others.'' ¡°There were no good options.¡± He would tell himself, and then he would have reluctantly chosen to free himself and fight clear of this chamber. All the while, griping about what a load of shit life had thrown at him again. That same sector of regret rose up in him again, and for the first time in that frozen eternity, he felt the heat return to his body, roiling up and crashing against the wound in his side. He was terrified of what keeping this thing inside of him would do, but something deeper than his fear compelled him to risk it for the chance of saving everyone he possibly could. He was still a Firefighter at heart, and it wasn''t in him to leave someone else in the building so he could get out himself. He mentally flipped the bird at the tree of Corruption and chose the area purification boon before choosing ¡°Yes¡± to the mantle. That last one didn''t feel like much of a choice, he was going to need all the power he could get. Ch. 18 Finally, Real Superpowers! The beachball size flame that had been hovering on the altar exploded outward in all directions and Tilly lost all ability to hear or see. Fortunately, even though the flames were washing over him like the incoming tide, they didn''t seem to be doing him any damage. Well, that wasn''t entirely true, his side and the point of entry for the seed were still agony and he felt the flame cauterizing all of the flesh surrounding the wound. Tilly thought for a brief dark moment about cutting through the cauterized flesh to get the thing out... but if the God power blue flame thing couldn''t do it easily, he probably wouldn''t be able to manage with a primitive weapon. The roar of the explosion filled the rest of the chamber and Tilly was finally able to move, which he promptly did, falling over the back edge of the altar onto his head. The feeling of fire and acid seemed to be swirling in conflict in his wound and he found himself in a new ecstasy of pain. A scream tore itself from his mouth as he ripped the now shriveled root end from his side. Even as his vision doubled from the pain, the brightness faded and Tilly was able to see again. Blue flames were eating through almost every inch of twisted vegetation in the chamber. The tree and its roots shuddered while being consumed by the blaze, and a mind-shattering screech emerged from the trunk. The idle question of what unseen part of this creature had been able to emit such a sound just added to Tilly¡¯s already full stock of nightmare fuel. The fire continued its work, hungrily consuming. It didn''t release any smoke and seemed to exude much lower heat than a normal flame, or maybe he was just getting really used to being surrounded by fire. As Tilly watched, the nearest pod split open in the flames and disgorged its occupant, covered in some disgusting fluid that the flame eagerly consumed like gasoline. The pitiful corpse was totally covered in flames, but they soon dissipated, leaving behind an emaciated male lapin clutching a beautiful sword in both hands. His face showed an oddly peaceful expression in death. Tilly was going to crawl forward to see if there were any other identifiers on the body when the lapin¡¯s eyes popped open, and he vomited bile and pod fluid all over the charred floor. A signifier popped up above his head.
Level 42 (25) Samurai Hatamoto
¡°Holy Hell!¡± Tilly flinched back before reaching behind him to pull out his satchel. It, unfortunately, hadn''t endured his fiery dash as well as he had and was barely hanging together. The two potions inside had fared just as poorly, both blackened with only powder as their contents. He looked up from his rummaging to find the lapin sitting up on his knees, serenity returning to his features. He was clearly barely strong enough to move, but he slowly put his sword to the side before looking Tilly in the eyes and making a shallow bow. As he came back up, his eyes glazed and he fell over, completely unconscious. His breathing was rapid and shallow, and Tilly recognized signs of some sort of internal trauma at work. Tilly clutched at his cauterized side and let out a pained gasp as he began to move towards the lapin. His side wouldn''t stop cramping in torment, but even still, he crawled over to the lapin and began to search his body for any signs of injury. Typically, in the ambulance, he would just cut off his patient''s clothing and make sure he didn''t miss any major wounds or breaks. But with the regeneration available to anyone with a decent constitution, he figured he was more looking for some sort of obvious ongoing physical problem that might be leading to an internal debuff. The lapin¡¯s head didn''t seem to be bruised or swollen, and his ribs and extremities were all unbroken. In fact, Tilly could find nothing wrong with his physical body, besides the fact that he seemed unnaturally thin. Yet, while feeling around for breaks, Tilly did make a lucky discovery. Wrapped tightly on the inside of his left forearm was a small vial, filled with a bright liquid that showed with a faint red light. ¡°Yahtzee! Years of medical training down the drain, how about a health potion instead.¡± He muttered to himself dryly as he unstopped the vial and tipped it down the lapin¡¯s throat. Having done all he could for his surprising companion, he finally glanced up at his HUD and was pleasantly surprised to find his health and mana in good straits. Health:72% Mana: 56% Seeing that he wasn''t about to die from whatever was happening with the Seed, He looked around at the scattered remnants of the Corrupted tree, slowly being completely consumed by beautiful, blue flames. ¡°How about them apples!¡± He triumphantly declared at the burning remains. Then he lifted his jacket and took another look at the wound. It had closed up with a disturbingly bark-like scab, which was surrounded by what appeared to be burn scars. Tilly bent down as far as he could and saw that all around the scab were tiny spiky growths that were already attempting to burrow deeper into his burned flesh. At least the pain was finally starting to ease up¡­ He let out a weary sigh and put down his jacket. Now that the mad dash of the last hour was over, Tilly decided to try and sort out any important information he could pick out from his notification log. First, he found where he had leveled up after taking out the Corrupted bear. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Congratulations! You have defeated a level 38 Corrupted Ancient Cave Bear. For defeating an opponent over 7x your level you have earned a 7x multiplier on awarded Experience.
You are now level 6. 15000 exp until the next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame. You are now level 7. 20000 exp until the next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame¡­ You are now level 11. 55000 exp until the next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame.
Woah¡­ that was a lot of stat points he had just dumped into Endurance. Of course, he doubted he would have survived the fire, let alone the invasion of corruption into his body without truly monstrous endurance for his level. Before he could pull up his character sheet, he saw the next line on the log after he had mentally assigned his points.
Congratulations! You have earned the Title: [Resolute]. [Resolute]: Your endurance stat is higher than all of your other stats combined. As long as this remains true, you may completely negate one fatal blow per day.
¡°Hell yes!¡± Tilly exclaimed out loud. This was exactly the type of game-breaking nonsense he had been waiting for. Then he took a closer look. ''Shit, I have to keep Endurance ridiculously high if I want to keep this title active. Well, beggars can''t be choosers.'' He moved through the rest of the procedurally generated fluff until he got to something else really good. His yellow, mighty morphin power ranger suit!
Congratulations! You have been subjected to an extreme environment while wearing Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor, activating a hidden growth prerequisite. In the presence of fire or extreme heat, your armor takes on the characteristic of Sun Salamander hide and alters to protect you from heat. -75% to any heat-based damage.
¡°I¡¯ll never doubt you again.¡± He whispered in awe to his now favorite jacket. Then the sound of some distant shouting reached his ears, ¡°...Man Tilly¡­ You¡­ Alive?¡± ¡°I''m in the inner chamber with another survivor!¡± Tilly yelled with a fierce grin, looks like at least one of those tough bastards made it! Running out of time, Tilly quickly scrolled through the rest of his log to find the moment when his hatchets had erupted in badass flames- ¡°Oooh, here we are. My first ability!¡±
Flame Strike: Channel the fire within you to strike at your opponents. Each strike leaves a smoldering ember at the point of impact and does damage over time. Ember damage is stackable.
¡°Human Tilly!¡± one of the lapins called as they entered the chamber. Tilly looked up from behind the altar and saw Nyuk limping in, supporting Kuro, who was absolutely covered in gore and seemed to be walking in an exhausted haze. ¡°Over here!¡± Tilly yelled, before looking over to find the unconscious lapin stirring. ¡°One of your guys made it!¡± ¡°Master Ichiro!¡± Kuro gasped as he came around the altar. His daze faded as he sank to his knees. Tears streamed through blood-matted fur as he beheld the still-living scion of his Lord¡¯s house. At his words, the lapin came to consciousness and opened his eyes to behold the three battered warriors before him. ¡­ Ichiro - 20 min earlier. Something had broken through Ichiro''s Level 30 Meditation and instantly his sanity was once again hanging by a thread. He did not know how long he had been here in this waking nightmare, but everything in him howled in animalistic horror at what was being done to his body. The abomination had been draining his levels and stats for what seemed like years and the feeling of it reached into his very soul evoking such a deep terror that Ichiro had barely been able to enter a meditative trance and shield his mind from the consequences. When he had failed to defeat the Corrupted Guardian of this place, it had simply knocked him unconscious and he had woken up in this torturous prison of liquid and needles. His body was unable to move, but his eyes were locked open, watching as the abomination¡¯s appendages strained towards the defiant flame flickering on the shrine''s surface. It was this act of defiance that gave Ichiro the strength to beat down the madness bubbling up from his subconscious and activate his meditative trance in the beginning. He had drifted there, encasing his psyche and soul in a protective shell of Will. He was unaware of how long he had been captured, losing himself in the meager protections of Meditative Trance but something had changed. Some part of him emerged from his spiritual protections even as all of his senses screamed at him in fresh denial of his circumstances. He channeled his Will and focused on the pink-tinged world outside his prison. There, amidst all of the abomination¡¯s appendages was a human moving impossibly fast. He seemed to be charging right at the center of this desecrated shrine, yet his movements slowed as he approached the altar. Then he activated some sort of ability, unleashing flame from his weapons and cutting through two of the abomination¡¯s appendages before crashing into the shrine¡¯s core. A flash of white and blue light. The flash brought a fresh wave of intense pain, starting with his eyes. They had watched the flame for so long that the sudden flash ripped through his vision, leaving a deep darkness, faintly hued with dark dancing patterns. This was followed by a brief but terrible burning sensation, that cut through the terrible numbness that had pervaded his whole body as the Abomination had turned him into another of its energy sources. His prison became unbearably hot, and the burning sensation flooded his body, sinking deeply into his core.
You have been cleansed from all Corruption. Your mind and body have been shattered and reformed, you have earned a Title: Reforged Enlightenment.
Ch. 19 Intermission Stephen Brightborn - Level 152 Champion of Light ¡°You must be mistaken! If this affliction is from the Pits then at least some of our people must be able to cure it.¡± Stephen said, slowly rubbing his temples. His strong features and brilliant armor all seemed diminished in that sunbathed office at the top of the Tower of Light. Many beings of great power had cowed before his presence and he was a living legend in this Epoch. Even on Nephesh, where myths were common, the name of Stephen Brightborn evoked deep respect in his allies or shuddering fear in his enemies. He was the Champion of Light and his was the voice of the Church. Despite all this power, something deep within him quavered at the incoming reports. This was one enemy he could not face. There was no army to fight, no great villain to slay. ¡°I''m sorry sir, We now have multiple reports across several Principalities. Even our spies in the more infernal aligned territories are sending in similar reports.¡± ¡°Light dammit!¡± Stephen cried, his fist slamming against his exquisite desk of divine marble. The spymaster did his best not to flinch as the impact was felt throughout the entire structure of the Great Tower. ¡°How is it that not even our High priestesses can cure this affliction!?¡± He demanded, unable to understand what he was hearing. The spymaster grimaced and did his best to take a different tack. ¡°Your Radiance, they can cure it in its first form, one that sometimes presents as poison or plague. The vectors it travels are very diverse and difficult to track in this regard. Nevertheless, it is curable at that stage, just very resistant to our abilities. But at some point, as it advances with a host''s body, those with high enough stats can partner with the invader and form some sort of covenant. They receive an increase in various stats, typically in exchange for a reduction in Wisdom. We believe it begins to behave something like an inborn ability at this point, entangling itself in the Mana Pathways of its host. Once such a level of bonding is achieved, it is only removable by the System or the Gods.¡± He reported quickly, hoping that in the continuous retelling, he was not earning the wrath of one of the most powerful unascended beings on Nephesh. Stephen''s cloudy expression of anger faded, ¡°Yes, I have spoken with Lady Light. Disturbingly, not only does she not have any guidance for us in this regard, but she hinted that they are experiencing a similar incursion in the divine and infernal spheres.¡± This news came as a shock to the forgettable-looking man in servant''s clothes. ¡°How can it be! Surely something like this is unable to threaten the combined powers of the heavens!¡± ¡°That is just it, Reginald¡­ I believe that as more and more followers come under the sway of this ¡®Corruption¡¯ the Gods themselves are beginning to be influenced by its presence.¡± ¡°Gods above¡­¡± Reginald whispered, cowed by a threat so grand that it beggared any thought of defense or reprisal. ¡°Yes¡­Gods help us all.¡±
Tim, Level ??? Time Lord, Epoch Traveler. ¡°Curious, very curious¡­¡± The Time Lord muttered to himself as he stood hovering above the mountain that had been radiating so much temporal dilation just minutes before. The Weave running through the fabric of reality here was fascinating. At first glance, it was another incursion of this new extraplanar influence. Its rotting and breaking of the Weave, while unpleasant, was nothing new to Tim who had been observing it with mild disgust for decades. He had always found the Weave to be astonishingly beautiful. The first time it had been revealed to him, he had lost years to its mesmerizing pattern. Yet this new influence, whatever it was, seemed to be intrinsically contrary to the nature of reality, twisting, breaking, and undoing the pattern wherever it appeared. While this did not yet affect Tim, he found it prudent to keep an eye on all new influences on the plane. All of this, while important, was not what tickled the back of Tim''s awareness. Something else was going on here, something even deeper. It wasn''t the temporal energies, which while rare, were not unheard of. No, this incursion seemed to have met its end, something rarely accomplished in any of the other iterations. A force had opposed this Corruption with such subtlety that Tim had trouble identifying any traces of its presence at all. The Time Lord adjusted his optic nerve through several spectrums of light and took another deep breath through his considerable nose. There it was again! Flickering just outside of his awareness. This was something old, older even than Tim, which was quite a feat. If he wasn''t mistaken, this was the scent of the First Epoch. Its earthy, primordial odor harkened back to a time of Predator and Prey when the only Concepts on the plane embodied ideas like Fear, Rage, and Authority. It had been a truly long time since he had detected any of the First Epoch¡¯s influence in this Realm and he was beginning to see the evidence of its working in the Underlayer of the Weave. Only a handful of beings even knew the Underlayer existed, let alone had the power and deftness to influence the plane through such an abstract vector. Yet here it was, subtly pulling the underlayer in the places where it had been destroyed into a new and more solid structure. This new pattern astonishingly seemed to reinvigorate the original Weave, producing even greater beauty and complexity. The effect of such subtle interference was a considerable strengthening of this area''s Fate. Tim rotated through several optical-based abilities before shifting his observation to the interior of the mountain, where a Human knelt beside three primitive crossbred figments. Hardly any weight on the fabric at all. Truly distasteful creatures in Tim''s opinion.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Then, to Tim¡¯s astonishment, a foreign energy signature revealed itself in their midst! A frown creased the Time Lord¡¯s forehead as he flexed his will. The Weave of reality itself, marching forward inexorably towards some unknown conclusion, shuddered to a halt and then reversed under the influence of the Epoch Traveler. He then scanned the area again, this time replaying time slowly to watch the changes in the Weave, and the Underlayer. The center of all that subtle change was this altar and its flame. That Temporal spike was more than just a cleansing and reworking of Corruption''s influence. Something was altering the very destiny of the concepts these inconsequential creatures represented. Tim hesitated to approach a force outside of his understanding. He had not survived the last three Epoch Upheavals by being rash. He flexed the interchange between time and space and was suddenly gone. Off to re-examine some of the other incursions to see if he could spot this other force at work there as well. Change was coming. And for the first time in a thousand years¡­ Tim wasn''t sure he knew what that meant.
Titus Janus Marcellus Level 38 Quaestor Titus flicked his hand in disgust, trying to remove the glob of spit mingled with blood that had lodged between his rings. When it would not immediately come free, he snapped his hand in irritation and one of his attendants leapt forward to offer a silk cloth in a trembling hand. ¡°Why must my family be plagued by weaklings!¡± He bemoaned, once again laying his spiteful gaze on the creature before him. There, tied to a chair was a bloody and bruised lapin, its head lolling from the force of the backhand that had just shattered its jaw. ¡°Evander!¡± The young Quaestor snapped. ¡°Yes, your eminence!¡± A sharply dressed man stated crisply, stepping up from the crowd of attendants who had been made to watch the ¡°educational session¡± the young master had chosen to display. ¡°This weakling obviously had no clue why his partner failed to send in reports for the last two weeks, and the distasteful problem of these creatures falls on me once again. My father is not to hear of this¡­ am I clear?¡± He finished, his voice taking on such a sharp edge that the washerwoman in the back almost fainted. ¡°Perfectly, your eminence,¡± Evander answered smoothly. His frozen expression of disinterest was not shaken in the least by the display of cruelty being played out before him. ¡°The responsibility of teaching these pests their place has once again fallen to me, and everything was going perfectly well until we lost what I was told was a very reliable asset...¡± He said, leveling his gaze at Evander with enough petty cruelty that it would have broken a lesser servant. ¡°Sir, even the best of these creatures is but a pale and sickly shadow of one of our people, they can never be relied upon for any length of time,¡± Evander answered cooly, looking down but not cowed before his master''s displeasure. ¡°Yes, well, as with anything of import, it seems I will have to go and handle this myself. Draft the papers for a teleport, and draw up some sort of grievance that will force that wrinkled old fool to return to the capital and give account. If the last reports are at all to be believed, his absence will spell an end to this farce, and we can throw him in jail along with the other upstarts.¡± ¡°Right away sir,¡± Evander pronounced with a perfectly monotone inflection, before turning and moving through the crowd. Titus simply stared down at his captive, not seeming to notice the departure of his chief servant. Every other servant in the room stood frozen, hoping against hope that he would not notice them. Suddenly, faster than a striking snake, his hand was around the unconscious lapin''s neck, slowly constricting the airway until their chest began to spasm and their lidded eyes fluttered in a weak attempt to regain consciousness. The audience of servants averted their eyes in horror trying their best to be as small as possible. At that moment, if any had looked, they would have seen a manic gleam in the young man''s eyes. Under the sleeve of the exquisitely trimmed jacket, something writhed in glee as the helpless captive weakly jerked a final time before going completely still Then as if coming to himself, Titus Janus Marcellus stood straight and pulled down his jacket cuffs fixing some invisible wrinkle. ¡°For Pit¡¯s sake, someone remove this trash.¡± He sighed wearily to himself and walked calmly out of the room, the crowd parting before him with unconscious cattle-like motions.
Hiro- Level 52 Samurai Lord. He stood sentinel at the wall this evening, just as he had for the past several weeks. His Endurance and Constitution made sleep all but unnecessary. Not that he would have slept, even if he had been able. Last night, the infected beasts had not come. He had ridden out himself after several hours of waiting and found many bodies in varying states of death, all of them displaying very peculiar burn marks as if a fire had risen from inside their forms and vented through any opening it could find. Upon his return, he had learned that the twenty-three villagers that had been afflicted with varying states of infection had all almost spontaneously recovered, after an intense period of fever and shaking. Something had changed. His choice, made almost in anger at the plight of his people, had borne surprising fruit, but none of this gave him comfort. He had still lost his son, his last living link to his dear wife, and the legacy of his people. He had counseled caution when the reports had started coming in, but after losing the hunters, Ichiro had been beside himself with anger. ¡°We have run too many times. Our backs are against the wall. We can hide no longer.¡± He had whispered in fury in the council chamber in a rare show of lost self-control. Then Ichiro had left with his two retainers, some the last of our warriors¡­ Hiro had thought it was just to patrol, something to do to work through some of the frustrations of their seemingly hopeless situation. But they did not return from that outing. He sent people out the next day to search the lower reaches of the forest, even running a quick patrol himself in a large circle around the village... They had found nothing. He was the last of his line now, and the fate of his people had withered in his hands. He had hoped his son would be the one to deliver them out of these many centuries of bondage. The boy had all of his mother¡¯s wisdom and all his father''s strength. His only failing being an anger that led to rash action. Yes, he had been their hope, but in the end, Hiro lost him too. This did not change the sudden upswing of his people''s fate. The Abomination''s influence had seemed to have been burned away. The attacks had stopped and the people, especially those who had received revived loved ones could not help but rejoice. They held a small but earnest celebration within the wall of the village, sensing their lord¡¯s mood, but unable to contain the joy of surviving such a calamity. Hiro alone stood vigil on the wall as the others left to celebrate. Their plans carefully laid over generations had taken a major blow and with none to carry on the work, Hiro was, for the first time, unsure how to proceed. Most of his people did not know the details, but without strong leadership in the days to come, he was not sure they would survive the transition. And so, he stood watch, wondering if the human had survived and if his son had found rest. Then in the distance, his supernaturally sharp hearing picked up a familiar drawling accent. ¡°Hey Nyuk, it sounds like they are having a party in the village... doesn''t seem right to start without us.¡± Ch.20 Rabbit Reunions Ichiro Level 42 (25) Samurai Hatamoto Something was wrong with his sight. As Ichiro tried to focus in on the three before him their forms began to swim in such a swirling riot of color that it made him dizzy. He closed his eyes and the dizziness slightly lessened, the complex vortex of color still dancing before him even with his eyes closed. He tried opening them again and now saw a shifting sea of interwoven energies flowing through the entirety of the cleansed shrine. The strands of energy were so tightly packed and varied that it was impossible to pick one out from the complex movement that danced before him hypnotically. Braided cords of these strands formed ever-changing patterns that wove in and through every physical object in the room. Yet, as he stared, he began to understand that what he was seeing was only loosely tied to the physical realm. Reality bloomed and intertwined before him, carrying in its movements a deep conceptual meaning that linked this place and time with... everything. As his awareness expanded, the barest hints of temporal meaning began to rise to the surface of his mind as he watched one movement, then another, in this ever-changing tapestry of color and light. It occurred to him then that what he was seeing was the very language with which Nephesh was written, past, present, and future. Dreamily, he watched as a specific knot formed around Kuro¡¯s mind, and a second later the lapin asked, ¡°Lord, are you well? Is it some Debuff from your time held captive by the Abomination?¡± As he said the words, Kuro looked around at the husk of the dead tree in disgust, even as many of its forms collapsed into ash. Ichiro watched in fascination as the pattern accompanying those words moved through each of those who heard and produced different effects. He was speechless at the beauty he was beholding, every interaction was a work of art, a dance of sublime grace and it was all connected. In his daze, he did not notice the others trade anxious glances before the human spoke up. ¡°Come on guys, let''s help him up and get out of here. I know this place has been cleansed, but honestly, it still gives me the creeps. And if you don''t mind, there is one stop I want to make on our way down to the village.¡± His words vibrated through the incomprehensibly complex sea of colorful threads in a much more significant manner than the previous speaker¡¯s had and even Ichiro felt their tug on his soul. The human''s soul was a dense network of cords and braids of varying diameters running out from his center, reaching in all directions. Kuro and Nyuk came over and gently lifted him to his feet, each of them taking position under his arms as they guarded their still-healing injuries. His mind was still reeling, overloaded by information, but he knew that he was no longer damaged¡­ just overwhelmed. Some part of him finally came to himself and he began partially cycling his Meditative Trance. He inhaled, centered his breath deep in his core, then expelled it, dragging distraction out along with his spent breath. He was able to vaguely recognize the transition from darkness to light as they finally emerged out of the temple, but almost all of his augmented meditative focus was bent towards regaining some measure of function despite the exponential increase in information he was taking in.
At some point on the journey, they stopped moving and Ichiro discovered that in a meditative state, he could cut off information from his optic meridians completely. The moment he did this, his mind was vastly more able to produce chains of logical thought and he found himself suddenly much more grounded in the present and his physical surroundings. While he was unable to converse normally while holding onto basic meditation, he slowly shifted into his Battle Trance, allowing himself to time movements with his breathing. He took another serene breath in, held it, and then released, producing a calm monotone statement along with his breath. ¡°I need something to wrap around my eyes.¡± Then he breathed in again calmly, careful to maintain the concentration needed to completely cut off input from his primary perception sense. His three companions froze. Ichiro was still being supported by Kuro and Nyuk and at some point, the human had obtained a large armful of unfamiliar leaves. None of this information was seen, rather it was absorbed through a strange new passive meditative osmosis. Inhale¡­ Exhale. ¡°I think he is coming out of it!¡± The human exclaimed in excitement. The lapins however said nothing. One shifted to bear the majority of his weight, while the other made quick jerky movements accompanied by the sound of ripping cloth. Inhale¡­ Exhale. ¡°It must be wrapped around my eyes thick enough to block out all light.¡± He continued in his deep droning monotone. Kuro began wrapping his torn clothing around Ichiro¡¯s eyes and continued until a thick awkward wad covered his head above his nose.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Ichiro began to relax the meditative restriction on his optical input and once again was rocked by the information he received even as his eyes no longer took in any light. Cutting off any physical input did successfully lessen the load on his mind, and he found that he was able to stand on his own, even if he swayed like a drunkard. ¡°My lord, Is there anything else we can do to help? How are you afflicted? Are you still somehow marked by the Abomination?¡± Nyuk asked with concern. His words floated to Ichiro on the vibration of many different strands of the¡­ Weave. That is what it was called, the name settling down deep in his soul as if acknowledging what it was slightly solidified the fragile shifting state of his mind.
This realization took him hours, and his three companions started leading him slowly down the mountain again. Then his answer came, responding to a question that he was unaware had been posed hours ago. ¡°The Abomination stole much from me. Many of my levels and stats have been taken, but it was unsuccessful in taking my mind. It is because of this, that I was able to witness your honorable attack against its base of power, human. While I do not understand what happened in the end, I do know that its branching taint in my mind and soul was cleansed, and in the cleansing, I was remade. Unfortunately, I believe I am greatly handicapped by my much-reduced wisdom and intelligence. I believe this results in my being unable to handle the majority of this gift. Even now, If I relax my focus for just an instant, I will be lost in the flow of my surroundings once again.¡± He felt the three around him freeze as he began giving words to the thoughts he had been stringing together for hours, and they stood stunned as they processed the information. Well, the two lapins stood stunned, and the human simply muttered under his breath, ¡°... A blind samurai? Finally, something cool.¡± He seemed unaware that each of the lapins was more than capable of hearing such a low-volume utterance at such a close distance. His insensitivity to Ichiro''s condition came as a shock to the two Loggers, but Ichiro''s mouth quirked upwards at the words. ¡°You are mistaken, human. I am not blind. Rather I have been given access to a level of awareness that is too great for my present mental abilities... I will need time and practice to adjust.¡± The human¡¯s body tensed as he realized that he had just been overheard, then he relaxed. Ichiro could not see his posture but was able to passively absorb both his physical and emotional stance through the shifting pattern before him. The human was desperately troubled but seemed to be trying to deflect himself from some deep worry. The Weave around him was vibrant and energetic, but Ichiro was beginning to notice a fraying or breaking in the pattern near his center. ¡°Oh, uh, sorry about that, you are Lord Hiro''s son right? I wonder if he knows we are still alive. I doubt he will be expecting us to return... unharmed. Especially you." The human answered, his tone choppy and distracted. ¡°What is your name human?¡± Ichiro asked, stopping his assisted walk and standing up straight. ¡°Jonathan Tillman¡­Uh, Lord Ichiro.¡± He answered haltingly. His posture reeked of self-doubt and confusion of what was expected of him. It would be dishonorable to allow him to continue in such a state. ¡°Jonathan Tillman, I name you [Trusted Gaijin].¡± The other two lapins marked his statement with sharp intakes of breath. Ichiro simply continued droning in his meditative monotone, despite the unprecedented nature of his decision. ¡°You have given our people hope again, and in so doing, you have tied your fate to ours. It is because of this, I give you the highest honor I am able. Each of our people will see part of this title displayed over your name and it will mark you as a friend to all lapins.¡± ¡°Wow, uh¡­ Thank you, Lord, or my Lord¡­uh can I ask you a question? What do I call you?¡± Jonathan Tillman responded, clearly distracted by the notification he had just received. Ichiro¡¯s small smile deepened, ¡°I have marked you as a friend, so you may simply refer to me as Ichiro. With my father, however, it is probably best to continue to offer him the title of Lord for now. Although with what I have just done, it is also no longer required.¡± Both of the Lapins stood stiffly under his arms as he offered levels of privilege to an outsider not seen in their generation. Ichiro then slowly turned his blindfolded face towards his two faithful companions, holding his focus tightly in order not to lose his place in the present, ¡°And to you, I command that you keep half of the Experience that you undoubtedly earned on this quest. The other half you may give to the Promise, but no more. In my foolishness, I lost our two remaining warriors. You have shown more than enough heart to be raised to that station should that joyful day come.¡± The stiffness in their forms only increased and at once they carefully stepped out from under him and offered deep bows of respect. Ichiro could sense Jonathan Tillman as he followed the conversation with interest, but chose not to speak. Ichiro marked his patience in this and inwardly nodded in approval. None could know just how many of the strands of his people''s fate now ran through the soul of this human. For better or worse, Nephesh had tied them together, and Ichiro would have him as a friend if at all possible. For his sake and theirs. ¡°Now I will relax my hold on the present, this will allow me to move easier as you guide me, but I will lose my ability to converse until I have a better command of this power.¡± he intoned, letting some of his iron control on his will loosen. ¡°We will see you safely to the village my lord.¡± Nyuk intoned. ¡°We are probably pretty safe here anyway. The whole forest seems to be dead after what the human¡­ I mean Jonathan Tillman did.¡± Kuro continued, again coming under one of Ichiro''s arms as he felt the rigid fluidity of his lord¡¯s concentration begin to lapse. ¡°Guys¡­ I told you. Call me Tilly, please. It''s gonna take forever to talk to you if you keep saying, Jonathan Tillman all the ti-¡± Then Ichiro was gone, lost again to the moment, floating along on the sea of destiny that was the infinite strands of the Weave.
¡°Hey Nyuk, it sounds like they are having a party down there... doesn''t seem right that they started without us,¡± Kuro said teasingly, happy to finally be within the sight of the village. The knot formed by Kuro''s decision to speak met a far more complex piece of the pattern in the distance which reacted with such violence and speed that Ichiro was jolted from his daze and found himself reentering into his Battle Trance. With a boom of displaced air, his father had appeared before them. Ichiro felt an immense welling of emotion at the presence of his father. One that threatened to break his concentration as no other kind of pain or attack could. He immediately tightened his focus to its maximum and disentangled himself from the two lapins before prostrating himself. What Ichiro did not realize is that he had begun moving even before Nyuk had finished speaking, and the three looked at him in confusion, completely taken by surprise at the boom of his father''s approach. From his bowed position, Ichiro declared formally. ¡°Father, in my arrogance, I have failed you and our people. I formally offer you my life for bringing such disgrace to our family.¡± His father¡¯s face was stone and each of his companions around him froze, not able to recognize the deep interplay of desires and fate being played out in this exchange. Instead of answering, his father drew his sword in a smooth and dangerous motion. Ch. 21 That Escalated Quickly! Tilly It had been a long walk¡­ But with Ichiro acting all loopy, both Kuro and Nyuk wanted to see him back to the village as fast as possible. So they had hiked all through the afternoon and part of the night, forgoing the raft in favor of the overland route due to the newly depopulated forest actually being faster than the stream and river route. The upside of this was that Tilly was able to collect an armful of the Charmin tree leaves on their way down. He hadn''t had to ''go'' since before his treacherous flight down the mountain, but now that the near-death adrenaline had started to fade, he expected that to change. He really didn''t trust whatever would pass for toilet paper in this world, so he had decided to take matters into his own hands¡­ or arm. The downside was that without a bag, or a break, he still hadn''t gotten a chance to take a deep dive into his character sheet. The two times he had tried, he had fallen. The grating sound of snickering from the other two lapins heaping coals on the fires of his embarrassment. But he needed to find out what had happened to him in that temple. As soon as the forest started to thin out near the village, they transitioned from thin winding game trails to a nice footpath leading deeper into the valley. Tilly was ready to try his luck again. He readjusted his armload of precious cargo and shot a glance at his traveling companions. Both lapins were still leading Ichiro over and around any obstacles that came up, and the lapin himself was occasionally muttering under his breath. Tilly took his chance and called up his character screen again.
Jonathan Luke Tillman Level: 11 (15500 Exp to next level) Display Name: Tilly Race: Human Class: Son of Flame Titles: [Harbinger] Health: 100% (+1.2% per minute) Mana: 100% (+.8% per minute) Status Effects: Minor Corruption [Hidden]
Stats: Constitution: 12 Endurance: 69 (75.9) Dexterity: 27 (29.7) Strength: 10 Wisdom: 8 Intelligence: 8
Equipment: Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Ability Recall. Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor: +10% to Endurance. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Form Sun Salamander leather.
Skills: -Forestcraft level 12 -Identify level 17 -Cooking level 12 -Beginner Hatchet level 10 -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 7 -Herb Lore Level 2 -Ax Throwing Level 8
He immediately focused on the "Minor Corruption" debuff, but all that came up was,
Minor Corruption: Effects: N/A {Nascent stage}
He didn''t like the sound of that at all, but at least the pain had settled down. He would just have to wait and watch while he kept an eye out for any way to get rid of it. The rest of his sheet was about par for the course. He saw that he had some great gains across his skills with Forestcraft and his hatchet-associated skills having seen the most growth over the twenty-four-hour gauntlet he had just run. The real surprise came next when he saw his lonely, but awesome Ability had changed!
Abilities:Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. -(Blue) Flame Strike: Channel the fire within you to strike at your opponents. Each strike leaves a smoldering ember at the point of impact and does damage over time. Ember damage is stackable. This Ability has been augmented by your mantle and does 200% more damage to Corruption.
How had that happened? He thought about it for a moment and realized he had read about the ability before he had touched the flame and that this change probably came from his new Mantle. Well, he was happy with it! No downsides, and a huge bonus against any future Corrupted creatures he would face. Then his face fell as he realized that this was clear evidence that he was being set up as opposition to a much larger problem than just a local infestation... He ground his teeth for a moment before continuing down to the three titles he hadn''t gotten a chance to read yet.
Titles: [Origin¡¯s Champion]: You have accepted the mantle of champion from Origin. This will augment your skills and abilities over time to reflect your new nature. [Corruption¡¯s Host]: You hold within your body a Seed of Corruption. This entity''s progress has been slowed by divine interference, but it will take every opportunity to grow until it has subsumed your will. Seeds influence: 3% [Trusted Gaijin]: The highest honor that can be bestowed on a non-lapin by the ruling class. It marks you as a friend to all Lapinkind and they will be immediately predisposed towards offering you any help they may have.
He unconsciously scratched at the scabbed wound in his side as he read the second title. He winced as he reread the consequences of the Seed growing. He wished he knew how to stop it, or better yet get it the hell out of his body. It did look like he was going to be able to keep track of its progress through the title though, so at least the eventual crushing of his will wouldn¡¯t come as a surprise. Then he heard Kuro say something about a party and he looked up from his brooding, dismissing the screen in front of him. Two things seemed to happen at once, Ichiro removed himself from the grip of his guide¡¯s hands and bowed to the ground while something that sounded like a sonic boom echoed from the distant village, and suddenly, Lord Hiro was standing before their little group. Tilly was so shocked at the sudden change of events that he missed what Ichiro said from his bowing position, but he did not miss the bowel-liquifying sight of a stone-cold Lord Hiro drawing his sword in a smooth motion. Tilly was unable to do anything but drop his armful of leaves, as the Samurai swept his gaze over the four companions, stopping as his red eyes met Tilly''s with bloodshot intensity. The other two lapins simply bowed their heads, and for a moment Tilly thought it was all over. Then Lord Hiro stepped up to the space before him and bowed deeply, offering his sword up in both hands. It was hauntingly beautiful, the handle wrapped in fine white leather, and the blade itself a matte black, seeming to have been forged from the darkness of an empty night sky. It thrummed with power and Tilly knew he was in the presence of something truly powerful. ¡°My son, our future, has returned to us.¡± He announced gravely, his head held low. ¡°I see he has already awarded you the title that is your right amongst our people. Know that I and Tsugomori owe you a debt, there will come a time when this world comes to strike you down. When that day comes, you will have us by your side. Until that time, we call you friend.¡± He finished, his bass growl of a voice going up a single octave at the end as he choked back some of the emotion he had held so rigidly in check for the entire encounter. He took one final moment in the bowing position, then he stood up and sheathed his sword before turning back towards his son. ¡°Your life is not yours to give¡­ it is your people¡¯s. Get up and tell me what has happened since I last saw you.¡±
Ichiro''s portion of the story was related before they started walking again, with his current state explained in as much detail as he was able. Then as he entered into his semi-meditative state to continue walking, the rest of the group spent time answering the Lord¡¯s questions. He showed himself a sharp interrogator, asking for multiple viewpoints at the same moment, trying to grasp details that Tilly could barely comprehend. The final hour of walking to the village passed quickly, and before Tilly knew it, he was entering back through the same gate he had stood over the day before, and continuing to the small but neat village square. The party Kuro had apparently been able to hear almost an hour''s walk away was still going by the time they arrived. It was past midnight, and Tilly could tell that many of the villagers had already returned home, the ones who were left had been deep in their sake cups for a while. ¡°Look, it''s Lord Hiro down from the wall!¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Is that human back from banishment already?¡± ¡°Shut up you fool, it''s Young Lord Ichiro!¡± The whispers and gasps washed over them as they entered the center square. Ichiro was still being led by the two Loggers and Tilly followed behind, not exactly sure what was expected from him as a ¡°friend of the people.¡± Lord Hiro led them to the center of the square and looked around at the remainder of the people still in attendance. ¡°Listen to me carefully, I want everyone here to pass on my words to the rest of the village by morning.¡± He announced in a deep voice that easily suffused the surrounding square and crowd. ¡°My son has returned and the abomination poisoning these lands has been defeated. For his part in this, the human Jonathan Tillman is owed a debt, one that perhaps our people are unable to repay.¡± At these words, many of the eyes turned from the speaker to the level eleven human standing in mismatched furs to the left of their Lord. Standing there, next to the last of the noble family of their race, his presence seemed somehow thin. But they had all heard stories of what humans were capable of; toppling empires, establishing dynasties, even ascending to the heavens. Perhaps this was one such human, and if he had agreed to a bond with their people, maybe the great dishonor of their past would finally be expunged. Tilly knew none of these things, but he did feel the weight of their expectations settle uncomfortably on his shoulders along with every eye in the village. He really didn''t like the sound of debts or obligations owed either way. Sure he had been pretty much forced into the confrontation, but it didn''t matter, at this point, he had figured out that something like that would have happened no matter where he had shown up in this world. Something big was happening all around the Nephesh, and whether he wanted to be or not, Tilly was involved. ''I just had to pick that fifth class... didn''t I?'' he thought mockingly to himself as he considered the people looking upon him with wide eyes. Whoever this Origin was, he was probably laughing his ass off right now. The small crowd dispersed after the announcement to go and spread the word of Ichiro''s return and the official confirmation that the threat was over. Lord Hiro moved to quietly speak to the two loggers, who bowed their heads and moved off, leading Ichiro somewhere. Then the Lord turned to Tilly, taking in his humble form once again. ¡°Our fates are now tied together, you will not survive long if you remain such as you are.¡± Tilly looked down at himself, hugging his arm full of leaves closer to his chest. The lapin''s words struck him as ungrateful, and he immediately found himself fighting back a sarcastic reply, ¡°Uh, I am definitely interested in getting stronger, but do you mind if I get a little sleep first? Also, where exactly is your bathroom, I''m not sure what the correct etiquette is but I need to take care of something¡­¡± He finished, trailing off as the stone-like visage of Hiro''s expression didn''t crack in the slightest. ¡°You will stay in the same home you did your first night here, unfortunately, it belongs to one of the warriors we lost and is now free. Look slightly beyond that building towards the wall and you will find the facility you need. Tomorrow, we will sit down with Shuji and come up with a plan to balance out your deficiencies and plot a course for your growth.¡± He answered, his eyes not wavering for a second. He then turned and left, leaving Tilly to fend for himself. It was actually kind of nice to no longer be escorted through the streets, although he couldn''t quite remember where his one-room house was. He took another look around the square, noting a large stone slab that seemed to be a stage of some sort. It sat at the end of the square opposite the street to the front gate. To the right of that was a street leading off to the river and to the left was the street that Tilly thought might lead to Shuji¡¯s shop. He shrugged to himself and wandered over to the river street. He thought he remembered his little house being pretty close to the dock. Unnoticed by Tilly or any of the other lapins present at the celebrations, a small glowing arcane mark flashed to life on the corner of the teleport platform. The one that confirmed the platform was clear and still in working order. Ch. 22 The Empire Strikes Back. It turned out the village had some rudimentary plumbing in the form of a simple aqueduct that led under a small but neat outhouse. In the dark, Tilly didn''t find anything they could possibly be using for wiping. But the Boy Scout in him smiled as he grabbed a couple of choice leaves from his pile and took care of business. Soon after, he found his little house marked by an open sliding door and a small fire going in the fireplace. Despite the initial hostility of the villagers, Hiro''s radical turnaround and now the simple care they took in preparing a place for him touched Tilly in a way he was not prepared for. He felt some of the stony pragmatism that had been forcing him forward start to crumble. Its strength had been essential in keeping him going, but he knew from experience, it was a brittle thing. Now that he was back down in the now quiet village, and the threat to the people had ended, the iron tension in his shoulders slowly started to ease, and he looked down at this side in renewed concern. Lowering his nose to his chest turned out to be a mistake. While his armor remained smugly clean, the body underneath had become ripe with sweat, grime and the acrid scent of an adrenaline detox. He thought about finding some way to clean himself for a moment and then yawned. That and any other thoughts quickly died as he plopped down on the bed. The cool night air mingled with the warmth emanating from the coals glowing merrily near his bed and he sighed, letting the simple sensations wash through his senses. He hadn''t realized what a heavy toll the constant fight or flight had taken on his mind. Now that he was finally done moving from one near-death experience to another, the urgency driving his every step had run out and his body felt like an engine coughing on the fumes of an empty gas tank. He tried to think about a plan for tomorrow or even questions he could ask Shuji now that he was finally going to have some time to get this place figured out. Those thoughts and others flared up eagerly in his too-tired mind, before fizzling out just as fast. His mind spent a few minutes trying to ratchet down the near-panic state he had lived in for the last couple of days, running itself ragged without producing any meaningful progress. Finally, with the the hypnotic sound of the crackle and pop of the hearth playing in the background, he fell into the deep dreamless sleep of exhaustion. He didn''t even think to slide the door closed.
¡°Human! I mean Mr. Tillman!¡± The voice came to him in the deep blackness of unconsciousness, its tone urgent. ¡°Uggh¡­wah?¡± Tilly replied, trying to form some sort of coherent understanding of where he was. ¡°Please, you must come! They have sent a Quaestor, and Lord Hiro¡¯s presence has been demanded in the capital.¡± The words, "they" and ¡°capital¡± cut through his too-little sleep fog. Whatever that meant, he was sure the best-laid plans of mice and men were now crumbling around him. With a groan, he pushed himself up from the bed and looked over to the militia spearman standing at the open entrance of his temporary house. He was hopping back and forth on his feet. ¡°Hurry please, Shuji sent for you the moment the platform activated, but the Empire will care little for our timing.¡± ¡°Alright, let''s go.¡± He said, patting his side to find his only two possessions still looped into his belt. The spearman turned around and rushed down the street, with Tilly running to follow. He hardly had time to compute that the sun was just rising over the industrious Japan-inspired village when they arrived at the center square and the small crowd that had gathered there. It looked like Hiro and Ichiro had only arrived seconds before Tilly and everyone gawked, facing the group standing on top of the still-glowing platform. There were four¡­ goat men? The two in front wore more ornate clothing reminiscent of ancient Greece and seemed to be mostly human, with normal legs showing through purposeful slits in the bottom of their robes. They had large horns jutting through their dark curly hair with wiry goatees. One seemed to be wearing a uniform, while the other flaunted an immense wealth with his clothing and jewelry. Tilly guessed they must be some sort of race of satyrs. The two in the rear had much more animalistic traits and were far more muscular. They wore what looked to be bronze cuirasses and had cloven hooves instead of normal human legs. The front two were identified as a level 38 Quaestor and a level 45 Steward. The two behind were both level 48 Emperor''s Bastions. The one in the uniform was reading from an ornate scroll. ¡°-of treason against the Thousand Phalanx Empire. His royal majesty and the noble senate have subpoenaed you for trial under the charges of gross misuse of imperial resources and negligence in fulfilling your mandate to subdue and conquer this frontier territory for the glory of the Empire. You are to report to the Imperial Cura immediately to stand trial.¡± The satyr announced, reading out the edict like some sort of herald. He then rolled it up and smartly stowed it away, stepping back from the front of the platform. The more ornately dressed satyr to his right snorted, before adding in a dismissive tone, ¡°You have failed. Just like your kind always does. Come with us you old hare and we will settle things in the capital once and for all.¡± His words moved through the surrounding lapins like a wave, each one stiffening, and any who had weapons tightened their grips visibly. At the front of the crowd stood Hiro and Ichiro. Ichiro''s face showed a placid empty expression that Tilly had begun to associate with his meditation, while the Samurai Lord¡¯s face was set in a granite, longsuffering frown. ''This couldn¡¯t be right, were these guys from the same empire that had abandoned the village in the fight against Corruption?'' Tilly looked around at the worn but proud people filling the square. He saw anger, fear... but no surprise. This was not the first time something like this had happened to the Lapin people. Then from off to his right Shuji appeared, huffing as if he had just run over. ¡°We will, of course, comply with the emperor¡¯s command!¡± He gasped out. ¡°Lord Hiro will return with you along with a small honor guard, as is due to his rank.¡± At these words, the younger satyr scowled and leaned over to the smartly dressed servant and muttered something. The servant just shook his head once and said something back. ¡°Yes, of course, but no delays. He is to come immediately.¡± The Quaestor turned and answered curtly. His eyes had been absently scanning the crowd as he spoke and froze once they found Tilly. The uncomfortably oblong irises narrowed at the sight of the human and he looked like he was about to say something else before Hiro spoke up, responding for the first time with a slow thoughtful acquiescence.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°My son will stay and lead the outpost in my stead, and my logistics officer will accompany me to answer any questions about misuse of resources. Otherwise, I have recently lost any others who could serve as capable guards, so in their place, I choose to bring a friend of our people.¡± Tilly tore his eyes away from the group of satyrs to look over at Lord Hiro in shock. Lord Hiro in turn was looking at Shuji. His halting declaration was juxtaposed by a rapid series of hand signs that he flashed subtly behind his back. Through these, he relayed far more information to those around him than his forward-facing manner had shown. While Tilly had no idea what they meant, he saw several lapins rush off in response. The ornately dressed satyr however seemed to allow himself a satisfied grin. Picking up on who Hiro was referring to immediately. ¡°Very well, I''m sure this friend of yours is dying to see some actual civilization. Time is up, come with us now while the spell is still active, or face immediate arrest.¡± At this, Hiro turned and placed his hand on his son''s shoulder. ¡°Prepare what you must.¡± He said cryptically before turning to look over at Tilly, the barest hint of a question hidden behind his hard eyes. Tilly only hesitated a moment, his mind whirling before the rapid change in his circumstances. As the pieces fell into place, It all came down to one simple thing. despite their rough start, these people had decided to trust him. He wasn''t going to back out on them now. He nodded and hurried forward, joining a still-panting Shuji, and a stoic Hiro at the base of the platform. The two armored satyrs came down and formed up to either side of the trio as they moved toward the platform which had begun to glow brighter. Right before the steps, Shuji seemed to stumble and a few lapins rushed to his side to help him up. ¡°Very sorry sirs, I find myself quite out of sorts at your early call. Thank you for your patience.¡± He poured out profusely to the hard-faced guards and sneering Quaestor. From his position just behind the lapin, Tilly saw Shuji pocket several things that he hadn''t been holding a moment before. The three made it up to the top of the platform and this close to the satyrs, Tilly felt a fiery itch build in his side around the new scar. The glow of the platform increased into a searing light, and the ornately dressed satyr issued a command. ¡°Evander, break it.¡± To which Tilly heard a snapping sound in response. Then the world went black and his stomach felt like it had flipped inside out. Light once again bloomed all around them and Tilly found himself at the center of what seemed to be a huge ancient metropolis. The ornately dressed satyrs brushed past them with his entourage. ¡°You are to report to the Cura immediately, you cannot hide here, and don''t even think about running.¡± He spat back at them, shaking out his right arm in apparent discomfort. Then strangely he hurried off with his attendants in tow, not even leaving the guards behind. The metropolis was reminiscent of something Tilly imagined you might have found in Italy thousands of years ago. Except for the fantastic creatures moving around and through the open area before him. Tilly stood on a platform that was part of a grid of similar stone structures situated at the center of the wide, multi-block area in the middle of the city. Some sort of turtle-human hybrid was walking away from their platform with a crooked staff glowing the same hue as the arcane symbols on the floor around Tilly''s feet. The creature moved slowly but smoothly, knocking his staff against the cobblestones every other step. Level 32 Tidal Mage ¡°We are undoubtedly being watched, Shuji, tell me you got off those messages,¡± Hiro whispered in a low voice as he put a hand on Tilly''s shoulder and moved him forward off the platform, not giving him much time to gawk. ¡°Yes Sir! We got back two responses. The Cura is meeting in an hour, giving us barely enough time to do anything but arrive and defend our cause.¡± ¡°Damn that Marcellus brat,¡± Hiro snarled fiercely, showing emotion for the first time that day. ¡°Anyone want to let me in on what is going on?¡± Tilly cut in, keeping his voice at the same level as theirs. ¡°I am afraid things continue to move at an unfortunate pace for our people, although our position is not without opportunities,¡± Shuji answered excitedly, his voice creeping up in volume. They had begun moving through some of the traffic surrounding the platforms even in the early hour. There were several other variants of human and animal hybrids from myths and legends, as well as a few of the classic fantasy interspersed through the crowd. Tilly almost stopped in his tracks at the sight of his first dwarf. ¡°These things are best discussed in private. Jonathan Tillman, please stay close and stay quiet.¡± Hiro turned and spoke in a low voice before leading them farther away from the platforms. Many of the creatures seemed busy with their own business, but several stopped and stared at the group as they passed. Tilly even saw a couple of minotaurs point to him with animated gestures from across the square. Then Hiro led them to one of the huge streets leading from the teleport hub, and Tilly saw his first guards, all of whom seemed to be satyrs. They stood at the corner of the square overlooking the traffic flowing in and out of the huge square. They frowned at the group as they passed but otherwise did nothing as they turned onto a huge promenade leading through the center of the city. The road was the size of a four-lane highway back home, and the center had statues of different satyrs posing triumphantly every fifty feet or so. The street went on for hundreds of yards, ending in a truly monstrous blocky building built on top of enormous columns. Even from this distance, Tilly could tell it was huge beyond belief. But despite its initial powerful impression, Tilly couldn''t help but see the filth caked on the surfaces of the city. The promenade was bordered by different ornate structures, all gated and surrounded by tall marble walls. And against those walls were endless stalls and tents. Some housed businesses selling things to the growing throng, while others sheltered grimy groups of what looked like beggars or refugees. Worse of all were the children. They were everywhere, sleeping in the shadow of the tall statues, roving on the outskirts of the light crowd or just staring listlessly at nothing. They came in all shapes and sizes but universally had the look of the abandoned. The sight of so much hopelessness weighed on Tilly''s soul. Lord Hiro''s figure cut through the thickening soup of misery like the bow of a ship parting the waves with Shuji and Tilly hurrying to keep up in his wake. ¡°Truly sorry for all of this my friend,¡± Shuji said once again huffing alongside Tilly, making some attempt at reassurance. ¡°Stay close, and I will endeavor to explain everything to you after the trial¡­ as long as they don''t arrest us.¡± He said conspiratorially with a grin. ¡°Arrest us for wh-¡± Tilly began, but was interrupted by a crash of a cart up ahead. ¡°My Cabbages!¡± the wagon driver yelled in dismay. His cart had been overturned by a huge rolling barrel that seemed to have rolled free from one of the tent shops. ¡°Sorry mate!¡± An honest to God gnome shouted up to the cart driver. As the whole street watched the exchange, Shuji suddenly shoved Tilly into a barely noticeable break-in between two stalls, causing him to stumble forward into a claustrophobic alley. ¡°Quickly now.¡± He breathed out harshly, shooing Tilly further down the alley. Tilly only then noticed Hiro already disappearing into a doorway deeper in the shadows. Tilly rushed after, with Shuji right behind. As they turned into the doorway, they found a female lapin waiting for them dressed in washerwoman clothes. ¡°Gods, what a mess. At least I got your message.¡± She exclaimed without preamble. They had entered some sort of store room with several lanterns burning, illuminating dusty shelves, and old wooden crates. Shuji quietly shut the door behind him and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°We have precious few moments. Who do we have with us in the senate, and how do the charges sit with the emperor?¡± The washerwoman barely spared Tilly a glance, her gaze fixed on Hiro with an unparalleled intensity. ¡°First, My Lord, I must know. Is this it? Is it time?¡± Ch. 23 The Plot Gets Thicc Lord Hiro considered her words and their implications for a long moment, the muscle on his lower jaw working overtime as he slowly weighed out an answer, ¡°Mochizuki. I cannot give you an answer that I do not yet know. Much has changed in the past week and while we have not lost all hope, I am going to trial today. They will force me into a Truth Domain. We have planned for something like this, but everything depends on our ability to stay mobile. I promise you, I will get our people out or die trying. This is my pledge to you. But you must wait for my signal.¡± At those words, the intensity drained from her face and she bowed deeply, ¡°My apologies Lord, I never doubted. It can be¡­ difficult here, watching our people suffer and knowing that salvation is such a close possibility.¡± She came up from her bow and shifted to look at Tilly. Looking him up and down, she wiped her hands on her apron in a business-like manner. ¡°I see that we now have a human and that you even named him friend... Your choices are your own, but is it really wise to have him with you before trial? They could try and surprise you calling him up for questioning instead.¡± Hiro nodded thoughtfully, ¡°For now, answer my questions as directly as possible, as long as you do not stray, he will remain mostly ignorant. This will both protect him and keep him from unknowingly becoming a source of information for our enemies.¡± ¡°You can say that again¡­¡± Tilly mumbled, unable to keep the surliness out of his voice as they talked about him like he wasn''t even there. He didn''t relish the idea of spending even more time in forced ignorance. But Shuji winced in sympathy at him from behind Lord Hiro and Tilly bit back any more complaints. Whatever Truth Domain was, he had to admit that continuing to be oblivious to the intrigue unraveling before him was as good a defense as he could hope for. In fact... ¡°Wait, I know we don''t have a lot of time, but if I might be questioned, shouldn¡¯t I leave? Or cover my ears? Or something?¡± Shuji¡¯s ever-present smile broke into a small guffaw, ¡°Ha! Yes, that is very kind of you, but we have already taken this possibility into account and our enemies do not know enough to ask you the right kind of questions. If questioned about anything you don''t understand, respond truthfully that you do not know what the questioner means. This will be sufficient for anything they have to ask you. They did not know of your existence until this morning, so their advocates have had no time to plan for your inclusion.¡± Mochizuki nodded along with Shuji¡¯s words before continuing with the report Hiro had requested on the disposition of the senate, "Now that we have settled that, Here is what we know about the Senate as it stands today. Obviously, the Purist Party is responsible for this injunction. We have recent intel to suggest that the elder Marcellus is very busy with some sort of treason himself. He has been spotted leaving the walls several times in the last months by discreet means. It looks like he has left the majority of this particular grudge in the hands of his youngest... and cruelest son." ¡°Yes, the boy came himself to insult our people and lay his eyes on our operation so far. Let us hope he is only half so cunning as the father. We are fairly sure he only saw what we wanted him to see.¡± Hiro replied shortly, waving for her to continue. ¡°The Honu and Asterion minorities will generally oppose anything the Purists put forward. That leaves the dwindling Economic Party and the Loyalist Party. The Economics are currently leaning with the Purists on grounds of how tight the imperial coffers are. In their eyes any misuse of funds in this time of geopolitical pressure is treasonous. The Loyalists are a complete mystery¡­ No one has seen the emperor since you got approval for the venture into the unclaimed lands. In light of this, his party has remained largely silent, choosing to abstain from the most recent senate votes.¡± Tilly followed the conversation with fascination, despite having little or no context for the information. Hiro grunted in interest and thanked her for the report before following up, ¡°Invaluable as always Mochizuki, you are a treasure to our people. What changes on the frontlines?¡± ¡°The Empire¡¯s last satellite city has been lost, and the Asterion tribes are all but scattered. Almost none remain loyal to the empire, most choosing to sell abroad as mercenary clans or return to the caravans. This has led to a significant change in the Asterion party''s voting block. They have now shifted focus to primarily representing the empire''s Mercenary forces. Their position is now either weaker or stronger, depending on the vote in question. The seat numbers have not changed since my last report.¡± ¡°Gods above¡­ I thought we had concentrated the majority of our last expeditionary Phalanxes in defense of Lograth?¡± Shuji broke in, his customary smile flattening. ¡°We had,¡± Mochizuki whispered with finality, the shadows in the small storeroom dancing across her features ominously. ¡°The Cult of the Serpent has become ravenous, and they bear some strange new berserking power that broke the empire''s defenses outside the gates of Filaresh.¡± She continued in a defeated tone. Unlike Shuji, Hiro did not bat an eye at this news. His face remained drawn in grim resolve as he slowly brought forward some steadying words. ¡°We are citizens of a dying empire. None of this is new, we will just have to adjust our timetable and make do with what we have. Now come. We will have to run part of the way as it is, and I will not be seen sprinting up to the Cura¡¯s halls.¡± He said before offering a bow of respect to the informant. Then before he turned to the door he added, ¡°Hold on a little bit longer Mochizuki. Keep our people together, and if the Gods are kind, we will see you tomorrow.¡± He finished with a small smirk. Then he turned and nodded to both Tilly and Shuji before stealthily opening the door and moving out into the shadow of the alley. Shuji performed a small bow himself before following, leaving Tilly with Mochizuki.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°My name is Tilly by the way¡­ uh thanks for everything.¡± He said, awkwardly trying for a bow himself. She smiled in response to his attempt, no doubt due to his title more than any sort of innate friendliness. ¡°Yes I can see your name Jonathan Tillman, but you can not see mine, and if you do see me in public here, we do not know each other, and you must not speak to me. Now hurry, time is short!¡± She said, making a shooing motion with both her hands. Out of reflex, Tilly tried to pull up her identifier and all that came up was: Level 13 Household Servant He nodded to her again and moved through the still-open door, her voice following after him. ¡°Oh, and most people will feel when you try to Identify them if their Wisdom is higher than yours. It can be considered quite rude in certain situations.¡± Tilly grimaced as he ducked through the door. That was one more thing he had probably been messing up since he first got here. Tilly rushed out into the alley while trying not to kick over the piles of trash, catching up with Shuji and Hiro at the mouth of the narrow passage. They held back in the shadows of the tall windowless walls to either side and observed the passing traffic. Then Shuji whispered something into what looked like an origami bird in his hand and it flared briefly before flying off. ¡°Just a moment, we will know when to move.¡± He whispered. The throng of people on the main street had grown much more crowded and it seemed like it would be slightly easier to move through unnoticed. As he silently watched the things that made up the crowd he began to notice a rough ratio of the citizens present. About three-quarters were some form of Satyr, although many of the common-looking folk had more in common with an upright goat than the humans that supposedly existed in their heritage. The rest of the crowd was broken by occasionally towering minotaurs, stocky dwarves, gnomes, elves, and other humanoids that were supernatural in nature. Many of the bypassers seemed overburdened by numerous possessions, some pulling hand carts, others weighed down by huge packs. Then it hit Tilly, these people knew what was happening, and those that could were getting out. Then a familiar voice rang out over the murmuring roar of the city. ¡°Welp looks like no one is gonna buy from a damaged barrel anyway! Alright, I''m draining this thing, one penny per pour. Get it while it''s flowing! Genuine Gnomish Hard Seltzer!¡± The crowd immediately reacted, moving towards the stall about thirty feet ahead of the alley that had been the site of the accident earlier. Without hesitation, Shuji and Hiro entered the throng of unwashed bodies suddenly heading for the stall, all shouting excitedly at the deal. ¡°One at a time! One at a time!¡± The Gnome called out, trying in vain to bring order to the sudden rush. Hiro led them deftly through the press until they were beyond it on the other side of the promenade and then he turned back towards them, ¡°Now we must pick up the pace significantly until we are close to the Cura.¡± He said in a low voice, while his eyes roamed the crowd. ¡°Do not worry about being spotted, they will expect us to have spoken to someone, and need to come in a rush, we are just protecting our source.¡± Then he turned and jogged forward, clearly expecting to be followed. With his newly increased Endurance Tilly wasn''t bothered by the pace, but that was clearly not the case for Shuji who was panting and out of breath after just a minute or two. Tilly couldn''t begin to guess what his Endurance was, but he bet it was probably pretty low. That said, Shuji did not falter or complain as they continued forward at a brisk pace cutting through the crowd with a focused urgency. It probably took another twenty minutes before they arrived near the steps of the giant blocky building that stood above the surrounding structures on a foundation of columns. They slowed to a walk the last few hundred feet and Shuji pulled out a small vial of something, downing it in one go, before sighing in relief. The marble steps were flanked on both sides by the Imperial Guards standing every third step at attention and watching the crowds below with practiced scowls. At the center of the wide stairway was an ornate table manned by several bored-looking officials and another ten guards. Hiro turned to give his companions a quick inspection. Tilly was more or less the same dirty-looking wild man he had been this morning, and Shuji had managed to catch his breath and even wipe the sweat from his lightly furred brow before Hiro turned back to look at him. ¡°Now we test ourselves against the slow grinding weight of bureaucracy.¡± He muttered darkly before, allowing himself a slight smirk at their appearance. He then schooled his expression and moved to approach the officials at the table. Tilly tried to straighten his patched fur jacket, and Shuji put on his biggest smile, his large front teeth on full display. Tilly followed after the grizzled Samurai Lord, trying to look like he was supposed to be there. ¡°Names¡­¡± The official Satyr droned, not bothering to look up from his stack of papers. Shuji stepped forward, ¡°Lord Hiro Matsumoto. Last living lord to the Lapin people. Hero of the tragic western retreat and once honored chair of the minority party in the Senate. He is here on charges to stand trial, and we are his escort.¡± When the official looked up, the practiced look of indifference may as well have been a work of art for all the care he took in confirming the lapin in question was in front of him. ¡°Very wel-¡± He started looking back down to mark something on his form when his head snapped back up in a double take. His eyes drilled into Tilly, practically oozing curiosity. ¡°My, my¡­¡± He said, his double chin wiggling under his oily goatee. ¡°How did your kind get its grubby mitts on a human?¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here¡­" Tilly sighed. At this point, he was very tired of being treated like he couldn''t speak for himself. "And, just for the record, my name is Jonathan Tillman. I''m here as a friend of Lord Hiro. No one has ¡®gotten their mitts¡¯ on me.¡± ¡°Yes well, my apologies Mr. Tillman.¡± The official stated continuing to look at Tilly like he was some sort of exotic animal at the zoo. Then Tilly felt a slight tingling in the back of his mind, like the brush of an unexpected hand. At that, the face of the official fell in disappointment, ¡°Oh, another dud. Two humans in the last decade and both turn out to be utter bores.¡± At his words, the other officials at the table tittered annoyingly. ''Did this guy just identify me?'' Tilly marveled in frustration at the satyr''s manners. He looked the official dead in the eye and activated Identify right back. Level 15 Bureaucrat ¡°Well, your ¡®empire¡¯ doesn''t seem to be doing too hot either!¡± Tilly growled in frustration, literally going so far as to make air quotes around the word ¡®empire.¡¯ At this, several of the guards who had been successfully holding a statuesque attention looked over at Tilly sharply. Then Lord Hiro spoke for the first time in the conversation, letting his killing intent pour out of his aura. Tilly immediately felt a cold sweat break out under his jacket, and he barely kept himself from unconsciously whimpering. ¡°We have been held up long enough, I will not be late due to the incompetence of a nobody.¡± He declared in a dangerous voice under a flat-eyed expression that spoke far more than an elevated tone ever could. The Bureaucrat and his several silent associates simultaneously choked on the deadly aura. He waved them past the guards while covering a whimper of his own with a cough and reaching for a nearby goblet of water. Ch. 24 A Few Good Lapins Tilly was not prepared for the grandeur that unfolded before him as he moved up the steps, passing through the front row of columns. Both of his companions didn''t look up at the tree-sized columns as they walked by, but Tilly couldn''t help but pause for a moment and take it in. If the city below was a clear display of an Empire crumbling at the edges, this was its proud gilded heart, seemingly untouched by the squalor unfolding in its surroundings. Many figures scurried to and fro, dwarfed by the forest of immense marble supports. Each of the hundreds of columns was in itself a work of art. Ridged and shaped to be uniquely beautiful. Soft light shone from the ceiling 4 stories above. It bathed everything in a glow that felt a little bit like a sunny afternoon with an occasional cloud providing pleasant and intermittent shade. In the midst of all this, Tilly couldn''t help but admit a grudging respect for the empire and its citizens. Sure, some of them were obviously racist pricks... but here, standing in such a feat of supernatural architecture, Tilly saw something different in these people. A determination to leave their mark, to build something that endured. Yet, as is often the case of true civilizational glory, this sight was undercut by the innumerous cogs of bureaucracy spinning purposelessly. There were hundreds of open-office-style stations set up all around the plaza, distracting from its elegance and beauty. Each station held a table filled with paperwork being attended by multiple aides. They buzzed around the piles like flies, occasionally shifting a stack of paper from one table to another. He could almost hear them excitedly babbling about this sort of achievement with other functionaries. In their minds, this was probably the most important work happening in the empire. The sounds of thousands of minor functionaries creating what, in all likelihood, was more work for the rest of the empire''s citizens grated on Tilly like nails on a chalkboard. The two lapins cut through the hive of activity towards the center of the gargantuan plaza which held a spiral stair-case the size of a city block and Tilly rushed to follow, leaving behind the philosophical thoughts that the scene had evoked in him, and turning his mind back to the trial. He needed to focus on not going to fantasy jail, he could think about empires and governments later. Near the foot of the huge staircase stood another contingent of guards. They stood radiating a casual air of violent competence, and Tilly saw that they had the same class as the two who had accompanied the young aristocrat that morning. Each of these satyrs stood at attention in gleaming perfect armor, juxtaposed by bodies covered in scars and corded with thick muscle. Level 50 Empire¡¯s Bastion When Hiro arrived at the base, he moved to stand before the first guard at attention, this time announcing himself. ¡°Lord Hiro Matsumoto, here to stand before the Cura and the Empire, accused of treason.¡± He rumbled in a bold but steady voice. The guard nodded once, his facial expression unchanging as he stepped to the side. Hiro bowed once in return, his manner the complete opposite of the one that he had adopted in the face of the officials outside. Then he moved up the steps eating up the oversized treads with long strides. Again Shuji and Tilly hurried to follow. Tilly was beginning to feel a little like a lap dog, always pitter-pattering after his master. He scratched at an annoying itch under his jacket as he practically had to leap from step to step to keep up. For some reason, he started thinking about the life-or-death ultimatum that Hiro had forced on him at their first meeting. At first, he had let it roll off his back as he realized what an impossible situation the leader had been in. But now, irrationally, he was starting to question why he had even come. ''Why had Hiro brought him? To show him off for political points?'' The stated reason for ¡°protection¡± was laughable. The stairs went on for a frustratingly long time, during which Tilly decided that even if they ended up in prison, he was going to get some answers tonight. No more being jerked around. He kept his head down as he concentrated on keeping his pace and not tripping on the awkwardly large steps when he heard the boom of an announcement from above them. ¡°Thus concludes the presentation of the children¡¯s refuge bill by the human, Amelia. As the bill stands, the vote is 33 nays, 24 ayes, and 8 abstained. The bill is floored at this time.¡± They had arrived at an intricate arched opening at the top of the spiral stairs, and the glare of the naked sun almost blinded Tilly¡¯s eyes. They adjusted painfully with spots dancing in his vision as a form emerged, moving quickly through the dancing spots. Then the words from above hit Tilly, ''Another human?'' She was wearing a simple brown overcoat that was flying open with the force of her red-faced exit, revealing hundreds of pockets. Under the coat was a neat practical blouse over tan safari-looking pants. She wore her hair in a pixie cut of auburn brown, framing a pair of angry tear-filled eyes that didn''t register their group as she stormed past. Tilly was so shocked at the sudden appearance of another one of his kind that he almost turned around and followed her down the stairs. ¡°Now the assembly will hear the emergency charges leveled against one of its previous members, and vote on judgment thereafter.¡± The voice boomed again from beyond the light. He looked down the stairs for one agonizing second, before turning back to the opening with a sigh. Hiro and Shuji were already moving through the relief carved marble and gold arch and Tilly ran up the last few steps to emerge with them into the light. The brightness of the full morning sun illuminated the basin of an open-air amphitheater. On the floor were several sectioned-off areas with their own seating, and surrounding the basin was a tiered arena with stadium-style seating. The first level of the stadium seemed to be reserved for a large empty throne and the rest of the low levels were filled with groups of figures dressed in white, formal-looking togas fringed with various colors. This lower group of formally dressed officials was made up of mostly satyrs with about a sixth of those in attendance being creatures of other heritages. Above this group in the higher seats of the stadium were many more spectators, all finely dressed, although not in any sort of robes of office. There was a murmur of excitement building up in those seats and Tilly got the feeling that politics was a national sport to these people. The recent sight of the woman rushing from this place flashed back in Tilly¡¯s mind and he felt the slow building burn of indignation smolder in his chest. The upper audience cheered and hooted at the announcement, all while the streets of the city around them were choking on an influx of refugees. The juxtaposition of the two realities crashed into each other in Tilly''s mind and he began to see just how big the cracks in the system were. Hiro moved without hesitation to a sectioned-off area to the right of the basin floor, with Shuji following. Tilly made to follow but caught a subtle gesture from Shuji to not completely enter the area. Instead, Shuji motioned for him to stand behind it. Tilly took his position and looked up scanning the different groups of senators, each separated by the fringe of their togas. There was a gold group, which was by far the largest, and the others were green, silver, red, and blue. The blue group was the smallest with only four members, three of which were older turtle-type people. Tilly¡¯s observations were interrupted by the booming voice, ¡°The trial has begun! The accused stands ready, what says the prosecution?¡± Tilly traced the confusing echoes back to a smaller formal seat to the left of the large throne, in which sat a Satyr in an all-black toga with white fringe. Then a ridiculously coiffed Satyr in a nearby floor section stood from his seat and shouted to the crowd in a high tenor voice, ¡°Before us, my fellow countrymen, stands the last Lord of a useless people hampering the returning glory of our empire. In his cowardice, he has taken what he could from our coffers and run from his duties as a citizen.¡± He paused there, allowing the crowd to build a murmuring response. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Smiling to himself he continued, ¡°Even in this they have failed. Hiro Matsumoto has been derelict in his duty to subjugate new lands for the empire and has grossly misused the resources given to him so generously by our divine emperor. For this most heinous crime among many others, we have called Hiro Matsumoto here on charges of treason!¡± The echoes of his proclamation continued to reverberate into the upper levels of the amphitheater making them seem like they came from a legion of accusers instead of a single voice. ¡°How answers the defense?¡± The bass voice asked from the formal seat next to the throne. In response, Hiro slowly stood, seeming to be in no rush, and took a long moment to eye the gathered senators and the crowd above. ¡°Many have questioned my people for generations, viewing our entrance into this noble empire as insincere. It is especially clear to the rest of us that a very particular group in this senate will always call our allegiance into question. They have done so for centuries, questioning the usefulness of any non-satyr race. None of this is new. "However, I do reject the accusation of failure in our order of subjugation... We have succeeded in subduing the Abomination that had threatened the empire¡¯s outpost. There is now nothing stopping our advancement further into the frontier. Neither do I accept the accusation of cowardice. I have bled many times for this nation and even now, my people are bleeding and dying for the empire¡¯s continued existence. No, neither of these charges hold any substance and I am happy to discuss either point further... But it will never be enough.¡± He stopped there, glaring at the spectating crowd above the senators. Under his unforgiving gaze, the murmuring dulled. ¡°I am here because of my race, and my continued refusal to bow to the Puritists who wish to further enslave us.¡± He then turned his flat stare to the large group of gold-fringed senators, leveling an accusation of his own. His words did not echo up and down the chamber like the prosecutor''s had, instead they rang out once before settling down on the faces and shoulders of all those in attendance. Their weight produced either thoughtful frowns or sneers depending on the section of the audience. The judge on the smaller throne kept his face impassive as he moved through what seemed to be a traditional order of trial before the senate, ¡°What evidence does the prosecution bring?¡± The coiffed Satyr stood back up, throwing a quick sneer at Tilly¡¯s group before turning to the Judge, ¡°We have a copy of the emperor''s mandate. Which compels this mongrel people to establish a satellite outpost for the empire in the frontier. A location that was very costly to obtain from the Cartographers Guild I might add! The Empire further graciously advanced a loan to establish a secure transport to the site for the agreed number of rodents¡­ ahem, people, and their supplies. Yet all we received in return for this unprecedented generosity were delayed timelines and requests for additional aid! All of this points to an obvious misuse of resources, and even further, a malicious twisting of the Emperor¡¯s goodwill!¡± The satyr finished his voice rising to a fever pitch as his face reddened with passion. This statement started some quiet discussion in a smaller group of senators wearing togas fringed in green. However, the largest group of senators, all wearing the gold fringe, were animated and even cheerful as they pointed and murmured at the prosecution''s points. Tilly took a closer look at the green group trying to place them with some of the political parties he had heard from the informant''s report. Their group was mid-sized and was made up of four satyrs in exceedingly rich apparel along with two gnomes, one dwarf, and one dark elf. Tilly decided that these guys had to be the Economist party, the overstated richness of their dress speaking even more loudly than their concern over possible misuse of empire funds. ¡°What evidence does the defense bring to trial?¡± The judge continued impassively. At his question, Shuji stood and managed an impressively graceful bow despite his considerable girth. ¡°Noble ladies and gentlemen of this august and time-honored body, I am both grateful and humbled to stand before you as a ser-¡± ¡°Get on with it, you windbag!¡± Someone shouted from the higher seats. Many laughed at the heckling, and the Judge¡¯s face showed his first expression of the day. A deep frown creased his otherwise smooth, apathetic face. ¡°It is a privilege to be here in this chamber while it is in session! That privilege can and will be revoked for any that choose to interrupt again.¡± He said gravely without turning to look at the crowd. There must have been magic involved because even though his statement was uttered with quiet menace, it easily carried through the entirety of the stands. He then waved his hand at Shuji to continue. ¡°Ahem, yes well, as I was saying¡­ I am the appointed logistics officer for this venture, and we have many detailed reports outlining each of our expenditures. We have not only kept track of the empire''s resources but also of the considerable sum that was raised privately by our own people to make this venture possible. We have lost many more lives than we projected due to the unforeseen threat we faced in our expansion efforts. These figures are all outlined in the weekly reports we sent. "Our figures were formed on the understanding that this was a relatively quiet zone of the frontier, newly discovered. It is because of this we undertook this project with only a token fighting force. If not for the ability granted by this Senate to allow double classing for some of our citizens into militia we would have been swept away. Lord Hiro lost the last of his formal retainers and almost lost his son in the fighting. "Again, all of this is detailed in our reports. For those of you who somehow did not see the reports, we endured attacks every night by infected and enslaved creatures from the surrounding mountains for weeks, turning our designated area of expansion into a warzone. Despite all of this we managed, with the help of this human, to end this threat with no additional resources. The land is prepared, the outpost is established and now thanks to the constant fighting, the surrounding forests are almost clear of all wildlife. Contrary to the prosecution''s case, we are happy to report a full success in our objective, despite the unforeseen obstacles.¡± He finished his statement in a clipped, formal tone, allowing a small amount of frustration to show through his otherwise respectful and magnanimous demeanor. After his statements, many in the senate started to turn and quietly speak with one another. The gold-fringed group''s expressions grew stormy, and Tilly saw an older Satyr at its head turn around and look up to the stands with a thunderous expression. The red-fringed group of senators (made up of several scarred and burly members of mixed races, including three minotaurs) applauded Shuji¡¯s conclusion. The green group¡¯s discussion grew even more animated as they whispered back and forth amongst each other. ''Nice job Shuji!'' Tilly couldn''t keep a satisfied smile of vindication from showing on his face. Then that prosecutor''s reedy voice broke up the chatter of the crowd. ¡°As is the prosecution¡¯s right in trials where there are no unbiased witnesses, we move to employ the Truth Domain." A murmur of excitement met that statement from the upper crowd. This action settled down the gold-fringed group while the other senators leaned in, letting their side conversations die off. ¡°...This action is deemed appropriate by this judgment seat, you may call a single witness. This court will not be used as an excuse for political maneuvering.¡± The judge replied gravely. Tilly had to hold back a snort at that. ''A little late to pretend to be above politics, don''t you think?'' Upon hearing this limit to one witness the prosecutor furiously wrote on some sort of thick papyrus glowing with a silvery light. ¡°Who does the prosecution call at this time?¡± The judge asked, his tone shortening at the delay. The prosecutor watched the page intensely ignoring the judge for a moment. ¡°If the prosecution is unpr-¡± The prosecutor''s head snapped up and almost shouted, ¡°The prosecution calls the human Jonathan Tillman to the Domain as a witness!¡± Shuji jumped to his feet, ¡°Your honor, this man is not under any accusation, he should not be made to stand trial.¡± ¡°He is not being accused of anything besides poor taste in friends!¡± The prosecutor snapped back, before continuing, ¡°He is being called as the most reliable witness this court can question, and hopefully from him, we can get something resembling the untainted truth.¡± He finished, a vehement gleam shining in his eyes. ¡°The court will allow this, as long as the Human understands he can not be incriminated by any statements he makes under the influence of the Domain. We are here to discover the guilt or innocence of Lord Hiro and the Lapin venture, nothing else.¡± Shuji''s face fell and a look of defeat darkened his features. He turned to Tilly as if in apology and as soon as his expression couldn''t be seen by the crowd he winked before leaning in, ¡°Just be yourself. We are almost certain you will do much more harm to our opposition than to us.¡± ¡°The witness is not to be prepared!¡± The prosecutor shouted. The judge gestured to the empty space in the basin directly before the two thrones, where a glowing circle of arcane markings had appeared. ¡°Please step into the enchantment, human. You will not be harmed.¡± Ch. 25 The Truth? You Can鈥檛 Handle The Truth! Tilly suddenly found himself at the center of attention for the entire arena. He felt shabby in his patchy leathers and primitive axes, not to mention the grimy state of his body. He took a moment to be glad they couldn¡¯t smell him¡­ well he assumed they couldn''t. None of this, however, seemed to bother the assembly. The whole crowd leaned in excitedly while he slowly moved toward the enchantment. The collective weight of their attention made his movements feel awkward and self-conscious and as he neared the circle one of the perimeter guards came forward with a dagger. It was enchanted and glowed the same color as the arcane writing that formed the perimeter of the circle. ¡°Hand please,¡± She asked in a bored voice. Tilly put on his ¡°nothing surprises me anymore¡± Senior Firefighter face and mirrored the impassivity of the guard trying to appear much more unaffected than he was. He stretched out his hand, which shook only slightly, and the guard took it and pricked the center of his palm with the dagger, which surprisingly didn''t hurt. A single drop of blood welled up and she flicked the dagger tip with the drop of blood towards the enchantment, which flashed in response to the introduction of his blood. ¡°You may now enter,¡± She continued formally with a bow before stepping back to her place on the wall. Tilly stepped in, trying not to hesitate as the unknown magic enveloped him. The golden light touched him but didn''t feel like anything, and Tilly himself felt no different having stepped fully into the circle. He did see a status effect appear next to his health and mana at the top left of his vision. Truth Bound Tilly pulled up his notification log to see if it gave him any more information.
You have been affected by the enchantment Domain of Truth. You are now Truth Bound. For the duration of time, you are within the enchanted area you may not speak anything you know to be false and will be predisposed to share what you feel to be the most true response to any posed question.
¡°Jonathan Tillman, both the prosecution and defense have the right to ask you three questions before you are released from the domain, then we will hear closing statements and vote. Are you ready?¡± Tilly swallowed down the lump in his throat. Dive into a fire, no problem. Maneuver through the dangerous political currents without drowning¡­ ¡°I feel absolutely unprepared for this, but I guess I don''t have a choice.¡± The answer gushed from his mouth without thought and was met by smiles and small laughs all through the crowd. Even the judge allowed himself a smirk, ¡°Well this institution is only interested in the truth, something that hopefully needs very little help in being shaped or understood. Prosecution, you may ask your first question.¡± He said with a wave of his hand. The Satyr in the prosecutor''s box nodded sharply and reviewed some notes he had written down on the silvery glowing page before speaking in a slow deliberate tone as if talking to a toddler, ¡°Mr. Tillman, in your time with the accused, have you seen any behavior or heard anything that showed less than full commitment to the empire and its people?¡± He asked, eyes intensively focused on Tilly¡¯s guileless, thoughtful expression. Before Tilly had time to even think of how to answer the question, his mouth was opening, ¡°It is my understanding that the lapin people are citizens of the empire¡­ And everything I have seen from them speaks of a people just trying to survive threats both domestic and from abroad.¡± His words had a clipped almost robotic cadence to them, and Tilly was surprised by the formal way that his thoughts emerged. Not that it was anything he didn''t believe, it was just spoken clearly without any forethought. At his words, the prosecutor''s face screwed up into a sneer and he furiously started writing on his glowing sheet again. The judge turned towards Shuji and Hiro, ¡°Defense, what is your counter?¡± This time Hiro stood up, with that same unhurried coolness that had marked his presence during the whole affair he said, ¡°Jonathan Tillman, what was your impression of our village when you first arrived just a few days ago?¡± Tilly''s mind noted the sharp interest provoked in several senators of the non-gold parties and he guessed that it had something to do with Hiro establishing him as completely new to the lapins and probably the empire as a whole. His mouth on the other hand didn''t care one lick about his observations and simply rattled off his uncolored opinion. ¡°Well, I arrived near death from my encounter with the Corruption in the mountains. I was hoping you guys would be able to provide some protection or an answer to the problem that was clearly consuming the surrounding wilds. But what I found when I recovered was a people who had almost lost hope. It looked to me like you were barely hanging on, this impression was further confirmed when you sent me back out into the forest to deal with the problem instead of doing it yourself.¡± He winced internally at the slight bitterness that had entered his tone as he finished describing his impressions. He had understood Hiro¡¯s obligations to his people, but he couldn''t help but think that they had on some level mishandled the growing threat early on. There was no way they should have ended up being dependent on him to save them. The silvery page in front of the prosecution lit up and the prosecutor nodded to something he found there before looking up with a smirk. Hiro, however, just took his response in stride and nodded before sitting down. ¡°The prosecution''s next question-¡± The judge said, gesturing to the prosecutor. ¡°The prosecution finds it interesting that you were sent off alone to face something that was clearly far beyond your ability to handle. Their race has something of a reputation amongst this governing body to be... unreliable. In that vein, have you seen or heard your lapin companions pursue any goals that run counter to the empire¡¯s wellbeing in their pursuit of ¡®survival¡¯ as you put it?¡± At this Tilly tried to control his mouth before it opened, desperately trying to take inventory of all that he had witnessed. But it was hopeless, his response seemed to completely skip his front brain, filtered through some deeper place, and then immediately made available to the assembly. ¡°I don''t know what the ''empire¡¯s well-being'' means. From what I have seen it seems like you are currently losing a war. If these guys were given an important mission by the emperor, and you are calling them back on trumped-up charges, isn''t that counter to the empire''s wellbeing? In fact, the only treason I''ve heard about is by some guy named Marcellus.¡±Stolen novel; please report. Grumbling started to build in the crowd as Tilly recited his answer. From his tone, you might have thought he was talking about tomorrow¡¯s weather. Yet as his words sank in, the whole stadium erupted in shouting. ¡°Order! Order!¡± The Judge shouted from his seat, his voice barely drowning out the crowd. Tilly¡¯s eyes locked on the same elderly satyr in rich gold-fringed robes sitting in front of the gold group of senators. His face had shifted from impassive to an achingly cold fury in a matter of moments, his eyes becoming beacons of icy hate. ¡°ORDER!¡± The judge''s voice broke out once again, this time succeeding in damping the fervor of the crowd. ¡°I will have the guards remove any non-senate personnel that cannot control themselves immediately!¡± At that, the whole crowd quieted, even the senators stopped talking, and as if by some unsaid agreement, they all zeroed back in on Tilly, who couldn¡¯t keep the grimace off his face. What kind of shit had he just stepped into? ¡°I would remind this assembly, that what the witness speaks is only what he believes to be true, and is not grounds for any accusation without corroborating evidence.¡± The judge spoke harshly. ''Justice truly is blind.'' Tilly snarked internally. ¡°Defense, you have the witness for your counter question.¡± The judge spat with a sharp gesture at the defense''s cordon, all attempts at appearing unbiased having been forgotten. Today was not going how he expected. Tilly turned to see Shuji covering up a smile with a cough, ¡°Ughm¡­ Yes, the defense wishes to ask the witness if he knows of any lapin plot to undermine or rebel against the empire. This will be our final question. No matter how he replies, the defense will rest until concluding statements.¡± Once again, a response disgorged itself from his gut, almost as if he was more of a spectator to this whole exchange than an active participant. As he began speaking he noted with some dark humor that the prosecution was furiously writing on his enchanted sheet and it was flashing back in manic response. ¡°The Lapins are planning for the possibility of this empire¡¯s collapse. I do not believe they want to bring it about. Although if they did, I don''t think they would have to try very hard. Everything I have seen today tells me that this empire is in its final days.¡± Those words launched the crowd back into an uproar. The senators either started shouting and yelling at him, or turning to each other and discussing things furiously. The judge was shouting something to the guards, but his voice was caught up in a cacophony of the mob. ¡°Bastions! I pronounce this a closed session!¡± He tried again, shouting even louder, his voice barely audible over the din. But those same sharply dressed, scarred soldiers from the bottom of the stairs appeared all around the stadium and started moving through the stands, herding all the crowd above the senators out of the public entrances. Some fought and continued to yell, others seemed to take it in stride. A third and disturbingly large portion of the crowd seemed to think the whole thing was some sort of game, hooting and howling with the mob, trying to dodge the advance of the guard while waving drinks animatedly. The guards did their jobs admirably despite the wildness of the upper audience and soon the whole upper stadium was clear. ¡°This assembly will conclude its proceeding in order or it will suspend any pending bills and motions until proper decorum can be achieved on the floor. This was always going to be the result when you include a human in your schemes. Now we will finish this trial and vote. The defense has rested. Prosecution¡­ What is your final question?¡± The coiffed satyr was thrown off by the sudden uproar, and his magical paper was no longer flashing any responses at him. He stood there for a moment looking lost. ¡°Prosecution! Do you have a question or do you rest?¡± The judge demanded. ¡°Uh¡­ Ahem, yes. The prosecution wishes to point out that this witness is unaware of our true state of affairs and the might of our empire¡­¡± He replied shrilly. ¡°This is your last chance, do you have a question or not?¡± The judge snapped, leaning forward in his chair, disdain written all over his face. ¡°Yes! The prosecution wishes to ask the witness¡­ Uh¡­. Ah! On what ignorant grounds could he possibly pronounce judgment over our state of affairs? He said himself that he had only just arrived on the plane a few days ago. Clearly, his ignorance is his undoing. ¡± He concluded in shallow triumph, his forehead shining with a layer of sweat, and his skin turning sallow. In all of this, Tilly felt like currents he could not understand were shifting all around him. The feeling was as exhausting as it was frustrating. He had almost died yesterday and here he was, being shifted like a pawn on the board by self-centered idiots who couldn''t see the writing on the wall. But if they wanted the truth, then for better or worse, he was going to give it to them. ¡°The streets are choked with homeless and hopeless refugees, too hungry and weak to keep running from an army you apparently can''t stop in the field. Those with the ability to do so, are packing up and fleeing to who knows where. Oh, and the fact that your upper class seems to have become completely divorced from reality. It was more important to them to show up to this trial for entertainment than it was to lead the people they have a responsibility to protect. By the way, where is the Emperor? You are in crisis and I don''t see any leadership. I can only see a fast-approaching end and no obvious way to stop it. I may not know much, but it''s pretty obvious that any of you not preparing for the empire''s fall are delusional. Clearly, some of you know what is happening and are playing the situation to your advantage. I wonder where the ''Elder Marcellus'' disappears to on his little outings beyond the wall?¡± Tilly finished, gasping for breath at the end of his tirade. The senators and the judge sat stunned in silence, with the exception of the elder, hawklike senator at the front of the gold-fringed group. His face remained remarkably impassive, but his eyes burned with an extraordinary fury. For most of the senators, it was a thoughtful heavy silence, for the gold-fringed group it was the quiet of impending vengeance. As for the judge, his silence was rooted in a deep weariness that suddenly showed itself in the roadmap of lines creasing every part of his elderly distinguished face. Despite that, he was the first to answer, ¡°Human, do not look at us in our darkest hour and think you know us. Once this place stood proudly for the rule of law, the truth of justice, and equal representation. Yes, we had an emperor, but ours was a republic, something much rarer than you yet realize in this world of monsters and legends. Do not be so quick to foretell our doom, for with us dies one of the last republics of Nephesh.¡± He said solemnly, his words taking on an eerie weight of wisdom won through centuries of struggle and pain. Then he closed his eyes for a long moment, and when he opened them, the impassive mask was back, the will to fulfill his duty as guardian of this storied institution hardened his resolve and his voice once again rang out. ¡°Thus the questioning has been concluded, may we hear the truth and judge rightly by it!¡± He pronounced, his voice firmed by the millennia of tradition that preceded it. ¡°Human you may leave the Domain. Prosecution, defense, this assembly will hear your closing statements.¡± Tilly looked around in confusion, once again failing to embody any of the formality that surrounded him in the current circumstance. He awkwardly stepped back out of the circle and turned to take his place behind the cordoned-off section of the defense. On his way, he saw the coiffed satyr frantically writing on his pad with no response, and he caught a sad smile from Shuji before he schooled his expression back to one of professional interest. Hiro stood as he passed by and addressed the assembly, ¡°The defense stands ready¡­¡± At a wave from the judge, he continued, ¡°You are correct, this human knows none of the histories of this empire or its greatness. But in some ways, it is that very knowledge that has made many of us blind to the possibility of its end. Make no mistake, this empire is in grave peril, and this body has far more important issues to deliberate than a false claim of a misuse of funds. A significant portion of this body will vote me guilty simply because of my race¡­ and to them, I do not waste my breath on words. But to the rest of you¡­ You know me, you know my people. We simply wish to survive what is coming, and we will not do so if this empire falls. We can not fall. We will not fall. That is all that matters.¡± Then he sat back down, his manner just as cool and reserved as when they had begun, in fact through all of these proceedings the only member of the trial who had not seemed to be surprised by the proceedings was Hiro Matsumoto. ¡°The defense has been heard. Prosecution you will conclude your argument, or I will close and put this matter to a vote.¡± The satyr who had started the preceding with such vehemence seemed deflated, his magical communication thrown to the side. He looked up with a hard bitter smile, something that spoke of a desire for mutual destruction. ¡°The prosecution stands ready¡­¡± He said, staring intensely at the judge, who again motioned for him to continue. ¡°This has always been an empire that holds the rule of law and the inherent rights of its citizens above all else. No one here denies the pressures we face along our borders. It is precisely because of these pressures that I stand before you at all, fighting for justice. By their own admission, these mongrels would have failed and squandered all that we had entrusted to them, if not for the miraculous intervention of a human. This is gross negligence of the highest order. On top of that, the prosecution knows it was unable to fully bring to light the history of malfeasance and quiet rebellion that this race has perpetrated throughout its history. They have undermined our greatness for generations and it is they and others like them that have made us what we are today, a people on the brink. Do not give in to their petty mewlings, remember your pride, and our great destiny. If we beat back this weakness here in this courtroom, we will beat it back on our borders, just as we always have and always will.¡± By the end of his monologue, his voice was once again ringing out with the passion of blind belief. This was a creature so committed to his ideals that he could not help but see every fact through the lens of his fervently held bias. The judge stood from his seat with a nod and for the first time turned and addressed the assembled senate. ¡°The Cura has heard trial and will now put it to a vote. Ayes for guilty, Nays for not guilty. Noble senators, cast your vote.¡± CH. 26 Spite and Spittle A glowing group of symbols appeared before the occupants in the lower arena seating. Some senators took a moment to deliberate before their group of symbols flashed and disappeared. Others didn''t even look at the options before their voting enchantment display flashed in response to some unseen input and faded away. Soon only the silver-fringed group of senators remained undecided, numbering 8 in total. The Purist Party seemed to have enough members to make up just under half of the senate and Tilly realized with some anxiety that it would be almost impossible for them to be voted innocent if this yet undecided party chose guilty, or abstained. The front position of this smaller group was taken by a truly ancient Satyr, his wizened face almost lost in the ridiculously long but thin white beard flowing down from his chin and upper lip. He sat there stoically considering each of the three symbols floating in front of him. He seemed to weigh the choice for an unhurried age with a look of focused deliberation on his face. Then in a break with all of his peers, he moved his hand in a deliberate motion and selected one of the options, making sure the whole arena could see his vote. The rest of his group hesitated briefly to look at each other before following suit with a series of quick flashes marking their decisions. Tilly couldn''t help but scan the crowd hoping for some hint of which way the different groups had voted. As he was taking in each group he finally tried to put the names he had heard in the closet meeting to the groups before him. If his assumptions were right, then the silver-fringed group had to be the Loyalists¡­ which from context clues, had something to do with the emperor. They held themselves rigid, ignoring the looks of the others in the arena, instead impassively looking to the Judge, who seemed to be receiving the tally in real-time. He sat there wearing a far-off look as lights danced before his eyes. Then suddenly, they were gone and he was scowling down at the arena floor, ready to be done with this trial. ¡°The vote has been tallied at 36 nays, 30 ayes, and 0 abstained. Let the people of our glorious empire know that Justice has prevailed¡­ Hiro Mosimoto. Before the eyes of those in this court, the emperor, and the heavens themselves, you are pronounced Not Guilty.¡± Upon his announcement, the entire silver-fringed group stood and filed out of the arena, leaving some in confusion, and others in outright animosity. ¡°You haven''t voted for months!¡± One gold-fringed senator shouted at their backs, ¡°And now you choose to vote? For a filthy long ear!¡± None of them replied as they filed through an exit, their absent response leaving its mark on the rest of the assembly, many turning and speaking to each other, trying to unravel the inscrutable choice of the Loyalists. Tilly couldn¡¯t quite see who was shouting, and as soon as he started scanning the gold group, he couldn''t help but be drawn again into the frosty glare of the head of the Purists. He sat looking down at Tilly as one would look at a particularly skittery roach that was about to get stomped. ¡°Order, order.¡± The judge called out in a tired voice. ¡°We have two more motions to move forward this morning before we break, all those not present automatically choose to abstain. Lord Matsumoto and delegation, you are dismissed.¡± At that Hiro and Shuji stood and moved towards the same arched opening they had entered through, with Tilly close behind. ¡°Hey¡­ ugh, sorry about what I said up there about the village,¡± Tilly whispered hurriedly as they exited the Cura. Hiro kept moving down the stairs but waved off the apology like it was inconsequential. Shuji however turned and beamed at Tilly with his characteristically huge smile. ¡°Do not worry yourself, Mr. Tillman, you have been named friend! And you have once again proven your great worth to our people. If I may be so bold, it is probably we who owe you an apology. We had to come up with a plan very quickly, and we knew if we brought you along as an unknown, those nosy Purists wouldn¡¯t be able to help themselves. It worked out wonderfully! If our luck holds we might even survive the coming calamity!¡± Tilly almost missed a step as Shuji delivered the last words, seemingly without a care in the world. Then Hiro stopped suddenly on the steps, and turned back towards Tilly, his face drawn in a serious frown, ¡°This whole building is enchanted to prevent divination, but once we leave its protection, we will not be safe from being overheard until we lose ourselves in the city. This trial played out as well as it could for us, however, this means that they will try and end us with more overt methods, possibly as soon as dusk. We will leave this building and move fast, and I will tell you when we are relatively secure. Do not engage with anyone unless you see us do the same. They will find us, and we must do what we can to be ready.¡± He delivered in a steady but focused voice that broached no argument. He was about to turn back down the stairs, but Tilly moved to stop him, lifting his hand to grab his shoulder, before thinking better of it and turning it into something of a hand raise. ¡°Look Hiro, I''m with you and I understand that you have a lot more to worry about than me and my problems, but hear me out¡­ I don''t care if we are in the middle of a fight for our lives. Tonight, I need some answers.¡± Tilly said, once again allowing some of the frustration of the last few days to color his tone. Hiro didn¡¯t acknowledge the reach but did nod sharply at the statement, before turning to move. Shuji moved over and turned his bombastic smile on once again giving Tilly a friendly pat on the shoulder before hurrying down after Hiro. ''Guess that is a yes...'' Tilly moved to follow distractedly, not for the first time worrying about how far beyond his ability circumstances had moved. He couldn''t help but feel like a noob in a high-level zone. Nearly every possible combatant he had seen in the city was at least twice his level if not more. Before he knew it, he was at the bottom of the stairs, and Hiro and Shuji were cutting through the crowd of squawking bureaucrats like a smoothbore nozzle cutting through fire in a fully involved room. There was something about the purpose with which Hiro moved that easily set him apart from his surroundings as they milled about amongst the tree-like pillars. Tilly followed in his wake, wondering if he would ever find his way in this world or be cursed to be caught up in this seemingly undeniable tide of events. Being treated like a hanger-on and told to follow was getting old. He shifted his jacket uncomfortably over his scar as he half-jogged to keep up with the odd loping gait that all of the lapin seemed to possess.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. They made it through the crowds in the Cura and emerged at the front steps of the building to find the same Satyr who had started all of this waiting for them with his formal servant. Tilly did note however that he lacked the guards that had accompanied him previously and hoped that this was a sign that he was no longer acting as an agent of the state. His face was a storm cloud of anger, juxtaposed by the slack professional expression of his servant. He stood at the entrance of the Cura, clearly prepared for a public showdown, wanting to regain some face. Hiro didn''t even bother to acknowledge him, simply moving around him like an inanimate object, Shuji following suit. This only darkened the satyr¡¯s already stormy expression and his eyes flashed with fury. Unfortunately, he was surprised by the move of avoidance and did not want to turn and look like he was following the moving lapins, so his eyes fixed on Tilly, who was a few steps behind the purposeful pair. ¡°You dirty, long-ear loving, Cur. How dare you besmirch my family''s name in such a public setting.¡± He declared in front of the growing crowd of onlookers. Apparently, they had known to anticipate this very meeting. The young aristocrat followed up his insult with one of the pettiest and most disgusting things Tilly could imagine. He spat in Tilly¡¯s face. Now Tilly had been a Firefighter for decades, and bodily fluids were a part of the job. He couldn''t count the number of times he had been forced into contact with blood, urine, and even feces on duty. But in his many years... he had never been spit on. He had to admit, it did not agree with him at all. Tilly saw red, and the sound of his throbbing heartbeat filled his ears. His whole body tensed like a fully compressed spring and his side spasmed releasing a sickly sweet feeling of pleasure and relief. The sweet tingling spread up from his side and down his extremities and he felt ready for anything. This world kept pushing him around and it was time for him to start pushing back. He didn''t know what a Level 38 Quaestor was but all thought of consequences had flown from his mind, and his face cracked into a manic grin as goat spittle dribbled past his lips. A new flashing notification went unnoticed, as Tilly imagined rearranging the goat''s chin. The offender''s sneer of hate momentarily ticked into a smirk at the sight of the reaction, and the steward''s stance subtly shifted, the weight of his body moving from his heels to the balls of his feet. Then Shuji, as if out of thin air, was between the three, interrupting the building tension with his unbelievably cheerful smile. He moved in front of the Marcellus''s heir with such a fawning expression that the satyr¡¯s satisfied smirk twisted into a rictus of confusion and disgust. ¡°My Lord! I am deeply grieved that this ignorant human has injured you and your family so unjustly!¡± He cried out, with literal tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Then he dropped to his knees before the Satyr and started weeping at his feet, loudly. The transition was so shocking that it blew away Tilly¡¯s mindless fury like a brisk breeze clearing morning fog. The tingling remained in his veins but no longer demanded action. Then Shujji raised the ridiculous performance to a new level, moving towards Satyr''s legs and attempting to kiss them. As the possibility of being touched by such a base creature became a reality, fury reignited on Titus Marcellus'' face, and Tilly saw his arm begin to writhe and glow with a dangerous purple aura. Shuji didn''t even look up from his crying as the Satyr raised his arm in a flash, preparing to bring it down in some sort of strike. Tilly moved without thinking, some sort of eerie competence taking the place of his shock as he saw the danger Shuji was in. He activated [Resolute] as he dived over the prostrating Lapin. A flash of purple shone from above as he lost view of all but Shuji, who was already moving as if having anticipated the strike from the beginning. Then a searing crushing pain exploded along his shoulders shattering his awareness momentarily before fading completely and leaving him gasping on the ground. He quickly adjusted to the absence of the intense pain and pushed himself up from his position preparing to reach for his hatchets. He looked up to find looks of bewilderment on the faces of everyone present. The crowd that had formed to eagerly watch the events unfold broke out in exclamations of shock. Even the implacable steward was looking around with his hand in his jacket as if trying to identify the new unknown variables that had entered the field. Shuji, the sneaky bastard, had somehow ended up ten feet down the steps in all the confusion, and he looked back up at Tilly with a chagrined expression on his face. The Quaestor however was the most put off by the change of events. His fury developed into a sort of near panic, clearly unused to being so out of control. ¡°You¡­ Your human trickery¡­ I demand satisfaction!¡± He finally stuttered out as his right arm started to twitch along with his face. ¡°That will not happen.¡± Stated a calm Hiro appearing in the growing crowd with several of the scarred guards that Tilly had seen at the bottom of the inner steps. Hiro continued as if he was completely in control of the situation, ¡°You feel you have been insulted, and have in turn insulted and struck one of those in my retinue. It is now my responsibility to pursue satisfaction at my leisure, and be sure I will be doing so¡­ ¡± He said, nothing in his manner or voice changing, but still somehow impregnating his words with an incredible amount of menace. The steward instantly moved between Hiro and his master and the younger satyr choked on his furious reply. ¡°Shuji, Mr. Tillman, Come. It is time to take our leave.¡± He said once again turning to move down the stairs, the crowd parting before him like minnows scattering before a shark. Shuji moved to follow immediately, and Tilly was only a second behind, following in Hiro¡¯s wake. As he moved, he couldn''t help but turn back and shout over his shoulder, ¡°That wasn''t a human trick! You just hit like an infant!¡± He called, wiping any remaining spit from his face. Was it childishness, sure. But sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. A scream of fury followed them down the steps, ¡°Mark my words filth! You will be paste, smeared under my boot by the end of the day!¡± His words caused the already mumbling crowd to ripple with more animated discussion. Even that faded into the normal sounds of a bustling city as Hiro, Shuji, and Tilly moved out onto the promenade choked with every aspect of life. Ch. 27 Kowabunga Now that it was no longer early morning, the city had come fully alive. They quickly moved off from the main promenade of the city to the smaller, less patrolled streets. Well, not so much less patrolled as absolutely packed. The city was almost choking on its own citizens and several times they had to press through crowds of refugees so thick that Tilly felt as if he could hardly breathe from the bodies. The mood of the city, especially here, far away from the aristocracy was a heady mixture of near panic and dark melancholy. The refugees they passed were either so forceful in their begging that it amounted to a near mugging, or so still that Tilly had trouble believing they were still alive. It didn''t matter to Tilly that the refugees were mainly satyrs, with occasional members of other races. What was getting to him all over again was the kids¡­ They were everywhere, sometimes playing in small groups protected by wary adults. Other times they just sat against the edge of the street, showing a more deadened hardness that spoke of truly hellish experiences. The weight of the city''s plight once again pressed down on him and he felt a resurgence of the burning in his chest. The sensation clashed with the syrupy sweet tingling that was still throbbing up from his side and he wondered how he hadn¡¯t thought much about the sensation until this moment. Then he noticed the flashing notification icon in the corner of his eye. He was about to try and open it while following the lapins before remembering his hike through the forest and decided the thing could wait. Instead, he focused on keeping up through the press of bodies and tried to pay attention to his surroundings, Titus'' threats looming in his mind. Many of the houses and businesses they passed were abandoned by the more well-to-do owners of the city and had been boarded up. This opportunity had not been lost on the refugees who had taken to "repossessing" the buildings. This created a very post-apocalyptic feel as if these people were huddled in the ruins of a city, instead of taking refuge in the empire''s capital. Still, it was Tilly¡¯s first magical city, and despite the growing squalor he still spotted some awesome signs glowing with magic. Shops selling items and armor that he had only ever seen in video games. Not that he had much time to sightsee. Hiro led them through the ever-shrinking streets at an unforgiving pace, taking turns seemingly at random, and sometimes doubling back the way they came. Then, just like the sun peeking out on a cloudy day, their surroundings changed. They moved out of the general population area and were now surrounded by ancient, well-kept structures that had a distinctly island feel. There was also a notable difference in the people. Almost everyone in this new section of the city was from the turtle race and many of them walked around with an arcane implement of some kind. Their pace broke down to a slow walk, and Hiro looked around as if waiting for someone. Shuji took a few deep breaths, trying to catch what he had lost in transit, and then looked over at Tilly with a smaller-than-normal smile, ¡°We can''t go to the Lapin district. They would find us immediately, and even if we fought them off, some of our people would die in the process. So we are taking a small risk in delaying.¡± ¡°I do not appreciate... the ''small risk''... you bring... to my people.¡± An ancient voice wheezed as an extremely wrinkled Turtle/Biped shuffled up to their group, leaning heavily on his gnarled staff covered in runes. Tilly thought he heard the sound of a seashore in the distance and looked around in confusion. ¡°Mr. Tillman, it is my pleasure to introduce Honored Elder Kihei Tide Caller,¡± Hiro said, following his words with a deep bow to the much older creature. The turtle-man was flanked by many of his kind although they stood a little ways off in deference. Hiro came up from his bow and continued, ¡°Elder Kihei is the last elder of the Honu people and the greatest mage the Empire has left." He said introducing the Honu elder and then turning to address him directly. "The charade is almost up, the city would soon implode, even without the Cult of the Serpent at the door. So we have come to make a deal.¡± His expression was intense, yet still respectful as he looked directly into the eyes of the wizened elder which sparkled with a vibrant intelligence untouched by time''s advance. In the face of Hiro''s offer, that sharp gaze narrowed in suspicion. ¡°We often... found ourselves allies¡­ in the senate¡­ Yet never once did you¡­ ask us for aid¡­ Yours is a proud people¡­ and your scheme to survive is obvious¡­ even to the point of being narrow-minded.¡± Hiro allowed himself a rare small smile at the words, ¡°And I am sure your plan is well-rounded, conservative, and slow. This is happening faster than any of us thought, and I have already lost my son once because of pride. I will not lose my people by making the same mistake twice.¡± ¡°Very well¡­¡± the elder stated suddenly smiling, dropping his suspicion with deceptive ease. ¡°What do you need¡­from us... and what do you have... to offer?¡± Elder Kihei asked as if he had expected the offer for years. Those behind him, however, reacted in a comically slow display of shock. One honu literally took a full five seconds for his jaw to completely drop. Whatever was happening, it must have been unprecedented... Then moving to the front of the growing crowd, a distinctive-looking Honu arrived at the Elders''s side, holding a conch shell. He moved without the exaggerated slowness of the others and wore practical and travel-stained robes along with a vibrant blue scarf. Hiro''s small smile grew more exultant at the elder''s responce. ¡°Is there any way we can be overheard?¡± The elder did not answer but did tap his staff lightly on the ground, the sound of waves crashing against the shore grew noticeably. ¡°My gratitude, Elder, we do not share this secret easily, for it has been guarded for generations by my people...¡± Then his smile faltered and to Tilly¡¯s surprise, he saw Hiro take a deep shaky breath before nodding to himself and continuing, ¡°When my people attacked this Empire five hundred years ago, we did so because we too, were in decline and our Moon Goddess thought it was our only chance to solidify our position in the eyes of the Land. As you know, this attack failed and we became a conquered people, dishonored and relegated to vastly inferior classes as punishment by the emperor. ¡°This is all fairly well known. However, there are two facts known only to the royal line and a few close retainers. When our Goddess saw we would fail, she chose to sacrifice herself instead of serving the empire¡¯s Rule of Law Divine mandate. With her life, she bought two things for my people. First were the two Mythic Bound weapons that could only be used by the royal line.¡± He said, gesturing to his sword,If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°The second thing she bought with her life was a Sovereign Crystal. Our people have called it our Promise for generations even though most don''t know what it is.¡± The crowd gasped at his words, and even the elders'' eyes widened. ¡°When we first received it, it was in its nascent stage, and still required a gift of 77 million experience. After five centuries, we are down to the last hundred thousand and we had planned to use it to break off from the empire and establish a new kingdom on the frontier. This of course will not work under the current timeline. I have too many people left in this city and no way to move them, neither can I come up with the rest of the experience in time to establish the new nation.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Tilly blurted out, not even able to fathom how much it had cost the lapin people to donate that much experience. ¡°Your people have just given up the chance to level for five hundred years to¡­ uh, charge this thing?¡± ¡°That is correct Mr. Tillman,¡± Hiro said briefly turning to the side to address the human before turning back to the Honu and continuing to make his case. ¡°The majority of my people were forced to take servant or labor classes throughout our history here. They began certain stereotypes by leveling in those classes much slower than they should have to donate a portion of their Experience to the Promise. This earned us the reputation of being lazy and unreliable and we are widely regarded as a low-tier race, hampered by some sort of race-wide deficit.¡± As he concluded, his eyes hardened, and Tilly could feel the passion and dedication that had fueled these people to make such a sacrifice. ¡°Always¡­ So stubborn¡­ I assume the Emperor knew¡­ some of this?¡± ¡°He knew that we would break from the empire rather than die here for ideals we did not share. He saw where this was headed and that he no longer had the power to stop it. He told me that as long as I didn''t break any laws, or harm his people, he would not fault our desire to survive. Many now pursue the same end with much less honor.¡± ¡°On this¡­ we agree. I see what you need from us: ¡­a way for all of your people ¡­to retreat to your new home¡­. Now what¡­ can you offer?¡± At this, Hiro gestured to Shuji, who quickly stepped forward, his loud and fast manner somewhat at odds with the rest of the conversation. ¡°Elder Kihei, it is an honor as always, I have always been fascinated by your entries into the imperial-¡± ¡°Shuji!¡± Hiro growled. ¡°Ah¡­ yes, so sorry. We had a formal Covenant document prepared that would have rendered this in binding terms, but it was made as a contingency and does not include many of the pertinent variables that we currently face¡­ But in essence, we offer you full access to the Sovereign Crystal to be housed on neutral grounds as well as a portion of the land we have subdued to be bound to your people until the new Lapin kingdom falls or you choose to move elsewhere. We essentially offer you a place in our... Confederacy.¡± Shuji finished, rattling off most of the details in two breaths. The elder considered the terms for a long minute, as those behind him spoke back and forth in slow mumbling tones, ¡°Those terms sound acceptable¡­ But I wish to add¡­ one addendum¡­I too have¡­ made a promise....to our emperor¡­ When your people flee¡­ we request you take as many¡­ refugees as you can¡­ through the portal.¡± Hiro grimaced at the addendum and slowly that grimace turned into an expression of smoldering anger. Emotion warred on his face as he searched for a counterproposal and Tilly¡¯s chest tightened as he realized he was witnessing the other side of that same racial blindness he had experienced in the senate. He was growing to respect the lapin leader and to see such a shallow shortsightedness in him hit Tilly like a gut punch. He couldn''t help but interject again. "Listen, Hiro," Tilly growled, drawing all eyes in the conversation towards him. "Your son named me a Friend to the lapin people, and you offered me your sword. I have followed you without question for the better part of a day, getting myself in a world of shit along the way. Whatever equity I have with you, I''m to putting it on the table. You need to agree to this. We need to get as many people out as we can before this city is destroyed." Hiro¡¯s smoldering anger evened out into something flat and controlled as he considered Tilly''s words. Then with a slow deliberate cadence, he answered, ¡°They will not destroy the city. They will conquer it. And yes, many here will become slaves to the Cult of the Serpent, but we can do nothing about that. The empire has failed all of us! Now we fight simply to protect whatever little we can.¡± Hiro¡¯s voice did not rise as he moved through his response, but each successive word was laden with increasing amounts of bitterness. As each word landed, Tilly began to feel the weight of decades spent fighting for an institution that prospered off the servitude of his people. ¡°The Ship. Is. Sinking. We each must look to our own.¡± He finished vehemently. Tilly knew he was asking for too much from the man who was fighting to keep his people alive, but Tilly couldn''t stop picturing the thousands of children littering the street, looking for some refuge from the war at their doorstep. Words poured out of his mouth before he could count their cost, or measure their implication, ¡°Fuck. That. If you want me with you for the rest of this little adventure, we are going to save as many of these people as we can. Or I am out. ¡± Tilly almost shouted, gesturing widely to the broader city behind him. ¡°I am afraid¡­ That we feel the same¡­ We can link the platforms¡­ for your people to get through¡­ but you must allow others¡­ the same chance.¡± The elder cut in. ¡°Human, as much as I appreciate your magnanimous gesture, how can we possibly house, let alone feed all these people,¡± Shuji interjected desperately. ¡°We may have¡­ some ideas on this front¡­ We will contact you¡­ midday tomorrow¡­ and you will meet the others.¡± ¡°Do not share the information I have revealed to you this day with these ''others''. I see that this conversation must continue and I know we have imposed on your protection for long enough... I will come tomorrow.¡± Hiro relented spitefully. ¡°Understood¡­¡± Elder Kihei sighed, gesturing to the Honu next to him to come forward. The honu approached with uncharacteristically normal speed and handed a shell to Shuji. Even in the heat of the moment, Tilly couldn''t help but notice the younger honu''s scarf was drifting as if underwater. ¡°The divination is increasing in intensity, Elder. Whoever they are sending is very powerful.¡± He muttered, looking around as if something was going to pop out of the shadows at any second. "Our guests know this... Franklin... Worry not... They are leaving now..." Shuji pocketed the shell, ¡°Yes, very sorry about that. We have a place to meet them set aside. We will be on our way.¡± Shuji said, accompanying his words with another bow. ¡°I will meet your people Elder. We will see what we can do in the time left to us.¡± Hiro said with a reluctant nod of his head. Then he turned to Tilly his gaze turning cold. ¡°If it is not too much to ask Mr. Tillman, we need to go now and get as ready as we can. They are coming, and after your performance today, they will have you in their sights as well. Whether you are with us or not.¡± Hiro challenged. Tilly returned his flat look feeling slightly sheepish, but not at all apologetic. He quickly gave his own bow to the honu elder and then nodded in affirmation to the two lapins. ¡°Yeah... let''s go. I hope you guys have one hell of a plan.¡± At that, Shuji barked out a laugh, ¡°Ha! Yes, Jonathan Tillman! I believe you will love it!¡± Ch. 28. Sninjas After a hurried walk through more crowded streets and twisted back alley turns, they seemed to arrive at the edge of the city. The wall could clearly be seen in the distance and the buildings became less residential and more storage/industrial. Many of these seemed to have already been emptied, if not completely ransacked and it was one such warehouse that Tilly found himself standing in front of as Shuji let out a cheerful huff of satisfaction. ¡°Good! Good. They left it exactly as I asked them.¡± He said, shoving through a large, clearly broken wood gate. At one point it had probably been designed to allow wagons to move in and out of the ancient commercial-sized building. Now it sat wedged into the opening as if someone had jammed it back in place after illicitly gaining entry to the building. ¡°You asked them to leave it like this?¡± Tilly murmured moving through the doorway into a sea of smashed crates, clay pots, and canvas. Hiro was scanning the room in a business-like manner while Shuji seemed to be fussing with something in a nearby crate and mumbling to himself. ¡°...I know I sent them the correct scroll¡­ Ah. Here we are!¡± He said pulling a scroll from the rubble and throwing it open to reveal a surface covered in glowing script. ¡°Librarian arts, firefly swarm!¡± He stated in a strong ringing voice. The scroll hovered in the air for a few moments glowing brighter and brighter before the indecipherable words started to detach from the scroll and float all around the huge room. They danced in the air and lit the room, banishing the shadowy gloom of the unlit warehouse and giving it the feel of mystery and potential. Tilly¡¯s notification icon began blinking again and he opened it on reflex given that they had finally stopped moving.
You have entered a Librarian''s Domain. All reading is 20% more effective and you may benefit from any prepared seals the librarian has set over his domain.
Huh, Shuji wasn¡¯t kidding, they did have something prepared. Although Tilly wasn''t sure how effective a library would be at keeping them alive¡­ Then Tilly¡¯s blood ran cold at the sight of the notification just above the most recent one.
You have given into Corruption''s influence and have gained 2% Strength and lost 3% Wisdom. Corruption Seed influence now: 7%
¡°Shit.¡± Tilly sighed, the heady sensation before his almost fight with the uppity Satyr coming to his mind in sharp relief. Something had been affecting his mind, but he had been so caught up in the moment that he had barely noticed and then immediately forgotten the whole thing afterward. ''Is it just going to keep running in the background, pushing every time I''m not paying attention?'' Tilly wondered, goosebumps running up his arms as he thought about something playing tricks with his perception. He was so caught up in the thought that he didn''t even notice Shuji calling him. ¡°-Tillman, excuse my interruption, Mr. Tillman! If you would be so kind, we need you to follow us to the center.¡± Shuji said, looking back at Tilly with a mild but cheerful concern. He had already called Tilly several times, but he had missed it. ¡°Oh. Uh, Sorry about that, it''s been a long couple of days.¡± He said, doing his best to shake off the crawling sensation that covered his body. Shuji took his slip in stride and quickly covered over the concern with a token cheerful grin, ¡°Oh, of course! With the threat we face, it is no wonder you feel out of sorts. Well not to worry, it will all be sorted out one way or another.¡± He said with a well-meaning pat on Tilly¡¯s shoulder before moving deeper into the rubble, carefully following some path that only Hiro and he knew about. Tilly quickly stepped after them, being careful to place his feet in the same places that Shuji did. As they navigated deeper into the large open building, Shuji started to explain, ¡°This was once the hidden storehouse for all of our people''s collective wealth and knowledge. When we got approval for our venture into the frontier, we slowly transferred all of it to the village before we were cut off from imperial support. Yet as a Librarian, I am only allowed one domain, and we thought it best to keep mine here where we had long prepared for discovery. This was to be our last line of defense in the capital and we thought it wouldn''t be needed... Now it will have an opportunity to serve that purpose after all.¡± ¡°So what, you have this place magically boobie-trapped?¡± Tilly asked, looking around at the warehouse with new hope. ¡°What a fascinating turn of phrase¡­ ¡®Boobie-trapped ''. Due to the shared nature of our language on this plane, I can understand the basic meaning¡­ Nonetheless, I digress, over the years I have painstakingly set up many wards and seals to do my best to protect the treasures of my people. Alas, Librarian is not a militant class and I am afraid my preparations are more creative than deadly.¡± Then Hiro broke into the conversation from the front, ¡°They will be adequate Shuji. We simply need to force their ace to show themselves before I enter the fight, or they will try and exhaust me with chaff. Normally, not even that would worry me, as it has been tried before, but I fear they have grown desperate at this late hour. I have no idea what the Marcellus family is willing to do now that the empire is on its knees. I will stay in reserve until I must intervene, you two must hold and distract them for as long as possible.¡± As he finished laying out the plan, they arrived in a cleared center space about twenty meters in diameter. ¡°Shuji, how much time do we have left?¡± Hiro inquired, his deep calm voice imparting a sense of control to his two companions, not that Tilly could see any sign of worry in Shuji¡¯s manner. The lapin had nerves of steel. This contrasted nicely with Tilly¡¯s noticeably shaking hands, which he stilled by gripping the handles of his hatchets. His thumbs ran along the hard ridged texture of the Forest Spirit''s antlers, and he remembered its stand against Corruption, and its warning not to wait until it was too late to do something.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Here he was, way in over his head, but doing his best to help the people in front of him. Just like he had done for years in the fire department before the grinding decades of the job had hardened him into what he had become in the end. He thought back to what it was like those first few years in the department when it all felt like it mattered, and he still had a family... Tilly took a few deep breaths, finding the place in his mind that would turn on while he listened to radio traffic screaming down the road to a fire. Whatever happened, he had always done whatever he had to, so that everyone went home at the end of shift. If that wasn¡¯t possible, if someone had to lay it all on the line, it would be him. It wasn''t something he hoped was true about himself, he knew it from experience. Over and over this resolve had been tried and tested and he had never left one of his team behind. This was something that had always made sense to him in the fire service. The SOPs were clear, and the brotherhood was comfortable... At home? In the hospital? There was no playbook there, and he had often felt sure he was making mistake after mistake as he stumbled through life as a husband, and then a father. But this? This made sense. He was just in another kind of building, knowing that he might not be the one to come out. He was with a small team, facing long odds against an unknown danger. He wasn¡¯t afraid of dying, in fact, with this thing inside him trying to turn him into one of those monsters, that might not be too bad of an outcome. This was just another day. And for better or worse, in his past life, he had come to live for these moments. His hands stopped shaking and he relaxed his arms and shoulders, taking in as much information from his surroundings as possible. Shuji had pulled out a large piece of papyrus and had begun folding it while muttering to himself at Hiro¡¯s question. Tilly realized with fascination that he was creating another magical origami shape. Fold after fold resolved itself into a large open eye that floated up from Shuji''s hands and glowed with a malevolent dark red light. ¡°We are currently under divination, blood magic if I''m not mistaken,¡± Shuji stated in a droning voice as his eyes looked off into the distance. The eye started to glow brighter before it suddenly crumbled to ash. Shuji recoiled back as if struck and his head whipped towards the entrance. The sun had almost set, and long shadows reached into the building from the street. ¡°The magic is much stronger than I expected¡­ And with this level of blood rite, there can only be one explanation.¡± ¡°Say something I can understand Shuji! I don''t know what any of that means.¡± Tilly said, reacting to Shuji¡¯s sudden movement by pulling his hatchets from his belt loops and easing into a ready stance. Hiro quietly drew his black-as-night sword and settled down on his knees with the blade resting upon his lap, ¡°It is worse than we thought, someone has let shadow hunters past the city wards. We face the Cult of the Serpent tonight, and they have a special hatred for our kind.¡± ¡°How close are we talking?¡± Tilly muttered, his voice growing quiet under the weight of anticipation for the coming fight. ¡°They know where we are, and they know that we have discovered their divination. They will move with all due haste under the cover of darkness.¡± Shuji said, breaking from his reverie and pulling loose different scrolls he had cleverly strapped around his person under his voluminous clothing. ¡°Ok, well you guys think I took out that corruption single-handedly, but I only have two moves. I can throw these hatchets and catch the things on fire.¡± Tilly rattled off, suddenly afraid they were depending on some hidden martial talent from the human that had defeated the Corrupted tree. Hiro simply snorted in response, ¡°Yes, that will be perfect for sowing chaos. Do not worry. This plan depends on our preparation and my blade. You will simply be a distraction.¡± Tilly sighed in relief, ¡°Perfect. I can be a distraction.¡± Then almost unbidden, the heat in his chest built up and flowed down his arms igniting the heads of his hatchets simultaneously. The sensation was new, and Tilly did his best not to flinch at the sudden conflagration. ¡°Yes! Good!¡± Shuji nodded in approval, looking over at the sudden appearance of flames. ¡°We have laced explosives throughout this perimeter and amongst the debris. Your fire will save me from having to ignite them.¡± He said, cheerfully as he laid out the final scrolls before him. Tilly watched his Mana bar critically as the cost of igniting his weapons slowly recharged. Right now using the ability twice had knocked his mana bar down 6% and he would doubtlessly be recalling his weapons every time he threw them. How much did that cost again? He dropped his ignited hatchet and recalled it back to his hand immediately. It reappeared in his hand, still ignited. He saw his mana tick down another 2%. Ok, so if the weapons did not hit anything then they would stay imbued, and to ignite and recall his weapon would cost him about 5% in total. That gave him approximately 20 throws before he was out, not factoring in his dismal wisdom stat. Which was dropping further due to the freakin Seed of Corruption trying to burrow into his soul... ¡°Well, 20 isn¡¯t bad, more than a typical quiver of arrows.¡± He muttered to himself, watching the small but intense blue flame burn on the stone head of the hatchets. He had to admit, it was pretty awesome that he could create these blue flames now. His mind wandered back to the temple in the mountains and the blue flame that still burned on the altar. A paper bird zipped in through the open doorway from the dark street and up to Shuji, fluttering erratically. Shuji waved it away, and it unfolded and slipped into his sleeve. His cheerful smile flattened into something more focused and he whispered, ¡°They are out there, surveying the building.¡± Hiro continued to kneel with his eyes closed, not reacting to the news while Shuji whispered something else under his breath, and a muted hush fell over the building, canceling out all the noises that had fallen into the background. The creak of the thick timbers of the old building stopped, and the breeze playing through the door also quieted. ¡°Shuji, what was that?¡± Tilly whispered and then gasped as even his voice had greatly reduced in volume. ¡°We can talk in a normal voice, Jonathan Tillman. This will keep most of what is happening inside a mystery to those remaining without.¡± He said in a confident if significantly muted voice. Then his eye sharpened and Tilly whipped his head back to the entrance, where the already long shadows started to thicken. ¡°Wait to attack until I have one of them immobilized.¡± Shuji followed up, reaching for one of the scrolls before him slowly as if trying not to startle whatever figures were forming in the deepening shadows of the entrance. The shapes resolved into four distinct figures. They were humanoid from the waist up with a long serpent''s tail instead of legs. Two were male, with pairs of thin straight swords in their hands. The other two were female with long flat-bladed spears tipped with cruel-looking hooks. All four of their torsos were bare and absolutely covered with black tattoos that seemed to be bleeding ink and each of their heads were wrapped in dark cloth that drank in the light. They raised up higher on their snake bottoms and looked over the room again, seeming to confirm that there were no other occupants in the building. Then, as one, they focused in on the group in the center, nicely lit up by the paper fireflies. It was then as their eyes caught the light that Tilly saw they were pools of oozing blackness, just like the infected creatures of the forest. Whatever the Cult of the Serpent was, they clearly had embraced another source of Corruption wholeheartedly. Tilly¡¯s side throbbed at the realization and the fire in his chest roared in response. Looks like his new mantle was going to come in handy a lot sooner than he thought. As one, the four figures rushed forward through the debris, showing a startling speed as they wove through the first rows of abandoned containers. Ch. 29 Silent Library Tilly stood ready to make his move as Shuji reached for one of the scrolls and began to mutter. The snake warriors wove forward through the debris but were unable to jump over anything because of their serpentine anatomies. This keyed Tilly in to just how well thought out the inconspicuous barricades were. As they approached Tilly¡¯s Identify kicked in: Level 22 Shadow Hunter Level 23 Shadow Hunter Level 21 Shadow Hunter Level 28 Shadow Hunter Ok, not great, but not too bad. With his damage multiplier, he still stood a chance to actually make a difference in this fight. Then as they crossed the halfway point of the large room, Shuji''s voice rang out, ¡°Librarian Arts, Flying Forms, Endless.¡± Several crates the warriors were passing exploded into glowing circles that shot out streams of paper at the nearby combatants. The forms unerringly flew towards their targets and the warriors tried and failed to dodge, getting pelted with rivers of paper covered in meaningless script. Assuming that was his cue, Tilly immediately let his two enflamed hatchets fly at the sword-wielding pair. He marveled at his increased accuracy as they both flew in easy arcs, the momentum arresting violently in the chest and back of the distracted creatures. They hissed in pain and reaching for the painful new additions to their bodies. Tilly immediately recalled and let fly again, deciding to keep the pressure on the same two targets. They however changed strategy. Instead of continuing to try and dodge the endless stream of paper projectiles the two wounded hunters sheathed their swords and faded into shadows, becoming intangible to the paper barrage. The spear-wielding pair realized that paper was more distraction than dangerous and powered through the barrage. At about 20 yards they hissed something and thrust out their spears. Tilly watched as the first two shadow figures shot forward through the air, the passage made visible by fist-sized glowing blue embers lodged in their incorporeal forms chewing hungrily on their shadowy substance. As Tilly''s follow-up attack neared them, they ignored the spinning projectiles, which turned out to be a mistake. As soon as the flame-covered stone axe heads touched their shadow forms, they were knocked back into normal existence, with hatchets lodged deeply in their torsos. Having their ability interrupted like that caused them to reform around the hatchets. The morbid sight caused Tilly¡¯s grim mask of focus to crack, a small smile peeking through as he recalled both weapons back to his hands. Both warriors collapsed with blue fire consuming the black ichor that poured from their wounds. ¡°Librarian Arts, Restricted Section!¡± Shuji shouted next to him, bringing his focus back to the more present danger as the other two attackers extended their reach with two shadowy spearheads. The ability elongated the shadow hunter''s weapons, which slithered through the air toward the two defenders, effectively tripling their reach in a moment. Enormous bookshelves exploded from the floor in front of them, sounding with a satisfying thunk as the attack was absorbed into the thick wood. Hiro¡¯s voice emerged from behind them, irritatingly calm. ¡°Do not allow yourself to be distracted, you are losing the initiative.¡± He called from a relaxed kneeling position. Tilly realized that with the barriers in place, he could no longer see the approaching spear-wielders and jumped to move. He randomly decided to break left, rounding the shelves to try and get ahead of his attacker. Only to find one of the shadow hunters almost upon him. Tilly¡¯s Dexterity was high for his level, but the shadow hunter must have had a Dexterity build and reacted to his appearance much faster than Tilly planned. ¡°Librarian Arts, Dictionary Inquiry, Endless.¡± Shouted Shuji from the other side of the shelves as Tilly dove to the ground under the spear wielder''s thrust. Several thunks sounded from the other conflict followed by an outraged hiss, as Tilly felt the bite of his enemy''s weapon rip into his thigh. The tip of her hooked spear elongated and twisted, slashing along Tilly¡¯s thigh mid-dive, and easily parted his protective leathers. He attempted to roll upon landing, bringing up both his hatchets in a crossed block of the anticipated follow-up thrust. As expected she was already upon him bearing down with her spear. Unfortunately, even though his instincts had been right, Tilly''s block was woefully out of position and her glazed black eyes flashed with elation as she stepped into her thrust. Then a dictionary the size of Tilly¡¯s torso crashed into the shadow hunter¡¯s side, knocking her thrust off course. The dictionary was followed by another and then another, pounding the creature into the ground. Without hesitation, Tilly leaped towards the prone shadow hunter, some part of him reveling in the weakened position of his opponent. The burning sting of his wound drove up his adrenaline and his breathing quickened. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he brought down both hatchets empowered with blue flame on his opponent¡¯s unprotected side. They landed like cleavers into the sides of soon-to-be butchered meat and he gleefully ripped them back to hack again. ¡°More are coming Jonathan Tillman,¡± --Hiro called in a flat voice.--¡°That was only a test of our defenses. Ready yourself!¡± Tilly looked down and saw that his opponent was already dead. He had been so caught up in... something, that he had been about to butcher a corpse. He stumbled back from the grizzly scene with a creeping sense of horror. The throbbing in his ears reduced in volume and he realized that the heat glowing in his chest was mingling painfully again with the pleasurable throb emanating from his side. He felt a tingling urge to abandon all constraint, like an itch at the back of his mind. ''When had that started?'' He looked towards the entrance and saw more forms emerging from the deep shadows pooling around the broken gate. His notification log was blinking, but he knew he didn''t have time to read through it. Without pulling it up, he could sense that he had gained a level, so he just urged the free Stat points towards Wisdom, hoping to stave off whatever was happening inside him. He hadn''t done the math on keeping his [Resolute] title, but he would worry about that later. Ten more forms were disgorged from the shadow, slithering forth eagerly. Shuji''s voice broke into his stunned state, ¡°As soon as they reach the outer perimeter, throw one or two flame strikes at the surrounding crates. Then take cover!¡± Tilly could tell he was yelling, but the words barely reached him. Nonetheless, he channeled more flame into his weapons and threw them hard at the perimeter. The charging warriors dodged easily, weaving around the crates that had caught fire. Tilly recalled and threw again, before ducking behind the large, newly erected barricades. He didn''t know if his hatchets landed on target or not, but then he felt a huge woofing boom reverberate through the building. The silence effect muted most of the noise, but the force of the explosions rocked Tilly back, rattling the thick shelves. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The charging warriors however were thrown by the blast like rag dolls, Tilly looked over at Shuji aghast. He sure could have used something like that in the temple a few days ago! Shuji just looked back with a huge smile on his face. ¡°Those were our final gnomish explosives. Now we go out and finish off any still alive!¡± He punctuated his words with immediate action, rising from behind the barricade and swiftly jogging out among the flaming wreckage that was the front half of the room. Tilly mirrored the move and saw that Hiro was already gone from his spot, choosing to take the opportunity to take down easy opponents as well. Then a voice cracked like a whip through the space, ¡°Enough.¡± Tilly''s eyes narrowed through the glow of smoldering debris and the haze of smoke. There at the shadowy entrance was a human snake hybrid twice as large as the others with four arms coming off her distinctly female torso. Each holding a scimitar with a barbed tip. Her eyes pooled with that same onyx-black substance, but none of her tattoos showed the running ink that the warriors before had displayed. Level 58 Venom Assassin Her eyes were focused in the middle distance of the debris field where Hiro stood over the dead body of another soldier. He turned towards her with a naked blade at the ready, darker even than her eyes. ¡°Always with your tricks and running. You should have died years ago on our glorious eastern march, yet here you stand caught hiding in another one of your warrens.¡± She spat, revealing two wicked-looking fangs. ¡°I see your people have given into the abomination¡­ Your shadow hunters are much weaker than they once were, Apepi.¡± He replied cooly. The sound of a loud thud rang out from Tilly¡¯s right and he shot a glance in that direction to see Shuji standing over another mangled snake warrior. He looked up sheepishly as he realized that his silence effect had been broken. The Snake Lady however didn¡¯t even flinch as another subordinate was killed, ¡°This is but another path to power.¡± She said, lifting her arms to fully display her body covered with the dark disturbing tattoos. ¡°With it, I have broken through the first bottleneck and now it will be my pleasure to end you, prey.¡± She said, her eyes glazing over with anticipation. ¡°You know nothing of power.¡± The level 52 Samurai Lord declared, lazily bringing his sword back as if preparing to sweep it in front of him. Her eyes flashed in response to his movement and she sucked in air, inflating her abdomen to a disproportionately full state. ¡°Do not breathe in any of her filth!¡± Hiro shouted, before stepping forward and swinging his sword with unbelievable force. Tilly felt the blade pull the entirety of the room forward with its movement, before suddenly tearing free of the tension and ripping the air around it creating a sweeping arc of jagged darkness. ¡°Waxing Shadow!¡± His shout reverberated through the space like the thrum of a particularly deep base note. Tilly watched stupified as a jagged arc raced through the air towards the Venom Assassin, growing to the point where it could not be dodged. The Assassin crossed all four of her blades in a blocking motion as the leading edge of the arc crashed into her. She seemed to catch the majority of the damage on the blades but the attack did interrupt her inhalation and she prematurely released an explosive breath. Out of her mouth flowed a torrent of sickly green smog populated with disturbing, wriggling black shapes. It rushed into the space filling the room and rolling towards Shuji and Tilly¡¯s position like an oncoming wave. Hiro exploded forward up out of the roiling smog with a downward swing aimed at the source of the breath attack, and Tilly flung his head around looking for nonexistent options to counter the atypical attack. Shuji muttered something and scattered papers rose up around him and started spinning around him forming a vortex of disrupted air. The clangs of metal hitting metal started to fill the space, cutting off the breath attack. But the sound was far heavier than you would expect from a sword strike. These reminded Tilly of the time he had heard a steel I-beam accidentally detach from a crane and strike the steel frame of the building stories below. Tilly took a deep breath in just before the wave reached him, ready to hold it for as long as possible, and was surprised to feel his armor changing once again to its yellow sun salamander form. With its protective covering over his mouth and nose, he hoped it would make some difference. His eyes began to water and his exposed skin started to sting and then burn. A shout of vindictive triumph sounded from the Venom Assassin, and Hiro grunted with pain before answering with a snarl of anger and a bellow laced with power. Blackness bled out from the epicenter of the conflict and overtook the poison area effect in moments. Tilly felt like there was nothing more he could add to the fight besides hunkering down and trying to survive the increasingly deadly environment. He stumbled in the unnatural darkness towards the sound of a hacking cough in Shuji¡¯s direction. The snake woman''s boastful voice filled the room. ¡°You think I need to see you to kill you, little rabbit? How much longer do your companions have do you think?¡± She cackled gleefully. The only answer Hiro gave her was more crashing sword strikes. Each one somehow sounding heavier than the last. He was obviously now holding his breath too, but Tilly was sure his Endurance was more than high enough to last a few minutes more. Unfortunately, Endurance was one of Shuji¡¯s lowest stats and his coughing grew more ragged as Tilly approached. Tilly¡¯s chest had just begun to tighten with discomfort at the lack of oxygen, and he marveled at his body''s new ability to take punishment. At the same time, something in this fog seemed to be trying to worm its way under his protective layers of armor, focusing on his side, where the throbbing sensation seemed to almost wriggle in anticipation. Then, even amongst the clanging strikes, the sound of Shuji¡¯s shuddering exhale and the absent follow-up inhalation stood out in Tilly¡¯s dark world like a beacon. The soft whirling sound of the paper vortex died and Tilly groped forward for his companion. Of all the things Tilly had experienced in his life, the sound of someone struggling to breathe still hit him the hardest. Particularly, he had fallen asleep far too many nights to the sound of a pair of small lungs fighting for air. It is a sound that comes back to you late at night when you are alone in your bed, too tired to sleep. A soundtrack that had played incessantly in the background of Tilly¡¯s life ever since he had lost his daughter to lung cancer. He hated hearing Shuji''s last struggling breath. He was the one who was supposed to die nobly in the line of duty. He had entered environments filled with carcinogens too many times to count and yet had never once popped positive on the yearly cancer screenings. Then, by some ironic twist of fate, his daughter had developed a persistent cough when she was 6 and it had only gotten worse and worse over months. Some deep part of himself, the wounded animal that had been backed into the corner too many times, snarled and lunged forward. He had always wished he could do something¡­ anything to make a difference in his daughter¡¯s struggle and now here he was in a magical land with his friend dying right in front of him! It couldn''t end here. The warmth in his chest that accompanied his flame ability, compressed into a fiery pinprick before exploding into a nova of bright blue heat. Suddenly the darkness in the area around him was banished, and blue flame rushed out from him in every direction, eagerly consuming all of the black shapes and patterns that had sustained and intensified the smog¡¯s effect. For just a moment, Tilly saw that the twisted black shapes around Shuji had formed some sort of eldritch creature, and it had been busy trying to shove itself into Shuji¡¯s mouth. The flames pounced onto the creature, and it curled in on itself in the silent impression of a scream as it was consumed by righteous fire. The air left behind the fire''s wake was hot, dry, and completely clean and Tilly smiled as he heard Shuji take that long-awaited breath. Suddenly he felt his brain being pierced by an ice pick and his legs buckled beneath him. Darkness crept in on the edges of his vision as deep bone-wearying exhaustion overtook his body. The last thing he remembered seeing was a Mana: -10% flashing at the top of his receding vision. Then a different kind of darkness overtook him. Not some magical domain, or the fretful darkness of nightmare-filled sleep. Rather it was the peaceful darkness of long-awaited rest. Only available to those who give all they have and hold nothing back. His body was forcing him to shut down after burning far past his reserves, and Tilly no longer had any will left to fight it. Ch. 30 Getting Better/Worse Tilly groaned, rolling over on some padding that was doing a terrible job cushioning the hard stone floor. ¡°We need to leave soon if we are going to make the meeting.¡± The deep base of Hiro''s voice cut through the fuzziness of Tilly¡¯s mind and he looked up from his mat to find the Samurai Lord squatting down in front of him, with a focused scrutiny. He showed no obvious injuries, but his armor was damaged in a few places. The warehouse was now populated by about a dozen lapins, moving around, cleaning up, and packing whatever valuables were left in the wreckage. ¡°Where is Shuji? Did he make it?¡± Tilly blurted, his last moments before losing consciousness coming back to him in sharp relief. At his question, the hard cast of Hiro¡¯s face softened and a smirk might even have peaked out from the normally cloudy expression, ¡°He will be fine I think. He recovered shortly after I slew Apepi. He then proceeded to fuss over you much of the night. You activated an ability without the mana to sustain it¡­ A feat very few have managed and lived to speak of. Once it was clear you would recover, he went out to gather information and ready our people to flee in secret.¡± ¡°How long was I out?¡± Tilly grumbled as he rubbed his temples trying to ease the phantom throbbing that cropped up at the memory of the excruciating pain he had experienced at the end of the battle. A lapin moved up to them and offered both water flasks. Hiro nodded to him and took a deep drink and Tilly matched him, suddenly terribly thirsty and hungry. He realized that he hadn¡¯t eaten the entire previous day, and wondered if that was due to his increased Endurance. Would he be able to forgo eating entirely at some point? Whatever the answer was, he was starving now. ¡°You have slept for 14 hours. My people have arrived after hearing that the premises were secure, and they are now making it ready for our departure. There will be no trace of our battle by this evening.¡± At his words another lapin, this time a female lapin approached with some boxes made out of bamboo. Hiro took his, and Tilly nodded in thanks before accepting his and lifting off the top. The inside was compartmentalized with a section for rice, more of the glazed carrot mixture, and some grilled fish. Tilly grabbed the accompanying chopsticks and started eating with fervor. Hiro joined him at a much more sedate pace, occasionally pausing to eye the human who had become so entwined with the fate of his people. Tilly allowed himself the luxury of wondering out loud some of the many questions that had accumulated over the last week in between bites. ¡°So I get that we were attacked by the Cult of the Serpent last night. But it seemed like you knew them. Also, aren''t they supposed to be in an army moving toward this city as we speak? How did these guys get in?¡± ¡°I have met Apepi and her hunters many times in battle. I once led the empire¡¯s mobile skirmishers. The Satyr specialize in their square formations and are very difficult to beat in the open field. Something that my people found out long ago. But war is a mobile thing and they have traditionally relied on a mix of irregulars and mercenaries to fill the mobility gap. Apepi fulfilled a similar role for the other side, specializing in assassination and marauding.¡± ¡°How did you beat her? She was like six levels above you.¡± Then, not being able to help himself Tilly reactivated Identify and was not surprised to note the change in Hiro¡¯s Identifier. Level 53 Samurai Lord ¡°There is much you have yet to learn about power on Nephesh. We did not always have these numbers assigned to us, and while in some ways they can be helpful, in other ways they can be very deceptive. For example, you have two weapons, yet you wield them like an infant when you are not throwing them. I have a hard time imagining you defeating anyone with skill in close combat, no matter the level.¡± ¡°I already tried to learn dual-wielding¡­¡± Tilly muttered abashed. ¡°I mean no offense, Jonathan Tillman. Without basic instruction and the risk of real bodily harm, you can neither advance nor learn any significant martial skills. We will rectify this shortly, your weapons and abilities were otherwise very effective against our foes, especially considering their altered state¡­¡± At this he trailed off, once again looking at Tilly expectantly, as if waiting for some explanation. A part of Tilly twinged at the memory of the throbbing that had filled him mid-battle. He tried his best to cover over his feeling of unease with a follow-up question, ¡°...Yeah, I would love some training with these,¡± he said with a gesture at the hatchets looped into his belt. ¡°But what about how they got in, didn''t you say that the Marcellus family would be sending people after-¡­ Uh, never mind, I figured it out on my own. The Marcellus family have some kind of alliance with the Cult of the Serpent and are working to undermine the Empire any way they can.¡± If Hiro noticed Tilly¡¯s attempt at subtly changing the subject, he didn''t show it, ¡°Yes. We have suspected something of the sort for some time. They own the Purist Party completely and have used that influence for great personal gain over the past decades. In fact, as the Emperor has declined, many have whispered in tavern corners that it is Augustus Marcellus that should next sit on the throne¡­ They are fools, all of them if they think the Serpent ever honors his agreements with anything more than a token effort.¡± ¡°So where is the Emperor? Is he dead? Sick? Can you even get sick here?¡± Tilly asked, excited to finally be scratching the itch of curiosity that had plagued him at every turn. ¡°He has not been seen in public in over a year. The Loyalists are completely silent on this subject and no one has had success at divining their minds on the matter. I can tell you however that if he still lives, the emperor is ancient. He was old when I was born, and the stubborn goat had held on these last decades by sheer will. I know he was a just ruler once, and much of the filth we see infecting this empire is more a result of his decline without a successor than anything he has done.¡± Hiro finished thoughtfully. Then another lapin approached and whispered something indistinct to Hiro. He nodded in response and smoothly got to his feet, ¡°Shuji sends word of the location of the meeting, we will leave in a few minutes. Prepare yourself, I will meet you at the entrance.¡± He said before turning to leave. Then mid-turn he paused and looked back, ¡°Jonathan Tillman, we have declared you friend¡­ We do not take such things lightly. I have entrusted you with many of the deep secrets of our people, if you need something, do not hesitate to ask.¡± Hiro said, that same focused scrutiny coloring his gaze. Tilly almost spoke up in response before catching a lump in his throat and settling for a nod of thanks. The emotions his burden was stirring up were just too raw¡­ He would figure it out himself without bothering the already stretched leader. He had to. Hiro nodded back and then moved over to some of his people working through the wreckage. Swallowing down his tide of emotion, Tilly pulled up his notification log and winced at the text sitting amongst battle notifications and level-up notifiers:
You have given into Corruption''s influence and have gained 7% Strength and lost 10% of your wisdom. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Corruption Seed influence now: 14%
Sure, there were other things to read. He had finally been awarded duel-wielding for his hatchets. That had probably occurred during his dismal attempt at blocking and then opportunistic follow-up strike on his attacker. He had leveled up his Axe throwing and what he had done at the end of the battle was a new ability called Blue Flame Expulsion. Yet the elation that had typically followed these notifications in the past was muted.
Corruption Seed influence now: 14%
What did this mean? How did he stop it? He figured that until he thought of something better he would dump every available point he could into wisdom to try and offset this weird debuff while still keeping his [Resolute] title. Corruption was his biggest long-term problem, but if he died in battle today it wouldn''t matter much. Now that he had the insurance of negating one blow per day, he wanted to keep it. He was about to see if he could set the Corruption influence next to his mana and health on his always visible hud when he felt suddenly drawn to take a bird''s eye view of his character sheet and get a good feel for where he was going. He laid a critical eye on his new character sheet.
Jonathan Luke Tillman Level: 12 (26,000 Exp to next level) Display Name: Tilly Race: Human Class: Son of Flame Titles: [Harbinger], [Resolute], [Origin¡¯s Champion], [Corruption¡¯s Host],[Trusted Gaijin]. Health: 100% (+1.2% per minute) Mana: 100% (+.8% per minute) Status Effects:
Stats: Constitution: 12 Endurance: 71 (78.1) Dexterity: 28 (30.8) Strength: 10(10.7) Wisdom: 13(11.7) Intelligence: 8 Equipment Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Ability Recall. Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor: +10% to Endurance. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Form Sun Salamander leather. Skills: -Forestcraft level 12 -Identify level 17 -Cooking level 12 -Beginner Hatchet level 10 -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 7 -Herb Lore Level 3 -Ax Throwing Level 9 -Dual-Wielding (Hatchets) Level 1
Abilities: -Blue Flame Strike: Channel the fire within you to strike at your opponents. Each strike leaves a smoldering ember at the point of impact and does damage over time. Ember damage is stackable. This Ability has been augmented by your mantle and does 200% more damage to Corruption. -Blue Flame Expulsion: At the cost of 50% of your total mana, you channel the fire within you into a wave flowing from your center, impacting everything around you in a sphere. Ability scales with mana. This Ability has been augmented by your mantle and does 200% more damage to Corruption.
Titles: [Harbinger]: One touched by Origin to bring about change, ¡°None may interfere.¡± This and all other Origin-related titles, abilities, and items will be changed and seen as unremarkable by any deity or deity-aligned faction. [Resolute]: Your endurance stat is higher than all of your other stats combined. As long as this remains true, you may completely negate one fatal blow per day. [Origin¡¯s Champion]: You have accepted the mantle of Champion from Origin. This will augment your skill and abilities over time to reflect your new nature. [Corruption¡¯s Host]: You hold within your body a Seed of Corruption. This entity''s progress has been slowed by divine interference, but it will take every opportunity to grow until it has subsumed your will. Seeds influence: 14% [Trusted Gaijin]: The highest honor that can be bestowed on a nonlapin by the ruling class. It marks you as ¡°friend¡± to all Lapinkind and they will be immediately predisposed towards offering you any help they may.
Right now, his base stats added up to exactly equal to his Endurance. But he had not lost [Resolute]. ''I guess, I have to actually lose the lead to lose the title.'' He also saw how he had tapped out his mana reserve so easily at the end of the fight. Blue Flame Expulsion cost a whopping 50%... That was probably a great crowd control opener, but not something to lean into deep in a battle. Unless he could get his hands on some mana potions or something! From what he had seen, these potions seemed more like luxury items than normal gear for the fighting Classes. He reviewed his build one more time... he had a magic/physical range attack, he finally had a Skill to improve his close-quarters combat and he had just learned a crowd-control pushback. With his main stats, it looked like he was headed toward some sort of dodge tank/ berserker build with damage-over-time multipliers for the bigger enemies. Overall he felt like his Class was starting to make some sense. Add in his growth-type armor and weapons and he might stand a chance of making something of himself in this crazy world. He set his empty box aside, took another long pull from the water flask, and got up, dusting himself off. He would soldier on, and do whatever he had to in order to save these people. That would start with finding a way to get as many people away from this insane Naga army as possible. He spotted Hiro standing in the shadow of the entryway talking to a couple of lapins in servants'' clothing and jogged over. His mana and health were both at 100% and for the first time in days, he felt pretty good... Really Good ¡°If I keep this up, I might actually get strong enough to kick some bad guy ass.¡± He quipped to himself as he moved easily through the remaining debris. He enjoyed the feeling of warmth that permeated his chest, as well as an energetic almost ticklish pleasure that was thrumming down his upper extremities from his side. Where the two sensations met in his lower ribcage, there was some slight discomfort, but that was to be expected after such a tough battle the night before. Ch.31 The Cost of Compassion Hiro handed Tilly a cloak at the entrance and threw a matching one over himself, ¡°We do not know the capabilities of the enemy¡¯s network, but if there is even a chance the enemy thinks we are dead, it will be to our advantage.¡± He then shrugged deeper into his hood and moved out into the deserted street. They moved with their heads down, and Tilly tried to mimic Hiro''s suddenly slumped shoulders as he lost some of the purposefulness of his steps and blended in with their surroundings. The streets became more crowded, and they found themselves in good company, moving through crowds of refugees, worn and weary from their hopeless flight. Soon Tilly didn''t have to try at all to effect a hopeless look to his gait as they moved through crowds of hundreds, then thousands of people doomed to whatever fate awaited them once the city fell. There were too many... Hiro''s words from the day before seemed less cold and more pragmatic as Tilly tried to wrap his mind around the logistics of moving these people to some sort of extraction point. Or even if they succeeded, what would they do for shelter? What would they eat? A ruddy shame began to burn on Tilly''s face as his demands from the day before felt childish. He couldn¡¯t help but wince as he thought through just how much the Samurai Lord carried on his shoulders. The leader had been working towards his people''s freedom for decades, and now Tilly, among others was putting even more responsibility on those bowed shoulders. Hiro took him to the side of a building near a particularly busy intersection and grunted to him in a low voice, ¡°Follow me at a distance, we will be entering a shop across the street, but we must not be seen together. I''ll go in first and you follow a few minutes after. We are to move to the back of the shop and request a view of some of the more exotic species.¡± ¡°What kind of shop is it?¡± Tilly questioned back, trying to talk out of the side of his mouth as a patrol of guards moved through the crowd at the intersection. ¡°Ah... I should have warned you. We are meeting in the residence of the only other known human element in this conflict. She apparently has quite a few connections pertinent to our cause.¡± Before Tilly could ask another question, the guards shouted to a nearby group of hooded men standing in a huddle and demanded that they reveal themselves and state the nature of their business in the capital. Hiro''s eyes hardened, and he nodded firmly at Tilly and then moved off around the edges of the crowd towards a line of shops. Tilly¡¯s mind was reeling, the memory of the teary-eyed woman barging past him at the top of the Cura¡¯s steps came to the forefront of his mind. Much of the strangeness of his situation had just been shoved in a box at the back of his mind labeled, ¡°stuff I''ll deal with when I am not about to die¡±. But the prospect of meeting another human was suddenly extremely intriguing. Someone else who had been sent to this world from his own and would understand some of his questions on an experiential level! Tilly growled softly to himself as he shoved the straining lid of the box back down and found a mental lock to fix the latch. He could have a party asking questions later when the possibility of genocide and slavery was no longer looming over the surrounding population. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Hiro¡¯s figure approached a shop with some sort of stylized plant emblazoned on a sign over the door. Tilly watched the storefront for a while longer and realized under prolonged observation, that the crowd of refugees around the shop were all adolescents or children and some of them seemed to be much more alert than the other groups Tilly had seen populating side streets and alleyways throughout the city. Hiro entered without a problem and Tilly remained on the corner, waiting. After a few minutes, nothing had gone wrong, and Tilly decided to go for it. He crossed the street as unassumingly as possible. None of the children looked up at him or even acknowledged his presence, but Tilly could tell they were distinctly aware of him nonetheless. Another thing that became apparent as he moved through the small crowd toward the door was that they were sick. All of them. He could hear it in the troubled wheezing breath of a little female satyr to his left. He saw it in a small gnomish boy who had a disturbing rash spreading over his neck and face. When the boy caught Tilly looking he scowled up at him and then looked away, the sudden contraction of his skin causing a few of the sores to weep a dark gray substance. A hacking cough sounded behind him, and he suddenly couldn''t just keep walking past them toward the door anymore. His feet froze in place and he found himself kneeling down in front of the wheezing satyr girl propped up against the storefront. Her eyes had a glassy sheen as they struggled to focus in on the large shadow that had just blocked out the afternoon sun. Tilly¡¯s medical training kicked in as he assessed rales in the lungs and an altered consciousness, which could be due to septic shock or a prolonged viral infection. He wished he had some antibiotics or fluids to give her, but he wasn¡¯t on the engine anymore and he would have to work with what he had. ¡°Hey, sweetie¡­ I can hear you having a little trouble breathing. Anything in this shop that can help you?¡± Tilly asked, the typical gruffness drained from his voice in the face of her plight. He realized he didn''t care how impossible the odds were, helping these people was something he had to try or he wouldn''t be able to live with himself. He couldn''t stand by and let these people be conquered and sold into slavery. The girl looked up at him confused, but the young gnomish boy with the rash chimed in next to her, ¡°The lady inside has already tried all the normal things. None of them worked. She is keeping us around to try out some stranger remedies¡­ But I don''t think they will work either." -Then his voice cracked in hopelessness, covered over by anger. "We came here to be safe from the scale bellies, but look where that got us. Sick and without family.¡± Then the boy spit to the side, long-kept fury smoldering behind his eyes. When he saw Tilly looking over at him, he quickly looked away, wiping his shining eyes and refusing to say anything further. Tilly choked up as he looked back around at the children huddled around the door to the shop. Some seemed watchful and were eyeing him with curiosity, while others like the little satyr girl were in a daze. The weight of their helplessness threatened to topple him over from his kneeling position and he reached for something... anything he could do for them. The ever-present fire that he now felt in his chest stoked itself. It didn¡¯t grow any hotter, instead, it built up pressure until it overflowed up his throat and hovered, just behind his closed mouth. Following some deeper instinct, he took a deep inhale and then released his breath right into the face of the little girl. No flames appeared, but he did feel some drain on his mana and the feeling of heat bloomed in between their faces. Her short curly hair moved gently in response to his breath and she closed her glassy eyes at the sensation.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The strangeness of his action hit him and he looked around suddenly embarrassed at the refugee children that were watching him. He got up, pretending that nothing had happened, and wishing that he hadn''t done something so strange to a little girl that had no idea who he was. She had already experienced enough. He quickly moved to the door, and the sound of the gnomish boy reacting to his odd behavior followed him in, ¡°Tinkerer''s Ball¡¯s, that was weird. He just blew in Aurelia''s face... looked like probably had stinky breath if you ask me. Glad he didn''t-¡± Tilly hunched his shoulders at the comments as the door swung closed and found himself in an open room filled with plants. He had yet to get a chance to enter a magical shop, and he was not disappointed at finally getting to experience something truly magical. The large open room was choc full of all kinds of plants, each housed in different sorts of magically maintained environments. Different sections held different crystals above and below them, providing separate kinds of light and temperatures. One tuft of grass in a clay pot to his left was swaying in a breeze that did not exist, another blood-red flower seemed to tip its petals toward him as he walked past, delivering a distinct impression of hunger. Tilly suppressed a shiver at the thought of another plant trying to eat him and quickly moved through the maze of tables and shelves covered in plants to the back counter where a bored-looking female minotaur sat checking a scroll and grinding some seeds into a paste with a mortar and pestle. Tilly approached and drew back his hood, ¡°Hi, I was wondering where I could go to see some more exotic species?¡± He stated, making sure to get the phrasing just right. ¡°Gods, I do hate that Librarian of yours,¡± she said, looking up from her work with a frustrated expression. ¡°I mean, we know there is another human in the city now, and there is only one Lord of the lapin people¡­Do they think I''m an idiot, that I wouldn''t know who to let through without a code phrase?¡± ¡°Well, I was ju-¡± ¡°No, no. Don''t bother. Just go through the door and up the stairs mister spy man. The rest of the ¡®Cabal¡¯ is up there.¡± She interrupted, swinging up part of the counter on a hinge and giving him access to the door to the back. ¡°Uh, thanks,¡± Tilly said, a little of his frustration bleeding into his voice at the misunderstanding. He moved past the minotaur and through the doorway when he heard her voice call after him. ¡°Oh, and do not piss off my master. I don''t care if you are both humans. She has enough on her plate, and we don''t need another of your kind bashing in here and trying to mess everything up by helping.¡± Tilly just scowled in response, not bothering to correct yet another set of assumptions about who he was and what he wanted based on his race alone. He moved up the narrow stairs on the left of the hallway that sat behind the doorway and noticed his notification icon blinking again. He toyed with the idea of bringing it up, but then he heard a harsh voice ring out from the other side of the door at the top of the steps. ¡°Why don''t you stop being an ass and tell us, Cornelius! Is he alive or dead? How can we make any plan if the old monster is an unknown variable?¡± A voice demanded sternly from the other side of the door. Notification log forgotten, Tilly opened the door to a simple large open room dominated by a center work table that was surrounded by six contrasting figures. They each turned to him as he entered, studying him with expressions ranging from curiosity to suspicion. Unfortunately, the latter expression was held by the speaker of the question Tilly had heard through the door. She did not seem at all excited to see him, and her near hostility irritated him in a way that was difficult to pin down. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn''t even noticed him yesterday, or the fact that he was the only other of her kind in the entire city, and yet she eyed him like he had just been caught eavesdropping or something. The feeling that accompanied being identified pinged in his mind, and he went ahead and identified them all back. Directly to his right was Hiro, who stood erect with his arms crossed, nodding to Tilly in solidarity. Then there was Elder Kihei, who leaned on his staff wearing an expression of subtle amusement. Next to him was the other human, whose name he did not know. Identify labeled her as: Level 32 Botanist Surveyor She wore the same safari-style white blouse and pants with a long leather coat over it all that had a ridiculous amount of pockets. To her left was an impeccable armored Satyr covered in scars. He only offered the human a cursory glance before turning back to the map covering the table. Level 62 Bastion of the Empire Next to him was a portly minotaur in relatively rich robes who was sitting comfortably in the only chair in the room, although it did not seem to be doing well holding him. Level 49 Caravan Leader The final member was an older satyr in formal-looking servant''s garbs, with a prominent badge trimmed in silver pinned to the front. Level 41 Imperial Steward. ¡°Why is he here again?¡± she stated in frustration pulling the attention of the room back to her. ¡°He may mean something to you Hiro, but he¡¯s only level 12. What could he possibly have to add to this discussion? ¡± She said, leaning over the table and staring at Tilly like a full trash bin that no one wanted to take out. That was the last straw for Tilly, he was tired of all the unearned hostility thrown his way without him getting any chance to defend himself. ¡°Look lady, I don''t know what I did to piss you off, but I¡¯m just here to help those kids out on the street, and if you-¡± ¡°Don''t you dare speak to me about helping the children!¡± She shouted suddenly furious. ¡°I haven''t slept in days, trying to find some way to beat this accursed malady that has infected them. You don''t get to come in here-¡± The door slammed into Tilly¡¯s back as it was suddenly flung open. He turned to see the female minotaur from behind the counter barging in carrying the little satyr girl in her arms. Following behind her legs was the same little gnomish boy from the front of the shop. She laid down the little girl with exaggerated care on the table, and the whole room was filled with the crackling liquidy sound of her breathing. ¡°The children say he did something to her, and she started getting worse. She now has a fever which was not recorded in her documented symptoms.¡± The minotaur said, looking over at Tilly with open hostility now roiling in her gaze. ¡°Yeah, hold your nose when he talks to you! I''m pretty sure it was his breath.¡± the gnomish boy added unhelpfully. CH. 32 Negotiations ¡°Shit¡­¡± Tilly cursed under his breath. ¡°Just perfect!¡± The woman said, barging past the elder and Hiro to join her colleague over the child. She placed the back of her hand on the little girl''s head and pulled it away immediately. She whirled around to face Tilly, her eyes flashing with rage. ¡°YOU! Tell me what Ability you tried to use, and its effects. Now.¡± She demanded, thrusting the fingers of her right hand into his chest while reaching into one of her many pockets menacingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t use any abili-¡± Tilly''s agitated reply was cut off by the sudden sound of a deep racking cough from the girl. She was almost choking and the minotauress lifted up her small convulsing form to attempt to give her a better angle to expel whatever she was dislodging. The coughing was so violent that it completely derailed the conflict as all eyes moved towards the girl in concern, not even the hardest of their number able to witness the death of a small child with indifference. With a final choking heave she spat out something dark and viscous on the table. It was terrible to imagine something like that in the girl''s lungs. But upon expelling it, the girl displayed obvious relief, sighing and leaning back into the minotauress'' arms and breathing easily for the first time. Then to his horror, Tilly noticed the small back coagulations start to move on its own. Before he could even cry out, Hiro¡¯s midnight-black blade was flashing down on the table. Destroying the substance and leaving a significant score on the work surface. ¡°What in the Name of the Gods is going on?!¡± The portly minotaur shouted, finally rising from his chair. The human woman looked back and forth between the stain and the little girl now breathing easily, clearly processing the new circumstances. Tilly took advantage of the pause in the conflict to pull up his notification log and scan over the last few minutes.
Congratulations! You have unlocked a new ability: [Blue] Flame¡¯s Renewal. As a reward for unlocking an ability not seen on Nephesh for several Epochs, you have been awarded the Title: [Hostile Environment].
-[Blue] Flame¡¯s Renewal: At the cost of 10% of your total mana, you impart the purifying nature of your indwelling flame, greatly increasing the recipient''s ability to remove curses, poisons, and infections from their body. This Ability has been augmented by your mantle and does 200% more damage to Corruption.
[Hostile Environment]: Due to the unique nature of your physical body, foreign substances have a hard time persisting within your physical body. Poisons, Viruses, and Physical Curses will be 50% less effective against you. This Title scales with Endurance.
Hiro took the time to look at each of the occupants in the room before sheathing his sword and calmly stating, ¡°That is why he is in this room. He has shown remarkable ability against a new threat that we hardly understand, and if we are going to succeed in our endeavors, we will need him.¡± All the eyes in the room turned back towards Tilly as several things hit him at once. First, the sicknesses presenting in the children were being augmented by Corruption. Second, he was once again facing a problem way above his pay grade, and third, by some deus ex machina bullshit, he was the most effective means of combating this thing''s influence on the world. As each of these pieces fell into place, he had to fight down rage at the idea of their enemies using this tactic to bog down the healers and medicinal resources in the city. The Cult of the Serpent and their allies had clearly accepted Corruption''s influence and now even children were valid targets. Amelia processed Hiro''s words with a thoughtful groan, taking another look at the peacefully sleeping child. ¡°Why am I not surprised? I knew there was something magical influencing their debuff, but I could not dispel it, no matter what alchemical solutions I tried. The city¡¯s Temple of Light has been swamped for days with these cases, and they can barely dispel it, even with their focus on healing and purification.¡± She wondered aloud looking up from the girl to Tilly with understanding dawning in her eyes. ¡°I finally see why they think we bring calamity. It was bad before, but now with this infecting our weakest populations and you showing up just in time with some special Ability to beat it¡­ I can''t help but connect you with this turn of events.¡± At this, Hiro growled, ¡°Think what you will Mrs. Cooper, but the Abomination was assaulting our people a month before Jonathan Tillman arrived. In my weaker moments, I have begun to think there are still some Gods left in this plane that care.¡± He answered, matching the heat in her eyes with an authoritative coolness that did much to diffuse the tension in the air.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Look, I didn''t ask for any of this. I''m just here trying to do my best. All I can tell you is that my system notifications call this stuff Corruption and I have a strong feeling that it is breaking into this plane every place it can find purchase. I don''t know how much the higher powers of this world know, but someone up there,¡± He said pointing up, ¡°called Origin gave me a chance to come here and try and make a difference. I''m not proud of who I had become in my old life and I''m trying to do better. So¡­¡± He said, thrusting out his hand, ¡°My name is Jonathan Tillman, I was a firefighter back home, and now I''m something called a ¡®Son of Flame¡¯ and because of events that transpired back near the Lapin village, I am now supposedly a Champion of the deity Origin... I''m here to help.¡± He stood there awkwardly for a good three seconds as she blinked rapidly at the change of pace in the conversation before thrusting out her own hand and shaking his firmly, some of the icy regard in her gaze thawing. ¡°My name is Amelia Cooper and a long time ago I was a landscape architect. Now I am a Botanist Surveyor. My abilities can be used in combat, but are more geared towards harvesting, preserving, and capturing flora of the magical variety.¡± She then let go of his hand, ¡°I have been here for decades, and trust me when I say, you have a lot to learn if you want to survive, especially in your first year.¡± Tilly nodded, ¡°Yeah, I got plenty of questions. What I can''t seem to find is the time to get them answered.¡± He responded wryly. Amelia quirked a smile and turned back towards the table. ¡°That is exactly why we are here today, we need to work together if any of us are going to survive the week, and it''s time to start sharing notes. Heras, take the girl and boy back downstairs, continue keeping watch for guards please.¡± She said with finality, moving around her assistant and back to the work table with the map. Heras frowned in disappointment, but did as she was told gently lifting the sleeping girl and shooing the complaining boy out the door, ¡°Wait, does this mean I''m gonna have to smell his breath?¡± The retreating sound of his high voice traveled up the steps even as he went down. ¡°I think the Temple¡­ will want to know¡­ about this ability.¡± Elder Kihei chimed in. ¡°Exactly what I was thinking, as soon as we are done here, he can treat the children present and then move to the temple and after that the quarantine quarter.¡± The botanist responded without even looking over at Tilly. ¡°Uh, I''m all for helping, but that sounds like a lot of people. I''m pretty sure I can only do this ability ten times before my mana runs out.¡± Tilly cut in, more than a little perturbed that they were already trying to move him around like a pawn on a chessboard. ¡°He has been marked for death by the Marcellus family. He will stay with me, or someone of equivalent ability. They will find us again soon and he is not ready to face what they will send next. Last night we fought Apepi and a full death squad... Within the city walls.¡± At this, the scarred satyr soldier flinched as if struck, and the portly minotaur shook his head in disappointment. ¡°How many more do you think are within the walls?¡± The soldier asked gravely. ¡°Linus, it does not matter if they are within or without. We are a broken nation already. When their army arrives, they will find the way open to them. Marcellus, the Purists¡­ others whom we do not know. They will all turn at the perfect moment, willing to be puppets for just a morsel of more power.¡± At this, the Minotaur bristled and half rose out of his chair, ¡°Well, that is exactly why we are leaving tomorrow! The Great Caravan will leave, no matter what your Cura has to say about it. It is clear that there is no protection here for us, so we will move on, we are mobile people and the Grey Steppe is more than enough to stop the snakes.¡± ¡°We all know you are leaving Cephalus. My question remains. How many will you take with you?¡± Amelia shot back in frustration. ¡°All of our people of course. But more than that I cannot say, supplies are tight in the city, and we are no charity.¡± Cephalus said, wringing his fat hands. Whether in fear or greed, Tilly could not say. ¡°We are authorized to open the imperial treasuries at this time to any and all efforts to defend the empire and her people. Can we convince any of the free companies to stay and fight?¡± the formally dressed satyr added in, speaking for the first time in Tilly¡¯s hearing. ¡°That is very¡­ ah generous of you. We will take as many as we can through the Steppe, but our people will not die in a pointless fight. Lord Hiro has said it. This city will fall. All we can do is save what we can while we still have a chance.¡± Cephalus responded, sorrow coloring his tone for the first time. ¡°Who exactly¡­ has authorized this¡­ old friend?¡± Elder Kihei asked. ¡°You understand the fractured nature of the Cura¡­ So we have been sworn to secrecy until this time. I am permitted to say this: His Majesty knows he has failed in his duties. He is not gone as some have claimed, rather he is husbanding all of his remaining strength to spend it when it is most needed. It is with his blessing that I am attending this meeting. We cannot save the city. But we will do what we can to save her people. Hiro, we know that duty alone has bound you to the throne, and your duty is almost up. But the throne calls upon your honor one last time. Take as many of the helpless that remain as you can. Consider a final order from your emperor.¡± Hiro took in the request, his resting frown deepening into something truly weighty, and Tilly saw the terrible conflict of duty and passion play out behind his eyes. ¡°I knew when he approved our venture there were strings. That old schemer has been planning for this for some time¡­¡± Hiro responded heavily, realizing that he had no choice but to risk the remainder of his people to save the others. ¡°He had many plans, and unfortunately they have come to naught. In the end, you have proved to be more loyal than many of the founding families of the empire, and for that he is sorry. But he does promise that a reckoning is coming.¡± The old satyr followed up, attempting to placate the Samurai Lord on some level. But at his words, Hiro''s eyes only hardened, ¡°I will obey, but here are my terms. One, my people will be first in line to leave. Two, I leave shelter and food as your problems to solve for however many make it through to our lands. In turn, your element will be treated as a third member state of the confederacy we will form. I offer you the same terms as the Honu. Is that acceptable to all present?¡± CH. 33 Heavy Breathing Hiro took the time to make eye contact with each member of the meeting, waiting for their response. Elder Kihei smiled slowly. ¡°This is a terrible end... But also a hopeful beginning¡­ for our peoples. The link¡­ will be ready¡­ by tomorrow evening.¡± Hiro nodded in thanks to the ancient Honu. He then turned to Amelia. ¡°At this point, my chief concern is the children. I am already liquidating my stores with Cephalus and I will travel through the portal to support the refugees. I have been working on some ideas for the food shortage. The Cura was unwilling to partner with me, but perhaps this is better in the end." Cephalus just waved away the look, knowing that he had very little to do with their alternative escape. Linus, the scarred soldier, held Hiro¡¯s gaze for an intense moment and then replied, ¡°My men, although spread thin, are moving through those that shelter in the city to find leaders among them. We are forming a militia of those willing to fight a moving battle through the streets. The Bastions will not flee, we will make our end here, and those who betrayed us will pay dearly before the day is done. Everyone not able or willing to fight will be ushered to the Grand Promenade. They do not know why they are being called to assemble, but I am afraid our plan will become painfully obvious as the day goes on. Hopefully, they will be close enough to the Teleport Hub that they can escape before we are broken. As of now, everything should be ready by tomorrow evening. We will miss all who choose to hide or ignore our warnings... but it is the best we can do.¡± He said gravely, his hard eyes colored with bitterness and his shoulders squared against the terrible weight of the duty that laid before him. Hiro then turned to Cornelius, the representative of the emperor. Who had watched the reactions of the rest of those in the room carefully. He took a deep, tired breath and addressed the group, ¡°There are several treasures that will be gifted to this new Confederation by the emperor. The staff of the palace will also stay with the city, as will the true loyalist families. We have our own end to make. But know that you have the emperor¡¯s gratitude, and we consider your obligation to the throne fulfilled upon the completion of this last request.¡± At that, some of the hardness in Hiro¡¯s eyes mellowed, and he slowly looked over to Tilly speaking for the first time, ¡°Despite what others may think, there are many ways to help. It is my opinion that healing the sick only for them to die tomorrow is not a wise course of action. However, you are no one''s property, what do you choose to do with the remaining time?¡± Tilly considered Hiro''s words carefully and the threat of assassination that was sure to follow him leading up to the escape. He looked over at Amelia, who had schooled her face to an expression of indifference, and thought again of the children huddled around her door hoping for help. He wondered, for a moment, what drove her almost desperate need to save as many of them as she could. In the end, even if it didn''t make any sense, he seemed to be the only one who could do something about this new sickness. Sure, he could tag along with Hiro and probably do some good before the flight through the portal. It was the sensible and safest action in a very dangerous environment. But ''sensible'' and ''safest'' had never been the kind of words he used to make decisions. He had spent his life running into burning buildings, not away from them. ¡°Lord Hiro, I appreciate your offer of protection, but for better or worse, I know exactly what I need to do to make a difference in this fight. If I can even free up one parent from having to carry a sick child, and they make it out because of it¡­ Then it''s worth it. It may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it means a lot to me.¡± Tilly said, matching the intensity of Hiro¡¯s gaze with fire of his own. Hiro nodded slowly, ¡°Then we will be parting ways, I go to gather my people and get them as close to the square as possible. You will find us before the portal activates. Do not throw away your life saving those who are doomed. Save as many as you can, and then find us, my friend.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Hopefully, with a thousand extra refugees in tow.¡± Tilly replied, a shit-eating grin cracking his serious expression. ¡°In that case, I must be going,¡± Hiro answered, ¡°My people and I are tasked with creating an entirely new nation, and we have a day to make ready. ¡± He said, before bowing to the room and making for the exit. Following his lead, the others started to move toward the door, all going to make their rushed preparations before the operations tomorrow. The Minotaur handed Amelia a fat purse as he moved to leave, ¡°My people will be by later today to recover your goods, and we will care for them as you have taught us. Take care of my third cousin, sister.¡± Then he gave her a quick but powerful hug, which she endured with a huff, and then moved his considerable girth through the door. Elder Kihei moved past them at a sedate pace, pausing to lay his ancient hand on Tilly¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do not throw away¡­ what is not yours... I see in you a hunger for worthiness¡­ you might find it in death,... but do not pay¡­ such a price¡­ lightly.¡± He then nodded at Amelia with a grandfatherly smile and moved through the door. The remaining two Satyrs had huddled together in the corner for a few last-minute words, but seeing that everyone else had left they looked up and moved past the humans to the door. The soldier just nodded at them both, the elder servant however paused at the door and looked back, ¡°Seldom has an empire of our small size held two humans at once. I have always thought that a boon, but you two are a credit to your race. Remember us as what we were, not as what we have become.¡± He pronounced solemnly, the duties of the day taking a greater toll on him than they had on any of the others. He left the room with those words, his shoulders slumping for the first time as his pride bent before the terrible evidence of his people''s failure. ¡°He is right, you know. When I first set up my business here twelve years ago, this was one of the most prosperous nations on the border of the Steppe. It was nothing compared to its glory days, but it still held to the ideals that made it great. No one saw such a rapid decline coming and even with the losses of the last year, there was still this sense that the empire would continue, as it always had¡­¡± some of the stiff determination she had exuded gave way to sorrow as she watched the empty doorway, before turning back to Tilly with a sigh, abruptly changing the topic. ¡°So, you can use that ability 10 times before your mana is exhausted?¡± ¡°That''s what it says... Is there any way I can just shoot my screen over to you?¡± She looked at him incredulously, as if the fact that he had been here for less than a week finally set in. ¡°No, Some have Abilities to see part of another''s character sheet, but it is extremely invasive. How long does it take you to regain your full mana pool?¡± She said, moving to another part of her work room, and starting to shuffle through some drawers. Tilly gave his wisdom regen a glance and did some quick math, ¡°probably a little over an hour and a half.¡± The Botanist dropped what she had been looking at and looked back over at him in shock, ¡°Even at level 12 that is dismally low. You must be pouring almost all of your points somewhere else.¡± She looked him up and down. ¡°It''s not Strength, certainly not Intelligence¡­¡± ¡°...Endurance," Tilly muttered in exasperation.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "I did what I had to to stay alive. I may have only been here for a small amount of time, but I''ve seen enough shit to fill a decade, and then some.¡± Her incredulous expression rose into mild surprise, ¡°At least you will be tougher to kill than anyone expects at your level. Here-¡± She said, pulling out a terrycloth sack from one of her pockets and handing it to him. ¡°I have a few tricks to help, but they are not overly powerful, so we best get started now.¡± The sack felt like it had a mixture of dried herbs and seeds in it and Tilly was about to sniff it when she slapped down his hand. ¡°Not yet, you oaf!¡± She sighed as he snatched his hand back, more out of reflex than from any pain. ¡°Do it when you are out of mana or you will waste its effect.¡± Holding it away from his face, Tilly looked down at the sack and activated Identify.
You have identified a Shaman''s Casting Aid. When smelled this item will provide a temporary 200% increase to the user''s wisdom. This increase only lasts 100 breaths.
She had already moved past him and was halfway down the steps when he looked up from reading. She turned back and gestured for him to get moving, ¡°Come on, we have people to heal, assassins to avoid, and no time to waste.¡± He followed after the assertive Botanist as she descended the stairs brimming with renewed purpose. By the time he made it to the bottom, she was already giving her assistant orders, ¡°Heras, please bring in the children and lock the front door.¡± The minotauress moved with a grunt of affirmation towards the door and opened it, giving indistinct instructions to the children outside. ¡°Can you help me with this, Strength is most definitely my lowest attribute,¡± she said, already pushing against one of the center display tables holding several plants. Tilly moved next to her without a word and added his weight to the move, slowly shifting the table to the side, and opening up the center of the shop. ¡°Shame you have to give up this shop. It¡¯s one of the coolest and most magical places I have seen so far.¡± Tilly said, straightening from the lift and looking around at the different magical enchantments and crystals. ¡°Yes, well Cephalus is giving me a family price on the goods, so it''s not a total loss, but I will miss this little shop. Some of these plants have quite the story attached to them,¡± she said looking around wistfully as the children finished filing into the room. The process was difficult to watch as many of the more alert children had to help the weaker ones walk through the door. ¡°Alright children, I want you to bring the 10 worst cases to the front. Cog, that includes you-¡± She said as the gnomish boy immediately started shuffling to the back of the group. ¡°Young man, I have seen just how far that rash goes, and how you tear up every time something brushes against it.¡± She admonished the boy as he hung his head and reversed course to the front, grumbling the whole way. ¡°Alright, but I''m not going first. I want to see a few others survive the smell before I try it myself¡­¡± Some of the others looked around in fear at his words and Amelia again spoke up, handling the crowd like a pro, ¡°Now, now. I would hate to see a member of the proud gnomish race reduced to cowering in fear behind some of these gentler peers. Why, on your intellectual integrity alone, you should be first in line to test this for the others.¡± She pronounced in an exaggerated tone. Tilly watched impressed as conflict bloomed across his face, before he screwed it up in resolution, causing some more of his lesions to ooze, ¡°Fine. Hurry up, before I change my mind.¡± Suddenly the whole room was looking at Tilly again, and he was in the uncomfortable position of having to exhale in the face of a child in front of an audience. He had honestly never thought much about his breath. He kept a relatively clean mouth typically... But there hadn''t been much of a chance to floss the last couple of days and- ¡°Come on!¡± Heras said, giving Tilly a healthy slap on the back. Tilly shot her a look before straightening up and taking a deep inhale, feeling the fire in his chest respond to his intentions and begin to kindle that same intensity he had felt earlier. He felt the dip in his mana as simmering heat accompanied his exhalation and hit the boy right in the nose. The young gnome wiggled the facial feature without opening his eyes as if he felt a tickle. Then his expression relaxed into a look of surprise, ¡°It actually didn''t smell that bad guys. Kind of reminded me of the furnace in my dad''s worksho-¡± He didn''t get a chance to finish his sentence as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he collapsed on the floor shaking. Several of the watching children cried out and the rest just watched in horror as all the open sores on his rash began to sizzle and then smoke, releasing a horrible stench. Amelia quickly crouched down to the boy''s side and lifted him in her arms, looking up at Tilly inquiringly, but all of Tilly''s attention was on the small cloud of noxious fumes forming on the ceiling above the boy. He could faintly see shapes wriggling in the twists and turns of the smoke and without thinking, he imbued his right hand with a blue flame and leapt into the air, striking at the thickening cloud. It caught like a match to a hydrogen balloon and instantly the smell was gone. Tilly looked around the room as they considered him in a new light and he suddenly felt bashful again. Once the children saw Cog breathing easily with small nearly healed scabs marking the place where he had previously sported the greyish, oozing rash, they were a lot more willing to be treated and Amelia had to shout a few times to settle down the commotion. ¡°Alright, so once expelled, this substance has some form of malicious sapience¡­ Heras, you handle anything physical, so Mr. Tillman can save his mana.¡± Amelia directed. ¡°My pleasure mistress,¡± Heras growled pulling a maul out from nowhere and standing at the ready. Tilly couldn''t help but note that it was the first time he had seen her smile. ¡°Mr. Tillman, if you would be so kind as to self-administer the shaman¡¯s aid. That will keep us going along at a good pace, and please pay attention to your use of air once you take it. I believe it works off ambient mana inhalation and you can stretch it as far as you are able to slow your breathing.¡± She informed him as she lifted little Cog and moved him over to the side of the open space to lie comfortably and recover. Tilly pulled the sack to his face and took a deep breath in, registering a scent that reminded him of a foggy early morning in a grassy field, still wet with dew. He felt his soul solidify slightly at the scent memory as his place in the world felt minutely more clear. ¡°Very good Mr. Tillman, now slow your breathing as much as possible and we will see just how many of the children we can move through before you run out.¡± They did just that, setting a pace of about one child per 3 min, with Tilly able to slow down his breathing to just 3 breaths a minute, probably due to his Endurance. With only a few deep breathing breaks, He made it through the rest of the group of 20 in under an hour. The whole exercise reminded him of bottle conservation drills back in the Fire Department. They would bleed the bottles down to their last 10% of air, and then see how long they could last on what should be 3-5 minutes of breathing time. In the end, he had bottomed out his mana and recovered it several times, making sure not to overdo it like he had last night. He did, however, finish with a throbbing headache and he gratefully took the tea Amelia handed him when offered. He looked around in quiet satisfaction at the children, all either resting or slowly coming to. They looked completely different than they had an hour ago, and Heras¡¯ maul was covered in a fading black stain. It looked like she enjoyed the smashing much more than a botanist''s assistant had any right to if you asked Tilly. But who was he to judge? He took his first sip of tea and immediately felt a cooling sensation begin to move up his head and into his frontal lobe, easing the migraine considerably. ¡°Wow, thanks. This stuff is incredible.¡± He said, looking over at Amelia with gratitude. ¡°We have one day to cure as many people as possible, and it is going to take every alchemical and herbal trick I have to keep you going.¡± She replied, with a slightly predatory smile. Tilly missed her expression completely as a light bulb went off in his head. ¡°You have a plant shop, and you have the alchemy Skill¡­ do you by chance have an Herb Lore Codex?" He asked, a smirk curling at the corners of his mouth. "I have become something of a plant enthusiast myself in my time here and I have made a discovery that could change Nephesh as we know it.¡± The smirk bloomed into a full-on idiot grin as he imagined her reaction to his achievement. Amelia¡¯s eyes lit up at the possibility of a new genus or species discovered on this vast plane. Even after all these years, she had never grown tired of finding something novel or new and entering it into the magical tome. She had the honor of making 9 discoveries herself in her time on Nephesh, and had to admit she was impressed that the new arrival had found something in only a week. Ch. 34 Triage The combination of healing so many children and then getting to talk about his favorite discovery on Nephesh left Tilly feeling giddy. Amelia¡¯s smile had ratcheted up to an uncomfortable level as Tilly described his fortuitous encounter in the forest and his discovered uses for the unknown magical tree. Her encouraging smile becoming something manic by the time she took out the tome to add his discovery to the Codex. Tilly¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the book expand in size as she pulled it from her pocket. The cover was embossed with golden leaves and vines. Arcane symbols faintly shown on the surface of the material which was a cross between leather and bark. ¡°And you are sure that your herb lore skill gave it no other uses?¡± Amelia asked at the end of the explanation, reluctantly jotting down his entry into the Plane-Spanning magical codex. It turns out her name would be marked next to the entry for every other owner of a Codex to see as long as the magic of the book accepted it as valid. At the last flourish of her reed pen, the page she was on flashed and her words gained the golden sheen to match the others. Her eyes lost focus, and as she pulled up her status screen, her face lighting up in surprise, then chagrin. ¡°It seems that this entry was enough to finally get me to level 33¡­¡±. she muttered reluctantly. ¡°Awesome! Glad to help!¡± Tilly responded happily, looking down at the page in wonder as the Codex magically generated a simple sketch of the tree and its known uses. He completely missed the coloration in Amelia''s cheeks as the final line generated for the whole community of Alchemists and Herbologists to see. -Discovery inputted by Amelia Cooper, Botanist Surveyor. Tilly looked up in almost childlike wonder as she closed the book quickly and shoved it back into a pocket. She didn''t even look down as the book shrank to size and fit into the small opening. It was full on, Hogwarts-level magic, and Tilly was tired of pretending that this kind of stuff was normal. ¡°I know we have a lot to do, but I have to ask. What is up with your jacket?¡± Her eyes refocused from working on her private screens as she assigned her new stat points, ¡°Well, this was a gift from some dear friends. When I came to Nephesh, I was deposited on the Grey Steppe, and they were having a lot of problems with an invasive species of plant from a certain irresponsible neighbor. A lot of my early work was in figuring out how to combat this incursion. Through that, I fell in with the Caravans, and I was able to help them out of a very tight situation with an Endless Locust Swarm event that appears every thousand years or so. They were generous enough to give me this as a reward, and it has been invaluable in my work collecting and propagating plantlife from many different biomes.¡± She answered, her eyes taking a far-off look as she pulled on memories from a previous season of life. One filled with travel and adventure. As she spoke, Tilly tried to gauge her age but was unable to get a clear read, she had an air of maturity about her but showed no wrinkles or gray hair. Without thinking he blurted out his next question while the Minotauress assistant busily arranged the children and prepared the shop to be cleared out. ¡°You said you have been here for decades, but you look like you are in your late thirties... Do we stop aging when we get here?¡± He asked, excited to finally get some answers from someone who could understand just how crazy all of this was. In response to his question, she unconsciously moved some of her hair out of her face, and straightened out her jacket, ¡°Well, when I arrived I was in my mid-thirties, and I have been here for around 20 years. From what I understand leveling slows the aging process, and as long as you keep doing it, you don''t age very much at all. At some point, I think you reach a kind of immortality, but it is well north of level 100. If you will excuse me, I need to grab a few more things from the back before we head to the temple.¡± she said before abruptly turning and heading toward the back door. Tilly nodded, oblivious to the emotion implied by her actions. He was far too busy thinking through the possibility of barely aging for a hundred years. He had already noticed that he no longer felt any of the aches and pains that had settled into his body after a lifetime of abuse. Plus, as he leveled he continued to get faster and stronger. He wondered how old he looked to the others... but it was hard to tell when it was your own face. He also had yet to see a mirror in his travels and thinking of his appearance caused him to take a surreptitious sniff of his underarm. He hadn''t had a chance to bathe in days. A focused sniff made apparent what his nose blindness had kept hidden from him. He was ripe. Something flew at him from his periphery and his new reflexes didn¡¯t save him from being hit in the face by another cloth sack of herbs that emitted a pleasant fragrance. He did manage to catch it on the way down from its initial impact and looked up to find the minotauress watching him from behind a display. ¡°Rub that one wherever you deem appropriate, it will help. I don¡¯t think anyone else will say anything, but my kind has a very good sense of smell, and¡­ well just do us all a favor.¡± She said, looking back down at the goods she was packing. Thankfully most of the children were still out from their ordeal, but Tilly did hear a snickering laugh that sounded distinctly like a certain gnomish boy from behind him. He refused to look at anyone as he reached under his leathers and rubbed the sewn sack on his underarms like deodorant mumbling to himself, ¡°Sorry if I''ve been a little busy trying to keep everyone alive.¡± Then Amelia returned from the back with something that looked like a fanny pack, full to bursting. ¡°I see you don''t have much in the way of equipment, I used to wear this before I got my jacket. It has minor weight reduction and expansion enchantments in it, as well as a durability charm. I have loaded it up with some of the basics. It should attach to your leather pants and still benefit from the overhang of your jacket.¡± She said looking up from stuffing the last items into the magical storage space. Tilly quickly pulled his arm out from under his jacket and hid it behind his back. Amelia handed him the magical storage item and then looked over at her assistant, ¡°Heras, thank you for looking after the children. For those that don''t have a group to return to, can you make sure they make it to the lapin rally point near the Hub tomorrow?¡± ¡°On my honor Mistress, we will be there.¡± She responded patting her maul happily, an eager smile plastered on her bovine face. Tilly wasn¡¯t sure what about the next day''s events made her smile, but he was glad someone was having a good time. ¡°Well, if I''m going to heal the whole city, we better get started huh?¡± He said, trying to be friendly, but somehow coming across as awkward. His words caused Amelia to rub her eyes and he remembered her statement about not sleeping for several days. He figured things like that would be more and more possible as his Stats increased, but he couldn''t imagine her being particularly high in Endurance as a Botanist Surveyor. ¡°Yes, we will do everything we can before tomorrow evening and pray that the enemy does not arrive before then. I hope you are ready Mr. Tillman, I don''t think you will gain any experience from this work, and you will be bottoming out your Mana quite frequently over the next 24 hours. I will do all I can, but¡­it will not be pleasant. Some of my accelerants have some difficult side effects.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. At her words Tilly¡¯s expression firmed, resolving into something much harder than he typically showed in social settings. ¡°Ma¡¯am, at this point, we are talking about saving lives. I will do whatever it takes to help these people and I won''t stop until we are down to the wire.¡± He followed up his words by strapping the small pack on the back of his belt line under his jacket, finding that it fit just like she said it would. Hopefully, it would last longer than his last piece of storage equipment. ''Three cheers for a fantasy fanny pack!'' Amelia took on a considering look as she processed his reply, ¡°You know Mr. Tillman, I have met three other humans in my time on this Plane, and they have each proved to be repulsive or unbelievably selfish. Forgive me for my initial reaction, I just expected more of the same power-hungry mania I have found in our kind once we arrive here.¡± She said, putting her hands on her hips and letting some appreciation bleed into her tone. Tilly took a moment to bask in the acknowledgment of his choices so far, feeling a thrum in his veins that was becoming more familiar. Even with everything going on, he felt good. Better than he had in a long time. Subtle waves of pleasure throbbed up from his side and he unconsciously adjusted his jacket to cover the scar that no one else could see. He was willing to admit that he had always been drawn to the idea of rescuing people and no small part of that was the attention he would occasionally get for his acts of service. Anyone who pretended otherwise wasn''t being honest with themselves. ¡°Thanks for saying that, but I''m nobody perfect.¡± He demurred, managing to school his smile. His response seemed to strike an unpleasant chord in Amelia and as she heard it, she winced and looked away, ¡°None of us are Mr. Tillman... Our kind doesn''t get sent here for being perfect.¡± She muttered darkly before straightening up, her face returning to the business-like expression he was beginning to associate with her coping mechanism for stress. ¡°You are, of course, right. If we are going to make any difference, we might as well start sooner rather than later, how is your mana?¡± ¡°Almost refilled¡­¡± Tilly answered, struggling with whether or not to follow up on her last statement before deciding that it really wasn''t his business, and it would be selfish to ask any more questions considering the time crunch. ¡°Good. Let us be on our way. Heras, I will see you tomorrow, fate willing.¡± She called, moving towards the door and grabbing a cloak that hung on a peg there. Tilly followed suit, drawing up his hood around his features and closing the front of the cloak for as much privacy as he could get in the late afternoon sun. ¡°Bye Kids,¡± Tilly said turning and waving at the few children that were awake. The first little girl he had healed looked back up at him silently but after a moment gave him a wave and a brave smile. He could tell she felt better, even if she wasn''t sure exactly what had happened to her over the last few hours. Her smile and the thought of what she had endured and would still endure before the week was over dampened some of Tilly¡¯s good humor. The rush of saving people felt a little more shallow in the context of the little girl and her struggles. He may have cured her ailment, but did she even have a family to go back to? He realized that her best-case outcome for the next few weeks was a life of hunger and makeshift shelter. He followed Amelia out the door, and couldn''t help but grow introspective. The siren song of the pleasurable feeling radiating in the background of his mind dulled. ''What was he trying to prove and who was he trying to prove it to? Why had he really left Hiro''s protection?'' Amelia lost herself in the crowd of people struggling through different stages of grief and hopelessness and Tilly had an easy enough time keeping up with her brisk pace. He had a much more difficult time working through the complicated emotions the little girl''s smile had brought to the surface. He tried to pin down the doubts he was feeling, but it was difficult. It felt like he kept getting lost in a fog of apathy. He knew something was nagging at him, but a louder internal voice urged him to keep moving and not worry about it. Why wonder about all this? Just do what you do, Run in, Save as many as you can, and Get out. That''s what heroes do. Tilly was a simple guy and spending time in self-reflection was not something he had given much time to. That little girl''s smile had touched on deeper questions than he was prepared to answer. Was what he was doing even going to make a difference? Was Hiro right? Was this all for his own vanity? He loved helping people. He always had. Seeing someone with an obvious problem and getting to solve it right then and there had always done it for him. It was the complicated problems he dreaded. The ones he felt powerless to solve that had always lodged in his brain like splinters. House fire? Easy. Put the wet stuff on the red stuff. Simple as that. A homeless schizophrenic man who had the police called on him because he kept rubbing his bloody hand on a gas station window? No clue how to help. For some reason, those sorts of situations had hooked into his mind and never left. That man hadn''t wanted to go to the hospital and refused to listen to the police when they asked him to stop his manic vandalism. He wouldn''t even listen to Tilly and the other medics as they tried to put bandages on his injury. The man had screamed and smirked as he waved his bloody hand around. In the end, he had been arrested, not because it was what was best for him, but because there were no other options. Those were the calls that had stuck with Tilly through the years. He had found himself more and more frustrated and jaded by the state of the world and the ones left in the margins, who wouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t get help. His daughter''s fight with cancer had almost been icing on the cake after 10 years in the department. Negative emotions and memories started to well up from deep in his chest as his thoughts started to spiral. The fog of cheerful apathy started to thin. ''Just do what you can to help people. Make a difference. Don''t worry about all of this other stuff.'' His simple driving directive seemed more and more shallow as he thought about it. It had defined his past life and apparently, he had barely broken even on the ¡®cosmic scale¡¯. Just like before, he was shoving down everything too big to handle, pushing forward from one emergency to the next. Unprocessed emotions from his past failures and his current circumstances built in intensity beneath his chest, and suddenly, amid his downward spiral, he noticed the fire in his chest had roared to life in response to something... He stopped walking, all of his attention taken by the conflict raging in his torso between the positive apathetic fog and his fiery emotional response to the unnatural suppression of his internal environment. The apathy promised relief from the pain, pushing with a subtle throbbing pleasure that had been emanating from his side almost nonstop since he had awoken. It urged him to keep going, keep moving. Don''t stop. Don''t think. The girl''s smile and the feelings it had touched had awakened his internal flame. The thing that had been building in him since his first hours on Nephesh that he had come to associate with the source of his burgeoning magical powers. This was the place that had been augmented by the Blue Flame on the altar. The magic that he pulled on to purify each of the children. Now that he was paying more attention, he could feel it actively trying to consume the pleasurable influence of Seed in his side. At some point, Amelia noticed that she had lost her companion, and looped back around to find him standing still with his eyes closed. An expression of intense concentration on his face. ¡°Johnathan. Are you ok?¡± She said, some concern entering her tone, even as she looked around to make sure they weren''t garnering too much attention. Fortunately for them, the surrounding refugees were good camouflage when it came to losing attachment to time and place. Tilly¡¯s eyes flew open as he returned to the present. He looked around abashedly and collected himself before whispering, ¡°The last few days have been a lot¡­ I''m good, I promise... I can explain later.¡± She watched him for a moment more, searching for any further signs of instability before nodding and taking him at his word, ¡°Very well, the temple is a few blocks away. You can''t miss it. The steps and street in front of it are crowded with the worst cases in the city.¡± Knowing that he was so close to the people who needed his help, grounded Tilly, but this time he made sure not to lose track of the feeling of conflict that was raging in his torso. He wasn''t going to let that go again. He opened his stat sheet and grabbed the title he had almost forgotten about and mentally put a tracker up under his Health and Mana. Corruption¡¯s influence: 14% ¡°I''m ready. Let''s make the most of whatever time we have left.¡± Tilly responded. Amelia nodded firmly not noticing the grim turn Tilly''s tone had taken. She turned back and began to move through the crowd again. Tilly followed her hiding his tightly clenched fists in the sleeves of his robe. His newly realized emotions simmered under the surface of his granite will. Ch. 35 The Sick and The Dead Before they turned the corner onto Temple Row, Tilly was hit by the smell. It was more than the funk of hundreds of unwashed bodies kept in one place for too long. The air was thick with a tang of rot that settled suffocatingly around Tilly''s nose and would not dissipate no matter how he tried to cover the orifice. He marched forward dutifully following Amelia''s vector as she angled for the corner of a building that sat on the intersection of Devotion and Temple Row. Soon after the smell came the sounds of shouting, ¡°Please, she is dying!¡± ¡°Light''s Mercy, is there no one left to perform the Purification?¡± ¡°Where is the Lady Light now that we need her?!?¡± Tilly stayed in stride with Amelia and they slowed as the temple came into view. There were hundreds of petitioners in the street around the entrance to a squat stone structure with a tall tower emerging from its center, shining with a steady light. Everyone in the crowd was either escorting someone who was extremely sick or on death¡¯s door themselves. Most of the crowd was pitiful to look upon, but a few continued to cry out in rage and despair to haggard-looking clergy at the entrance of the temple and their grim guards. ¡°Have mercy Mother!¡± ¡°We know you keep the best magics for yourselves, it''s time to open up!¡± An elderly clergyman was moving through the crowd handing out linens and water and his head cocked up wearily at that last call, ¡°How many times must we tell you! The Mother Superior is only able to cast so many times a day. We must let her rest between healings or the only reliable way to be cured will be gone!¡± He shouted in the direction of the last voice of malcontent. Tilly looked over at Amelia, wondering where she wanted to start, but her face betrayed her surprise at the sight. When she looked over at him, it was with an expression of chagrin and guilt. ¡°This is much worse than it was two days ago. If we move into this crowd and start healing, we will be mobbed. I had hoped to get to work without garnering too much attention. But it seems like this will be impossible to do and remain completely anonymous.¡± She said softly, chewing on her lip, eyes shooting back to the crowd as she tried to think of a way forward that didn''t end in chaos. Tilly¡¯s face settled down into heavy grim lines as he read the situation, ¡°The temple is locked up tight to give the healers time to rest, and if we start working on the people out here we might get mobbed. Even if we don¡¯t get rushed once we start, there is zero chance of not being found out by those in the city who want me dead...¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widened as she suddenly stopped chewing her lip and looked back at the elderly man making his way through the crowd, ¡°If they are limiting entry, maybe we can use that to our advantage. I think I can get us in, and if we can convince the clergy to work with us, then we can pose you as another faceless priest and heal as many as possible, hopefully without being found out.¡± At this Tilly shrugged, it was better than risking a mob. He had seen a few of those in his day and they were no joke. Add magical bullshit into the mix and he was absolutely sure it was something he did not want to mess with. ¡°Let''s go for it. Hiro didn''t seem too hot about me revealing myself to this Temple, but it''s probably the best of our options.¡± Tilly said, shrugging the hood of his cloak even deeper over his features. Amelia gave him a half-hearted smile, ¡°I should not have brought this option to the table so flippantly. I hadn¡¯t thought this through nearly enough. Move over to that wall across from the crowd and I''ll be back, hopefully with a way in.¡± Tilly nodded his assent and Amelia moved down the street and through the crowd. Tilly had lost sight of the older clergyman and hunkered down against the thick stone wall of the building across the street while waiting for Amelia to return. He idily looked up and down the road noting that there were not many temples in the temple district, and almost none of them were as well maintained as the towering temple of light at its center. The temple¡¯s wall he leaned on supported a curvy structure made up of domes and arches that was topped by a statue of a richly dressed dwarf holding a hammer in one hand and a scale in the other. The compound looked ornate, but the walled gates to get in were firmly shut. Tilly guessed it was a deity for craftsmanship or commerce or something¡­The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Just then Tilly heard the voice of the elderly clergyman ring out tiredly from the midst of the crowd, ¡°Alright, that''s all the water and linens I have, the guards are going to come through and collect the ones from yesterday. Do not give them any trouble and for the Lady¡¯s Sake, please don''t hold on to what we gave you yesterday, we will cleanse them and bring them back out as soon as we can. Dirty and diseased bandages will not help any of your cases.¡± At his words, two of the guards moved to a couple of very large wheelbarrows at the bottom of the steps and lifted glowing face coverings to mask themselves against the crowd. Tilly couldn¡¯t see where the elderly clergyman was, but he saw the two guards begin to move through the crowd and receive the discolored linens from the sick and their keepers. Anxious murmurs rolled through the people as they unwrapped and uncovered sick family members or infected limbs. Then the process was broken by wailing in the distance, ¡°Father! Father, answer me! Oh Gods he''s dead. We have been here for two days with nothing but rags given for our trouble and now he is dead!¡± The voice was growing more frantic by the minute, and the energy of the crowd was starting to shift. Other yells started to rise up indistinctly from the crowd, and Tilly was afraid he was about to see them break out into a riot. A very sickly riot. Then the haggard-looking woman in white robes stepped forward from the entrance of the temple. She had not spoken yet in Tilly¡¯s hearing, but instead of trying to gain control of the crowd she simply raised her hands and staff before starting to chant. A golden light radiated from her and the crowd closest to her quieted as it washed over them. The priestess gritted her teeth as she chanted and more light flowed out from her in bursts of concentric light. This had a more powerful effect than any sort of violent crowd control Tilly could have imagined and everyone fell silent as the light washed over them all. Even Tilly felt a distant echo of the massive area effect. Warmth trickled into his body where the light touched his skin and it moved through him relaxing knots in his shoulders and easing the last of his headache. If this was the edge of the working, what was it like in the center of the area of effect? Suddenly the chanting cut off, as blood trickled down from the priestess'' nose and her eyes rolled up into the back of her head. The crowd seemed mollified and then even concerned as she collapsed on the steps in front of the main entrance. The guards surrounded her in a protective formation even as the clergyman¡¯s voice rang out in anger, ¡°Light have mercy, Dinah! You were supposed to only be supervising.¡± He shouted as he rushed through the crowd. Once he arrived, the formation broke and his hand lit up with more minor magics. He rattled off some orders to a pair of guards who gently lifted the priestess and took her inside. He then turned and addressed the crowd. ¡°Look, I know you are suffering. This is not easy for any of us, but in case what you just saw didn''t make it clear. We are doing everything we possibly can to fight this. Only our most senior members can completely cure you, and they are pushing far past their limits with the support of the rest of us. Please remain calm, we will see as many of you as we can today.¡± He said, some of the fire leaving his expression as he scanned the crowd before looking farther and farther out until he found Tilly across the street. Even at this distance, Tilly could feel the curiosity burgeoning on his brow. Just as Tilly processed the look, Amelia appeared back at the edge of the crowd and made her way over to him, ¡°Mateus is the steward of the temple and he has been by the shop several times to restock when their normal shipments were delayed or short. He says he is willing to get you in without being seen, but he stressed that we had better be telling the truth. I assured him we could deliver on what we promised, and even with our relationship, I''m not sure he would have relented if I hadn¡¯t told him you were another human... That got his attention.¡± She said, turning and eyeing the crowd warily. ¡°So is there a back entrance we need to get to or something?¡± Tilly asked, craning his neck from his position to try and spot some previously unnoticed alleyway. ¡°Uh¡­ I''m afraid not. The plan is somewhat more involved than that. I hope you are as resistant to this infection as your magic seems to be.¡± She said, digging her hands through her pockets. Tilly stared at her for a moment as she flashed an apologetic smile his way and gestured for them to move toward the outskirts of the crowd. As they quietly arrived at the edge, Tilly saw the cart approach, piled high with soiled linens and the bones of the plan clicked into place. He looked over sharply to Amelia, who was tying a thick square of cloth over her airway that had several more of the deodorant balls tucked into cleverly sewn pockets in the center. After she finished, she handed him a similar cloth and a few more of the fragrant herb bundles. Her eyes were serious, and Tilly caught the slightest hint of a challenge in them as he moved to follow her lead. The guard kept moving toward them, and the Mateus¡¯ voice rang out from the steps, ¡°I have just been informed that we will start seeing patients again in the next few minutes. Each of you has a number and you will report to the guards when called. If you make trouble or try and harm another child of Light, we will confiscate your number. If you do not have a number, please report to the guards and one will be issued to you shortly.¡± This was clearly a speech he had given many times, but still, the crowd broke into orderly action. Maybe it was part of the magic of the priestess, or maybe it was guilt over what had followed, but they moved into orderly queues, and in all the shuffling, a guard looked the other way as two humans hopped into the back of the cart and covered themselves in damp and discolored linens of various shapes and sizes. Ch. 36 The Good Guys ¡°Ghhaaahhh¡± Tilly breathed in explosively, emerging from the putrid pile of unmentionables like a swamp monster being birthed from primordial soup. He tumbled out of his cart almost bumping into Amelia as she emerged from her cart with much less drama. ¡°Acolyte, channel a basic cleanse for as long as you can. We won''t get much out of them with this smell clouding the room.¡± Tilly looked up to see the same elderly clergyman from outside. Upon closer inspection, Tilly saw that he was a Satyr of the almost human variety. It seemed he had accompanied both the carts to conduct a quick interview of his odiferous guests. Tilly found himself in an austere but neat waiting room with what looked like a few benches and cots for the sick. He thought this might be where they triaged people before they were seen by someone on a typical day. The temple steward stood with his arms crossed next to a nervous-looking young elf in priestess robes and a few guards. Behind them, lying on one of the benches propped up by pillows was a sleeping woman well past her prime. She was wearing more ornate robes than anyone in the room and Tilly assumed she was one of the more powerful members of the temple. She appeared humanoid but had a green tinge to her skin and leaves instead of hair. The young elf clasped together her hands and began to chant a hymn. The song washed over the room and Tilly felt it press against and then saturate his armor, which seemed to almost drink in the magic. He heard hissing and popping from the piles behind him and the almost overwhelming stench was slowly reduced. The young woman¡¯s voice began to grow hoarse as if the chant was somehow becoming more difficult the longer it went on until she finally cut off with a fit of coughing. Tilly moved forward unconsciously in concern, but the guards moved to block him immediately. ¡°Hmm, your concern is appreciated, human. I am Steward Mateus of the temple of the Lady Light. Amelia has dealt with me honestly for years and we are taking her at her word. She says you can do something about this sickness afflicting our city¡­¡± He trailed off, not quite asking a question. Tilly waited a moment to see if he would continue, but then he just stood there, leaning into the awkward pause. So Tilly just picked up where he left off, trying to decide what was ''need to know'' and what was dangerous to share. ¡°Well... For starters, my name is Jonathan Tillman, and almost as soon as I arrived here on this plane, I was set against the force responsible for this ''sickness''. My system tells me it''s something called Corruption. The Lapin outpost was under siege for weeks by creatures infected and eventually enslaved by this same force. Now we have proof that the members of the Cult of the Serpent are under its effects too. Although, I believe they have partnered with it willingly. "Something strange happened to me as I fought to cut it off at its source near the Lapin village. I gained a patron Deity and my class was altered. Now I''m basically the antidote to this stuff.¡± Tilly said, hoping that was enough to let him get started without involving him in any divine politics. In response, the steward slowly nodded, taking in the human''s story before shaking loose his hands from his robe, ¡°Yes, well give me just a moment.¡± He said, as arcane symbols lit up around his hands and one eye flashed with the same color as the symbols. Tilly felt the same tingling he normally felt as he was identified, but the feeling continued to intensify as if something was pressing in on his very soul. Then the fire within him kindled to a deeper heat in answer and pressed back against the metaphysical weight releasing a "wumph" of pressure, washing through the auras of all present. The steward''s eye flashed back to normal, and the symbols around his hands flickered out. He visibly flinched and shook out his hands as if stung, ¡°Interesting, I have been blocked before, of course. But I have never quite felt so¡­ rebuked.¡± He said, trying to process what he had just seen. Just how much was he supposed to share with this unknown element? They were obviously working hard against this incursion and they didn''t seem to be profiting from it in any way, but he thought back on his Title, [Harbringer]. Whatever Origin was, it didn''t seem that well known by anyone he had interacted with so far, and he was hesitant to step into another divine radar. He already had the attention of one god, and that seemed to be more than enough. He didn''t even know where Origin stood in the grand scheme of things. He might be the big "G" God to all of these other little "g" gods, but who was supposed to tell them that? Or it might be the other way around. He just didn''t know enough to safely pick a side, and he certainly didn''t want to be some sort of evangelist for a God he knew nothing about. If it wasn''t for the fact that he was stuck fighting Corruption, something that Origin''s power seemed uniquely suited to do, he was pretty sure he would already be looking for a way out of this Champion Mantle thing. It just screamed, ''strings attached''. After another second of thought, he decided to partially level with the Steward. ¡°Look, Mateus, I am the Champion of a Deity that does not want to be discovered¡­ I think. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure but I would rather not figure that out right now. What I do know is this; I have an ability that can expel this stuff from anyone''s body. I can help with a lot of the people you have out there, I''ll just need somebody on hand to destroy what comes out and recharge me when I reach empty.¡± The steward¡¯s face slipped from disbelief into confusion, and Tilly thought that he probably lost him completely somewhere around needing to destroy a bodily expulsion. ¡°Look,¡± Amelia interjected, rescuing the derailed conversation. ¡°The little ones that you sent to me have all been cured. I know that none of their cases were too advanced, but I don''t think it matters with his ability, and he can cast it ten times before running out of Mana. He has something this city needs and is willing to help, we just need to use you for a little anonymity.¡± As Amelia described how many casts he could do in one sitting, the young priestess looked up in hope and even the sleeping matron cracked an eye, proving that she had not been sleeping at all. ¡°What did you see Mateus?¡± the matron asked, with a dry voice, that reminded Tilly of the crunching of leaves. He turned to her in concern as one of the guards rushed forward with a cup of glowing water. ¡°Nothing overly concerning Mother. He is not Demonic-Aligned and while I sensed no ill will, I was limited in my gaze to the knowledge that he is a hybrid caster with a relatively small well. The best direction that the Lady was able to give me was that he probably fell within the realm of Chaotic Good¡± He reported crisply, some of the concern he had shown for the priestess outside coloring his tone once again as he addressed his leader. ¡°Well, it''s not like we have many options. None of our healings cure this ¡®Corruption¡¯. We have been reduced to supporting me as I cast an Advanced Banish. Bring in the first one, and we will watch as he uses this ability. If what he says is correct, then we will place the full support of the temple behind him and see just how many people he can cure before he is wrung out.¡± She ordered, before taking a thirsty drink from the offered cup. Tilly saw that she sat up with some considerable effort. She was beautiful in a stately way, but her face was drawn with deep exhaustion, and he wondered just how long she had been pushing herself. ¡°Jerin, bring in the first.¡± The steward ordered the guard nearest the door who nodded and left. ¡°Wait, Mateus, we need something to hide his identity," Amelia interjectedThe genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "He has already had to face off against Shadow Hunters within the city walls, and the Marcellus family has marked him for death. We came in here to hide him long enough to actually do some good... Do you have any robes of the Forsaken on hand?¡± The church members in the room flinched at the mention of enemies already in the city, except for the Mother who just sighed, ¡°I wish we had more than just the spare uniforms on hand. Dark days are ahead for this city, and while the Cult wouldn¡¯t dare to touch us, we will only be able to shield a few from their wrath¡­ Fetch him the uniform, and delay the first patient until he is ready.¡± Another guard rushed off, leaving the steward with only two guards and the junior and senior priestesses. Tilly was about to thank them or ask about the Forsaken when the elder priestess spoke again issuing more orders as she considered the changing circumstances. ¡°Mateus, I want you to have another Discerning Eye ready. Focus on whatever is expunged from the patient. We may not be able to fight in the physical battle, but this is our supposed realm of authority, and I have hated having nothing but questions and apologies for our flock.¡± To which the steward nodded seriously. Just then the second guard returned with a simple white uniform draped over one arm. He held it out in reverence to Tilly who took it reluctantly and tried to figure out how to put it on over his existing kit. It included a face wrap with a shining lantern of some sort emblazoned where his forehead would be and a tabard with an oversized hood. As he handled it, his Identify pinged, and he pulled up the description.
Robes of the Forsaken. Worn by warriors of the Light who have forsaken all other ties and covenants to do battle with Demon kind. +10 to wisdom. Demonic-sourced mana will be 50% less effective in mental and spiritual attacks.
As he struggled with the unfamiliar cut of clothing, Amelia stepped up and helped him find the right way to hang it over his leather jacket, ¡°I thought of this disguise because they are always swooping in to fight for the light-aligned factions and then fading away. Their abilities are as legendary as they are mysterious and their identities are one of the things they forsake when they take up the class, so the news of healings at the temple can be pinned on the mysterious Forsaken Order instead of the new Human freshly arrived in the city.¡± She said pulling up his cowl to cover his now-covered face. She stepped back and nodded to herself. ¡°These are a loan, Human. I hope the Wisdom will help you in your efforts, but neither you nor we are ready for the consequences of you donning that uniform officially.¡± Mateus said seriously off to the side. ¡°But you must admit, it does suit him¡­¡± The Mother said thoughtfully behind him. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I''m pretty sure I am taken. But I do hope my guy and yours are friends. By the way, after all this, do you mind giving me some pointers on how to contact a deity, if I¡¯m gonna keep fighting this stuff, I want to know who I¡¯m fighting for¡­¡± Before she could answer the first sick person came in. She was a smaller minotauress who would have towered over Tilly by a foot if she was standing up straight. Instead, she shuffled in front of the guard on a swollen leg that could be smelled as soon as the door opened. It was wrapped up with multiple layers of bandages, but those did nothing to hide the rot. She stiffened at the sight of Tilly in his uniform, but then hesitantly explained her situation. ¡°Good afternoon your holiness. Thank you for seeing me. The caravan leaves tonight and I didn''t want to be a burden in this state. My company had taken a contract a month ago to escort some villages fleeing the Scale-belly advance, and in that action, I took a barbed arrow of theirs to the knee. This would normally be nothing to my kind and I didn''t think of it for days, even as it continued to worsen. Then it started to smell and swell up. Our healers couldn''t do anything about it, even when they evoked the Bright Ancestors. So I was sent here.¡± ¡°Come forward into the Lady¡¯s light child.¡± The steward said calmly as if he knew exactly what was about to happen. She hobbled into the center of the room before Tilly and Amelia, and she smiled at the minotauress in encouragement. ¡°You may proceed,¡± Mateus said, and it took Tilly a moment to realize the steward had been speaking to him. He took a step closer to the minotauress and kindled the flame in his chest before breathing out deeply in front of her. She blinked rapidly in surprise before beads of sweat started to appear on her brow. ¡°Describe what you are experiencing child,¡± Mateus said in a kindly tone, even as his eye flashed again. She answered through clenched teeth, ¡°I know not what the Warrior has done, but I felt a burning enter my body through his breath. It has settled into my leg and centered on the wound. It is burning fiercely!¡± She said, gritting her large bovine teeth tightly against the pain. Then she grunted and the sound of something popping issued out from under all of her bandages. They had not been clean when she came in, but in the seconds following the sound, they were soaked in an unsettlingly dark maroon color. ¡°Cut those off!¡± Mateus barked, glaring at the bandages with his shining eye. The guards quickly complied, and as soon as they pulled the bandages free, they began to animate, wiggling like a hundred little appendages. ¡°Great Ancestors!¡± The Minotauress huffed in relief, even as Tilly stepped quickly forward with an enflamed fist to consume the bandages. He had once again found himself moving almost by reflex at the sight of the Corruption, calling his blue fire even as he moved to attack the creepy manifestation. The rest of the room however looked at the man in the Forsaken uniform with various expressions of shock or surprise, except for Amelia who wore a look of smug satisfaction. ¡°Ancestors Light be upon you!¡± The newly healed minotauress said moving her now normal appendage. Nothing but a slight burn scar was left to mark the wound and her eyes shone with admiration as she glanced back up at her savior. ¡°Thank you, sister, that will be all. Many more to see today.¡± Amelia said, stepping in and pulling her around to face the door again. As soon as she was out, Mateus spun on Tilly, ¡°I understand your fidelity, believe me, I do. But we are not the only branch facing such a malady. Please you must tell me as much as you can.¡± He said, his eyes showing with an almost feverish light. The elder priestess stepped in to blunt some of the steward''s enthusiasm, ¡°We understand you are here in charity¡­ Do not be pressured by our needs if you can not share.¡± the older priestess stated from her perch on the bench. She had watched the Minotauress leave with a new hope sprouting within her. She didn''t need a name to recognize something good when she saw it, ¡°Whether we hear the story now is of no consequence, we are obviously on the same side. May the Light always prevail.¡± She said, her tone heavy with meaning at the last phrase. Tilly looked back and forth between the people in the room and thought again about his interactions with the administrator and then the blue flame in the Temple. They had said nothing about hiding their existence, and while he wasn''t sure what informing this faction about more of his experience would do, Tilly couldn''t help but feel like these were the good guys. It wasn''t the name or even the fact that they seemed to be a religion focused on healing and demonic opposition. It was the look on their faces when they discovered that he was actually able to destroy whatever was infecting the populace. It wasn''t greed or fear. It was relief. They were just happy to finally find a way to help, and that dispelled any lingering suspicion he had with the group in the room. He was already involved in some sort of cosmic power struggle¡­ what are a few more Deities in the mix? ¡°Alright, give me a few minutes before the next one, and I''ll give you the cliff notes version.¡± He relented, deciding to go big or go home on telling them everything he knew. Mateus gestured at the guard near the door to wait, ¡°Human, I do not know what cliffs have to do with this, but any information would be greatly appreciated.¡± Tilly just winced at the misunderstanding before deciding not to bother with it, and continued with a short version of his story, ¡°Well I woke up on Nephesh about four days ago-¡± Ch. 37 Exorcizing is No Joke Tilly cut out many of the details but did share Origin¡¯s name as well as the exact words of His Champion''s Mantle Title. He almost asked if they could get rid of the Seed, but decided against it after recalling the words of the Flame at the altar. If it took a Divine Boon to remove, then it would probably take more than a few clergy to solve the problem. Plus with so much on their plate, it wouldn''t be right to bother them with his problems too... The Steward left with the Elder Priestess to send a report. She had introduced herself as Rowan with a smile before leaving to update her superiors. They left behind a few guards and the younger priestess who had recovered from the effort of channeling cleanse on such heavily corrupted materials. Amelia set up a miniature chemistry lab on the other side of the room and started brewing up different concoctions as the patients filed in, one after another. They fell into a sort of rhythm where Tilly would purify as many patients as possible out of his Mana Well, then rest, recovering with the aid of either Amelia''s latest herbal concoction or one of the young Priestess'' support Abilities. Unaided, he could recover his mana fully in about 50 minutes, depending on the Mana recovery aid, that time could be cut down by 10-30 minutes. He would spend the time between healing sprints focusing on his breathing while trying not to be overwhelmed by the side effects and debuffs that he was racking up and then removing as the Botanist Surveyor and Priestess of light worked together to get as much casting out of him as possible without hitting a medicinal or magical dead end.
You have received the Potion Toxicity Debuff. Any alchemical treatment you receive for the next 12 hours will be reduced by 50% in its effectiveness.
¡°I have toxicity again,¡± Tilly said, after rubbing some of the salve Amelia had given him on his chest and face. It would supposedly widen his ¡®dantians¡¯ temporarily and allow his natural rate of recovery to increase in all areas for 20 min, giving him a 40% gain in Mana Regen. Make that 20% now that the Debuff was back. They had cured over 120 people at this point and Tilly wasn''t the only one hurting from the constant work. Both guards leaned on their weapons, sweat staining their protective robes. They had to face a new temporary manifestation of Corruption after every patient was purified. None of the manifestations were especially dangerous on their own, but they could not be allowed to escape and the varied nature of their appearance kept both of the guards on their toes, as Tilly tried to keep from intervening as much as possible to save Mana. The priestess, whose name was Triss, also wore a haggard expression as she choked down some sort of bitter-smelling tea that Amelia had handed to her to keep her own Mana Regen up. ¡°I can cast Purifying Radiance one more time, but after that, I think you will have to deal with the Debuffs another way. Even though we have kept my Well from bottoming out, I am closing in on mana exhaustion, and will be useless to you if you need me to boost your wisdom again.¡± She said between grimacing sips of the tea. At that, Amelia looked up, eyes red from the repeated brewing and processing of raw magical herbs, ¡°Yes, well save yourself until we run out of all options on my end. Speaking of which, Jonathan, I have one more thing to use that will be extremely beneficial to your power base and clear out any build-up of impurities in your system. With your Endurance, it should be safe to use, but it will not be pleasant.¡± Tilly¡¯s head pounded as he tried to focus on breathing and the source of his power. The internal flame showed no signs of flagging, unlike its surrounding vessel which felt strained and sore from the constant emptying and filling. He had not yet had a chance to spend so much time actually focusing on his internal environment, and even in short bursts he had found the practice incredibly enlightening. At this point, if he added up all of his recovery sessions, he had probably spent several hours breathing deeply while focusing inward on the sensation of his flame, experiencing how his Mana interacted with his physical body. The flame seemed to flow out of him in specific patterns, each one manifesting a different Ability. His Flame¡¯s Renewal built right below his lungs, stoking as he breathed in deeply and activated it. Then it would surge up from his center, through his mouth, and out with his breath onto the target. It didn''t burn exactly, but after over a hundred uses in less than 24 hours¡­ every empowered exhalation was accompanied by a sharp needle-like pain that ran up the route. He tiredly looked over to Amelia and held out his hand, ¡°Sure, why not... Give it to me and let''s get through the rest of these people. I can keep this up as long as you guys keep topping me off.¡± He said in between slightly ragged breaths. He didn''t know how much he had left, but he was sure of one thing. If they had to shut down the operation, it wasn''t going to be because of him. Behind his back, Amelia shared a look with Triss who just shrugged as she continued to choke down the bitter tea.
Amelia Amelia was confounded. Tilly hadn¡¯t mentioned Mana Exhaustion once.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. With her help, she had hoped he would be able to purify 50 patients before hitting one roadblock or another. At his level, his physical body just couldn''t take much more abuse than that, or at least that is what she had thought. A normal magic user of his class could run through his full mana reserve 3 or 4 times in a row before the infamous Mana Exhaustion debuff struck. Depending on the nature of the usage, you could lose consciousness or even lose the ability to move Mana through your pathways for hours. Typically the onset of the debuff was preceded by crippling pain that made casting impossible. But, Amelia had never met a Mana user who had such a crazy ratio of Endurance to Wisdom. For all she knew this could be typical of his build. Nonetheless, he seemed to deal with herbal toxicity just like everyone else, and it was time to use her last resort. She reluctantly pulled out a bundle from one of her pocket spaces. ¡°I am going to hand you a leaf that I need you to hold under your tongue for 10 breaths. You will want to spit it out, but you must hold it for that long, it will cause a chain reaction throughout your body that will force you to expel 70-80% of your short-term impurities over the next 5 minutes. We will leave the room, and I am sure the guards will be able to bring you something to use to handle the... impurities. Also, I suggest you remove your clothing for this, as it will be quite messy.¡± She gingerly took the plump purple-veined leaf from the bundle, handling it with a protective cloth, so as not to let the powerful reagent touch her skin, and placed it on the bench next to her human companion. The whole Origin explanation had been as new to her as the others, but what he had mentioned about the administrator had taken her back decades to her own transference and the mess of a life she had left behind¡­ Jonathan''s voice interrupted her reverie as he eyed the leaf, a curl of distaste tweaking his lips, ¡°Naked huh¡­ you saved the best for last, didn''t you?¡± He muttered before beginning to shed his patchwork primitive armor. Amelia was once again taken aback. She had expected some pushback at the mention of such a strange method of detoxification, or at least a request for clarification. But he just tiredly complied without any hesitation and it was almost as if he trusted her... Many shied away from taking anything but the tried and true recipes from licensed alchemists, however, her class let her discover new uses for flora much more readily than most who typically gathered for potion producers. This, in turn, allowed her to come up with new recipes much more frequently than others, using all kinds of unique and rare plants she came across in her travels. ¡°I have tried this on a few subjects, and some have even reported Stat increases after using it, so there should be some benefits to outweigh the... cost.¡± She stuttered quickly as she moved towards the door, not ready for how fast he had begun to disrobe. She didn''t bother to mention that she had only tested it on herself and Heras and that his results would be a fascinating addition to her body of data. The priestess was right behind her through the door. The guards, remained, one of whom was pushing forward a bucket with the toe of his boot. Tilly just nodded tiredly at her to show his understanding before pulling his furred leathers over his head. She turned away as the door shut and sat in the hall for a few minutes as the sound of retching and bowel cleansing sounded out from the room. The priestess looked over at her aghast, and Amelia gave a nervous chuckle in reply. ¡°I promise you, this method is by far the most effective way to use the leaf. It will allow me to re-use several of the recipes I have already employed to keep augmenting his Mana regeneration...And I would never give a patient something that I had not tested on myself first. This particular method is just a bit unorthodox.¡± ¡°...Unorthodox?¡± Triss grunted through half-lidded eyes as another round of retching began. ¡°It sounds more like torture.¡±
Jonathan Tillman 12 min later. He shakily pulled on the loaned Forsaken hood and tabard. ¡°That should be it¡­ Much easier to cleanse than those awful bandages.¡± The Priestess said, false cheer ringing in her voice. One of the guards, the taller humanoid that displayed much more hair than the other, helpfully added, ¡°He must have produced his body weight in waste¡­ I have never seen such a thing in all my years at the temple.¡± ¡°Yes well, that was to be expected considering the toxic load we had put on his system. Even your order¡¯s Purifying Radiance does little to remove actual toxicity. Rather I think it is more focused on removing the negative magical side effects of a wide range of maladies.¡± Amelia chimed in, leaning into an academic tone as if they were all in a lecture hall, and there wasn''t a putrid bucket of waste sitting in the corner. Meanwhile, Tilly took a deep drink of the provided church rations they had brought into the room at some point and a mechanical bite of some sort of spongy bread. The taste from the leaf still hadn''t quite left his mouth, leaving behind a bitterness so acute that he felt like every tastebud on his tongue had puckered into a painful tension. Water and food were helping, but the process was slow. He had wiped down as well as possible, and the priestess had taken away most of the smell with that handy cleanse of hers. But he couldn''t shake the memory of slime oozing out of his pores as his whole body convulsed and squeezed out waste from every orifice. He felt like a tube of toothpaste, rolled to the very top of its cap. ¡°Well, I don''t think I ever want to do that again, but you were right, Amelia,¡± Tilly said as he mentally dismissed the new notification on his screen, and looked over at the Botanist who had already begun the process of brewing another concoction. ¡°I gained a point in Constitution and Dexterity. According to the system, the changes I have undergone so far have wracked up a lot of toxins. So despite how terrible that was, thank you.¡± He added, actually pleased to get something out of that nightmarish experience. His Mana was nearing 100% again and while the ordeal had furthered his exhaustion, it had also left him with a strange clarity that lent him a mental sharpness that was out of place with his circumstances. ¡°Ulnas, can you send the next one in, I¡¯m ready to keep going.¡± He asked the guard, a steely determination underlying his tone. The hairier of the two guards left while the other reluctantly picked up the ¡°cleansed¡± pot and removed it from the room. Soon enough Ulnas returned with Satyr woman holding a baby that had an unhealthy greyish pallor and was breathing far too shallowly. Tilly straightened up from his slump against the bench and moved forward, gathering in a breath as his flame stirred and trying his best to ignore the feeling of hundreds of tiny knives that had begun to stab the pathway leading up his throat to his mouth. CH. 38 Out of the Frying Pan Every breath brought the sensation of jabbing needles back to his throat and lungs. The last twenty castings or so had been true agony, each empowered exhalation accompanied by an unconscious deep groan of pain. Through the agony and the gasping breaths of his short periods of recovery, Tilly numbly repeated his mantra, "One more... one more, and I''ll stop." The Priestess had long since passed out, and they had found another exhausted member of the temple to replace her, but apparently, they could no longer do anything about his damaged mana channels. Instead, they stood by to support the guards and serve as a second line of defense against the manifestations. Even Amelia had collapsed at some point, not sleeping for days and her constant magical brewing had caught up to her. At first, she had pulled a bench over to continue brewing while seated, and then a little while later, the sound of soft snoring emerged from her corner of the room as she sat slumped over her temporary work table covered with beakers, cauldrons, and burners. Tilly''s world had narrowed to one gasping breath after another, after a blank few minutes, he realized it had been a while since the last person had come in. He had signaled for a break to regain some Mana and had lost track of time. Through the fog of pain and fatigue, he looked up at his Mana bar, which was blinking for some reason, but showed 12%. Enough for one more... ¡°Ulnas. Bring in the next.¡± Tilly croaked allowing his head to loll to the side and catch sight of the guard who was leaning heavily on his weapon. He just nodded tiredly in response and moved through the door, before coming right back through, bristling with a sudden energy as a surprised smile lit his face. ¡°You are one stubborn Aurochs, human!" He shouted, the exhaustion disappearing from his form like fog before a rising sun. "That''s all of them. The Mother Superior started casting in another room hours ago, and together, you have managed to get through every petitioner. That is it, you have done it!¡± The gears in Tilly¡¯s mind slowly ground together, trying to process those words. ¡°Done?¡± He said, too tired to hold back the tears of relief pooling at the corners of his eyes. Even through his fog, he felt the burden lift from his shoulders. He had given his best¡­ There were no others who would die because of his lack of will. He let out a half chuckle, half sob as his shoulders slumped in relief and his body sagged much deeper into the bench against the wall. He saw several Debuffs active on his status and each came with a timer. Minor Exhaustion: 6 hours remaining Potion Toxicity: 10 hours remaining Mana Exhaustion: ({Partially Resisted}, {Localized}) 14 hours remaining None of them gave him a good notion of how long he had spent in the temple, he only knew that they had arrived sometime in the early evening. ¡°How long till morning?¡± He croaked out again, as the other guard rushed over to bring him some water. Tilly pulled some into his mouth and swished it around trying to wash away the feeling of sandpaper scratching down his throat. ¡°It is several hours yet until dawn. We have orders to guard you as you sleep, and we will wake you in the morning.¡± Ulnas stated solemnly, his pride in the work they had done evident on his face. At that Tilly let out a groan of relief and stretched out on the bench. Improved Endurance or not, he was utterly spent. In fact, he was past spent, having long since entered the fugue state he had sometimes found at the fire station on a double shift with no sleep. For decades he had operated at a functional level well past the limits of exhaustion and it was good to see those years still meant something here. He decided to look up at his notifications through slow heavy blinks, wondering if there was anything he needed to know before he slipped away to unconsciousness. The screen came up and he mentally filtered out all the healing, debuff, and cleansing notifications. The mental filters resolved into five distinct announcements from the system, and they danced before his bleary eyes, refusing to resolve into legible lines. He screwed his eyes shut to try and clear the bleariness and once closed, began to forget what his goal had been in closing them. The blanket of darkness was deeply soothing to his perception and he gave up struggling, allowing his consciousness to slip away. The newly filtered notification screen remained obediently visible before Tilly¡¯s closed eyes, happy to stay as long as it was needed.
Congratulations! You have unlocked a latent aspect of your class Son of Flame. Unlike other classes with stricter Ability pathways, your class harkens from the First Epoch. The numerics assigned by the system are more flexible for you and can be bent and at times broken depending on your need and force of Will. Minimums and Maximums as estimated by the system cannot fully define your abilities.
Congratulations! You have reforged the mana path along which Fire¡¯s Renewal flows. It is now defined as Fire Renewal+ They have been broken and remade in the heat of a purifying flame and once they fully recover from this trauma, they will be 100% more effective, allowing you to cast the same Ability for half the mana cost, or empower it to twice as effective at full cost.
Congratulations! You have emptied and filled your mana well over 24 times in 24 hours! By this action, you have forcibly expanded your well and your ability to fill it. Wisdom + 3 and Intelligence + 5.
Warning! Due to recent gains, you have lost the Title: [Resolute]
Congratulations! You have pushed far past your limits for the sake of others without a promised Quest Reward or Experience. You have done so motivated by deep pain and longing. This has been noted by the system and you have been awarded the Title: [Scarred Heart]Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [Scarred Heart]: Any goal you pursue motivated by the depths of your soul will be met with an unparalleled opportunity by the System. Even a broken heart can produce unimaginable strength.
Jonathan Tillman 6 hours later Tilly was awoken by the sound of the door shutting harshly and urgent whispers coming from the front of the room. His head felt like it was stuffed with wool and his mouth was unbelievably dry. He licked the roof of his mouth trying to produce a drop of saliva to no avail, and cracked his bleary eyes open to try and find some water. The blue glow of a screen was shining in his face and he tiredly dismissed it to get a better look around him. The backup Priestess was gone, and Amelia was still slumped over her temporary work table snoring. The guards were both by the door, sharing an intense conversation with the Steward. Tilly groped around until he found the water pouch before sitting up with a groan and pulling the canteen to his lips, taking deep thirsty swallows as the lukewarm liquid slid in between his teeth and cooled the harsh gritty sensation covering the interior of his airway. ¡°Mr. Tillman, we had hoped to let you rest for a while longer, but the situation in the city is¡­ ah¡­ deteriorating rapidly.¡± The steward said as he saw Tilly sit up. He was wringing his hands nervously. ¡°What¡¯s happening? How long have I been asleep?¡± Tilly mumbled, the fuzziness in his mind clarifying to a throbbing headache as he came fully to consciousness. ¡°The sun rose a few hours ago, and the grand Caravan left sometime in the night. It was thought that the Cult¡¯s forces would still be hours away, but it looks like our reports were wrong. They have been spotted from the walls. How our diviners missed this, I do not know but the city has almost devolved into a riot¡­¡± Tilly¡¯s headache throbbed deeply as if to emphasize how truly shitty today was going to be. As far as he knew, everything people would need to leave wouldn''t be ready until this evening, and that was a hell of a lot of time to hang around with an army at your door. ¡°How many are there, and what is the state of our defense?¡± Amelia¡¯s tired voice groaned from the other side of the room. Tilly looked over, noticing her mussed hair and a drool stain on the collar of her shirt. Her eyes however contrasted completely with those signs of recent sleep. They showed brightly with an almost manic determination. ¡°The home Phalanx and two auxiliary Phalanxes are positioned to intercept. The walls are manned by a mixture of the city guard and the private guards of the noble houses. The Emperor¡¯s Bastions have been seen moving through the city, but no one knows how many there are or what they are doing. As for the enemy¡­¡± At this, Mateus¡¯ formal-sounding report devolved into a choking sob. ¡°There are reported to be ten thousand Naga warriors of various levels, with accompanying elites¡­ and they are driving a force of fifty thousand before them. Made up completely of irregulars-¡± ¡°What sort of irregulars have they been able to get in those numbers? Are they mercenaries?¡± Amelia asked, shocked. ¡°It is reported that they are employing some method of converting conquered citizens into war slaves. I can only imagine that these forces are a result of the sacking of our last remaining satellite city. They will be used as fodder to throw against the Home Guard and exhaust its resources.¡± ¡°Let me guess¡± Tilly cut in, a hollow tone of despair filling his voice, ¡°These ''war slaves'' have black eyes and display berserker levels of aggression.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ The cult employs blood magic that can be powerful and compulsive at times, but we have never seen anything like this. It''s worse than the rituals of undeath some of our demonic enemies use. At least those conversions result in a loss of levels and must be accompanied by a controller of some kind. Is this related to the curse-empowered sicknesses we have been combating in the city?¡± The color had long since drained from Tilly¡¯s face as he considered what the people of the city were about to face, ¡°Yes, it''s all connected. Those people have been Corrupted. Once it progresses that far, I don''t think there is any sapience left in them. They will do everything possible to spread the infection. They will devour and kill, while any who remain relatively intact will be added to their number. At least that is how it happened with the forest creatures surrounding the Lapin outpost.¡± At his words, Mateus¡¯ frown deepened and Amelia shot up from her seat and started grasping her equipment and shoving it into various pockets, ¡°I have got to find Heras and the children. If we are to fight, I would do so protecting them.¡± She said as urgency sped her movements. Tilly got up and began to remove the cowl of the Forsaken, ¡°Hopefully they have already met up with the Lapin contingent, and if so, that means I¡¯m going with you. We will help anyone else we can along the way." ¡°Wait! Please. We can protect you here in the Temple!¡± Mateus said desperately as the two made preparations to leave. Amelia totally ignored him while Tilly threw the balled-up uniform to one of the guards. ¡°Sorry Mateus, I don''t think that is an option for either of us,¡± Tilly said shortly as he grabbed some of the bread and hurriedly shoved it in his mouth, chewing as fast as possible. He had learned long ago, that you always ate and drank what you could, when you could, before going out on an unknown engagement. ¡°The gift you have cannot end here in this fight! We have received word to recruit you if possible and send you through our network to the Shining Isle.¡± Alarm bells went off in Tilly¡¯s mind at the desperation creeping into the Steward''s tone. His hands drifted to his hatchets, as he turned to give Mateus a hard look. ¡°Whatever your orders are, we are leaving. We have promises to keep.¡± At his words, Amelia looked up, reaching into her pockets threateningly, prepared to back up Tilly, no matter what happened with the church. That was the second time Tilly had seen her reach into her pockets like that, and he couldn''t help but wonder what exactly she would pull out of there if threatened. Mateus raised his hand in a conciliatory manner, ¡°No. Despite what you may think, no one here will force you. But many across the Plane need your abilities, Mr. Tillman. This is not an isolated incident, and the Church is struggling with her allies to contain it. With our backing, you could truly skyrocket in power and help countless others while doing it.¡± The Steward pleaded, his eyes emploring Tilly to see reason. Tilly allowed his words to sink in and thought through the possibility of his death in the coming fight. Was he being selfish? The church of the Lady Light seemed like the real deal good guys. Who was he to say no to helping all those people? These thoughts and more swirled through his head and seemed to reverberate through his body in time with the throbbing of his headache. Doubt crept in, and his normally decisive manner was once again struggling to find a way through the confusing morality of this conflict. But in the end, he reluctantly shook his head. To say yes to Mateus'' offer, would mean having to change who he was on a fundamental level. He had made promises, and he couldn''t break them and be the kind of man he wanted to be. Maybe that was wrong, but he thought again of the little girl lying in the shop, and her small courageous smile. If doing the right thing meant abandoning her¡­ His heart firmed and a note of clarity resolved through the cacophony of contrasting desires. As if in response to this revelation he felt a deep echoing thud in his chest, and he started, before realizing it had been a single beat of his heart echoing through his whole body. It pushed back the throbbing of his head, suppressing the ever-present invasive sensation of the Seed, and even enveloped the burning heat in his chest. All of these dissonant forces combined to form something solid and sure under the power of its influence. Something in the Steward''s eyes changed, and he relented before a voice sounded from the hallway past the open door. ¡°Very well. If you must go, you will do so with our blessing.¡± The Mother Superior came into view from the hall, looking as tired as Tilly felt. Identify finally pinging as she entered. Level 62 Elder Priestess of the Lady Light. ¡°I have a blessing I can give both of you that might just help you survive the day. I can only cast it once a week, but this feels like the right time to use it, don¡¯t you think Mateus?¡± She said, looking over at him with a small smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. Ch. 39 Into the Fire Amelia had just finished tucking the last of her things into her coat, and at the Priestess'' offer, she looked over at Tilly and shrugged, ¡°I think we should take all the help we can get.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± Tilly said as she smoothed out some wrinkles in her coat and moved forward to stand next to Tilly before the Elder Priestess. ¡°Except for the cool-down, it is a very simple blessing. It lasts for 6 hours and will give you divine insight into your surroundings. Providence will guide your steps.¡± She said smiling. ¡°A week cool-down for that-?¡± Tilly blurted before receiving a sharp elbow in the ribs from Amelia. The Mother Superior smiled, and began to chant, pulling her hands from her voluminous sleeves and waving them in esoteric patterns. No light emitted from her blessing like Tilly had seen with other Priestesses, but Tilly could feel something settling over his body, like a warm blanket. The priestess¡¯s eyes flashed and she finished with, ¡°Light protect you and guide you.¡± before collapsing. Mateus barely kept her from hitting the floor as she fell and Tilly rushed forward in concern. But the Steward waved him away with his free hand, ¡°This is only because she, like you, has pushed herself far beyond her limits these last days. Now go, the blessing will make itself known to you as you move. May the Light shine upon you.¡± He intoned as he and one of the guards moved to support the Priestess and carried her over to one of the same cots they used for the sick. ¡°Thanks for everything guys, I won''t forget you, and if we make it out of this, I''ll be in touch,¡± Tilly said nodding to the steward and the guards. ¡°No, it is us who must thank you. Your arrival was nothing short of miraculous. The Light always finds a way.¡± Ulnas said seriously, his fierce smile filled with gratitude. ¡°Mateus, a pleasure. I have always appreciated the work you do here and I am glad to have been a part of it in the city¡¯s last days.¡± Amelia said solemnly to the steward as he fussed over the Elder Priestess'' prone form. He smiled in reply and shooed them away. "Don''t worry about us. Our order reserves the right to revoke this Temple. It has a high cost, but if needed, we can all be called back to the Isle in a moment." With that, they both turned and headed toward the exit of the building. When they emerged from the large front entryway they found a line of grim guards standing at attention on the steps facing out into a city bathed in morning light. What would have been a somewhat peaceful vista was marred by the sound of distant screaming and the general roar of upraised voices from the populace. Tilly¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to a pillar of black smoke rising in the distance over another part of the city, old instinct drawing him towards the fire even as he tried to remember which way the Teleportation Hub was. Amelia moved past the guards who saluted before returning to their grim vigil and then paused at the bottom of the steps as if in indecision. ¡°What are you thinking? Should we find where the Lapin contingent is setting up and see what Lord Hiro is planning?¡± Tilly asked, coming up behind her. ¡°That is precisely what I was going to do, which would require us to move that way,¡± she pointed toward the city center with a thoughtful expression, ¡°But I feel something pulling me in a different direction. I believe it is the blessing of the Mother Superior¡­ But how far do we trust something like this? Does it take into account our own goals, or does it prioritize our survival above all else?¡± She pondered, tapping her foot and looking in the direction she had pointed. ¡°Well¡­ If this is a powerful Ability, then I¡¯m sure it will turn out to be more than just a ¡®danger compass¡¯. Let''s move in the direction you know we need to go as fast as we can, and if either of us feels anything change, we will let the other know.¡± Tilly said slowly, as he too felt a slight tug away from the direction they needed to go. ¡°If it is warning us of immediate danger, it''s best to be prepared,¡± Amelia said as she reached into her main right-hand pocket and pulled out a full staff, Mary Poppins style. It looked like a simple length of grayish wood whose only distinct feature was a sprig of budding growth at its top. With her other hand, she fished out a bundle of something. Tilly pulled out his hatchets, following Amelia as she moved down the street with a purposeful stride, staff at the ready. Tilly¡¯s Health and Mana were both at 100% but he still had two Debuffs remaining from the night before: Potion Toxicity: 4 hours remaining Mana Exhaustion: 8 hours ({Partially Resisted}, {Localized}) remaining He didn''t really understand the second one, but he imagined it had something to do with the faint pins and needles sensations he felt in his lungs and throat every time he exhaled. He was happy to see the blessing also up on his HUD below the Debuffs: Light''s Blessing of Insight: 6 hours remaining. Temple Way was more or less abandoned, with only a few other edifices showing a guard presence at the front entrance, the others being shut up or left abandoned. Only a few of these factions seemed to think they could weather the invasion, but Tilly didn''t imagine the Nagas would be very friendly to other deities. Amelia took a turn down a side street that pointed more directly toward the center of the city and she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Tilly felt a slightly more urgent tug back toward the Temple of Light as he walked up next to her. The side street looked abandoned, but they both looked at each other as the pull of the blessing redoubled in strength, urging them not to head down the street. ¡°We continue, I would rather face this ready than be surprised by it later,¡± Amelia muttered under her breath dropping her cloth sack at their feet and then moving forward at a more cautious pace. Tilly jogged in front of Amelia, keeping his hatchets at the ready, ¡°Unless I miss my guess, you are more of a back-line combatant, so let me take the lead, alright?¡± He said through the side of his mouth as he continued. She nodded, scanning the suspiciously empty streets.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Tilly wished the Priestess had given them more information before passing out, but then again, he doubted something like this functioned the same way every time it was cast. The tugging grew even more insistent until it felt like someone was pulling the back of his jacket. He was about to give in and suggest a longer route when the sound of clapping echoed up and down the street. Tilly¡¯s Head snapped up to the source and found an ornately dressed Satyr with two giant thugs in house guard uniforms emerging from a shadowed doorway a little further down the street. Tilly¡¯s face grew hot, and he felt the phantom dribble of spit slide down the side of his face as he once again took in the sight of the smug Marcellus family scion. ¡°Ah, I should have known you two rats would find each other. I hear you have been getting involved in things far above your station Mrs. Cooper.¡± He sang, with a smile that oozed scorn, ¡°And you,¡± he said turning his gaze upon Tilly, ¡°the resources my family has wasted on you are unconscionable, you little cockroach. ¡± He spat, his smug mask cracking to reveal the mania that hovered just under the surface. During Titus'' short monologue, Tilly felt the Blessing cease its pulling backward, and he glanced behind them to see a couple more thuggish guards stepping into the mouth of the side street. They were trapped. His Identify populated their levels and classes., Level 26-28 Marcellus House Guard Elite. X 4 Shit, way too much for him to handle, and no Corruption damage bonus either. He hoped that the Botanist Surveyor had some ass-kicking in her, because if not they were fucked. ¡°Run on my signal-¡± Amelia hissed through clenched teeth, obviously seething with fury at her mistake in ignoring the blessing''s guidance. Tilly''s hands were itching to throw one of his hatchets, and he didn''t want to leave her to handle this fight, even if she could. ¡°What are the little rats chattering about?¡± the Quaestor sniggered moving closer, ¡°I hope you aren''t leaving our surprise party so soon! What about our guest of honor?¡± He gestured grandiosity at the other side of the street. There Marcellus House Steward emerged from an abandoned shop''s doorway, holding a small squirming gnomish boy in his hand. ¡°I''m sorry Mrs. Amelia!¡± Cog cried pitifully, ¡°I left Miss Heras to try and find my family, and these smelly bastards caught me!¡± He snarled out through a sob, before receiving a sharp cuff across the head from the Steward, ¡°You will speak with respect when referring to the master.¡± The boy cried out in response, and Tilly¡¯s fury grew cold and terrible as he noted the bruises already marking the boy''s face and neck. Amelia hissed next to him, ¡°You slimy pile of auroch¡¯s dung! You would hide behind a child?¡± At that Titus Marcellus snorted with laughter, ¡°This creature is no child, it is little better than an animal. Besides, we brought him for fun, not because we needed him. Steward, you may dispat-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Tilly shouted, whipping his head around to drill his gaze into the Level 38 Quaestor. Panic and fury mingled in his chest as the situation rapidly devolved before his eyes. ¡°No one here has done as much damage to your name as me, and honestly I have loved every minute of it, traitor.¡± Tilly snarled, not having to fake any of the goading delight he felt at insulting the Satyr. ¡°Arn''t you the Naga''s errand boy? How does it feel to be a toy to the Scale Bellies?¡± Tilly continued, showing every one of his teeth in a fierce grin. A glimmer of a plan had formed in Tilly''s mind that vaguely involved him starting a fight with the Quaestor and giving Amelia space to attempt a grab on Cog. But somewhere between giving a voice to his feigned fury and goading Titus, his blood began to boil. Something about his utter self-centeredness, even as the city pulled itself apart around him, drove Tilly up the wall. He hated this piece of shit. The emerging plan sunk back down into Tilly''s subconscious as his world zeroed in on Titus Marcellus. The half smile half sneer fell from Titus¡¯ face and was replaced by raw, teeth-grinding fury, ¡°You hairless ape. You have no idea what your betters are doing, but I look forward to showing you just how far out of your depth you truly are.¡± He said, rolling up his sleeves, ¡°Stay back, I will take care of this buffoon myself.¡± he called to his guards before turning to Amelia, ¡° And don''t even think of trying anything,¡± ¡°If you so much as twitch, Evander will stick the ugly little midget.¡± At his words the Steward made a knife appear in his hand as if by magic, placing it almost gently upon the boy''s cheek, and Amelia gasped in dismay loudly, before muttering rapidly under her breath to Tilly, ¡°If you can distract them for even a few seconds, I can get him free and take care of the goons behind us,¡± But he didn''t respond. It seemed like he didn''t hear the words at all. His attention was consumed by the tattoos revealed on the Quaestor''s right arm. They seemed to bleed ink, just like the ones on the Shadow Hunters. They called to him and disturbed him at the same time. The roaring throb began pounding in Tilly''s ears, and his heart beat wildly as his mouth went dry. The Seed in his side began to writhe, its tendrils reaching hungrily for more. The veins in Titus¡¯ right arm wriggled in response, like recognizing like, and the blood drained from Tilly¡¯s face as his eyes met the Satyr¡¯s grim smile. ''This fucker knows'' ¡°I had wondered what this sensation was¡­ I kept thinking that you felt familiar, yet I had no reason to know you. Then when I let the Shadow Hunters over the wall and I felt their Corruption, I finally discovered the source of our bond.¡± Amelia''s wary eyes left Steward, and looked over at the Quaestor in confusion, ¡°What is he talking about?¡± She called, taking in the cursed tattoos covering the writhing skin of Titus¡¯ arm. They had both seen similar eldritch movements hundreds of times by this point, and her expression fell as she put together what he was implying. With dawning horror, she looked over at Tilly, "Jonathan, what is he talking about?¡± She asked again more urgently. Tilly¡¯s mind was sluggish, the sweet feeling of hatred sung in his veins, drowning out reason and shame. He was going to tell Amelia, he was going to tell Hiro, but not like this. Not from this pompous ass. His avoidance and his shame came roaring to the surface before being drowned in fury. This was all the stupid goat''s fault¡­ His surroundings, Amelia and even little Cog fuzzed into the background as his breathing grew ragged and the color drained from his vision until everything was painted in shades of gray and black. Titus Marcellus smiled warmly at Tilly, ¡°You can hear its song, can¡¯t you? It''s an offering of freedom if only you let yourself go... Show us your true self, APE!¡± He finished with a high-pitched squealing laugh. ¡°Jonathan!¡± Amelia shouted. Tilly heard none of it. Not the antagonizing of the Satyr, not Amelia''s cry. He only heard the throbbing beats of his pounding heart and the roaring of his hatred. He was going to chop this fucking goat into pieces. Ch. 40 Just Desserts Amelia Cooper Level 33 Botanist Surveyor. ''I should have trusted my instincts!'' she thought furiously to herself. Her mind was whirling as she tried to take in the tumble of new information while simultaneously gaining some sort of control over the situation. She silently activated the mana in the RageSpore packet she had left at the mouth of the side street. She felt them greedily gobble up the stored energy and puff out an invisible mist of airborne fungi, that if inhaled, would produce confusion and extreme aggression in a target after thirty seconds. For better or worse, things would drastically change in half a minute. She couldn¡¯t believe after all of his supposed efforts to stop this infection he was already under the Corruption¡¯s influence. She didn''t know if he was a willing host or not, but the Marcellus¡¯ Scion¡¯s words had sent him into a frenzy. When she saw two black tear stains streaking from his dark watering eyes, all of her naive hope came crashing down around her. ¡°Jonathan!¡± She yelled, trying in vain to shock him out of Corruption''s influence. She fought back the familiar tang of regret and failure as she took in his complete lack of a reaction. Instead, a grizzly smile ripped across his lips and he stalked toward the vastly more powerful Quaestor like an absolute idiot. The Satyr seemed to relish the challenge and was happily showing off his arm which was infested with the same eldritch malady. She could tell that the tattoos were meant to somewhat contain the influence of the foreign substance, but that was a fool''s errand. The magic of the seals was already clearly fraying, a fact underscored by the Quastor''s barely contained manic aggression. With both of them caught up in whatever this was... she just might have a chance. Another small sob sounded out from behind her and her grip on her Budded Staff tightened as she whipped her head back around towards the gnomish boy. 25 seconds. She quickly checked her connection to the Strangle Vine cutting she had instructed each child to keep on their person. It weakly responded from Cog''s pocket and she was thankful that she had renewed a connection to each cutting as the children were healed yesterday. She could channel Frenzied Growth into any willing plant as long as she maintained her mana imprint. A seed could hold the pattern for longer, but it would take too long to sprout for any immediate defense. So she had mangled her last two living specimens, subdividing them until almost no life potential was left. Then she had imbued and distributed them to each child, with a stern order not to lose the little length of vine. Even as a cutting, this plant was notorious for its rapid growth, and with her Ability, it should be enough to protect him when the time was right. She had to wait until the disturbingly impassive Steward was distracted. 22 seconds. The Marcellus scion reached into his robes and withdrew a sceptrum, a foolishly ornate weapon that had become fashionable amongst the young aristocrats in the last few years. This one, however, glowed with purple light as the smirking Quaester flourished it needlessly a few times before matching Jonathan¡¯s approach with a proud forward step. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised really. A brute like you would long for such comfort this substance offers.¡± He admonished the approaching human, flourishing his tattooed arm again. ¡°There are methods to tame its influence while still reaping the rewards¡­ But I am sure you received your imbuement through something vulgar like a bite or scratch!¡± he wandered idly, before whipping forward with a sudden and open swing. The opening attack wasn''t particularly powerful or fast, but he was 26 levels above Jonathan¡¯s Son of Flame class and it showed. Jonathan immediately reacted to the obvious swing but was simply too slow, and was going to at least receive a bludgeoning blow to his shoulder. Amelia winced in sympathy while maintaining her internal count. Then Jonathan seemed to be jerked to the side, and Titus¡¯s eyes widened in shock as the strange movement put him just out of reach of the swing. 17 seconds. Jonathan wasted no time, showing an astonishing battle sense even under the effects of Corruption. His axe heads flared with an angry blue flame and he swung them at the Quaestor from opposite directions. Taking advantage of his opponent''s off-balanced stance after the surprising missed swing. The Quaestor easily batted away the clumsy attack with his glowing metal rod. But his smirk was gone. He did not like being surprised by such a weak opponent. ¡°You are quite the cockroach, aren''t you? I am growing weary of your antics. Bug!¡± he spat, accentuating his final sentence with wide-sweeping strikes that Jonathan barely blocked. Even with the obvious telegraphing from the overconfident Marcellus, each blow knocked him further on his back foot until he was up against the side of the jutting storefront from which the ambushing party had emerged. Jonathan felt the wood behind him, snarled, and lunged back at Titus recklessly. His face was a mask of animalistic fury, as he rejected the reality of his circumstances completely. The lunge was received full-on by the satyr with open arms and a smirk. Jonathan''s full weight didn''t move his opponent at all and the Quaestor brought down his sceptrum viciously on Jonathan¡¯s back, causing an explosive grunt to sound from his violently emptied lungs. ¡°A tackle?¡± The Satyr sniggered, before lazily slamming another blow down on Jonathan¡¯s back. The second blow knocked him to the ground, and Amelia''s whole body tightened, willing the spores'' effect to hurry.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. 5 seconds. ¡°How positively juvenile.¡± He yelled before aiming a kick at Jonathan¡¯s prone form, which once again slid just out of the way of the blow without any corresponding movement from Jonathan. ''It''s the Blessing!'' Amelia cheered internally. Maybe it was burning out its influence to physically move him in his altered state, but Amelia was glad to see the Ability could operate with such nuance. While each of its influencing movements on Jonathan hadn¡¯t been particularly preternatural in speed, they had been so inexplicably well-timed that the result was just enough to extract Jonathan from more bodily harm. It wasn''t foolproof, but it would have to be enough. Any second now those two goons should start showing symptoms. ¡°How unbelievably frustrating!¡± The Quaestor yelled, his voice cracking manically. ¡°Very well, if the child won''t stay still for his discipline, I will have to hold him down. Chains of Judgement!¡± He shouted in a high-pitched whine. Spectral chains shining with purple light appeared around Jonathan¡¯s wrists and yanked his arms upward and back until he was hanging from them with his back against the same wooden storefront. Shouting could be heard from back down the street, and both of the thus far inactive guards flanking the fight looked over with suspicious expressions. The Quaestor didn''t react, totally absorbed in his ¡®lesson¡¯, and to Amelia¡¯s horror, he followed up his Ability by thrusting his Sceptrum through Jonathan¡¯s shoulder, pinning him to the wood of the wall behind him. Cog cried out in horror behind her and she whirled back around hoping to catch her chance at the distraction. ¡°There! That should help you keep still for the rest of our little game.¡± Titus screeched. The guards maneuvered around him to get a better view of what was happening further down the street, where the two others had inexplicably begun to brawl. They were shouting obscenities at each other with their weapons lying forgotten on the street. Amelia watched the steward carefully. As soon as he craned his neck around the boy to peer coldly down the street, Amelia flooded the cutting with mana.
Jonathan Tillman Level 12 Son of Flame. The boy''s cry along with the shock of being impaled cut through the angry grey mist of hatred that had clouded Tilly''s mind. He blinked rapidly as his vision cleared and he saw Titus''s delighted expression leering at him. In an instant, the situation crashed into Tilly¡¯s awareness along with a crushing shame that he had once again given in to Corruption''s Influence. Tilly saw Cog held tight by the Steward, with a knife drifting near his cheek and Amelia posed on the edge of her feet as the guards nearest to him started to move back down the street. ¡°Crete! What in Justice¡¯s Upright Teets are you doing?¡± The guard on the right shouted back down the street toward the other two who seemed to have begun brawling. This was lost on Titus who was pulling back his fist in slow motion as he carefully took in Tilly''s expression, almost shuddering in pleasure. Over Titus'' shoulder, Tilly saw Amelia lean forward on the balls of her feet as a faint green nimbus glow emitted from the staff. At the same time, something exploded out of Cog''s pocket and Tilly smiled as Titus¡¯ fist connected with his face, shattering his perception and causing stars to flare in front of his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s so funny you Neanderthal!¡± Titus shouted as the green thing latched onto the Steward¡¯s arm and rapidly grew up around his extremity. He shouted in surprise and Tilly was amazed to see Titus not even flinch as he leaned even closer to Tilly¡¯s face, screaming, ¡°Answer Me!¡± ''It''s not too late, I can make this right'' He thought as a fatalistic joy flooded Tilly''s heart. He may have fucked up, but there was still a chance to get Amelia and Cog out of this. He took in a deep breath, kindling the Mana in his diaphragm and triggering excruciating pain throughout his over-drawn mana channels. Titus leaned forward, expecting a plea for mercy or a cry of pain. Instead, Tilly exhaled, tearing open metaphysical wounds and releasing invisible flames all over the Quastor''s face. Titus looked at him in confusion for a second as he tried to register the heat blooming on his face. Then his eyes clouded over and he released an animal-like scream. The guards were at a loss. First turning in confusion towards the Steward''s surprised shout, then back to the sound of their master¡¯s screaming, not quite able to keep up with events. In the chaos, Tilly mercilessly headbutted Titus¡¯s reeling form and Amelia''s staff whipped around to bludgeon one of the guards on his head. Titus Marcellus stumbled back, continuing to scream in agony as the writhing forms under his arm started to tear themselves free, attempting to escape the purifying flame. The Steward had dropped Cog in an effort to shift his knife to his unbound hand, and Amelia followed up her blow to the first guard by whipping her hand out of another pocket and flinging dust in the second guard''s face. His thick shortsword clattered on the cobbles as he started to hack and wretch in response to whatever hellish substance she had just introduced into his system. ¡°Take the boy and go, Amelia!¡± Tilly shouted hoarsely, while arduously pulling his ruined shoulder forward on the weird scepter thing that Titus had been beating him with. Cog scrambled away on all fours as the steward began hacking at the still-growing vine reaching around his throat. The guard Amelia had initially whacked was backing away from her, sword at the ready and Titus continued to scream as black tendrils ripped themselves free from his arm leaving it a mangled mess. With a final heave, Tilly pulled his shoulder free and found to his surprise that he was still clutching both of his hatchets in a death grip. Without thinking he immediately flung the one in his uninjured arm at the guard closest to Cog while igniting it in flames. The Guard grunted as it lodged in his back with a meaty thunk and Amelia looked over at him, obviously torn on her next step. The tentacled horror had almost fully detached itself from the Marcellus scion and the steward had carved bloody marks along his shoulder and neck freeing himself from vine-like growth that had emerged from Cog''s pocket. She reached down and grabbed Cog, throwing his small terrified form over her shoulder, and gave Tilly a flat look, ¡°No one is sent here because they are good.¡± Then she frowned apologetically and skirted around the tentacled thing that had almost completely pulled free from Titus'' body. As soon as she was out of range she turned and sprinted down the street away from the remaining combatants. The guard who had been hacking up a lung was recovering and Tilly quickly recalled his second hatchet from the back of the other who had been reaching around pointlessly to remove it. These guys were pretty much all Strength and Endurance. Only one of the two guards who had spontaneously started fighting remained standing. He came limping toward the main group with a conflicted expression on his face, leaving the other guard crumbled in a bloody pile at the intersection. That left three wounded combatants, one writhing horror, and one aristocratic brat still screaming hoarsely in pain. All of whom were at least 14 levels above him¡­ Mana : 93% Health : 45% Tilly took a deep breath as they all took in the horror. By some unspoken arrangement, the guards zeroed in on him as the greatest threat and turned to advance. He clutched his newly recalled hatchet in his good arm and held on to the other one weakly as the gaping hole in his shoulder leaked blood. Then a small paper bird flew into his view, ¡°Jonathan Tillman! My tracking sigil informed me that you are injured. Do not worry! Help is on the way!¡± The bird declared in Shuji¡¯s voice for all to hear. His opponent''s eyes narrowed at the words and the Steward''s creepily calm voice issued out a command, ¡°Kill him and get the master away from the specimen.¡± Ch. 41 Low-Speed Chase Everyone was injured in some form or another. Well, except for the tentacled manifestation of Corruption which had just finished separating itself with a sucking pop from Titus. That thing seemed completely fine. The beaten guard and the guard with the hatchet wound in his back stalked toward Tilly, their thick short swords in hand. The third guard shuffled warily toward Titus who was still gasping on the ground in shock. All the while, the Steward took in the scene coolly. The manifestation¡¯s appendages quivered, and several of them honed in on the approaching guard as it stood over the body of its previous host possessively. ¡°Mr. Evander, I¡¯m not sure this thing is going to let the master go.¡± He said hesitantly, as more of the appendages tilted toward him at the sound of his voice. ¡°Shut up Trivus and do your job. You know it cannot survive long outside of a host. Do what you have to do and end it. Retrieve the master.¡± the steward droned as if giving a particularly boring lecture. ¡°Easy for you to say, I hate this stuff¡­¡± He muttered darkly, even as the other two arrived within attacking range of Tilly and split to either side to box him in. He held up his hatchets in what he hoped was an intimidating manner, but his left arm screamed at him in pain as he tried to raise the weapon above shoulder height. The guard on that side smiled and Tilly stirred up his mana prepared to surprise both of them with Flame Expulsion. They were both 14 levels higher than him and seemed to be free of Corruption, which would have been his only trump card against them. So the best he could come up with was a full frontal assault using the main chunk of his remaining mana. ¡°GARRAAGGHH¡± The sound of a gurgling scream cut through the impending conflict like a knife, and all three combatants turned to the incredibly disturbing scene playing out behind them. The manifestation had pounced on the approaching satyr in a burst of speed, and the guard was furiously stabbing at it with his sword. Unfortunately for him, the thing didn''t care about the grievous wounds being inflicted on its center mass. It was busy putting all its effort into shoving as much of itself into the openings on the guard''s face as possible. The guard''s two companions were slack-jawed at the horrifying sight, and while Tilly found it equally disturbing, he had unfortunately seen far too much of the Corruption¡¯s nature for something like this to throw him off. The Steward was also taking advantage of the distraction. Skirting around the two, he made his way over to the now-unconscious Titus. Tilly knew it was now or never and struck viciously with his good arm at the guard to his right. Even taken completely by surprise, the man¡¯s sword still came up for a block, but just too late to catch the head of the hatchet as it buried itself in his shoulder. The second guard spun back towards the fight even as Tilly followed up his strike by ramming his shoulder into the guard on the right for all he was worth. Hitting him felt like trying to force open an industrial steel door. Nonetheless, he caused the guard to stumble back two steps. In the craziness of the conflict, the guard had not been expecting the ferocity of the attack or the immediacy of the follow-up. He responded with a weak thrust from his back foot, and his partner tried to grab Tilly from behind, but he was already shooting the gap created by the move. Before they could fully react, he was behind the guard on the right, breaking out into a full run, dropping the hatchet in his weak arm in favor of building speed. ¡°Get him, you idiots!¡± The steward shouted as he dragged Titus¡¯ body away from the now collapsed guard and the quickly disappearing appendages of the manifestation. Tilly was several steps ahead, almost at a full sprint when he heard both guards curse and give chase. He thought that with his emphasis on Dexterity, he would have an advantage in speed, but that idea was quickly put to the sword by the sound of heavy breathing drawing up behind him. Tilly¡¯s shoulder injury shot jagged pain through his body every other step as he pumped his arm as best he could. The guards were faster than him, but not by much and he was going to make them work for every gained foot. He blindly sprinted down the street in the direction Amelia had gone and desperately hoped he was moving toward backup, not away from it. The side street opened up to a main thoroughfare about ninety feet ahead, he could see people moving agitatedly in a single direction, but he wasn''t going to make it. The hooved feet of his pursuers were now hitting the cobblestones just behind him in loping rhythms and he could almost feel a strike that was about to land. He churned up the flame in his chest desperately and reached for the compressing sensation that had accompanied Flame Expulsion the first time he had used this ability against the Corrupted poison fog. The flame inside his chest roiled and then shrunk to a nova pinprick in his chest, just as he heard a grunt of effort behind him. The compression reached its bursting point and exploded out of him in a sphere of blue flames. He held his breath just in time as they washed over him in a pleasant heat. The guards behind him were not as prepared. If they had seen the attack coming they probably could have sheltered behind their extremities and gotten away with superficial burns. Especially with their obvious Endurance. But mid-chase? They suddenly found themselves running into a wall of fire, eyes open to the flame, gasping in lungs full of superheated air. The huge Mana expenditure left him feeling even more tired and hollow than he already was, but he pushed on for another ten steps before recalling his hatchet and turning back towards his foes. Both guards were hunched over covering injured eyes and heaving dry painful sounding coughs. Tilly didn''t give them any more time to recover, launching an enflamed hatchet at one with his good arm, and then shifting the second hatchet to his right hand and throwing that as well. They were stationary targets at about 25 feet and Tilly easily scored significant hits on both of them at the base of their necks in the gaps of their armor. Not waiting to see how they reacted, he spun and continued his flight emerging out into the crowded street a few moments later. The street was choked with citizens all heading deeper into the city and the sound of fighting could be heard in the opposite direction of their fleeing. Tilly could vaguely see the walls in the distance back the way they came, and the road curved slightly up ahead blocking their destination. Not that many of them probably knew where they were headed, they just wanted to get as far away from the fighting as possible. The emergence of a wounded human from the side street seemed to go unnoticed as they continued to push and shove further down the street. He entered the flow of refugees, buying himself some time. He had barely and miraculously escaped a situation that should have been his end. With this realization came the galling pain of having lost control again...If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. This time for much more than a moment of unbridled rage. Something about Titus and the way he reveled in revealing Tilly¡¯s infection to Amelia had sent him into a spiral. He had blanked out, only coming back to himself at the sound of Cog¡¯s scream. Sure, he''d done everything he could to help Amelia and the boy get free, but that did little to cool the burning shame at the thought of almost being responsible for their deaths. It had clearly put them in danger to not know he was as much a liability as an ally, and all the excuses he had spun up to delay telling people now seemed shallow and self-centered. Everything he hated in Titus... Part of him wanted to pretend that Corruption¡¯s influence had been some unstoppable internal influence, but that just wasn''t true. It pushed him, urging him to lose himself in his darker nature, but it wasn''t forcing him along a path he didn''t already want to walk. Asking for help had slowly grown into a no-fly zone over the decades and he especially hated being seen as the one who held back the team. This drive had propelled him into training time after time, as he pushed to make sure he was never the one lagging behind. He was deeply uncomfortable with needing anything from anyone else, and the Seed had played that part of his mind perfectly. Now here he was knee-deep in his bullshit plan to fix himself. At least no one else had gotten hurt... this time. He kept moving looking back over his shoulder. There was no way his hasty strikes had finished the sturdy pursuers. Builds like that were born to take hits and keep going. Without the 200% bonus, he simply didn''t have the attack power to win out against such powerful opponents. Not to mention they could have a healing potion or something. He thought for a moment about following the crowd toward the center of the city but discarded the idea. That was probably exactly where they would look for him to head. Plus, the crush of the crowd was only getting worse further in. So, reluctantly he turned perpendicular to the flow of the crowd and started moving at a slow jog in the direction of the opposite street. Those fleeing treated him as just another obstacle and flowed around him as he moved at a decent pace looking to find another side street. Then he spotted a break in the buildings ahead. He hopped and dodged around through the stream of people, hoping that the gap had an outlet on another street. Then Tilly¡¯s blood ran cold as he heard shouting intermingled with coughs from behind him. ¡°Where is he?!¡± ¡°Who here has seen a Human? Guard Business!¡± Tilly ducked into the cool darkness of the opening to the alley, hoping he had not been spotted. The relief Tilly felt shriveled up and died at the sight of the dead end thirty feet into the opening. There were two doors in the alley and Tilly desperately threw himself against one, finding it firmly barred from the inside. The other was the same and he backed away from the barred door way looking around for any other options. The walls were made of crumbling stone and went up three stories on both sides. He had to have picked the two tallest buildings on this street to hide between- ¡°This way!¡± The shouting sounded closer. Apparently, the sight of an injured human didn''t go as unnoticed as he thought. His eyes flicked up to his HUD as he gingerly swung his arms back and forth a few times, willing his shoulder to heal faster. Health: 62% Mana: 45% There was no way he could turn and fight cornered. While he still couldn''t lift his right arm above his shoulder, the strength in his grip had returned. It would have to do. He moved to a particularly crumbly streak in the stone wall and reached up to grab hold of a jutting stone just above his head with his right hand. He pulled up and stepped into a crack next to his left knee, thankful, for the first time that he was wearing mocassins instead of stiff, clunky boots which would have made climbing impossible. He awkwardly reached to his left for another crack and bit back a moan as he grabbed it securing his weight on his injured left arm, freeing up his right to reach higher up the wall. He pulled up and wedged his right foot a few feet higher than his left and repeated the agonizing formula again and again. Like climbing the tree to gain vantage in the forest near the Lapin village, Tilly knew what he was doing would have been way past impossible with his old body. His balance and physical control were far beyond what they had been back on Earth. Not that he could particularly relish in his new abilities. Every time he secured himself against the wall with his left arm the gaping hole left by that lunatic shot a bolt of pain through his whole body. But climb he did, one agonizing foot at a time. He had probably made it two-thirds of the way up when he heard the sound he had been dreading. ¡°Shit, those farmers said he ducked in here. Check the doors.¡± Tilly froze at the sound of voices at the entrance to the alley. He did all he could to turn his billowing effort-filled breaths into the silent gas exchanges they were meant to be. The sound of two booming crashes thundered up from the ground, ¡°They are barred fast. Do you think he made it inside?¡± ¡°No you idiot, any door with a working lock has been shut up for days. He has to be here somewhere.¡± The second guard growled before the alley filled with a long silent pause. The toes on Tilly¡¯s right foot burned wedged into their current crack and he had of course had to freeze right as he was leaning into his left arm again. His whole body trembled with the effort and he slowly, silently tried to shift his weight to another handhold. Then the mortar under his left hand cracked and a stone fell to the ground, landing with an incriminating crack. Tilly winced, and then cursed as the sound of an evil chuckle echoed up from the ground, ¡°Of course, what else would a monkey do? He scampered up a tree, Attus! Stay here and make sure he doesn''t come down, I''ll find another way onto the roof to meet our new friend.¡± The discourse was followed by another thunderous crack against the barred door. Tilly redoubled his effort to reach the roof, he could not afford to get there after the guard. His fingers and toes were far past cramping in effort, but still, he kept shoving them in cracks between stonework like a fat kid reaching for candy. Two more blows and Tilly heard the door give way. ¡°I''ll see you at the top Monkey Man. You are going to pay for every little trick you pulled back there!¡± The brutish Elite Guard shouted up mockingly. Tilly¡¯s only answer was to continue gasping for breath as he hoisted himself up one hold at a time. The sound of subsequent doors being destroyed reverberated out into the ally, and Tilly silently thanked God for doors as his mangled right hand finally reached the lip of the building and he heaved himself over the side. He collapsed gasping for air, while scanning the roof for its access point. ''There!'' A warped wooden trap door lay closed at the other end of the flat-topped roof. Tilly hauled himself up to his feet and recalled his hatchets. Hoping he could get a jump on the brute. Then the door exploded upward and the Guard quickly pulled himself up through the opening. Tilly threw a hatchet at his climbing form, but in an impressive display of Dexterity, the guard whipped up his short sword and batted it aside. ¡°Uh uh... I know your tricks now, there will be no more of that. It''s time to have a little chat.¡± He growled menacingly, holding up his blade in a guard position, ready to ward off another throw as he smoothly pulled the rest of his body through the opening. Tilly''s mind raced, as he attempted to think of a way out and the guard started to stroll forward, sword at the ready. ¡°Attus, I¡¯ve got ¡¯em. Come on up and join the fun!¡± The guard shouted triumphantly down to his partner before continuing, ¡°You are gonna pay for what happened to Trivus.¡± He continued, false cheerfulness draining away as he addressed his quarry. ¡°Seems to me that had more to do with your boss than me,¡± Tilly responded shifting his eyes to the nearest roof, trying to gauge the possibility of a jump. Unfortunately, the look wasn¡¯t missed by the guard, ¡°None of that now, can''t have you breaking your neck and ending our talk early. Attus! Get your dumb ass up here,¡± he shouted again and frowned as no response came. Then Tilly felt hope bloom in his chest, and he lifted his weapon while recalling the other, taking a ready stance of his own. He did his best to mask his emotion with a scowl of pain at the wound in his shoulder and fixed his eyes firmly on the approaching guard. Making absolutely certain not to give away the long-eared figure silently flowing up and out of the opening in the roof. Ch. 42 Buying Time Even in his peripherals, Tilly recognized her as Mochizuki, the female lapin servant they had met a couple of days ago upon entry to the city. But this time she was not dressed as a simple servant. Layers of black cloth cinched tight around her waist and the beginning and end of her extremities. The gear was reminiscent of a classic ninja outfit, but something about the looser clothing around her torso and extremities made it hard to tell exactly where her body was within the shifting fabric of the flared-out cloth. She padded up behind the guard, completely silent, focused on her opponent. ¡°I don''t think your friend is going to answer,¡± Tilly shouted, stalling for a few more seconds. Oddly he felt the Blessing tug at his arm, and he took it to mean it was encouraging him to attack. It hadn¡¯t given him anything useful since the fight, and he thought it might have burned through all of its available energy keeping him alive back in the side street. ¡°Shut your Gob! Att-¡± Tilly cut off the response by throwing his hatchet with his good hand, which the guard easily batted aside, and then smiled. They both knew Tilly didn''t have time to recall and block with the weapon at his current skill level, and the guard squatted slightly, the muscles on his hairy goat legs bunching for a lunge. Just before he sprung forward, his eyes widened slightly and his head jerked around suddenly sensing something. It was too little too late. Kunai had appeared as if from thin air in Mochizuki¡¯s hands and the guard moved too slowly to avoid the double critical strike, as one plunged into his neck and the other was thrust up into his armpit, above the protection of his cuirass. The guard let out a choking gasp and his legs gave out, as Mochizuki led him to the ground almost gently, before ripping out her knives and wiping them on his armor padding. She gracefully rose to her feet, and flicked the blades out, making them disappear into the folds of her robes. His Identify insistently confirmed her previous class tag over her head. Level 13 Household Servant At this point, it seemed more like a joke, than helpful information. Clearly, his level 17 Skill was far from infallible. ¡°Gaijin.¡± She said in greeting, meeting his eyes with a serious expression only allowing a hint of satisfaction to dance in her eyes. "I sure as hell am glad you are on my side. That was intense.¡± Tilly breathed in relief, before recalling his other hatchet and looping both of them on his belt. ¡°Yes, well things are going very poorly for the city, and by extension Lord Hiro''s plans. They are here too early and our escape will be contested every step of the way.¡± She said, gesturing towards the wall. As if her motion somehow turned up the volume on the battle in the distance, the roar of the fighting and dying washed over Tilly¡¯s senses. In the rush of his personal danger, he hadn''t yet taken in the view that this vantage provided. Tilly could not see the battle happening on the other side of the wall, but he saw the battlements flanking either side of the gates crowded with soldier-like figures. Flashes of some sort of large-scale magics were occasionally bursting forth like beacons from over the wall, but there were no signs of enemies in the city yet. ¡°Look closely at those atop the wall...¡± Mochizuki instructed as she moved up to his side and took in the view. He squinted, just barely able to make out that most directly over the gate wore the matching uniforms of the city guard, while the rest of the force on the walls was formed from different units wearing all sorts of armor. This was true for the whole rest of the wall actually, but the forces were especially crowded near the front gate. ¡°What will happen to the forces outside the wall?¡± Tilly asked quietly, fairly sure he already understood the answer. ¡°They are the last two Phalanxes of the august, ¡®Thousand Phalanx Empire.¡¯ One of which had to be bolstered by any veterans in the city guard. They will all assuredly die. They went knowingly to buy us time... Unfortunately, not as much time as they had hoped.¡± She said with a deep frown. ¡°What makes you say-¡± Then before his eyes, he watched as the unified guard standing watch on the wall suddenly collapsed in on itself in infighting, Satyr against Satyr. The private forces on both sides suddenly attacked the last few hundred guards manning battlements above the gate. ¡°Those sons of bitches!... Wait, you knew this was going to happen? Why aren¡¯t you doing anything?!¡± He whipped his head around in mounting fury at the betrayal of the people those guards were supposed to be protecting. She returned his freshly stoked anger with cold, hard eyes, and some of the heat drained from his expression. ¡°I paid a heavy price to obtain this intelligence. I passed it off to my superiors, who shared it with their counterparts last night. What follows is their best attempt to salvage an unsalvageable situation.¡± Then she looked him up and down before reaching into the folds of her flowing robe and pulling out a familiar red potion. ¡°We have precious few of these left for the coming battle, but you will need it.¡± She said, calmly handing it over to him. He took it and knocked it back quickly, scowling at the feeling of sinew and muscle knitting back together at a hyper-accelerated rate. He eyed the battlements again and saw that the guards were holding remarkably well for a group that had been ¡®surprised¡¯. They had almost instantly formed disciplined ranks against the bilateral attack. "Didn''t you say all the veterans had joined the phalanxes?" Tilly asked in confusion. "I did, that was the official line anyway. It seems there might have been a mix-up. The private forces of the houses will use their position to force open the gates, ending the siege before it begins, but not so easily as they had planned." She said, a sad smile tugging at the edge of her mouth. He looked back towards the road where refugees were still rushing towards the center of the city. ¡°How long until the Honu can get a stable portal up?¡± ¡°That entirely depends on if they are able to proceed uninterrupted. Without interference, they will be done in the next hour. But you can be sure the bones of our plan have also been discovered, and the enemy would be foolish to allow us a back door. There are contingencies we hold in reserve that have been kept from me for operational security. But I have a part to play, as do you if you choose to take it. In essence, we must do all we can to delay the enemy and safeguard our escape.¡± Tilly took in his HUD as he swung his arms back and forth, not quite trusting the numbers. Health: 100% Mana: 34% Corruptions Influence: 22% ¡°Yeah, I''m willing to do whatever I can to help, although I don''t see how much of a difference I can make¡­¡± Tillys said, trying not to let his low Mana and growing Corruption drown any remaining hope he had for the situation in the city. She nodded as if expecting the answer, before pulling out a small metal sphere covered in arcane writings, ¡°This arrived from the palace along with a few other treasures from the imperial vault. It looks like the Ancient Sovereign is planning some sort of last stand, and he wants to bleed the enemy as much as possible before that occurs.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Tilly took the item and looked down at it in curiosity. Under his gaze, he felt some of the fire in his chest kindle, and the symbols marking the sphere started to take on a blue glow. Artificial Endless Path Microcosm - ??? As his Identify pinged, the warmth from his center reached down through his outstretched arm to touch the item and he felt it begin to¡­ resonate. ¡°Not yet!¡± She said snatching the sphere out of his hand, she then juggled it back and forth between her hands like a hot potato. ¡°If you channel any mana-based ability while holding this sphere, it will cause a multiplicable feedback loop¡­ that is what Shuji said anyway.¡± She answered before handing it back to him gingerly, the arcane glow having diminished as soon as it left his hand. ¡°So with this, I empower one of my Abilities?¡± Tilly said as he tucked it carefully into his fantasy fanny pack. ¡°Not exactly. I am told it had no upper limit of input and is extremely dangerous to use. Lord Hiro seemed to think you were suited for such an item. Something about having unusually resistant pathways. It will continue to recirculate the Mana back through your channels increasing every cycle until you lose control of the circuit. Then it will release the Ability at whatever multiple you are able to achieve.¡± ¡°So, like a magical bomb or something?¡± ¡°Yes. The Empire¡¯s Bastions will reveal themselves when the gates are breached in a counter strike and you are to join up with them and deploy your ability at the optimum moment to disrupt the enemy''s momentum. It seems that they are content to sit back and throw their fodder at us, so we will not risk escalating the fight any earlier than we have to. We will meet each threat with our bare minimum of force so we can delay the deployment of their Aces for as long as possible. Once the real fight begins, very few of us will make it out unscathed.¡± ¡°So, magical bomb, but not until we absolutely have to. Got it. What will you do?¡± Tilly asked, a self-deprecating grin on his face. ¡°They have been infiltrating the city for hours with advanced units to destabilize our escape plan. I am to search and destroy any of these elements I can find before they reach our base of operations or our people.¡± She said, moving casually back a few steps from the ledge. Then she looked at him, and he felt a previously unnoticed pressure release on his mind. His Identify pinged, and the words over her head shifted to an entirely new level and class. Level 32 Ninja Infiltrator She winked at him, and before he could say anything at the awesome reveal, she sprang forward and leaped the twenty-foot gap between buildings, before blurring away across the rooftop. Her form startlingly difficult to track, even in broad daylight. ''That was one hell of an exit. If I live through the day, I have got to get one of those.'' He looked around lamely, finding the trap door and heading down to the street the old-fashioned way. He didn''t bother with the body of the guard, he doubted the man had anything Tilly could use besides the Healing Potion he had probably used to cure his wounds early in the chase. Tilly followed the trail of destruction back down through the building and emerged to find the second guard dead on his knees with a shocked expression forever frozen on his features¡­ ¡°Yeah, really glad she is on my side.¡± He muttered to himself before heading toward the exit of the alley at a jog. The street was entirely clear at this point, everyone had gotten the word that some sort of last-ditch escape effort was being made at the center of the city. He hesitated for a moment at the entrance to the street and pulled up his notification log to see what he had to work with. He scrolled backward, confirming that he had not gained an actual level from the fights he had participated in, although he had picked up a couple of Skill levels.
Congratulations! Your skill Beginner Hatchet has leveled up. Now Level 11. Congratulations! Your skill Dual-Wielding (Hatchets) has leveled up. Now Level 3. Congratulations! Your skill Ax Throwing has leveled up. Now Level 10.
He continued to scroll up and¡­ ''Shit, how did I miss this?" He had lost [Resolute] due to the stat gains in the Temple, and he had gained another title called [Scarred Heart] but it didn''t seem like it would be much help in the next hour. The same was true for the sweet improvement he had gotten to his Flame¡¯s Renewal Ability, although that did explain how it was able to ruin Titus¡¯ day so thoroughly. No, the only real choice for Operation Magical Bomb was his Flame Expulsion. He had begun chewing on a truly stupid idea. One that, if it worked, would be a legendary cheat on the game mechanics of this world. But he absolutely needed that [title] back. Which meant he had to gain at least one level before activating the Microcosm. All while somehow getting up to the required 50% Mana he needed to activate his Ability. He double-checked his Character Sheet to make sure he wasn''t missing anything.
Jonathan Luke Tillman Level: 12 (2000 Exp to next level) Display Name: Tilly Race: Human Class: Son of Flame Stats: Constitution: 13 Endurance: 71 (78.1) Dexterity: 29 (31.9) Strength: 11(12.1) Wisdom: 16(13.6) Intelligence: 13
Status Effects: Minor Corruption [Hidden] -15% wisdom +10% strength, Potion Toxicity: 3 hours remaining All alchemical items are 50% less effective, Mana Exhaustion: 7 hours ({Partially Resisted}, {Localized}) remaining Titles: [Harbinger], [Resolute], [Origin¡¯s Champion], [Corruption¡¯s Host],[Trusted Gaijin],[Hostile Environment],[Scarred Heart]. Equipment Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Ability Recall. Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor: +10% to Endurance. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Form Sun Salamander leather.
Skills: -Forestcraft level 12. -Identify level 17 -Cooking level 12. -Beginner Hatchet level 11. -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 7 -Herb Lore Level 1 -Ax Throwing Level 10 -Dual-Wielding (Hatchets) Level 3 Abilities: -[Blue] Flame Strike, [Blue] Flame Expulsion, [Blue] Flame¡¯s Renewal+.
Tilly cursed inwardly as he recounted his total non-Endurance stats. They were sitting at 82 to his Endurance¡¯s 71! That meant he actually had to gain two freaking levels before he could gain the title back. This was going to suck¡­ A dark thought caused him to chuckle to himself as he started to jog toward the main gates of the city. He felt like a ticking time bomb with this Seed inside of him, and now they were sending him to be a literal bomb against the enemy. Alanis Morissette would be so proud. Ch. 43 Band of Goat-Brothers Jonathan Tillman On his way to the front gates, he saw a couple of faces furtively peeking out of windows, and one brave drunk who seemed to have chosen to meet the invasion head-on with a stuttering song. Aside from them, it seemed like everyone had gotten the news and was getting as far away from the attack as possible. Twenty min of jogging through the city towards the point he had seen from the roof resulted in him finally emerging from a side street onto the extremely long promenade that started at the front gate and cut a straight line to the Teleportation Hub at the center. The crossroad he had found let out just a few blocks from the gates. Looking up, he saw that the battle for the gatehouse was almost over, the traitorous private house guards having slowly worn down the city guard veterans. He glanced back towards the center of the city and could just barely make out the crowds in the distance, which would be massed like sitting ducks around the Hub until the spell was complete. Far beyond them at the other end of the promenade was the imperial palace, which stood aloof, somehow still feeling removed even at the eminent destruction of its seat of power. ¡°Human! Get out of the street.¡± Came a whispered shout from the shadowed doorway of a building across the street. Tilly squinted at the origin of the voice. It was one of the extremely muscular and scarred guards Tilly had seen at the steps of the Cura. He was standing half hidden in the door of his building with a great vantage of the fight on the top of the wall. Tilly''s Identify pinged. Level 44 Empire¡¯s Bastion ¡°I¡¯m here to help, Lord Hiro sent me!¡± Tilly called back, suddenly aware of possible watchers from the top of the wall. He ducked back around the corner, keeping his line of sight with the soldier, but removing himself from the sight of any on top of the wall. The soldier gave a hard nod of acknowledgment and glanced up at the wall, watching for a few breaths, before gesturing sharply for Tilly to make the crossing. Tilly sprinted from his cover crossing the wide street and ducking into the large doorway. The soldier moved to the side to let him pass, keeping watch on the wall, and he entered into a large stone atrium with booths at the other end. The space looked like a processing area for customs and taxes for those entering the city. But Tilly barely registered the space, his eyes immediately drawn to the group that had claimed this as their base of operations. The entire room was filled with soldiers in different states of readiness. Some sharpening their already sharp swords, others playing dice and a few actually napping. Each had a torso-sized shield close to hand and a spear within reach. A few glanced his way curiously as he entered, but none seemed concerned, trusting the man at the door to not let anyone in that was a threat. There was an air of confident menace that permeated this group. Looking over the room, Tilly got the impression that he might be amongst the last and greatest fighters the empire had to offer. He hadn''t thought to ask but was sure they didn''t hand out the class Empire''s Bastion to just anyone. Off to the right of the door, Tilly spotted Linus speaking to a few other older especially grizzled-looking Satyrs. Tilly headed over to report for duty, and the small group around Linus parted at his approach, all hard men, giving him cool, measuring looks. ¡°Jonathan Tillman, This is about to become a very dangerous place. If you have a message, give it quickly.¡± Linus snapped, obviously short on time and patience. Tilly was suddenly so nervous he almost replied, ''Dangerous? Danger is my middle name.'' Instead, he coughed and looked around again. He had been in plenty of rooms filled with hardened firemen when a rookie walked in on his first day. Hell, he remembered his first day as a rookie. There was nothing like the divide between those who had been in the shit and those who hadn¡¯t. Even with everything he had seen and endured the last week, he immediately knew he had not been in the shit like these guys. This wasn''t another military unit. It was a family forged in Blood and Iron. As casual as it may seem, he could feel his otherness within their deeply ingrained prebattle rituals. ¡°I¡­ Um. I''m here to help.¡± He said to the small group around the Commander. They stood there at ease, broken-in armor oiled and polished to a shine. Their simple weapons practically vibrated with a potential for violence. Before these practitioners of violence, the hatchets on his belt felt like little toys, and he wished he hadn''t already stuttered in his answer. ¡°Ha! We would love to have you with us, little man!¡± Boomed a voice just beyond the leadership huddle. Tilly couldn¡¯t keep his jaw from dropping as a huge muscled physique detached himself from the wall. Tilly was sure he was a Satyr like the others, but he didn''t share the goat-legged feature many of his fellow soldiers. A large almost entirely goat head sat atop a perfectly humanoid body. Well, it would be humanoid if humans grew to be 10 feet tall. This guy could give the minotaurs a run for their money. ¡°Maybe when the press gets thick we can throw you over the line as a snack to the enemy!¡± He guffawed, His goat mouth somehow forming human words in an oddly fascinating display of dexterity. Tilly¡¯s mouth got ahead of his brain and he spoke without thinking, ¡°Actually Gigantor, you hit the nail right on the head.¡± He snarked back. Linus¡¯s frown deepened at Tilly''s pithy reply, ¡°Explain yourself, Human. Time is short and this is no place for humor.¡± ¡°Look, I know this is a one-way mission for you guys, and I am sure you are more than capable of completing it. But I have been given something from the Imperial treasury. It can greatly magnify one of my Abilities. When paired with my unique effectiveness against the kind of enemy that will be coming through that gate, I have the potential to eliminate a significant amount of combatants in one go.¡± Tilly rushed through the situation, almost without taking a breath. Linus paused, considering Tilly''s words and weighing them against the risk of changing the battle plan at such a late hour. After a moment, he made sure Tilly understood the mission, ¡°As soon as the final guards fall, the gate will be opened. The enemy is holding back and hoping to flood the streets with these Corrupted without losing any other resources. Our directive is simple. Form up in the center of the gate and hold for as long as possible. If you believe you can aid us in our task, then welcome aboard. What do you need to activate this item of yours?¡± The disturbingly beady eyes of the giant/goat man drilled into him from over the commander''s shoulder. Tilly had a hard time telling if he was smiling or snarling as he respectfully waited for the commander to finish the interrogation. ¡°Well, it should be straightforward once I have enough mana, but I need to gain two levels before I can activate it to its full potential. As for your plan, I can work from behind the front line and use my ranged attack, which is my best anyway. Once I am ready, I''ll charge the ability as much as I can, but I need some way to get as far behind the enemy''s lines as possible before releasing it. It is an area of effect that marks me as its center.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The Commander''s hard calculating eyes shone for a moment at that final piece of information, ¡°Alright, Gorock. You''re on babysitting duty. Keep him alive and behind our lines. When he is ready, throw him. Everyone clear on the plan?¡± ¡°But Sir!¡± The giant recoiled as if struck. ¡°Shut your big mouth Gorock!¡± one of the well-worn sargents snarled. The goat man ignored the officer and looked like he was still going to object. ¡°You will do as I command, and on top of that, if he does manage to live after this half-baked plan, you are to retrieve him at all costs. If he can do what he says, they will need him at the center of the city.¡± That declaration hit the huge soldier like a hammer blow. ¡°Sir, Please! I must die with you...the men... I will not run like a coward.¡± He pleaded, choking back what might have been a sob. ¡°There is plenty of dying to be had today. I''m sure you will have your pick of opportunity to die, but you will do so after you complete the mission." He said firmly, looking away from the warrior and scanning the large room. As he tallied up their resources one final time, granite resolve settled over his features. He became again what his men needed, something immovable. "I have seen what he can do against this new enemy. If we can keep this resource available to our remaining citizens, then we will.¡± He finished. ¡°Sir!¡± Called the Soldier watching the gates, ¡°They are breaking into the mechanism room now! You want me to activate it?¡± ¡°Hold on that.¡± He called back, brushing past Gorock and Tilly, the matter settled in his mind. ¡°Wait until the gate is a quarter open, then break it. We want them drawn to our choke point." Then he turned to the room, and bellowed out, ¡°All right boys, this is it! Form up on me!¡± As if by magic, every soldier in the room was rising to their feet, shield in hand, weapon at the ready. It was as if they hadn''t been relaxing at all. Commander Linus turned through the doorway and jogged out, followed by the 70 or so soldiers that made up the Empire¡¯s Bastion Unit. Their movements were smooth and disciplined, showing no hesitance or confusion at the orders. ¡°Come on little man,¡± Gorock sighed, as he hefted his door-sized shield, and brought up the rear of the formation. Tilly looked down at some abandoned dice on the floor, took a deep steadying breath, and drew his hatchets. He found himself nauseous and thirsty all at once, but it was time to go. He was still so new... but he could feel the significance of this mission. This was the best place for him, and he wasn''t going to back down from what could possibly save hundreds if not thousands of lives. He shut down his mind and moved, catching up with the giant goat-man as he ducked through the doorway. Fighting fire had been one of the few things in life that he excelled at. He was decisive under pressure and could read a change in the environment even as fire raged all around him. But none of that set him apart from the crowd. The thing that made him different, was his ability to lean completely into his training without hesitating or second-guessing. Once he entered a burning building, everything else faded away until only muscle memory and instinct were left. The past was gone and the future narrowed to a razor edge of clarity. Take another step forward and do what you were trained to do. Of course, he didn''t have any training when it came to fighting with ancient weaponry against a charging horde of monsters¡­ The controlled shout of the Commander broke through the din of fighting on and beyond the wall, ¡°First rank shield Up! Second rank, spears at ready! Third rank filter in as needed. If you see a brother go down, pull him back and fill the gap!¡± He never stopped advancing to the gate which was just beginning to crack open. The sound of men screaming and the inhuman gurgling roars of the Corrupted pierced through the sliver of an opening like a knife through sutures, reminding Tilly that thousands of soldiers had already fought and died today. The gate continued to open outwardly and the soldiers in front of him flowed unhurriedly into formation, three lines deep. They might as well have been on the parade ground for all the concern they showed. ¡°Now Threstus!¡± Linus called to the soldier who had kept out of formation. The Satyr held a large conch shell at the ready above his head. At the command, he broke it against the wall, and the sound of crashing waves rose and drowned out the tumult of battle. Blue symbols raced up the wall from the point of the break and the private guards began to call and point out the Bastion¡¯s activity to their superiors. When the arcane symbols hit the top of the wall, the whole section above the gate lit up in glowing blue markings, and the sound of crashing waves turned into a roar that reminded Tilly of a waterfall. The traitorous guards above shouted in alarm, backing away from the edge of the wall and the brilliant azure glow emanating from the stone. Then the deafening sound suddenly cut off for a long second of silence before water exploded like a geyser from the top of the wall, knocking all of those standing on the battlements off at an outward angle. Tilly realized this must be some sort of fail-safe embedded in the magic of the walls to repel an attack if the gatehouse was lost. No one had told the noble houses that this existed, even though they were the ones who had been assigned to hold the wall. Screams of confusion and terror emerged from the battlefield beyond the wall as the private guards of the noble houses found themselves amongst thousands of mindless Corrupted consuming the dregs of the formations that had recently been the last of the empire''s phalanxes. As hundreds of new soldiers fell in among their number, they gleefully turned and fell upon the new presence in their midst. Through the 20-foot opening of the stalled gate, Tilly saw many of the guards take the three-story fall unscathed, only to be set upon by Corrupted. These guards may have been assholes, but they weren¡¯t weak. Many grouped up in twos and threes to take out ten or twenty of the creatures before going down themselves. Tilly was starting to see just how well-designed this plan had been. Let the enemy proceed with their plan as much as possible while delaying them every step of the way. None of these counterattacks were designed to be decisive victories, rather they had been strung together to rob the enemy of momentum every step of the way. ¡°The Cult believes we are finished!¡± Linus bellowed, drawing attention to the now open gate. Corrupted turned from the recent distraction, and fixed their dead all-black orbs on the new prey. ¡°They think they have faced a true Phalanx and defeated it!¡± Linus shouted at them again, his voice rising in volume. He eyed the tens of thousands of Corrupted creatures that had once been citizens of the empire he had sworn to protect. Tilly saw rage there, blazing up from deep sorrow at all they had lost. But none of it softened the stony resolve that was carved in resolute lines across the commander''s features. ¡°Bastions, Shields up! HOLD THE LINE!¡± His voice rang out in several octaves at once, and Tilly realized that the commander had just used an Ability. In one motion, the front rank locked their shields with a thunderous clang, and a golden light showed in an almost opaque barrier of radiance about a foot in front of the first rank. The Corrupted seemed to understand that some sort of challenge had been issued, and howled in fury, charging toward the open gate, and the prey that filled the gap. The Commander¡¯s voice again rose, exploding in several octaves at once, ¡°DON¡¯T GIVE THEM AN INCH!¡± The golden radiance intensified and filtered back washing over all the ranks. It even shone on Tilly who had positioned himself about five feet behind the last rank next to Gorock who wore a melancholic expression. Or at least that''s what Tilly thought it was. It was hard to tell on a goat¡¯s face. ¡°Our glorious last stand and I''m stuck next to a Baby-Man¡­¡± He muttered to himself, just loud enough to hear over the din of the coming charge of Corrupted. Tilly was barely paying attention, instead watching as three Buffs appeared on his HUD. He quickly pulled up his notification log to make sure he knew exactly what he was working with before he got caught up in the heat of battle. Ch. 44 Thermopile Monopoly
You have been accepted into the formation of the Empire¡¯s Bastion. While in formation, you are affected by ¡®Shields Up¡¯, ¡®Don''t Give an Inch¡¯, and ¡®Hold the Line¡¯.
Shields Up: Any offensive attack against the shield wall is reduced by 25% in effectiveness while formation is held.
Don¡¯t Give an Inch: All enemy knockback abilities are negated as long as the formation is held.
Hold the Line: All passive regeneration rates are doubled while in formation.
That last one was a game-changer! That would boost his Mana Regen up to almost 3% per minute. That was still pitifully low, but it felt huge. He set his mental floor at 40% Mana so that he would never be more than 3 min from activating Flame Expulsion. He flicked closed the log and checked his Mana and Health. Mana: 55% Health:100% He inflamed his hatchets just in time for the front of the enemy''s charge to hit the line. Gorock looked over and snorted at Tilly''s forearm-sized weapons, while Tilly watched engrossed as the tide of Corrupted crashed against a golden wall projecting from the shields. As soon as they hit, they slowed significantly and hit the seemingly unmoveable secondary wall of shields, having lost almost all of their momentum. Then, as if they were a single entity with many appendages the second rank of soldiers thrust their spears over the shoulders of the shield bearers, impalling the first and second ranks of enemy combatants. As the spears were withdrawn with whip-like quickness, the first rank followed up the thrusts with business-like sword strikes, mowing through any Corrupted that remained standing. The soldiers showed incredible discipline in their positioning through all of these maneuvers. The first rank never broke the wall and the second rank continued to pull back and strike with terrible thrusts over the shoulders of their brothers. Tilly even saw one second-ranker strike through the neck of a Corrupted minotaur mid-attack as it bent down to try and gore the satyr in front of him holding the shield wall. Very quickly the initial wave of attackers that had stormed over to the opening in the gate had been churned into a gory paste by the economical yet brutal strikes of the shoulder-to-shoulder fighters of the Empire¡¯s Bastions. Tilly nervously rotated the hafts of his hatchets as he watched the rest of the horde of Corrupted shift from the battlefield, drawn towards the noise of the new conflict. Tens of thousands of black orbs had fixed on the gap in the gates. Eyeing a Corrupted, shifting into a shambling run about thirty feet in front of the formation, Tilly hefted one of his hatchets and threw it, feeling like a kid tossing rocks at the ocean. It hit, decimating the reanimated body as blue flames licked hungrily through the center mass of the target. Then he threw another and another... Soon Tilly didn''t even have to aim, he just kept throwing, enflaming every attack he could until his Mana dropped below 36%. He was rewarded with a Level Up notification a few seconds later, as the blue flame from his strikes finished eating through its latest target. He mentally dropped all the points into Endurance and realized, he must have been pretty close to leveling after his part in the fight with the guards. By this time, the new massed charge was almost upon the formation and Tilly dropped his arms and breathed deeply trying to recover as much Mana as possible. The second, much larger wave thundered forward, and this time, as it crashed against the shield wall, the crushing weight of thousands of bodies caused the formation to flex. Commander Linus stepped forward, waiting until it seemed like the formation was flexed to its breaking point, the men shouting in rage, as they dug their hoofs in and pushed back against the weight of an army. Then his bellowing command broke through the tumult. ¡°BASTIONS, PUSH THEM BACK!¡± He shouted in that same multi-octave voice that seemed to be linked to the Unit''s magic. The aura around the unit intensified, and the second and third rank ducked low and rammed their shoulders into the body of the satyr in front of them. It almost looked like a scrum from rugby, and the unit collectively yelled as it pushed forward. At first, it was just one step, then it was two, the radiance building with each step until it flashed and an explosive WUMPH sounded from the front ranks as the collective force of both sides rebounded back towards the enemy, sending bodies flying twenty feet into the air. Tilly watched in awe as the unit took advantage of the breathing room to reset, with the first rank rotating back to the third, and the other two moving forward one position. All of the first rankers were injured in some way, but they took up their new positions stoically, trusting in the improved Regen to get them right before their next rotation up front. Gorock looked on like a boy on punishment, forced to watch as his siblings ate all the dessert at the table. ¡°It feels like you guys will be able to hold forever,¡± Tilly marveled, wondering if his plan was even necessary. Gororck bared his square goat teeth in what could have been a grin, or a sneer but didn¡¯t say anything. Surprisingly he heard Linus speak up from ten yards away. Supervising the carnage as if he were a butcher, trying to decide how he wanted to divide up a side of beef, ¡°Yes, at our levels, in group warfare, we are unmatched. But this is not group warfare. This is slaughter. And while we can endure for longer than any traditional foot soldier, not even we can hold out for more than ten or fifteen minutes at this pace.¡± As if responding to his words, the horde gathered itself back together and surged forward again. Tilly had only regained about 5% of his Mana, but he enflamed his axes and launched them at the biggest approaching targets anyway. ¡°How much longer?¡± Linus asked. His voice was flinty but calm. Tilly''s throws hit and he recalled the hatchets eyeing his glacial Mana Regen. ¡°I don''t know exactly, but I only have one Level left to achieve, and it looks like these guys range from five to ten levels above me. No matter what I will activate the Ability before you are overwhelmed.¡± Tilly affirmed forcefully, not willing to allow the possibility of the formation breaking just so that he could regain a Title, and improve his chances at survival. Linus nodded at that, then squinted up toward the top of the wall,Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Threstus, what is the enemy''s disposition? Any elites moving forward?¡± He called up. Tilly whipped his head up and saw that at some point the same Satyr who had broken the shell against the wall had scaled its face and was now positioned near the gatehouse looking out over the enemy. ¡°No Sir!¡±-He shouted down. -¡°But the creatures in the center of the press have begun to cannibalize each other. Some seem to be growing in size as they consume more of their peers.¡± Linus nodded at the news as if the lookout had just informed him of the weather. Then he turned back to Tilly. ¡°Mr. Tillman, you and Gorock are going to join Threstus on the wall. Disrupt as many of these things from forming and reaching the line as possible. This will probably be better for your level gain and the elevation will be advantageous for your throwing plan as well.¡± He stated dryly obviously not putting too much stock in the plan succeeding. ¡°Yes Sir!¡± Gorock growled, apparently excited to get closer to the action any way he could. Before Tilly could respond, he felt the giant grab him by the back of his jacket and his waist band, ¡°Hey, Wha-AAAHH¡± Tilly screamed as he was launched thirty feet in the air, his arms pinwheeling as he thudded into the side of the crenellations and urgently clung to them as Threstus reached over and hauled him over the side. ¡°What the Fu-¡± Tilly started, but as he caught Threstus¡¯s grin, he clamped his mouth shut. He was the one who had come up with the projectile plan and he realized Gorock had wanted to see how he handled a smaller throw. Tilly cleared his throat and straightened his jacket, before moving to the opposite edge of the wall to get a better picture of what Threstus had seen. On his way over, he saw numerous piles of javelins and a large ballista set and loaded every ten feet along the wall. He was again struck by a pang of fury at the thought of the hundreds of soldiers up here that could have been manning the defenses if not for the selfishness of a few. Threstus called down behind him, ¡°He flies just fine Gorock. Get your big naked legs up here and give us a hand!¡± Tilly crossed to the other side of the wall and got eyes on what was happening in the center of the horde. The Corrupted there were being pressed in from behind, but were unable to move forward and had begun to fight amongst themselves. This would have normally been awesome, but unfortunately, eldritch tentacles had started to reach between the raging creatures and draw them together, fusing them into amalgamations of black ooze and twisted flesh. Level 32 Corrupted Amalgam Tilly shivered and felt Threstus step up next to him, ¡°Gods that¡¯s disgusting¡­ bet I kill more than you, Mr. Magic-Fire-Man.¡± He snarked before pulling one of the nearby bundles of javelins over to his hooves and picking one up. Mana: 38% Tilly shrugged and enflamed his hatchets. Threstus heaved a shockingly powerful throw and Tilly followed him, throwing his weapons one after another at the largest Amalgam he could see forming. It had begun to wade through its twisted brethren like an adult at the shallow end of the pool, but then Tilly¡¯s axes thunked deep into its torso of melded bodies. Something about the composition of the new creature caused his flame attacks to be super effective. The flames ate hungrily at the surrounding flesh, and the creature urgently tried to brush off the tiny-looking weapons but only managed to press them deeper and spread the flames to its arms, which threw it into a frenzy. Threstus¡¯ throw blew another¡¯s head clean off, although it just kept walking like nothing had happened. Threstus clucked in annoyance as he saw Tilly¡¯s target start to flail in pain, spreading the fire on its arms to the Corrupted it was wading through. Threstus quickly kicked up two more javelins into his hands and launched them at his target, hitting the points where its legs connected to the rest of its body. Both strikes were extremely effective, erasing the joints as if they had never existed. The creature collapsed to the ground, crushing some other creatures. Threstus looked over smiling, only to see Tilly recalling his hatchets from a charred circle of bodies, the blue flame having done its work. He frowned and muttered something about ¡°cheating magic users¡± under his breath. ¡°That may have worked great against these things, but I can''t do that again for another couple of minutes, and it looks like we won''t have that kind of time,¡± Tilly said in a hollow voice, as the rush of his triumph bled away. The rest of the Amalgams had started to move forward, and with at least 15 targets still to go, Tilly started rethinking his 40% rule. The sound of shouting and occasional commands rang out from below and the men down there continued to grind against the endless numbers trying to press their way into the city. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Threstus said, launching another couple of terrifyingly powerful throws. If this guy could do this with javelins, what could a high-level bow user do? ¡°Commander has one or two more tricks to play before we are done.¡± He continued, crippling another Amalgam, before hoisting another couple of Javelins to throw. Tilly just lamely watched his Mana tick back up, twisting in knots over how slowly he was progressing. ¡°What did I miss?!¡± Gorock huffed, pulling himself over the side of the wall. ¡°Not much, Naked Knees.¡± Threstus quipped as he launched the weapons in his hands. ¡°Aim for the big guys. Whoever has the most knockdowns wins!¡± He said cheerfully as he watched another Amalgam fall. The rest were halfway to the wall by now. Gorock just grunted in acknowledgment and moved over to the nearby ballista. ¡°I thought it was ''kills''. I don¡¯t remember you saying anything about knockdowns.¡± Tilly called, as he saw his Mana finally tick up another five points. He was able to launch another pair of enflamed hatchets at the next closest Amalgam. The exact same scenario played out, netting Tilly 12-24 kills for the price of one. ¡°Humans¡­¡± Gorock said disapprovingly as he hefted one of the tree trunk ballista bolts above his shoulders. ¡°Always able to find something to complain about.¡± he finished with a grunt as he lobbed the bolt in a perfect spiral that arced through the air until piercing through an Amalgam and biting deep into the hard ground beyond. The creature tried to pull free but was stuck at a forty-five-degree angle with no leverage to move forward or back along the body of the bolt. ¡°Yes, Yes. You very strong. Congratulations.¡± Threstus muttered dryly, before throwing again, hitting his target perfectly. ''These guys are machines!'' Tilly thought, but as Tilly looked over the seemingly endless enemies, fear churned in his gut at the hopelessness of their position. Less than a hundred against tens of thousands. Tilly flicked up his Character Sheet, checking to see just how much Exp was left before he regained [Resolute]. Deadly or not, he would activate the Microcosm before he regained the Title if it came down to it. He couldn¡¯t just watch them die. Level: 13 (45,000 Exp to next level) He quickly followed up that query by pulling up his battle log, filtering through the updates to find how much he was getting per Amalgam and Corrupted kill. It looked like 7,000 Exp for a big guy and 500 for the normal Corrupted on average. Still, a ways to go and they were almost out of time. Both Gorock and Threstus took out another Amalgam, while Tilly tried to decide if he should just try and activate Flame Expulsion without waiting for the Mana or Title. He had done it before, and if he was probably going to die anyway, might as well risk Mana Exhaustion. ¡°Guys, I''m holding back, trying to conserve Mana for the big move¡­ but things aren''t looking good. Should I go for it?¡± Tilly called, reaching into his fantasy fanny pack for the magical orb. The Amalgams were almost at the gate now, and Tilly ground his teeth in indecision. CH. 45 Soldiers of the Line Tilly felt a restraining touch against his forearm as he reached for the Microcosm, ¡°Just wait, Commander''s not done in yet.¡± Threstus said, watching the approach of the Amalgams with hard eyes, a javelin ready in his other hand. Just as the Amalgams reached the shield wall, Tilly heard the commander''s voice explode from down below, ¡°BASTIONS, PUSH THEM BACK!¡± A concerted yell of effort followed and then the same concussive resulted, which looked even more spectacular from above. Once again bodies of Corrupted went flying back as if hit by a freight train. ¡°Third Rank, ON ME!¡± followed the shout of Commander Linus, before the bodies had even finished landing in the distance. The Amalgams had all been knocked down or at least put off balance. Tilly quickly counted nine laying supine or on all fours before the formation, barely out of reach of the first rank. The first rank stood ready while the third rank leaped out from behind the first two, in an extraordinary feat of coordinated athleticism. Tilly saw that they were each suffused with the same unit magic that had empowered the other commands, their speed and grace having practically doubled. The radiant warriors fell upon the twisted creatures still trying to get off the ground. The Amalgams¡¯ builds heavily favored Strength and their ponderous movements to get their unnaturally formed bodies back off the ground were far too slow to avoid the countercharge. The Satyrs flowed over the hulking downed forms, hacking at limbs until they were severed from the main body, and then quickly moving on to the next. The repelled group of regular Corrupted was already back on its feet and moving back into the fight, but not before the third rank had completely dismembered seven of the Amalgams. ¡°FALL BACK!¡± Linus shouted from the midst of the glowing squad. They all turned and ran, the tide of Corrupted close behind. Tilly saw the magic wink out one by one, as the soldiers fled back toward their lines and the shield wall. Tilly had pulled his hands away from the Orb and was itching to throw his hatchets to support their retreat. Threstus and Gorock did their best to provide cover fire for the retreating unit as the first rank split neatly, every second shield turned on its axis to allow room for the incoming members of the unit to dive through the openings. Even with all of this, Tilly saw one, then two soldiers taken down by the manic tide of Corrupted following at their hoofs. Gorock pinned one of the last two Amalgams to the ground with another ballista bolt and Threstus furiously rained down projectiles while the third rank made it back through the line and the shields crashed shut behind them. At this point, Tilly was trying to crush the bone handles of his weapons in his grip, anger and frustration warring for supremacy in his mind. The desperate backward chops of the two who had been caught by the Corrupted''s counter-charge, felt like they had hit Tilly in the guts. Should he have done something? Was he right to be saving his Mana like this? Just then a bastion on the first rank was yanked forward by a particularly large Corrupted and was torn apart before his brothers could free him from the mob grabbing at the momentary weak point in the line. ¡°PUSH THEM BACK!¡± the command rang in response, and another explosion of supernatural force gave the line yards of breathing room to rotate ranks, putting the most rested second-rankers in front to take the next crashing charge. Tilly watched his Mana tick above 40% again and he enflamed and threw his hatchets at the last Amalgam, which was trying to regain its feet after receiving another blow of concussive force. It and everything around it died in a blaze of hungry blue flame. Recalling the weapons brought him back down to 35% and he once again chafed at his pitiful Wisdom stat. Not that he could do anything about it now. Too much depended on him being able to overcharge Flame''s Expulsion with [Resolute]. If he died before he could ramp up the power high enough, it would all be for nothing. ¡°Eyes up boys,¡± Threstus called, gesturing with a javelin back toward the middle of the horde. Another bubbling soup of conflict and grotesque creation was brewing. ¡°How many times can you guys push and countercharge like that?¡± Tilly asked through gritted teeth, each minute progressing tortuously as more soldiers fought and died below him at the gates. ¡°We probably have two or three push rotations left,¡± Threstus answered off to the side as he hunted for another pile of javelins. ¡°We will save them for high-value opportunities, otherwise we will keep the rotation piecemeal based on injuries or casualties. We will hold them for as long as possible. Every minute here is one more minute for our charges to escape,¡± he continued, unable to mask the grim note that had slipped into his light tone. Eventually, Tilly¡¯s Mana ticked back up past 40% and he enflamed and sent his hatchets hurtling through the air again, hurling them to near the limit of his range, to disrupt some of the disturbing fusion happening at the center of the horde. He allowed himself a grim smile as the two Amalgams trying to fuse both caught fire and collapsed onto the crowd of creatures below. ¡°How close are you, little man?¡± Gorock''s gravelly baritone interjected from nearest the ballista as he threw the last of the bolts over the wall horizontally to log roll and crush at least ten of the Corrupted. ¡°I need about two more of the big guys and then about three minutes to regen what I need for the ability,¡± Tilly snapped urgently as he watched his Mana tick back up slowly. His eyes flicked to the center of the Horde, where he saw the giant horror snatch a few more of the recently created Amalgams and pop them into its recently formed maw. The thing''s mouth was the size of a full wagon, crammed with a mix of jagged bones and floppy flesh. Level 55 Corrupted Colossus ¡°Yeah, I don''t think we have that long¡­¡± Threstus snarled, then his eyes snapped away from the Colossus and focused in on Tilly with an almost feverish brightness, ¡°Is the main problem mana conservation?¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Affirmative, I can take them out but not fast enough if I save Mana for the bomb. Or if I burn through to get the last level I need, I won''t be able to overload and explode afterward.¡± Tilly answered quickly. Threstus blinked a couple of times at the wording before a death¡¯s head grin broke out across his face. ¡°Melee it is! Gorock, make a hole buddy. If we are going to die, it''s not going to be up here on a wall. We are soldiers of the Line after all!¡± Tilly barely had time to compute that insane string of sentences when Gorock bellowed, ¡°Finally, some action!¡± Before crouching down and leaping over the wall crenellations in a standing jump. Tilly watched his flight down slacked jawed. Mid-flight the warrior pulled his XL-sized spear from behind his back and unsheathed his short sword. He landed with a boom about ten yards in front of the gate entrance, and bellowed again, this time making a sound somewhat resembling a bleat¡­ if it was about 5 octaves lower than a normal goat. He crushed several Corrupted to paste with his landing, and his bellow did something to those around him, causing them to stagger. He followed up the effect with huge sweeping strikes with his spear that clearly was much heavier than it appeared in his hands. It mowed through the enemy like a scythe through grain. Threstus jabbed him in the side with an elbow, having drawn two of the Roman-style short swords at some point, ¡°You better hurry human, we have some Powerleveling to do and not much time to do it in.¡± Then he too leaped over the side of the wall, having the gall to actually add a swan dive into his fall, before landing on a few of the enemy crushing or stabbing several before rolling to his feet. Then the pair were back to back, sowing death and dismemberment in equal measures and somehow managing to not get swamped in the tide of battle. Holy Shit¡­ It was one thing to recognize that his old human limits were meaningless. It was another to realize that pretty much the whole battle plan now hinged on him jumping down three stories from the top of the wall into a whole crowd of Corrupted. Then a sound so deep it actually shook the wall blasted forth from almost formed Colossus, and Tilly¡¯s mind blanked. That familiar switch flicked inside of him and he just decided to believe what he needed to keep moving. He had trusted his equipment a thousand times in roaring fires, even when every human instinct screamed at him that the few inches of treated fabric wouldn''t be nearly enough to protect him. He had decided his gear could take as much punishment as it needed to for him to get the job done. Now, in the same way, something in him snapped and he knew his body could take something like this fall and keep fighting. He had monstrous Endurance for his level, and while he understood he was probably going to die today, it wasn''t going to be from falling. He blanked, removing his conscious mind''s control of his actions and suddenly, the wind was rushing past him and his stomach was up in his throat. He didn''t remember jumping, but that was kind of the point. The best way to do something your rational mind refused to do was to turn it off. In the second he was in the air, he managed to be glad that he had at least kept his body feet first. An absurd image of him belly-flopping in the lake when he was fifteen almost caused him to smile, then the insane moment of mid-air suspension ended and he plummeted to the ground. It came up punishingly fast and struck the soles of his feet like the world''s biggest sledgehammer. Thankfully, he didn''t lock his legs, resisting as they collapsed, trying to capture as much of his momentum as possible, before slamming down into his shoulder and rolling several feet like a rag doll. ¡°Get up little man! Not the time for a nap.¡± Gorock shouted, somehow already standing over him warding back the enemy with wide-sweeping strikes. Tilly groaned but was already pushing up from the ground, finding nothing broken. In fact, the only pain he really had was a throbbing in the bottoms of both feet and his left shoulder. Health: 89% Before he could celebrate his first ¡®almost superhero landing¡¯ a Corrupted Satyr in guard¡¯s armor was on him, trying to bite down on his neck. Before Tilly could even yell in shock, its weight was suddenly gone, and Threstus was above him pulling him up. ¡°Come on man, we are here to get you Experience. You need to get in the fight!¡± He shouted as if Tilly was confused about their purpose here in this endless sea of enemies. ¡°PUSH THEM BACK!¡± Came the shout from somewhere behind them, accompanied a second later by another huge boom and the flying of bodies. Tilly found his hatchets in his hand, not really sure how they got there, and he started hacking wildly at anything that came close. Gorok was everywhere, keeping most of the enemies on his side at bay with his spear and finishing any that came close with that huge meat cleaver of a sword that only looked normal in his hand due to his huge proportions. Threstus was equally impressive, whirling around with incredible grace, somehow holding down most of his side without ever staying in one place. Not that they could cover all 360 degrees of the surrounding enemies. Tilly was almost immediately breathing extremely heavily as he did everything in his power to keep enemies from piling in on him. They didn''t so much fight as throw their body weight at him, trying to bog him down. He was shoving back the ones who got through as much as he was hitting them with any sort of ax strike ¡°BASTIONS, ON ME!¡± Came the multi-octave shout from behind him. Then, the battered unit of satyrs were flowing all around him glowing with golden intensity as they mowed through the surrounding enemies like grass. ¡°Threstus, You better have a good reason for breaking formation.¡± Commander Linus¡¯s voice cracked out like a whip as he pulled up next to the trio. ¡°That''s almost the last of our Unit Magic.¡± He finished in a lower voice looking around at the men fighting all around him sadly. Then he called out in an authoritative, but unenhanced voice, ¡°Bastion, Form Up. True square, Eight by Eight!¡± The glow sputtered out all around them as the men suddenly broke off their charge and quickly formed a square with the commander at the center. Threstus saluted and reported in a much more businesslike voice than he had used atop the wall, ¡°Sir, the human stated that he could not make the current time frame while using mana-burning abilities. So I made the call to go full melee and see if we could help him make time-¡± His words were cut off by a deafening roar from the Colossus and the crash of a new tide of Corrupted against the new formation. The worn soldiers were still holding back the onslaught, though it was a close thing. Tilly noted, between gasping breaths, that the only men left in reserve in the third rank were his trio and the commander. The rest were needed for a thin second rank and a full first. There would be no more rotating out. Linus just nodded, rolling with the shift in a battle that he could do nothing to change, ¡°You two, take the leading right edge. I''ll take the left.¡± He commanded, moving to take his self-given position. Then he stopped and turned back around, finding Tilly''s eyes with an intense look, ¡°Tillman, get it done.¡± Then he turned and was in the midst of the soldiers on the left front. Threstus¡¯ eyes were flint as turned away from the commander to Tilly, ¡°Time to learn what the Line is all about.¡± Gorock simply bellowed before rushing to his assigned position, with Threstus behind. The flame at Tilly''s center blazed in approval at the courage and honor the soldiers around him showed. None hesitated in following commands that would assuredly lead to their deaths. He found his fear quashed beneath the weight of expectation he had seen in Linus¡¯ eyes. If he was going to die, he was going to make it count, shoulder to shoulder with brothers bent toward the same purpose. He rushed into the second rank of soldiers and added his weight to the line trying to counter the unstoppable press of the Corrupted horde. Not a single member of the unit expected to live out the next few minutes. But the formation would hold, and the enemy was coming to pay a bloody price for every step. CH. 46 Bombs Away Jonathan Tillman Level 13 Son of Flame ¡°What do I do?¡± Tilly shouted from his newly received position in the Bastion formation. ¡°Stand behind the guy with a shield and hit as many enemies as you can. You don''t have to kill them, just participate. You¡¯ll see!¡± Threstus shouted over the melee, already thrusting over a combatant''s shoulder to impale two separate corrupted like a macabre shishkabob. Gorock had already unslung the huge shield from his back and jumped the line, swinging his sword in punishing arcs as he cleared the area directly in front of the right corner of the formation. He acted as a tide breaker against the enemy, trusting the men behind him to take out anything coming for his flank. Tilly added his desperate thumping attacks to the rhythm of butchery being played out in front of him. Any time an enemy flung itself onto the shield wall or reached through to attempt a grab or swipe, Tilly was there. His weapons bit through corrupted flesh and bone alike. It was chaos. It was horrifying. It was glorious. Then the ground trembled with a deep crashing reverberation. Tilly threw his head back and looked up, craning his neck to a painful degree. There, towering seventy feet in the air was the Colossus. It had finally gained its feet and victoriously released a booming roar that sounded like a fog horn the size of a city bus. It had been formed from thousands of bodies, and while it didn''t have eyes, Tilly felt it when the protrusion that seemed to be its head turned towards their dwindling formation that still managed to block most of the gate. This was it. They were out of time. Bile rose in Tilly¡¯s throat as he realized he had failed. Even if he activated now, he doubted he would be able to make a dent in that thing without being able to overcharge the Ability far past his limits. He roared in frustration, furiously redoubling his hacking, taking swipes and bites from the enemy as his pace became more reckless. He had given these men hope¡­ He had lied to them. Tears started free-flowing down his face as he viciously hacked at every enemy in reach. Each chop of his weapon did nothing to reduce his growing certainty that he had failed. He railed against the unfairness of it all, flailing almost wildly over the shoulders of the shield bearers in front of him. Then he felt the mental ping that indicated a level-up notification. His icon was blinking, but that couldn¡¯t be right. He had only done a fraction of the work that should have been involved to get the last chunk of experience. He gave the command to place all of his free points into Endurance and pulled up his log. Congratulations! You have Regained a lost Title, [Resolute] Threstus noticed him stepping back from the line in confusion and yelled over. ¡°It''s the Line. We all share in the experience as we fight! Did you get it?¡± In wonder, Tilly looked over at him, and nodded dumbly, before reaching into his fantasy fanny pack for the Microcosm. Threstus'' gore-covered face, flashed white with a smile and he yelled over to Commander Linus, ¡°Commander! Its a Go!¡± Another earthshattering footstep sounded out through the battlefield, as the Colossus lumbered forward. ¡°Collapse the Square! Four by Four!¡± The blood-covered commander shouted. Exhausted Bastions threw off the weight of the tide one last time, and stepped back smartly, covering each other with thrusts and stabs as they collapsed the square to half its former size. This exposed open portions of the gate to the enemy, and some began to slip in past the much smaller formation. Tilly saw none of this as he watched his Mana tick up to 50%. It was time. He held the orb in front of him and activated Flame Expulsion. With his newly developed internal awareness, he saw his mana pathways light up with a blue fiery glow, as they sent energy to his core, and his core itself began to condense the building pressure to forcefully expel flame at the apex of the Ability. Time slowed as the magic of the orb activated. It began to burn in his hand and the markings across its surface began to shine and whirl. He felt its magic entering his body, and race along his pathways, creating a shadow network of the ones already activated by his skill. Just as he reached the point of full compaction at his core, something happened, and all of the energy drained into the shadow pathways much more rapidly than it had compacted. ¡°Wait, wha-¡± He began to exclaim in disbelief before his Mana suddenly pounded back into his activated pathways, twice as dense as it had been before. It reentered his pathways with an almost physical blow to his body and he flinched as he attempted to channel it back towards his center. It was uncomfortable, but not impossible and his awareness of the outer world dimmed as his inward focus grew sharper. ¡°Gorock, I think it''s your moment Big Guy!¡± Threstus shouted as another step from the Colossus shook the ground. Tilly gritted his teeth and pushed the newly condensed mana back through his pathways to the center where the Ability took over and began to condense it. As it reached its climax, the mana drained away again into the shadow pathways of the Artificial Endless Path, leaving Tilly feeling like a wrung-out dishrag. The feeling lasted another hollow moment before Mana crashed into his pathways again. At four times the normal load, the metaphysical blow doubled him over like a punch to the gut. As the impact disgorged its payload, it felt like molten lead flooded his veins. He screamed as he forced it back down along his pathways to his core. The Flame Expulsion took over and condensed it again. At this point, the Microcosm Orb was shining like a miniature star, burning the skin off of Tilly¡¯s clenched hand. His consciousness receded, and he dimly realized that if he wanted to stop the feedback, he would have to let go of the Orb. His body was on fire, ethereal flames licked up and down his torso, as he bore the weight of twice his normal mana capacity. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The Colossus took another step towards the formation, its movement deceptively slow as it lifted its tower-sized leg and slammed it down just twenty yards away. Tilly''s whole body locked up as he screamed tortuously fighting with everything he had to compress his supercharged mana fully. As soon as the Ability reached its threshold, the immense pressure momentarily lifted from his aching internal network as the Artificial Endless Path drained it all away. In the clarity of that aching emptiness, Tilly activated [Resolute], the ragged scream dying on his lips. Gorock had, at some point, arrived beside him as the Bastions fought on, their formation slowly eroding before the endless tide of the enemy army. He stood by, watching the approach of the Colossus with unbridled glee. [Resolute] slid into place, encasing Tilly''s body and mind in an impenetrable moment. In a single shining flash of clarity, Tilly understood many things at once. He was about to get hit with Mana eight times denser than his pathways were designed to handle, and while he was sure [Resolute] would protect him from the effects of such an overload, he was not confident in his capacity to control such power. Even as he had this thought, the burning orb in his hand began to turn to slag, the enchanted metal melting in between his fingers. ¡°Throw me, NOW!¡± He shouted, his eyes flying open. What had felt like a burning liquid in his pathways previously now hit his network like a living bar of plasma. His pathways would have disintegrated except for the intervention of the many-hued energy that had reinforced his network like scaffolding, holding them up under the load for a single cycle. The rainbow coalescence coated the insides and outside of his pathways, guiding the destructive force all the way to his core where it began to compact a final time. Gorock lifted him with ease and reared back before launching him into the air with terrifying speed. A scream once again tore itself from Tilly¡¯s lips. He was mid-arc, flying directly toward the chest of the Colossus when time stopped. Tilly¡¯s awareness was once again elongated and deepened as he became locked in the crosswinds of Space and Time. He could still think, but it was not a linear experience, instead different aspects of his situation bloomed in his consciousness at once and he processed them simultaneously. First, something had gone wrong with the feedback loop of the Microcosm. He assumed that almost any foreseen use of the item had not factored in the presence of a title such as [Resolute] and thus it had failed when pushed past a third feedback loop. The Mana had returned to him at the appropriate density, but the item had melted to his hand, leaving him unable to drop it and break the connection. But something else was happening, as it had melted, the enchanted hyper-imbued metal had made contact with his sleeve and a notification had appeared on his log. One that he was able to comprehend instantaneously once he understood its existance. Congratulations! You have been subjected to an extreme environment while wearing Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor, activating a hidden growth prerequisite. You are currently caught in an infinite mana feedback loop and have provided your armor with an enchanted material to pattern a new form. When in Mana Overdrive, your armor will take on characteristics of the Nullspider hide. The enchantment found on the item sacrificed to your armor will be overlaid on the Nullspider hide in this form allowing a full Experience to Mana conversion at 100 Exp - 1% Mana Regen. Conversion will continue until Mana usage or Experience flow ceases. His leather armor had turned matte black all over with silvery metal inlays that looked suspiciously like a mix between the surface of a computer chip and the nerve-like pathways of his mana channels. These newly carved paths had taken the place of the Microcosm in the feedback loop and were still pushing extremely dense mana through his battered, but thankfully protected mana channels. Finally, his was not the only hidden surge of mana on the field of battle. Tilly was able to sense a steady but dense flow of red-aspected mana flowing from the front lines of the battle back toward the ranks of the Cult''s true army. There, they had set up some sort of large ritual and it was feeding off the deaths of this conflict. These realities settled into his consciousness and then time hiccuped forward, like a CD skipping. The Colossus¡¯ foot was lifted to its apex, ready to slam down and crush the entire Bastion formation, while Tilly flew past in an arc that would have him hitting the creature center mass. All of this as his Flame Expulsion finally reached its pressure limit and his world exploded in blue flames. Some distant part of him noted the feeling of impact upon a solid perpendicular surface, but most of him was consumed with the raw terror of being a conduit for impossible amounts of energy. As the initial wave of his ability released at eight times its normal magnitude, the lines on the new form of his armor lit up and began to receive an influx of¡­ Experience. It was taking this source of energy and converting it to raw mana that continued to power a channeled version of Flame Expulsion. Until the ability ran out of enemies to consume, he was trapped, frozen in a vortex of influx and output. To make matters worse, [Resolute] had stopped protecting his pathways after the initial wave and they were being put under extreme pressure from continuously casting his strongest ability. He tried to scream, but there was no oxygen, his flames had consumed it all. He persisted there in this confluence of power and agony until suddenly the influx stopped and he began to fall, his unconscious form limp as it crashed to the ground.
Threstus Marcellus level 44 Empire¡¯s Bastion Subcommander. Two minutes earlier. Threstus wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen when Gorock tossed the human at the disgusting monstrosity. He knew that the man had been gathering mana for something he referred to as a bomb, but he didn''t know how effective it would be against this creature. No, this was where the Bastions would make their end. ''Gods, how had it come to this?'' At least he could die here with his brothers and do his duty one last time, making some small atonement for the incredible debt his family now owed the empire and all of its citizens. To think they would stoop so low for the favor of such a power was horrendous. Thinking about his past as the previous heir to that death trap of a family was one of the few things that could darken his otherwise cheerful demeanor. He was about to continue to fight on the line, to hold for a few minutes more when the unthinkable happened. The human''s attack exploded into the form of a blue shooting star, hitting the Colossus in its center and then releasing an expanding mass of blue flames. The creature let out a much higher pitch call of distress before stumbling back. All the while the flames continued to grow into a miniature sun. ¡°Commander!¡± Threstus shouted looking over. ¡°I see it. Bastions, PROTECT!¡± The last of the collective Unit Reserve Mana washed over the formation and they all withdrew even tighter into the square with supernatural grace. The second rank unslung shields and held them above their heads while the first rank continued to guard against outward pressures. A golden aegis much more potent than the slowing effect of the shield wall was projected in all directions and the entire unit hunkered down under extremely dense layers of protection. This formation had been developed hundreds of years ago to protect against large-scale destructive attacks that could sometimes be unleashed by an enemy. They had pulled it up just in time, as flame began to rain down all around them. None of them felt the intense heat behind their collective magical shield, but outside their formation, they could hear thousands of the creatures release a collective screech of panic and pain. Ch. 47 Fighting Retreat Linus Level 62 Bastion of the Empire, Commander ''Blinded Justice, That was one Pit of an Ability!'' The Commander mentally cursed, all the while watching for the outside environment to clear. The human had come through. At first, he humored the plan because it required little to no change to their assignment. They were to create an irresistible opening for the horde so that they wouldn¡¯t swamp the wall and the city. Then hold them there as long as possible. They were to be a shield that delayed and drew out the enemy. These orders had come from the emperor himself, and Linus still held out hope that the notoriously slippery patriarch had one or two tricks up his sleeve. He had not hesitated to lead his men to this duty, and they had followed, one and all. Even the Marcellus boy hadn¡¯t balked at the one-way mission. They had all known what it meant when they took the vows. Access to the empire''s most coveted class, but bound to a sacred and strict code. Every soldier here had long since left any other life behind. When the human had come, claiming he could make a significant dent in the enemy''s numbers, it had taken Linus all of two seconds to decide to risk committing a small amount of resources for a possibly huge payout in extended time for their operation. Fewer enemies meant less pressure on the line, which in turn would buy them a few more minutes. He had repurposed Gorock, who wasn''t much for line fighting anyway, and then thrown the Marcellus in on the scheme because if that brat wasn''t given something to play with, he always became trouble. Subcommander or not. They had of course forced him to remaneuver from the most favorable ground, but at that point, it had not mattered, all of their careful planning about to be demolished by the newly formed Colossus. So he had chosen to advance the formation and protect the human, as he finished whatever endgame casting scheme he had been gifted by the emperor. After a minute of vicious fighting on the line, he was ready and Gorock had thrown him right into the pathway of the approaching Colossus. Linus watched with a critical eye, judging if he would have to leave the men and fight this creature himself using a final trump card. Yet his eyes widened in surprise as the ability unfolded into an absolutely devastating attack. It. Was. Glorious. Not only had the human''s flames proven to be extremely effective against this type of combatant, but they had somehow been multiplied to the third tier of power. They seemed to emerge endlessly from an angry Sapphire sun. The Marcellus yelled over to him, and just as he realized that the flames risked expanding over the whole battlefield. "Commander!" ¡°I see it. Bastions, PROTECT!¡± He Commanded pulling on the dregs of the unit reserves to activate one of the most famous of the phalanxes formations. One augmented by layers of magical and physical protections. With his Battle Sight Linus saw the endless horde of creatures turned into a smoldering field of charred remains in a matter of moments. Then the epicenter of the flaming attack flickered out and he noted the human falling from his position in the sky above the battlefield. He had not been able to hold onto consciousness through the experience and hit the ground like a rag doll. Linus examined him more carefully with Battle Sight and confirmed that the human was still alive. Linus wasn''t about to lose a possible strategic resource like that! ¡°Formation BREAK! Gorock, Threstus, Retrieve our human! I don''t care if he is in pieces, I want every one of them back in the middle of this formation NOW.¡± He Commanded. The formation lost its supernatural composure, and exhausted men stumbled and fell where they stood, far past the point of exhaustion. The line was never meant to hold in such conditions, and he had been forced to burn through every bit of their reserves to survive this long. ¡°On it Sir!¡± Replied Threstus as he and Gorock sprinted from the line through the field of still-smoldering corpses. As they made their way through, Linus¡¯ Battle Sight drew his attention towards some sort of haze flowing back to the enemy''s lines. He watched as even the smoke from the flame was drawn by an invisible stream of energy toward the Cult''s forces. He frowned as he realized another ace had been revealed. The Scale-bellies were using this battle and its deaths for a large-scale ritual of some kind. His eyes narrowed in consideration. Gods he hated blood magic. He would take an honest Fireball any day of the week over that vile form of power. It asked a steep price and its practitioners were always looking for new customers to pay. Now that he was looking for it, he could see trails of black-and-red blood weaving through the sea of corpses back towards the Naga front lines. He was no wizard, but he would bet his pension that whatever they were doing with the blood of tens of thousands of creatures would not be good for the city or its citizens¡­ ¡°Rom. Get over here.¡± He called to the youngest surviving member of the unit. ¡°Sir!¡± He replied after stumbling over to Linus'' position, covered in viscera and gore. The young, but impressive, soldier looked like he had nothing left to give, and swayed on his hooves before his commanding officer. He looked exactly like Linus felt, not that he would ever show it to the men. Bastions were always ready to serve and they did their best work when all others gave up and quit.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°You look a little tired soldier, should I give this assignment to someone else?¡± Linus barked, loud enough for the others to hear. ¡°No Sir!¡± He said straightening, there was a fire of defiance in his eyes as several of the older members snickered nearby. ¡°Good man! I need a runner. Find Lord Hiro at the Hub and let him know that the Naga are probably summoning their God. There is an Epic-Ranked ritual underway, and without a significant counter, our delay tactics will be for naught.¡± ¡°It would be my pleasure, Sir! I''ll get it done and head back to continue the fight immediately!¡± He shouted, now ramrod straight. ¡°Dismissed! Oh and Rom, more than a thousand made it through, but do not engage with the Corrupted! I need this message there ASAP. Am I clear? Aside from the Subcommander, you have the highest Dexterity in the unit, and I expect you to use it!¡± ¡°Sir, Yes Sir!¡± He replied, saluting and then jogging through the men, back toward the gates. ¡°What''s the new plan, Sir?¡± One of the men called, slouched over his shield. Linus noted with some satisfaction, that even now, the man held a good grip on his gladius. ¡°Well men, we are going to double time back to the refugee front. We will destroy any of the creatures we come across en route and reconvene with the rest of our forces facilitating the evacuation of the city. Our delay tactic here was a success-¡± He paused, making sure to make eye contact with the 46 soldiers left alive after the brutal fighting. ¡°Good job men. When people whisper the name Bastion in hushed honor, you will be the one they think of. I have never been more proud to call myself one of your own.¡± He finished gravely, a glint of fierce pride showing in his eyes. The men each stood to attention, each finding a way through injury or exhaustion to offer him a solemn salute. They were knitting back together slowly and would be back in the fight when he needed them. ¡°Commander!¡± Shouted the Marcellus brat as he jogged back towards their lines, followed closely by Gorock, cradling the human in his arms as if it was his infant. ¡°Would you believe this idiot is still alive? A few broken bones and unconscious, but that''s it!¡± Threstus crooned happily. ''Good, they still had the human, an essential asset. The bastions weren¡¯t done yet, not by a long shot.'' ¡°Copy that. Bastions move out!¡± He called, turning to lead the column. He prayed to whoever would listen that the emperor had one more trick up his sleeve. The Cult was summoning their god, and the empire had run out of those a long time ago. Jonathan Tillman Level 14 Son of Flame. Something was seriously wrong. Tilly¡¯s perspective was doubled as his psyche warred against the feeling of being in two places at once. Part of him was being carried somewhere. His mana pathways had been cut to ribbons by the endless flow of power, and the Corruption within him wriggled hungrily now that it was not boxed in by the network of blue flame-aspected mana flowing within him. Tilly knew he wasn''t going to die, but he worried he would never be able to cast again if left in this state. If this had been his only perspective, he would have stayed blissfully unconscious, but simultaneously as he was lying unconscious in that broken state, he was also floating above the battlefield in the same location where he had unleashed his eight-fold Flame Expulsion. He could see the transparent outline of his ghost-like form and watched as streams of ruby energy were pulled in the direction of the Cult¡¯s army and funneled into a giant ritual circle there. Two threads of multi-hued energy tugged at the core of his incorporeal form. One, he knew, went all the way to his physical body, it continuously relayed the agony of his broken state back to him. The other was also pulling on him, but not in any direction that he could tell. He focused on it trying to understand just where it led but to no avail. He knew it was there, pulling on him... but maddeningly it was impossible to locate. It was like having a constant itch that he couldn''t reach. He cursed in frustration, his ghostly form making no sound as he decided to turn and fly back to his body, ignoring the other thread for now. Suddenly, his form was buffeted by waves of malevolent energy that started to build from within the ritual circle, and he felt himself start to tear apart under spiritual pressure. Whatever he had done to achieve this form, it clearly wasn''t stable, and he panicked as the faint lines of his form started to blur and fade. What would it mean for his normal self if this form of his was destroyed? He tried to shoot back toward the city, but let out a soundless scream as he realized he could only move at a sedate float. His awareness began to slip as he saw motes of himself separated from his body and carried away on the waves of spiritual pressure emanating from the ritual. The second thread, the one he couldn¡¯t follow tugged on him again, even more insistently. In a panic, Tilly grabbed at the thread with his will like a drowning man snatching a lifeline. Instead of trying to follow it, he mentally pulled on it as hard as he could, hoping he could pull himself away fast enough to survive the onslaught of energy. His diminishing self suddenly felt like it was trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle, but Tilly kept pulling, desperate to get away from the creeping annihilation promised by the proximity of the ritual. POP He was through and in the exact same place as where he had been a moment ago¡­ But now everything around him was frozen in time. Even the waves of energy had stopped in their tracks and before him floating in the sky were two ethereal trees, whose canopies touched each other forming a natural arc. Between the two trunks was a spinning vortex of many-hued light, and his now visible second thread was leading right into the portal. Tilly tried to find his first thread and discovered that while he could still feel its tug, it no longer seemed to lead anywhere. Well¡­ that wasn''t right. It did lead somewhere, but right now he was somewhen¡­ Trying to figure it out completely hurt his already pounding head. He had always loved time travel movies, but no matter which theory you chose, it never ended in a simple logical bow. Anyway. He could either enter the mysterious portal or pop back through the needle-sized hole in time-space and be destroyed by the raging sea of energy. He shrugged, ''beggars can¡¯t be choosers¡­'' He followed the thread until he was engulfed by the whirling many-hued energy. As he entered the portal, he was struck by the thought that this energy looked exactly like the energy that had held his pathways together after he activated [Resolute]. Ch. 48 A Glimpse Past the Veil Tilly felt like he should have stumbled as he was hurled through the other side of the portal. Instead, his momentum was immediately arrested as he cleared the plane. He found himself floating in the middle of a shady grove of trees with a moss-strewn stone path leading forward. He was still in his ghostly form, so he couldn''t feel the calm cool air of the forest, or smell the slightly damp grass in the dappled morning sun, but he took them in anyway. He looked down at the thread of rainbow-like energy pulling him deeper into the woods with gentle insistence. He hoped that whatever this was, it would help him get out of the mess he had found himself in on the other side of the time/space aperture. He looked up to check his log and realized it was gone! In fact, his whole HUD was gone and he realized they must not work outside of time. He had lost access to them the last time he had frozen in time before the Flame. He tried to pull up his character sheet with mental commands to be sure, but none responded... Now that he had time to think about it, he really didn''t like losing access to his System interface. Most of the time it seemed like he was losing a game he didn''t know the rules to and the Notification Log had been the one constant equalizer in his desert of information. ''Well I''m flying blind, what else is new?'' Tilly thought as he let out a long silent sigh and floated forward. Wherever he was going, he would understand even less than usual. He moved forward at a sedate pace, finding the forest to be oddly soothing, even frozen in time as it was. Sunlight danced through gaps in the foliage above and he smiled as he continued to float forward like a segway cop in the park. The trees became more sparse and patches of grass and wildflowers became more frequent. Then he heard it, something just on the edge of his comprehension. At first, it sounded like the tinkling of bells, and he wondered if he was imagining it. But the farther in he went down the trail the louder it got, until he was sure it was an actual sound. When juxtaposed with the almost non-stop, fight-for-your-life, environments he had been moving through his whole time in Nephesh so far, the peace of this place stood out like a strange beacon. The cynical voice in his mind insisted that there might be some sort of enchantment or glamour at work, but the feelings he was beginning to feel did not avoid his mental scrutiny. He felt totally in control of his thoughts, even as some of the ever-present, low-grade panic that lived under the surface of his mind started to drain away. Soft light harmonies began to accompany the bells, followed by gentle rhythmic beats. He had never been the biggest music guy, but what he was hearing now moved him deeply. This wasn''t just any music, its ebb and flow spoke to something much deeper than a simple melody ever could. He realized that if he was in his actual body, he might have been unable to move farther forward without being overwhelmed. At this point, the forest had almost completely opened up and the path led up a gentle hill set at the beginning of a small valley. Now that there were no trees blocking the horizon, he could see he was at the heart of an impassable circle of mountains. ''How hard would this place be to find in his physical form?... That is if it even existed in the real world.'' He laughed at himself at that last thought. What did that phrase even mean anymore? He continued his leisurely float, not noticing as the lines that made up his incorporeal form became more defined and present. There was something in this environment that was enriching his soul. It didn''t just feel good. It felt right, like some part of himself that he didn''t know was missing was slowly being restored to him. He crested the hill and let out a silent gasp. The mountains, the valley, and even the ground beneath his floating feet faded away in contrast to what was the source of this extraordinary environment. The camera lens of Tilly¡¯s awareness rotated, throwing everything else out of focus as his whole being feasted on the epicenter of this song. There at the center of the small valley, swaying gently in an absent breeze was a Blue Flower. Those words ¡®blue¡¯ and ¡®flower¡¯ were pale, empty things compared to the reality unfolding before Tilly. Describing what he saw as a ¡®blue flower¡¯ felt like trying to describe the ocean to a person who had lived in the desert their whole life. There was a gap there that nothing but experience could fill. The Flower swayed in time to the music, and the longer Tilly watched, the more he was able to understand. Dancing faintly all around the Flower, were ribbons of color, slowly being woven into the very fabric of reality and fading away. No that wasn''t right, the ribbons were not fading. Tilly could almost make out the pattern they continued to form as they augmented everything aro- ¡°That''s enough little brother.¡± The voice struck Tilly like a slap and he tore his eyes from the entrancing scene before him. The voice had been firm, but kind in its interruption of Tilly¡¯s gaze as if the speaker understood the joy Tilly had discovered, and the price he was asking Tilly to pay by pulling his attention away. Tilly was shocked to see an orc the size of a small building smiling down at him. Next to him was a hammer that literally hurt to look at. He even felt some of his form bending and twisting toward the weapon as he gave it any attention and he quickly glanced away. The impossibly muscular warrior looked sheepish once he noticed Tilly''s discomfort and nudged the hammer behind his huge form with his foot. ¡°Welcome to Memory¡¯s Womb little brother.¡± He said smiling, his large yellowish tusks doing nothing to take away from his genuine warmth. Without thinking Tilly asked the first question that came to mind, mouthing the words, but producing no sound. "Please, can you tell me what It is?" Even as he asked, he struggled not to turn back to the Flower and its song, starving for the answer that would ease the ache of longing that had emerged in his soul. The fact that he couldn''t audibly produce words didn¡¯t seem to faze the giant orc at all. He smiled and nodded as if he had been waiting for Tilly to ask. ¡°That is the anchor point for all Beauty. From it, hope, joy, and courage flow, working themselves into the great weave of the hearts of men. I believe you would be most comfortable calling it Origin¡¯s Bloom.¡± He smiled guilelessly, seeming happy to have someone to talk to. Origin again¡­ The music around him grew fainter and the jarring pain radiating from his second thread, the one that drew him back to time, back to reality, made itself known. Another mystery, another demand on Tilly even though he was already giving all he had. Even here he could feel the Seed of Corruption straining against him, trying to dig deeper into his body. If they had brought him here because they wanted something more from him, they were going to be sorely disappointed. He didn''t have anything left to give.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Tilly felt tired. Tired of always giving. Tired of never being enough. The Orc¡¯s beaming smile slowly sank into a frown, somehow watching the internal war play out within the ghostly form of Tilly¡¯s soul, ¡°You carry too much weight little brother¡­ Some things must be laid down if we are to realize our purpose.¡± He grumbled. Yeah, well it''s been a hard week. I''m doing whatever I can to prevent a genocide and even if we somehow get out, I will probably turn into a monster. Whatever else Origin wants, you can tell him, I''m not interested. The words and the deep bitterness they represented erupted out of him, flowing from his center like pus from a wound. He was trapped, and there was no way out. Whatever Origin was, he seemed to be indifferent at best, and cruel at worst. Tilly was done being forced to do someone else''s dirty work. He had given all he had, with little to no support from the Deity. The writhing pain present in his physical body radiated through the thread and up into his psyche, like nails on a chalkboard. Notes soared around him, a ripple of melody and wind winding its way through the valley, unhindered by time and space. The song met the silence of his agony and blanketed it in peace. Tilly remembered the little girl and her sad smile of hope. One that spoke of a small courageous choice, even when faced with the possibility of terrible pain. The choice to believe that things would be ok. Something only a child could do. ¡°Look again little brother, but not too long. You are here in spirit now, but the weight of this sight would sever your connection to your mortal form at its current level.¡± The Orc insisted, looking back wistfully at the center of the valley. Tilly found himself following the orc¡¯s gaze before he had even consciously made the choice to do so. There the Flower stood. It did not glow, nor did the music it produced overwhelm Tilly. In fact, it did not demand attention at all. Nonetheless, it was absolutely captivating. The pain waiting for him at the other end of the thread to his body continued to clamor, making its dreadful promise of future suffering and unavoidable failure. But here, now, Tilly felt a small portion of the deep pain he carried like armor around his heart... melt. Maybe, just maybe, there was a purpose in all of it. Some greater drive to move forward than the fear of failure that had kept him running from one pain to another his whole life. Through that small opening, he felt a minuscule portion of the song enter his being and radiate back through his thread, somehow touching his physical body. Tilly couldn''t tell what was happening, but something was being restored, both here in his ethereal form and there in his physical body. ¡°Now you begin to see, little brother.¡± The Orc said, calling Tilly''s attention back to the present. Tilly turned back to the orc reluctantly and winced at the bright hopefulness of his smile. "Who are you, and why do you call me little brother?" ¡°You are a Guardian of one of the Great Secrets, and so am I. I was called Thunder¡¯s Descent once... You have found the Flame in life and I have guarded the Bloom in death.¡± He said, still smiling. The last word hit Tilly like a ton of bricks. Tilly¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to the faint insubstantial nature of the Orc¡¯s outline. It was barely perceptible, but Tilly realized that the Orc, Thunder¡¯s Descent didn¡¯t have a physical body either. Although his form was almost completely substantial despite his disembodied state. "Why me?" Tilly mouthed, his eyes once again drawn to the second thread, the one that still pulled him to the Bloom. ¡°Yes, Good question! My vigil here is almost done, but we will see each other again before its end, I think. It was good to meet you, little brother. Come find us when you are ready to lay down this darkness you think you must carry.¡± At his words, Tilly felt the tug from his time-bound thread grow more substantial, pulling him back toward the treeline. He stubbornly resisted, attempting to anchor his form with his will. "Lay it down? When I chose to cleanse the corruption from the Temple, I gave up that chance. Now it''s only a matter of time." Tilly mouthed frowning in confusion as he fought to stay in place. "No one can decide that but you. You cling to control and because of this, you are losing the very thing you fight so hard to keep. We are all slaves to something, our only freedom is to choose what we will serve." He urged, his eyes imploring Tilly to understand even as his tusk-filled smile remained easygoing. The force of the pull redoubled and Tilly began to move against his will, "Wait! I''m tired of being left in the dark! What is Origin? What is Corruption, and how am I supposed to do anything about it? " He silently screamed in frustration, furious that he was once again being yanked around without any answers. ¡°We may not know all the steps little brother, but that shouldn¡¯t stop us from joining the dance!¡± Thunder¡¯s Descent called after Tilly as he built up speed. Annoyingly, the orc even included a small dance with his parting words. The peaceful forest path flew by in a blur and Tilly felt like a fish on the line by the time he was pulled through the portal. Before he could get a handle on what was happening, he was at the time-space needle hole, being yanked through. He felt like the last bit of toothpaste getting squeezed from the tube. The aperture had grown smaller, and he realized that it had been slowly closing the whole time he was in the valley. It felt like his entire form was being smushed through an opening the size of a molecule, moving at a ridiculous speed to make it in time. Then, just before he escaped the shrinking hole, he felt something vibrating down the thread that had led him to the Flower. One last thing little brother, you might find yourself a little changed after your visit to our valley. The Great Secrets do not need anything from you, rather, they seek to give to all. Good Providence Guardian of the Flame. May your path be straight, and your eyes full of light. Pop. He was back through the other side of Time, and he was immediately assaulted by buffeting waves of malevolent energy emerging from the ritual. Tilly immediately curled into a ball trying to protect as much of his essence as possible from the onslaught of foreign energy. But¡­ The onslaught never came. Well, that wasn¡¯t true. The waves continued to crash against him, but he no longer felt that ghastly ripping at the edges of his form. He looked down at his ghostly hand in wonder, noting that it was far more defined and detailed. While he still felt the energy flowing all around him, it could no longer destabilize him on a spiritual level. ''Hell yeah! +1 to the magical flower of destiny!'' He exclaimed dryly. He felt around for that second thread and noted that it was gone, cut off as the aperture closed. A surprising amount of sadness accompanied the realization, and he shoved down the strong emotional response. The Orc had said that he had to find the valley again in order to get rid of the Seed of Corruption. At least that is what Tilly thought he had said... The simple-seeming Orc had been deceptively evasive. Well, that was a problem for future Tilly. A man who managed to survive whatever shitstorm was building up at the other end of the battlefield. He needed to get back and warn the others. He shot through the air at double his previous speed, which while nice, still put him at a fast walk¡­ This was going to be frustrating. But while he couldn¡¯t do anything to move faster, he could at least review his Notification Log and try and figure out what had just happened to him. Ch. 49 Back In The Fight While floating through the air, trying to catch up to his body, Tilly pulled up his notification log and tried to get a grip on what he had just experienced. He scanned over the events, starting with his impact against the Colossus and moving through how the notifications described what had just happened to him. Nothing seemed completely out of place, but events continued to unfold in such a way that he was always at the epicenter of the conflict between Corruption and those who chose to resist it. The more he thought about it the more he realized that while he had chosen his direction at every fork in the road, the events that transpired after each of his decisions displayed subtle evidence of divine interference. The mutation and adoption of the Microcosm by his Legendary Set of Leather Armor seemed like it should never have happened, and yet here he was. Now the owner of two different armor forms that had manifested just in time for him to face an extraordinarily dangerous environment. Tilly scowled at the thought of being subtly manipulated even if the interventions had resulted in something positive so far. His eyes ran through the list of Log entries trying to pull out the essentials before he made it back to the Bastions.
Through your actions, you have created a Mana--Experience loop, This has not been seen on Nephesh since the third Epoch. This experience has indelibly marked your soul and imparted you with the ability Mana Overdrive. You may perform abilities without paying the Mana cost in exchange for unused Experience stored in the subspace of your soul at a rate of 100:1% while wearing the Nullspider Set. Your Character sheet has been modified to reflect such.
You have defeated a Corrupted Collosus! You have been awarded 539,000 exp. Level up! Congratulations! You are now level 15. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame.
Congratulations! You are now level 16¡­ Congratulations! You are now level 17. 20,000/340,000 exp until the next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame.
You have activated Mana Overdrive. All experience you earn through the use of continuous Mana-based abilities will convert to Mana at a 100:1 ratio until the flow of Experience stops. Experience consumed by Mana Overdrive: 3,234,907. Congratulations! By attacking and defeating an opponent more than 4x your level with a suicidal frontal assault, you have earned the title: [A Divine Wind]. When you attack an opponent more than double your level while holding their full attention, you gain a 25% bonus to your attack power. Warning! Your soul has been reforged in the flow of immense amounts of mana and the trauma of this event has temporarily torn your spirit from your body. Congratulations! You have learned a new skill, Spirit Walk Spirit Walk Level 1 Your Spirit Form has entered into an incredibly rich soul environment and has been strengthened by the primordial energies found in its presence. Spirit Walk Level 2. Spirit Walk Level 3¡­ Spirit Walk Level 7
He immediately tried to assign the stat points from his levels but found that he was unable to. Freaking ghost form¡­ Well, now he had a pretty good idea of his strategy going forward. He didn''t want to lose [Resolute] again. If he was being set up as a counter to the biggest bad guy around, he needed to hold on to the one thing that let him survive a hit way above his weight class. That meant that at least half of all points gained would have to go to Endurance. It was painful to even think about, but he just didn''t have the luxury of creating some sort of solo adventurer, jack-of-all-trades kind of build. For now, he would dump the majority of the rest of these points into Constitution. He needed to get back in the fight as soon as possible. Mana Overdrive was insane. The experience price was steep, but the fact that he had the option to keep in the fight even after he hit zero Mana was a godsend. He loved having another option besides relying on his pitiful Mana Regen in the middle of a fight. Gaining levels was essential, but not as essential as staying alive. With this, he always had an emergency fund of Mana if he was desperate and there were enough low-level enemies around. This Ability in combination with the titles: [Resolute] and [Divine Wind] was going to be the ace of his build. He didn''t love it, but it looked like his days as a DPS/Tank were only just beginning. He just had to hope that his reckless min/maxing in Endurance would pay off and keep him alive in his next laughably unfair matchup. Spirit Walk was also super interesting and the DM in him had some ideas of how the skill could be applied laterally to overcome obstacles and gain intel. But it probably wouldn''t be useful in the near future. So, a couple of levels, a new synergy in his Titles and Abilities, and one non-combat skill that should be useful in the future. Overall he had advanced pretty well over the last day... but his progress did nothing to shake the feeling that he was falling behind. It felt like he had been entered into a race that he had no chance of winning, and every step forward just solidified his hopeless prospects of succeeding. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. So much for a tutorial or a nice friendly starting area... Well, there had been horned rabbits, so he shouldn''t complain too much. He minimized the Log and found that he was already moving over the promenade. He allowed himself a smile of dark satisfaction at the trail of destruction left by the moving engine of blades and shields that was the remaining core of the Empire¡¯s Bastions. Even at his slow pace, he was gaining on them as they dispatched the milling groups of Corrupted who seemed to be pulled in a thousand different directions by the maze of intersecting roads and hiding prey. However, the majority of the remaining Corrupted were drawn into the conflict playing out at the leading edge of the Bastion formation as they continued their relentless march through the middle of the city. Even with most of the Corrupted accounted for, a horrible symphony of screams and terror began to rise from the rampaging wave of invaders emanating from the front gate. The enemy combatants that had made it through, and avoided engagement with the Bastions were free to sow chaos throughout the city. Tilly was thankful that the true organizers of the city''s defense had already concentrated the majority of people at its center. He scanned ahead of the moving formation to the immense crowd of citizens at the city center. There standing in a thin defiant line was a group of armed refugees holding back the most forward element of the Corrupted. They stood fast against the thin but constant stream of enemies as the quickest of the shambling creatures made it to the concentration of life at the city center. Luckily, the line looked like it would have no problem holding until the Bastions reached it. Then Tilly looked back at the enemy lines and saw the energy radiating from the ritual slowly coalesce into a serpentine physical shape. The sight renewed his sense of urgency, and with a silent growl of frustration, he pushed forward with his will, while simultaneously pulling on the thread that led to his body. He felt his pace pick up slightly. It wasn''t enough... Tilly narrowed all of his mental focus until his whole world was the task of reaching the moving formation faster. The gap between him and the soldiers closed and he got a better look at how bad of shape the Bastions were in. The forward line was made up of the least injured of the unit, which meant that they had all their limbs and were not bleeding out. At the center of the kind of Bastions still in the fight was the Commander, covered in gore and limping forward with a clipped efficient gait. Not that those with obvious injuries seemed to be at any sort of handicap. The line of soldiers leading the formation continued to cut down the enemy and ram them out of the way as the whole group moved inexorably forward. The sides were held by spear wielders, using the reach of their weapons like poles on a river raft, thrusting into occasional enemies and pushing them off to the side. Finally, the rear was almost entirely being held by Threstus who tirelessly dispatched Corrupted who attempted to flank around the sides or catch up with the formation from the rear. The soldiers at the center of the unit displayed an impressive litany of ghastly injuries and seemed to be keeping up pace by spite alone. In the middle of it all was Gorock with Tilly¡¯s body thrown over his shoulder like a sack of flour going to market. The sight of his body as a burden added even more urgency to his flight, and he used it as fuel to eke out another slight increase in speed. Finally, he was floating above the shambling soldiers. None of them looked up or noticed his presence, confirming his hunch that he was undetectable to most senses in this form. As soon as he reached Gorock at the center of the formation he extended his hand to touch the back of his physical body. The contact removed any sort of priority between spirit and body and his perceptions doubled. He was suddenly looking through two sets of eyes, one perspective looking down at his slumped form, the other flaring open to take in the sight of Gorock''s ridiculously shapely hamstrings. Then both perspectives blurred and merged in a nauseating multidirectional fusion. ¡°Uuuhhhggg¡± He gasped, choking back some bile as he returned to his physical form. The muted sensations of his injuries hit him full force as he returned fully to his body and he immediately put 6 points in Endurance 5 in Constitution, and 2 each in Wisdom and Strength. Bringing his non-Endurance stat total to 96 and his Endurance to 97. His ribs were still cracked and there were hairline fractures in several other sets of bones, but all of them were well into the process of healing. The almost 50% increase in his Constitution would be a huge help in speeding that process up. ¡°Is Baby Man Awake?¡± Gorock rumbled, his basso voice vibrating through Tilly¡¯s body from its position on the warrior''s shoulder, causing his ribs to grind together painfully. ¡°Guh¡­ Yeah, I am. Mind if I walk big guy?¡± Tilly gasped out between painful breaths, trying and failing to take some pressure off his mending ribs. Gorock hefted him up and then set him on his feet with surprisingly gentleness. The formation didn''t notice or slow at his waking, but Tilly found he was able to turn and adopt the same stumbling, exhausted gait that was being used by most of the members of the unit. A few of the nearby soldiers looked over at him and nodded. No cheering or thanks. Just a silent nod of acceptance. Tilly knew from experience that the respect of such men was much more precious than praise, and he nodded back, attempting to match the hard, weathered expression of impassivity that so many of the veterans wore. ¡°You did good Baby-Man. I especially liked it when you exploded. You should do this again very soon!¡± Gorock exclaimed enthusiastically. ¡°Don¡¯t think I have any more of those in me for a while¡­¡± Tilly ground out, splitting his attention between keeping up the march and trying to get a handle on what had happened to him internally. He could tell he was on track to recover physically, but metaphysically, he was a mess. He focused internally as he mindlessly stumbled forward and could feel the shattered state of his mana pathways. This caused the normal flow of Mana through his body to slosh out and pool in different sections of his network. He could still move his magic, but the act had become wildly inefficient and resulted in a painful pressure around shattered areas of his nervelike mana pathway network. Hesitantly, Tilly tried to recall his hatchets from wherever they had gotten to. But the wave of anticipated pain never came. Instead, as the magic moved along the pattern it used to recall his hatchets, he felt the presence of a previously undetected blanket of cool energy, underpinning and repairing the broken parts of his network. After a slower-than-normal period of time, his weapons appeared in his hands and he looped them. His concentration wavered as he tried to get the hang of observing his internal structures while on the move, but eventually, he was able to fall into a shuffling rhythm and turn his attention fully inward to watch the flow of Mana within his body and observe this new, beneficial energy. While he couldn''t see color in this state, the energy had a feeling of deep blueness, like glacial ice, or the relief of an ice pack on an inflamed injury. He watched as this strange energy was slowly being absorbed to reknit his pathways. Then it clicked, this energy was the same color as his ghostly form when he Spirit Walked. According to his Log, he had absorbed a small portion of the "Primordial Energy" around the Bloom causing a huge increase in the strength of his Spirit. It must be these gains that his physical body was processing and the excess energy was being used to restore the metaphysical network that made up his Mana pathways. The spiritual energy was slowly breaking down, and rejoining with his integrated self, fueling the highly accelerated spiritual regeneration he was observing. He wondered just how long this process would have taken without the "chance" encounter in the hidden valley. ¡°Formation Halt!¡± Shouted Commander Linus from the front. The sound of battle had become almost white noise to Tilly as he had found his meditative rhythm. But the sudden call to halt jolted him from his inward-facing state and he found the Bastions finishing the last of the Corrupted between their formation and the ragged but determined line of refugee militia. They had made it to the Hub. Ch. 50 Trouble Magnet The line of volunteer militia was about three deep in most places and had held back the Corrupted so far. Many of the refugee fighters were tradespeople or farmers holding makeshift weapons, but they spanned the promenade in a protective line about fifty feet in front of the mass of refugees. Behind them, there must have been over 100,000 people pressed in as close as possible to the Teleportation Hub. ¡°Who commands here?¡± Linus called, ¡°That would be me,¡± stated a decrepit old satyr woman with a bloodied gladius in her hand. Level 38 Guard Captain (retired) ¡°They said they needed someone with experience, and I had plenty of that. Plus it''s been a few decades since Lick here has tasted any blood.¡± She stated with a ghastly smile showing missing teeth. ¡°Yes. Well, you have done admirably considering the circumstances,¡± complimented the Commander, not at all phased by her almost ghoulish smile. "I need to find Lord Hiro and my men need a few minutes to rest and recover,¡± Linus said curtly, wiping his sword off on a rag he produced from somewhere before sheathing it. ¡°Alright, Slugs! You heard the youngster. Part in the middle, then reform! No lingering! We will maintain line discipline or I will personally give you a Lickin you will never forget.¡± She snarled in an impressively loud voice. Not surprisingly, many of the volunteers moved almost immediately, nervously looking over at the ancient guard captain with actual fear. Tilly wasn''t sure if they were more afraid of her or the hundreds of Corrupted they had just faced and defeated. The line of refugee militia parted, many of them showing relief at the appearance of some actual soldiers. The faces of those who had taken up arms displayed a mixture of grim determination and barely controlled panic. But they were maintaining discipline well enough under the command of the guard captain. Of course, there was no guarantee that they would hold in the face of what was coming. That would change with the support of the Bastions. No matter how beaten and exhausted they were, each Soldier maintained a look of stoic indifference as they moved through the gap in the line. The severely injured in the center of the formation with Tilly seemed to be playing a game centered around who could ignore the greatest injury. A Satyr a few paces ahead of Tilly was missing most of his right arm, but walked on his own through the gap, still carrying his shield and spear on his back and his sword in the remaining hand. He wore a stoic expression as some of the Militia muttered and pointed at him. Tilly was sure that even without an arm, he was still worth 50 of the volunteers. As they all filtered through, Linus started barking orders, ¡°Alright, I want you to set up against that building over there. Rations and Water! Severely injured are to take a Soldier''s Rest. Subcommander, I¡¯m leaving you to it.¡± The gap closed just as quickly as it had opened, just as the loose mob of Corrupted trailing the formation sped up at the sign of new prey. The volunteers were uncoordinated and disorganized, but they moved quickly enough to fill in the line. ¡°Weapons up, you Fat Pieces of Aroch Shit. They bite! So don''t let their heads in close!¡± The Guard Captian shouted, turning her watchful eyes over the loose defensive formation they had set up. They took the loose charge of the scattered Corrupted with only one or two losses. Tilly turned from the fighting and hurried over to the commander who was re-wrapping a blood-soaked bandage around his almost healed quad. ¡°Commander, I saw something while I was in the air,¡± Tilly reported simply, deciding he didn''t need to go into the full story. ¡°Mr. Tillman, it''s good to see you up. Come with me. We need to find Hiro.¡± He said, moving away from the men, and gesturing for Tilly to follow. Like almost everything else they did, as Tilly turned from the Bastions'' position, they uniformly collapsed into sitting or laying positions. Tilly grinned briefly. If these men were anything like the boys back in the department, they would be able to sleep standing up if they needed to. He hurried to move up beside the injured Commander who was making his way toward the crowd with a quick limp. ¡°Sir, I think I know why the main bulk of the Cult¡¯s army has hung back instead of capitalizing on our depleted numbers. They are using the deaths of the battle somehow, collecting the energy for something big, although I don''t know what.¡± Tilly huffed out in between quick strides, the reality of the odds against them settled down on his shoulders, causing him to feel even more out of breath. ¡°It''s been noted and I sent a runner. The way I see it, we only face two true possibilities. One, the emperor, may justice preserve him, has some sort of last counter prepared for something like this, or two, whatever they are bringing to the battlefield crushes us. Either way, it''s above our pay grade. In times like these, you learn to do what you can, and not worry about the rest.¡± He remarked stoically as they moved. Tilly followed a step behind, trying to school his breathing through the pain of his ribs knitting back together. He couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by the Commander''s even-keeled demeanor. He must have been absolutely dead on his feet at this point, but he let none of it show. He simply carried on, back erect and eyes level. Tilly could almost feel his purpose reverberating through every step, undampened by the near loss of all he had sworn to protect. Tilly had led small teams in dangerous situations. He knew that on some level it was always an act ¨C one that you maintained for the rank and file, giving them something to depend on even when their world was falling apart. When it came to good leadership, this all registered as par for the course in Tilly''s mind. But something about Linus¡¯ courage and fidelity to his cause touched Tilly in a way he could not quantify. He found his shoulders relaxing slightly as he followed the satyr towards what would undoubtedly be more conflict. The weight he was carrying became fractionally lighter as he began to understand that as dark as things would get, he wouldn''t be facing them alone. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. For some reason, that made all the difference. The crowd ahead was mostly facing forward, clamoring for a spot closer to the Hub and hopefully salvation. The closest of the crowd however were more focused on observing the thin line of militia holding back the Corrupted than adding to the press that was clearly not making progress forward. This created a growing murmur of awareness as Commander Linus approached with a strange fur-and-leather-covered human in tow. They parted respectfully as the pair neared, but only as a little way into the crowd. Once they got to the true press, everyone was facing away toward the Hub still hundreds of feet forward. Tilly was above average height in the crowd of shorter-statured satyrs and could see that each road leading to the hub was similarly packed, with a barrier of magic holding them back. Past the barrier and the honu maintaining it, were only a few other figures in the large opening. Tilly could just see the imperial palace in the distance and noted a silvery haze rising from the building, like heat off asphalt on a summer day. ¡°I think I can see Hiro ahead in the Hub past the barriers. We just have to find a way through.¡± ¡°Make way in the name of the Emperor!¡± Bellowed Linus in his Commander''s voice. Many almost automatically pushed to the right and left to part the crowd just enough, but not all were so accommodating. ¡°The Emperor? Why would you evoke such a weak name at a time like this?¡± hissed someone to their right. Tilly turned to look in confusion, thinking that the voice sounded a little off when Linus flashed by him, blade already out. Before Tilly had even registered what was happening, Linus was exchanging lighting strike blows with a Naga wielding two scimitars. Level 45 Shadow Hunter. The surrounding crowd screamed and scattered as four other figures shed their draping cloaks and enchantments fuzzed out around them, revealing four other Shadow Hunters ranging from Levels 25-29. Tilly¡¯s stomach clenched in tension as two more surged toward Linus whose blade had already found his attacker''s guts. The other two were already facing him and struck like the coiled serpents they were. Tilly''s pathways screamed as he forced his Mana to respond in desperation and recall his hatchets from their loops, to his hands, bringing them up in a crossblock just in time to check the spear thrust of one of the serpents. Unfortunately, he was no master of close combat and the best he could do to mitigate the horizontal strike of the second attacker was to step into the blow and lower his shoulder, hoping to not lose his arm in the process. He felt his healing Mana pathways shudder, protest, and strain at the usage in their injured state. The blade of the second spear sheared through his armor and parted his flesh until meeting the top of his humerus, jarring his right arm with its impact. All three warriors looked at the point of impact in surprise. Despite the full swing, it had stopped an inch deep. Looks like a 97 in Endurance wasn¡¯t just for blowing smoke up his ass. Tilly capitalized on their shock and hooked the first attacker''s spear shaft with the bearded head of one of his hatchets. Simultaneously, he yanked for all he was worth and dropped his second weapon to bend his pinned arm at just the right angle to grab the length of the second attacker''s spear. Both attackers attempted to pull their weapons free and Tilly resisted for only a moment, screaming in defiance at the trauma of once again having a weapon piercing his body. As soon as they shifted their weight and leaned back, Tilly felt himself losing purchase at their superior strength. Instead of continuing to pull, he suddenly kicked off the ground, adding his weight to their leverage and launching himself at their bodies. He crashed into them in a tangle of limbs, all technique forgotten as he degraded the fight into a desperate brawl. He chopped with his remaining weapon at one and hooked an arm around the neck of the other. In turn, the one he was choking immediately locked down his legs with its long snake tail and began to squeeze in retaliation. The other dropped her spear as the hatchet impacted her shoulder with a cleaving thunk. She produced a knife with her free hand and thrust it right at his abdomen with a wild glee shining in her abyssal eyes. The thrust pierced into his stomach but caught on his abdominal muscles, digging in painfully, if shallowly. In the press of bodies, Tilly did the only thing he could think of and rallied his barely functional pathways to gasp out one more Flame¡¯s Renewal into the faces of both of his opponents. They, like the others Tilly had encountered, were covered in black tattoos bleeding dark ink all over their bodies, and at Tilly¡¯s Ability, their skin immediately began to bubble. Both screamed in fury and agony, and the one wrapping Tilly squeezed even harder around his legs, causing his recently healed bones to creak. The second ripped out the tip of her knife to thrust it again, mad with rage. ¡°That is enough of that.¡± Linus snarled in disgust as his gladius whirled overhead and then smoothly cut through both of the Naga''s heads at once. The double decapitation was truly epic, or so Tilly would have thought if he hadn¡¯t been suddenly showered in blood darkened by Corruption. He pushed himself free from the slack appendages and sputtered as he tried to wipe the clotting mess from his eyes. ¡°Apologies,¡± came the sound of Linus¡¯ voice as Tilly felt a cloth press into his hand, which he desperately began using to wipe the viscous liquid from his eyes, spitting all the while. ¡°I thought the situation called for speed over cleanliness,¡± he continued drily. ¡°No, you made the right- BLLAAARRRGGGG!¡± Tilly vomited, his body forcefully ejecting any of the foreign bodily fluid from his system. Along with the pain of his recently won wounds, he felt a stinging prickly sensation building around the bleeding opening. Amidst all of the horrible new sensations he was experiencing, he was glad to feel the flame at the center of his chest kindle and begin to warm his whole body. ¡°I think¡­ their blades¡­ are poisoned.¡± He gasped out between a few lingering dry heaves. ¡°What is your status? Can you continue?¡± Linus demanded, looking back toward the Hub. ¡°Yeah, I''m good. Fucking up stuff that tries to get inside me is becoming my micropower.¡± He said shakily as he straightened up, Health : 56%* Mana : 82%* He was sure that the system had all sorts of details and caveats on those numbers, but he didn''t care. His [Hostile Environment] title would have to step up and take care of the poison, and his Mana Pathways would just have to suck it up along with him. This wasn''t a fun day for anybody and his complaining pathways were just going to have to get with the program. He used the cloth to try and mop off the blood beginning to mat in his short beard and hair. The stuff all over his body was going to dry and smell, he just knew it. Ch. 51 Above My Paygrade Tilly handed the now filthy rag back to Linus with a smirk, and the Satyr took it with a frown. He pinched it carefully between two fingers and gave it a flick and Tilly watched in dismay as it began to glow before releasing a starburst of energy and returning to its original state as a freshly laundered square of cloth. Now that Tilly thought about it, he had seen the commander bust out the same square a couple of times in the last hour. And it was always fresh. ¡°Standard issue for officers.¡± He said matter of factly, not at all succeeding in hiding a slightly smug demeanor behind his mask of professionalism. Tilly sighed, coming to his feet and wiping off the front of his primitive but already clean jacket. When juxtaposed with the disgusting layer of grime that was slathered over almost every inch of exposed skin... ¡°Ok, Mr. Magic cloth, I''m ready to keep moving,¡± Tilly said dryly as the scattered crowd started to return from their panicked press at the edge of the streets. Linus nodded and continued forward as if the attempted assassination was just another thing on the To-Do list. Tilly looked back for a moment at the bodies that they were leaving in their wake and realized that they didn''t bother him. Not the near-death thing. That sucked. It was the savagery of Nephesh that he was weirdly ok with. So many people moved through life never breaking a bone. They worked on a computer and played Call of Duty in their off time. They had never seen someone burned alive, never felt the force of arterial blood as it escaped the vessel it was meant to animate. Grusome shit still happened all the time, but most people lived protected lives that kept them insulated from just how brutal life could get. Tilly hadn''t. And in some messed up way, he was thankful. There were a lot of firsts for him in this new life. But leaving dead bodies on the street wasn''t one of them. ¡°Make way in the name of the Emperor!¡± Linus shouted again, drawing the attention of all the nearby eyes towards him. As he followed the yelling officer, Tilly realized that the bastard could have just pushed his way through the crowd. He had been intentionally drawing attention to himself as an agent of the emperor, hoping to instigate any more attacks or hidden traps the enemy may have planted in the crowd. It was a good plan... it just would have been nice to get a warning. Just then, a blaze of blue magic showed from their destination, and the people around them started to cheer and scream in desperation all at once. ¡°That would be the Portal going up. We need to be there, now!¡± Linus shouted back, doubling his pace to a slightly hobbled jog as he pushed through an increasingly panicked crowd that was already as tightly packed as possible. Linus had no qualms about forcing his way forward, increasing in ferocity as he shouldered people aside, ¡°Emperor¡¯s business! Let us through!¡± He barked out as the surrounding crowd worked its way into a frenzy that only the hope of salvation could have birthed. Tilly stayed in the commander''s shadow, even grabbing onto his armor at one point. The press had become so thick that as soon as Linus moved through a space, it would begin to collapse back on Tilly with the weight of thousands of bodies. The experience was claustrophobic, to say the least.
Thirty feet ahead stood a barrier of empowered rushing water that held back the panicking refugees. Beyond that, sitting like a beacon of hope, was the re-enchanted teleport platform, which supported a newly created stable portal. At each corner of the platform was an ornately outfitted Honu moving through motions, continuing to empower the ongoing spell. ¡°How do you feel about getting thrown again!¡± The commander called over to him, the noise and press of bodies becoming too thick even for him to navigate without actually hurting people. ¡°Three in a day? I''m in.¡± Tilly shouted back. Without any preamble, Linus turned and grabbed Tilly¡¯s waistband and jacket, crouched down, and lobbed the full-grown man over the crowd to crash into the protective barrier guarding the Hub. Tilly was proud to say he didn''t scream as he flew through the air toward an opaque magical barrier. The oddest moment of calm reflection hit him as the barrier loomed before him. ''I guess the human mind can adjust to any kind of trauma if it happens frequently enough¡­'' Just before he was going to hit, there was a flash, and the barrier opened in front of him, allowing him to crash behind the line of Honu casters. Tilly barely felt any pain from the crash landing, it was mildly uncomfortable, but he could tell he wouldn''t be developing any road rash or bruising. He had the throwing part down, now if only he could figure out how to land. His sliding roll came to a stop right at the feet of a Honu with a particularly glorious light blue scarf, ¡°How are you friend?¡± He asked in a light tone. ¡°Oh hey, Franklin! What are the chances, huh?¡± Tilly chuckled staggering to his feet Linus landed with a few staccato clacks as he skipped forward a few steps to arrest his forward momentum. Franklin just looked at the both of them before gesturing behind him as if this had all been a part of the plan. ¡°We have the Portal online and connected to the other end. Unfortunately, we can''t just open the barriers. I am afraid the resulting stampede will crush us. The elder and Lord Hiro are working on something near the platform. You better go see what they need.¡± He finished, eyeing the crowd with tight concern. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Thank you, young TideCaller,¡± Linus said respectfully before heading off. Tilly shot off a saucy wink to Franklin before following after the Commander. They soon approached the platform adjoining the Portal where both respective leaders were orchestrating the operation. ¡°... a good point¡­. Fortunately¡­ I have a¡­ solution.¡± Tilly caught the tail end of their conversation. Kihei turned away from Hiro and offered a kind smile to the approaching pair before lifting his staff and slamming it to the ground. The sound of crashing waves suffused the Hub and Tilly saw the magic of the barrier blocking all entrances to the Hub ripple and change. Azure energies moved from Kihei¡¯s staff and connected to each of the barriers present. Then each wall of infused water responded to his magic by growing a path leading straight to the platform, wide enough for three to pass at a time. Yet all were still barred from walking these newly created paths designed to stop a panicked stampede. Except for the barrier before a wider road leading perpendicular to the main promenade. It alone opened, funneling those waiting onto Kihei''s impromptu magical path. Tilly noted with a mixture of dismay and satisfaction that all of the figures that rushed the gap were lapins. In fact, that particular street was entirely filled with lapins, and they moved quickly to the platform, not hesitating to jog through, obviously having been prepared for just this occurrence. The rest of the crowd saw this and howled in frustration. Some even began attacking the barriers, which showed no signs of weakening under the control of Elder Kihei. ¡°Mr. Tillman. It is very good to see you alive, here with Linus no less! You do not disappoint.¡± Hiro said, looking over with a warm smile. ¡°Hiro, I see your negotiations paid off¡­ what about all the others?¡± Tilly said, not at all trying to hide his disquiet at the sight of clear favoritism. ¡°This world is a cruel place, and all you can do is protect what is yours. I think you will come to understand this in time. Until then, know that my people will all be through in minutes, and all the other barriers will open, allowing all those who can make it, a chance.¡± Hiro rumbled, showing the human patience that he normally reserved for children. ¡°Did my runner make it here?¡± Linus interjected, not caring for moral debate. ¡°He arrived well before you and we sent him off to the Palace. Shuji would have sent a bird, but the ability is already active with Mochizuki. He lost track of her somewhere beyond where my people are stationed, and went to investigate.¡± ¡°I''ll head to the Palace as well. Gods willing, he has something planned for the coming cataclysm. He had a plan for everything else.¡± ¡°Many of those plans have failed... You will forgive me if I don''t share your trust.¡± Hiro replied shortly, turning to watch the remnant of his people rush down the magical corridor to the portal and move through. A booming crack reverberated across the sky, and a reddish haze along with a network of fractures filled the area above the Cult''s army. All of them at the center of the Hub looked up as the crowd''s shouting became screams of panic. An unnatural-looking bulge formed in the heavens at the epicenter of the fracturing as something pushed through from a higher reality. Then with a terrible ripping sound, the sky burst, and blood rained down from above. Even this far from the epicenter of the ritual, a spray of blood misted over the city inciting an even greater reaction of terror from the refugees. It was one hell of an entrance. A serpentine head the size of a warehouse pushed through the opening in the sky, followed by a long uncoiling body the size of the Empire State Building. Tilly, along with everyone else looked up in frozen astonishment as the God of the enemy forces took the field. Level ??? Deified Serpent of the Sixth Circle Everyone stopped moving as the divine being looked around, surveying the battlefield and the city that was all but abandoned with its vulnerable neck exposed. ¡°Well done Broodlingssss, you may now feasssst.¡± A harsh hissing voice grated on Tilly''s psyche, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. Even at this distance, Tilly could hear the roaring cheer that rose up from the enemy''s lines at the approval of their God. They would be charging the city at any moment. Tilly looked around at the others to see what they were going to do. Everyone else was grimly watching the emergence of the snake god. He saw that the Lapin people were almost all through, and following on their tails was Amelia with her contingent of children. ''That''s right, they had planned to stage with the lapins... smart.'' More interestingly, Tilly spotted Shuji hurrying in their wake supporting a barely conscious Mochizuki. He turned to inform Hiro and was surprised to see Linus looking in the complete opposite direction of the snake god. What the heck was he- ¡°AHAHAHA!¡± rang out harsh mocking laughter. It too boomed out with the immense weight of unbelievable power. ¡°It''s good of you to finally show your forked tongue, Nehebkau.¡± Tilly struggled to track the source of the voice, looking all around before remembering Linus'' hope-filled face. He followed his line of sight as the others on the platform turned to do the same. ¡°Now I see why he so closely guarded his plan,¡± Hiro intoned as they all watched the silvery haze that had been coming off the structure start to thicken into tendrils of energy. The tendrils were emerging from every part of the palace, all leading to a nexus of energy at the top of the highest dome of the roof. There stood a figure that Tilly could make out in perfect clarity despite the distance. It was as if the immense weight of his power on the plane caused the nearby air to magnify his presence somehow. Standing there was a proud ancient Satyr, wearing ornate armor. The centerpiece of the armor was a golden Cuirass with a blindfolded female satyr holding a set of scales on the front. He looked sickly and the shadows coloring his face gave a severe cast to his features. Level 98* Emperor of the Thousand Phalanx Empire His eyes showed the black tears of a longstanding Corruption infection, but some part of Tilly recognized another who was fighting back the influence with all he had. He didn¡¯t know what the asterisk meant after the level, but he assumed it had something to do with the streams of silvery energy entering his body from thousands of separate points. Ch. 52 Battle Medic ¡°Ah, the old goat livessss¡­ No matter¡­ I look forward to ssssnapping your bonesss one at a time as I sssqueeze the life from your little ssscity. ¡± the serpent exclaimed in a voice that permeated the capital and all its inhabitants. ¡°Enough of your incessant hissing. Are you going to attack, or will you let all my people slip away?¡± The emperor provoked waving magnanimously in the direction of the Hub. His motions were a poetry of empowered potential and Tilly could almost feel the pressure of his movements from where he stood. Although he did wish that those movements weren''t drawing attention to over one hundred thousand fleeing refugees. ¡°The Imperial War Array!¡± Linus grunted, showing an uncharacteristic amount of awe. Tilly looked around and saw new hope blooming all over the platform. The Snake God began to coil in the air around itself, rearing back its head. ¡°Will this ¡®Array¡¯ thing be enough to fight a Snake God?¡± Tilly asked. ¡°It is not a ¡®thing¡¯. It is an Epic legacy Skill that allows the Emperor to empower himself at the cost of the lives of his willing subjects. It is rarely seen in our history and many thought it was lost.¡± He said, almost breathless at the sight of his emperor returned in glory. ¡°What are you, compared to a God? Your time is finished, lay down and die, PREY!¡± The snake hissed before opening its mouth wide and releasing a jet of green-tinted liquid at the palace. The emperor raised his scepter and bellowed out in defiance. The walls of the city burst with silvery radiance and shot out a dome of silver energy that covered the whole city just in time to catch the serpent''s venom attack. The toxic stream dispersed violently on the barrier, spreading the intensity of the attack over the whole skyline. ¡°It will take more than a little spit to reach me, Nehebkau. If you want this city you will have to come and take it.¡± The man said through gritted teeth. Tilly could tell he was bluffing but wondered if the Snake God would let the insult stand. He also wondered why the snake god continued to attack from a distance with what was clearly only part of his strength. Both seemed to be planning on more than just a frontal assault, the snake god seeming content to stay back and drain the emperor¡¯s strength, while the emperor seemed to want to goad him into a charge. ¡°Ah, my friends! It is very good to see you!¡± A familiar voice shouted from the rear of the still-fleeing lapin contingent. Tilly had almost forgot about Shuji in the craziness. Almost all of the lapins had made it through the linked portal and Tilly saw several familiar figures bring up the rear of the first wave of retreating citizens. First was a hurrying group of children made up of many races that were being herded toward the portal by Amelia and her assistant Heras. Behind them was Shuji, supporting the weight of a nearly unconscious Mochizuki. ¡°Shuji, Report!¡± Hiro commanded, showing obvious concern over the semi-conscious body of Mochizuki that the Librarian was practically dragging along. ¡°Yes Lord-¡± He said huffing as he approached. Tilly jumped down and moved through the stream of fleeing lapins, to arrive at Shuji¡¯s side and help him carry his burden the rest of the way to the platform. ¡°I found her making her way here with all possible speed, she is combating several high-level poisons at the moment, but I hope she will be fine with some rest,¡± Shuji said, gesturing towards the heavily injured Ninja. She was covered in lacerations and several of them were oozing unpleasant dark liquids. Tilly kindled his power painfully and breathed out Purifying Flame, watching as she shivered unconsciously in response. ¡°She discovered a Marcellus unit of private guards moving to the east entrance to meet a group of the Cult¡¯s highest elites. The other three Cult generals are coming this way now under the distraction of the summoning, and they plan to flank us here. She retreated as soon as she saw them, but still, they managed to injure her before she broke away. I found her moving down this street only moments ago.¡± ¡°Tsht.¡± Hiro snarled in frustration, looking up at the two beings still testing each other above the city, and then back down the street from which Shuji had come. ¡°Thus is the way of battle¡­ Kihei, our agreement has been upheld, passage and haven will be offered to all who make it through the portal. I go to meet this new threat.¡± Lord Hiro decided, leaping from the platform. ¡°I''m with you,¡± Linus said, tearing away his gaze from the image of his emperor shining like a silver beacon as he held back the attack of a god. ¡°Heras, make sure the children get settled on the other side. I¡¯m afraid I will be staying for a little longer as well. ¡± Amelia said, catching the situation as she ushered her charges up the steps. The assistant took one look at her master''s face, and nodded, seeing the grave expression she wore at the sight of all those who had yet to escape. ¡°Hope is not yet lost¡­ Franklin¡­ Go with them¡­ We only need¡­ a little more time. ¡± Kihei spoke quietly, still effortlessly empowering and augmenting the barriers but watching the conflict unfolding in the heavens with a critical eye. The layers of this battle were unfolding and Tilly could see just enough to know that as crazy powerful as some of these beings were, they still needed to carefully avoid wasting their strength without knowing what their opponent had in reserve. He couldn¡¯t imagine how complicated battle strategy could get when you lived in a place with magical bullshit around every corner. ¡°I¡¯m not in that great of shape, but I''m coming too. Whatever this poison is, I think you guys will need my help.¡± Tilly sighed, laying a shivering Mochizuki down on the platform nearest to the portal, and then nodding to Shuji in appreciation.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Of that, human, I have no doubt,¡± Hiro said, turning to address the ones who would stay. ¡°Shuji, assist the rest of the evacuation as best you can, but make sure you and Mochizuki are gone before I get back.¡± ¡°As you will, Lord.¡± He said with a deep bow. Hiro turned and started jogging, the rest of the group following after. Franklin seemed to be uncomfortable with the speed, but kept up, while Linus caught up with Hiro and led the way. As they ran Tilly shot a glance over at Amelia who was easily keeping pace wearing a serious but distant expression on her face. ¡°Do you know anything about who these elites are?¡± Tilly called over, trying for a professional icebreaker, while he warred with himself internally about whether or not to bring up his liability to the team. ¡°No, Mr. Tillman, I do not. I saw Shuji pass by only a little while before you did. I imagine they had planned to bring the rest of our hidden defenses to the fore with the emergence of their god. Then while we are all occupied, they would send in a flanking strike with their best fighters, snuffing out our escape.¡± She answered, her explanation coming fast and clipped. She kept her eyes forward, and Tilly saw her pulling things out of her pockets in preparation. ¡°They are sending in their other three generals, each on par with what you and Hiro faced two nights ago. They wish to cut us off, while the main force takes a frontal attack,¡± -Linus added to Amelia¡¯s- ¡°Hiro eliminated Apepi, so that leaves Ladon, Kaliya, and Jormun. They are extremely dangerous, and there is a serious possibility that some of us will not--¡± He jerked to the side, attempting to dodge something that was moving too fast for Tilly to see. As Tilly attempted to register what had just happened, Linus stumbled to the side, an arrow having sprouted from his shoulder. ¡°COVER!¡± Shouted Hiro as his sword lashed out of its sheath intercepting another of the arrows. His eyes flashed in anger at having missed the initial attack. Linus stumbled to the side of the street and crashed through a barred door, Tilly following immediately after to administer whatever aid he could. The inside was dark with all the windows still boarded but Tilly quickly found Linus slumped against a wall breathing fast shallow breaths. His eyes were already unfocused and Tilly called to him to try and get his attention, ¡°Linus, how you doing buddy?¡± No response, just the continued blank stare, and rapid breathing. Tilly moved forward and unclasped the cuirass from Linus¡¯ shoulder before carefully ripping away the clothes underneath to get a better look at the wound. The place where the arrow had punctured was red and puffy with a black veiny spiderweb of Corruption spreading out from the wound at an alarming rate. ¡°Oh no you fucking don¡¯t,¡± Tilly growled, stoking the fire in his center again, and breathing out with a small cry of pain at the broken glass sensation of using his recently pieced-together mana pathways. For a moment of panic, he thought his Ability wouldn¡¯t be able to push through the damaged pathways¡­ but it did. He was reminded of the time he worked on the scene of an apartment fire for twelve hours, his muscles obeying his commands despite having been broken down into numb facsimiles of their former structures. Nonetheless, his ability had an immediate effect on the wounded Commander. His breaths came even faster, and the tendrils of darkness spreading from what was probably high-level Corrupted poison started to creep back slowly. Having addressed the first problem, Tilly tipped the altered conscious Satyr forward in his sitting position and found the wickedly barbed arrow tip on the other side. He grimaced thinking about what would have happened if Linus had tried to pull this out on his own. ¡°Hopefully, you are too out of it to feel this one.¡± He said grimacing as he wrapped his hand around the tip of the arrow and thrust it away from him, pulling the arrow out of Linus¡¯ back, through his shoulder. ¡°GGGAAAHH¡± The satyr screamed, feeling the pain, even in his muddled state. This poison was way too potent... It must be another of the Cult¡¯s trump cards. If the poison could do this to Linus and Mochizuki, who undoubtedly each had a powerful defense against such things, then Tilly could only imagine what it would do to anyone else. Seeing the wound now free-flowing with blood and dark wriggling black forms, Tilly riffled around in Linus'' tunic and found the magical cloth he had been showing off earlier. Tilly unceremoniously stuffed it into the exit wound and then leaned him back against the wall, allowing the satyr''s own body to apply pressure to the dressing. The spidering network of infection had stopped spreading and had even reduced a small amount, but still hadn''t been expelled. ''This poison has to be insane, Linus is still altered and nonresponsive... and we can''t lose him for the rest of this fight...'' Monstrous clanging began to ring out from the street as metal impacted metal in furious combat. ¡°Come here, you annoying plant Bitch!¡± Came another shout from outside the door. Tilly mentally reviewed his Ability, trying to figure out why it wasn''t as effective as it had been in the past. Purifying Flame greatly augmented the target''s resistances, but that didn''t automatically mean whatever they were trying to beat back was expelled. That had been the case for the much weaker grade infection in the city and with Mochizuki''s shallow wounds, she probably had received a much smaller dose. But with the malignancy of this substance and its root in the satyr''s brachial artery, Tilly realized he was going to have to be more invasive if he wanted to clear it altogether. What else could he do? He doubted his purifying Ability stacked. He looked again at the entry wound, which had already started to dribble blood and black-tinged puss. The sound of a hissing scream of pain broke Tilly¡¯s thought process for a moment, and he looked outside to see the area surrounding the door they had crashed through was choked with writhing thorny vines. ¡°You can''t hide forever behind these little vines!¡± The disturbing voice howled outside the door, accompanied by the thwacking sound of a blade chopping through plant matter. ''Thanks, Amelia.'' Tilly looked back down at his patient, noting that his recovery was still stalled. ¡°I¡¯ve got one more idea man, but you are not going to like it,¡± Tilly muttered looking down at his right hand for a second before holding out one finger. He focused in on it intensely and channeled his blue flame strike in a much more narrow manner. His mana pathways screamed in protest but Tilly pushed through the shattered areas and inflamed his index finger successfully. An intense blue flame blazed to life, dancing up and down his index finger. ¡°You are running out of room little Hum-AAHHHHH¡± The voice screamed from right outside the door, cut off violently by a meaty thunk. ¡°You know, it is very hard to find a poison that works against that disturbingly polluted body of yours. But I think you will enjoy this. ¡± Amelia called from farther beyond the door, having sprung some trap. Before he could think about it any further, Tilly shoved his burning finger into the bleeding hole left by the Corrupted arrow. Ch. 53 Tipping The Scales. Tilly plunged his finger into the bloody hole producing a soft squelching hiss as the writhing infection started to burn. Tilly winced as the smell of charred Corrupted flesh hit his nostrils again. ''I''m beginning to hate that smell.'' ¡°GRRRAAAAAHHHH!¡± Linus shouted, grabbing Tilly¡¯s shoulder in such an intense grip that he felt his scapula flexing under the strain. ¡°AHHHH! Hey, I''m trying to help! Hold on!¡± Tilly yelled. Like bacon on a hot pan, the tendrils of darkness wriggled one last time before sizzling into nonexistence, leaving behind a spidery network of molted burnt flesh. Tilly pulled his hand free with a wet pop and saw the wound begin to close before his eyes. He whipped his head up to check Linus¡¯ eyes and found a grim but aware visage staring back at him as the Commander panted with the effort of fighting off the foreign substance. Linus looked over at the blocked doorway and grunted. Without preamble, he stood to his feet and rolled his injured shoulder gingerly, before drawing his gladius to the sound of a thunderous clash from the Titans above the city. ¡°Come now, Dust Eater! Is that all you got? Give this old Satyr the pleasure of hosting you in his city. It would be rude to come all this way and stay outside¡­ Unless of course, you are frightened?¡± The emperor called out through what sounded like a clenched jaw. ¡°SSSSS, You are nothing before my wrath, Old Goat.¡± The snake god hissed, breaking off the crackling sound of the impact of its breath attack against the magic barrier. Then there was a pregnant pause in which Linus and Tilly shared a look before a booming blast rattled the whole building and probably the city with it. ¡°FINAL VERDICT!¡± shouted the emperor, engaging some sort of Ability. A cacophony of giant metallic objects hitting each other whirled around something. Then a snarling ¡°HSSSS!¡± of fury resounded as whatever Trap the emperor had planned came to fruition. ¡°Human, step back,¡± Linus stated calmly turning back to the vine-choked doorway. He did a pretty good job taking this all in stride, but this was Tilly¡¯s first time experiencing power on this scale and he just nodded dumbly and moved to the other side of the room. The satyr Commander who had been comatose moments ago, rolled his shoulders one more time and then rebuckled his cuirass, wincing as his fingers brushed the clotted mess of a magic cloth Tilly had shoved in the exit wound. With a slight squint, he ripped the cloth free from the healing wound, before flicking the cloth once to activate its enchantment, and then tossed it over. Tilly caught it, looking at the cloth and then back at the Commander in confusion. ¡°Keep that.¡±- He said, his voice heavy with purpose - ¡°Tell the men that an empire is more than a city, more than an emperor. It is a people and the ideals that unite them. At some point, we forgot that, but it is no less true today than it was at the founding of our nation.¡± ¡°Linus¡­ Why do you need me to tell them?¡± Tilly said, goosebumps tingling up and down his arms as he began to grasp Linus¡¯ intention. Screams of fury sounded almost right outside the door before suddenly shifting to manic laughter. Facing the door with an expression hard as flint, Linus breathed out two words, ¡°Terminal Bastion.¡± He spoke them so softly, with such heavy finality that they came out as barely more than a whisper. The whole room seemed to lean in as if wanting to hear more before an immense pressure was unleashed, rolling off Linus in golden waves of force. So much energy was coming off him, that his hair was literally standing on end and small static discharges spontaneously started popping up near his body. He gave Tilly a final small nod and then faced the doorway barricaded with dark thick vines and disappeared. Tilly was deafened by the thunderclap, and he completely lost track of Linus as he exploded forward in an incomprehensible burst of speed, obliterating the vines in his way with pressure and momentum alone. Tilly stumbled back against the wall, recovered, and rushed to the door to the sound of the blood-curdling laughter abruptly being cut off. He emerged into the street and froze for a moment as the enormity of the conflict outside sunk in. In the sky above the city, the serpent god had been caught fully extended in a thrusting strike of its arrow-shaped head. Chains with links the size of houses had surged up from the edges of the city and bound the god, holding it fast in place just a few feet short of its goal. The emperor stood right in front of the snake god¡¯s unhinged jaw, his arms outstretched with a look of profound effort on his face. Black-tinged blood was dripping from his nose and eyes as he bent his whole will toward holding the divine being in place. The snake god wriggled forward, pushing against the mana-forged chains with all its might. The sound of a wet meaty ¡°thrump¡± drew his eyes down from the sky and over to the right, where Linus stood over another headless naga corpse. This one was covered with red welts and black tattoos. The body had collapsed right next to the crumpled form of Amelia, who was curled up on the ground guarding a gushing wound in her abdomen. Tilly immediately moved into a sprint towards them as Linus¡¯ head whipped up and his short sword blurred to bat away another incoming arrow. Tilly shot a glance towards eardrum-shattering clanging that had not let up since the beginning of the fight and saw Hiro engaged in a duel of blades with a giant four-armed Naga wielding four scimitars in an almost continuous blur of strikes. Hiro¡¯s smooth unruffled motions were unmistakable in their mastery of his chosen weapon and while he bore numerous shallow cuts, his enemy showed far larger wounds. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Franklin meanwhile was doing his utmost to contain a group of 20ish satyr private guards along with Titus Marcellus himself. The honu was evoking a complex pattern of jetlike bursts of water in a constantly changing frequency to keep the group from advancing, but they had formed a wedge and were slowly moving through the maelstrom. He had kept them to one side of the street, and out of the other fights, but his gambit wouldn''t last much longer. Beyond all of this, a burst of light announced the arrival of Linus at his target. The two distant figures clashed and then separated, covering crazy distances with each maneuver. Tilly hoped Linus would be able to lock down the archer long enough for the battle to turn their way. Then he was at the body of the dead naga, sliding to a stop next to the headless corpse. It had collapsed over its weapon, which was a spear shaped like a serpent. Tilly drew both hatchets as the thing suddenly tried to wiggle free of its master. It had a serrated blade held in place by what looked to be the jaws of a living snake griping the tang of the spearhead. The serpent-body shaft wriggled and writhed, trying to pull free of the weight of its master¡¯s dead torso, but Tilly¡¯s hatchet was already swinging down on its neck as the creepy weapon registered his presence. His primitive stone blades collided with the shaft¡¯s scales and rebounded, causing the snake head portion of the spear to whip around in a limited attempt to lash out at its assailant. Tilly slammed his moccasin down on the head, trapping the flat of the blade with the weight of his body. Then with a grunt of pain, he enflamed his hatchet head, and slowly lowered the bladed edge onto the neck of the spear, watching for the coloration in the scales to change before pushing the blade into the skin and beginning to saw off the head. After a few passes, he reached the spine. The whole thing went rigid and he lifted his nonoccupied foot and stomped down on the back of his hatchet, completely severing its head from the body. Turning away from the elite naga with the sapient weapon, he knelt next to Amelia who was curled into a fetal position in the middle of a sea of wrecked vine growth. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her face was buried in the plant growth in a heartwrenching infantile defense reflex. Blood had pooled under her, and he didn''t have a clear view of what sort of wound she was guarding but he didn''t want to move her if she was already gone. He laid his hand on her back, waiting as the shouts and clamor of the battlefield fell away and zeroed in on his patient''s chest. ''There it is.'' An almost imperceptible rise of the ribs, indicating a single shallow breath. He felt for a pulse with one hand, while gently rolling her onto her back with the other arm. Her eyes were closed, and her arms were wrapped around a horrendous wound in her abdomen. The jagged edge of the spearhead had left a bloody mess of cloth and flesh that was still gurgling blood. Tilly gently lifted away the pieces of her shirt and found another network of black veiny infection reaching outwards in all directions from the wound. Most concerning was the thick nest of tendrils actively reaching for her heart. ''Shit.'' This was much worse than Linus¡¯ wound, and he probably had double the Endurance Amelia had. He stoked the mana in his chest as intensely as the ability would let him and breathed out over the wound, watching in frustration as it began to bubble in response. The wound continued to dribble out blood and clotted knots of Corruption. The only sign that his ability was doing anything to the poison was that it had stopped spreading, leaving a root system that spanned all of her lower torso. ''It wasn¡¯t going to be enough. She would either be turned into one of those things or die.'' Tilly looked up in desperation, at a loss for what to do to help. He spotted Linus still chasing the archer and Hiro almost having dismantled his naga opponent but at the cost of numerous wounds crisscrossing his body. Worst of all, the contingent of private guards had almost reached Franklin, he probably had a minute left max. Tilly looked back down at Amelia in distress, cursing his limited abilities. It''s not like he had anything to actually help heal her; all he could do was burn as much of the Corruption as he could and hope that the additional trauma didn''t push her over the edge. He clenched his fist in frustration, letting out a shout of impotent rage. No matter what he did, he always found himself helpless when it really mattered. One more person he could do nothing to save. ''Could he have done something different?'' ''Would she have gotten this injury if he hadn¡¯t dived after Linus?'' ''Would Linus have even been hit if he hadn¡¯t been running his mouth like an idiot?'' For some reason, there, with little hope, and a city collapsing around him, Tilly thought again of the little girl outside the shop. The one that was now safe on the other side of the portal. He couldn''t answer any of his questions, and he would anguish over them later. For now, he had a fucking job to do. Heat bloomed in his chest, as he shoved the weight of his guilt and uncertainty into that flame at his center, stoking it to an inferno. He unclenched his fist and opened his hand sending the new heat at his center down his arm to materialize as an intense blue and white flame dancing above his palm. Then with a deep breath and something that might even have been a prayer, he laid it gently against the deep, bubbling wound on her abdomen. The flame sizzled as it touched her waxy, corrupted flesh, and even unconscious, she shivered in pain, releasing a deep groan. The flame sunk into her navel, crackling as it consumed flesh and corruption alike. Tilly watched as Amelia''s already shallow breathing quickened and her eyes fluttered. The glow from the flame continued to emanate from her even as her wound was cauterized and sealed, trapping the flame within. ¡°Amelia, I need you to hold on! We are getting out of here and those kids need you.¡± Tilly growled down to her, tears falling on the new source of pain he had just added to her fragile wounded body. ''It would work.'' ''It had to work.'' He stood up, heat smoldering in his eyes as he looked to the group of Satyrs about to push through the area effect of Franklin¡¯s spell and reach the Tidecaller. Ch. 54 Encroaching Darkness. Amelia Cooper Level 35 Botanist Surveyor Amelia was held suspended in a sea of darkness, drowning in its depths. A place that had haunted her dreams for as long as she could remember. A place where nothing grew and no light ever showed. Amelia! You will not speak to your betters that way! Whispers surrounded her, buzzing like flies around a corpse. We are sorry Mrs. Cooper, you are just not what we are looking for in a candidate. Here, she was completely alone, abandoned. Her only company, a continuous loop of accusations, replaying her past failures. They never stopped, never quieted. We have exhausted every option ma''am, you are just unable to have children. This heaviness had pressed down on her chest many nights, waking her with its crushing presence until she could hardly breathe. But this time was different. This time she wasn¡¯t alone with her despair and its buzzing cloud of witnesses. Something had weaponized her darkness, giving it terrible form. Now in its newfound sentience, she felt a terrible gnawing hunger. Thousands of appendages reached toward her suspended frozen form. She had nowhere to run. There was no hiding in her own private hell. Just endless grief and fear. This new darkness thrived in the sea of her regret, pulling in her endless despair and multiplying. What started as an intruder, grew into a multitude, surrounding her on all sides, radiating a cold hatred. It would take her, twist her, and use her to destroy all she loved. She curled in on herself and screamed for an eternity as its grasping hooks reached her floating form and began to tear and rip, gobbling up the edges of her soul. She felt it invading her body, screaming in her mind, offering freedom. The complete and total release of utter destruction. An end to the pain. Its hatred of her made complete sense. She hated herself... didn''t she? She looked down again at the half-empty bottle of liquor and popped open the cap on her medication. God, it hurt so badly, even as the tendrils dug into her flesh tearing and gnawing at the exposed parts of her being, an even greater pain started to build at her center. A bright burning seared her navel, galvanizing it¡­ Purifying it. From that place, flowed Fury. A wrath like she had never known. She had been here before. She had fought this battle and lost, and in the losing, she had given up hope completely. These voices had led her down dark roads, promising the cold salvation of oblivion. Then when she reached the end of the road and saw her destination, she tried to run. Tried to fight. But it had not been enough and she drowned in that darkness. It had taken everything from her and now it was back. Demanding more. Eating away at who she was all over again. Not again She dived into the burning pain at her center, stoking it, feeding it her outrage, her rejection, her denial of this thing trying to claim her. The pain was incredible, but it was honest. It demanded nothing from her, besides that she burn and to that burning, she gave her whole self. She fed it more. She fed the flame her pain, her mistakes, her fears, and her desires. She channeled all that she was into the growing inferno allowing it to consume her soul. The tendrils increased their writhings, tearing into her at a faster rate, but it was pointless. Their hold on her was fading, burning away, leaving only a glowing corona of Blue Flame. It blazed there, daring the tendrils to come closer and resume their feast. The tendrils curled back on themselves, fearing the destruction that always came with the flame. But the fire did not follow. Instead, it formed a protective sphere around the tiny mote of light at its center, glowing with an otherworldly iridescence that made the surrounding darkness seem but a shadow. Congratulations. Under immense metaphysical pressure from an invader, you have successfully formed an Origin Seed.
Tilly The heat of Tilly¡¯s rage poured off him in cascades as he turned toward the group of Marcellus guards almost on top of Franklin. These bastards had abused and attacked his allies at every turn. Now, because of them, Amelia was lying in a pool of her own corrupted blood, fighting for her life and probably her sanity. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Strangely, the pain from his overused pathways had grown distant. Even the throbbing in his side, pushing him to revel in his hatred had been dampened. There was so much he couldn¡¯t do. So much that he couldn¡¯t change. Yet this reality didn¡¯t weigh on him like it had minutes ago. In this moment he finally understood his purpose. The incessant buzzing of anxiety and the heavy chains of past regrets all fell away as his whole being focused down to the razor''s edge of the present. The battles playing out before him sharpened in intensity until he entered into a moment of perfect hanging clarity. The crash and screech of clanging blades continued to sound up the street as Hiro finished his duel with the huge naga. At some point, Hiro had removed one of his opponent''s arms, but in response, the Naga had entered into a berserker state, and his tempo of attack had doubled. Black smoke poured out of his mouth as he released a continuous screech of animalistic hatred. Hiro met the onslaught stoically, an island of calm in the raging sea of strikes, only allowing the most shallow swipes through his defense. Yet, even they were taking their toll as Hiro became covered in a rusty red network of bleeding cuts. The flashes of light that had accompanied Linus¡¯ strikes had ceased, and there was no sign of him or the enemy archer. All three generals were either eliminated or removed as threats. That left Titus Marcellus with his cadre of 20 guards. The mosquito that Just. Kept. Biting. The embodiment of all that had eaten this empire from the inside out. They advanced arduously against Franklin''s onslaught of woven water jets. If they won out, then every remaining battle here would tip toward the enemy''s hand and pressure would come to bear on the Hub and its escaping refugees. Tilly didn''t have to process this information. He took it all in along with a deep inhalation of fiery air. Indecision and doubt were gone, all that was left was purpose. He would burn away the rot that stood before him. His heart blazed in righteous fury, building up pressure inside him until it manifested in the form of blue fire wreathing his body. Wrath burned in his eyes as they glowed bright azure blue. He felt light. He felt certain. He couldn¡¯t protect the whole city. He might not even be able to protect his few allies. But whatever power he did have, he would use to his utmost to push back against those who wanted to destroy all that he had promised to protect. Reality snapped back into movement and Tilly sprang into action. Right before the lead guards reached Franklin, Tilly launched his hatchets, whirling with his throws to lend them even more velocity as he released. They shot off, small explosions of flame propelling them even faster as they impacted squarely in the flanks of the formation pushing towards the Tidecaller. The fire was instantly quenched by Franklin''s water Ability, even as the axe heads bit deeply into the neck and side of their respective targets. As the flame and water met, an explosion of steam was produced, bypassing all armor and shields as it left blistering welts on the guards all around the two that had been hit by his initial salvo. Tilly kept up his forward momentum, sprinting toward the unit, calling back his axes and spinning again as he whipped them in furious arcs back toward the unit scattering in confusion at the unexpected vector of attack. The woven jets of water emerging from Franklin didn''t let up, and steam again burst in their midst as two more guards were incapacitated. The guards whom Identify pinged at levels 21-28, finally oriented on the new attacker bounding towards them. He was wrath incarnate and fire flowed off him freely as he crashed into their slow to form ranks. Franklin coordinated his attack pattern, splitting off jets to avoid hitting his newly arrived ally. ¡°It''s just one Man! Kill him! Ignore the shellback!¡± A voice screamed from the back of the formation. The nasally grate of his screeching command caused Tilly to smile. ''Soon.'' This new Ability flowed through Tilly as if he had been born to it, allowing him to constantly radiate blue flame from every part of his body in a continuous attack. The flaming aura simultaneously pushed his enemies back and enflamed each strike of his weapons. His close-up technique with his hatchets was almost nonexistent, but Dexterity was his second-highest stat and even his rough motions held a certain deadly grace, allowing him to move from one enflamed strike to another without ceasing. Not that his fighting style would have been called graceful. He looked nothing like Threstus moving his twin swords like a master painter attacking a canvas. When that man had fought, every moment had been purposeful and connected to the whole, creating a bloody work of beautiful devastation. In contrast, Tilly was rage incarnate, and what he lacked in training, he more than made up in savagery. A shoulder tackle flowed into a strike against unguarded goat legs, before jumping up to smash his head against the chin of a guard trying to strike down on him. His patternless rage combined with his constant aura of blue flame quickly caused the remainder of the guards to give him space. They all backed away in a loose circle as Franklin continued to punish those on the edges with jets of water. He stood there for a moment gasping for breath, covered in bruises and cuts, none of which had managed to do critical damage. His mana had completely run out at some point and his armor had morphed into its Null Spider Set. He could keep up the full body flame as long as he kept taking down enemies¡­ and them giving him space was exactly what he didn''t want. ¡°What are you waiting for you imbeciles! We have provided you with healing potions, now earn your keep!¡± The same voice screeched from outside the circle. Tilly smiled and feinted away from the voice, before pivoting and sprinting right towards his favorite Quaestor and the guards who had the misfortune to be in his way. ¡°Stop him!!!¡± Squealed the young aristocrat as Tilly charged the two guards and leaped into an insane attack completely ignoring their defensive strikes. He tangled himself up with their weapons as he rode them to the ground taking more shallow strikes in the process. The guards screamed in outrage and then horror as blue fire cascaded over their exposed flesh. One tried to stab Tilly in the gut, but his outrageous Endurance demanded much greater strength than the guard could leverage from his compromised position. All the strike did was add to the network of cuts crisscrossing Tilly¡¯s body. The rest of the guards charged in behind him, just a few steps away, all probably rearing back to strike. Tilly rolled with the tackle and pulled the guard who had stabbed him over his body as the rest of the unit attempted to rain down chops and stabs on Tilly''s sheltered form. The now charred meat shield took most of the initial strikes before Tilly kicked him up and rolled to the side. Then with a primal roar, he burst out a reduced-cost Flame Expulsion, giving him enough space to leap to his feet. A huge blast of water hit the rest of the guards from behind as they stumbled back from Tilly''s area of effect. This knocked most of them to the ground and Tilly smiled a bloody smile at Titus as fire consumed the caked-on blood and viscera that had coated him for over half a day. Ch. 55 The final Gambit Titus screwed up his face in a sneer, holding his scepter/spear at the ready, ¡°Come at me scu-¡± Tilly didn''t even let him finish the taunt as he launched an inflamed hatchet in Titus'' direction, sprinting after the throw. Several days ago, Tilly would have never been about to pull together the coordination or burst of speed necessary to follow such a motion with an immediate sprint. But now his Dexterity was three times higher than anyone back on Earth and things that had only been possible in his imagination were finally becoming reality. Even with Tilly''s comparative speed, Titus responded to his throw and follow-up attack with cold precision, showing years of experience and training. He neatly knocked aside the thrown weapon as Tilly approached his position, bringing around his other hatchet in a downward chop. He telegraphed the overhand strike heavily while simultaneously bringing around his empty left hand for an underhanded strike at the satyr''s unguarded right side calling his weapon back to his hand at the very last moment. His opponent stepped into the attack just as Tilly committed, parrying the high strike and shoulder-checking the lunging human with his characteristic sneer. The aristocrat had read Tilly easily and positioned his body so that the second strike would be completely off angle. The maneuver was completely unexpected, and more or less neutralized Tilly''s surprise undercut as Titus entered into Tilly¡¯s guard with impunity. But the smile never left Tilly¡¯s face as Titus chose to close the gap and grapple instead of gaining distance and time. That move probably kicked ass in the dueling ring, but Tilly was literally on fire, and that had very real consequences for this fight. Not that he could last much longer. Tilly could feel his Mana Overdrive coughing as it ran out of experience to convert, and he knew he had seconds before all of his Abilities ran dry. He needed this to be fast and dirty. So he snarled as he took the shoulder check in the chest and snaked his arms around the satyr instead of trying for another strike. He knew he was outclassed in this match-up, and he was already tired of the "dive in and catch everything on fire" fighting style he had developed, but those were the tools he had. And he would be damned if he didn''t use them. The fire aura on Tilly was still going, and even with his far superior stats, Titus gasped in pain as flame started to impinge on his armor and exposed flesh. The Quaestor knew his way around his weapon, and even with Tilly¡¯s unconventional fighting, he had seamlessly brought around his short spear from its parry to a thrust at Tilly''s side. Tilly desperately tried to lock down the thrusting arm, but only managed to deflect it a little so that it cut a deep furrow along his back. ¡°Get off me, you cretin!¡± Titus hissed in pain, trying to gain enough space and leverage to push the human away from his body. But Tilly clung to him like a roach on the side of a swaying garbage bag, not wanting to give up on his main tactic. With a yell and a monumental heave, the satyr succeeded in shoving Tilly away, causing the joint in his right shoulder to pop out at the sudden non-standard tension put on it. To make matters worse, his new Ability finally sputtered out, no longer empowered by the experience gained from defeating surrounding enemies. He stood there gasping for breath with his left arm hanging loosely at his side, the head of his humerus painfully hanging by its tendon, out of socket. That was it, his best effort, and this fucker was still standing. Superficial burns covered Titus'' exposed skin and much of his clothing was charred and blackened. But the disdain he radiated was palpable and undiminished. ¡°Is that it, you vile hairless ape? You are nothing before me, the main army is reaching the Hub as we speak. All of this was just to pull out your elites while the rest of the traitors are slaughtered.¡± He spat, his eyes bright with manic fury. ¡°Traitors? I knew your worldview was insane, but that is on another level... And I don''t think things are as peachy for your side as you think. People are still escaping, right now, as we speak. All of the lapins made it out, which I''m sure you hate. And... all the guys you brought are dead.¡± Tilly said, gesturing past the satyr''s shoulder towards the now silent street. There, slowly limping towards them was Hiro, half helping, half carrying Linus, who had several arrows protruding out of him. The commander seemed to have aged decades during the fight, and his body looked like a shriveled husk. Titus stepped smartly to the side of the street, taking the wall as cover on his left before looking back behind him. The huge naga swordsman was piled in a bloody heap farther down the road, and the sharpshooter was nowhere to be seen. Impressively, his face screwed up even tighter in defiance as he took in the two victorious combatants. Then he turned and spit on the ground in Tilly''s direction. Tilly heard steps behind him and jumped to the side himself, looking back and finding a disheveled but unharmed Franklin walking through a maze of drowned bodies to join him in facing Titus. "Seems you are all alone friend..." Franklin said, his easy-going manner contrasting oddly with the group of dead bodies he stepped between. ¡°No matter, I will end all of you!¡± Titus screamed, his voice going shrill as he looked back and forth at the two pairs of exhausted combatants. Then a great metallic snap echoed through the city, followed by another, and then another. All five survivors on the street looked up to see the divine serpent writhing furiously, straining against its bonds and breaking them one by one. The emperor still stood before him, his arms outstretched in arcane effort, but the silvery light shining from him had dimmed noticeably. Black-tinged blood was streaming from his eyes, mouth, and nose as he fought to keep the serpent detained. Every new snap of the chains caused his whole body to convulse. Tilly could only imagine the backlash a spell of that size would unleash on the body of the caster. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The dying emperor, looked down then as if he could feel their eyes on him. But he was not looking at the group on the street, instead, he looked straight at the Hub, ¡°This is all I have for you old friend¡­ A minute more, no longer.¡± He said, all the bluster gone from his face, replaced by a deep sadness tinged with regret. ¡°You see!" Titus screamed with glee, "It''s over! Your pathetic attempts to delay the inevitable have failed, Nehebkau was always going to triumph, and my father will rule this city, just as he was meant to.¡± Titus screamed, turning his head back and forth, to keep both groups in his sight, his back firmly placed against the wall. ¡°Now, I will show you just how great the power of the coming age will be!¡± He cried, his voice almost breaking in its shrillness as he pulled his hands free from a pouch at his belt and brought something black and wriggling to his mouth. Time slowed as Tilly broke forward in a run, trying to stop whatever was happening. To his left, he heard Franklin shout something as two high-pressured jets of water, looped around Tilly to smash Titus off balance right before Tilly got there to tackle the insane satyr, reaching to grab the hand and whatever it held. Even as Tilly brought him to the ground, the sound of insane laughter and then choking echoed out into the street. It was too late. The Quaestor had brought his fist to his mouth before Tilly had knocked it away and crunched down on whatever nightmare item he had been holding in reserve. The moment he did, Tilly felt his own Corruption begin to wriggle excitedly in his side. Titus continued to choke, a rictus grin stretching the muscles on his face into a grotesque caricature of a smile. Black tendrils of Corruption reached out of his mouth and nose as the skin covering his face started to dance and contort wildly. Whatever he had ingested was spreading faster than any Corruption Tilly had ever seen. This wasn''t going to be handled with a few chops of the trusty hatchet... Tilly jumped to his feet, backing away just as Hiro arrived with Linus. ¡°Mr. Tillman, can you do anything about this,¡± Hiro grunted as he shifted Linus'' weight. Hiro was barely standing in his own right, and many of his own cuts showed signs of infection as well. Titus¡¯ body began to convulse on the ground, and large appendages of his new occupant began to burst out of his skin as it took control of its new body. Tilly glanced at his mana bar, and then at his fatally wounded friends, ¡°I think this one is a big Nope for me. Let''s get out of here before this thing finishes doing whatever it is doing.¡± He yelled over the sound of consecutive snapping chains raining from the sky above them. ¡°Understood.¡± Hiro snapped grimly. Franklin rushed over to his side and took Linus¡¯ other arm and they started moving as Tilly backed away covering them with a hatchet at the ready. Tilly backed away another five or six feet until he was hopefully out of reach of the continuously growing writhing knot of tentacles and flesh that used to be Titus Marcellus. Then he turned and ran, catching up to the three moving at a slow jog before him, before sliding to a stop and kneeling down next to an unconscious Amelia. She was breathing more normally now, but her abdomen was still a maze of burns and Corrupted veins, pierced through the center with a bright glowing light barely covered by burned skin. Tilly winced as he pulled her up to a sitting position and then leaned his dislocated shoulder into her chest as he draped her leading arm over the opposite shoulder and stood up with some effort. He was stronger than he had ever been, but with his injury, it still wasn¡¯t easy. Luckily this was far from Tilly¡¯s first fireman-carry and soon he was moving fast enough to catch back up with the trio moving ahead of him down the street towards the Hub. ¡°EEEEEEYYYYYYY!¡± Screeched the thing behind them, Tilly didn''t even bother to look back. He had seen more than enough monstrosities for today and was happy to remain in ignorance as long as possible. The injured group moved as quickly as possible maintaining a stumbling jog as they fled the thing forming behind them. The divine snake shook free of the last few chains above them and the Hub came into full view. The crowds had been reduced by half, and Elder Kihei¡¯s barrier pathways were working overtime to keep the escape orderly and efficient as each portion of the crowd pressed forward to make it to the portal before the Cults army broke through the thin line of refugee militia and remaining Bastions holding them off. The Honu casters that had been maintaining the barriers before Elder Kihei had taken over were now lending magical support, bombarding the deeper ranks of the Cult''s regulars with water jets and well-placed empowered barriers. Finally the group stumbled into the square to the sound of crashing behind them and a victorious hiss of fury from above them. Tilly never stopped moving as he swung around his shoulders, hearing the left one pop back into place as he looked behind to locate their pursuer. Rolling down the street like some sort of giant ball of eldritch fun was the creature Titus had become. Level 54 Bursting Defiler. Then the sound of a gunshot-like snap of jaws exploded through the sky followed by a weak gasp, ¡°Now¡­¡± The broken voice of the emperor whispered at a volume that could now barely permeate the Hub. Tilly rocked back his shoulders and attempted to look up at a run. Between awkward encumbered steps he was able to spot the emperor, his lower half completely gone. His body now ended in a gory line at his waist, with the divine snake''s head rearing back for another strike. Tilly and his companions picked up the pace even as screams of despair echoed all around them as many saw their last chance of escape cut off. Tilly¡¯s ribs billowed with effort as he approached a set of steps leading up the Portal platform. The three other approaches were all choked with a flowing mass of panicked bodies as thousands of people tried to push even faster toward the portal. The Portal itself remained stable even as the four ornately garbed casters at its corners withered away, using the last of their lives to maintain the magic. Then all the barriers around the Hub collapsed and the rest of the crowds flooded the area, all control lost as the sound of crashing waves rose above the cacophony. Elder Kihei pulled his magic back in around him and started to glow a deep azure blue, floating up above the now unchecked crowds. Arcane symbols started to dance all around him, as he activated all the other platforms in the Hub at once and began calling something through. Ch. 56 A Promise Kept Each of the activated platforms started to emanate a feeling of crushing pressure, causing Tilly to stumble, jostling Amelia on his shoulders in his final steps to the portal. The crowds were now pouring in on each side of the platform, entering the tear in space from every direction. As Tilly lowered Amelia from his shoulders he was immediately pressed by the panicking crowds, almost getting pushed into the Portal several times himself. A burdened Hiro arrived with Linus and Franklin a moment later and unleashed his killing intent, pushing the crowd back in all directions and forcing them to go around the group. Shuji rushed toward them, making full use of his girth to push through the crowd. ¡°Just in time my friends! I take it you were¡­ successful?!¡± He said eyeing the giant ball of horror slowly rolling this way from the street they had just vacated. ¡°We have done what we can, now we must take control of the situation on the other side. These people will only be escaping to more chaos if we don''t establish order as they arrive.¡± Hiro said tiredly. Tilly said nothing in reply, gently placing Amelia in Shuji''s arms and turning towards Hiro and Linus, expelling the little Mana he had just regained in a Flame¡¯s Renewal. They both shuddered as their growing resistance to the foreign substance trying to invade their bodies was supercharged. Hiro was right, the situation on the other end had to be pure chaos as thousands of panicked refugees arrived every minute in the village square. It would be an administrative nightmare to get it all sorted... Tilly shivered at the thought and looked around for an excuse to avoid it for as long as possible. ¡°Hiro, you and Shuji are definitely needed to handle all of this back at the village. But me? Whatever help I have left to give is probably best spent here.¡± he said looking back towards the Bursting Defiler rolling inexorably down the street. Another explosive snap sounded above them, and they all looked up as the divine snake tipped back its head and swallowed its old enemy whole. ''And...There goes the emperor.'' Then Kihei¡¯s voice echoed through the crashing waves, somehow able to be heard even above the screaming and the battle happening at the entrance to the square. ¡°All who are not through that Portal in the next two minutes will not survive.¡± He grunted, his voice heavy-laden as if he was lifting a huge weight. Hiro fought to suppress the shuddering that was running through his body as beads of sweat ran down his face. Linus had been rendered completely unconscious by the new power wracking his body and Shuji stood there holding Amelia, looking torn. Franklin, however, nodded agreeably and moved away through the crowd to join up with the line of casters supporting the defenders of the square. The line was holding against the professional army... but barely, as it slowly backed toward the portal platform. Finally, the Samurai Lord grunted in acknowledgment, and moved through the portal without any further fanfare, carrying Linus through. Shuji gave Tilly a hopeful smile and a wink before following afterward, with an unconscious, but stable Amelia in his arms. Tilly turned and jogged off, pushing through the crowd back in the direction of the monstrosity rolling its way toward the still numerous fleeing refugees. He didn''t know what he could possibly do with zero Mana, he was all out of tricks... Maybe he could try a distraction, luring it away with an enflamed hatchet throw? He would regain enough Mana for that in a minute or two¡­ But that would be cutting it pretty close to Elder Kihei''s timeline. The glow from the other platforms grew more intense as Kihei¡¯s magic suffused the whole of the Hub. The Divine Serpent, far above, slowly turned his head to the ants milling about in the city below. ¡°Bow before your God, sssslavesssss,¡± it hissed out. ¡°You will gain nothing from this place,¡± Kihei shouted, his voice hitting several octaves as it blended with the sound of the crashing waves now filling the city. Whatever prepared magic he had laid on the Hub had linked each platform and had begun to weave a huge runic circle above the group of platforms. ¡°What is thisss? A little water magic will do nothing to harm me!¡± The serpent spat, its huge eyes narrowing at the enchantment forming below it. It began to build its own technique, gathering red and green energy in its slowly opening jaw. Kihie''s runic circle started to spin, whirling faster and faster as water exploded forth from the activated platforms. Each river-sized torrent crashed into the rotating spell above and was pulled into the working. Empowered by the water it was taking in, the runic circle started to expand and stretch out into a rotating dome that covered almost all of the Hub in an azure barrier of magic-imbued water. Before Tilly really understood what was happening, the barrier had lowered down in front of him, cutting off half of the remaining refugees from the portal. He could faintly make out the shock on their faces just feet away as their fates were sealed and they were left to the mercy of the Defiler. Tilly looked around in desperation, wanting to find something, anything he could do to help those now trapped outside the protective barrier. The dome had dropped right in between the first and the second rank of the pressing Cult army, leaving only the front rank to keep fighting against the depleted force of refugee militia and Bastions. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The swirling Sapphire dome seemed impenetrable, an absolute protection for those who had made it within and a damning blockade to those too slow to make it to the square. The Defiler rolled in amongst the hundreds of poor souls and began to snatch refugees with abandon, its tentacles snaking out in all directions. Tilly pressed against the barrier helplessly, not sure what he could have done to stop the atrocity, but feeling a gut-wrenching guilt all the same. The hopeless looks of those just feet away from salvation raked his soul, as they collapsed to their knees, the light of hope, snuffed out in an instant. ¡°Your petty defiancesss endssss here¡± The god snapped above them, the gathered corrosive energy flashing into a spell that took the shape of a green snake biting its tail, with a blood red sun at its center. Tilly glanced back down from the conflict playing out in the sky, unable to leave those just on the other side. Their eyes glazed, as the desperation animating their movements was cut off like a puppet''s strings. He had seen that look so many times. They always looked at him the same way, confusion mingling with denial as they fought to hold back the yawning finality of sorrow. It was the look of acceptance, the small soul death that preceded a heart''s last labored beats. And, just as he had done so many times in the past, he turned away from those faces, the ones he couldn¡¯t do anything to help, and kept moving. Kihei floated at the center of his huge spell as the magic continued to flow from the platforms to the circle at the top of the dome. His expression was now one of fierce concentration, glowing so brightly that Tilly could hardly make it out. ¡°When my ancestors first took sanctuary in this city and built these platforms, we were asked to promise one thing: That we would destroy it before we let it fall into enemy hands. Today that promise is fulfilled and I break any ties of debt my people owe this place.¡± He roared, departing from his normal slow pace of speaking as he grit his teeth in effort, and lifted his arms to direct the city-shattering spell. ¡°You will not take what is MINE!¡± The snake declared as it unleashed a poison Ability which dwarfed the initial salvo he had used to test the emperor. If that had been its opening shot, this was the finisher. ¡°Fathoms of the Deep!¡± Kihei shouted. The flow of water leaving each platform multiplied by a factor of 10, now flowing at a rate that Tilly couldn''t even begin to calculate. He had seen a video of engineers releasing pressure off the Hoover Dam once. The volume and rate of flow of that stream had nothing on what Tilly was seeing pour out of each of the fourteen platforms linked in the spell. The fourteen engorged torrents of water hit the spinning runic circle at the top of the dome and burst through it in a twisting braid made up of millions of gallons of empowered water. The thought struck Tilly as he raced back toward the center of the Hub, that he was looking at a far larger, empowered version of Franklin¡¯s combat technique. A braid of water the size of the Colorado River and moving at probably two or three hundred PSI hit the stream of poison the Divine Serpent had launched and burst through its middle. It was simple physics, no matter how powerful, caustic, or heavy the serpent¡¯s ability was, it wasn¡¯t going to match the force being exerted by that much water moving with unbelievable speed. It blew through the beam poison the size of a tree trunk and hit the giant serpent in the body like a freight train, forcing it thousands of feet higher into the air. ¡°The city will flood and this barrier will pull back until it surrounds only me, all who remain must flee. NOW!¡± Kihei shouted through the crashing waves of his spell to the last thousand or so refugees and their final protectors. Tilly took one last look at the people getting slaughtered outside the barrier. On one hand, he hated what Kihei had done¡­ but he had to admit there hadn''t been any more time or other options. His mind raced through how close the defenders had cut every delaying tactic they had, all to give the people the most possible time to flee. Refugees, Honu casters, and the remaining Bastions all moved towards the platform now. Thousands had been left outside the barrier at the mercy of the Defiler and the seemingly endless ranks of Cult soldiers, but those inside did not stay to watch their fate. None were ignoring Kihei¡¯s urgent warning. The new front rank of the cult soldiers locked outside of the barrier parted. This allowed some of their casters to come forward and begin a counterspell aimed at the barrier. The Defiler seemed to realize it was being denied even more food and started thrusting its appendages into the barrier. Tilly doubted either would be fast enough. Kihei continued to glow brighter and brighter, as he floated there near the top of the dome, his hands outstretched, guiding the braid of super-pressurized water in a continuous attack. Tilly realized that the attack served two purposes as literal tons of water began to rain back down on the city, creating a deluge of rain like Tilly had never seen. The outside of the barrier was getting inches of rain a second, and the water level outside was quickly rising. ¡°You Will Not Take THISSSS FROM ME!¡± Came the voice echoing from the distance. Fighting through the hundreds of millions of pounds of force, the snake god came, wriggling and dodging shockingly fast. Tilly could feel the force of its fury as it fought back toward the center of the city, and its palpable wrath bore down with incredible weight on the Hub. Many of the refugees around Tilly stumbled, crying out under the newly intensified aura of divine bloodlust. Tilly¡¯s frown turned into a snarl of effort as he looped his weapons and knelt down next to an elderly satyr couple who had fallen to their knees in front of him. Even unable to walk, they were attempting to crawl to the platform and their salvation. He grabbed each of them around their waists, finding them grossly underweight, and threw both of them over his shoulders with a grunt as he stood back up. The pressure of a god''s aura fought against the motion, trying to shove him back into the ground, but he took one teetering step and then another as he pressed forward with all his will. There was nothing he could do to change this battle. He didn''t have the power to fight these things or even affect events on a conflict of this scale. The syrupy sweet voice of the Seed redoubled its efforts to tempt him, giving voice to the dark cowardly place that hid behind boarded-up doors of bitterness in his beaten, scarred heart. ''These two strangers are weighing you down!'' ''All you can do is save yourself!'' ''What is two more deaths in the face of thousands? These people are not your responsibility.'' The voice whined and pleaded venting out the injustice and outrage he felt at the impossibility of his circumstance... It may be right, and he might be throwing his life away by taking on one last burden, but he knew what was really at stake. His soul had taken a critical wound at the sight of so many deaths, He wouldn''t... He couldn''t leave anyone else behind. Ch. 57 The Great Escape The barrier around the Hub was shrinking at the pace of a fast walk. The enemies surrounding the dome redoubled their efforts to get in, taking the movement as a sign of the magic weakening. None seemed to notice that they were now up to their chests in water, lost in an orgy of their own bloodlust. Tilly continued to struggle forward under the weight of a god''s fury which the barrier could do nothing to stop. Each step felt like lifting a mountain and the shockingly light elderly couple that he had thrown on his shoulders initially continued to grow heavier the closer he got to the platform. It was almost as if the Serpent''s metaphysical desire was actively opposing the escape of its prey. The increasing weight drove home just how exhausted Tilly was. With lingering injuries, deeply fatigued muscles, and a soul that felt stretched to its limit at the breadth of things it had witnessed in the last twenty-four hours... it was all too much. With a scowl of effort, Tilly straightened his slumped shoulders and looked around to see how everyone else was coping. His lips quirked up into a snarling smile as he saw Threstus and Gorock leading the group of thirty or so Bastions just behind the exhausted honu casters and refugee militia. Their path moved perpendicular to Tilly¡¯s and as they grew closer he saw that many of them were picking up stragglers of their own. As Tilly watched, Gorock ducked down for a few moments and emerged towering over the group with five gnomes clinging to him as his huge legs continued to pump indomitably toward the portal. That whole group of tough bastards was going to make it and so would he.. as long as he didn''t quit. The thought of quitting caused his trembling legs to wobble and he almost missed his next step. His foot dragged along the ground, getting under him just in time to stop from falling, as the weight kept shoving him down into the stone pavers mercilessly. The whole time, Tilly kept his eyes on the stoic Bastions. If they could keep going, so could he. He shifted the weight of the two, now unconscious, elderly satyrs and continued to march forward as the last of the refugees in front of him made it through the portal. ¡°Enough!¡± came the reverberating hiss, thrumming through Tilly''s chest. The sound of water crashing against the snake¡¯s body suddenly ceased. Tilly struggled to look up with both bodies on his shoulders sandwiching his head, but finally, by awkwardly bending backward, he was able to glimpse the shocking sight of the divine snake free of the water braid. In a movement that was too fast for Tilly to track, the Divine Snake somehow turned momentarily insubstantial to the water¡¯s attack and shot the gap between it and the top of the dome barrier, striking at it viciously as its form returned to its full physical state, including its twenty-foot long fangs. They dug into the flashing runic circle spewing red and green poison into the magic just above where Tilly stood. The snake followed up this attack by flexing its jaw closed while Kihei tried and failed to redirect the huge jet of water at point-blank range. Then with a final groan of effort, Kihei''s voice whispered out through the sound of crashing waves, ¡°Time¡­ Is¡­ Up.¡± The dome began to flex under the pressure of the serpent¡¯s closing jaws and Tilly grasped desperately at his empty reserves. He had reached the steps, but they might as well have been twenty feet tall for all the effort it took him to raise his knee high enough to plant his foot on the first rise. He kept his eyes fixed on the sight of the others stumbling and diving through the flickering portal. The Bastions followed up the last of the refugees, all of them helping or carrying one or two as they grimly continued to fight forward, not giving an inch to the divine opposition. At this point, almost all of them were through, and those bringing up the rear were pushing forward for all they were worth. Tilly gritted his teeth in effort until he thought they might shatter, pushing his body above the first step with his trembling right leg. He leaned forward and immediately lifted and swung his opposite leg to take another rise, capitalizing on his momentum as much as possible. Watching the others push on with no regard for the impossibility of their task pulled on something deep within Tilly. He wasn¡¯t the only one being asked to pay a price far beyond what should be possible. Yet without complaint, or even a flicker of doubt in their minds, each remaining Bastion moved through the portal, carrying far more than their fair share of the burden. The fire in his chest which had dwindled down to a candle¡¯s smoldering wick, roared back to life. The change had nothing to do with his Mana Well or his abused Pathways and everything to do with the broken, scarred soul that radiated a deep desire for significance. He wanted to be better this time... He had to be. That wounded place in his psyche that insisted he was entitled to a better life wailed in fear as something Savage rose up from an unknown depth. Suddenly the animal skins that covered his body felt comfortable, like they described some part of his nature he was only beginning to discover. The brutal stone-headed hatchets that hung on his hips were suddenly right in a way he couldn''t explain. At that moment, fighting to climb the steps with the weight of the world pushing him back down, something snapped into place. He had whined, cried, and complained in his past life. None of it had made a difference. With every step that wailing coward¡¯s voice was ground into greater insignificance, as Tilly stomped him into the ground with the force of an angry god¡¯s wrath. His Will hardened to flint, and his shaking legs pushed him up another step. This world had thrown brutality and horror at him, day after day. The soft man he had been was dying, and something new stood in his place. He was going to fucking make it. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. There were no other options. Finally, he reached the top of the stairs and looked up from his legs, gaining a clear view of what Kihei had become. His whole body was lost in a glare of deep, blue, pulsating mana, thrumming to the cadence of the crashing waves. Each of the streams of water feeding into the spell at the top of the dome began to shudder and lose their shape, before constricting in on themselves as all the space within the dome of the spell shuddered and then- Popped. Tilly stumbled onward, hoping to collide with the flickering portal in one last push. But the entire surrounding environment changed at the sound rejecting physics as he knew it. The crashing sound of waves ceased along with the pulsating light and gravity had shifted, all the weight of the god¡¯s aura fading. As he pushed forward to the portal a few feet ahead of him the effort sent him upward instead of forward, floating into the air as if he had fallen into the deep end of a pool and was kicking up to the surface. The constricted flows of water feeding into the spell from the other platforms continued to compress, until they formed a sort of root-like network, feeding directly into the light where Kihei had once been. Above them, the giant serpent had stopped trying to rupture the dome. It had sensed something at the sound of the pop. The whole spell changing into something new and far more dangerous, and was now trying to disengage its fangs, shaking its head back and forth in an attempt to yank its body free. Tilly looked around in confusion, finding himself floating alone in the Hub with the portal just out of reach. He was shocked to see the enemy army gone, as only the tops of the tallest buildings now showed through the torrent of still-rising water. Tilly tried to kick forward toward the portal, but despite the water-like feel of the air, it did not offer enough resistance to allow him to swim. ''He was so close!'' In a flash decision, he lifted the weightless bodies from his shoulders, careful not to let them float off, and gently pushed them toward the opening. They floated the last foot of space between Tilly and the wildly flickering portal and disappeared in a final coughing flicker of power from the teleport spell that had held on this long by a thread. Then Tilly watched in numb acceptance as the portal disappeared, leaving behind a discolored haze in the air where it had blazed for over an hour. The world around him seemed to be moving incredibly slowly as he floated. He looked up and saw the place where the serpent had inserted itself into the spell spark and flash in distress as the flow of runes started to collapse. This did not stop the spinning of the circle, or the slow shrinkage of the dome, rather, it caused the movement of the Mana to become erratic. With its army gone, some part of the summoning must have begun to fail as well and the serpent¡¯s form was growing insubstantial. It continued to struggle weakly to free itself, but Tilly could now see the disrupted energies of the spell entering into the serpent and pulling forth its red and green energy to power whatever the spell¡¯s climax was designed to be. He twisted around and looked back to find that even the Defiler, who had successfully burrowed partially through the barrier had been caught up in the flow of the unfettered spell. It screeched in defiance, bleeding inky darkness into the deep blue flow of seemingly endless mana. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of Kihei left. The center of the circle, was nothing more than a blazing blue vortex of power as water continued to blast forth from the apex of the dome, drowning even the memory of the city in its azure torrent. He floated there alone, next to the faint haze that was once a portal as the barrier closed in around him, now only 20 feet away. There had to be a way out. He had come too far to believe it was all over. Not when he was so close. His mind raced through everything he knew about magic in this world, and how he could interact with it. He doubted he could blast his way through the hazy scar left by the portal, those two kinds of magic seemed to have nothing to do with each other... Then it hit him. He had just developed a new Ability that seemed much closer to the Time and Space nature of the magic he needed. Tilly flung his will into the new space that hosted the Spirit Walk Skill and activated it. This sort of magic had nothing to do with his Mana Pathways, and he felt it pulling on an entirely different source of energy. One that both moved through time with him and connected to the vastness found outside the bounds of the fourth dimension. His ¡°spirit¡± pulled away from his physical form with little effort, like the shedding of a winter coat once you got inside. Hostile magics assaulted his ethereal form the moment he pulled free. The Interior of the dome was a riot of conflicting energies. Each one screaming at him, through him, as he struggled to maintain the integrity of his form, reinforcing the boundaries of himself by sheer force of will. He pulled deeply on knowledge the Skill imparted to fortify his being against the powerful flows of mana around him. He emerged a few feet in front of his body and was able to reach out and touch the place where the portal had been minutes before. The now calcified statues of the four elder casters who had poured their entire being into the spell stood at the four corners of the platform, silent monuments to the heroic defiance of the city''s defenders. He could feel that the Space there had been forcefully knit together with another location using brute magical force as much as anything else. This caused the composition of reality to be more elastic than it should be. The pattern of space-time was slowly rebounding to its immutable form of rigid structure, but the flux of mana within the dome was slowing the process considerably. Having found his target, he focused his entire Will on his ethereal hand reaching to touch the scar in Space. Then moving more by instinct than any sort of logic, he reached back and thrust his other hand into the chest of his physical form. The hazy space he was touching felt like it was right in front of him¡­ and yet, there was also the faintest sense that he was reaching through a hole toward something that he couldn¡¯t see. He focused harder on his outstretched hand, and slowly felt it double as if it was both out in front of him and incomprehensibly distant. Reality pushed against this unnatural doubling and he shoved right back. He focused... becoming dead certain that there was still a hole in space right in front of him, and it hadn¡¯t completely closed. A harsh ripping sound tore the air as the recently repaired fabric of reality was forced open again and the sensation of doubling in Tilly''s hand suddenly resolved. He turned his frayed will back to his body and attempted to drag it forward somehow, just as the barrier touched the outside shoulder of his physical form. He desperately activated the portion of his Skill that rejoined his spirit to his body while clinging to the space beyond the tear. The azure energy of the spell screamed into his system as his spirit became a conduit for the tear in space. The energies clashed in his body and a thunderclap sounded from the center of his being. The out-of-control energies of the wild spell flooded into the memory of the teleport spell form still lightly etched into reality by the sacrifice of the four honu casters. Then just for a fraction of a second, the entire spell flickered back to life, launching Tilly¡¯s body and spirit through space-time in a confluence of probabilities that should have never been possible. In that moment, beyond space and outside of time, Tilly touched on something greater than either, and it pulled him into itself. CH. 58 Reckoning ¡°Jonathan Tillman, You have a... talent for thinking outside the box.¡± Tilly came to on a rough sawn wooden floor. He sat up, immediately reaching his hands to his head, ready for the onslaught of pain that he was sure would be coming. ¡°No pain can reach you here. You broke yourself down on the quantum level, temporarily removing yourself completely from time and space. Your imagination has bridged a gap of probability so great that you have just performed one of the most unlikely escapes I have ever seen¡­ I hope you know that means quite a lot coming from me.¡± Tilly looked up in confusion and found himself in an achingly familiar cabin. ''Grandad¡¯s place.'' He had only gotten to come here as a kid a few times before Grandad had died, but those summer trips ¡°roughing it¡± had been some of his best childhood memories. The strangeness of his situation imparted a stolid pace to his thoughts as he struggled to come to terms with what he was experiencing. He turned slowly, breathing in the familiar smell of wood smoke, inspecting the shelf stuffed with tattered books in astonishment, and finally, stood facing the two chairs in front of the fireplace. It all felt so normal¡­ That is, until he saw the burst of light come into being in his grandad¡¯s chair. An extremely complex network of woven light settled itself in the overstuffed armchair, its shape somehow giving off the impression that it was sitting. The pattern of flowing luminescence was so bright and intricate that as Tilly squinted against its brilliance he had trouble finding where the cabin ended and its form began. As his eyes adjusted he realized that there was no end to the network, rather it was seamlessly integrated into its surroundings. The strands of light grew less opalescent the farther from the central network they went and faded until they were completely transparent. But as Tilly looked closely he found that they were still very much present weaving everything in the room back towards the center. Tilly uncomfortably followed the few strands that he could spot reaching toward him until they ended in his chest. He looked back up, his mouth dry and face slack as comprehension slowly dawned. Despite how otherworldly the pattern of light before him looked, he addressed the vaguely humanoid shape in its midst. ¡°You are Him aren¡¯t you?¡± Tilly said, addressing the Living Network with something approaching awe. ¡°It is not incorrect to call me ¡®Him¡¯ although it is a little derivative.¡± Tilly could practically hear the teasing smile behind the words. In the face of that levity, his fury and sorrow from the last few hours came crashing back, displacing wonder. His mind flooded with questions and accusations. They rose up from the well of pain at his center, jostling for position on his tongue. Before he could make an active election, a few popped out, forming partial thoughts and then dying as he attempted to find some calm in the tumult of his emotions. ¡°Where were¡­How could you¡­ All those people...¡± The questions rose and were choked off. Each one was like a boat capsizing under the onslaught of a stormy sea, not able to fully express the aching pain and furious resentment that suddenly swamped Tilly''s heart. In response Origin¡¯s light dimmed until a fatherly, caramel-skinned man sat before him in something resembling a mechanic''s outfit. His eyes crinkled in compassion, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down? We have time but I want to spend it well.¡± Confusion warred with anger on Tilly¡¯s face, before they settled into an uneasy truce of suspicion. He slowly approached, watching the now unassuming man sit leaning forward with his hands clasped in front of him. Those hands were dirty, but in the way that a gardener''s hands would be after a long day working in the soil. Tilly took his seat, struggling with what to say. Origin just sat there with a look of concern painted across his face in broad clear strokes. Something about this kindly demeanor set Tilly even further out of sorts. He seemed to invite Tilly¡¯s questions and for some reason this caused Tilly to hesitate, looking for the right place to begin. Through it all, Origin sat patiently, maintaining eye contact in a way that invited...something. Demands for answers lived and died on the surface of Tilly''s mind as he tried to reconcile his expectations with the calm reality that sat before him. Finally, he settled for the one that had haunted him for days as he fought against Corruption on multiple fronts. ¡°How could you let this happen? Can¡¯t you do something?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That is always a tough one,¡± Origin said leaning back into his chair, with a sigh. ¡°If I wanted, I could wipe away all of Corruption. I could dispose of evil in a moment and claim the throne of the souls of men with power and glory¡­ But I actively choose not to. And this is very painful. Both for me and for you...¡± Then he just stopped, looking at Tilly as if he was waiting for something. The silence lingered and then grew as Tilly realized that he didn''t plan on continuing. ¡°And?¡± Tilly said shocked, expecting at least some sort of defense or explanation. ¡°And what?¡± Origin asked, a small smile again quirking the edges of his lips. He was infuriatingly cool in the face of the horrors Tilly had witnessed, both in this life and the last and all of Tilly¡¯s hesitancy disappeared in a puff of smoke, ¡°WHY?!¡± Tilly shouted, snarling in rage as he gripped the armrests of the chair so hard that they creaked in protest. Origin didn¡¯t even flinch at the sudden outburst, he just leaned forward into Tilly¡¯s anger and began to shine. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The mesmerizing network of complex woven light returned, illuminating a thick pattern flowing outward from his center in two opposite directions. Both continued to be revealed and illuminated until they reached out to an incomprehensible length. Unable to help himself, Tilly tried to follow the pattern in one direction to its end. His vision doubled and his mind flexed uncomfortably as he saw one end of the pattern both within the one-room cabin and in the infinite distance. Origin''s voice echoed eerily over the boundless vista, ¡°I am, as we speak, standing at the beginning of Time, setting this work into motion. It is a very ambitious work¡­ For I am creating something that has full freedom of choice and I have committed to guarding that freedom until the end,¡± he said looking in the same direction Tilly had. Tilly could see the beginning of the immeasurable strands of existence, each being pulled into a weave that started simply, yet beautifully. Origins'' voice spoke again, drawing Tilly to look in the opposite direction, ¡°I am also, right now, standing at creation''s final moment in Time, watching as what I hold most dear, becomes something far greater.¡± Tilly turned slowly, fighting to stay conscious as something akin to mental nausea took his perception through loops. The simple motion of turning his head juxtaposed sickeningly with the terrifying amount of distance his perception covered. As his perception traveled toward the other end of the pattern he noticed that the weave never stopped changing, increasing in complexity and beauty as it moved through time. When Tilly finally found the end with his eyes, he could more than just see it, he could smell, hear, and taste just how supremely glorious it had become. All of his senses were evoked at once and he was drawn into the very definition of Goodness. It was the smell of freshly baked bread, the taste of summer¡¯s first strawberry, and the crescendo of a symphony all at once. The sensations wrapped around him, drawing him into an embrace that seemed to permeate every part of his being. His awe returned, striking his soul with a thunderous truth he could not understand. As he struggled to comprehend just what he was seeing, a memory emerged. It rose out of the midst of the tension between his ability to understand and his longing to know. He was back in his daughter''s room, having just arrived home after a long shift. She had stayed up way too late fighting sleep so she wouldn¡¯t miss him. And as tired as he was, he had charged into the room roaring like a lion and collapsed on his three-year-old in an impromptu tickle attack. The sound of her squeals of delight and laughter echoed through the room as the light of the pattern slowly faded. His chest constricted and he tried to remember how to breathe, struck dumb by the beauty and the sorrow that welled up in the wake of the memory. He turned back to Origin, who was once again in his human form, and was shocked to find him crying as he too turned away from the scene. ¡°Jonathan, I am so sorry about your daughter.¡± He said as tears continued to stream freely down his face. Then, as if nourished by the steady flow of his tears, a small joyful smile bloomed, ¡°I am, however, happy to tell you that her story is not over. It continues in a different form and you will see her there, at the end.¡± The words and the manner in which they were given cut straight to the heart of Tilly¡¯s bitterness. For, if Tilly was to believe them then he would have to let go of all the blame and hatred he had hoarded in his heart for so many years. These were the knives he used to punish himself when he stumbled, the broken glass he scattered around his heart to keep anyone from getting close. Another memory rose to the surface of his mind. His mother stood over him on his tricycle, an expression of shock and then hot anger twisting her face as she looked down at the shattered porcelain lamp. Slowly she lifted her eyes, her expression too dangerous for his young mind to comprehend. ¡°God Dammit, Jonny! Why do you always break everything?¡± she hissed at him, almost spitting out the last words. The memory sat like a weight in his stomach, assuring him that no matter what happened in life, everything he touched would end up in ruins. The laughter of his daughter echoed again through his mind, joined now, by the courageous smile of the little satyr girl, whose name he could not even remember. His eyes cleared and hope beckoned to him, inviting him to something new... something strange and wonderful. He found Origin still there, waiting¡­ vulnerable. Tilly¡¯s choice mattered to him. And in that moment, under those eyes, Tilly was frightened to realize that he mattered. That significance, something that he had chased his whole career in the fire department, gave him the strength he needed to lift the awful weight of guilt off his soul. The burden of decades of self-hatred fell to the floor as Tilly looked into those eyes and found a lightness he couldn¡¯t understand. He would see his daughter again, he believed it. ¡°I am very glad you have chosen to try, Jonathan,¡± - Origin said, his smile less grating than it had been just minutes before.- ¡°Now it is time for you to return... there is much yet left for you to do.¡± Then Origin clapped his hands together and stood. Tilly flinched in surprise at the movement and stuttered, ¡°Wh- Wait! I thought you said we had time?¡± Tilly stammered, scrambling up out of his chair. ¡°Jonathan, you have been here for five days. I do not think you would want to miss what is coming for your friends and the new nation you have helped start.¡± Origin answered, his expression becoming somber. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help me with the Seed? Or at least tell me what to do to help Amelia. The purification Ability isn¡¯t enough. I don''t know what to do.¡± Tilly said, the urgency of his situation beginning to go off like a siren in his mind. ¡°You already have the answers to your questions¡­ I will not take your freedom to choose from you,¡± Origin declared, his face growing hard for the first time in their encounter. ¡°Now go!¡± The light and then the room itself started to fade around Tilly. He tried not to feel panic as the impending crash back to reality loomed in his mind. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me anything else? I have no clue what I am doing out there!¡± At this point, the figure and the cabin it had held together in the void were almost completely gone, but Origin¡¯s voice returned one last time, ¡°You are free, nothing can change that. Use this great gift well...¡± Then the voice faded into the nothingness leaving Tilly alone. The blackness around him was absolute. His sense of place and even time was distorted by the infinite emptiness that was both endless and intimate. Then a pinprick of light burst in front of him. He reached out toward it, as it grew into a marble and then a fist-sized hole of brightness. Tilly watched in fascination as he realized it was hurtling towards him, or he toward it¡­ He couldn¡¯t tell and before he had time to puzzle it out, he was colliding with the now truck-sized opening of light. The harsh light of day assaulted his eyes and a roaring filled his ears. He blinked rapidly as he covered his head in anguish, fending off the onslaught of reality. Slowly, shapes began to resolve out of the glare in front of him and the roar reduced itself to incomprehensible noise and then finally the sound of voices. One figure pulled itself away from the milling patchwork of shapes and colors, its form sharpening as it approached. A face covered in a thin layer of gray fur leaned in close to Tilly, its milky white eyes looking deeply into his own as if they were looking through him, back in time, to what he had just experienced. ¡°Welcome Home, Gaijin. You are among friends and we are glad you have returned¡­ from wherever you went.¡± Ch. 59 A Good Nights Sleep The scene behind Ichiro resolved into clarity before Tilly¡¯s eyes and he found a much changed Lapin Village if you could even call it that anymore. The wooden palisade was gone and lines of buildings had been deconstructed to widen the road going towards the docks on the river and the valley outside the gate. That valley had experienced an even greater transformation with the influx of new residents. All of the sparse forest leading to the base of the mountain far in the distance had been clear-cut. In its place was a huge milling camp of refugees, which was sprawled out around a square of timber longhouses as big again as the village itself. ¡°How long was I gone?¡± Tilly whispered with a hoarse voice, watching as the guards and other lapins attending to business in the village square began to point and exclaim excitedly with several running off as soon as they realized who had arrived. It seemed like the only one who had actually been expecting him was Ichiro. ¡°A little less than a week I would say, hard to keep track with all that we have going on. From all reports, your trip to the capital was quite eventful.¡± He said, a playful smile emerging under milky white eyes that still managed to dance with mirth. ¡°Eventful¡­ sure let''s call it that. Did everyone make it through alright?¡± Tilly asked tiredly, trying and failing to resist the leaden feeling that had returned to his limbs and now his eyelids as the events of the past two weeks caught up to him. His notification icon was going crazy and at a mental inquiry he found that he had gained another level sometime after the fighting. Sluggishly, he thought about pulling up the screen... Ichiro said something else, but Tilly missed it completely, feeling pulled in too many directions for his addled mind to follow, ¡°I''m sorry, can you say that again?¡± Ichiro responded by pulling him up from the ground where he had collapsed without noticing, ¡°Come friend, I made sure your place was kept ready for you. You must rest and eat.¡± Ichiro said, leading Tilly by the arm as he stumbled forward, the shock of adrenaline at having arrived back within the bounds of space/time had left him feeling drained and shaky. It was like emerging from a sensory deprivation chamber and then being given heavy medication. Everything was too loud and bright, yet at the same time draped in the cotton fuzziness of pure exhaustion. The walk to his little one-room house was a blur. Now that the weight of hundreds of thousands of lives did not hang on his shoulders he felt utterly spent. Even the strange conversation with Origin had left him feeling as wrung as a dirty dish rag. His eyes kept scanning those around him in the late afternoon light, dreading the appearance of a weapon, yet too tired to do something if attacked. Something about Ichiro''s steady gait and firm guiding hand on his arm did more than help him through the crowd of onlookers. It slowly pulled him out of his fight-or-flight state, and he began to trust that he had found some respite from the near-constant danger that had marked his new life. Before he knew it, he was lying on the pallet bed he remembered so fondly. Ichiro said something else, but Tilly was already asleep and didn''t hear the door close softly on the quiet room. He slept deeply, his soul lighter than it had been in a long time as he dreamed of a hidden valley with a flower at its center and a song so sweet that it plucked away the few worries and cares that tried to burrow their way into his respite.
What felt like weeks later, Tilly turned his head and nestled back into his blankets, but was started awake by an uncomfortably wet feeling against his cheek. He growled and lifted his head, squinting down at the offending patch of linen, and found it completely soaked in drool. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He mumbled to himself, pushing up from the pallet and looking around. Nearby someone had set a huge container of water, and a tray of food, covered in different dishes. Tilly¡¯s dry, cottony-feeling mouth watered and he stumbled over to the treasure trove of small ceramic bowls organized around a larger one heaped with rice. His stomach cramped as Maslow''s hierarchy of needs demanded his attention one by one. Tilly plopped down on the mat before the tray and mostly ignored the chopsticks in favor of pouring the contents of the assorted bowls down his throat and washing them down with huge swallows of water. All thoughts fled as Tilly entered into the almost meditative bliss of stuffing himself as fast as he could. Before he knew it, the tray was a mess of tipped-over dishes and spilled rice. He looked down at the mess he had just made slightly ashamed and thought briefly of trying to stack the bowls. But once again, his body made its demands known as his bladder pressed down angrily on his pelvis, and a sudden urgent need registered in his system. Ignoring these needs for days on end apparently did have some sort of consequence. In fact, the feeling struck so powerfully that, for a moment, Tilly had to struggle to keep everything contained. He lurched to his feet, suddenly overwhelmed by a driving desire to find the little communal outhouse he had remembered from his last stay here. He slid the front door open urgently and moved through, barely remembering to slide it closed behind him. Even at this hour, Tilly saw people moving with purpose up and down the street, each pursuing some task they thought was vital to the young city. He picked the direction that felt right and started moving down the small street. The village''s transformation was unfolding all around him. Timber was laid in stacks everywhere and the sound of sawing and hammering was already ringing out through the morning. Though, it was difficult to find a rhyme or reason for how things were being designed. Some buildings seemed to be actually under construction, while others seemed to just be outlined with piles of resources left in the middle.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Each time he passed a Lapin, they bowed and smiled, as if they personally knew Tilly. Tilly tried to give each one a nod back, which painfully slowed his progress. It must have been the title at work because he had yet to see anyone he knew. None of the satyrs he passed or the few other races gave him anything but the typical, ''Was that a human?'' double take Tilly had grown used to. Finally, he found the outhouse, marked by a rock-covered ditch flowing under the slightly elevated closet-sized building. There were a few lapins in line when he got there, but they all stepped away as he arrived bowing as they did so. ¡°No guys, I can wait, I promise,¡± Tilly said, waving them back in line and dancing in place. None of them even looked up at his attempts, let alone responded. The door to the small shack opened, and another lapin emerged, hopping out of the way as he saw Tilly, and joining in the bowing. They all just stood there avoiding his eyes as they waited for him to take his turn. ¡°Alright, alright. I''ll be quick!¡± He blurted in a higher than-necessary voice, extremely uncomfortable in the current situation. He nodded to each lapin on his way up to the door, feeling every bit like a fish out of water. As soon as he closed the door, however, he dropped all pretenses of control along with his pants. He had to bite back a groan of relief as he sat on the wooden seat, releasing the pressure sitting on his pelvis bidirectionally. Once he was fully evacuated, he sighed in contentment. The last dregs of stress collected over the hellish week finally started to drain away as he took a moment to sit there and experience the sweet contented comfort of a full stomach and empty bowels. Then, remembering the line of people waiting outside, he looked around the small room¡­ and his anxiety immediately ratcheted back up to eleven. The only thing he could find in the dim shack was a cup of plain sticks of various sizes, he almost picked one up to investigate when the smell hit him and he gagged. Never before had he felt so heavy a burden to deliver a people from such onerous bondage. He shuddered at the thought of how these sticks were used and experienced a pang of longing for his pile of Charmin leaves lying forgotten somewhere in this valley. Someone outside let out a cough, and Tilly looked around again in desperation, hoping against hope that something would just magically appear to rescue him in his moment of need- Nope, just him and the shit sticks. He churned his mind, squeezing every drop of inspiration he could from it. Magic! Of course! He rifled through his fantasy fanny pack and found nothing that would work. Then he took another look at his sleeve. His legendary, self-cleaning sleeve. With a grimace, he reached back to do the dirty, dirty deed and felt the armor tighten unnaturally around his arm and shoulder, constricting his movements, ¡°Hey! I don''t like this any more than you do! One of us has to take the hit and I can¡¯t self-clean!¡± He said straining against the suddenly skin-tight jacket. It refused to budge and Tilly growled in frustration. Then it hit him, Can¡¯t self-clean. His mind flashed through a montage of moments when he had discovered new aspects of his powers; His first enflamed strike. Enflaming his fist to strike at a manifestation of Corruption. Enflaming his finger to save Linus. Wreathing his whole body in cascading blue flames that burnt away everything but his skin, hair, and armor. Burnt away everything. Tilly was shaken by the revelation and urgently focused on his sphincter, but this time in a way that agitated his mana into producing a portion of his power. He didn''t need the entire Ability he had discovered in his final battle with Titus, just a small portion of it. The hot, but not unpleasant feeling of his own magically produced flame followed soon after, emerging in an extremely localized position on his body. After a few moments, a very particular smell filled the small room. Having been around fire most of his adult life, he had of course experienced the aroma of burning feces... But that didn''t make it any less unpleasant. Tilly held the flame there for five more seconds even as the normally moist orifice became painfully dry. Then he released it, having eliminated everything he could and hopefully having cleansed the area. He sighed deeply in relief, then immediately regretted it, letting out a hacking cough. He quickly pulled up his pants and banged the door open, hoping that nothing odd had been noticed by those waiting. The line had grown twice as long as when he had entered, each lapin present looking elsewhere, studiously avoiding the small smoky shack. Tilly cleared his throat in deep discomfort and all but ran past the line back toward his refuge. He didn''t know what he would do when he got there, but anywhere was better than the scene of his probable cultural crime. Besides he needed a place to sit and think for a few minutes. Once he was far enough down the road, he slowed his almost jog down to a normal pace. He almost jumped when a booming voice hit him from a distance, interrupting his squinting scan for the door to his room. ¡°Jonathan Tillman! It is good to see you awake!¡± Shuji¡¯s greeting resounded down the street. Tilly turned further down the street and found Shuji emerging from the exact door he was looking for. ¡°Man, it is good to see you!¡± Tilly grunted, happy to be leaving behind his most recent ordeal. As he approached, Shuji rushed forward and encompassed Tilly in a warm embrace. "I''m afraid I never got the chance to say thank you for your help that first night. I shudder to think what would have become of me if you had not intervened." He burbled, suddenly emotional. "Shuji, you saved my life like three times in the capital... I should be thanking you!" Tilly answered in exasperation, as he clapped the large Librarian on the back. The lapin released the hug and gestured for Tilly to go inside. Tilly complied, eager to finally get some answers. Shuji followed closely behind, sliding the door closed and settling to his knees easily on the mat floor. Tilly attempted to match Shuji''s relaxed seated position but ended up in sitting like a kindergartener. The Librarian''s tears were gone and he once again wore his cheerful smile, a mischievous look twinkling in his eyes. Tilly was starting to enjoy Shuji''s constant positive outlook. Whatever crazy shit was going down, one guy in the room would always see the glass as half full. But, after a few seconds, Tilly began to recognize the unmistakable signs of someone who had gone days, or even weeks with little to no sleep. Chapter 60 AMA with Shuji Shuji leaned in excited, clearly unbothered by his tired state, ¡°It is a very exciting time for us even if many unexpected changes were required for us to move forward. Over the last week, we found ourselves with numbers far greater than what we had anticipated, and that has come with many logistical challenges that had to be addressed before we established ourselves as a Faction. We find ourselves with several impossible gaps in our logistical capability that we hope to find a solution to later today..." He explained, allowing his smile to slip a fraction before forcing it back up to its full state. "The hardest part for me has been, of course, giving up my quaint shop in the village. I had become quite fond of it, but others with more appropriate classes are taking over. Now it is nothing but administration work until we get a library established¡­Which I am afraid will not happen for some time. But look at me rambling on. I am here to make sure you are settled back in and advise you before the meeting this morning.¡± Shuji said, a hungry gleam shining in his eyes at the prospect of learning something new. ¡°Well, all things considered, I think our escape went much better than expected," Tilly said, trying to catch up with events before being struck by a thought, "Wait! Linus, Mochizuki... Amelia! Have they recovered?¡± Tilly almost shouted as memories of their injuries hit him like a brick to the face. Shuji''s smile twitched downward for a minute before responding with his usual optimism, ¡°You will see Linus at the council meeting this morning. He is not what he once was, but still serves the people. Don''t tell him I said this, but it is probably better that he has taken the position he has with the former empire. Mochizuki made a full recovery, although I doubt you will see her much in the near future. Amelia has woken and seems to be at no risk of becoming one of those... Corrupted. Despite that, nothing we do seems to be able to clear away her current level of infection. She is out on the fields and pasture land now working on a system that will hopefully be able to feed all of these new people. I am afraid in the short term that food will be one of our biggest challenges.¡± Then before Tilly could ask about any others, Shuji slapped his hands on the mat in front of him decisively. ¡°Enough about others, human! I have been sent here to advise you before the meeting, and Hiro will not be gentle with me if you continue as you have been.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tilly said, looking down at himself, before it dawned on him¡­ It was finally time to get some answers! No attack, no running for his life. He could actually learn something about this world and the system that governed it. ¡°Oh Hell Yes!, Shuji. My bad, let''s get down to it, can I ask you anything?¡± At that, Shuji hesitated for a second, before answering, ¡°I think it is best if we start with your Character Sheet. Lord Hiro is somewhat concerned that you have been¡­ ah¡­ haphazard in your choices so far, and he wishes you to have the best advice I can offer regarding your build going forward. I am by no means an expert, but this is within my area of interest and we believe you could use the help.¡± He said suddenly looking anywhere but Tilly''s eyes. Tilly¡¯s face, however, brightened considerably at the offer, ¡°Shuji, I don¡¯t know if you think that''s offensive. But no one knows more than me that I have been scrambling from day one. I would love your thoughts¡­ But there is something I have to tell you first. It''s time I was honest with you and Lord Hiro.¡± The last sentence just slipped out of Tilly''s mouth, not at all premeditated. But now that it was out there, he found himself torn. ¡°Please Gaijin, you are among friends, no less than any of our people in my eyes,¡± Shuji said, concern coloring the edges of his reassurance. Not suspicion. Not disappointment. Concern. Tilly''s voice caught in his throat for a moment, again feeling hesitant to burden the already tired lapin with his problems¡­ As he thought about how best to put it, he felt the subtle throbbing emanating from his side, harder to notice than ever. Or did it feel weaker? ''Maybe it was getting better¡­ Maybe he could manage it.'' He looked back up into Shuji''s earnest expression. He was genuinely offering help and cared about Tilly''s well-being. That look pierced through Tilly''s confusion and suddenly, just for an instant, he was sitting back in that cabin looking into another set of eyes. ¡°Shuji!¡± Tilly blurted out, abandoning any careful shaping of his statement. ¡°When I went up to fight the Corrupted tree, it infected me with something¡­ Something that I think might be far stronger than anything we have encountered so far. No matter what I do, it is growing worse. I am afraid I might be becoming something even worse than what I burned down in the temple.¡± The words tumbled out of him in a rush, seeming to rip free from the depths of his psyche. Then it was all out of him, and he felt... light. For better or worse, others knew. Shuji leaned back on his heels and thoughtfully nodded to himself. His face grew serious as he considered Tilly¡¯s words, but his eyes¡­ They still danced as if he was enjoying a joke no one else had heard and he certainly didn''t seem surprised. ¡°Shuji¡­ Did you already know?¡± Tilly asked hesitantly, trying to read through the expression on the Librarian¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, of course. Even if Ichiro had not told us, it would have been plain from several points of observation. But we are glad you are willing to share. This means you are willing to accept help, which does us great honor. What that help will be, however, must still be considered. It is part of the reason I am here, to find out how we must proceed.¡± Tilly let out a deep sigh, his shoulders straightening from a slump he did not even know was there. He wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Alright, Let''s get to it. I haven¡¯t had a chance to look recently¡­¡± Tilly pulled up his Character Sheet and started to read it out to Shuji, deciding not to hold anything back. This was his chance to finally get some questions answered and maybe even some decent advice on how to proceed.
Jonathan Luke Tillman Level: 18 (2000/500,000 Exp until next Level) Display Name: Tilly Race: Human Class: Son of Flame Health: 100%(1.8% per min.) Mana: 100%(1.5% per min.) Corruptions Influence: 24% Status Effects: Minor Corruption [Hidden] -16% wisdom +11% strength Titles: [Harbinger], [Resolute], [Origin¡¯s Champion], [Corruption¡¯s Host],[Trusted Gaijin],[Hostile Environment], [Scarred Heart].[Divine Wind] Stats: Constitution: 18 Endurance: 99 (108.9) Dexterity: 35 (38.5) Strength: 13(14.4) Wisdom: 18(15.2) Intelligence: 13
Equipment: Origin¡¯s primitive stone hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, growth type)If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. +Imbued Ability Recall. Origin¡¯s primitive leather armor: +10% to Endurance. (Legendary, growth type) +Imbued Form Sun Salamander +Imbued Form Nullspider/Mana Engine Enchantment. Skills: -Forestcraft level 12 -Identify level 17 -Cooking level 12 -Beginner Hatchet level 12 -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 7 -Herb Lore Level 2 -Ax Throwing Level 15 -Dual-Wielding (Hatchets) Level 8 -Spirit Walk Level 14
Abilities: -[Blue] Flame Strike: Channel the fire within you to strike at your opponents. Each strike leaves a smoldering ember at the point of impact and does damage over time. Ember damage is stackable. This Ability has been augmented by your mantle and does 200% more damage to Corruption. -[Blue] Flame Expulsion+: At the cost of 25-50% of your total mana, you channel the fire within you into a wave flowing from your center, impacting everything around you in a sphere. Ability scales with mana. This Ability has been augmented by your mantle and does 200% more damage to Corruption. -[Blue] Flame¡¯s Renewal+: At the cost of 5-10% of your total mana, you impart the purifying nature of your indwelling flame, greatly increasing the recipient''s ability to remove curses, poisons, and infections from their body. This Ability has been augmented by your mantle and does 200% more damage to Corruption. -Mana Overdrive: You may perform abilities without paying the Mana cost in exchange for unused Experience stored in the subspace of your soul at a rate of 100:1. -Wrath¡¯s Shroud: At the cost of 1% mana per second, you may enflame your entire body without physical consequence. You will continually produce flame from your core while this ability is active and any attack you perform will automatically be empowered with your flame.
Titles: [Harbinger]: One touched by Origin to bring about change, ¡°None may interfere.¡± This and all other Origin-related titles, abilities, and items will be changed and seen as unremarkable by any deity or deity-aligned faction. [Resolute]: Your endurance stat is higher than all of your other stats combined. As long as this remains true, you may completely negate one fatal blow per day. [Origin¡¯s Champion]: You have accepted the mantle of champion from Origin. This will augment your skills and abilities over time to reflect your new nature. [Corruption¡¯s Host]: You hold within your body a Seed of Corruption. This entity''s progress has been slowed by divine interference, but it will take every opportunity to grow until it has subsumed your will. Seeds influence: 24% [Trusted Gaijin]: The highest honor that can be bestowed on a nonlapin by the ruling class. It marks you as a ¡°friend¡± to all Lapinkind and they will be immediately predisposed towards offering you any help they may. [Hostile Environment]: Due to the unique nature of your physical body, foreign substances have a hard time persisting within your physical body. Poisons, Viruses, and Physical Curses will be 50% less effective against you. This Title scales with Endurance. [Scarred Heart]: Any goal you pursue motivated by a deep heart desire will be met with an unparalleled opportunity by the System. ¡°Guard your Heart, for out of it will flow Unimaginable Strength.¡± [A Divine Wind]: When you attack an opponent more than double your level while holding their full attention, you gain a 25% bonus to your attack power.
Shuji rubbed his mustache and muttered to himself as Tilly read, harumphing at certain points and nodding to himself at others. As Tilly finished his last title, he turned towards Shuji who didn''t seem to notice he had stopped reading. Tilly himself couldn''t help but catch that despite everything he had been through, Corruption''s influence had still gone up two percentage points at some point in the battle. That more or less overshadowed the joy he would have had at seeing the increases in his hatchet-related skills and the surprisingly useful Spirit Walk skill. The only other real change besides his level up was the new ability, Wrath''s Shroud which seemed like a continuous lower-intensity version of Flame Expulsion. Whatever else it was, it would certainly be a useful addition, especially now that he had an alternative source of mana. Even if that source robbed him of leveling progress. All of this and more tumbled around in Tilly''s mind as he eagerly looked forward to receiving some sort of context for all the numbers and terms he had been interacting with since day one. ¡°Well, what do you think?" Tilly finally asked, interrupting the lapin''s fugue. ¡°Ah." He said, breaking away from his musings, "You already had an interesting class when we first met, but now it has grown into a build, unlike anything I have ever read about in the libraries. Am I right in my understanding that you do not receive new Abilities as you level?¡± ¡°Yeah. Instead, they come to me at moments when I experience intense emotion. But the process doesn¡¯t seem to be predictable. It just kind of happens.¡± Shuji continued to stroke his mustache thoughtfully as he began to get lost again in his thoughts muttering to himself, ¡°Perhaps from a previous epoch, his system compatibility seems both abnormally low and high for a Progenitor class...¡± ¡°What is a Progenitor class?¡± Tilly broke in again, beginning to feel like he was interrupting a private conversation. ¡°Oh! Goodness me! Mooning over new data like a fresh librarian''s assistant! Very sorry, I am here to advise you after all." He sputtered, coming to himself again. "Some of what I will share with you is theory, but much of our understanding of the plane and your place in it as humans continues to change. It is hotly debated whether we are a derivative of your world or the other way around. Most tend to see what happens on Nephesh as the leading edge of the entire cycle of existence. Our scholarship is very likely biased in this regard. Yet it is well known that in this place ideals, concepts, and even certain embodiments of culture struggle for supremacy. To be a god on this plane is to embody an ideal or concept so completely that it determines your course of action as much as you affect its meaning. What we saw over the capital was the temporary manifestation of humanity''s concept of the serpent for example.¡± ¡°Whatever it was, it''s gone now. That guy got destroyed before I entered the portal,¡± Tilly cut in, thinking Shuji would want to know. ¡°No, you saw its manifestation disrupted. The serpent will live on in some form as long as it has believers. The Cult itself exists to propagate terror of its power across the plane. It was weakened for certain, but not destroyed.¡± ¡°Excuse me for saying this, but didn''t your Goddess die? That''s what Hiro said.¡± ¡°Not exactly, She gave up much of her sapience to empower the two swords that are our people¡¯s heritage, and create a sovereign crystal that has been our people''s Promise through the generations,¡± Shuji explained solemnly, enjoying the gravity of the legends of his people. ¡°Uggh! So many questions! Every time you answer one, another comes comes up! I want to know what this Promise is, but first, I want to talk about my Character Sheet and what is up with my class. I have gathered that other people gain Abilities along with their levels, but for some reason, I don¡¯t. What does that mean?¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Progenitor classes! It is well documented by interviews with your kind that time does not flow parallel here to your world, rather our two times, and perhaps others, weave in and around each other-¡± At that, Tilly looked up sharply, the memory of what he saw in his grandfather''s cabin burning brightly in his mind''s eye. Shuji seemed not to notice, ¡°But both of our worlds progress together, and both have experienced Epochs of change. Not much is known about them besides that they mark a major shift in the way power and influence are defined by the System governing our world. They are generally referred to as-¡± ¡°Shuji-" Tilly interrupted, - ¡°My class. What can you tell me about it, and what do you think about my stat distribution? I''m sure the rest of this is important. But that is what I need to know now.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. My apologies. In these times, I get so little chance to share my passions¡­ Well, it is my theory that your class is perhaps derived from the very first Epoch of power on Nephesh. The Epoch of The Hunter and The Prey. Any concepts that have survived from that time are extremely powerful and I believe your class is the current system''s attempt to quantify the embodiment of an ancient power. We call classes not native to this Epoch, Progenitor classes. The system will continue to attempt to quantify your effect on the world, but the actual mechanics of your advancement will defy and at times, break the typical rules governing classes and powers on this plane.¡± At this he paused, taking a moment to take in Tilly again, some hint of awe shading his eyes, ¡°Humans are almost always agents of change, renewing conflict in our world, and making sure established power structures are always in question. But I think you represent something much greater than that. I heard from the soldiers what you did outside of the city, and all of us saw the flames. Something like that should only be possible at much higher levels¡­ But it seems you have arrived on the eve of great conflict on our Plane, and in you, we find a way, perhaps, to counter the new dark power that is rising.¡± CH. 61 A New Hope The weight of Shuji¡¯s prediction hung in the room like a stark light, casting everything they had spoken of in shadows of meaning. Tilly struggled for a moment under the idea that perhaps he was the only solution Origin had in place for what could be an entire apocalypse¡­ No. That couldn''t be right. What he had seen in that one-room cabin had changed him. He wanted it to be real... He needed it to be real. But even if it was, part of him understood that a good ending did not automatically mean that all the lives he just helped save would continue unmolested. Whatever Corruption was, the priests at the Temple of Light had said it was emerging everywhere. Tilly didn''t know what that meant for the people here, but the thought of what else they would face before this was all over sent shivers down his spine. That little girl was out there in that camp somewhere, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she had a chance to grow up. He jerked his attention away from his dark musing and back to the present. ¡°Ok well, all the world-ending stuff aside¡­ I may have one of these Progenitor classes. But that doesn''t change the fact that I have stats to allocate. Is what I have done so far idiotic? I know they are skewed, but I only did what I had to in order to survive, and then I got [Resolute] and I pretty much needed it to keep not dying. What you saw outside of the city is probably possible again, as long as I keep that Title.¡± Shuji nodded at Tilly''s explanation, not at all looking like he wanted to accuse Tilly of making some grave mistake. In fact, he was uncharacteristically slow to speak as he mulled over what would be best for the build in front of him. When he did speak, it was in a thoughtful and hesitant manner, ¡°Yes, each of us must choose our path of growth, and I must say that yours is quite unique. I have read about a few cases where Intelligence has been maxed in a similar layout. Certain classes and races will even do the same with Strength or Dexterity. Each of these cases results in racially unique Titles for the build. But, I have never heard of a primary Endurance with a secondary in Dexterity. Perhaps the closest I can think of are Barbarian and Dwarvish builds which prioritize or at least balance Endurance with Strength. Yet, it can not be denied that your titles and build are beginning to show some true synergy, which is very rare at such a low level. Then again, you have had a very eventful two weeks...¡± He finished, chewing on each word as if the problem before him was a tough piece of meat. ¡°So you think I should stay unbalanced? The reward outweighs the risk¡± Tilly asked, not quite able to keep the satisfaction from his voice. ¡°To be honest Mr. Tillman, I would never advise building such a path of ascension. But you are already here, and the usefulness of [Resolute], especially when paired with some of these other titles and abilities, makes it difficult to advise against. That being said if you face any other dangers besides the Corrupted, of which there are many, your damage output is far too low. As it stands now it is heavily dependent on your Mana, not your Dexterity or Strength. So for now, as you split your stat points amongst Endurance and the rest, you must prioritize Wisdom and Intelligence. This will not balance you, but will allow you to continue to grow without stunting your ability to contribute to fights,¡± he finished, pulling his hand through his fu man chu mustache with a flourish. Nodding in agreement, Tilly pulled back up his stats trying to route a path forward. He was glad to have a good reason to prioritize some of his secondary stats over others. He knew every stat was important, but something about how the Corruption Seed gave him a backhanded bonus in strength made him lean more and more away from the stat. Not that he could ignore it completely. His growth everywhere besides Endurance and Dexterity would be anemic, but he would make sure to invest 50% more points into the mana-centric stats than he did Strength. Looking at his sheet again, he was struck by a question that had been nagging him for a while, ¡°Oh! That reminds me! I have a decent handle on all the others, but what exactly does Intelligence do? I want to say it gives me a bigger mana pool or something, but all of my system readings are in percentages, so how does that affect my Abilities and their usage of mana?¡± Even as Tilly asked, he saw Shuji¡¯s smile tighten across his face as if he was holding back something... "ahemmm" Coughing, Shuji choked, before quickly stuttering out an answer, ¡°Y-yes. No need to be ashamed Mr. Tillman. Intelligence is difficult for many to grasp. I think your pool metaphor will work nicely in describing it. The costs of your Ability can remain the same, while the amount of mana invested in the same Ability will increase with every point in Intelligence. At some point, 1% of your mana will represent significantly more than it does now. For example, two mages can receive the fireball Ability, but if one of them has double the Intelligence of the other, it will result in a vastly different outcome from the same input.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Tilly¡¯s mind was once again taken back to the Corrupted Hyena things that had stupidly circled the tree while he thinned their numbers. He was certain that their behavior wasn''t only tied to a Stat but that did nothing to ease his concern over his own low number. To lighten the mood, he struck a confused expression and grunted, ¡°Intelligence Good. Me understand.¡± Shuji kept up his stretched-too-thin, smile and it was then Tilly realized that Shuji might actually think he was an idiot, ¡°Hey! I''m joking! I get it alright.¡± Tilly sputtered out in exasperation, "You try getting sent to another world and being immediately thrown into battle again and again!" Shuji¡¯s smile ratcheted down a few notches and he breathed out a sigh, ¡°Apologies Mr. Tillman. I have just heard many stories over the last few days that lead me to believe that there are good reasons to raise your two lowest stats. Your use of the word "thrown" is far too apt for me to think otherwise.¡± He grumbled, looking around uncomfortably. Tilly just fought down a smile in response, mentally assigning two more points to Endurance and the three remaining free points to Intelligence. Obviously not trying to change the subject, Shuji harrumphed, ¡°Yes well, you asked about the Promise. And it is well you did. For, with the input of Experience from the refugees who wanted first rights to the longhouses-¡± ¡°Wait, you made people pay Experience for shelter?¡± Tilly interrupted, his voice hollow in disbelief. At his tone, Shuji''s affable expression hardened. ¡°Mr. Tillman, many are going without sleep, working day and night to get structure and food in place. A queue had to be established somehow, or there would have been riots¡­ It was actually Commander Linus¡¯ idea, and you can trust that each representative of the council has their people¡¯s best interest in mind.¡± He snapped, eyes sharp over dark baggy circles. Tilly had enough self-awareness to feel the sting of his own assumptions. This wasn''t his old world, ¡°Sorry, still wound up from all this." Tilly said, gesturing vaguely around him with a chagrined look plastered on his face. Then he took a deep breath and smiled sardonically, "How about I suspend any opinions until I actually know what''s happening?¡± Shuji nodded graciously to Tilly¡¯s concession, and continued, ¡°The Sovereign Crystal is one of the core elements of any Faction on Nephesh. With it, you can establish and rule a group, geographical area, or both. It is the chief prize to capture when conquering others and the way power is tracked on a Planar scale. It is surely this very thing that drove the Cult to move so quickly on the capital, fearing that it might lose out on so great a prize. When our people were conquered, our own goddess paid dearly to empty and hide ours. This alone is what has allowed us this option generations later.¡± ¡°So what does it do? I mean, Why do we need one? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to just stay way out here and build up as best we can? I doubt anyone will find us for a while.¡± Even as he said it, Tilly remembered the black veiny growth of Corruption emanating from his scarred side. Somewhere out there, the Blue Flower was singing, and he would have to find it sooner rather than later. ¡°Originally we had planned to wait some time until we activated it. We wanted to be defensible and well-stocked before declaring our nation on the Plane, but now with so many, we need the powers and benefits only the Crystal can provide. What it will do exactly is unpredictable, and a closely guarded secret for many Factions. But we do know that the Crystal will provide a means for nation-specific classes, and great boons to any nationality in which it is activated for the first time. We are hoping for some options that will greatly extend our logistical timeline.¡± ¡°Wait, why defensible? Didn''t these woods get cleared out for miles in all directions?¡± Shuji opened his mouth to answer and was interrupted by an urgent-sounding staccato drummed out on the sliding door. ¡°Ah! Time already?¡± Shuji exclaimed in too loud of a voice for the small room. He got up and moved gracefully to open the door. Behind it, a small paper bird fluttered excitedly, ¡°Alright! Alright, give me the message little one.¡± Shuji exclaimed in exasperation, taking the time to look back at Tilly with an abashed shrug as if he wasn¡¯t talking to his own spell. The paper bird unfolded itself and Hiro¡¯s voice sounded out as if he was standing in the doorway, ¡°We have come to an agreement, and are ready to make our way to the Temple. If he is willing, I ask you to bring the Deity''s Champion to meet us there.¡± The voice came out in oddly formal tones. Not that Hiro was ever not formal, but there was something else going on. Shuji plucked the paper from the air and tucked it into his robe before turning back to Tilly, ¡°Well Mr. Tillman, how would you like to see the birth of a Faction?¡± End Book 1 B2 Ch. 1 Starlight鈥檚 Call 430 years ago Little Brook Level N/A It happened¡­ Uncle Falls had warned her, but he was always going on about things she could hardly understand. Her existence was simple. She found joy in singing and dancing among the rocks and shoals that had helped form her, anything else was needlessly complex. This did not mean she was mindless, it just meant she only spent time thinking about what was important. Like finding the smoothest stones, or racing leaves down the current. Now his warning echoed over and over in her head, ¡°Careful little Brook¡± Uncle''s roaring bass had come vibrating through the currents that had birthed her. ¡°Stray too far from the mountain and one day, you might find yourself unable to hear the song. The Land moves child, sometimes in ways we can scarcely predict.¡± He admonished as he watched her moving down her length and playing farther and farther down the banks of her father. If only she had listened¡­ She had wandered down Father''s shores, following the call of a lark until it alighted on a nearby hilltop. She had giggled in delight as it began a chittering argument with another male over the perch. She found herself endlessly fascinated by both the simple and the empowered creatures of the plane and could watch them for hours. This was not the first time she had followed some interested subject back to their home, and it has always turned out fine in the past. Her ability to seamlessly move between her physical form and her water manifestation had made her almost immune to any of the typical dangers near her home. It had just been another endless sky day in the shadow of the mountains that were her home. Then as she watched the birds, the Deep Magic had washed over the Land like a wave, crashing through her form and leaving her disoriented. As she came back to full awareness, a distinct and novel silence settled over her soul... The song was gone. A keening wail of distress warbled up from her throat. The Land had moved, and the portion she was on had been called away, leaving a gaping hole in her core where her connection with her family had once dwelt. If only she had stayed closer! She would have been kept whole and watched another change wash through the Land with her family. But she had strayed too far when the shift had come to balance out the push and pull of those who thought they could rule this place. The deep roots that had always tied her close to her family, her place in the Land, felt as if they had been ripped from their soil and laid bare before the elements. Her sorrow intensified the pain as she looked back toward where the mighty river, her father, had once cut through the landscape. A bleak marsh now choked the horizon where the mountains once stood. They were gone, and she was alone. Her whole world had changed, and now she was adrift in a current she could not understand. Day turned to night, and night back to day and the Little Brook wept great tears for the family and home she had lost. The calling of the bog toads and whine of the crickets only compounded the melodic despair of her cries, giving them a haunting gut-wrenching quality. Very few trees survived the inhospitable marshland and the wide open night sky bore witness to the Little Brook''s loss and her longing. ----- 430 years ago Wisdom Level ??? The stars twinkled angrily down at her, demanding that she change course again. ¡°Just because you are slightly older, does not mean you get to order me around. I understand what you are asking, but I am on a very tight schedule!¡± She muttered harshly up at the night sky from the seat of her wagon. Her donkey cast a baleful eye back at her antics as he continued to trudge along. A sudden shower of comets cut through the sky, all moving towards the newly arrived marsh. ¡°It¡¯s all well and good for you up there! But some of us must live out our existence down here, and going that way will set me back weeks!¡± She almost shouted into the empty night. The mule simply flicked its ears in annoyance as it continued to plod along the barely used cart path running along the outskirts of the bog. The expansive sky above them slowly darkened as, one by one, the stars winked out. Leaving behind empty holes of blackness where galaxies once spun.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°None of that now!¡± She huffed, relaxing the stubborn set of her shoulders, rolling her eyes in exasperation. ¡°Honestly, if people only knew how dramatic you all can get, I swear... But this is the last time! I have my own responsibilities to tend to, and they don''t include your every whim.¡± She muttered darkly up at the bright starry night. With a click of her tongue and a slight tug on the reins, she guided her mule onto a path through the marsh that had not been there moments before. Still muttering darkly, her eyes took on a many-hued glow, and she peered out into the unremarkable distance, seeing things that no other could see. She cocked her head, and her stare sharpened as she read through the pattern of the Under Weave like a familiar book. ¡°Hmmm, Now that is interesting¡­¡± She said, as her eyes returned to their normal deep brown. She then thoughtfully pulled out some legendary-grade wool and began to knit calmly with the reins laid in her lap. The mule placidly made its way through the marsh one plodding step at a time. ----- 2 weeks later Little Brook She didn''t know how long it had been. But she did know at some point she had stopped her cries. The tears had simply stopped coming. She looked down again at her azure form, now almost completely transparent. She was suffering the fate that any of her kind would if they separated too long from moving water. The stagnant waters of the nearby marsh taunted her. The water in them called to her, but the composition might as well have been poison. She refused to give in to the whispered thought that she should just phase into her water manifestation and become one with the muck and mud before her, losing what was left of herself in the process. ¡°Come child, there is no use moping.¡± A voice called from the bottom of the hill. Little Brook whipped her head up to find an old cart being pulled by a mule and driven by a middle-aged woman in dark clothing. No, that wasn''t right... despite being almost all black, the voluminous robes she wore, shone faintly with a starry sky pattern. Little Brook watched in amazement as some of the stars formed a new constellation, and shot off out of sight on the robes. It was so delightfully magical and familiar that she couldn''t keep herself from laughing, and the tinkling bell of her joy rang out over the marsh. ¡°Now now, don¡¯t go showing off.¡± The woman frowned down at her clothing. But when she looked up, she wore a faint smile. Brook had always been taught to stay away from those not of the Land, but she was different. She wasn¡¯t of the Land. Brook could tell that immediately, but something about the way she got off the wagon while taking care not to step on the thistle growing near the cart path, spoke of respect and knowledge deeper than most of her kind held. Wait¡­That cart path hadn''t been there earlier, had it? The woman in dark starry clothing clucked in sympathy as she approached, noting the near insubstantiality of Little Brook, ¡°You are in a poor state, aren¡¯t you? I see why they called.¡± She said reaching the top of the hill and looking Little Brook up and down. Just a few moments ago, Brook had been ready to fade away, but something about the sympathy grated on her wild nature and she rushed and babbled back at the woman. ¡°Yes, well no need to get upset. I have come to offer you a chance to return to your family.¡± She stated abruptly, pulling something long and woven from her robe. Brook tinkled in shock at the woman¡¯s words. There was a way home? Through the Land, she could feel her home and family, but they were so distant, that she couldn''t even feel a direction from the faint tug on her core. And even if she could, without moving water, she would never survive long enough to make it to them anyway. The woman seemed to have no trouble understanding her meaning and continued as if they were having a normal conversation, ¡°In your free form, you perhaps only have a day left before you fade completely. However, I can bind you to this piece of clothing, and halt your decay." She said slowly, letting the gravity of Little Brook''s situation sink in before continuing, "If you give up your form to be woven, you will be bound to serve whoever wears this. But I promise you two things. The first is that you will only serve worthy masters, and second, that one day you will find your way home¡­ Do you accept?¡± She said, holding out the cloth for Little Brook to inspect. She leaned closer to look over the fabric critically and upon closer inspection saw that it was humming with magical energy. She could even feel that it had been a gift of the Land, not taken by force. Brook looked up once more at the mysterious woman. Considering her limited options, and her longing to see her home again, this would have to do. Besides, something about the stern, but careful woman instilled a deep trust in Little Brook. Looking into her eyes reminded Little Brook of the times her father had told her legends of great-grandfather Ocean. She wasn''t one of the people, but she understood her place, and moved with the flow of the pattern, not against it. This was rarely true of those not of the Land. Perhaps Brook should have listened to her Uncle, but she hadn¡¯t and had to face the consequences. But deep in her core, she knew that this was where the flow of the pattern was taking her. Still meeting the woman''s eyes, Little Brook gave a firm and determined nod. To which the woman smiled back graciously before waving her hand in Little Brook''s direction. She felt a tug, and then a draining sensation started to pull from her center. She looked down in wonder as the substance that made up her form dissolved and flowed like a tiny stream of water into the grayish fabric, dividing into thousands of tiny strands and integrating with the knit pattern, dyeing it a deep blue. Now alone, the woman gave another sadder nod to the scarf, laying still in her hands, ¡°Very sensible of you little one. You have honored me, and now I will honor your trust.¡± She said solemnly, before turning smartly around and tucking the scarf into her voluminous sleeves, heading back down the hill toward her cart. ¡°I have a friend in the Steppe who will know just what to do with you¡­ Balaam! Stop eating that thistle at once! You know it gives you indigestion!¡± She snapped at the mule, who continued to munch happily on the interestingly textured flower. B2 Ch. 2 Beginnings Tilly - Level 18 Son of Flame Present day. Tilly followed the clearly excited lapin out into the street and found it absolutely choked with people industriously moving up and down the thoroughfare, carrying all sorts of goods. Tilly wrinkled his nose at a passing worker coming in from the direction of the docks with a pole over one shoulder and a wicker basket filled with fish hung over the other. They managed to move a little farther down the street before both Shuji and Tilly had to stop as a team rolled a pallet of logs ahead of them, taking up nearly the whole width between buildings. The pair squeezed to the side with the other commuters and the pallet continued toward some empty plots further into the burgeoning city. Shuji looked over at Tilly beaming like a proud parent as they both watched the timber continue down the street, ¡°You see Mr. Tillman, preparations are in full swing! We know not what will happen when we activate the crystal, but we are preparing for any eventuality, whether it be production boosts or even a building gift from Nephesh Itself! Whatever the case, we want to be as ready as possible, and the council has been hard at work planning for the most likely eventualities.¡± Shuji confided in a loud voice, as the bustle of the growing city increased and the two continued on their way. As soon as the flow of the crowd resumed in the right direction, Shuji was moving, jostling, and bouncing between people as he merrily made his way to what used to be the valley gates of the village. Tilly had to lean hard into his Dexterity to even keep up with the surprisingly graceful lapin. But knowing how fast events could outpace him, he kept asking questions even as they moved through the busy streets, ¡°So I get that we don''t know the details, but give me the broad strokes, Shuji! How does the crystal help run a Faction, besides the starting bonuses you told me about?¡± The Lapin''s ears twitched in response, and he slowed slightly, ¡°Oh, yes. My apologies, it is difficult not to get carried away assuming you know what most do. Crystals offer two powerful options to every seat of power.¡± He expounded loudly, growing slightly out of breath as he spoke, but too excited to reduce his pace. ¡°All races of Nephesh have a basic set of combat and crafting classes available when they come of age. As well as access to one or two classes uniquely suited to their race. The Lapin people have a class called Peasant whose main advantages are rapid procreation and +20% efficiency when producing any foodstuffs or timber buildings. But with a Sovereign Crystal, you can obtain unique classes specific to the power that owns the Crystal. When we had a sovereign crystal of our own, all who met the stat requirements had access to the Ronin and Samurai classes. Something that we lost when our nation fell. The honu have a hereditary class, Tidecaller which is very powerful but too specialized to allow them to function outside of partnership with other races. ¡° He happily continued his lecture even as he adroitly maneuvered his bulk through and around different clumps of mostly lapin people going about the city preparations. Then they moved onto the main thoroughfare leading to the now absent main gate and the refugee camp outside. Shuji paused in his explanation, taking in the city-sized camp that now filled the valley on this side of the river, with an inscrutable expression. He glanced over at Tilly, who was considering him thoughtfully, and smiled his large-toothed smile before continuing, ¡°The Thousand Phalanx Empire had a sovereign crystal that it kept in the courtyard of the palace. With the legacy of thousands of years and growth behind them, they were old enough to have access to all sorts of rare classes. The most famous of which were of course the Phalanx Infantry and the Bastions. Unique classes are always better than base classes, and it is because of this that our people were denied access to them for generations, apart from a few notable exceptions.¡± By this point, they had passed through what seemed to serve as the loose perimeter of the tent city that had sprung up to house the close to one hundred thousand refugees that had escaped the empire¡¯s fall. Over on the other side of the river, Tilly could see a much smaller and orderly encampment for the Honu and the beginnings of miles of fields and pasture land. Things were being built and deconstructed all around him, but there was a certain amount of order to the chaos. He saw that despite the almost endless crowd of tents, they all more or less followed the neat square-like pattern originating from the huge log building going up at the center of the camp. This pattern allowed for easy movement through the tents and there were even a few clearly marked muddy roadways bisecting the sprawling formation. The wide churned roadways had been flagged every few feet to keep them clear of living spaces and were being well used, crowded with workers transporting logs from the mountain and hauling in what seemed to be game and forage from the surrounding forest. ¡°Ah, I sometimes forget just what a walk we are setting ourselves up for with this location¡­¡± Shuji huffed out as they moved down the simple but straight road and Tilly tried to keep his head screwed on straight as it swung back and forth to take in this new mass of races, all ready to create a new home after losing everything. Then a question occurred to him at Shuji¡¯s statement, ¡°Wait, why the Temple? Don¡¯t we need to protect the Crystal or something once we establish it? If we do it there, it will be so far from the city.¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± Shuji responded between carefully managed breaths. ¡°The agreement was to make this crystal equally available, and with the threat we see rising, it seemed like a good idea to take on Divine Patronage again. We have not failed to notice how¡­ uh, effective, your powerset has been against this enemy, and so the council compromised on this location. Equal access for all, and a defensible fallback location in the event of a catastrophe.¡± ¡°Divine Patronage? Wait¡­ Does that mean you guys are all taking on Origin as the god of this kingdom or whatever? I mean, have any of you even heard of Origin before? Does anyone know any stories or myths that mention Him?¡± Tilly asked, surprised at how quickly they had decided to partner with a completely unknown power. From what little he had gathered, following a God here wasn¡¯t like back home. It seemed to have many more practical requirements and benefits. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°No, Mr. Tillman, none of us had heard mention of this figure before. But oftentimes, this can mean the God is very old; and any God who is old enough to be forgotten is powerful indeed if they can still touch the physical plane without worshipers. Also, both you and Ichiro seem to have been chosen as investures of its power, and typically, the best measure of a God is their followers.¡± ¡°Wait, Ichiro? What do you mea-¡± Tilly said, before being cut off by a loud croaking shout directed at him from the line of tents to the side of the road. ¡°That¡¯s him, Edna! Hold on one cherry-picking minute Human!¡± Shouted a voice from within the tent city. Tilly couldn¡¯t help but tense at the sudden attention, as many turned to see what was happening. He had never liked crowds and nothing that had occurred the last two weeks had made that discomfort any more bearable. He scanned the faces turning towards him curiously with unease. He didn''t find the owner of the voice in the immediate crowd, but as he looked further back into the tents he spotted an elderly Satyr hobbling around the walls of cloth and poles, waving him down, huffing and puffing with exertion. Tilly arrested his already slowed pace and stopped short, trying to process where he had seen the elderly satyr before. Shuji continued on a few more steps, before turning to find Tilly had stopped, his enthusiastic smile dampening, ¡°Mr. Tillman, they will be left waiting if we don''t hurry,¡± Shuji muttered distractedly as he searched for the caller himself before finding the refugee moving toward them through the tents with a hobbled gait. His eyes flowed over the Satyr and moved back to Tilly with barely a pause, ¡°If we stop here, many will want to speak to you, but we simply don¡¯t have time for that sort of thing right now.¡± Tilly ignored him as he spotted an even smaller satyr woman following a few steps behind the old man who had finally made it through the tents. They both wore rough spun coveralls and they practically beamed at him between billowing breaths as they looked up and saw he had turned to wait. Identify pinged over both of them, [Level 44 Farmer] ¡°Bless my oats! It is wonderful to see you!¡± The elderly satyr shouted with a youthful exuberance as he finally caught his breath, ¡°They said none knew if you had made it out of the city, but I knew a tough young man like you wouldn¡¯t give up so easily, even if you did take your time coming through that portal. Edna and I have visited every day to see if you made it!¡± He wheezed triumphantly as he arrived before Tilly. The whirling in Tilly''s mind tumbled into place as he finally placed the two. ¡°That''s it! You are the two I carried to the portal right at the end!¡± Tilly exclaimed. ¡°Mr. Tillman, the council and perhaps even your God will be kept waiting¡­¡± Shuji muttered off to the side, leaning suggestively towards the mountain. Tilly barely spared Shuji a glance before turning back to the couple who had both reached out and grabbed his hands in theirs. ¡°It''s great to see you two! I had hoped-¡± He started but was immediately cut off, ¡°Oh, Hush! No need to pretend you have been thinking about us two oldtimers!¡± The man cut him off with a knowing smile. Then his wife, Edna cut in, ¡°What George here means to say is we are very grateful for all you did, not just for us, but for many here. We have been hearing stories and we wanted to tell you that we don''t care what the rumors say! If you and that nice lady are what humans are like, then humans are just fine with us!¡± She declared resolutely, taking time to look around at the crowd as if daring them to say differently. During her small speech, Tilly felt something being tucked into his hands, and Edna leaned forward to whisper, ¡°I know how hungry you young people get, here is a little something we scrounged up for you.¡± She said with a wink. ¡°Watch it, young man! If she were any younger, I might be concerned!¡± George said in a loud voice as if whatever they were doing had to be covered up somehow. He then pulled their hands back from the exchange and gave Tilly a firm nod. Tilly felt the familiar long-sought warmth that always came with a public acknowledgment and its constant companion; shame. Even here and now, the wheedling fear that he was an imposter somehow wormed into the back of his mind. No matter who these people thought he was, they would never know just how many times he had chosen to hide from his pain instead of face it. He suddenly felt sick as he looked around at the smiling careworn faces watching the interaction. Worry wriggled in his stomach and he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that despite coming this far, he didn''t have what it would take to keep all these people safe¡­ Then his eyes landed back on the wide-open expressions of the elderly couple before him. He considered them a moment as they smiled up at him, his hand felt around the small round gift they had discretely deposited in his hand. They did not have much to offer, but they offered it nonetheless. There was something firm in their understanding of life and he couldn¡¯t help but remember them crawling hopelessly forward under the weight of an angry god. However vulnerable these two were, they exuded a sturdiness that somehow pushed back all of Tilly''s worries. If they could keep fighting, so could he. ¡°Mr. Tillman, if you would-¡± Shuji began to interrupt, but Tilly silenced him with a jab of the elbow. Then he put on his best smile and found the most gracious tone he could, ¡°Thank you both! It means the world to me that you made it through. I don''t know much about what is going on yet, but if I don''t miss my guess, your skills will be immensely valuable to the city going forward.¡± Both of the elderly farmers straightened from the unconscious stoop that age imparts to all, and nodded in affirmation, ¡°Right you are, young man! Bless my peas! Right, you are!¡± George declared before turning to Edna, ¡°Come on wife. The boy is right, if we start soon, we might be able to plant another twenty hectares by dark.¡± He said, his face screwed up in determination. ¡°Yes dear, I¡¯m sure we will.¡± She said, moving along with him back towards the river, but making sure to turn and send Tilly a wink and a warm smile. ¡°If you are quite done Mr. Tillman¡­¡± Shuji said, fidgeting in place. ¡°Oh, don''t get your robes in a twist, Shuji! How about we jog the rest of the way to make up time since I have wasted too much of it.¡± Tilly shot back at the Librarian cutting his harsh tone with a sharp snarky smile. In response, Shuji¡¯s face moved through a range of emotions before landing on a chagrined smile of his own. ¡°Ah, yes, fair point I suppose. Let''s get on with it.¡± He sighed. Tilly then patted the rotund lapin on the shoulder, feeling lighter than he had in years. He¡¯d gotten a good meal, a good night''s sleep and for the first time since he had arrived, he wasn¡¯t running for his life! He honestly had no clue if he could be what these people needed, but that wasn¡¯t going to stop him from trying. He moved off through the crowd and down the road, making his way towards the diminishing tree line at a slow jog. In his right hand, he fingered the barely ripe apple and smiled. It was time to return to the temple, the place where it had all started. B2 Ch. 3 The Champion鈥檚 Mantle Tilly pushed until Shuji¡¯s labored breathing began to get out of hand. Then, as they reached the base of the mountain he slowed and turned to wait for the large lapin. They had made it to the far end of the valley, where the muddy road narrowed into a small but clear path, moving straight up the slope of the mountain. ¡°Sorry for using up time on those farmers Shuji, but this run should have gotten us back on track, I think,¡± Tilly shouted over his shoulder pointedly. There was still a way to go for the already sweating Librarian but he couldn¡¯t keep himself from poking at him one last time for his insensitivity back at the camp. That farmer couple had been so earnest and Tilly hoped he never got so busy or important that he didn¡¯t have time for people like that. He gave the mountain path a long look and let out a low whistle at the incline. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes¡­¡± Shuji gasped, stumbling to a stop next to him, ¡°Not too much farther now¡­ I believe.¡± he huffed. Tilly snorted in response, ¡°Shuji, I have personally made this trip a couple of times now. If this trail is clear and extends all the way to the temple entrance, we will get there in two hours at a fast walk.¡± Shuji began to groan before cutting it off by clearing his throat. ¡°Ahhemm. Well, I likely won''t have another chance in this lifetime to witness the activation of a sovereign crystal, so set the pace, Mr. Tillman, I will keep up if it kills me! They said they would wait until noon, and I''ll not chance missing it.¡± He declared, the lines on his face hardening into a pattern of grim determination. Something about his resolute love of discovery and the previously unmentioned timeline suddenly got Tilly feeling guilty. He realized that Shuji had risked not witnessing something he felt was historic just to make sure Tilly got some answers before being thrust into the middle of events again. There he was, jumping to conclusions before knowing the whole story¡­ Aside from the rough start, the Lapins had been a huge help to him, and he needed to start giving them the benefit of the doubt. That reminded him! There was one thing Shuji hadn¡¯t finished explaining before the messenger bird had come and they had set off into the city! ¡°Shuji, really quick before we head up, you said we needed to think about making this place defensible as we activated the crystal. Why is that? What is coming?¡± ¡°Wha-¡± Shuji jerked, turning from his determined staring match with the mountain. Then the question caught up with him, ¡°Ah, yes. Apologies, Jonathan Tillman! This is a very important concept. When a new nation or power is declared through a sovereign crystal, Nephesh itself changes. It is a land that always maintains balance. Nations aligned with the light balance out those allied with darkness. The Isle of Light and headquarters of the temple of Light is far to the east, just off the coast of the Azure Vasthold. To balance this, the seat of dark influence on the plane is as far west as you can go. There, the sun ends its journey and light never touches the soil. Past the Blasted Lands are the Pits of Despair, where demonic Princes rise and fall with the tides of power. ¡°The rest of the nations on the endless continent fall in the middle of these two seats of power. They form a complex pattern of checks and balances over the whole, constantly changing, yet remaining more or less equal. None but the Cartographers know how to follow the endless shifting of the Land. Most nations just concern themselves with their immediate neighbors and those they have access to through a teleportation network.¡± Shuji had fully turned back to Tilly now in his lecture mode. Then a bird called from up the path and he jumped, before turning to look up the mountain path again. ¡°I am sorry Mr. Tillman. There is more to say on the subject, but in short, every time there is a great shift in power, or a new nation emerges, Nephesh itself moves. Rearranging borders and topography at the edges of established nations'' territories. So while we are far in the frontier now, we will undoubtedly be moved once we declare ourselves a nation.¡± He concluded breathless in his rapid exposition. ¡°So this whole area is going to be teleported somewhere else, and we will be bordering completely new neighbors?¡° Tilly asked, pulling the most immediately important piece of information out of the lecture. ¡°Yes! That is correct, although it is highly unlikely that we will be near the center of things. Typically, the more powerful you are, the deeper into the heart of conflict you are thrust. Those are the lands of eternal contestation, and at their heart are the unclaimed peaks. It is said that if those peaks are ever taken, the balance will shift one way or another and Nephesh will either ascend or descend fully into the hands of its new rulers.¡± He said, turning back and forth from the trail distractedly like a little boy having to go pee. ¡°Alright, let''s get moving!¡± Tilly relented, having plenty to chew on after that exchange. Then softening his tone, he followed up with an apology, ¡°Also, I¡¯m sorry Shuji, I wouldn¡¯t have teased so much if I had understood the timeline you were under. I promise we will make it, even if I have to carry you!¡± Shuji chuckled, his good-natured smile returning as he shifted his robes around his corpulent belly and gave Tilly a sharp nod in response, ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± Tilly led the way up the path, setting a ground-eating pace that he estimated was right on the edge of Shuji¡¯s ability. He kept a close watch on both Shuji¡¯s physical state and the position of the sun trying his best to keep them on track. They marched that way for an hour before Tilly recognized a certain clearing off to the right and did a double take. Shuji was still faithfully puffing behind him with sweat soaking the armpits and collar of his robe. He probably had time for a quick detour. He moved off the path and called over to his companion, ¡°Shuji, keep it up! There is something I need to grab, but I''ll meet you nearer to the top, I promise.¡± The lapin just nodded in response, keeping his eyes straight as he continued to march onward at the steady cadence they had set for the hike. Tilly gave a quick wave before jogging off through the clearing where he had met the Crononos, attempting to backtrack his way to the Charmin Tree for the third time.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. After a few minutes of tramping through the woods he found the small tree missing two clumps of leaves, but still looking healthy despite the loss, ¡°Sorry buddy, last time for a while, I promise,¡± Tilly muttered, as he riffled through his fantasy fanny pack and got rid of a few herb bundles that he had forgotten the use of. He did keep the last of the bandages and a metal tin that was filled with something that smelled like Vicks. Once the enchanted pack had enough room for like thirty or forty leaves¡­ supple, pliable leaves. He gathered them as quickly as possible from a variety of low-hanging branches and stuffed them in the pack. ¡°Until next time.¡± Tilly nodded to the tree while attaching his fanny pack back under his jacket, then turned to go. But after a few steps, he hesitated and called back to the tree over his shoulder, ¡°And thanks. You probably don¡¯t understand this, but you have been a small but needed comfort in a world of constant change...¡± Nodding to himself, Tilly continued hurrying off to catch up to Shuji who was still doggedly pushing himself to keep the pace. Unnoticed, the small tree¡¯s leaves rustled, as if blown by a windless breeze. Tilly caught up with Shuji after about five minutes of jogging and couldn''t help but notice pocks and vein-like patterns in the rock and plants around him. They were beginning to reach the area that had been riddled with Corruption¡¯s influence. Except every sign they passed now had been scoured clean by purifying fire. Now all the plants that had once been infected seemed to be thriving, and Tilly¡¯s hand unconsciously went to his side which had an annoying habit of itching every time he thought of it. He hoped that getting rid of it would be that simple... Once he learned to ¡°Lay it down¡± as Thunder had said. Aside from Herblore sending him notifications that he only bothered to skim, he spent the rest of the hike deep in thought. The implications of helping to start a new country in this world and the journey he would inevitably have to set out on to get rid of his own Corruption. Before he knew it, the trees cleared and he was stepping through the tree line into the eerily perfect semi-circle clearing marking the opening of the temple. The roots that had once choked the entrance and fanned out into the surrounding forest were gone, leaving a faint dark gray ash that covered everything. Standing at the entrance was the small group they were supposed to meet. The whole group was locked in a discussion, furiously arguing some important point. Well, not the whole group. Two familiar lapins with axes strapped to their backs kept watch on the forest, guarding the council. Nyuk and Kuro both twitched their ears at his arrival, and Kuro shouted, ¡°Human! Welcome back from your week-long nap!¡± Followed by an enthusiastic wave of his hand. ''Typical.'' Tilly sighed internally. At his greeting, the others looked up. The group was made up of two elderly Honu that Tilly vaguely recognized, Linus, now looking a lot older and wearing a lemon-puckering scowl. Next to him was another shorter satyr with spectacles and a very well-groomed beard. Making up the last pair of the council was Hiro and Ichiro. Hiro gave him a formal nod, while Ichiro smiled brightly as if seeing an old friend. They all moved forward to meet the approaching pair, one looking apprehensive and the other breathing heavily. ¡°It is well you have arrived! We are very eager to begin Mr. Tillman.¡± said the spectacled Satyr. ¡°Yes¡­ welcome¡­ Have you been¡­ briefed?¡± One of the two Honu Elders asked. As she spoke, Identify began to ping over their heads showing Tilly just how far some of them had come. Level 46 & 50 Tidecallers Level 65 Empire¡¯s Bastion Level 43 Bureaucrat Level 58 Samurai Lord Level 42 (25) Samurai Hatamoto ¡°I''m pretty sure I have a handle on what we are about to do and why, but I don''t understand what my place in it will be,¡± Tilly replied, then he turned to the three he didn¡¯t know, ¡°Also, my name is Jonathan Tillman, nice to meet you. It''s an honor to meet the council members elected by the people! Sorry that I don''t yet know your names." ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, that is my fault!¡± Shuji broke in, putting on his best diplomatic smile which was more or less ruined by the sweat soaking his robes and face. ¡°These are Elders Kira and Kalea. They are the next oldest in line to survive our escape from the city.¡± He said gesturing to the female Honu, who nodded along with their names. ¡°This is Pupienus, he was elected along with Linus as the two most capable leaders for the refugee contingent.¡± Linus only scowled in response, and Pupienus gave a haughty yet wary nod. ¡°The other two, you know well. Each faction has the right to appoint two leaders in the manner they choose. The Council leader, currently Lord Hiro, has tie-breaking power. We have a charter that outlines a course of growth that has been ratified by all present members.¡± Tilly shivered at the political undertones that he could easily hear in the subtext of that explanation. Pupienus'' nose drifted higher in the air at the mention of ratification, while Linus¡¯s scowl deepened into a full-on ¡°Get off my lawn!¡± old man frown at Shuji''s words. The others remained more or less impassive, except for Ichiro who seemed to be looking off into the distance, his milky white eyes following something. Afraid that they were going to get any deeper into the explanation of the current politics, Tilly quickly moved on, ¡°Got it, sounds like you guys are doing a fantastic job! So what do you need from me here?¡± Hiro humphed, and Tilly might have imagined a slight twinkle in his eye as he turned back towards the temple and answered as he went, ¡°Temples and their effect on surroundings vary greatly and are entirely dependant on the Deity. We hope that establishing the nexus of our nation''s power here will trigger some sort of boon from your ¡°Origin¡±, and impact the classes we are offered, amongst other things. As the chosen Champion of this deity, we hope you being here to intercede will offer us some agency in this process.¡± With that, he started walking towards the entrance. ¡°Lord Hiro! Are we sure we have come to a proper agreement on priorities?¡± The spectacled satyr called after him. Hiro didn¡¯t bother to respond, just waving off the question as he walked. Shuji and then the rest of the group except Nyuk and Kuro moved to follow. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t coming?¡± Tilly asked as he passed them. ¡°We will stand watch out here¡­ Typically being near you when something big is going to happen can be dangerous,¡± Nyuk said drily. Kuro nodded along solemnly at the words. ¡°Suit yourselves. I hear this is going to be pretty cool.¡± Tilly said, moving past the two and joining the group as they entered the simple stone opening to the temple. B2 Ch. 4 Big Crystal Energy Tilly hurried to catch up with the others, moving through the front entrance of the temple carved into the side of the mountain with hardly a thought for the things he had faced here on his two previous visits¡­ Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly true. Some of those grizzly memories tried to surface as they moved down the front passageway and assembled in the anteroom of the temple. But Tilly kept them tamped down, continually singing ¡°the final countdown¡± under his breath in a semi-successful attempt to distract himself. The group formed in a half circle in the central chamber, which had become a cafeteria-sized room with a high ceiling and softly glowing walls. Hiro turned away from the center of the room and addressed Tilly in a formal tone. ¡°Jonathan Tillman, Champion of the God Origin. We plan to activate our nation''s Sovereign Crystal in this first room. Will this displease the patron of this temple in any way? Do you not have the ability to speak for your God in this?¡± Tilly took in the stares of everyone present who turned to see his answer. He wasn¡¯t sure how formal this was or if there was a right answer, but he went with his gut, which hadn¡¯t killed him so far. Then again, it had come pretty close... ¡°Honestly, I think He will be fine with this. I''m not sure about other Gods but He doesn¡¯t seem to think about this stuff in the same way as the other deities I''ve heard of. It''s not that He doesn''t care... I think He does, but more like he... is looking to do good by us. Well, the honest answer is I don''t know. But I do have a good feeling about this." He finished lamely, not really prepared to represent a being that he hardly understood himself. Hiro bowed formally, acknowledging his answer, and then turned to look deeper into the temple. After a moment he declared, ¡°It is with open intentions we seek to tie this nation''s fate with Yours and enact a covenant. We will align ourselves with your cause and in turn, we ask for your blessing and protection in the face of the coming threat. You are unknown to us, but the darkness we face is known well enough. No deity has done as much for our people since our own patron gave up her power to grant us this legacy. We share enemies and allies alike, let us be bound together in the eyes of Nephesh and all who dwell within it.¡± He intoned formally, before bowing again. His words echoed through the glowing chamber, and nothing seemed to happen. This did not ruffle Hiro, who nodded to Ichiro and stepped aside. His son stepped forward and pulled out a cloth bundle from under the banded sash holding his sword against his robe. He unwrapped the bundle carefully and revealed a golf ball-sized crystal faceted with hundreds of flat planes. The shape was difficult to pin down and seemed to change as light danced within. Ichiro held it up and a small stream of white energy flowed from the center of his forehead to the crystal, which took it in and then began to hum. Ichiro slowly pulled his hand away and left the crystal floating in the center of the room, rotating slowly. The humming intensified and the glow became brighter as the crystal began to spin faster. Tilly couldn¡¯t help but look over at the others especially the Lapins who had been planning for this moment for generations. He couldn''t imagine what this moment would mean to them, but as he turned his head, he was struck by a sudden deafening silence. The humming had cut off completely. He whipped his head back to the crystal and found it still shining brightly but completely frozen in place, hovering a few feet off the stone floor. He turned to the others and found them all frozen in place wearing some mix of awe and trepidation on their unmoving faces. Looks like Time was getting weird around him again... but at least he wasn''t stuck in it like his second visit to the temple. Tilly looked around in confusion, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Maybe something had tripped the temple¡¯s time-dilation defense? Perhaps he had been wrong about how the magic of the crystal and Origin¡¯s power would interact. He walked through the group and around the crystal but found them to be completely frozen in the grip of time, but otherwise unharmed. Tilly sighed deeply and moved towards the entrance of the lower hallway. If there was an answer as to why this was happening, he would probably find it in the altar room. He moved slowly this time, not quite able to summon back the ability to block out the terrifying memories of his first two trips down this hall. Something about time being frozen robbed him of his earlier defense mechanism. No song came easily to mind and he was once again left alone in this place to face his thoughts. The farther he walked, the more his pace slowed as he found himself strangely reluctant to discover whatever waited for him in the center chamber. The fine dark gray dust, or more specifically ash did not stir as he stepped slowly into the light of the much larger central chamber. There, silently burning, was the deep blue, almost white flame. It rested on the rough-hewn stone altar and had tripled in size since he had left it, and it seemed to still be growing. Tilly hesitantly approached closer as the flame continued to burn higher, its light fierce and everchanging. There was a palpable sense of eagerness emanating from it, as if it was ready to spread, or¡­ consume, no that wasn¡¯t it either¡­ destroy? That was closer but still not quite the word for the desire that was vibrating off the altar¡­ Purify.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. That was it. It was kindled, and ready, longing to be unleashed on the world and do its work. The warmth in Tilly¡¯s chest bloomed to a full and intense heat in response to his recognition of the feeling radiating off the Flame. Except as soon as he recognized the Flame''s desire, he found a mirror of that desire igniting within himself. He wanted to vent this energy, to consume and destroy that which had poisoned his days so far on the plane. He needed to Burn This INFECTION OUT. The Corruption in his side started to writhe painfully, and Tilly coughed down a groan as its tendrils raked disturbingly against the interior of his torso. Tears flooded his eyes from the sudden onslaught of pain. It knew what he was considering, and suddenly, he found it difficult to care about the consequences. He hated this thing. The anger that was rising in him wasn¡¯t the mind-numbing rage that Corruption¡¯s influence had fed him to incite violence on the streets of the capital. Instead, the discontent that was kindling in his chest wiped away the doubt and fears that constantly buzzed around him like flies. Even in the face of this literal gut-wrenching pain, he knew he was ready to do whatever he had to, to get rid of this invader. The flame inside him howled hungrily at the thought of its wrathful judgement. He would purge it from his members then move out into the world, wiping its taint from the plane. These thoughts cut through the pain wracking his body with a burning clarity. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh, his abs contracting around the sickening contortions writing under his skin. It was all so clear now. The Seed was scared. It was scared of Him and what he was becoming. He almost vibrated with a need to try cutting himself open again with enflamed strikes from his hatchets. He knew he could do it, and he suddenly didn''t care what happened to him. He was tired of letting this thing hide in his body, and he knew he would burn it alive, no matter what it cost. His hands shook as he reached down to his belt loops allowing the flame from his chest to flow down his extremities. ¡°You will destroy it that way¡­ But you will die in the process.¡± A voice spoke quietly from behind him, and in shock, he spun as it continued unconcerned, ¡°A different way has been revealed to you for a reason.¡± Tilly finished grabbing for one of his hatchets as a handsome woman wearing dark robes came into view. She was standing in the shadow of the arched entrance with her eyes focused on the altar. The shifting light of the flames highlighted faint reflective motes of white on her otherwise night-black voluminous clothing. ¡°Who are you?¡± Tilly asked, slowly lowering his weapon. The flame in his chest remained steady, not at all reacting to her presence. Her eyes hadn¡¯t left the flame as she had spoken, and for a moment she seemed to have forgotten he had even asked her a question. Then she spoke again, but this time her words emerged along with a disturbingly deep harmony causing Tilly¡¯s chest to vibrate along with the syllables of her non-answer, ¡°The first lost, buried in time. The second kept safe in memory''s embrace and the third perched as a jewel on the crown of the world.¡± Then her eyes cleared and she finally looked away from the flame and took in Tilly, looking him up and down as if considering him for the first time. ¡°When the Flame reemerged from the Weave, the enemy twisted much to gain a foothold in this area first, mangling its plans in some places to marshal a presence here. I thought I was too late to stop it, and yet here it stands, free of its captor and with a new champion! The changes allowing you to intervene were so subtle and minute that I missed them at first. Even I forget sometimes who first taught me how to read the threads,¡± she said with a rueful shake of her head and a small self-deprecating smile that made her sharp distinctive features less severe. ''Great, another mystery power that seemed to know exactly what was going on, but only speaks in riddles.'' ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Jonathan Tillman, nice to meet you.¡± He said, putting on his most congenial smile. An itch was developing between his shoulder blades and he felt sure that some sort of calamitous event was going to interrupt the conversation before he could learn anything useful. Whoever she was, she also didn''t seem to be affected by the Flame¡¯s time dilation. ¡°Of course.¡± She said with a smile, ¡°Wonderful to meet you, Jonathan Tillman. It has been quite some time since He has had a champion for this particular Facet. But my counsel stands. Despite its nature, I highly doubt you are meant to consume yourself in fire in order to destroy your infection. There is another way I believe, although its path is unclear to me.¡± She watched him as she spoke, seeming to weigh his reactions as if they could tell her something that he himself didn''t know. ¡°The Flower¡­¡± He said with a sigh sliding the hatchet back into its loop. ¡°Yes¡­ I can see how the bloom would work. But why are you being sent there?¡± She asked, her eyes drifting off away from Tilly as if following some sort of pattern. Then she suddenly winced and her eyes snapped back to Tilly¡¯s face, ¡°It has been a long time since I last saw Thunder. Send him my regards.¡± She said, suddenly ready to leave. The shadows around her began to deepen alarmingly as they mingled with her robes. ¡°Wait! Who are you and can you do anything to help us? We are about to get teleported or attacked or something! We could use the help!¡± He shouted, after her fading form. In response, the shadows stopped moving around her, leaving the impression of a floating head, the only part of her body not swathed in the dark robes. ¡°I am called Wisdom and you must not fear. Your people have chosen rightly in seeking His aid. He seldom gives what you expect, but it is always what you need. I have already done my part, and after an unexpected detour, I was able to retrieve my gift for your new nation. It will be waiting outside the temple.¡± Then with a nod of farewell, the shadows completely enveloped her and he was alone in the room. A thunderous crack broke the silence behind him, and he whirled to see words forming out of the Flame on the altar. HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETE. RESTORE A NATION TO THE PATRONAGE OF ORIGIN¡¯S FLAME COMPLETION REWARDS DISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO CONTRIBUTION B2 Ch. 5 Glow Up. Just as Tilly finished reading the fiery text, something snapped the strange stillness of his surrounding environment, and he felt the passage of time reassert itself. He took a deep breath, trying to push down the surprising amount of nausea that shifting in and out of time seemed to always bring. Swallowing down a wet burp, he looked back up to find the words above the altar collapsing in on themselves. Their forms shivered and devolved back into a floating vortex of fire that was sucked into a central point above the main Flame of the altar. Tilly watched as they compacted into a fist-sized ball of brilliant flame, which continued to pull in on itself. The smaller the point of energy compressed, the higher the pressure rose in the chamber and Tilly winced in anticipation as he realized what was happening. Whatever ''Facet'' of Origin this was, it seemed to have a fondness for explosions. Instead of continuing to watch it compress to an increasingly small point, he glanced back at the entrance trying to decide if a warning would help anything... Nope, no point in trying to outrun this thing. ''It had said rewards right?'' he thought to himself as he crouched down and covered his face with his arms. Some part of his brain noted with fascination that his armor was already shifting to its yellow salamander form. He wondered idly if that was in reaction to a real environmental danger, or his internal anticipation of a coming fire-based threat. After only a few seconds in the international ¡°brace yourself¡± position, a huge ¡°WUUMMPPHH¡± blew past him. The air around him hiccupping inward, before exploding back outward preceding a wall of immense heat. Tilly winced as it hit him, but similar to his inflamed state, he comprehended the heat on a sensational level but found the expected pain absent. He hesitantly lifted his head from between his knees and found himself facing a small hovering blue flame, with an object floating in its center. He stared at it dumbly, until Identify pinged above it, marking it unhelpfully as: Hidden Quest Reward. His notification log had started blinking, so he pulled it up and found the most recent entry.
Congratulations! You have unlocked and completed a Hidden Quest. Your contribution is graded as A-tier. You have received a Mythic-grade quest reward.
That was it, nothing else in the description. Tilly closed down the log and considered the thing hovering in the flame before him. As he watched, the flames began to dissipate making the object easier to discern. Then as he watched, the flames winked out and Tilly had to snatch the object as it fell to the floor. Opening his hand, he looked down in wonder at a baseball-sized oblong object, etched with strange moving symbols that formed patterns reminiscent of flames. As Tilly watched the symbols faded until all that was left was a light blue ovular shape with hard ridges and planes making up its surface. It looked like a many-faceted jewel, but for some reason, Tilly couldn¡¯t shake the impression that it was an egg. A slight tingle started in the back of his mind as he considered it, but he would have to save figuring this thing out for later. Right now he needed to check on the others. The flame hadn¡¯t harmed him, but it was a core part of his power. Worry shot through his system as he stuffed the egg/rock into his fantasy fanny pack and considered the Flame on the altar one last time. It crackled merrily, as if satisfied with its work. Tilly gave it a quick glare, wondering how he had been stuck with the explodey part of Origin¡¯s nature before turning to jog back toward the antechamber. As he moved through the passageway, he noted that the stone fittings making up the walls and ceiling were even brighter and more well-made than they had been minutes before. He sighed in relief as he arrived back at the antechamber, which had become so bright that it was almost like emerging back into the light of day. None of the occupants seemed to be harmed and the large room was now dominated by a crystal pillar, whose top and bottom were rooted into the floor and ceiling like a strange tree. The temple itself seemed to be feeding its blue-hued energy into the pillar, while the central portion of the pillar was constantly pushing out a bright white light back into the structure. The energies seemed to be feeding off each other in a mutually beneficial cycle. But that wasn''t the only thing that had changed in the room. Identify pinged new information over almost all the members of the council! Hiro¡¯s dark samurai armor with yellow stitching and highlights remained the same, but his previously unadorned head now held an absolutely badass new helmet. On its crest was a yellow sickle image of a moon and above his head hung his new class. Level 58 Daimyo Both the Honu elders wore the same robes but they each had new staffs topped with what looked like sextants formed from shells. Level 46 & 50 Way Finders Linus¡¯s face while still wrinkled had taken on some indefinable element of dignity and his class had been changed as well. His armor was unchanged, but instead of looking like an elderly veteran reliving his glory days, he now radiated a feeling of earned glory and competence on the field. On his head, instead of a helmet was a metal laurel. Level 65 Consul Even Ichiro had gotten a new piece of gear. He was seated across the room in a meditative kneeling position, with his eyes wide in wonder. They continually wove through the room, following some sort of pattern that Tilly could not understand. His light armor had been completely replaced with layered samurai robes that were covered in a many-hued maze that seemed to move even as Tilly watched. His class was the same, but the level discrepancy was gone, leaving him at the lower level. Level 25 Samurai Hatamoto Of all the chamber''s occupants, Shuji reacted to his reward with the most emotion. He held a large tome in his shaking hands, looking down at it with tears in his eyes. It was wrapped in dark leather with a glowing blue symbol that Tilly could not make out on its cover. His class was the same, but judging by the look in his shining eyes, Tilly doubted he cared very much.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Pupienus stood almost as a counterpoint to Shuji''s awestruck reaction. He held up a new pair of glasses and eyed them critically as if he were trying to decide if he should even put them on. The first one to notice Tilly''s entrance was Hiro, his eyes looking up from what had to be his character screen and narrowing. He looked back at the position where Tilly had been standing before the time-stop and then back at Tilly, who was now fifty feet away without having moved to get there. Finding everyone unharmed with a power-up had Tilly feeling giddy and he couldn¡¯t help but wink at the newly appointed Daimyo. Who cares if all he got was a mystery box award? It looked like everyone around him had come out pretty well, especially the ones who had seriously contributed to the hidden quest at some point. Aside from Hiro¡¯s puzzled frown at Tilly¡¯s strange human eye twitch, everyone else was busy looking at their own notification logs and character sheets. The spectacled satyr jumped as he looked around with his new glasses and found Tilly standing in the entryway on the other side of the anti-chamber. ¡°Hum- ah, I mean, Jonathan Tillman, how did you-¡± He trailed off and then cleared his throat. ¡°It seems you were right about the benefits of this alignment¡­ But I still do not have access to our city interface. Lord Hiro, if you would be so kind, can you inform us of our position and if these¡­ uh boons have extended to our whole populace.¡± He asked in a tone that bordered on patronizing. Lord Hiro nodded fractionally, before turning to the crystal and lifting his hand, as if interacting with another larger screen. The others watched him, waiting patiently, except for Linus, who seemed to be able to see what was happening in front of Hiro even though it was just empty air to Tilly¡¯s eyes. Looking up from what Hiro was doing, Linus explained, ¡°Well, it seems like Hiro, and I have received class upgrades that allow us direct access to the interface. Hiro I¡¯m sure would have had this with his last class, but faction management is one of the purposes of my new class.¡± As he said ''management'' his voice stumbled over a growling hitch. He looked like he was trying to swallow a lemon, and Tilly could only imagine what a class that specifically gave him management abilities would do to his outlook on life. Some people were made for admin work and it made others sick. Tilly gave Linus a nod of solidarity. He was a fighter and would adjust to his new fate with the same grim determination that he had used to face death in the past. Hiro swiped his hand and dismissed his screen before looking up at the rest of the group, ¡°The system has awarded our new Faction a name, something we have not been able to do ourselves¡­¡± He said, shooting a hard look in the direction of the Bureaucrat. ¡°It refers to us as the Three-Fold Alliance. I am not yet sure of the full significance of this Title, but it is certainly related to our new patron deity. There are two points of immediate interest in the establishment section of the City Interface. I believe I can share them with you¡­¡± He said, his eyes flickering as he delivered some mental commands to his HUD. A green screen appeared in front of Tilly and from the expressions of the others, they each had one of their own as well,
Establishment Congratulations, Three-Fold Alliance! In conjunction with your starting position and in acknowledgment of the considerable forces arrayed against your existence, you have been awarded two city-wide Boons. Origin¡¯s Aegis: extends out in a 5-mile area of effect, Origin¡¯s Flame will release a reverse time dilation. For every hour outside the area of effect, 24 hours will pass inside the affected area. This effect will last the equivalent of one day on the outside. Fires Of Creation: For the duration of the Aegis¡¯ effect all skills will experience a 50% increase in efficiency for gaining levels.
Then, at the bottom of the screen, in a completely different script than the notification, was a personal note from Origin.
A Bond has Been Struck. Nothing that comes against you will triumph as long as the covenant holds.
¡°Much better than we hoped¡­ and much worse.¡± One of the Honu elders said, looking up from the screen with a hard glint in her eye. ¡°It seems¡­ we will be in¡­ conflict¡­ almost immediately.¡± The other said, agreeing with her assessment. Their words drew Ichiro from his consideration of the words before him, ¡°We have been given what we did not think to ask for, time. Let us use it to its full effect. Our food and shelter challenges are not solved, but with new classes available, and skill leveling bonus, we should be able to integrate our increased population.¡± Ichiro said thoughtfully, his strange white eyes having no problem reading the notification screen in front of him. ¡°We will have to see what changes have already been wrought on our populace and what opportunities they provide before we form a plan of action. But near the top of the list should be scouting our 5-mile allotted area and finding out who our new neighbors are as soon as possible.¡± Linus added while Pupienus began to mumble about figures and estimates to himself. Shuji hadn¡¯t even looked up from his large book, and Tilly found himself wondering if he had heard any of it, ¡°Shuji. What have you got there?¡± He looked up with puffy red eyes blinking rapidly as he looked around the room in confusion before focusing on Tilly. Yep, he had definitely been crying. ¡°Jonathan Tillman¡­ This is an Enchanted Librarian¡¯s Codex linked to me. It stores all the information I gather through any means and indexes it. It does so perfectly, without error, essentially allowing me to copy any book just by reading it. It is a library in itself and will record all that I have ever learned and all that I ever will learn within its pages. The implications are staggering.¡± He said, hiccuping back a sob. ¡°There is one more thing here,¡± Hiro said, interrupting, ¡°Under the advancement tab.¡± He followed the statement by sending them another screen.
Advancement Current Status of Three-Fold Alliance: City. Next stage of Advancement: City State, [25 miles of influence, wall advancements, access to Auction house, and establishment of a standing army.] Requirements Population: 110000 / 50000 Subdue Surrounding Area: Cleared Obtain the Patronage of another Origin Facet: 1/2
¡°Jonathan Tillman, what is an ¡®Origin Facet¡¯?¡± B2 Ch. 6 Wisdom鈥檚 Gift Hiro¡¯s questions lingered in the air, but Tilly didn''t answer right away. He took another minute to process the implications of the advancement tab on the screen in front of him while the rest waited on his answer or re-read their own screens. The Three-Fold Alliance had everything they needed to advance to a ¡®City-State¡¯ which would give them the ability to field an army and strengthen the walls. Not to mention the twenty additional miles of buffer between them and the ¡°neighbors¡± whoever they were. Tilly didn''t know what the auction house was, but he had no doubt it would probably be just as important an opportunity for the burgeoning nation as the other upgrades¡­ But of course, all of them were dependent on if they could find and obtain the ¡®Patronage¡¯ of another Origin Facet. His mind whirled as he went back over the words that Wisdom had spoken in that strange voice in the central chamber¡­ Something about memories and jewels... He needed to get his Intelligence up. ¡°Look, I¡¯m only working with bits of information myself, but as far as I understand it, what lies at the center of this temple is just a piece of Origin¡¯s nature, hence the name Facet. Honestly, it hasn¡¯t once been explained to me, but I am pretty sure I have seen another of these. There is a Flower somewhere that I am being encouraged to find. I saw this other Facet in a... vision after the fight in front of the city. I know that it is surrounded by mountains, hiding in a small valley, not unlike us. The more I interact with both of these things, the more I feel like they are more than just objects of power. They feel... foundational somehow.¡± Hiro looked as if he was about to reply when Tilly realized what was behind him leaving out his number one reason for searching out the facet... He had now heard from three sources that the only real way to get rid of his Corruption was to find the flower. As soon as he identified it, the subtle whispers that had been playing at the back of his thoughts surfaced, Leave it out You don¡¯t know some of these people It''s not important Tilly¡¯s face screwed up in anger and shame as he realized he was going to do it all over again. Hiding his problems, and sticking to being a lighthearted hero, not a liability. If he told them about this, would they think he orchestrated this somehow? The implications and possibilities were like sludge, slowing down the pace of his thoughts and causing him to retreat into himself instead of revealing any sort of need. Hiro was about to follow up with another question, when the truth came rushing up out of Tilly''s core, spilling out in a blitz of desperation. ¡°When I saw the Flower, I met its guardian. He told me that if I wanted to be free of the Corruption infecting my own body, I would have to find them again. So however we choose to pursue this Advancement requirement, I have to be involved!¡± The words came out hot and angry having narrowly won the inner conflict playing out in his soul. Hiro took the almost shouted follow-up statement in stride. The others had a wide range of reactions to the news. The Honu elders'' eyes hardened, while next to them, Linus might as well have been told it was going to rain for all the change that came over his expression. Pupienus however, took the cake. He audibly gasped and took a step back from Tilly as if the infection could be caught by breathing they same air. ¡°How could this be? I was told you represented the Deity at odds with this horrendous substance! They assured me that you can even cure most cases of infection. Explain yourself!¡± He sputtered, looking around the room as if he had been tricked by all parties present. ¡°Silence!¡± Hiro growled, unleashing his aura and causing everyone in the room to flinch besides Linus and Ichiro. Hiro turning the full weight of his flat stare on the Bureaucrat, ¡°He was infected saving the life of my son and is much more an ally to this ¡®Alliance¡¯ than you are. Our goals align, which I doubt is a coincidence, but even if they did not, we would still support him.¡± He declared sternly before turning to the Honu elders. ¡°I believe your predecessor was aware of Jonathan¡¯s state and decided to trust him, I ask you to do the same. He is not an agent of our enemy, he is simply fighting it internally as we all are externally.¡± Hiro interceded, letting his aural pressure slacken. The elders gave him a long considering look, before turning their gaze back to Tilly, ¡°Be that as it may¡­ We still should¡­ Have been informed¡­ It could have¡­ Impacted our votes¡­¡± One of them said Tilly had honestly already forgotten which was which, and at this point, he was too afraid to ask. Ichiro chose this moment to gently break into the conversation, ¡°Look at what we have gained! We could have remained undeclared and not built up these gains over decades. On Nephesh stagnancy is Death. Knowing what you know now, would you have chosen any differently?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Yes-¡± Squeaked the Bureaucrat, but everyone ignored him and Ichiro watched the elders with an expression of relaxed curiosity. ¡°Our people have forgotten¡­ the Dream.¡± Replied the second elder slowly, ¡°That is what¡­ my father said¡­ when he met with you¡­ That you would help us to¡­ remember¡­ What we have forgotten¡­We remain committed.¡± She continued her voice strengthening as if speaking the words aloud settled it in her mind. Then everyone turned to Pupienus and he shrank back under their combined stares, ¡°Yes, well. We all agreed on this manner of governance, and I am not fool enough to try and violate it right from the beginning. It is decided! We continue.¡± He admitted spitefully. ¡°WONDERFUL!¡± Shuji shouted, startling half the room as he slammed his giant book shut. Tilly wasn¡¯t sure if he was reacting to what had just transpired, or something he had just read from the supernatural backup of his knowledge. Either seemed possible. ¡°I am sure there is much to catalog and record! These rewards offered to our people seem to be almost unprecedented. There will probably even be new classes!¡± He said, tucking the book away god knows where and moving back towards the entrance as if everything had been decided. Ichiro shrugged happily and got to his feet turning to follow and all the others except for Linus and Hiro moved along with him. They both looked at each other and moved over toward Tilly. ¡°However unwilling I was at the time¡­ you saved my life,¡± Linus said solemnly, ¡°And most probably the Bastions would just be a memory if not for you. So know this, as long as I am alive, our armed forces will be there for you. You have stepped in for us several times now, and we will do the same for you at a call.¡± He finished formally, before knocking a hard military salute against his chest. Hiro regarded his actions with a ghost of a smile on his face, which disappeared as soon as he noticed Tilly¡¯s glance, ¡°Just let us know when you have any more idea where this Facet is. We cannot lose you as a resource, or a friend¡­ And depending on how hard the fighting will become, we very well could need those advancements as soon as possible, so let me know as soon as you find anything else.¡± He added gruffly. Then he clapped his hand on Tilly¡¯s shoulder. Their earnest attempts at reassuring him struck something deep in Tilly. Another blow landed against the stony distance that had insulated him from the opinions and at times the caring of others. In the face of their support, he decided to take things one step further, voicing his fears along with the challenges he faced. ¡°That¡­ means a lot. You are both extraordinary leaders, and I am glad my journey has brought me alongside you and your people. But I have one other favor to ask¡­¡± He said, taking a deep breath, ¡°I wish I could say corruption was forcing me to do things, but it isn¡¯t like that. It takes whatever darker desires were already inside me and strengthens them, making my decisions seem reasonable in the moment. It is... becoming more and more difficult for me to recognize its influence on my mind.¡± He trailed off, trying to find out exactly how to word his request. They both gave him space, not interrupting as he tried to express what he needed. ¡°I guess what I am asking is, watch out for me. There will probably be a few times when I start acting erratically, and I need you to step in and stop me. If I can¡¯t get back in control, I need you to do whatever you have to¡­ Don¡¯t let me become one of those things. Do you understand?¡± He finished, gasping out the final lines of his request as the Corruption within him began to writhe angrily. ¡°Worry not Jonathan Tillman, we will do everything we can to help you. But if we fail, I will not hesitate to end you before you become something else.¡± Hiro replied in a hard voice, before clapping him on the shoulder again and turning to go after the others, with Linus nodding along in total agreement. Tilly felt no sense of hesitance or regret in those words as he stood there in momentary stunned silence. He didn¡¯t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed with how quickly and confidently Hiro had agreed to kill him if necessary. But an ask was an ask, and it just meant that he really needed to find out where this next Facet was, one way or another. He looked over at the crystal and it flashed before presenting a green screen in front of him, Welcome to the Three-Fold Alliance Sovereign Crystal. Would you like to view available class change options? Y/N Out of curiosity, Tilly selected ¡°Yes¡± Scanning current cla- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Error Son of Flame class incompatible with the current system. Would you like to begin again at Level 1 with a compatible class? Y/N Tilly sighed as he selected no. It was not like he would choose something else anyway, with his titles and skills synergizing so well with his current class, it would be foolish at this point. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that it felt damn annoying to be railroaded this way. He left the crystal behind hoping that it would be more useful for refugees than it was for him. His walk turned into a run as he heard shouts coming from outside. ¡°Look, Miss! I don''t know where you came from, but I don''t like being snuck up on!¡± An outraged Kuro yelled. ¡°For the last time you Box of Rocks, I didn¡¯t choose to be here either, now if you will just point me towards the nearest working teleport hub, I can find my way back on my own!¡± A melodic female voice shot out in reply, stringing her words together in a rapid but musical cadence. Tilly emerged out into the front of the temple, to find the entire council standing off to the side wearing various expressions of concern or suspicion. Apart from them stood a stunning young woman, wearing exquisitely tailored clothing in different shades of green and jewel tones. The layers were cut to form a strange mix between a ball gown and a formal three-piece suit. Level 86 Ward of the Summer Court She stood almost butting heads with Kuro, while Nyuk stood just to the side holding a new smaller axe at the ready. Above both of their heads was a brand new class. Level 25 and 29 Forest Wardens. B2 Ch. 7 Another Explosion The whole scene made for an odd standoff, with the leaders of the Alliance on one side and this new lady on the other. Yet despite the numbers imbalance, both parties seemed somewhat equal. ¡°Madam! Are you from one of our new nearby nations!¡± Pupienus shouted from behind Linus and Hiro, who wore equally guarded expressions as they considered another new variable in the already complex situation. ¡°No, you sniveling idiot, my people live nowhere near here!¡± She shouted, before groaning in frustration and asking in a lower, but just as exacerbated tone, ¡°Now please tell me you have a working teleport platform in this Gods forsaken hick town¡­¡± Tilly was surprised to see flowering vines springing up from the ground and spiraling around the woman''s legs as her expression grew more desperate. Shuji cleared his throat and stepped forward offering up a theatrical bow, ¡°My Lady, welcome to the newly christened Three-Fold Alliance. We regret to-¡± At the word regret, Tilly watched the lady¡¯s razor-thin hope of escape snap, along with her composure. ¡°THAT HAG!¡± she shouted, interrupting Shuji and stomping one of her feet as the vines around her suddenly sprouted sickle-like thorns. At this display, Nuyk and Kuro started to back away, holding their weapons in a guard position. ¡°I knew I felt a ripple in the Land! And now you tell me there is no platform here¡­ She tricke-UUGGHH! That sneaky Windbag! She all but told me and I was too happy to be away to realize the implications! Winter¡¯s Night, this is infur-¡± ¡°Hey!" Tilly shouted, happy to interrupt the spoiled woman''s tirade. "Did somebody named Wisdom drop you off?¡± As novel as it was, he wasn¡¯t going to stand by while some noble lady threw a tantrum. They had too much to do. Her jaw snapped shut like a sprung bear trap and before he could register it, she flashed in front of him, moving at a speed completely unreconciled with her put-upon impression. Now, only inches from Tilly''s face, her slightly shorter form seeming to tower over him as she leaned in, exuding something not dissimilar to Hiro¡¯s killing intent aura, ¡°Do you know her?¡± She chewed out through grinding teeth. ¡°Met her just before she left. She said you would help us... and between you and I, she didn''t strike me as the kind that would lie.¡± Tilly grunted back, standing upright and drawling out his response in a bored tone out of sheer force of will. Her presence had a certain command to it, pulling on him to obey, to give in, but he staunchly refused. He leaned hard into the seen-it-all expression every firefighter develops after enough time in the field. Her aura of command washed over him like waves against the breakers, and he showed none of it in his vague return stare. He didn''t like his friends being insulted in front of him and he really didn''t like that she believed they owed her something. His challenge caught her off guard, and she stepped back, considering him again as if she had only just noticed he was there. ¡°A Human? Out in the backside of nowhere? Perhaps something is happening here worthy of my time¡­¡± She said, curiosity shifting her previously commanding tone to something that might have been considered playful in other circumstances. Her eyes flashed green for a moment, and a frown broke her small smile. ¡°And a Champion? Of a deity I have never heard of, no less... ¡° She grumbled, suddenly looking at him like an annoying crossword puzzle with too many blanks and not enough clues. ¡°That is quite impossible!¡± She declared with finality. Tilly was about to tell her otherwise when she continued, talking over his inhale to interject as if he had ceased to exist. ¡°I know the names of every living Divine and only the current Paragons can anoint a new Champion on Nephesh.¡± She said as a small crease appeared between her perfect eyebrows. Then she shifted her attention to the temple Tilly had just exited, and her eyes flashed green again, before widening as she took a step back in shock. ¡°This is old¡­ Older perhaps than my Mot- Just who are you?¡± She whispered, turning her gaze back towards Tilly with something other than conceit coloring her tone. ¡°My name is Jonathan Tillman. My friends call me Tilly¡­ Well not yet, but they will get it eventually, and I just got here a few weeks ago. From day one I have been getting my ass kicked in this lovely plane of yours and I have done a fair bit of ass-kicking myself. Which I understand is fairly normal, what is not normal is what I have been fighting¡­ something called Corruption.¡± As soon as the word left his mouth, the skin around her eyes tightened slightly, before her expression returned to one of neutral curiosity. Over her shoulder, Tilly caught a small nod from Hiro to Shuji, who quickly moved forward, ¡°Madam,¡± Shuji added stepping into her view again with an even more theatrical bow. Tilly swore that Shuji sometimes had more in common with the ringleader of a circus than a scholar. ¡°If you are here to offer us some aid, we would be most grateful to accept. While we do not have a working teleport platform right now¡­ We do have the ability to repair what we have. We simply lack the resources.¡± Small budding grasses were springing up around her perfectly pressed pant legs and they seemed to lean in and support her as, all of a sudden, her imperious air deflated. Her haughty features softened into something much younger and out of place. She considered the still bowing lapin and the faces of those in the group standing outside the temple. ¡°My name is Erash and I was brought here on the promise of access to an A-political Sovereign Crystal. I was told that this Crystal would have a class appropriate to my¡­ stature. My current abilities and stat build are unique and something of a secret, and I had thought that my only chance at advancement would be in my home, but she assured me there was another way forward¡­¡± She finished trailing off as if looking for something more to add.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. At her words Hiro stepped forward, speaking in a respectful but confident tone, ¡°If you promise no harm to my people or our Alliance, we will happily grant you access to our Crystal. Consider it a Home Gift, and if I am not mistaken, your promise and this gift are better than any binding treaty.¡± He said, his eyes watching her carefully. Her young demeanor vanished at the mention of promises, and gifts. Tilly¡¯s jaw almost dropped as she seemed to age twenty years into a lady in the prime of her beauty and strength. Her expression firmed into something cold and calculating as she eyed the group imperiously, ¡°A bargain offered¡­¡± She said, a sultry smile playing around the edges of full lips. ¡°Very well. In exchange for free access to your crystal and your teleport platform once it becomes available. I will shed this class and its inherent obligations for one that is beneficial to both parties. In this new role, I will serve you for a year and a day to the best of my abilities. At the completion of my obligation, I will have the right to change classes again or keep the new class as I see fit.¡± ¡°Done. Agreed and accepted.¡± Hiro¡¯s voice rang out in a strong clear baritone. A strong wind danced through the nearby trees, and Tilly thought he heard a thrum resounding in the air around them. ¡°Thrice struck¡­ perhaps we are not so far from civilization after all.¡± She purred, looking like a cat who had just been offered warm cream. ¡°Now wai- UH¡± Pupienus tried to cry out before the air was suddenly knocked from his lungs. Tilly looked over to see Linus¡¯ ever-present frown softening for just a moment as the bureaucrat wheezed next to him. Erash turned towards the entrance of the temple, and some of her predatory confidence drained from her expression, ¡°Best start now, before¡­ Well best to get started.¡± She corrected before carefully lifting her feet free of the patch of wildflowers that had burst into being around her and moving through the large stone opening. ¡°I''ll find my own way thank you!¡± She called back over her shoulder, having moved past Tilly and partially down the hall before anyone even thought to go with her. As soon as she was gone Pupienus¡¯ reedy voice broke the silence sounding strained, ¡°Now hold on a minute! You cannot just make commitments for us without a vote!¡± he complained stepping away from the Consul while clutching at his midsection. ¡°I was elected to represent my constituency and I will not be bullied into a Dictatorship!¡± he spat, some fire returning to his eyes. He seemed like the kind of guy who would rub Tilly the wrong way no matter what plane he was on, but at that moment, watching him square off against the rest of the council, Tilly couldn¡¯t help but feel a little respect. One of the Honu elders turned to him and caught his eye, ¡°She was more¡­ than she seemed.¡± letting the implication of her words hang in the air for a moment. As a look of confusion settled on the satyr''s face, Hiro turned to explain, ¡°I waited until I was sure, but once I knew what she was, it was imperative that I offer her a gift and a bargain. If I had not, she would have offered us something far less beneficial, and we would have started negotiations from her point, not ours. Their kind is bound completely by a certain set of rules, and at the same time, utterly unpredictable.¡± A bargain struck¡­ Oh Shit! Tilly knew this one!! ¡°She''s a Fey isn¡¯t she?¡± Tilly called out, excited to finally not have to ask for once. Hiro and Linus both shot him looks before Linus gestured sharply toward the temple, ¡°She is obviously running from something.¡± He whispered at Tilly harshly. ¡°Otherwise she never would have offered terms that were so generous. We do not want whoever would look for someone like her to find her here. Even speaking of their kind can create ties to them. So from now on we will keep this to ourselves!¡± Linus rebuked, handing out orders to all present as if he were back on the front lines. The other satyr¡¯s eyes widened in understanding, and the honu nodded. Tilly bit back his chagrin at having his moment ruined. ''The one time I actually know something...'' he huffed internally. ¡°Told you we should have left as soon as we dropped them off,¡± Nyuk muttered to Kuro a few feet away from Tilly. Hearing their soft exchange, Tilly turned to them, ¡°How did she even get here, and when?¡± He asked the pair. ¡°We were standing out here keeping watch when Nyuk here swears he hears a cart coming¡­ I tell him to stop being an idiot, cause no cart can come up this little mountain path we cleared to the temple, and before we can resolve our dispute, the whole temple explodes.¡± Kuro said, leveling a flat look at Tilly, ¡°So first, we make sure we aren¡¯t burning alive. Then, we accept the strangest notification screen I have ever seen, which offers us this new rare class, which my lady will love by the way, and then Bam! There she is, standing right on top of us muttering to herself like a mad woman.¡± He finished, leaning into the story with all the passion of the old drunk at a bar. ¡°That is enough! We will offer no insults to our guest! She will keep this agreement to the letter, and we will accept her help in whatever form it comes.¡± Hiro declared to the group, his tone broking no response. Then he turned to Tilly, ¡°Now who is this Wisdom you met and when did it happen?¡± Hiro inquired with Shuji''s ears twitching in interest at the posed question. Before Tilly could answer, a green flash erupted from the mouth of the temple, followed by a forced opening of his Notification log. Rejoice, Three-Fold Alliance! Your abandoned Temple to Origin¡¯s Flame has received a new High-Priestess. An order of clergy may be established and full temple function restored as requirements are met. Congratulations! Due to the overwhelming qualifications of your new High-Priestess the Three-Fold Alliance will receive an additional Boon! Now all crops, livestock, and wild game will be 20% more productive while under your city¡¯s influence. Tilly cleared away the forced notification screen to see the statues in front of the temple reforming into large imposing forms of primitive warriors. That wasn¡¯t all, the large stone opening to the temple started to grow elaborate doors set on hinges of stone that depicted a frieze of a burning Flame. The others around him looked up from their screens in shock as the newly formed doors opened, and Erash strode out, holding a staff with a living blue flame at its top. Level 86 High-Priestess of the Living Flame ¡°Now, I need someone to tell me who Origin is and what are his Facets. We must gather more of them as quickly as possible so my- Rather, this temple¡¯s influence may expand.¡± Tilly was the first to recover from his shock, probably because every day in this world brought new and crazier things than the last for him, ¡°Wait, you chose to become a Priestess for a God you have never heard of? Why?¡± Tilly demanded. B2 Ch. 8 Marching Orders She paused there, enjoying her moment, framed in the entryway of the newly regenerated temple. No doubt she had received the same update they all had about the new ¡°overqualified High-Priestess¡±. ¡°This class was the only one available that was an increase in rarity from my last class. According to the system, this deity hasn¡¯t had a high priest in three Epochs¡­ The requirements didn¡¯t seem too difficult and the gains provided are more than acceptable.¡± She said, turning her nose up slightly, not at all attempting to cover an almost palpable level of satisfaction. Tilly''s fading shock was quickly overtaken by exasperation. Seems like anyone can walk in and get a job these days! He let out a self-deprecating laugh, ¡°What a pair of representatives we will make¡­ "Please sir, What does it mean to follow Origin?" "Sorry lad, we just met the guy, we¡¯ll let you know when we find out." "Although I will warn you, so far it''s been mostly explosions¡¯.¡± He finished his little monologue and looked around at the others, hoping to lighten the mood. Unblinking eyes stared back at him, ranging from confusion in the honu to disappointment in Hiro¡¯s eyes. Tilly coughed awkwardly at the silence and Erash stepped forward into the silence confidently, ¡°Speak for yourself human. The temple has made abundantly clear what it needs to advance its influence and I can commune for direction once a month as an intermediary for the nation I am representing. You may be lost in your role, but I am clear in mine.¡± She finished in a huff, before sweeping past him and moving to the council to begin discussing how the temple could partner with their future efforts. The embarrassment he felt in the wake of his stupid joke and the haughty reply from the new High Priestess set Tilly¡¯s ears buzzing. Her conversation with the council fell into the background and as a potent anger attempted to flood his internal levies of emotional control. Who does she think she is? It was just a stupid joke¡­ Ungrateful Bit- No. His right arm jerked, throwing a vicious punch into his side. His clenched fist pounded into the site of the infection releasing waves of agony from his abdomen. Something about the sudden pain shattered the syrupy sweet spiral of bitterness that had been building. He refused to be the kind of guy who went into a tantrum at every little insult, no matter what this bullshit trying to take his body wanted. The buzzing subsided, and a deep angry ache settled in its place. ¡°So, what did you get?¡± Nyuk asked, breaking Tilly¡¯s thoughts away from his unnoticed internal conflict, giving him the point of distraction he needed to steer his thoughts towards safer waters. He turned and shrugged in response to the new Forest Warden, reaching behind his back and fishing out the crystal egg, ¡°I don''t know what this thing is,¡± he said before tossing it to the inquiring lapin. ¡°Hey!¡± The lapin said in a sudden panic, handling the caught stone like he was playing hot potato. He bounced it between his hands two times before tossing it at Kuro with a wicked grin. ¡°Watch it, Buckteeth!¡± The other warden shouted back as he caught it in his leather vest avoiding touching it with his bare hands. He walked carefully back over to a bewildered Tilly who plucked it from the leather cradle, ¡°Seriously guys, right now I don¡¯t think it does anything. I''ll have to mess with it and figure it out later.¡± He said, holding up the oblong mystery object and handling it with impunity. Both the lapins winced at his cavalier manner, ¡°I am no master Identifier, but even I can see it is rated Mythic,¡± Kuro said keeping a wary eye on the object in Tilly¡¯s hand. ¡°Knowing you, human, that is a locked-ancient-gnomish-explosive enchantment that could level this mountain,¡± Nyuk said gravely, stepping back even further. This kind of ribbing was all too familiar and reminded him warmly of the firehouse. In fact, he almost told them about some of the guys he used to work with when he felt a pulse of satisfaction emerge from the egg. It seemed to have understood the gravity those two were giving it¡­ and it felt satisfied. It wanted to be thought of as dangerous. The chuckle and story died together on Tilly¡¯s lips as he slowly turned his head toward what he was holding. Both lapins shared a knowing look and took another generous few steps back, well away from the entrance of the Temple. Before Tilly could really consider the object in his hands, the others finished their short conference and Hiro began issuing out orders to the group one by one, ¡°It is decided! We have been given a short window of time to prepare for what is coming and we will not waste a moment of it. Shuji, you are to immediately partner with all scholar-adjacent classes to order and categorize our population. We need to know what classes we have, and what they can do. Send any who still desire to pursue a class change up here with advice where appropriate. Knowledge is the resource we need most right now.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Shuji nodded enthusiastically, jiggling several chins, ¡°I''ll coordinate with Pupienus to make sure all are employed appropriately in our coordinated efforts, as well as continue to build out our merit system for temporary compensation.¡± He said, gathering up the much smaller satyr in an uncomfortably brotherly side embrace and moving back toward the mountain path. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The satyr said disengaging himself from the large lapin¡¯s embrace. ¡° I will see that the work in the city expansion continues and issue regular reports to the rest of you, I would appreciate the same.¡± He called over his shoulder with a level look, as he dodged another pawing tug by the enthusiastic Librarian. ¡°Linus, you are still in charge of organizing and training our armed forces, hopefully, our combat effectiveness has been augmented greatly by whatever changes were affected by the completion of the hidden quest-¡± ¡°Ah! So that is what that was! I felt the magic flow down the mountain from this point. I have only read a few accounts of such things. To think that one such occurrence has unfolded before my eyes here only confirms my decision to remain.¡± Erash interjected, gesturing with her new staff unconsciously as if she had held it for years instead of minutes. ¡°High Priestess,¡± Hiro shifted, rolling with the interruption smoothly, ¡°If you would, there will be a steady stream of those seeking the crystal and possibly purification from any lingering instances of infection. Please let us know if you need anything else to perform your duties. The honu will be sending all of our agricultural workers this way to receive your Spring¡¯s Blessing, which as we discussed, we hope will stack with the boons. This will see our people fed and hopefully, stores built up before the boon is exhausted.¡± She nodded graciously at his softly put request along with small bows of acknowledgment from the elders. The elders started down toward the path as well, nodding respectfully to Tilly and the lapins as they passed, and the High-Priestess turned back towards the newly wrought doors. For all her bravado, from his point close to the entryway, Tilly thought he saw her eyeing the gaping entrance with caution until she noticed his attention and sniffed, re-entering the temple with her confident mask fully in place. ¡°Nyuk, Kuro, It seems you have been gifted a combat class. One that looks suited towards scouting and patrols. Am I correct?¡± Hiro asked, turning to the two standing apart from the rest of the group. ¡°Yes Lord,¡± they replied in unison, with respectful bows. ¡°Good, it is well deserved. You are no longer in charge of our timber harvesting. I am appointing you as the first of our ranging forces. Nyuk, you will lead with Kuro as your second. Requisition bows from our depot and meet me at the front gates in an hour, we will scout the limit of our area¡¯s influence and see what we find in our new surroundings. Shuji will send others your way when we get back, and you can report to Linus for the next steps.¡± . At the news, both Lapins prostrated themselves on the ground, and Nyuk spoke in a loud voice, ¡°You honor us! We will not fail our people.¡± Then they both rose smoothly to their feet Nyuk wearing a formal and diffident expression and Kuro looking a little dazed. Hiro said nothing further and Nyuk realized he had to be back in the town and ready to go in an hour. He tugged the slightly dazed Kuro into a loping jog down the mountain. In the distance, Tilly could have sworn he heard Kuro come to and complain loudly, ¡°Bows! UGH! Nyuk, you know how I feel about bows!¡± A slight twitch in the remaining lapin''s ears let him know he wasn¡¯t the only one to have heard. ¡°That just leaves me and Ichiro, are you sure you don''t want me to come on the scouting trip? I have a feeling that whatever faction we have been dropped near is probably not Corruption free.¡± Tilly asked. ¡°No Jonathan Tillman, you will be risking yourself soon enough, but until then, we are going to do what we can to make sure you live through the next year. With this skill bonus we just received every one of us not urgently needed must commit themselves to training. You will spar with and learn from Ichiro every morning. Before his change, he was one of the best swordsmen in the empire, whether those old goats wanted to admit it or not.¡± At that, Ichiro nodded serenely. ¡°Now, however, he still has much work to do if he is to reclaim the full use of his skill levels. You will spend your mornings in routines that he devises, and then rotate through different members of the populace in the afternoons and evenings, training what you think will be most valuable going forward. Consult with Ichiro or Shuji on what those skills should be." "Mr. Tillman, Boons like this do not come often, and you must take this chance to advance your skills. I am sure we will be needing you before our 24 days are up, but until we do, you must invest this time wisely.¡± All of this struck a deep chord in Tilly. He had been on his back foot in almost every combat encounter he had. This was his chance to prepare for what was coming next instead of just reacting to one emergency after another. Not that he knew exactly how he needed to prepare¡­ Lost in thought, Tilly looked out into the mountain range for the first time since emerging from the temple. From their vantage point near the top of the mountain, he remembered being able to see the range go on as far as the eye could see. That had completely changed. Now the range ended just a few miles past the village and the river snaked past the burgeoning city between several more peaks before pouring out into open rolling hills, tinged a coppery red. When he turned back to Hiro and Ichiro, the elder lapin was already gone, his departure marked by a gust of wind. He had moved so quickly and smoothly that Tilly had completely missed it¡­ Reminding him just how far he had to go if he wanted to stay alive in these increasingly high-stakes scenarios. ''Well, nothing to it but to get started.'' he thought wryly. He sighed and met eyes with the last member of the group, ¡°Honestly, it will be my honor to receive your instruction.¡± Tilly opened seriously, ¡°I have heard several times how low my martial skills are and I''m tired of it. It will be great to have you to point me in the right direction!¡± Tilly said enthusiastically, his mind wandering through some of his favorite movie montages. Rocky¡­ Karate Kid¡­ Kickboxer. Ichiro¡¯s serene expression turned slightly more focused as his eyes moved to watch something playing out off in the distance. Tilly turned to try and catch it but saw only trees and distant peaks. ¡°It is fraying out there...¡± Ichiro whispered to himself. But as Tilly turned back towards him, his eyes refocused on the human, and he offered a sad smile. ¡°Perhaps you can tell me more of what you can do as of now, and where you feel your greatest weaknesses are,¡± Ichiro stated calmly, acting as if he hadn¡¯t said anything foreboding at all. B2 Ch. 9 Wax On Mulling over Ichiro¡¯s question, Tilly found himself caught between sharing a list of his abilities and their effects or a higher-level summary of how he thought of himself as a combatant. Ichiro registered his hesitation and gestured to a nearby log with a smile. Tilly nodded in appreciation and they walked over together and settled down facing each other. Tilly started with a simple run-down of his Abilities, but the conversation very quickly hopped the rails of his expectations as Ichiro stopped him at each Ability and asked him how and when the Abilities first emerged. Very quickly, this turned into Tilly giving a full summary of his journey through Nephesh, stopping where Ichiro asked for clarification or more details. Through it all, Ichiro''s face never wavered from its serene cast. Whether this was due to his meditative state or a genuine unruffled interest, didn''t really bother Tilly. Something about just getting it all out put him at ease. As time went on, he found himself sharing much more of the internal conflict he had faced at each crossroads of his journey so far. It''s not that he had left this part out in previous explanations. Rather, it was more that Ichiro seemed to be primarily interested in the internal environments that made up the context for each of his Ability advancements and failures. He seemed to care very little for the number side of things, instead showing a focused and consistent curiosity around Tilly¡¯s internal state and motivations as he navigated the challenges he had faced so far in his time on Nephesh. It was unlike any conversation Tilly had ever had, and despite Ichiro¡¯s blank, pupilless stare, he felt seen in a way that lifted a burden he did not know he was carrying... He was sure he had made many mistakes, but Ichiro didn''t flinch or react as Tilly navigated his choices leading up to this moment, ¡°-When I saw the tree and what it was doing to you and the Flame, I just lost it. I went all out in an attack I didn''t even fully comprehend, and that was when I first manifested the flames.¡± ¡°Ah, interesting¡­ I wonder, could you tell me more about what you were feeling at that moment when you charged the altar? What do you mean by ''lost it'' and I find myself wondering what exactly you gained in exchange?¡± ¡­ ¡°-This time he had one of the little kids and was threatening to kill him. I was already furious, but when he shouted out that I was corrupted in front of Amelia and the kid¡­ something snapped.--¡± ¡°One moment, do you mind telling me the physical sensations that accompanied this shift, and if you could, any thoughts you remember in the moments leading up to your loss of full conscious control?¡± ¡­ They talked for hours. At one point Ichiro even pulled out rice balls stuffed with some sort of meat for a late lunch and they both ate as they continued the discussion. Ichiro was especially fascinated by Tilly¡¯s description of the pattern reaching into eternity, and what he saw at the beginning and the end. He asked Tilly to repeat the story several times, pulling out every detail Tilly could remember and even some descriptions that only occurred to him in retrospect. Finally, they arrived at Tilly¡¯s description of his recent encounter in the inner room of the temple outside of time. ¡°Hmm¡­ This Facet of our Patron we host in the temple continues to display a penchant for affecting time. A very rare power-¡± There he paused, his look taking on a momentarily heavy cast as he continued, ¡°- and very dangerous. Perhaps, more powerful than the flame abilities you have demonstrated so far by an order of magnitude.¡± He mused, his expression softening as his gaze drifted from Tilly, back to the temple. ¡°Ichiro, can you tell me a little more about your eyes?¡± Tilly asked, his curiosity getting the better of him as he once again tried to understand what exactly the lapin was seeing that others couldn''t. ¡°Ah, of course,¡± He said, dragging his attention back to Tilly. He took a deep breath and explained. ¡°The cleansing you released when you ended Corruption¡¯s incursion into the temple hit me while my gaze was frozen open in a captive state.¡± he started, an almost imperceptible shiver running up his body. ¡°The clash of forces along with direct contact with the blast resulted in a new title and an accompanying skill that allows me to see not just the physical world, but whatever forces move beneath it. Right now my vision is filled with a sea of interwoven strands of past, present, and future possibilities, along with all the forces acting on the environment around me. It is so complex that I am at a very real risk of losing my mind if not for my ability to maintain a near-constant meditative state. Even when I am blindfolded, and lose all input from the physical world, I am still bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information attempting to convey to me the interwoven nature of space, time, and energy.¡± He said, some of the gravity of what he was enduring leaking into his voice, ¡°I am learning to limit my focus and filter out the majority of what I am seeing, but it is¡­ very difficult. Especially around many people or strong emotions, which both agitate the already incomprehensibly intricate pattern. I am sure I will grow used to it in time, but it has been a great challenge for me to even achieve the ability to walk and talk normally, and our sparring will be as important for me as it will be for you." ¡°Wait, Ichiro, can you see things before they happen?¡± Tilly asked, thinking back to a few of the more clairvoyant moments he had experienced with the lapin. At his question, Ichiro¡¯s face scrunched up thoughtfully, and he seemed to roll the questions around in his head several times before answering slowly. ¡°...I do not believe so. Perhaps one day, something like being able to read the pattern to that extent will emerge, but as of now, I can not understand the vast majority of what I am seeing. What I do know is that every action is preceded by thoughts and emotions. The stronger the instigating internal emotion is, the more affected the pattern around you, even before you physically move to change it. At times I can pick up on that disturbance in the pattern before the physical action is produced, but this has been a rarity so far. Although I believe our Origin wishes me to make progress in this area, and so he has gifted me an item unique to me.¡± He finished looking down at his new robe and pulling at the lapel absently. Under his gaze, the pattern on the robe actually started to shift, and Tilly suddenly felt himself falling, he blinked a few times and tore his eyes away, meeting Ichiro''s suddenly tired expression.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You might go insane before you get a handle on this, and I might become a monster that will hopefully be consumed in my own flames before I kill a bunch of people¡­ Hell of a pair we make, huh?¡± Tilly asked smiling. Nothing to it but to grin and move through it. Ichiro¡¯s face screwed up in confusion for just a moment before completely releasing its tension into a simple, easy smile, ¡°Yes, I believe it is this very adversity that destines us for greatness¡­ I am sure this time together will be beneficial for both of us. Even in my Battle Trance, it is still difficult to focus on my immediate surroundings and emotions. The flow of the strands around me is incredibly difficult to resist.¡± he said, looking down at his lightly-furred hands for a moment as if they held some answers he had not yet found. Then he clapped them together and rubbed them vigorously before looking up at Tilly his face displaying a small level of excitement. ¡°But, if I may, I believe there is something more than leveling martial skills that I can teach you¡­ something that will possibly be much more useful in the long run.¡± He said, moving from the log to a place ten feet away and pulling his sword and scabbard out of its band and onto his lap. He gestured for Tilly to come join him in a more meditative posture. This is it! The full Karate Kid Myagi montage begins¡­ ¡°I''ll take anything I can get!¡± Tilly exclaimed, moving to settle down opposite the lapin. As soon as he had crossed his legs, the lapin began his instruction, in an easy droning voice. ¡°One of several benefits of my condition is the forced meditative state I must maintain if I want to stay in the present. This has increased my already considerable skill level to something I believe may be unique, especially at my reduced level. I want to pass on as much of what I know as I can to you in this short time, and I believe these techniques will do two things for you,¡± He said, raising a single finger, ¡°First, it will help fortify your mind against Corruption''s influence without walling yourself off from your emotions. It is essential that you not drift away from the awareness of your emotions, for they will bear fruit whether you are vigilant or not. Better to know yourself and move from a place of honesty, than try and outrun what is inevitable.¡± ¡°Okay, meditation sounds pretty good and I can definitely use the help in the self-control department, but my understanding of meditation was that it is all about getting rid of your emotions?¡± Tilly asked ¡°In truth, there are many techniques that do just that. However, the one I will teach you was given to me by my mother. She came from a long line of servants of the Moon Goddess and they believed that meditation is about taking time to truly experience the full breadth of thought and emotion, integrating them at every level of your soul. If you do this often enough, they will flow through you like a spring instead of damming up due to a series of blockages that will cause you to act in ways you do not control or understand.¡± That one hit a little closer to home than Tilly was comfortable admitting. ¡°The second thing leveling this technique will do is allow you to develop the ability to experience the deeper longings of your soul. All emotion is built on a foundation of desire and it is the strength of your desire that determines how much Will you leverage in any given action. But this benefit of this technique is not available unless you understand yourself and on some level, accept who you are.¡± Tilly winced internally at how much this was beginning to sound like therapy... Even worse, it seemed like this kind of therapy involved him talking to himself... about his emotions. For decades he had survived on his ability to stop thinking and just move, and what Ichiro was suggesting was an anathema to that. ¡°Do the job and get out.¡± He had advised rookie after rookie, teaching them the ways to the Job. Yet here Ichiro was challenging his entire way of facing obstacles. Tilly had always prided himself on his ability to shut out the noise and get shit done¡­ but he could not deny that outside of many of those high-stress environments, he always felt more like a passenger than the driver of his own life. ¡°Is that what Battle Trance is? You, doing all of that thinking and feeling while fighting¡­ or I guess at this point, moving? It sounds disorienting.¡± Ichiro smiled at the question while shaking his head in a slight ¡®no¡¯ motion, ¡°Battle Trance is something else entirely, the skill is locked until you get a meditation and combat skill past a certain level. Then at some point in true combat, you achieve a moment of clarity, and the two skills birth a new one. However, due to the power of my Will and my struggle to stay present, I am slowly adapting it to a kind of constant integrated meditation.¡± As the lapin spoke, his smile slipped momentarily, as if explaining the process of his continued struggle intensified it momentarily. ¡°As great as this all sounds, it feels like something that will take years to truly see results. Are you sure it''s going to make enough of a difference for me in the next 24 days to survive whatever is coming? ¡± ¡°That entirely depends on how much you trust me.¡± The lapin responded, open-faced without a hint of guile or ulterior motive. Tilly thought hard, running through the events of the last couple of weeks in his head as he had shared them with Ichiro. So much of it had felt like he had no choices and just kept getting pulled along, often by his own knee-jerk reactions. If he was being honest with himself, he hardly ever thought about those reactions or what they could be covering... Maybe this wouldn''t make a huge difference in his next fight, but if it could somehow help him get a handle on life here on this plane, it had to be worth it. ¡°Alright, I''m in,¡± Tilly answered, leaning forward with the same roguish grin that had been plastered on his face on the way to many a fire. If he was going to go for this, he would do it all in. ¡°Wonderful!¡± Ichiro exclaimed, clapping his hands together and creating a surprisingly loud sound with the impact. ¡°We will begin by unlocking the meditation skill. Afterward, we will return to the valley, eat, and then I will test your blades. This cycle of meditation, eating, and combat will continue every morning we are able. Then before lunch, you will meditate again, processing your experiences and solidifying them in your soul. It is my goal to set you up to achieve Battle Trance in the coming months, which should help you immensely in resisting Corruption¡¯s growth in the heat of combat. It will also have the added effect of making you far more deadly than your stats suggest.¡± He declared authoritatively before smoothly standing from his seated position, ¡°But first, you must understand the power of a truly hardened Will. You have felt a small amount of what my father can do when he focuses his Will into a palpable killing intent. This is not all Will can do. It can empower almost any action to a degree few know possible.¡± B2 Ch. 10 Heart Power Ichiro left those words hanging in the air as he walked smoothly to a nearby boulder. Tilly leaned forward, unable to keep himself from being drawn in by whatever Ichiro was about to demonstrate. The lapin samurai smoothly drew his sword, his face taking on an almost reverent expression. Tilly realized he had never seen the blade before and noted that where Hiro¡¯s blade was made of an onyx metal, Ichiro¡¯s blade shone with a silvery light, visible even under the bright sun. Ichiro extended his sword arm, and tapped the edge of the blade against the stone, producing a predictable clang. ¡°What you are about to see is not due to a high strength stat, or an empowering Ability. It is the power of my heart alone that I will demonstrate to you. Attend!¡± He shouted, breaking the soft explanatory tone of his speech and drawing back his sword. The motion was slow, almost glacial, and Tilly found his eyes focusing on the blade as the Samurai drew it back. It suddenly felt¡­ weighty. Ichiro drew the blade back until it was pointed completely away from the boulder. He slowly bent both legs crouching slightly as his eyes hardened. Then moving even slower he swung the blade forward from his crouched position. His back foot pivoted and his legs pushed up from the ground perfectly in sync with the diagonal strike. The strike played out slowly, arduously over long moments pregnant with some unknown promise. It almost reminded Tilly of Tai Chi, except for the terrible inevitability beginning to radiate from the strike. Halfway through the swing, something flashed on the edge of the blade, and the deeper places of Tilly¡¯s consciousness were impressed with the concept of sharpness. Amazingly, the swing slowed down even further as the sword gathered more of whatever it was building. Tilly could see veins standing out on Ichiro¡¯s neck as his look of concentration doubled down into the gritted snarl of extreme effort. The moment before the blade touched the boulder, it parted. It was almost like the boulder had lost some unseen contest and gave way before the blade even arrived, consigning its defeat. Ichiro¡¯s swing sped up and he followed through smoothly, before re-sheathing the blade in a flash, his eyes closed and his expression returned to complete serenity. Tilly watched in amazement as a third of the boulder slid off at an angle, crashing to the ground with a rumbling crack. Then, twenty feet away at the treeline beyond the boulder, the sound of snapping limbs popped off like gunshots as several enormous trees toppled, shaking the ground with their impact. Ichiro calmly turned and walked back to his place in front of Tilly settling back down on his knees with the sword resheathed and laid across his knees. Tilly felt almost like he had swallowed a frog. He had seen magic plenty of times at this point, but this was something more¡­ this felt like authority. ¡°Well then, shall we begin?¡± the lapin asked calmly, his eyes still closed. The shock seizing his thoughts finally cleared and Tilly exploded, ¡°HOLY SHIT, ICHIRO!¡± Before clearing his throat in embarrassment at his exclamation, ¡°Ahem¡­ I mean, if I¡¯m being honest, after the ¡®power of my heart¡¯ line I wasn¡¯t so sure about all this, but that was insane!¡± ¡°Mr. Tillman, please¡­¡± Ichiro responded lifting a hand and motioning in the international, ¡®calm down¡¯ motion. ¡°Will, partnered with a deep understanding of a concept can produce incredible power, but none of it is possible without the diligent training of meditation. May we begin?¡± He asked, his voice taking on the icy calm of a teacher wrangling a class of first graders. ¡°Yeah¡­ absolutely, where do we start?¡± Tilly answered pulling his eyes away from the tall angled tree stumps. Ichiro nodded and shifted into a lecturing tone, ¡°When I first started, I sat with my blade drawn for hours moving through the surface of my soul with the intention to navigate deeper by cutting through the barriers separating my actions, will, and emotion. Eventually, I did not need the blade anymore as the concept began to imprint itself on my being. This became my concept, my focus. You must start with a focus, something that you can pour yourself into endlessly that resonates with your whole being.¡± As he delivered the information his speech took on a strange cadence, one frequently interrupted by inhales and exhales that remained consistently rhythmic. Tilly found himself matching the breathing rhythm without consciously choosing to do so as he processed what Ichiro had said. ¡°I guess for me, Inhale, a flame makes the most sense, exhale,¡± Tilly responded, attempting to keep the rhythm even as he spoke. It was awkward, but Ichiro nodded in encouragement at his attempts. ¡°Good, can you call forth a flame in a position that you easily see?¡± Ichiro responded, smoothly fitting in his words between breaths so that his rhythm was hardly interrupted. Tilly thought for a moment¡­ he could enflame anything touching his body, but he didn''t want to look down at his hands for however long this would take. He wondered just what it would take to keep a flame going away from his body. In curiosity, he lifted his hand to his navel, feeling the heat there, and the flame he had started visualizing within his center. He closed his eyes and leaned into the image, doing his best to maintain his breathing. Magical crap was happening all around him, why couldn¡¯t there be an actual flame burning in the midst of his organs? Before he could think about what he was doing, he made a pulling motion with his hand and he felt a piece of the flame come free from his center. He opened his eyes in amazement and found a tiny, pure white flame dancing above his palm. Carefully, as if it would go out at any stray movement. He lifted his hand until it was a foot in front of his chest and then fixed that position in his mind, focusing on that point as the place he wanted the flame to keep burning. Amazingly the flickering flame stayed in place as he slowly removed his hand, not wanting to disturb whatever was happening. Once it was firmly in place, Tilly tore his eyes away from the flame to find the normally placid lapin with his mouth hanging open. As he caught Tilly¡¯s eyes, his features sharpened to an almost vulpine satisfaction. ¡°Will this work as a focus?¡± Tilly asked quietly, not sure what would or wouldn¡¯t break his connection with the little piece of his core fire floating in front of him.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°This will more than work! The flame you hold before you is more concept than Mana, and it is already linked to your Will. After hearing more of your class and how you grew, I suspected you had already been harnessing this to some extent, but for you to produce something like this with no meditation skill yet activated¡­ ¡± He trailed off, a smugness suffusing his voice as his chosen path for Tilly was confirmed almost immediately. Those eyes and the expectations they had to represent hit Tilly in the abdomen like a brick. What was he doing that was so special? Could he keep doing it? What if he lost it? The flame snuffed out before their eyes, and he fought back a sudden surge of panic. As the flame snuffed out, a shiver wracked his body, and some sort of feedback hit his center, wracking his body with pain. ¡°Shit, sorry Ichiro!¡± Tilly growled out in frustration, bending over his middle. ¡°Peace Mr. Tillman¡­¡± Ichiro replied, his face schooling itself to its normal calm. He began to inhale and exhale loudly while giving Tilly a meaningful look, and Tilly responded, doing his best to imitate. Pushing back against the pain, he straightened his back and shoulders until he was sitting upright, and rode out the rest of the pain one intentional breath at a time. ¡°This is my fault¡­in my excitement, I departed from the breathing and threw off your inner balance. You are farther along than I could have imagined, and as such it is even more important that you train this aspect of your path of ascension. But without learning to walk, every step at a run is an invitation to calamity.¡± Tilly nodded and did his best to keep up the breathing cadence: deep inhale, hold, full exhale, hold, repeat. ¡°In time, we will bring back the flame, but for now, I want you to close your eyes and visualize it in the same place it was.¡± Ichiro invited softly, keeping the rhythm of his words between his breaths. Tilly closed his eyes obediently, trying to relax into the motions of his body pulling in and pushing out the environment around him. ¡°Good, now I want you to understand, that everything that you are, your mind, desire, and emotions can be fuel for your Will. So with each exhale, I want you to picture your flame gradually growing stronger. Thoughts and feelings will come, let them. Experience them, accept them, and in so doing, add them to the flame, where they will not be destroyed, but integrated with your whole self. Breath in¡­ hold¡­ exhale, and feed the flame.¡± As he spoke, Tilly let himself be carried along with the droning monotone of the lapin¡¯s voice, picturing the flame exactly as it had been. He took time to think about what Ichiro had said and connected his exhales with the oxygen any fire needed to continue combustion. He treated every exhale like he was blowing on embers at the bottom of a pile of leaves until a new flame sprang up to consume the dry material. As he watched his breaths slowly impact his visualized flame, he realized that each dead leaf was energy trapped in a prison of expended purpose. Then the flame would come, releasing the dead matter from its locked form and giving it new life as light and heat. With every inhale, the flame would flicker as if disturbed by the passage of air, but as he exhaled, the fire would grow slightly more intense taking in the conceptual fuel and becoming hotter and more intense. The noise of the forest faded away, as his whole sensory world became the sound of Ichiro and his breathing. The small flame slowly grew larger, every cycle of breathing feeding it as he slowly unlocked the doors of his heart. As the process grew easier, Tilly became aware of the tightness in his chest once again. This time, instead of trying to ignore it, he breathed through it, like you would a cramp in a run. He strained the auxiliary breathing muscles between his ribs against the tightness as it attempted once again to constrict his desire to succeed with the fear of failure. This internal tension imparted a feeling of claustrophobia, which in turn called to mind his inability to escape his present circumstances. The hopeful faces of everyone in the refugee camp came back to him, crowding in on the darkness of his contemplation. His breathing hitched and the flame flickered, suddenly unstable. He forced himself to stay in rhythm with Ichiro and instead of moving away from the feeling he dived deeper into it. Following the flow of his emotions, allowing them to intensify with every breath. ''So many people were depending on him. but he was just a grunt who broke everything he touched... What if he failed all over again?'' The thoughts rolled through him, accompanied by increasingly strong emotions. Dread and even animal-like panic came to the surface as he searched out his feelings on the new role he held amongst the people of the Alliance. His side squirmed in delight at the delicious brew now steeping in his mind. His chest tightened further, and it felt like he was breathing through a straw as he fought against the need to increase the pace of his breathing. In the past, seeing something like this hidden in his psyche would have caused him to slam the door on this trail of emotions and seal it with as much apathy as possible. This was the kind of stuff that caused you to hesitate¡­ to doubt. Something that he could not afford to do in the kinds of situations he had faced on a daily basis. ''He never froze in a burning building... But he was completely stuck now. Trapped in a cycle of his own making, the emotions he had finally let free were wrapping him in knots of panic and doubt. He wanted to stop, he needed to get more air than these slow breaths would allow. Yet the sound of Ichiros''s breath echoing his own. It imparted a feeling of vastness to the darkness behind his closed eyes. The space his flame floated in seemed incomprehensibly large, and yet at the same time intimate. The darkness covered him, hiding him and acting like a balm against his panic. He wasn¡¯t ok¡­ But he was safe. It was time to stop running from this part of himself. He opened himself further to the feelings that had lurked in the deep places of his mind for decades. They rushed into him, choking his internal environment. The dread of failing others who depended on him. His failure pushing the people around him away. The panic of being someone''s last chance. The expectation of the crowd once again surrounded him, watching him with misplaced hope, asking him to do something that he couldn''t... He scrutinized those faces, looking until they shifted from vague, conceptual entities, to real people. They were the children from Amelia¡¯s shop, the old couple that had slipped him an apple. One by one the faces became real, and that changed something¡­ It changed everything. The thought of failing them still filled him with panic, but to give up on them before trying was far more terrifying. The flickering flame steadied, tripling in size on his next exhale as he let go of outcomes and leaned into what he was. Their hopes and expectations no longer threatened to crush him¡­ they became his strength. He was their Champion. Truth crashed into him as some deep part of him identified with the role that he had thought an arbitrary title by the System. He had always wanted to be a hero, it was what had compelled him to join the Fire Department out of high school. They were the only figures he could think of that had existed on the edges of his shattered life as beacons of consistent good. But somewhere along the way, he had lost that. The toll of the job, shift after exhausting shift as life shoveled more and more shit onto him... It was a horrible responsibility to hold someone''s life in your hands, and under that weight, his cracked foundations had slowly crumbled until he had become a bitter shadow of himself. But Tilly was beginning to believe again, not just in himself, but the one who had chosen him¡­ The flame was roaring now, not consuming, but integrating his whole being into a state of purpose-filled oneness. ¡°Jonathan.¡± A steady strained voice interrupted. Tilly¡¯s eyes flickered open, and the flame winked out of existence. He looked around in sudden confusion to find the sun setting and Ichiro now sitting ten feet away, with sweat dripping down his face. This did nothing to dampen the fierce smile playing out over his features. A ring of scorched earth surrounded him and Tilly¡¯s eyes jumped to his notification log which was blinking with a new alert. B2 Ch. 11 Montage With a mental command, the most recent entry into his notification log burst into being,
Congratulations! You have learned a new skill, Meditation. Your Meditation level has increased. Adjusting for previous experience¡­ Meditation level 1. Meditation level 2¡­ Meditation level 7
Tilly stared at the notification screen dumbly for a moment, trying to comprehend what he was reading¡­. Why would the System have to adjust for previous experience? When had he ever practiced meditation? Unbidden, memories started to rise to the surface of his consciousness. Countless collective hours of exertion surrounded by smoke and flame. Early in their careers, firefighters become very disciplined in their breathing while using air from their packs, conservation being key. Inhale pause exhale, had been the formula that had seen him through more than one near miss on a low-air emergency for a fellow firefighter. He had always loved the breathing discipline, the strange peace he only seemed to be able to find when enmeshed in his gear, breathing through his facepiece and trusting it to protect him in hostile environments. In those moments, overcoming the dangers he had grown to love, he felt¡­ Whole. ''Huh.'' The Lapin stood across from him, wiping sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his robe. ¡°Ichiro, what just happened?¡± ¡°You began to embody your concept, no actual flame manifested this time, but the deeper you went, the more heat you put off. I can not imagine what a Battle Trance with such a concept will be able to do. But perhaps in the short term, you should meditate away from buildings and people.¡± The Lapin answered, smiling wryly. ¡°Haha,¡± Tilly mocked in turn, sure Ichiro was exaggerating. Then as he followed the lapin to his feet, he found the bottom of his pant legs covered with fresh black soot stains. As he wiped at them in vain, they slowly faded away due to his magical leathers. Below his moccasins was a charred imprint of his sitting position. Tilly looked up with a wince, ¡°Alright, I see your point. Where should I go to meditate if not my room?¡± He asked, ¡°Come, it''s getting late. I will show you.¡± Ichiro answered looking up at the evening sky before turning to consider the temple and frowning. Tilly followed his gaze and thought he saw one of the new doors moving out of the corner of his eye, but as he watched, nothing changed. The front of the temple remained still, in its primitive but restored state. ¡°Sounds good, let''s get going¡­¡± Tilly said distractedly as he pulled his eyes back from the temple entrance. ¡°Are we still going to spar tonight?¡± Ichiro¡¯s slight frown disappeared at Tilly¡¯s question, replaced by an eager grin. ¡°Jonathan Tillman, with the current blessing on our skill advancements, we will spar as often as possible.¡± He answered, tucking away his sword into the sash around his waist and continuing, ¡°First, we will test the full limit of your Endurance and then see where you stand with your martial Skills. We will start with weapons only, then integrate the rest of your Skills and Abilities.¡± That said, he turned and started jogging down the mountain. He seemed to be moving at an easy pace, but as he rapidly disappeared from view, Tilly realized his speed would have been an Olympic sprint back on Earth. Tilly scrambled after, surprised to find the pace only mildly challenging. In fact, with his Dexterity he wasn¡¯t even encumbered by the changes in terrain and footing that accompanied the forest trail back down the mountain. He was so focused on enjoying his new ability, that he didn¡¯t notice the small pulse of dissatisfaction from within his fantasy fanny pack as the heat fully dissipated from Tilly¡¯s body. The consciousness faded back to sleep, with only a minute crack in the gem-like surface to mark the change. ¡­ Ichiro led them down to the base of the mountain, passing by several groups of people making their way up to the temple. They didn''t stop to engage, just danced around the groups moving almost as easily off the path as they did on. They didn¡¯t slow until they broke through the tree line and caught a fresh look at the camp. If Tilly thought it was busy before, he was floored by the amount of industry displayed by the inhabitants this late into the day. Several more of the huge log buildings had been erected in the center of camp slowly replacing the tents. The road leading over to the river and the fields on the other side was just as choked with workers as it had been this morning, and Tilly even spotted a large bridge now spanning the stretch of water. The structure sparkled in the evening light as light refracted off and through it.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Is that ice?¡± Tilly exclaimed coming to a halt. Ichiro turned and considered the direction that Tilly was staring, ¡°I am not sure, but whoever made it, did so alone.¡± He said squinting towards the simple, but enchanting structure. Turning back to Tilly, he shrugged, ¡°I did not know the honu could affect the temperature of their waters¡­ Most likely this is one of many surprises we will find after the distribution of the Quest Rewards.¡± ¡°Awesome¡­¡± Tilly breathed, happy to see such gains for people who had lost so much. ¡°Come, we will move through camp and around what was the village. I believe they were setting up the training yards on the other side of the valley when I left this morning.¡± He said, gesturing with a come-along motion and then taking off, at an even faster pace. The crowds they passed became a blur as Tilly moved at what must be the edge of his body''s new capability. Ichiro loped ahead of him showing no strain at the increase, but Tilly started to feel his lungs burn. Unhelpfully his mind pointed out that this must be one of the consequences of such a low Strength stat. He would be able to keep up something moderate all day, but he quickly found his limits when pushing his boundaries. They sprinted through and around clumps of people, jumping over low tents as often as dodging. Before he knew it, they were at the entrance to the Lapin village, which was now only marked by two large ditches reaching out in either direction to enclose the buildings within. To Tilly''s chagrin, the lapin increased his pace again and started to pull away, turning right along the edge of the ditch. Tilly poured on everything he had as the burning in his lungs spread to his arms and legs as he kept pumping. They circled the perimeter in less than 100 seconds and Tilly rounded the final bend almost running into a stopped Ichiro. The lapin was standing calmly, drinking water from a trough set up against the perimeter line of the old village. It was one of many and served as the main water source for the thousands of people practicing rudimentary formations and drills. The land on this side of the village was especially flat and the recruits drilling there had already trampled it to dust forming a dirt square that could have covered several city blocks. ¡°-Woah¡­¡± Tilly said gasping for breath. ¡°Yes,¡± Ichiro replied looking over the assembly proudly. ¡°Many started training days ago, anticipating access to a class change. This is a huge opportunity for those who would have otherwise been forced into specific classes by means and resource.¡± Recruits had been divided up into twelve large groups and were being drilled by some of the Alliance''s few experienced soldiers. The nearest group of over two hundred was being harangued very loudly by a striking satyr woman in a form-fitting patchwork of leathers and armor. Flame¡¯s Watch Captain Level 38 ¡°You bunch of polished Aroch turds! I said LEFT! Form up and try again.¡± She shouted, after a particularly dismal attempted maneuver. In exasperation, she turned away from her charges and her eyes caught Ichiro and Tilly standing nearby. Something mischievous flashed in her eyes as she registered their presence, and she turned back toward her group and shouted, ¡°At Ease! Get some water. We will not sleep or eat until we can move as a unit. I told them I could get you all the Unit Movement Skill, and by the gods, I will do it!¡± Then she turned back to Tilly and Ichiro and jogged over. The loose formation behind her practically collapsed before moving as one towards the troughs. ¡°Greetings Captain Achillia!¡± Ichiro called as she approached. Her considering look burst into a smile at his acknowledgment and numerous gold teeth gleamed like beacons beside their natural counterparts. ¡°Well, Lord Ichiro! I¡¯ll be damned to the Pits if you aren¡¯t the first to recognize me right off!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°I must admit, it was the colorful language and your blade that gave it away,¡± Ichiro spoke smiling in satisfaction while simultaneously eyeing the invisible pattern unfolding all around her. She turned her intriguing smile on Tilly, and he had to admit, that despite the patchwork gear, and intermittent gold teeth, she was stunning. The only things that marked her as a satyr were hooved legs starting at the knees and thick curled horns turning back from her forehead, framing dark ringlets of hair. ¡°Rumor is, you caused all this.¡± She said gesturing vaguely along her body, smirking as he followed her gesture. ¡°Um, have we met?¡± Tilly asked hesitantly, feeling like he was missing something. ¡°Yeah! Back when I was an old Hag, you dolt!¡± She guffawed. That was enough to strike his memory, and a vague image of a female guard captain missing teeth came back to him. ¡°The quest reward made it down here?¡± Tilly asked astounded. ¡°Made it? God¡¯s damned wall of fire rolled down off the mountain like it was the End itself! Thought it was some old monster until we was hit and the notification popped up.¡± ¡°Fascinating¡­¡± Ichiro muttered, looking well past the Watch Captain to the group drinking from the other troughs, many of whom displayed the newly bestowed Flame''s Watch signifier above their heads. ¡°Any of us who stood against the Snakes and the rest got a class change. As for me, ¡®cause I made sure my whole town made it through that shit show of an invasion, the system said I had a ''Legendary contribution.'' Said I had earned me a ¡®Temporal Renewal¡¯¡± She said, emphasizing the syllables of each of the phrases, ¡°All that means is I got everything tightened back up to how it used to be, except the teeth of course¡­¡± she said, trailing off as she sucked at her gold teeth loudly. ¡°Excuse me, Captain,¡± Ichiro broke in, ¡°Would you speak to the others about reserving this corner for us in the mornings?¡± He asked, gesturing to the now open expanse of parade ground nearest to the group. ¡°Yes Sir,¡± She said sketching out a salute before turning to cast a baleful eye over her group. ¡°Almost everyone here was with me on the line. Most got the new class, the rest will head up in the morning, we was told the farmers get first priority¡­¡± ¡°Well it looks like you have this well in hand, do you mind if we use the space?¡± Ichiro asked politely. ¡°Fine by me, as long as you don''t mind us watching. They aren¡¯t gonna be worth two shits as soon as they realize who you are anyway. Might as well use it.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®use it¡¯?¡± Tilly asked. But she was already gone turning towards the other troughs and bellowing in that impressively loud voice. ¡°Alright, you stumble-footed idiots. Eyes up! Time to see what a couple of our elites can do! This here is the Human who is responsible for getting you your fancy new classes and with him is Lord Hiro¡¯s son, who by all accounts might be the best swordsman in this Alliance of ours!¡± She announced, gesturing grandly at the now-empty section of the field. B2 Ch. 12 Thats not Sparring Tilly tripped over his own feet as he followed Ichiro out to the middle of the section of the parade ground. He couldn''t help but look back at the group excitedly talking amongst themselves as the Captain stood off to the side smiling. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ichiro said, turning to face Tilly while resting an easy hand on the hilt of his sword. Tilly¡¯s eyes were drawn to the casual gesture like a magnet, ¡°Um, don¡¯t we need practice weapons or something?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ichiro responded simply, his expression open and honest as he rocked back on his heels in anticipation of the spar. ¡°Simply do your best to attack me. I believe I am more than skilled enough to handle anything you are currently capable of without your Abilities.¡± He said slowly, searching the human¡¯s face for the reason behind his hesitation. Tilly sighed and slowly pulled his hatchets out of their loops. Of course, these guys wouldn''t use practice weapons. It''s not like this is a HEMA convention. ¡°I guess live weapons make the most sense,¡± He grumbled to himself, stalking forward at a crouched walk trying not to let the natural fear of being stabbed show in his movements. Tilly had faced death and injury plenty of times. But charging in adrenalin pumping was one thing. Choosing to get stabbed for¡­ practice was something entirely different. He felt like a rookie all over again, nervously shifting his grip on his hatchets as he rushed forward, wanting to get the first exchange over with. Ichiro¡¯s face brightened once he saw Tilly move forward, but otherwise, his stance stayed completely relaxed. With a wince of anticipation, Tilly lunged forward swinging his hatchets from both directions in his signature close combat opener. He still felt like an imposter when it came to using the weapons, but he had developed a few internal rules over the last couple of weeks when it came to his weapons. Rule number one, if you have two weapons, try to swing them from two different directions. Ichiro stepped smoothly to the side and pulled his sword and scabbard out from his sash in one easy motion, knocking away the hatchet in Tilly¡¯s right hand and moving out of range of the other swing. Everything about his expression and seemingly effortless movement convinced Tilly that at least one of them knew what they were doing. Ichiro''s confidence loosened up Tilly¡¯s movements and he spun with the parry hoping to bring the struck hatchet back around toward Ichiro. But his plan was completely interrupted by an explosive blow across his back. The air burst from his lungs as he face-planted into the churned dirt. ¡°Shit, Ichiro! *Cough* Little harsh-¡± Tilly growled, pushing up from the ground, but he froze in his movement when Ichiro¡¯s blade whispered free and slid into the ground next to him, nicking the side of his neck. ¡°Very sorry, Jonathan Tillman, but your skills will only improve if you face bodily harm. I am afraid that each day, we will spar until you''re too injured to continue, and then break to allow you to regenerate.¡± He said, pulling the sword away slowly, finally having realized the reason for Tilly''s hesitance. He simply didn''t know what was required to raise a combat skill. Tilly could hear some of the men to the side sniggering, and he forced himself to drop into his meditative breathing as his blood began to boil at once again being caught off guard by the rules of this place. It would have been fucking nice to know he was signing up for a beatdown every day. But whatever¡­ better to learn lessons here where he would only be injured than out there where he would be killed for his ignorance. He groaned as he pushed back up to his feet and turned to face Ichiro who had once again sheathed his sword. ¡°OK. Does this sort of Skill leveling involve any pointers?¡± Tilly asked in a growl, touching his neck and looking at the blood that stained his hand. He was keeping his cool, and the slightly embarrassed look on Ichiro¡¯s face mollified him somewhat. ¡°Yes, but not tonight. Simply do everything you can to hit me, and you may use your weapons and Abilities to their full extent.¡± Ichiro replied, gesturing for them to continue. Tilly took a few rapid breaths, the anticipation of very real pain and injury spiking his chemical balance. He had thought he was pretty acclimated to how things were going to be here on Nephesh. But the juxtaposition of acceptable risk here versus back home was staggering. He had done endless live fire training evolutions where safety was king. Training in this world was more of a ¡®learn by doing¡¯ approach with only a modicum thought for safety. Then again, with most injuries able to heal up in an hour or two, it made sense in an unfortunate way. Well, time to nut up or shut up. If he was going to get his ass beaten, he might as well give it his all. His grip tightened on both the handles of his weapons before he whipped both hatchets at Ichiro as hard as he could, the close quarters only allowing them a single revolution before they each clanged against Ichiro¡¯s reflexively loosed sword. Tilly spun with the revolution of his second throw and called back the hatchets almost as soon as he heard the clanging parries. At this point, his axe-throwing skill was sufficient to allow him to immediately release again as he came around, no longer needing to consciously aim. Ichiro had not seen him do anything like this before and was kept momentarily busy deflecting the surprising follow-up throws. Hoping for this, Tilly was already diving forward after his fourth consecutive release, trying to squeeze his surprise opener for all it was worth. Ichiro¡¯s movements stayed smooth throughout, and his blade seemed to be in two places at once as he deflected both follow-up throws and brought his blade forward to ward off the charge. But it was just a fraction too slow as Tilly crashed into him. The blade bit into his shoulder, but through the pain, Tilly was already punching his right hand with his recalled hatchet into Ichiro¡¯s ribs.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The lapin folded over the thrust, dropping his elbow down on the blade and knocking it out of Tilly''s hand. Then the world rotated on its axis and Tilly was flying through the air, blood spraying from his shoulder. Ichiro had rolled back with the tackle lifting his leg simultaneously to kick Tilly''s chest in. He crashed to the ground and rolled over a few times, having lost his weapons in the maneuver. ¡°Uuugghhh,¡± Tilly moaned in pain, attempting to get back to his feet, while guarding both his chest and his actively bleeding shoulder. ¡°Very Good!¡± Ichiro exclaimed happily while wiping his blade clean of Tilly¡¯s blood and sheathing it. Even with his eyes hooded against the pain, Tilly spotted a small cut on the lapin¡¯s right elbow where he had knocked aside Tilly¡¯s weapon. A fierce smile slashed through the pain on Tilly¡¯s face. ¡°I aim to plea-Ugh!¡± Tilly winced, as he felt a vice squeeze down on his chest. ¡°Savage, with an uncanny feel for timing. With such little finesse and almost zero knowledge of the use of your weapons, you still managed to find some impressively effective combinations! You seem to favor throttling the initiative, forcing the conflict to go at your pace... This is good. It is no fluke that you have survived to this point.¡± Ichiro responded, ticking off the points on his lightly furred fingers as he considered Tilly''s downed form with a look of appreciation on his face. ¡°Looks like our Human knows how to take a lick or two boys!¡± Captain Achillia shouted goodnaturedly from the troughs. ¡°Careful Captain,¡± A new voice called from the other side of the section of the parade ground. ¡°I have seen him deliver a ''lick or two'' of his own. Most of us would probably fare the same against the Lord Ichiro here...¡± Tilly looked over to find Threstus approaching. His gait and posture remained unchanged, oozing feline grace and menace. His class however showed a surprising new feature Level 48 Three-Fold Bastion Commander. ¡°Oh, I was only joking Commander and you know it! I just want this lot to see that no matter how good you are, leveling Skills involves a beating or two!¡± The captain shouted back in mock outrage. Threstus nodded back at the reply and then waved the men at the troughs off, command evident in the gesture. Captian Achillia moved seamlessly with the implied command, ¡°Alright, Scum Sacks! Back on the field and in formation! You will never learn to fight if you can¡¯t even walk right!¡± She shouted, easily transitioning from spectator to officer. While she gathered up her group, Threstus finished approaching the pair, ¡°Just received word through Shuji from Lord Hiro. They have done a circuit and most of our boundary remains unchanged, except a new mouth at the other end of this valley where the river lets out.¡± He said, gesturing along the path of the river to the new break in the surrounding mountains. ¡°What does that change?¡± Tilly grunted through bruised ribs. ¡°They have spotted some combatants milling in the open landscape beyond the border of our protections. Currently, they seem to be moving very slowly toward our boundary to investigate. Hiro is going to leave the Boon area for as short a time as possible to collect intel on the probable enemy. In anticipation of his findings, we are directing 50% of our building efforts to the gap, it must be defensible as soon as possible.¡± He recited as if listing off what they were going to eat for dinner. ¡°Woah, I knew it would be happening fast, but a possible war so soon? This place is nuts.¡± Tilly sighed. ¡°Such is Nephesh. Stagnancy is death, and the system regulates the balance to make sure everything is always in flux. The whole Plane has evolved Epoch after Epoch, moving toward something. What that thing is¡­ not even the scholars know.¡± Ichiro added gravely, eyeing Tilly with consideration. ¡°Nonetheless, your mornings will remain unchanged, Tillman, although you will be sparring with others in addition to Ichiro as soon as we can get the Priestess down from the mountain. Perhaps in a few days. Not everyone can be as gentle as the young Lord and you will need her healing as sparring progresses¡­ as will others in this ragtag bunch soon.¡± Threstus said, eyeing Tilly¡¯s injuries critically, the barest hint of a smile playing around his eyes. ¡°Oh Fuck off!¡± Tilly growled swiping at the Commander with one of his hatchets. Threstus didn''t move as the blade cut the air half an inch in front of his face, only allowing his smile to burst forth unrestrained. ¡°Remember your spirit later this week, when I show you what true dual-wielding looks like.¡± He winked before turning and jogging off to catch another group commander and update them. ¡°He''s the new Bastion Commander huh? And I see the Bastions didn''t change much after the quest reward.¡± Tilly said, turning back to Ichiro, who was watching the new opening to the valley thoughtfully. ¡°When Linus appointed him earlier this week, they almost came to blows¡­ But it seems he is settling into the role. The Bastions will be essential as our flagship elite class. I am sure there are some significant internal changes, but it is good for our people that they will be able to keep the name.¡± He replied without turning his gaze away from the gap, his eyes roving all over the area tracing patterns no one else could see. While the lapin was still thinking, Tilly considered his Health and mana: Health: 76% Mana: 88% ¡°Ichiro, I have more in the tank if you are ready to keep going.¡± He ground out reluctantly, the bleeding from his shoulder already slowing. "Yes, I have a good feel for your initial style and I imagine not much changes when you include your powers. Range as you close distance and then inflict as much damage as you can while attempting to soak up any return damage¡­¡± He spoke, only giving Tilly half his attention. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. That sounds like what I have been doing so far.¡± Tilly answered, his face screwed up at the brief description of all his ¡®tricks¡¯. At his tone, the lapin finally looked away from where his father had set off, offering a conciliatory smile at Tilly, ¡°Do not worry. Effective and complicated are rarely synonymous. We will begin again tomorrow, and I will help you refine what you have already begun to develop. Variation can come after you master your typical combinations. You are not a duelist, facing countless skilled opponents one on one. We will focus on keeping you alive, and then build out your combat role from there.¡± Ichiro eyed the sky, now colored in rich shades of pink and purple, while the surrounding mountains cast long dark shadows on the valley and its inhabitants. ¡°Come, we will meditate, then eat and you will rest again, even if you are not tired. Shuji has cited important studies time after time to me that even though we can endure tiredness and hunger much better with increased stats, there are still consequences. Returns begin to diminish past a certain point, especially when we are cultivating something like Will. Today has offered us more than enough to consider. The longer you live here the more you will come to find that most combat is much more than numbers. You will meet some combatants that have barely mastered their Abilities, while others squeeze out every bit of potential from their builds. For warriors like them, levels can be extremely deceptive.¡± He said looking back from the darkening sky and into Tilly¡¯s eyes, the sudden ferocity of his stare slightly off-putting. ¡°You will be one such warrior before we are through, Jonathan Tillman, mark my words.¡± B2 Ch. 13 Padawan Tilly finished out that evening''s training by meditating... well, he tried to meditate. As he tried to find that same state of calm he had up on the mountain, he discovered that meditation on the edge of a parade ground hosting thousands of drilling recruits wasn¡¯t nearly as productive as his first attempt had been. He spent most of the time trying to maintain his breathing while chewing through the Alliance''s chances as a new Faction versus whatever the System was about to throw at them. Ichiro eventually called it a night once he noticed Tilly¡¯s face devolving from focused to disgruntled. He reached out to help Tilly up off the ground as Tilly tried not to scowl over at the noisy training that looked like it would continue well into the night. "Meditating in such environments will assist you in gaining the Battle Trance skill despite the short-term challenge they prove to be," Ichiro added, patting Tilly on the shoulder as he tried to shake off his dismal performance. "After earlier, I thought I could dive right back into it..." Tilly replied sheepishly. ¡°I highly doubt you will ever be a man who finds much comfort in silence¡­ So instead of training in seclusion, we will lean into your nature as a strength. Do not fight against your environment. Instead, let it wash through you, and as it passes, only quiet will remain.¡± Meditation out of the way, they had grabbed dinner and Tilly found his small shack newly sandwiched between two large timber walls. They now supported structures that dwarfed his room, yet no one had touched the spot that the lapins had reserved for him. With a rueful shake of his head, Tilly entered his new home and collapsed in bed, barely remembering to shut the door behind him. He had pushed himself through another day of radical changes, demanding that his battered psyche adapt once again as the stakes around him were raised to new heights. Lying there fully clothed, he desperately reached for unconsciousness, but some part of him stubbornly lingered in that place between waking and dreaming for a few more rebellious moments. He was changing, transforming into something totally different from what he had been, and too much of that change was happening beyond the boundaries of his comprehension. He floated in that in-between, where time spirals and space returns to its beginning. As he transitioned out of wakefulness, his whole consciousness joined together, allowing belief and identity to supersede flesh and blood for a moment. A faint musical note echoed through the space, ringing over him, marking his progress and sealing it over him. As his deeper consciousness rose to the surface, it attempted to follow the note to its source and saw a riot of color continuously bursting forth into wild patterns, reaching out to and through all things. Yet this song did not expand endlessly, it was surrounded by a crashing, hungry silence. Tilly''s deepest self watched as the screeching of a broken record twisted at the edges of the song, attempting to unravel it from the outside in just as it consumed him from the inside out. ¡­ 8 hours later. Tilly awoke to the industrious sounds of sawing and hammering just outside his thin walls. He rolled over, swallowing through the dryness in his mouth, and grinned as he found water and a simple meal of rice and eggs on a tray next to his bed. He chowed down and guzzled the water, before slipping out into the early morning to find that he was once again far from the first one up in the city. Everywhere he looked he saw people hurrying, but not in the same way he had seen in the capital during its final hours. The people he saw moving through the slowly filling streets, walked with purpose. Their slack looks of hopelessness had been replaced by determination and in some cases Tilly even saw eagerness to attack the day''s work. Carpenters were shouting at Masons to hurry and lay stone for foundations, while behind them fishermen hauled in early morning catches in heavily laden baskets. It was clear that the entirety of the Three-Fold Alliance knew about the Boons and was intent on getting as much out of them as possible. He hopped into the stream of people and headed through the burgeoning city to the parade grounds. His pace increased to a jog almost subconsciously as the energy of the surrounding populace lightened his steps. Minutes later he arrived at the agreed corner of the parade ground to find Ichiro already kneeling in meditation. Tilly¡¯s face unknowingly turned down in a frown as he hurried over to take a position opposite the lapin in the dawning light of the day. Ichiro¡¯s breathing remained unchanged, but a small smile tweaked the corners of his mouth as Tilly studiously got into the breathing pattern and began to focus intently on his visualized flame. Soldiers trickled onto the field around them, clanking along in unfamiliar gear. They cursed their own clumsiness and teased each other in turn, preparing for another intense day of training. Tilly breathed in their presence and breathed it out again. Taking Ichiro¡¯s words to heart, he tried letting all the sensory input he was receiving move through him instead of trying to wall it out. Commanders began bellowing out orders and harassing any stragglers. Formations were established, and drills began. Nearby someone tripped and the sound of a dusty thunk reached Tilly. His right leg began to cramp and the annoying muscular pinch demanded his attention for a long few minutes. All these things and more flooded Tilly¡¯s senses, and he did his best to take them in and let them go again, trying to find that deeper place he had touched in front of the temple. But his flickering flame had only grown a small amount by the time Ichiro broke their meditation, ¡°That is enough for now, Jonathan Tillman, I can tell you are improving tremendously.¡± ¡°Yeah, not sure about that.¡± Tilly snarked as he got to his feet and shook out his sleeping lower extremities. ¡°What was found, can be found again. Do not be disappointed that all of your progress is not blindingly fast.¡± The lapin admonished, his stern expression looking out of place on his relatively young face. Or maybe he just looked young when Tilly compared him to his father, who seemed to be made out of granite marked by the long lines of the burden of leadership. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The younger lapin''s stern look, however, remained until Tilly relented, ¡°Oh, Alright! I just hate the thought that I¡¯m doing less than I could be.¡± Tilly sighed, rolling his shoulders, and loosening his back. The lapin nodded in solemn understanding before stepping back a few feet and clearing his throat, ¡°Now as your skill advances, your footing, hand placement, and form will all improve incrementally. Our best understanding of skill leveling is that as you take steps toward improving your natural capability in an area, the System supplements that improvement. So, for every level you advance a skill, you must take a significant step forward on your own, and the system adds to that improvement with a portion of its vast store of experiential knowledge. Knowledge gathered throughout the many Epochs this Land has seen.¡± Ichiro lectured, clearly reciting much of this by rote, and if Tilly didn¡¯t miss his guess, he knew exactly who Ichiro¡¯s tutor had been. Tilly broke into the lecture with what he hoped was a clarifying question, ¡°But that is not the whole story with Martial skills. The System will not ¡®supplement¡¯ improvements there without you facing serious risk¡­Why is that?¡± ¡°Excellent question! It is actually for our benefit.¡± Ichiro answered excitedly, choosing not to pick up on the slight whine that may or may not have entered Tilly''s voice at the tail end of the question. ¡°Can you imagine what the truly powerful would be able to do if they could advance such skills in the safety of their strongholds? Power would be perpetuated endlessly without challenge or change.¡° He continued passionately, ¡°No, even the inheritors and great powers of this world must put themselves at risk to advance. In fact, the kind of training we are doing here would not typically be enough to significantly grow your skills, due to your knowledge of the non-lethality of our encounters. But with the boon in place, this loss is balanced out. Giving us the luxury of advancing our capability as combatants without risking our lives.¡± At this point, Ichiro¡¯s expression was so enthusiastic that Tilly almost felt bad about the dread that was once again building internally at the thought of being cut and stabbed for a couple of hours. ¡°The only thing that will not improve with this training is your sense of what will be effective against different enemies. In this, you already have good instincts, but we will sharpen you as much as possible over the next weeks until you are operating at the full potential of your build.¡± He concluded, his gaze growing more serious as his hand moved to rest ominously on his sword. ¡°Now, I want you to try the same opening strike you used against me initially yesterday. I will respond by countering exactly how I did last time¡­ anticipate my movements and see if you can¡¯t produce a different result.¡± ¡­ The rest of the morning was a slog of painful repetition, as Tilly grew familiar with just how fast and capable Ichiro was with his sword, drawn or sheathed. They moved through the same close combat opener and his method for closing the gap on any enemy who had a counter for his ranged throws. Ichiro struck Tilly with numerous painful but superficial cuts, stabbed him a few times, and even broke Tilly¡¯s hip. Every injury was a shock to Tilly¡¯s system and kept him on a razor edge every time he reset to face the calm swordsman. Every couple of exchanges, Ichiro would send Tilly to rest for ten to twenty minutes or until he was capable of full range of motion. Even with Ichiro''s occasional slips into distracted, far-off staring, it was still a brutal lesson in combat. The lapin¡¯s inborn battle reflexes were more than enough to match Tilly even when he was disadvantaged by his condition. In one of these exchanges, when Ichiro¡¯s face suddenly went slack, Tilly swore Ichiro''s sword jerked the lapin''s arm into a fanning block that intercepted both of his strikes without its wielder even realizing what had happened. By the end of the session, Tilly found himself unable to repeat his feat of surprise from yesterday. Hundreds of blows taken and not a single one given in return... It was grueling, both mentally and physically. It reminded Tilly of some of the hardest gear workouts he had ever done; 75lbs of wet protective equipment doing its best to drag him into the ground as he carried dummies, climbed stairs and advanced a charged hose. That level of physicality, but with the abrasive mental element of facing constant injury from a violent opponent. Tilly¡¯s fight-or-flight instinct took a beating along with his body suffering from decades of peacetime living. Even his close familiarity with the pressures of a life-and-death profession fell far short of what he needed to develop to survive in this world of subsonic sword strikes and fists that could break through stone walls. When Ichiro called an end to the spar, Tilly was unconsciously flinching away any time Ichiro brought his sword around to bear, his battered subconscious barely coping with the trauma. With the sun sitting high in the sky, Ichiro considered his student''s state carefully, measuring opportunities for further progress against risk, ¡°That is enough for today. I believe continuing will do more harm than good.¡± He finally said, sheathing his sword, and bowing to Tilly, ¡°You have shown incredible resilience for one new to this world, I am honored by your courage.¡± He declared coming up from his bow with something more solemn replacing his typical serene expression. ¡°Thanks¡­ That means a lot, actually.¡± Tilly replied attempting to slide his hatchets into their loop several times before actually getting them in. ¡°Make sure to drink some water before you start meditating. I want you to take time to feel your way around the mental and emotional obstacles you are facing,¡± he said, his eyes softening, even as his tone remained heavy. Tilly nodded along absently, moving slowly towards the water troughs as a limp in his right leg slowly resolved itself, the pain fading but its memory still affecting his movements mentally. He absently cupped the water in his hands and splashed it over his face and sweat-soaked hair. As his mental fog began to clear he opened his blinking notification log to a sea of detailed injury logs. Wincing, he mentally invoked the damage notification filter once again, leaving only the numeric evidence of his progress.
Beginner Hatchet Level 12 > Level 14 Dual-Wielding (Hatchets) Level 8 > Level 11 Axe Throwing Level 15 > Level 16
A thrum of satisfaction reverberated through the numbness that accompanied continuous trauma. The whispers telling him to give up, to ask for a break, or even to run away were ruthlessly smothered by the proof of some sort of improvement. If he could show similar gains over the next weeks of training, he would more than double his current martial skill levels. It wasn¡¯t just his skill levels going up, he felt himself gaining a better understanding of the flow of combat itself. Sure, he hadn¡¯t been able to come up with meaningful counters to the lapin¡¯s speed or skill, but over the course of the morning, he had slowly developed a certain feel for where to attack. Instead of mindlessly following his skills'' guidance, he found himself actively looking for the most effective places to push and mentally noting where it would be pointless to attempt a strike. As those three notifications glowed in front of him, he squeezed every bit of hope and encouragement he could from them. He would do this again tomorrow... and the day after¡­ However many days it took, he would do what he had to. They all had to become stronger if they wanted to survive... He had to survive and he had to get the Corrupted Seed out of him, Whatever it took. B2 Ch. 14 To Fight Death. Set ablaze with proof that all this was making a difference, he took a few steps away from the troughs and settled into his meditative pose. Anchoring his thoughts on Ichiro''s guidance from the day before he began to accept the input trickling in from his surroundings. After a while, the input from his senses fuzzed into white noise and he shifted to accepting whatever emotions began to rise up in the space of his quieting mind. Everything he had endured and everything he had yet to face... it was all fuel. Its passing would change him, form him into something new, and he did not know exactly what it was that he was becoming... but he accepted that too. While he did not sink any deeper into his consciousness, something that Ichiro had said earlier pinged at the back of his mind, and he gently unfolded the morning''s events, replaying the two combat scenarios Ichiro had led them through. The events came to him with startling clarity, and he found himself once again thrust into the visceral realities of combat as he allowed the memories to wash over him. At some points, he couldn¡¯t help but flinch as his mind relived each strike and thrust in terrifying detail. It had to be the system augmenting whatever it thought the seven levels Tilly had in Meditation were worth. Refusing to miss the chance this new ability afforded, he forced himself to experience the whole morning again, step by step. He needed to understand what was happening in their combat exchanges on a deeper level. He didn''t have time to put in thousands of hours learning the intimacy of combat, so he needed to squeeze every drop out of the opportunities he had. Each time the memory of a painful strike tried to scatter his focus, he fought not to pull away, attempting to take in every lesson the pain was there to teach. Several cuts along his right shoulder enumerated in great detail that he was overreaching with his right-handed attacks. Brutal strikes against his turned-back told him that spinning in front of a faster opponent was idiotic. Slowly, the painfully immersive review of his morning training session deepened his understanding of the advantages and shortcomings of his combat style. Right now, he was ''shock and awe''. Take the initiative with surprise and depend on the bonuses he got from his Mantle to try to out-damage his target. Trying to go toe to toe with an experienced opponent over any length of time, especially one who was not Corrupted would be suicide for him without a party. These truths became crystal clear to him, even as he slowly purged the trauma from his psyche. He was so focused on squeezing out these insights that he didn¡¯t even notice the flame before him anymore. Yet every pain accepted and lesson learned was fed unconsciously into that fire, causing it to grow more intense. Even as he did something as simple as replaying a recent memory, the deeper places of his consciousness slowly dragged him down out of time and into the realities of the building blocks of his soul. In, Hold, Out, Hold. He was learning to be deeply present as his external and internal worlds were slowly experienced, processed, and integrated. Breath by breath the morning''s painful, and at times traumatic lessons were integrated into the underpinnings of consciousness, slowly solidifying his undiscovered core beliefs. At some point in the process, even the sharp memories of the morning training session faded away, and there was only the Flame and his Will, growing incrementally more intense as he sunk deeper. He didn''t have to tough this training out. He didn''t have to ignore the physical and mental toll such a grueling regimen inevitably took on his mind. That is what old Tilly would have done. He had spent a lifetime running from pain, shoving down fear, and moving forward. Doing so had demanded insidiously little of him in the moment, and exacted a terrible price over a lifetime. Get a little harder. Get in, do your job, get out. Don¡¯t stop moving, don''t let it catch up. He was beginning to understand the enormity of the trauma he had held back over the decades. It was like an ocean that threatened to drown him, held back by the cinderblocks of his own slowly calcifying heart. To feel was to crumble, and behind that wall, swimming in his ocean of pain like a shark, was Corruption. What could he do? To destroy the wall was to lose control, to invite in the beast. To his shock, he even began to see cracks where facing his demons internally had begun to let some of that fear and pain through- A voice shattered his focus, tearing through the parade ground in panic, ¡°HUMAN! Where is the Human!!¡± It demanded as Tilly''s eyes snapped open, looking for its source. ¡°Lord Hiro is hurt and needs the human now!¡± The voice continued to call. Ichiro was already looking toward the messenger, deep concern written all over his face. Tilly followed his eyes to find the nearest drilling formation pointing in their direction for a panicked guardsman. Then Ichiro''s eyes flicked back to a space near Tilly only to have Threstus arrive there in a blur, skidding to a stop in the spot Ichiro had anticipated. His face was grim, ¡°I just got the news, and I¡¯m heading to get the priestess. Lord Hiro returned covered in wounds, and many of them are infested with Corrupted.¡± As soon as Ichiro nodded in acknowledgment, Threstus blurred off. Tilly didn''t wait, but leaped to his feet running toward the messenger, who caught his approach and turned to lead, running ahead, If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Come! The Wardens sent me, he is at the other end of the parade grounds!¡± Groups of soldiers quickly moved aside as the guardsman and Tilly ran through. Ichiro pulled ahead of them in the first ten seconds and was already kneeling next to Nyuk and Kuro when Tilly and the guardsman arrived less than half a minute later. Tilly baseball slid next to Ichiro, as Kuro explained in a rush. ¡°There were already things coming to investigate us by the time we arrived at the gap with Lord Hiro last night. Their ability to move seemed slow to our augmented perception, but there was a group of at least thirty-¡± ¡°They were called, Corrupted Strigoi, all around level 35 and they were led by a level 75 Strigoi Consumer.¡± Nyuk cut in. ¡°They would have been able to enter the Boon area before we could have returned with more forces. So Lord Hiro commanded us to watch and report whatever happened while he went out to meet them.¡± ¡°Lord Hiro was Incredible!¡± Kuro shouted, before looking down and choking out a sob. ¡°He unleashed some attacks unlike anything I had ever seen at the bastards and many never even made it to him. Then the leader turned and tried to flee, but Lord Hiro chased, taking many wounds to make sure no word of our disposition left the field. The rest of the smaller ones mobbed him as he chased the Consumer and cut him down.¡± Nyuk continued. While they had been talking, Ichiro had removed much of his father¡¯s armor, revealing numerous bites and tears on the Lapin¡¯s body. Far too many of the areas showed the familiar black veiny signs of Corruption. Hiro¡¯s breathing was shallow and had slowed down to less than 5 breaths a minute. This was worse than what they had seen from the Naga¡¯s poison in the city. Even as his mind cataloged the wounds, Tilly began to kindle his Flame¡¯s Renewal ability deep in his chest. As it activated, he fought to hold it back and build the intensity of the flame even further. Tilly didn''t know if the limits placed on the ability were for the target''s protection or not, but he did know what an imminent death looked like. Lord Hiro only had a few minutes left. He held his breath, fighting to increase the intensity of the ability without changing its nature. Then, just before he felt it start to deform into something different entirely, he exhaled explosively, sweeping the trajectory of his breath down the length of Hiro¡¯s body making sure to leave no wound unaccounted for. The invisible magic of Flame¡¯s Renewal left Tilly''s lungs and immediately burst into blue and white flames, showering Hiro''s form. At the sight of the white flame, Ichiro¡¯s eyes flicked up to Tilly, before nodding in thanks and focusing back on his father. Tilly began to wince, as unlike in its typical iteration, the ability began to burn across the surface of the lapin¡¯s skin causing physical damage. Damage that the lapin could hardly afford. The tongues of flame flickered and danced as they honed in on the infected wounds and began to sink into the putrifying flesh, hungrily chasing and rooting out the infection. The sizzling pop of seared meat rose from the wounds and they all watched as Corruption and Flame spent themselves in mutual destruction. By the time it was through, the wounds were completely cleared of infection, but the Lapin''s skin was left molted and rippling in the places where the flame had rested. Perhaps most disturbingly of all, Hiro hadn¡¯t reacted once as his body was set temporarily aflame. *Cough* ¡°Doesn¡¯t anyone have a health potion?¡± Tilly whispered out through a scorched throat. ¡°No, Jonathan Tillman. We never had many and those that we did have were all used in the fighting to protect our people¡¯s escape.¡± Ichiro whispered back, searching the air around his father for some sign of hope, as Hiro¡¯s breathing slowed to intermittent shallow gasps. Tilly reached over to the lapin¡¯s wrist and felt for a pulse. Radial pulse absent. Hiro suddenly took a long shuddering breath and then stilled. ¡°Oh, Goddess!¡± Kuro moaned, Tilly immediately slid into position near Hiro''s chest, putting a hand to the carotid and watching for any signs of chest rise¡­ Nothing and nothing. ¡°Ichiro, I don''t know if this will work in this world, but we are going to try,¡± Tilly said forcefully through his parched throat. ¡°When I say so, close your father''s nose and breathe deeply into his mouth, twice.¡± The Lapin¡¯s head whipped around to him and nodded swiftly before shuffling into a ready position near his father¡¯s head. Tilly doubled up his palms over the base of Hiro¡¯s sternum and began to pump his chest. As rote as these motions were in Tilly¡¯s muscle memory, he was immediately thrown off by the inflexibility of Hiro¡¯s ribs. Of course, this tough motherfucker must have a bunch of points in Endurance. Tilly bore down with all of his Strength and finally felt his sternum and bottom few ribs pop out of place. After that, with much more force than normal, Tilly was able to get into rhythm and compress Hiro¡¯s Heart. At thirty compressions, he called for Ichiro to breathe, the lapin complied immediately, while more and more soldiers crowded around the scene. Tilly kept pumping until he hit another thirty, at this point covered in sweat from the effort of attempting to compress the Lapin¡¯s heart through the tough protection of his magically enhanced bone structure. ¡°Breath again Ichiro, and everyone else, Shut UP!¡± Tilly yelled at the murmuring crowd. Ichiro puffed two full breaths into his father¡¯s mouth, and Tilly confirmed the chest rising along with lung movement before he reached up and felt for a pulse. He held his breath¡­ Nothing. ¡°Ichiro, I have seen someone come back after fifteen rounds of this back on my plane! We are not going to giv-¡± BOOM! An explosion ripped open the space behind Tilly flinging him forward and scattering the crowd behind him in all directions. Tilly rolled with the force of the blast and came to his knees as he turned to face whatever had just hit them from behind, both hands holding his hatchets. Standing there, wreathed in blue flames was Erash. Tilly didn''t know how she had gotten here so fast, but he sagged in relief when her eyes zeroed in on Hiro''s prone form and she rushed forward bringing her staff to bear. Her eyes flashed and she muttered an incantation as blue flame flowed from her staff and washed over the lapin''s body. When nothing changed, she cursed under her breath and started again, this time her voice carrying something far deeper. The words were incomprehensible to Tilly, but just hearing them caused his teeth to ache and his eyes to water. The air surrounding the Priestess and Hiro began to thrum with power as the flame on her staff flashed in rhythm with the heavy syllables of her words. Ichiro ignored all of it, still watching his father with fierce concentration. Then there was a green flash and the packed ground under Hiro loosened, turning darker and richer. It shook and moved like a living thing, reaching up and pulling the lapin into its embrace, fully covering him in fresh loamy soil, which immediately sprouted wildflowers. All eyes went to the Priestess who sagged against her staff, her spell finished. B2 Ch. 15 Drastic Decisions. A stunned silence choked the area around where Hiro had been lying just moments before. Almost everyone stared down in shock at what now looked disturbingly like a well-kept grave. Even the whispered questions of those at the edges of the crowd who couldn¡¯t quite see hushed as the weight of the moment settled over the parade ground. For her part, Erash continued to gasp in lung-fulls of air like a swimmer coming up after a long dive. Her hands clutched white-knuckled to her staff and lines creased around her eyes as she watched the mound of freshly turned dirt. Then Threstus arrived in a blur, standing next to the Priestess, obviously only now catching up to her. ¡°Wow, you can really move when you want-¡± He started before breaking off as he took in the surrounding mood. ¡°What did I miss?¡± He asked his voice turning serious, as his eyes inevitably found the mound of dirt. The shock was broken by the question and the surrounding crowd started yelling in outrage and confusion. In response, Ichiro shot to his feet in a smooth dangerous motion, his hand on his sword as his eyes followed all sorts of unseen paths entering in and out of the dirt mound. Something powerful was happening there, and Tilly gasped an inhalation of his own as he realized he had been holding his breath in anticipation of¡­ something. ¡°WHAT DID SHE DO!¡± Voices yelled out through the angry milling crowd. ¡°WHAT HAPPENED TO LORD HIRO?¡± ¡°ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?¡± More and more started to join in the yelling. ¡°Calm Yourselves!¡± Ichiro shouted in a low, intense voice, his eyes continuing to trace patterns leading off in multiple directions from his father¡¯s mound. ¡°This woman is one of us! She is the new High Priestess of the God of the mountain. He is the one many of you have to thank for your new classes!¡± He followed, finally looking up from the almost manic pattern tracing his eyes had been absorbed in. The crowd quieted in response to his command, and Ichiro turned toward the Priestess and stated in a calm respectful voice, ¡°I see that he yet remains with us. But as I watch, his core pattern is being altered. Please explain what is happenening.¡± The immutable peace of Ichiro''s deep meditative state lent a gentle and polite tone to his voice, but Tilly didn¡¯t miss the fact that his hand had remained resting on his sword when he turned to the Priestess. Erash looked up from her vigil, almost as if she had not heard any of the voices until this point. Her face somehow took on a weight and maturity far beyond its youthful beauty as she considered Ichiro¡¯s question. The weight surrounding the pair suddenly doubled as their eyes met, before dissipating just as quickly as it had come. Erash nodded in acknowledgment of whatever had just passed between them and answered, ¡°Hiro was facing a stacking Debuff called Corrupted Vampiric Infection. I have never seen it in person, but it simultaneously removes a target''s regen and Turns the target once they reach zero health. This Debuff is not unheard of, but it was far more powerful than it should have been at this level. The Corruption had been cleared, but the rest of the effects of the debuffs refused to be cleansed¡­¡± She trailed off, looking back down at the grave, before continuing ¡°When I got here and read his recent damage log, I saw that almost all of the infection had been cleared, and his health had moved up and down between .25% and .5% for over 90 cycles.¡± Her eyes rose to Tilly from the dirt mound, sharpening in interest once again, ¡°I immediately cleansed the remainder of the Debuffs and attempted healing, but something blocked my attempt at regeneration. It felt to me, like trying to heal someone who had already passed beyond our plane¡­ Something I cannot yet accomplish. So with no options left and a patient on the brink of death, I chose to do something ¡­drastic.¡± At this point in her explanation, her words flowed forth more hesitantly as the lines on her face softened back to something younger and less self-assured. Tilly was left with the impression that he was listening to a teenager explain why they had broken curfew instead of the highest leveled entity in the Alliance. Ichiro nodded along, unsurprised at the state his father had been in when she arrived, ¡°This drastic choice¡­ it is better than death, yes? I see much of what makes up my father still there but there are significant things being added as well.¡± He added, encouraging her to continue. ¡°Yes, I hesitate to speak of this because it is part of my people¡¯s inheritance. But I chose this course, and I will see it through; In my lands, when a warrior makes a sacrifice of sufficient substance to protect the Land, they become eligible for a very particular ritual. I saw it as I was looking for anything else I could do to halt Hiro¡¯s decline. The ritual called to me-¡± ¡°A moment please,¡± Threstus interrupted politely before turning to the crowd, many of whom were straining to hear. ¡°Lord Hiro will be just fine! Our Priestess took care of it. Now off with you! All unit commanders gather your groups and return to drilling! We begin line work and combat forms today whether you are ready or not!¡± His sudden and loud shouting hit and dispersed the surrounding soldiers like magic. Kuro and Nyuk remained behind, sitting back on their haunches at a respectful distance, watching for any change in their Lord. Once the whole of the audience had dispersed, Tilly followed Ichiro to his feet, and re-instigated the conversation,You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°So whatever you did, it kept him from dying. That has to be good, right?¡± Tilly inquired, brushing the dirt from his knees. ¡°That is correct¡­¡± She answered, still struggling to find a way to describe the ritual in terms that were honest but not too revealing. ¡°I have seen my¡­ mother perform this same ritual once, for an Entkin who had fought back an Ogre incursion at the mouth of a canyon on our borders. He held until our forces arrived and was little less than a husk by the end of the battle. My mother arrived in time to perform a version of what I just did and the Entkin was restored, even advancing a tier in the process. But there is a price¡­¡± She said, looking down from Ichiro¡¯s face to the ground where the Land had taken Hiro into its embrace. ¡°Hiro is currently undergoing a transformation into a Guardian Entity for this Faction''s portion of the Land. So yes, he will still be alive, but not in the same way he was before. He will never sire any other children, nor will he need to eat or sleep.¡± She continued her voice dropping as she delivered the cost of the ritual. ¡°Will his mind be altered?¡± Ichiro broke in a little more sharply than his previous inquiry. ¡°No, although he will be tied deeply to this portion of the Land and invested in its growth. He will no longer be able to level. Instead, his abilities will compound as this Faction and its influence increase. His power is now directly tied to the weight and density your nation has on the spiritual fabric of Nephesh. Finally, as long as your nation''s Sovereign Crystal remains intact, no wound can kill him, defeat will only place him in a slumber until the damage is restored.¡± She then sighed, ¡°At least I suspect this will be the case, I had not anticipated the change my own powers had undergone with my new class and obligations. It does not feel like any negative alterations were added to the ritual, but it was not the same one I learned under my mother¡¯s tutelage.¡± Ichiro took the news with a thoughtful frown, while Threstus processed the costs and benefits in a more pragmatic manner. ¡°Ichiro, forgive me if I am overstepping. But this sounds like something your father would have chosen for himself if given the chance¡­ It gives us one more edge in protecting our emergence into the conflict of Nephesh, which seems to have become more perilous than ever before.¡± he suggested softly, finding the Lapin¡¯s eyes and showing none of his characteristic sarcasm. Ichiro took a deep breath at Threstus¡¯ statements and nodded in thanks to the Bastion Commander. ¡°A similar thought had crossed my mind as well.¡± He said slowly, coming to terms with the turn of events that none of them had anticipated happening this early in the process of their Faction''s establishment. Throughout Erash¡¯s explanation, a war of emotions had moved through Tilly. When faced with the prospect of Hiro¡¯s death, he had moved back into the toolset he had employed thousands of times in his old life. It had all come back to him so easily and while it hadn¡¯t ¡®worked¡¯ it had seemed to have made enough of a difference that they wouldn''t be losing the leathery old samurai any time soon. Then the whole conversation was interrupted as Linus arrived at a jog, having just received the news. Some minutes were spent catching him up and all four of them immediately started planning the next steps to secure the gap and await Hiro¡¯s return. Instead of joining in, Tilly''s eyes wandered to his flashing notification log,
Congratulations! You have just averted a fatal debuff without using any mana or abilities! You have learned the skill First Aid. First Aid - Using a combination of your knowledge of the internal composition of living beings, medical techniques, and basic aid supplies, you are able to neutralize or even clear negative Debuffs. Your interventions add a +n% multiplier to your target''s inherent healing ability. ¡°n¡± being your level in this skill. Your First Aid level has increased! Adjusting for previous experience¡­ First Aid level 1. First Aid level 2¡­ First Aid level 35
It may have been childish, but the validation of such a high skill level given for what had been a career spanning decades filled him with satisfaction. He might not be able to heal, but hell if he was going to let someone around him die if he could help it. In fact, the similarity between this skill and his old career actually imparted a level of comfort with the prospect of playing that sort of role in parties when necessary. Maybe this could be a key to rounding out his build when he ran out of Mana. Something more akin to a specialized paladin than a pure tank or mage DPS. There were some things he couldn¡¯t do anything about. But to have this tool back in his belt and acknowledged by the System meant a lot to Tilly. His vision may even have begun to grow blurry before he wiped the stray speck of dust from his eyes and brought his attention back to the matters at hand. Tilly¡¯s moment went unnoticed as the four in the background finalized the temporary plans in light of recent events, ¡°I¡¯ll dispatch half the bastions to the gap now to guard the work party we have heading that way this afternoon. We need a trench as soon as possible, and stone behind that over the course of the next weeks. Our small community of dwarves reported another strange encounter with that woman in black yesterday as she left our land. She pointed them to an ancient collapsed quarry and mine on the other side of the mountain. We should be able to move that stone to the gap using the river starting as early as tomorrow, I know the dwarves are ecstatic to get moving.¡± Linus listed out, summarizing their next steps. Tilly continued to only half listen to the logistical details as he watched a breeze stir the grasses and flowers sprouting in the spot Hiro had laid. Then he realized that he hadn¡¯t felt any air moving as he watched the plants begin to sway. ¡°Guys!¡± he called over, ¡°Something is happening!¡± The other four came over in a flash as the freshly turned dirt began to move along with the plants, shivering and swaying. Then like the classic scene from any first act of a zombie movie, Hiro¡¯s hand burst forth from the ground reaching up to the sky in a grasping motion. B2 Ch. 16 Preparations Ichiro was there in a flash, grasping his Father¡¯s hand and heaving him out of the ground. The elder Samurai turned Guardian exploded up in a shower of dirt, stumbling forward into the arms of his son. Ichiro held him there for a long second, before Hiro pulled away gently, and looked around at the small audience. As he met their eyes, the dirt shivered off from him all at once, revealing a Hiro that was much the same figure they had just seen buried with one main difference. Guardian Daimyo of the Three-Fold Alliance. Hiro¡¯s armor and sword remained untouched as did his characteristic hard-eyed stare. Except now it was more than just a facial expression. That flat look was now augmented by eyes formed from the same green gemlike substance that made up the Sovereign Crystal¡¯s structure. They were intense, glowing with an internal light that was visible even under the noonday sun. Because of them, it took Tilly a moment to notice the other, more subtle change. The parts of his lightly furred skin that weren¡¯t covered in armor now displayed an intricate network of markings that depicted dancing flames. Hiro looked down at his hands, before making a gesture and taking on that distant middle look of someone checking their screens. They all watched him, wanting to give him time to adjust to his new reality. The silence however stretched slightly too long, and Tilly couldn¡¯t help but try and break the tension, ¡°Looks good on you Hiro!¡± He tried cheerily, gesturing up and down at the lapin¡¯s body and interrupting his reading. The Samurai stared back at him implacably for a long uncomfortable moment, but Tilly might have caught a glint in those crystalline eyes at his gratingly awkward joke. ¡°Father, how are you feeling?¡± Ichiro followed up in the wake of Tilly''s interruption. The newly christened Guardian Daimyo flicked his eyes down in a dismissal of his screens and turned formally to the Priestess. His voice at last emerging in all its baritone glory, ¡°I owe you a debt. I spent my life willingly to buy time for my people and you have given it back to us along with a great gift.¡± He said, emphasizing his words of appreciation with a deep bow. She surprised Tilly by bowing even deeper in return, ¡°The Land has chosen you, warrior. May the ground beneath your feet grow rich with the blood of our enemies, Guardian.¡± She replied with equal gravity, her response ringing with some small portion of the power that had echoed through her voice when she had cast the ritual earlier. Hiro nodded finding the words a fitting response, and turned back to Ichiro and Tilly, his crystalline stare contrasting oddly with Ichiro¡¯s all-white gaze. ¡°Thank you both.¡± He said, gesturing down at the ground where he had recently laid. ¡°I was not taken against my will. The¡­ Land offered me a choice. My bond for some of its power. I accepted eagerly. This is another chance to see my duty to my people fulfilled, and refused to let it pass me by.¡± ¡°Are you still¡­ yourself?¡± Ichiro asked in a low, concerned voice. ¡°The bond I have taken is rooted in my desire to protect this place at all costs. I can never again leave the boundary of our people. In exchange, I will persist as long as they do, growing in power along with the Alliance.¡± Then taking special care to look Ichiro in his equally off-putting eyes he continued, ¡°I am Hiro Matsumoto, Fourth Lord in Exile, and now Guardian Daimyo of the Three-Fold Alliance. She has laid no additional bond on me, I do not think the power she now channels would have allowed it even if she wanted.¡± ¡°He is correct.¡± Erash broke in, pulling their eyes over to her. ¡°I lost access to several of my more suggestive abilities when I took this office. In their place, much of my remaining build has been empowered and geared toward Purification and Renewal. While in this role, my power keeps me from laying any Geas.¡± At her words, Ichiro nodded to himself, and Threstus laid a friendly hand on Linus¡¯ shoulder quipping, ¡°Thank the Gods you are still fit for duty Hiro, I don¡¯t think our Consul here can take any more paperwork.¡± Linus¡¯ thoughtful frown turned into a stormy scowl as he struck out like lightning swinging a closed fist at the offending arm like he meant it. Threstus snatched his arm back a mite too slowly, rolling with the blow but not avoiding it altogether. Then continuing as if nothing had happened, Linus returned to verbally walking them through the plan of attack, ¡°Lord Hiro, the stone should start arriving tomorrow, and half our workforce is shifting to the wall project starting this afternoon. The Commander here will hold half the bastions back to continue training our forces. I want to send the other half with you to hold the pass until we have fortifications in place. We can send regular updates on other progress, but this seems paramount.¡± ¡°That is acceptable, I will leave Nyuk and Kuro here to gather any volunteers for the Rangers and begin their training under Threstus. None of our enemies escaped our first encounter, but they know there has been a Shift as well as we, and when none return from their first investigative party, more will come. With the Boon, we have a chance to be ready, but I expect some sort of response in the coming hours, their time. Once our presence is confirmed, if they mean to come against us in force, then we will undoubtedly be facing a fully mobilized force when the Boon expires.¡± ¡°What about me? Does this change what I should be doing?¡± Tilly asked, ready to post up with Hiro and rain down fire on the new foes. ¡°Jonathan Tillman, your task remains the same. Increase your survivability and do what you can to find the next Origin Facet.¡± Hiro remarked curtly, before turning to Ichiro, Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°We need to be sending patrols along the mountains and forests on the rest of our border. I am sending you to oversee this. We will rotate in others for sparring as duty allows to offer Jonathan Tillman a variety of challenges. I trust you have laid a sufficient foundation.¡± At that, Ichiro smiled, ¡°He has done very well and consider it done.¡± ¡°Oh, I have the perfect starting partner for him!¡± Threstus broke in, still rubbing his shoulder where Linus had struck a glancing blow. ¡°He isn¡¯t much use in the beginning parts of training anyway.¡± He continued, eyeing Tilly with a shit-eating grin. Tilly winked at him in response, doing his best to cover over the sudden shiver that ran up his spine at the ominous proclamation. ¡°Sounds like I should start spending the mornings down here?¡± Erash asked with a quirk of her manicured eyebrow. ¡°That would be our preference, your services will be needed soon,¡± Linus answered respectfully, ¡°We have some interested in testing themselves at the Crystal to see if they qualify for any priest classes. If any are accepted by the Sovereign Crystal and our new Patron, we would like you to see to their training as well.¡± ¡°I look forward to it, Consul.¡± She said, adding only the slightest emphasis on the class name, before turning and walking away. ¡°Well, if that''s all, I have a mess of unruly candidates here that need to at least know how to hold a weapon before another war gets well and truly started," Threstus stated crisply before turning in the opposite direction of the High Priestess and moving back toward the drilling soldiers. At that, as if by some unspoken signal, the others nodded, waved, or simply turned, all moving toward their separate duties and Tilly found himself standing alone looking around the parade ground like he had missed something. ¡°So no training advice, huh?¡± He asked the empty air. Then, not wanting to seem lost, he rested his hands on his weapons and wandered over to the water troughs to do some thinking. Part of him appreciated the freedom that they were entrusting to him. But if he was being honest, another part of him found being wholly in charge of his time daunting. In some ways, he had spent his whole life moving from one emergency to another, now he was being invited to prepare in whatever way he thought was best. He was sure there would be a follow-up threat to the border soon. But until then, he wanted to put in as much time as possible strengthening skills he already had. He pulled up the Skills list and gave it a hard look, trying to decide what would increase survivability and what was just novel fluff for now. Skills: -Forestcraft level 12 -Identify level 17 -Cooking level 12 -Beginner Hatchet level 14 -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 7 -Herb Lore Level 2 -Ax Throwing Level 16 -Dual-Wielding (Hatchets) Level 11 -Spirit Walk Level 14 -Meditation Level 7 -First Aid, Level 35 Well, he could throw out the active combat skills, he was already training those. He could also throw out the quality of life skills. Those were important over time, but they wouldn¡¯t do much against Corrupted vampires. That left Stealth, Identify, and Forestcraft as his best bets for increasing his chances of survival outside of combat. He needed to be able to spot and avoid trouble when possible not to mention his ability to survive if he was ever caught out on his own. After sparring tomorrow Tilly decided he would find Ichiro and join up with the patrol force, perhaps even join in some Ranger training while he was at it. That still left him the rest of today¡­He looked back at the walls, the camps, and the fields beyond. Shit was about to hit the fan all over again, he could feel it. So before he threw himself into preparations he decided to try and find the few people he hadn¡¯t seen since the fall of the empire''s capital. Who knew when he would next get the chance to connect? Tilly wandered back through the city, his progress stopped by a massive group of laborers heading towards the parade grounds, and probably the gap in the mountains beyond. They all carried a variety of dirt-moving and construction tools and their classes varied. Tilly saw everything from Masons to Foremen present in the crowd. Once through the city, he made his way over to the new bridge and was pleased to find at least one of the objects of his search almost immediately. If he got the chance, he had decided to thank the honu who had done so much to cover his back right before their escape. Franklin stood on the banks of the river, casting an ice-aspected Ability over the flowing water. Tilly watched as he targeted the bridge¡¯s supports one by one and recast. As soon as the cloud of frost produced by his Mana hit the supports, he would move his hands around in concentration, as if shaping clay. Then the cloud would move on, leaving a slightly reinforced and more ornate structure behind. He had also exchanged the more typical honu robes for something thicker and fur-lined, most likely because his new class had not come with any innate elemental resistances. One thing that had remained was the same brilliant blue scarf Tilly had noticed on their first encounter. It fluttered in the wind over the collar of his new jacket, much more in line with his new look. With all the changes he had already seen, Tilly was happy, but not surprised to see a new class identifier over his head. Level 35 Tundra Caller. ¡°Franklin! How are you doing?¡± ¡°Very well! Thank you for asking Mr. Tillman.¡± ¡°Please, I don¡¯t think I stand a chance to convince the lapins but call me Tilly. I¡¯m glad I found you!¡± ¡°Very well... Tilly.¡± He said, his speech showing some of the honu propensity for slowness for the first time. ¡°I had heard you had returned mysteriously and the elders briefed us on a coming change, but I could not imagine something like this.¡± He said, gesturing happily to the ice structure he had been producing. It was crude, but sturdy and made an almost constant stream of traffic back and forth from the agricultural lands to the populace centers possible. ¡°Yeah, I saw you put some of it up yesterday. Amazing! How often do you have to maintain it?¡± ¡°Every four hours or so, but along with the ice augment to my water Abilities, I gained a skill called Sculpt Element. At higher levels it will allow me to form complex shapes out of ice. Every time I reinforce the bridge, I am advancing this Skill.¡± He said excitedly, then a log bumped against his structure from upstream, and a worker grabbed at it with a hooked pole, shouting for another. Franklin finished reinforcing his last support and turned fully toward Tilly. ¡°They tell me my bridge will be replaced by tomorrow and I''ll be moving to the wall project.¡± He said pointing over to the pile of logs on the bank a little farther upriver. ¡°I can only assume this means we are already facing outside pressure.¡± He added, a shadow falling across his features. ¡°Yeah, we had a pretty close call at our new border earlier today, Hiro barely stopped it. We have the Bastions moving up that way to secure it while some sort of fortification is built. But, even with all that happening, it felt important to me to find and thank you. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have made it out. You kicked some serious ass back there.¡± Tilly said, clapping the honu on the jacket covering his shell. He didn¡¯t know him terribly well but Franklin had fought by his side and covered him during the last fight and that meant a lot. The honu people had paid the highest price for everyone to escape, losing Kihei and the other four elders¡­ Tilly sincerely hoped others had acknowledged their sacrifice in some way. Franklin received the strange physical interaction and the offer of thanks with a polite, if confused, smile. He looked Tilly in the eyes and slowly reached around to his back and gave it a few pats of his own. ¡°I am glad you made it Tilly. Too many didn¡¯t. We have been offered a chance to rebuild and perhaps, one day, even fulfill the Dream of my ancestors.¡± He said, the lines of heaviness around his eyes easing slightly as a small smile softened his serious expression. B2 Ch. 17 Catching Up. Tilly spoke with Franklin for a while longer, not really saying much, just making a point to show the honu that he was thought of and appreciated. In the follow-up chatter, he learned that Amelia was just over the bridge, helping to oversee the initial setup of the agricultural zone. Nodding to Franklin and promising to find him on the wall, Tilly jogged off, crossing the bridge and moving into the miles of the valley lying on the other side of the river. He had only seen this part of their settlement from a distance and had been interested in getting a closer look anyway. Aside from the private settlement the honu had started, this whole side of the valley was being aggressively converted into agricultural plots. He saw miles of pasture with a surprising amount of animals already grazing peacefully within hastily constructed fence lines. Even at this distance, he could tell that none of the animals were quite what he would expect from domesticated livestock. Instead of being drawn to the interesting agricultural questions of fantasy farming, he turned to move deeper into the already thriving food-producing plots. He skirted the flooded rice fields already being harvested by farmhands and walked a small dirt path between several huge gardens of impressive variety. Past them, he saw miles of grainfields that showed crazy amounts of growth for only a week''s cultivation... Everywhere he looked, workers were busy. None seemed to be in a rush, but Tilly also couldn¡¯t spot a single person sitting or relaxing. They all seemed to be diligently pursuing their tasks with focus. Then again, with the Boon and the bonus from gaining a nature-aspected High Priestess, Tilly could imagine that everyone wanted to work around the clock to produce as much as possible before any bonuses ran out. Plus it was probably pretty awesome for any class-related skills they were training, especially if those skills were leveled by the volume of food produced. ¡°Young Man!¡± Shouted a warbly voice from deep within one of the garden rows. Tilly looked over and spotted a familiar old satyr shuffling toward him with surprisingly sprightly steps. He couldn¡¯t help but smile as a brand new class identifier appeared over George¡¯s bobbing head. Level 58 Agriculturalist. ¡°What can I do for you? You must be hungry! I knew they wouldn¡¯t feed you enough...¡± He shot through the three sentences between billowing breaths of exertion. ¡°No Sir! They are feeding me plenty, and I¡¯m sure that''s due to all your hard work producing enough food for all these new hungry mouths.¡± Tilly replied gamely. At that George''s face brightened even further and his eyes took on a clever gleam, ¡°I¡¯m sure you had nothing at all to do with the wall of fire that offered Edna and me this incredible opportunity!¡± He declared happily, leaning in and raising his eyebrows suggestively. ¡°Because of these new classes, we have gained four levels in the last twenty-four hours!¡± He almost shouted, punctuating his words with jabs of his fingers into Tilly¡¯s chest. ¡°Edna¡¯s a dang Arborist now! Our orchard is almost exploding with fruit, and the loggers have taken her out to the camp. Apparently with her along they produce 50% more high-quality timber!¡± ¡°No less than you two deserve, I¡¯m sure!¡± Tilly replied, warmed by the capricious glow emanating from the enthusiastic old satyr. ¡°Son, I don''t think you understand,¡± George said, leaning in as if sharing a secret. ¡°The prerequisite for this class is to have overseen over 100 acres of agriculturally converted land successfully produce 200% of its base potential¡­ And I was just offered it! Somehow, the system seems to think I had a part in all this happening. Declared my contribution, ¡®Rare¡¯¡± He said, gesturing around grandly, with a slight tinge of awe coloring his voice. ¡°George,¡± Tilly said, laying a hand on the Agriculturalist¡¯s shoulder and gently turning him back around. ¡°You are as much a part of this as anyone. Seriously, thank you for your diligence so far. I¡¯m sure the System knows what it is doing.¡± Tilly was surprised to see tears begin to pool on the edges of George¡¯s heavily wrinkled eyes. ¡°Son, even the empire didn''t employ an Agriculturalist¡­ Every crop I handle in some way increases yield by 30%. And I gain experience every time any worker under me gains a level¡­ I am almost a Boon unto myself.¡± He choked out between emerging sobs. At that moment, Tilly didn''t really know what to do. George had probably been a Farmer for longer than Tilly had been alive, never dreaming of such a chance for him and his wife. Tilly''s heart went out to the genuine courage this couple had shown, and he felt a deep gratitude welling in his chest that he had been there at the right moment in time to make sure these two had made it through the portal. Tilly had spent a lifetime working in emergency response, his most consistent kind of patient being the elderly. In all that time, he had learned that there were only really two kinds of old people. By far the most common kind of elderly person was the one who was just a shadow of their younger selves, living most of their remaining years looking back in sorrow, bitterness, or both. Society had told them that they were burdens, drains on a system to which they no longer had anything to offer. Then there was the much rarer, second kind of elderly person. One who still seemed to want to give as much as they could to their surroundings. However it was gained, the humility and thankfulness evident in their final years always caused them to shine like beacons amidst their surroundings. George and Edna were probably always going to do whatever they could for those around them¡­ and here he was, sobbing before Tilly, overcome by the chance to be able to do even more. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Before Tilly even registered what he was doing, he had wrapped his arms around the much smaller satyr, and George¡¯s crying redoubled. He clung to Tilly like a buoy in a storm and inexplicably, Tilly felt tears welling in his own eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy you hear!¡± George¡¯s muffled voice emerged from Tilly¡¯s furred jacket. For some reason, that did it. A baseball-sized lump rose in Tilly¡¯s throat, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t swallow it back down. His chest began to shake with the effort, and before he knew it, he was the one crying, leaning into the surprisingly strong Satyr¡¯s arms. They stayed like that for a while longer, until the swells of emotion had subsided. George stepped away, wiping his eyes and smiling, at Tilly¡¯s bemused expression. ¡°Now young man, don¡¯t tell me you are one of those who think tears aren¡¯t manly! A man who can¡¯t cry, can¡¯t offer his strength to the world around him. He only knows how to hold it all to himself and watch as those weaker than him fail¡­ You aren¡¯t that kind of man.¡± Tilly nodded, unable to find any words to respond to George¡¯s firm declaration. ¡°George! There you are- Oh, Mr. Tillman¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Came a cultured female voice from off to the side. Tilly looked over to find Amelia emerging from the same garden that George had just come from. ¡°Ah! Miss Cooper! I believe this young man was looking for you! I¡¯ll go check on the children''s progress and see if they need anything, while you two catch up.¡± he said shooting Tilly a wink as he turned to go. Amelia¡¯s eyes narrowed at George as he turned to walk away. Then she swept her gaze over Tilly and took in his red puffy eyes, and ruddy cheeks¡­ ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± She asked, quirking an eyebrow. Despite her outfit being a strange mix between laboratory assistant and safari guide, Tilly couldn''t help but notice how at ease she seemed surrounded by growing things. Her simple white blouse was slightly askew under her multipocketed coat, and a smear of dirt smudged her nose, but the tension that had characterized her on their first encounter seemed to have been drained away. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ I, uh, wanted to check on you and¡­¡± Tilly said, looking around a little lost at the sudden shift in conversation. He had come to find Amelia and clear the air, but he hadn¡¯t thought through what he was going to say. Sweeping his gaze over the garden, he had to bite back a smile as he spotted George peeking out from around a corner and giving him the inter-planer ¡°get on with it¡± motion. Amelia turned her head to spot what had drawn Tilly¡¯s attention, but the old man had already disappeared like a ghost. ¡°-Apologize! I wanted to apologize again.¡± He blurted. A conflicted look crossed her face at his words as she turned back to him. She stuffed her hands in a pair of her many pockets and blew out a long breath through pursed lips. Then after a thoughtful moment, she replied. ¡°No Jonathan¡­ I¡¯m the one who owes you an apology.¡± ¡°What! No, you saved our lives and almost-¡± ¡°Stop! Please.¡± She interrupted holding up her hands to forestall any objections. ¡°I have only met three other humans in my time here, and all three turned out to be twisted in some disturbing way. When I first met you, part of me was looking for betrayal from the onset¡­ Then when it turned out that you were Corrupted. Well that was all I needed to write you off.-¡° ¡°No, Amelia. I should have told you. I should have told everyone¡­ but I didn''t because I was scared.¡± Tilly confessed in a rush, afraid that if he didn¡¯t get it all out, his compromised internal thought process would twist this into some sort of self-righteous pity party. She wrapped her arms around herself as she struggled to get her own words out the way she wanted them. ¡°Look. I heard how you got infected, it clearly wasn''t your fault. Now that I feel it inside of me, nibbling at the edges of my being¡­ I can¡¯t imagine what it would be like to fight something like this while trying to adjust to an entirely new world. I was scared out of my mind for months when I first arrived, hiding in the caravan afraid of almost everything I saw. If it wasn¡¯t for Grandmother Weaver¡­" She trailed off with a sigh of exasperation, looking off into the distant past. ¡°Amelia,¡± Tilly said, calling her eyes back to his. ¡°I get it. You were in an impossible situation and you didn¡¯t need to be dealing with my problems on top of everything else,¡± he said finding himself inexplicably angry that she didn''t seem to understand what he was trying to say. He was trying to apologize! He had been wrong, whatever his excuses were. He had still chosen to hide his situation for selfish reasons. Why couldn¡¯t she just accept his apology and they could move on, giving him a chance to prove he could be better? She continued to stand there, holding herself and staring into his eyes. Whatever she saw there caused her eyes grew stormy in response. ¡°On top of everything else?¡± She quoted, the lines of her face compressing into a scowl. ¡°George and Edna told me how you risked your chance at reaching the portal by trying to carry them to safety, on top of everything else!¡± she spat, anger now in full display across her features. ¡°If you won''t accept my apology, that''s fine. But please, try not to be so hypocritical about it!¡± she spat, turning on her heels and marching off, leaving Tilly standing there at a complete loss for words. ''What just happened?'' Eventually, he wandered back through the fields and gardens until he found the bridge again, this time without Franklin. The building crew however was already hard at work using the current structure as a support to sink the logs in at adjacent periodic points for the new wooden bridge. There was another honu there splitting the current each time they dropped a new log, allowing a smaller gnome to be lowered in first and dig out a hole for the foundation of each support. Tilly watched for a while in silence, trying to process everything he was thinking and feeling as the sun began to set in the distance. Torches were stuck in the ground and along the edges of the bridge so that the crew could keep working, and Tilly crossed the bridge after a while and started walking along the edge of the camp. He didn¡¯t know how he had expected that to go¡­ but he had hoped that apologizing again would clear things up, maybe even allow him to ask her some questions about what this world was like from her perspective. But, somehow, he had made things even worse. Then again, that was how it had always gone with the women in Tilly¡¯s life. Why would this be any different? A lifetime of failed conversations flashed through his mind as he gloomily moved through the fog of memories from his marriage. He continued to stroll around the edge of the camp, not yet ready to head back to his room. In the last glimmer of sunlight, he idly pulled out the gem egg from his fantasy fanny pack. He rubbed along its smooth multifaceted surface, wondering again what he was supposed to do with it. His thumb hitched on something as he passed it back and forth between his hands. Curious, he ran his finger over the spot again and again, confirming a definite break in the smooth finish¡­ Holding up close to his eyes, he couldn¡¯t quite make out what was responsible for the change in sensation. So without really thinking about it, he enflamed his left hand and held it up to the gem, trying to get a better look. B2 Ch. 18 Kindle Unlimited The glow from his enflamed left hand lit up the gem in a thousand iridescent fractals. The effect of the flickering firelight on the object was so mesmerizing that it took Tilly several moments to notice a pulling sensation on the flame around his hand. Tearing his eyes from the glowing gem, he saw the flame surrounding his hand straining toward the gem, like iron fillings to a magnet. ¡°What the-¡± He muttered as he tried to cut off the flow of his mana to his hand. It didn¡¯t work. He actually felt the flame in his chest stoking higher in response to the pull on his mana. Whatever this was, his flame-aspected mana wanted to connect. As he pushed harder, he realized he could cut off his mana flow, but the mana itself seemed¡­ reluctant. The straining flame¡¯s wispy edges stretched as hard as they could, falling just short of the gem¡¯s surface. Well, the fire inside him hadn¡¯t steered him wrong so far, and this was a quest reward¡­ Tilly¡¯s wince of concern softened as he felt something from the gem that reminded him of the mewling noise a kitten would make when it was looking for its mother. Hunger? Mystified, Tilly slowly moved his hand closer, until the flame¡¯s edge touched on the surface of the gem. Upon contact, it was sucked into the tiny crack on the gems gleaming face. The pulling on Tilly¡¯s mana pathways did not lessen, if anything it increased, and he couldn¡¯t help but glance up at his mana bar, as the gem continued to pull on his flame hungrily. Tilly watched as his mana ticked down to eighty percent. The glare from the gem had grown noticeably brighter, and it occurred to him that he didn''t want anyone coming by to ask what was going on. So looking around, he hunched over the now happily shining object and started to move away from the tents. ¡°Man, I hope Nyuk was wrong about you... If you look like you are going to explode, I¡¯m jumping into the river, I swear!¡± He muttered down urgently at the object he was trying unsuccessfully to hide under his jacket. The gem continued to glow brighter, and heaven help him, Tilly found himself smiling at the contented burble it released into his mind as the pull suddenly cut off. Tilly looked around suspiciously at his surroundings, but the far edge of the camp he had wandered through was quiet. At this point, the gem¡­ No, the egg, had grown as bright as a bonfire. Sapphire-hued light danced through its many facets. Tilly moved away from the edge of the camp toward the bank of the river, tucking the thing under his leathers. Another contented burble sounded off in his mind, and he shot off a quick plea to Origin that this wasn¡¯t some sort of cute/sentient bomb. Once his moccasins hit the sandy edge of the river bank, he hunkered down and took the gem back out, shielding as much of the light as he could with his body. ¡°What exactly are you?¡± He whispered to it. In response, it started to thrum, then vibrate, as the light emerging from its center brightened. Tilly''s expression of wonder broke down into a cringe of worry as the small crack burst with an even greater light and began to spread across the surface in a network of fine fractures. ¡°Please, please, please. Don''t be a bomb.¡± He hissed at the object as the vibrations it was produced built into a crescendo. Tilly - felt? Understood? Heard? He didn''t really know how to describe it. A tiny exultant cry emerged from the back of his mind as the surface of the crystalline egg shattered into a million motes of light. Blinking his eyes rapidly to try and clear the sudden blindness, he rubbed at them with his other hand. ¡°Peep?¡± As his sight returned he was surprised to find something that looked a lot like a chick standing on his hand, no bigger than a baseball. ¡°Peep?¡± It said again, giving him that side-cocked one-eye look that only birds could give. Its down coat was completely white instead of yellow, and its little feet supported surprisingly sharp talons for a newborn. ¡°What are you?¡± He asked again. Then as if the system had finally decided to throw him a bone, an Identifier pinging above its head. Bonded Newborn Phoenix No level, but he guessed he would have to figure that out later. For now, he was struck by how unbelievably adorable the little thing was. ¡°You are way better than some fancy new class¡­ aren¡¯t you?¡± He cooed at the chick as it began to scratch and peck at his hand. Tilly immediately got the impression it was asking for more¡­ food. Especially since the little talons only mimicked the motion and didn''t break the surface of his skin.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Without thinking he enflamed the hand it was standing on in response to its unspoken request. It chirped happily finding itself surrounded by the blue fire and began to peck in earnest at the flames dancing around it. Tilly perceived the heat being pulled from around his hand, up into his palm, and then disappearing as the phoenix consumed it. ¡°What do I call you, little thing?¡± He asked in delight. Without breaking off its happy pecking, Tilly felt a complex series of images and sensations move through his mind. He saw an infinite flat expanse. It was completely dark and cold with nothing to break up its features. Then something changed far in the distance, the darkness lost its heaviness and the smallest blush of light burst forth. The light wasn¡¯t powerful or overwhelming, but in the context of the endless dark expanse, it held a whole universe of meaning. The chick broke off its pecking as the flame sputtered out, another 10% of Tilly¡¯s mana gone. It then settled down happily onto his palm. ¡°Any chance you have a nickname? I don¡¯t think that will translate very well into regular speech.¡± ¡°Peep!¡± The chick trilled offendedly, cocking its head at him in consternation before settling down into a seated position and preening itself. Before he could make any suggestions, he felt its awareness begin to move through his memories like a light illuminating the page of a book. After a few minutes, the chick shook its little head and ruffled up its down feathers before tucking its head into its shoulder. The awareness faded from his mind, and Tilly heard a faint whisper dance at the edge of his consciousness. She who kindles the dawn. Then she was asleep, nestled in the palm of his hand, and he couldn''t help but smile. He could feel the little creature''s complete trust in him as it drifted off. He had been given charge of something helpless and adorable, and as inconvenient as it might turn out to be, he felt its unconditional trust eroding at some of his self-doubt. ¡°Thanks for working so hard to simplify it for me, little one. How about I call you Kindle out loud, but between us, I''ll use your full name.¡± He whispered. The little phoenix didn''t reply, and Tilly watched the minute expansion and contraction of her little chest as she settled into a deep rhythmic sleep. Watching her like that called Tilly¡¯s attention to his own bone-deep weariness. He had been beaten like a drum, done CPR, and walked all over the Alliance trying to reconnect with the few people he hadn¡¯t seen on this side of the portal. Tucking her into the crook of his arm, slightly out of sight, Tilly headed back to his small one-room shack. He arrived almost an hour after sunset and he slid open the unlocked door to his small house. As he closed the door on the ever-changing city landscape outside, he wondered for a moment why his small building had remained untouched. Shrugging to himself he moved into the room in almost pitch-black darkness, kicking the edge of his bed in the process. He grunted in frustration and Kindle ruffled up her feathers before resettling absently in his hand. Not wanting to disturb her any further, he crawled into bed and set her against the warm exposed skin of his neck. She chirped sleepily and moved in closer until a light but very noticeable pressure started to expand and constrict in the space between his shoulders and his chin. Without further thought or worry, he too drifted off to sleep, dreaming about the breaking of dawn and the beginning of things. ¡­ The next morning he awoke to a jabbing in his neck. He jerked back, afraid he was being bitten by a bug. ¡°Gah¡± He gasped as scrambling sleepily from his bed. A small cry of outrage followed him as he moved from his original position. ¡°Peep!¡± Coming completely to wakefulness, the full breath of yesterday''s events hit him and he looked down at the little phoenix in awe¡­ She looked him dead in the eye, and slowly mimed scratching and pecking. ¡°Oh! Of course. You are hungry!¡± He said, his eyes wandering around the room, and finding his typical breakfast tray and pitcher of water. Man, they were good. How did they always have this ready before he woke? Kindle followed his glance around the room and found nothing of interest. She peeped at him again to grab his attention and mimed eating, trying to help him understand what she wanted. ¡°Yeah, yeah! I get it. But we can¡¯t just feed you off the heat my flames produce. I can only assume your appetite will grow, so we need to figure out a better system...¡± She eyed him critically, unimpressed by his excuses. ¡°Besides, no way am I going to feed you inside a wooden building. Meals will happen strictly outside!¡± He said firmly. Tilly moved over and began to scarf down his food to the outraged sound of more than a few chirped complaints from his new companion. The injustice of his act was clearly more than she could bear. As quickly as he could, he scrambled out the door, with Kindle insisting that she should now ride on his shoulder. When he placed her there, her little claws locked into the material of his jacket and no matter how he moved she stayed happily perched in place. And so he emerged out into the street with an all-white chick riding on his shoulder, like some sort of wannabe pirate. On his way to the parade ground, he stopped a group of carpenters and asked what they did with their waste pieces of lumber. The lapin replied that they were sent into the camp and added to the firewood supply. When Tilly inquired if he could have some delivered to the parade grounds each day, the lapin bowed and went off to speak with some of the other workers. Reassuring Kindle that he did, in fact, have a plan to feed her, he jogged to the parade ground realizing that the phoenix was not at all bothered by his movements. By the time he arrived, the drilling had already begun and he could tell he was later than he had been yesterday. ¡°Baby-Man! Where have you been? Are you scared to fight Gorock?¡± A booming voice called from beyond the water troughs. Tilly winced and cleared his throat to try and clear the sudden nervous warmth that rose from his stomach at the thought of several hours with the giant warrior. ¡°Am I looking forward to it? No.¡± He called, turning to square up on the Bastion who of course had also received a new class in the aftermath of the Quest Reward. Except his was different from his companions, Level 48 Wall Breaker The Gorock stood there, almost twice as tall as Tilly, and looked down at him with a sadistic grin on his goat face¡­ Or not, Tilly still couldn¡¯t read Gorock''s expressions, but if he had any money, he would have put it all on ¡®Sadistic Grin¡¯. Announcement. For reasons you can probably guess, I will be missing today''s post. I still plan to post next Monday, but everything is subject to flux as my house gets a little more crowded. But with Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to share a little side project I have been working on with you guys! https://litrpgforge.com/ A couple of other authors and I started a merch store!Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. It would mean the world if you gave it a visit. If you see anything you like, Please buy it! All proceeds go towards helping indie authors like me one day achieve the dream of actually doing this for a living. Happy holidays! Hopefully, when I next post on Monday, I''ll be one kid richer. And again, thank you guys for all of the support, comments, and ratings. They have made writing and sharing this story So Much Fun. You guys are the best. B2 Ch. 19 Training Day Kindle ruffled her feathers on Tilly¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Cheep!¡± She cried in anger eyeing the giant towering above her. Gorock''s eyes shifted in confusion and dilated at the sight of the little chick. He identified the creature and then his goat scowl/smile returned in full force. ¡°You will be very fierce I think burning one... but not for a while yet! BWAHAHA.¡± He answered before bellowing out a laugh that was completely unrestrained by the lack of any discernible humor. Tilly turned his head at the creaking sound of a cart and saw a laborer wheeling a mountain of wooden scraps over to the end of the troughs. He dumped them out with quick and economic movements before turning to go back the way he came. ¡°Just a second Gorock.¡± He called, rushing over to the pile. The still-laughing Wall Breaker just waved him on, winding down from his amusement. Tilly called a thanks over to the laborer but if he heard he didn''t turn from his route back to the bustling construction going on all over the valley. Tilly used his foot to shift over a campfire-sized bunch of wood, and then enflamed his foot, shoving it into the pile on the packed dirt of the grounds. It took about ten seconds before it was burning merrily. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long playing with your fire Baby-Man! Gorock is very busy.¡± his booming voice called from the sparring area, "I have many bones to break today." ¡°Here you go, little lady. This should hold you over while I¡­ practice fighting.¡± Tilly whispered, plucking the chick from his shoulder and lowering her into the fire. As he reached down, Kindle eyed him, and Tilly felt the image of her little claws float to the top of his mind. ¡°No thanks, girl. I''ll be fine. It may not look like it, but I am almost one hundred percent sure that guy over there is a friend.¡± He answered lowering her into the fire. He was surprised to feel his hands begin to burn as they interacted with fire not produced by his Mana, but his armor quickly responded, covering his hands with Sun Salamander-hide gloves. Neat. Kindle, however, had no problem with the different source of heat, fluffing her down coat and beginning to preen happily as flames licked all around her form. She scratched a little circle before settling down amidst the burning wood. ¡°Baby-Man!¡± Gorock called again, his voice having moved from amused to frustrated faster than a toddler denied their snack. ¡°Just call over if you need something.¡± Tilly said hurriedly, before turning around and jogging towards his ¡®teacher¡¯ for the day. ¡°Keep your pants on, Gorock! And don''t give me any more shit about being busy! I bet if you weren¡¯t here, they would send you to carry stone at the wall build.¡± Tilly called as he approached, pulling loose his hatchets and twirling them with all the bravado he did not feel. ''This is going to suck, Might as well charge into it blades out.'' ¡°GOOD!¡± Gorock boomed, laying aside his shield and weapons and gesturing an invitation to Tilly with open hands, before assuming a boxer stance. ¡°Come at me Baby-Man. Use all your tricks and fire and we will see who gives the healer a harder time! HAHAHA,¡± He finished with another burst of disturbing goat laughter. The combination brought to mind a deep human baritone and the sound of a screaming goat. The weapons lying on the ground at Gorock''s feet screamed of supreme confidence... and Tilly just shrugged. He was man enough to understand that he would need every advantage he could get, and if this was what the others thought would help him advance the fastest... he would give it his all. Without further hesitation, he set alight and launched both hatchets, charging almost immediately behind them to the sound of Gorock¡¯s bellow of excitement. ¡­ Twenty minutes later both combatants lay on the ground surrounded by charred dirt and splattered blood. Tilly groaned as he tried to take another breath, the now familiar feeling of fractured ribs grating excruciatingly against his lungs. On top of that, he was pretty sure one of his forearms was shattered. Oh, and his ankle was swollen beyond recognition. Gorock lay a few feet away taking short breaths interspersed with giggling fits. His body was covered in burns and he sported several already closing shallow wounds from Tilly¡¯s hatchets. He sat up wiping his eyes, tears of laughter threatening to pool and spill down from his large oblong-iris eyes. ¡°Baby-Man, that was the most fun I¡¯ve had in weeks! Are you ready to keep going?¡± he said, his monstrous constitution already undoing the waxy edges of his biggest patches of burned skin. Tilly groaned in answer, looking up at his Mana and Health. Health: 42% Mana: 3% ¡°No-..ugh. Not going to be¡­ ready for a while.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Tilly rolled his head over painfully and spotted Kindle fast asleep in the smoldering ashes of the campfire he had made her. Despite everything he smiled. At least someone was having a good time this morning. ¡°Now young one, you take the big stupid one. I''ll handle the smaller, slightly less stupid one.¡± A voice called from outside Tilly¡¯s range of vision. It took a second, but the cultured voice and clipped tone of disapproval keyed him into the owner just before a cascade of healing fire washed over him. A comforting warmth suffused his form, concentrating on the places he was most injured. There the warmth heated until it was just south of painful, like slipping into a hot tub on a cold day. A stinging sensation accompanied the reknitting of his bones and restoring of bruised flesh and he watched in fascination as his Health rapidly climbed back to 100%. With a moan of relief, he sat up, just as the priestess cast another Ability on him and the slow refilling of his mana started to ramp up to a flood. Before he knew it, he was completely topped off. But all of that faded out of his immediate attention as his eyes fell on a strikingly familiar young satyr woman casting over Gorock. She had to be in her mid-teens and something about her face tickled Tilly¡¯s memory like a mental itch. Yet, he couldn¡¯t recall meeting a girl of that age in any of his travels so far on Nephesh. She was wearing priestess robes of a much simpler quality than Erash''s and held a plain scepter in her hands. Level 3 Priestess of Origin¡¯s Flame He continued to stare in muddled confusion and the young priestess looked up from her focused casting on Gorock to catch him watching. A rosy blush started on her neck and crept up her cheeks as she quickly looked back down. Then in a quiet voice, she said, ¡°Hello again Mr. Tillman.¡± Tilly cocked his head, her face maddeningly familiar and yet he could not recall meeting anyone lik- ¡°A Phoenix!¡± Erash shouted, rushing over to the still-sleeping bird before turning back toward Tilly incredulously. ¡°And Bonded at that? Human, how did you get your hands on a Mythic Elemental?¡± Tilly tore his eyes away from the girl to answer Erash¡¯s question when Gorock spoke over him while climbing to his feet. ¡°I didn-¡± ¡°The Fire loves our Little Human! You should see what a glorious bomb he makes. It is obviously a gift from our Fire God, healer. Now, no more questions! I am teaching him how real warriors fight!¡± Gorock called shaking out his arms in readiness. Looking back and forth between the girl, Gorock, and Erash, Tilly got to his feet as well, dusting off his now fully healed limbs. ¡°Yeah. That is pretty much it, I think.¡± Tilly muttered before turning back to the young priestess, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, have we met?¡± The girl''s blush grew brighter as she attempted to stutter out a response, ¡°I saw¡­ You healed¡­ When-¡± ¡°Oh come on girl!¡± Erash interjected in frustration. ¡°You are the only one this Deity has chosen as a full Priestess. Please try and act like you have some backbone.¡± Then turning towards Tilly, ¡°It is my understanding that you purified this girl, and in doing so, you unlocked an Ability by whatever means your class and Mantle possess. It is my theory that this imbued her with enough potential to qualify as a candidate.¡± She said, hurrying through the explanation. Then turning back to the fire, she slowed her speech to a more thoughtful pace. ¡°As to the elemental-¡± ¡°Her name is Kindle.¡± Tilly interrupted absently, staring at the girl as the pieces came together. ¡°Yes, well, as to ¡®Kindle¡¯. You will continue to feed her as much heat and flame as she asks for. Then report to me on her stages of growth. This is an unprecedented opportunity to learn about the-¡± ¡°Sorry ma''am, but I¡¯m not reporting shit to you.¡± He interrupted, looking back at the Priestess in frustration, ¡°Look, I appreciate what you did for Hiro yesterday, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. But if you expect me to jump at your every demand, it''s going to be a long year of service.¡± He growled looking the Erash in the eyes. Somewhere behind him, Gorock let out an explosive sigh, dropping his arms in disappointment at what was obviously going to be more talking and less fighting. Tilly continued to stare as Erash bit back a scathing response and looked down at the phoenix with something that might have been envy. ¡°Very well. I will be checking in on both of you when I see you each morning. This is an immense privilege you have been given Mr. Tillman. I hope you take it seriously.¡± Before Tilly could respond, a small voice interrupted from Gorock¡¯s side, ¡°Mr. Tillman, I snuck up to the temple last night. I know I am too young to get a class, but I wanted to help. I hoped that the one who had given you the power to save me would be able to do something.¡± she spoke up hesitantly, as she looked up and saw that he was listening, she went on, ¡°I was offered something called a Covenant. I gave up the rest of my childhood and the possibility of ever taking another class. In return, I am the only other member of the Alliance that has been offered anything above the rank of acolyte to the Temple.¡± She concluded, growing bolder as she finished telling her story. ¡°Why would yo-¡± Tilly tried to ask but Gorock had had enough. ¡°Gah! Talk later. Now we fight!¡± He bellowed, stomping his foot and lifting his fists into a boxing stance once again. The young Priestess immediately began to back away from the sparring area, but even as she retreated, she called over, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Mr. Tillman. It was my choice and now I have a Rare class with the possibility of even greater opportunities in the future. Plus, I think we both know that my childhood ended before I met you... At least now I have a chance to do something to help those who I care about.¡± She said as she backed away to Erash''s side. Sorrow welled up in him as he watched Erash put a hand on the girl''s shoulder and lead her to other sparring areas. There was no doubt that what she was doing was incredibly brave... but the small part of his heart that had been a father ached at the thought of the little girl giving up the rest of her childhood. Channeling the heady mix of feelings into resolve, he turned back to Gorock. In the face of her determination... he couldn''t do anything but his best. ¡°Alright, you big goat! All I have been hearing from you is whining. That''s real funny considering you keep calling me a baby...¡± He called out, summoning his hatchets back to his hands, and wreathing his whole body with flame. ¡°HA!¡± Gorock shouted in delight, before charging forward in response. B2 Ch. 20 Boot Camp. The rest of that morning was every bit as brutal as Tilly imagined it would be. Erash had to stop by a couple more times to put him back together, but by the end of the morning, Tilly entered into meditation with a lot to process and even more understanding about the shortcomings and potential of his build. Ideas that had begun to form over the couple of sparring sessions with Ichiro, solidified as he smashed them against the massive brick house that was Gorock. Against swarm and mob-type enemies, he ended up filling more of a DPS role, using his flames and especially his bonus against Corruption to devastating effect. However, the dynamic needed to completely change if he was facing a single, much stronger opponent. That was doubly true for his sparring partners, who were affected by his fire as if it was just normal flame, negating the bonus that he had come to take for granted. That¡¯s not to say that his flames had no effect. Over the course of the morning, Tilly started to see the power of the stacking aspect of his ability against an opponent who had more of a tendency to tank his hits than to dodge. By the end of their final session, Gorock was covered by smaller but still smoldering wounds that continued to damage him long after Tilly was incapacitated. Of course, all of this was only possible against a weaponless Gorock. That was ok with Tilly though, he doubted he was expected to be able to beat the Wall Breaker especially this early in his training. Rather, this pairing was probably chosen to force him to adapt his style to the other end of the spectrum of opponents he might face. Against an opponent like Gorock, he would have to move more into a Dodge/Tank role. He wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough to fulfill the role yet, but leaning into his flame abilities to distract and wound rather than deal big hits seemed to be what would work best. Eventually, as he grew, his Dexterity would begin to stand out, but until then, he would have to be extra tricky to stay alive. Along that line of thought, he had even started popping random flashes of flame on other parts of his body during combat to try and make his movements more confusing to follow. For his trouble he had eaten a couple of thick knuckle sandwiches, but not before causing Gorcock to flinch one or two times. Against such an experienced combatant, he would take that as a win. Tilly returned to the field after meditation and lunch, which he made sure included a fresh stack of burning wood for the hungry Phoenix chick. She was definitely in her infant stage of development and seemed content to eat and sleep as much as possible. But when the next training patrol of Ranger trainees gathered, Kindle peeped excitedly and settled onto Tilly''s shoulder for the next portion of the training. Nyuk met the group and explained that Kuro had been out all morning patrolling, and Ichiro would lead another group out that night. The squad Tilly was standing with had all once owned a class that involved either a ranged weapon or spending a lot of time in the forest. When news came that new classes were available to those who had not been offered them initially, they all had made the journey to the temple. This, however, meant that everyone, including Nyuk, was missing some key aspects of a Ranger tool set. Nyuk explained that he knew the forest well, but his ranged weapon skill was barely half of what Tilly had on his sheet. This meant that, instead of instructing, Nyuk simply participated as others from the group demonstrated essential skills for the Ranger build. He assigned a trapper to teach the basics of stealth and a hunter to instruct on ranged weapon basics. The close combat however, he led himself, highlighting the differences between fighting a humanoid opponent with a weapon and facing down one of the denizens of the forest. He had numerous stories from his time in the logging camp, and Tilly began to realize that the two Hiro had selected to join him on his suicide mission had actually been the best suited in the village to see him to the Corrupted temple and back again. After the basics, but before they left for the forest, they moved through the newly constructed obstacle course, made at the edges of the grounds for dexterity-focused builds. Some of the challenges in the course would have been impossible for any normal human without any additional variables. But Nyuk insisted they navigate the course while carrying their weapons at the ready. Even the ex-Hunter of the group had trouble scaling the wall and crawling through tunnels while keeping his bow in hand. Once everyone made it through the course, Nyuk informed them that in a couple of days, they would advance to attempting the course while being fired upon by the other Ranger trainees. Then mid-course, they would have to pinpoint the threat and fire back while still navigating obstacles. This would increase several skills at once, and while it sounded like another way to gain puncture wounds, Tilly couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it. At Level 16, his Axe Throwing skill was the third highest in the group, and he was the only one used to releasing projectiles on the move. Tilly found himself enjoying this aspect of training much more than he expected as he pushed his new body and stats to the limits of speed and fluidity while keeping one of his hatchets in hand. In fact, the only one who seemed to enjoy the course more than Tilly was Kindle, who trilled in excitement, clinging to Tilly as he moved over, under, and through the obstacles at increasing speeds. When Nyuk announced it was time to leave, she let out a peep of disappointment, before being hushed by Tilly. They picked up rations on the way out and moved off to the edge of the valley, entering the forest and hiking another mile to the boundary of their territory. This was the first time Tilly got to see the edge of the Boon¡¯s effect himself. Goosebumps ridged the skin on his forearms as he watched a breeze move through the trees around him, only to stop at an invisible line twenty feet farther up the mountain. Past that point, everything seemed frozen¡­ Well not frozen exactly, Tilly caught sight of a branch falling in the distance and watched in fascination as it descended to the ground as if slowly lowered on a rope. Looking up, Tilly caught sight of a tan-furred squirrel the size of a dog slowly arcing through the air away from where the branch had just fallen. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°To them, we are moving at 24 times our normal speed. Our voices sound like a high-pitched whine, and as long as we keep moving, our forms will be blurred with speed. But for our purposes, none of that matters. We will spread out in pairs, and follow this border toward the sunset. You are to stay completely hidden from the rest of the patrol as we move, and in the future, all patrols will move in pairs. ¡°The goal is to train stealth and get you as familiar with this forest and mountain range as possible, tomorrow we will have the night shift and set up camp.¡± ¡­ Tilly collapsed into bed that night, only to get up and do it all again the next day. His days were a blur of pain, exhaustion and slowly increasing Skills. Through it all, he squeezed his proportionally high Endurance for all it was worth, training under or against people two or three times his level and milking the skill-leveling bonus for all it was worth. His crazy proportioned Endurance stat showed its mettle the first time Tilly took an arrow from a distant patrolling Ranger trainee. It felt like he had taken a moderate punch from a small fist¡­ but the arrowhead didn''t even break the skin. Compared to a swing from Gorock, or a blade strike from Ichiro, the attack seemed almost laughable. That was until Kuro chewed him out loudly, telling him the point of the exercise was to be unseen, not become a ¡°smiling-idiot-target.¡± He punctuated his point with several bow shots, hitting Tilly¡¯s back with considerably more force. The blows against his back felt much stronger, but still didn¡¯t break his skin¡­ The ex- Logger was considerably stronger than the other trainees, but until his Archery skill improved, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leverage it very much. Each morning they would pair him up with a sparring partner, or partners, and have him fight with different limitations. Sometimes, he was up against a group of twenty of the new soldiers, evading being cornered and taking as many out of the fight as possible before he was incapacitated. In these matches, it was more about anticipating group dynamics and causing maximum chaos than it was about avoiding hits, most of which could no longer hurt him from the lower-level combatants. On other mornings, he would be paired against one or two much more skilled opponents. These sessions focused more on adapting to different combat styles and an overall sharpening of his combat senses than his ability to deal damage against a mob. When it came to the Bastion veterans or a few of the other elites of their force, Tilly was still taking grievous wounds after each sparring session. Erash or Aurelia (the young priestess who had supernaturally been aged into her class) would inevitably have to stop by his sparring area three or four times before the morning was done. Each time they made sure Tilly''s Health was topped off and he had plenty of Mana to keep going. He couldn¡¯t say it got any easier, but he did experience his mind slowly hardening to the pain and shock of what would have been debilitating injuries in his old life. In this world, a single broken extremity was barely an excuse to rest. Instead, he found that with his Endurance, even when his mind was screaming at him to stop, he could push his body far past what it should be capable of, especially in instances of injury or exhaustion. The meditation helped with this immensely, and he found his Will intervening for him in times of immense duress more and more often. With it, he was able to leap forward to capitalize on an opening, even with a shattered femur, or turn away strikes that should have demolished his guard. His Strength was dismal, and he avoided a direct contest in the stat whenever possible, but having one more option to shore it up in combat was a welcome surprise. He didn¡¯t see the white flame again, but he could feel himself becoming a much more dangerous combatant as his hard limits became malleable through the combination of his emerging combat instinct and his disproportionate Endurance. He also found his skill levels advancing at an astonishing rate, even with the boon accounted for, and when he took Ichiro aside to ask him about it, the lapin had just winked. Clearly, there was more to this meditation style than just a ¡°family technique¡±. His patrols with the Rangers pushed his non-combat skills hard as well. They began moving in long lines along the border, separated by twenty or thirty feet and tried just as hard to spot each other as they did any threats to the Alliance. This was made even more harrowing by the live-fire policy the instructors had put in place. This boosted their distance combat skill and stealth gains immensely, but it also resulted in Tilly frequently putting his new First Aid skill to use. Most unempowered distance attacks did little against his Endurance, but for other trainees they were devastating. Tilly found himself carrying an entire extra bag of bandages and supplies when they went out to compensate. Not that he could heal anyone, but he was slowly coming to terms with the fact that it didn¡¯t really matter on Nephesh. His skill level was high enough to cancel any normal active debuff besides Internal Bleeding, and once the ongoing damage was taken care of, he found his patients recovering enough to walk in an hour at most. Not that injury changed the exercise. Nyuk, Kuro, and Ichiro insisted on continuing even while carrying the injured. In fact, they would frequently elect the best at stealth, or distance attacks to carry the wounded, further handicapping them and pushing their skill gains even higher. After twenty grueling days of almost non-stop training Tilly¡¯s Skills had skyrocketed.
-Forestcraft level 12 > 18 -Identify level 17 > 19 -Cooking level 12 -Beginner Hatchet level 14 > 28 -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 7 > 18 -Herb Lore Level 2 > 5 -Ax Throwing Level 16 > 30 -Dual-Wielding (Hatchets) Level 11 > 24 -Spirit Walk Level 14 -Meditation Level 7 > 12 -First Aid, Level 35 > 38
B2 Ch. 21 A Dark Horizon Tilly wasn¡¯t the only one with impressive gains during this time. The few thousand refugees and lapins that had chosen the Flame''s Watch class drilled relentlessly. They kept an intense rolling schedule of 8-hour shifts around the clock. Eight hours of training, eight of rest, and eight guarding the wall construction in the gap. There, Hiro stood vigil against the eventual reprisal of the enemy, but thankfully only occasional groups of Corrupted Strigoi were spotted from the new fortification over the first twenty days of the Boon. No further elites were spotted. Whatever hierarchy that existed in this new Faction, it needed more than a dozen hours to organize the next investigation into our territory. After the first ten days and almost 80 hours of training, the one hundred fighter units could almost seamlessly move between several of the formations Tilly had seen the Bastions employ in defense of the front gates of the capitol. Then they began sparring drills in earnest along with ¡®mock¡¯ battles, turning the practice area outside the city into a proving ground of sweat and blood. The ¡°mock¡± battles between units pushed the few Acolytes of Flame to their limits and frequently required Erash¡¯s intervention to restore a unit to full health so they could continue training. Most units had a Bastion veteran at its head, with the ten best soldiers in the unit elected as squad leaders. The unit instructors were brutal in their training, inflicting wounds as often as yelling at those who they felt needed discipline. Yet, even this was mild compared to the rotations where Gorock faced off against one of the units himself. The Wall Breaker proved his name over and over, shattering shields and formations alike. He held nothing back, nearly killing many of his opponents despite the close supervision of Erash. Nothing impressed on Tilly just how abnormal his Endurance was for his level more than watching Gorock shatter every bone in the body of a level 21 Flame''s Watch soldier who hesitated in bringing up his shield before a sudden charge by the Wall Breaker. Erash had been called over to another sparring field, and the acolytes simply weren¡¯t strong enough to reverse the damage before he bled out, leaving the soldier to shudder out a few last weak gasping breaths. Tilly had rushed over, but even at level 38, First Aid was completely useless against so many eviscerated internal organs. This small tragedy didn''t impede the mock battle at all. The whole unit continued to try and wound Gorock to end the exercise. This is not to say that they were unaware, Tilly observed with hard eyes that none of the others failed to bring their shield to bear in the following attacks from the Wall Breaker. Tilly thought about saying something to the Bastion in the heat of the moment¡­ but he was finally learning some restraint. Conditions like this would have been atrocious back home, but here, facing extinction, it was just seen as a necessary loss in the process of survival. Tilly didn¡¯t have to like it, but he was done dying on small hills when they clearly faced a far greater enemy. This intense preparation almost immediately began to show its worth as the frequency of enemy appearances beyond the wall began to increase. A leaderless group of Corrupted Strigoi were more like beasts than any sort of sentient social group. As soon as they spotted the wall being built in the distance, they would immediately sprint towards it attacking the closest living beings with abandon. Shuji postulated that at lower levels this class was driven by an insatiable hunger, and was not capable of normal intelligence. This caused them to disregard numbers and fortifications each time they charged, howling in glee, maws slathered with black-flecked drool at the appearance of new prey. Hiro treated these groups as intense leveling opportunities for the units stationed with him at the wall. He refused to intervene in the fights if the group of Strigoi was less than ten strong, and even then, he would only intervene if a soldier''s life was on the line. Each Strigoi was more than a match for three or four of the Alliance¡¯s new soldiers, but this only pushed their unit tactics and skills to new levels as they faced a dire threat together. The Corrupted Vampiric race was freakishly strong despite their emaciated forms and black ichor oozed from their claws and mouths like venom, making any strike a life threat. A Priestess was always called after these fights to cleanse the Corruption left in wounds now that every strike taken from an enemy resulted in infection. Thankfully, the new Flame''s Watch class came with some inherent resistance to the infection slowing the infection''s spread noticeably, and very few soldiers came close to full consumption before the Priestess''s arrival. ¡­ After twenty days of this brutal rotation of battle and training, the Three-Fold Alliance could field a force much more combat-hardened than any commander on Earth could have ever dreamed of. The new Ranger force averaged at level 20, but this number was intentionally deceptive, due to the uncommonly high skill levels each member of the new Ranger corps hid behind his or her low level. The average Flame''s Watch soldier had a more balanced power display, averaging level 32 with the benefit of experience gains from real combat at the wall construction site. Even Kindle had started growing lustrous azure and white feathers. She couldn¡¯t yet glide, but she could now light the fire of her own meals. Tilly had to keep a close eye on her after she had decided to have a ¡°midnight¡± snack in his little room around day 8 of training. As hopeful as the population had been at the onset of building a new home, the reality of Nephesh¡¯s nature was not lost on any of them. While many were still working toward the development of logistical necessities for a population of their size, the evidence of preparation for war was everywhere. Everyone who had even the barest skill in smithing was working around the clock to equip the new force with some sort of consistent kit. The quarry with a mine in its depths was alive day and night with the sound of workers swinging away to loosen more of the land''s precious bounty. Car-sized blocks of stone were transported as soon as they were cut and rapidly transitioned by groups of a special class called Teamsters. Masons would receive a new block and get it into place making sure it fit seamlessly with the design. Franklin was based at the wall around the clock, diverting the river, and assisting with ice-constructed scaffolding whenever they started on a new section. Tilly even spotted Amelia a few times on patrol, doing something at the Boon¡¯s boundary. She was wielding a new staff with a green crystal on its end, channeling what felt to be impressive amounts of mana into the plants lining the invisible barrier. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He thought about breaking protocol to go speak to her, but almost as if he could read minds, Ichiro had slid up next to him and asked him not to interfere. ¡°The High Priestess and Miss Cooper have devised a very clever protection for our unwalled boundary that should give us time to respond if anything tries to approach from a more circumspect angle. But from my understanding, it is very difficult. Perhaps it would be best if you let her continue. ¡± They only had two days left on the Boon when the enemy''s true reprisal appeared on the horizon. The disappearance of what had added up to over a thousand Strigoi had not gone unnoticed. By the time the sun set outside the boundary on the twenty-second hour of outer time, the enemy''s full response had materialized. Training was called to a halt and Tilly, along with the rest of the elites of the Three-Fold Alliance was called to the wall for an emergency conference. Meeting on top of the seventy-foot fortification, they surveyed the enemy in grim silence. The wall had nearly been completed, twenty feet thick with a four-foot layer of ice coating the enemy-facing surface of the structure. The field in front of them was choked with a delta of muddy tributaries as the aptly named Silver River poured out its contents endlessly from under the wall into the down-sloped fields of withered grass and sparse, stunted trees. The only things left to be constructed were the stairs leading off the back. In his old life, Tilly would have considered this an impregnable fortification¡­ But now facing a horizon that had turned as dark as a stormy sea, it didn''t seem like nearly enough. Even Tilly, with the heads of his hatchets, knew he could scale the walls given a little time. He doubted it would be able to do anything but slow down any warriors the vampiric Faction would be able to field. The wall would be an impediment, nothing more, but one he would much rather have than not. ¡°Shuji, is there anything else you can tell us?¡± Hiro asked in a quiet but intense voice. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, with our teleport still down, we are cut off from any information networks I might use, and without a base of one of the larger continent-spanning factions¡­ we are limited in our abilities to gain any further knowledge of our foe.¡± ¡°Erash, have your people faced anything like them?¡± Linus followed turning to face the grim High Priestess as she muttered under her breath and watched the distant army like a coiled snake. She answered Linus without turning from their dark ranks. ¡°No, Consul. My nation is a special case, balanced within ourselves and constantly at war with each other. Aside from my education in the various magics, I would not have heard of Vampirism at all¡­ But perhaps there is something I can do.¡± She followed up thoughtfully, lifting her staff and beginning to mutter under her breath again as the air in front of the group shivered just beyond the edge of the wall. Then, raising her voice with a final authoritative declaration, she thumped her staff on the ground, and the blurriness in front of them snapped into clarity, displaying a huge lens of air that focused in on the enemy line ten or twenty miles away like it was only a hundred feet. ¡°Do not try and Identify, it will give away the scrying. Instead, wait a moment and I will display what my Abilities tell me.¡± She added in hurriedly, as the seemingly endless horde of enemies gradually came into sharp relief. Tilly had to fight to turn off his now almost unconscious use of the skill that had become so central to his life on Nephesh. Before him, masses of enemies came into view, and at first, Tilly thought the makeup of the force thundering toward them in slow motion was arrayed at random. But as Erash panned the view to survey the force, a pattern started to emerge, one that was only confirmed by the slowly populating identifiers that appeared within the circle over the different warrior class types. The most numerous were the same kind of creatures they had already been facing in sporadic attacks on the wall. But as he focused in to look at one in particular, a line of information popped up next to the identifier, and Tilly¡¯s eyes widened at what must have been Erash¡¯s high-level skills and abilities at work. Level 35 Strigoi - Base soldier of the Ravenous Horde - used as scouts or fodder. As the view continued to pan, Tilly began to spot another kind of soldier. For about every fifty of the emaciated bald nightmares, there were huge bloated caricatures of the same creature, standing alone in little islands of emptiness. Tilly wondered why until one of them snatched up a normal Strigoi who had wandered too close. It shoved the struggling creature into its oversized mouth and chomped down ferociously. Level 47 Strigoi Flesh Bag - Base shock troops of the Ravenous Horde, protected by thick layers of putrified flesh - used for damage absorption. Then there were the stringy-haired elites Nyuk had mentioned, the first of the Horde Tilly had seen wearing any sort of armor. Level 75 Strigoi Consumer - Elite troops of the Ravenous Horde, typically charged with commanding one to five hundred base members of the Horde. - used as unit command, and mage search and destroy. Then suddenly the slow panning by Erash¡¯s ability hit a huge break in the formation and moved along empty land for a hundred or so yards before stopping at two figures. As it beheld them, the ability started to strain and bend under the pressure exuded by the targets. The first figure was a giant version of the Flesh Bags. It towered a story and a half over the second figure and was almost as wide as it was tall, glacially lumbering forward on elephantine legs draped with grotesque layers of still-bleeding flesh. Its huge maw crammed full of teeth was even more disturbing for its proportional largeness in comparison with the rest of the body. Level 98 Dimitrov The All-Consuming - ??? The second figure was almost human in size if skeletal, but it was difficult to tell due to the layers of black tattered cloth it had draped itself in. Level 84 Vamp- Tilly watched as the populating text suddenly stopped, and chillingly, even bound in the context of one twenty-fourth the speed of normal existence, the figure¡¯s head whipped up to stare right at them. Its face was wrapped with what looked to be blood-soaked bandages, but its eyes and mouth were left visible. Seeming to somehow spot their little group, Its thin lips parted in a horrifying parody of a smile, revealing two-inch-long teeth set in double rows. Dead fishlike eyes glittered in amusement, and Tilly¡¯s feet were suddenly stuck to the stone as those eyes started to glow red, and screaming started to crash into Tilly¡¯s consciousness. He felt twin trails of wetness cutting down his cheeks and his throat grew raw. The figure''s presence pushed through Erash''s Ability, and some sort of mental connection was formed between the observers and the observed. The blue and green runes forming the outer edge of the spell started to warp and twist, as a rust-colored energy filled them. Tilly hardly saw any of this as the force of the figure''s stare continued to slam into him, drowning his consciousness with a will unlike anything he had ever felt. The Corruption in Tilly¡¯s side writhed in glee as all of Tilly¡¯s hard-fought mental defenses crumbled and a despair as deep as the ocean drowned Tilly¡¯s mind in an animal-like panic. Its tendrils began to encircle his heart and lungs, reaching into his extremities, eager to take control. Those eyes took in the group on the wall and found them wanting, as the bandaged figure poured all of its hatred and terrible hunger into their minds and hearts. Then another voice rose above the screaming. Harsh words filled with a potent mix of defiance and authority hit the spell circle that had almost entirely shifted to a muddy reddish color, shredding it and breaking the magical connection. Tilly collapsed onto the floor, his figure not the only one to have found a boneless relief on the cold surface of quiet stone. B2 Ch. 22 Whispering Eye. A soft muttering filled his consciousness like a pleasant conversation overheard from the next room, and the darkness receded. Tilly¡¯s eyes flickered open to find Erash standing over him concerned, her perfect features marred by two red stains running from her tear ducts past her chin and down her neck. The pleasant feeling left him as her magic returned to the flame on top of her staff, leaving his mind feeling black, and somehow twisted in on itself. Even flashes of what had just happened to him, left him feeling like a used garbage bag. Kindle ruffled her almost complete coat of feathers in concern and cooed questioningly near his face, her bright blue eyes looking deeply into his. She sent an impression of a predator and taking shelter. Honestly, Tilly couldn¡¯t agree more in that moment. ¡°Jonathan Tillman, are you alright?¡± Erash called¡­ and Tilly realized this was not the first time she had asked. He noticed she still stood above him with her staff ready. Tilly struggled for an answer, his thoughts slow and thick. Eventually, he focused on his HUD and his blood froze in his veins. Corruption¡¯s Influence: 34% Shit. Shit. Shit. Tilly''s mind seemed stuck on a horrified loop as the reality of his situation tried and failed to sink in. Kindle trilled in concern, rubbing her head into his hair in an abortive attempt at comfort, but Tilly was too dazed to take it in. All of his meditation, all his work, trampled by that¡­ thing. 10% of his agency, gone in an instant. He mutely lifted his hand to the wetness running down his face from his eyes, nose, and ears. Whatever that was¡­ it had fucked him up good. ¡°I¡¯m still me¡­ if that is what you are asking.¡± He groaned out slowly, looking at the red smeared across his palm after his unsuccessful attempt to wipe some of it away. Erash nodded in relief, straightening up and looking around at the others who, with the exception of Hiro, seemed to have undergone a similar if less intense trial. ¡°That was mind magic on a level I have never experienced, and that is saying something. I am sorry for not anticipating this reprisal, this failure is unacceptable.¡± She uttered with a slightly lost look in her eyes, addressing the group in apology. ¡°I could hav-¡± ¡°We needed more information, and you gave us much more than we could have hoped. I would rather face an attack like this now than in the coming battle with no warning.¡± Hiro interrupted gruffly, hand on his sword, as he stood at the edge of the wall, observing the coming enemy. ¡°Well, whatever that thing was, my Corruption¡¯s Influence increased by another ten percent,¡± Tilly spat bitterly. getting to his feet and pulling up his stats and new debuff and buff numbers. Status Effects: Minor Corruption [Hidden] -24% wisdom +16% strength That put his Strength at 15.8 and his Wisdom at 13.68. He swung his arms around gingerly, feeling the new coiled strength that the interwoven tendrils had added to his shoulder and thighs. The network had begun to stretch into his extremities and lend its unwanted power to his movements. At the same time, he could feel the increased drain on his mana refill, as the infection arduously took and converted a portion of Tilly''s power to continue its invasive growth. Ichiro turned toward the group as if just now noticing them, having been lost in his thoughts and whatever his eyes were showing him above the coming battlefield, ¡°I am afraid that whatever power that creature is wielding, it is melded almost perfectly with the Abomination¡¯s taint. I could see the weave itself unraveling as its influence touched us.¡± Ichiro added as he wiped the blood from his face. ¡°Well¡­What is¡­ our plan?¡± One of the honu elders asked, her voice heavy with the weight of what they faced, her lined face showing only the faintest evidence of the mental attack. Hiro considered their words, still looking out over the wall at the far distant Horde, slowed to a crawl by the magical haste of the Boon. ¡°With this new information, we have a chance to structure our defense and maximize our advantages. The fact that they have a class dedicated as ¡®fodder¡¯ tells me that they will spend their superior numbers to weaken us, and then strike with their elites to take out any magical support we have. They outnumber us ten to one. But with the time Origin¡¯s Boon has bought us, we have gained a far superior position.¡± Then he turned from the edge of the wall and looked back at Tilly. ¡°None of this changes the ultimate outcome of this fight. We will fight defensively, and be ground down by their least valuable troops until they can break us wide open. As it stands now, without support from other parts of the continent, without the ability to resupply, and without the bonus of a Standing Army there is no chance for victory.¡± He declared with finality, his hard eyes boring into Tilly. ¡°We need that Facet. Jonathan Tillman, is there not anything else you can do to locate it?¡± ¡°I have tried playing through the memories of my encounter with it during meditation but found nothing there. I think I have seen it a few more times in my dreams, but I can¡¯t remember any of them when I wake. I have even gone to the temple a few times, but all that I get is the same flame and altar experience as everyone else¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I have made any progress on that front.¡± Then Ichiro¡¯s eyes snapped up, ¡°Did you not say that after the explosion in the battle before the capital gates, you gained a Spiritual skill? Have you tried it since arriving here?¡± ¡°No, I have been so focused on combat and survival it didn¡¯t-¡± Then Tilly smacked his bloody hand on his forehead. ¡°The threads! The last time I activated Spirit Walk, I was able to follow a thread to the Facet¡¯s location. But it disappeared after the nexus closed. I should have thought of this earlier.¡± He growled at himself, settling back down into a seated position, while Kindle hopped around him curiously.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Cheep?¡± The whole group was focused on him now, and as he started to deepen his breathing, he explained, ¡°I¡¯m going to meditate and then activate the skill, hopefully, those two will synergize and I will be able to get you more information. I''m going to try and find whatever connection I stumbled upon last time I was in my Spirit Form. ¡± Tilly explained as his breathing fell into a rhythm that had become almost second nature after hours of daily practice over the last weeks. He fell deeper into his meditative state and the group around him began to split off, planning for the coming assault. Their words drifted in and out of his consciousness as he settled himself into a state of acceptance and calm. ¡°Food is no longer a problem, but we will need to establish a supply depot...¡± ¡°We will rotate two Units at a time at the edge of the wall, three deep, and hold the Bastions in reserve for any breaks, along with two of the three squads of rang...¡± Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Hold Finally, when he was fully settled into his circumstance and had worked through accepting his body and the changes it had just experienced, he activated Spirit Walk. The disjointed feeling of moving sideways through physical space to enter into something parallel but not the same still somehow felt nauseating. Nonetheless, Tilly¡¯s spirit detached from his body, and looked down to find the thread connecting him back to his physical form had grown much thicker. It now looked to be a complicated braid of fibers made up of¡­ well, himself. Or at least whatever he was made up of in his spiritual form. He looked down at his ghostly body and found that, unlike the tether back to his body, his spiritual form had not improved since the battle. But it seemed that the meditation had helped him ground his spiritual form back toward his physical state more securely. He knew instinctively that the added strength of this connection would make the return to his body much faster if he ever needed to cross great distances in his spiritual form again. He raised his spirit eyes from his bodily connection and looked around, finding everyone but Ichiro still engaged in planning as if nothing had changed. Ichiro was looking in Tilly¡¯s general direction with a middle-distance look in his eyes, and Tilly wondered how much he was seeing... He waved at the lapin, but got no response before turning to the advancing enemy. Tilly saw a dark chaotic cloud of writhing static accompanying their advance, like a stormhead rolling over the endless sky of the midwest United States. It was pure chaos... Unlike the feel of the blood ritual from the Nagas, which had been malignant but consistent form, this felt¡­ broken. Like it had once held its own pattern, but that pattern had dissolved and left behind a corrosive momentum of undoing. It gave the impression of the snapping of strings or the rusting of metal, moving through the existing order and undoing it. If Tilly could have shivered, he would have, realizing that in his spiritual form, he was just another pattern to be unwoven in the face of that cloud''s momentum. Thankfully at this distance, he couldn¡¯t pick out any specific signatures or forms in the advancing force and was glad he didn''t have to face the spiritual reflection of the owner of those insane red eyes. He shook his insubstantial head to try and focus, and assumed his meditative pose again, floating a couple of feet above his body. He couldn¡¯t breathe in this form, but something about sitting like this helped him concentrate. He also realized that closing his eyes did nothing to reduce the input of his surrounding environment. Nonetheless, he allowed himself to drift, taking in his surroundings without fighting them. A steady feeling of rightness was flowing past him from behind the wall, washing all the land in its presence. Tilly could tell the feeling originated from the Flame in the mountain. It felt warm, bright, and steady. Now that he noticed it, he had a hard time imagining what this place would be like without its presence. Almost as real as the wall under their feet, the formation of energy coming from the temple felt sturdy and ready to face the coming threat. He let the feeling of that strength wash over and through him, as his senses sharpened and he detected a glowing thread of light between him and the Flame. His awareness of the connection faded in and out and Tilly found it impossible to focus on it specifically. Like a figure you could see out of the corner of your eye, but was gone when you turned to look. This was made even more difficult by the ripples of corrosive force that emanated from the Vampiric Horde. Even at this distance, he could feel it trying to eat away at the boundaries of the Alliance¡¯s area of influence. Tilly floated there, trying to find a hint of something, anything that could lead them to the next Facet, another piece of Origin¡¯s influence on the plane. The longer he sat there, the more nuanced and layered his understanding of the effects of the environment on his spiritual self became. With the added benefit of his meditative introspection, he took in the spiritual realm around him, slowly gaining greater insights as his environment met the boundaries of his spiritual self. This form of him held no shadow of Corruption, which was encouraging, but as he focused on his physical body, he could feel the force of its anchor-like hold there. It was a sentient tumor, constantly broadcasting a tooth-grinding hatred paired with a bottomless hunger that even now was attempting to gnaw away at the edges of his body and soul. His awareness sunk deeper into his spirit self until he felt like he was observing the ¡°skin¡± of his spiritual form on a micro level. From his magnified perspective, he saw that the boundary layer of his spirit was woven from millions of tiny fibers and he understood that the tighter the weave the more resistant to outside influence he would become. This became clear to him as he watched different parts of the woven structure begin to unravel before the external pressures of the chaotic environment, before being renewed and firmed by another force. Every section that was undone and then restored was strengthened minutely, and he wondered if he was actively watching as his skill progressed in real time. The source of this restorative force had an unmistakable feel of ¡®otherness¡¯ to it. Unlike the pressure of the coming cloud of chaos and undoing, this energy washed over him subtly, on a different wavelength altogether. It kept fading before he could sense it directly, but Tilly continued to observe undaunted as his spiritual form was assaulted and then remade in a thousand minute battles of influence. At some point, he entered a dreamlike state of awareness, and the part of him that was only awake while he slept realized that these encounters were not random, but happening in sequence with a strange sort of rhythm. It was wild and almost unpredictable, but at the same time familiar. Tilly¡¯s spirit eyes popped open and he smiled. He had finally realized what he was seeing, or more specifically, hearing. Then, as if his realization turned on a switch, he was suddenly able to hear the music faintly surrounding him all over again. It called him to grow, thrive, and flourish. It was the very same melody that had perfused the hidden valley, and drawn him to the Flower in his encounter weeks ago. Tilly stopped trying to actively observe and instead started to listen, letting the effect of the restorative music wash over him. After an indeterminate amount of time enjoying the song, he realized he had begun leaning forward toward the song. Toward it! He could feel the directions it was coming from! Yet as soon as that fact sunk in, another crashed in with it, shattering his concentration and deafening his perception of the song. The song was coming from directly behind the force arrayed against them, leading straight into the middle of the Horde¡¯s lands. B2 Ch. 23 Putting a Team Together. Like stepping into a cold shower, the realization that he would have to head straight into enemy lands to find another Facet of Origin shocked him free of his meditative state. Before he knew it, he had slammed back into his body and sat up retching as the sensations of the physical world momentarily overlapped with his spiritual perceptions. Kindle squawked in protest, having settled to sleep on his warm chest during the break. She quickly relocated to his shoulder as he tried to collect himself. The notification icon had started flashing as he came to and he opened it to try and get his mind off his rolling stomach. Congratulations! You have uncovered significant truths of the spiritual realm: Spirit Walk Level up! Spirit Walk Level 14 > 17 It was good to see his work in Meditation have such an immediate impact on another skill. Tilly cleared the screen, mulling over just how complicated cleansing his infection had become, let alone giving the Alliance a chance to survive. The group standing nearby had thinned considerably while he had been out, and Tilly was surprised to note that the morning had progressed to early afternoon. Ichiro, Hiro, and now Franklin headed over when they saw he was back with them. ¡°Sorry, that took longer than I expected.¡± Tilly croaked, swallowing down another wet burp, and offering Kindle a few comforting strokes before getting to his feet. Touching her felt like touching a silk sheet fresh from the dryer, it was all smooth warmth, and he couldn''t help but stroke her feathers every time she perched on him. ¡°I can see you have an answer for us... what is it?¡± Hiro asked his inscrutable crystalline gaze resting on Tilly as he collected his thoughts. ¡°Good news and bad news,¡± Tilly answered slowly, nodding a greeting to Franklin as the new addition to the discussion. ¡°I figured out how to pick up a directional heading for the Origin''s Bloom. It took a while, but I am pretty sure I could do it much faster if I had to try again, effectively giving me directional feedback for its location. It feels close... not just over the horizon or anything, but much closer than it was when we were back at the Capital.¡± ¡°Good, our planning had reached an impasse until we had a way to navigate for the party we are assembling for this quest,¡± Hiro replied. ¡°Well... that was the good news. The bad news is-¡± he paused, hitching his thumb over his shoulder, toward the army of infected bloodsucking death slowly spilling over the far end of the plains. ¡°Our objective is behind them.¡± Hiro¡¯s face didn¡¯t change at the announcement, and Ichiro limited himself to a slight tightening of his eyes. Good old Franklin, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed over Tilly¡¯s shoulder as if struggling to process the implications of this news. The most sensible reaction of the three. ¡°Great ancestor help us¡­¡± He uttered, his wide green jaw slowly clenching down in a nervous frown. ¡°Pretty much how I feel, Franklin. Well, anyone got any ideas on how to get past them?¡± Tilly asked turning from Franklin to the two stoic Lapins who took a moment to share a look at his question. While waiting for their reply, Tilly looked up, examining the sky over the wall in detail. The line dividing the two areas of influence over the Land was clearly demarcated by a distinct difference in hues. Somewhere slightly beyond the wall, the two different skys mingled and Tilly guessed that was where the boons influence ended. The sky Inside the barrier had blurred once the Boon activated, still moving between night and day, but in a vague sort of way, without showing any of the particular or peculiar celestial bodies that could be found on Nephesh. On his patrols, he had always been in the forest under a canopy when they skirted the barrier and he had not been able to look up at the meeting place between the two skies. On the edge of their territory, without any trees or mountains blocking the view, Tilly noticed two things. First, the hue of the sky beyond the wall was a bruised purplish color and clouds covered the sky. The land still seemed to be moving between day and night, but the cloud cover was thick and persistent, and Tilly realized that in all his visits to the wall, he had never seen anything but a cloud-covered sky over the distant rust-brown plains. Second, as he followed the path of the sky to the still distant force, he saw the clouds progressively get darker and more menacing until they were the steely grey of a pregnant and angry storm. ¡°We had hoped otherwise to be sending you away from the conflict, but preparations have already been made in case of this eventuality.¡± Ichiro finally said, his face so placid that he might as well have been talking about the weather. ¡°We always knew you would have to set out to find the last piece of our Faction advancement requirement. So the question has been who would we send with you? Father knew we needed to give this mission its best chance of success without weakening our defense too much to hold until you succeeded and it was a tricky balance to strike.¡± ¡°And now that we know it''s a strike into enemy territory it is even more complicated," Tilly followed up on Ichiro''s thought, "Who were you thinking of sending with me? We need to be able to move fast, survive, and hide if we are going to make it to the Facet. Then we need to obtain its patronage somehow and get me cured while we are at it¡­¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Ichiro nodded along with Tilly''s examinations of the party requirements, ¡°The only thing you didn''t mention is that the ideal party would have a healer... Unfortunately, none of the ones we can spare will survive the trip, and the only one we know would survive is bound to serve the temple for a year.¡± added with a sigh. ¡°So we opted for a utility build over a specified role build for this mission''s party. No party member will fill any role perfectly, but each will make up for it with lateral skills and Abilities. Am I correct in assuming that Honored Kindle will soon be able to sustain flight?¡± He asked turning to Tilly¡¯s shoulder which may as well have held an empress for the way she preened at the Lapin''s respectful term of address. "Cheep," she replied proudly, ruffling her now almost complete coat of azure feathers. ¡°By that, she means, she can glide, but no flying yet. Although she assures me that she will be fully capable of flight whenever it is actually needed.¡± Tilly said, bumping the side of his head against her warm form playfully. She pecked him lightly in return and Ichiro¡¯s thoughtful expression turned up in a slight grin. ¡°Good, along with our combined Stealth abilities, that should cover scouting. I say we go ahead with the team as planned father.¡± ¡°Agreed. Franklin, I assume you now know why we called you up here?¡± ¡°-Yes. And I accept. I have obligations of my own calling me beyond our borders. Although I had hoped they would wait until our people were more settled. It would be my honor to join in this mission.¡± He replied, readjusting his vibrant blue scarf. ¡°Great!¡± Tilly exclaimed, clapping the Honu on the back of the shell, ¡°No one else I would rather have on the team. I¡¯m sure that new ice of yours will be all kinds of useful out there.¡± ¡°Aside from Mr. Frankin and I-¡± Ichiro continued. ¡°Wait, you? Won¡¯t you be needed on the wall?¡± Tilly interrupted. ¡°While I would make some difference, our family style is much more suited to open-field combat than defense. For obvious reasons, he must stay, but I am free to add my humble ability to this team. Plus with my condition, we thought I would add unique utility in perception and detection. It is also why I have joined you in training with the Rangers.¡± ¡°Ok, who''s left?¡± Tilly asked turning back to Hiro. ¡°Two others. We have asked Gorock, who is much better outside of a formation than keeping within one, not that he agrees with that assessment. However, when we offered him the opportunity to ¡®go find other enemies to fight¡¯ he was¡­ enthusiastic in his acceptance.¡± ¡°So, that gives us two front liners. One a tank, and the other a melee damage dealer. We have two ranged options that double as magic attack, and I can close if I need to. I assume that leaves someone in the support/area effect role. I''m guessing Amel- I mean Mrs. Cooper would be the best choice out of the options I can think of.¡± ¡°Correct. She is finishing her work on the boundary now and we will send her to meet you and your Ranger escort a mile east of here at sunset. We do not know if the time of day affects the enemy¡¯s perception capabilities or not. So far there is not much observable difference between night and day past the wall. Nonetheless, that is when your party will head out. ¡± Hiro replied, his stoic expression giving nothing away about what he thought their odds of success were. ¡°Very well, the elders said they had something to pass on to me, so I will see you shortly Tilly,¡± Franklin said, nodding to the other two before hustling off at his characteristic un-honu speed. ¡°See ya in a bit Franklin!¡± Tilly squawked embarrassingly after him, his nervousness at the coming mission causing his tone to shift into something slightly goofier than expected. He cleared his throat and turned back to the two lapins. ¡°Hiro, thanks for putting together one hell of a team. I hope you can hold this pile of blocks without us.¡± Tilly continued, attempting to ground himself in the reality of his words. He looked the elder Samurai in the eyes as he continued to avert his gaze from the darkening horizon and their near-suicidal mission beyond. The sudden advancement of his Corruption had shaken him pretty badly and he found himself unable to shake the anxious energy that wanted to animate his interactions. ¡°We will hold as long as we must." Hiro answered, unbowed by the challenge, "The System sets no hopeless tasks. This is possible, it will simply be very difficult. That being said, don''t take too long, Human. This is the second time we stand together on a wall and I am sending you off on an impossible task, the first time you returned in a day. I would appreciate something similar here.¡± Hiro replied, his gruff voice somehow taking on a lighter tone without changing in inflection. ¡°Speaking of our timeframe, I have several things to see to before we leave tonight,¡± Ichiro added, his soft smile back in full as he moved to leave, bowing to both of them. Hiro offered him a small but genuine smile in return along with the most meaningful sentence Tilly had ever heard him speak, ¡°Son, I am proud of you. I am sorry I do not say it more often.¡± Ichiro¡¯s serene smile flattened and some of his constant calm melted away before the implacable gaze of his father. He bowed again, this time much lower, ¡°We have both made mistakes. But I am deeply honored to be your son. We will return¡­¡± He answered facing the ground, before straightening and turning to leave. His smooth effortless motions made his speed seem almost improbable as he descended the large stairway still being constructed behind them. Then it was just the two of them left up on the wall, an island of silence in the midst of a sea of soldiers and workers rushing everywhere to prepare for the coming attack. Tilly knew he needed to leave and collect supplies for his journey like the others, but something held him up there a little longer and he stood on the wall watching the enemy¡¯s approach with the Samurai, turned Guardian. ¡°Do you really think we have a chance?¡± Tilly finally asked, his voice low amidst the background roar of shouts and preparations. Hiro didn''t look at him, or even acknowledge his question and Tilly began to wonder if the lapin had heard him when he finally responded. ¡°My people have a better chance at freedom now than they have had in the last four hundred years. It will be a difficult fight, but that was always going to be the case. What we face now, we face together. I have put my trust in your God, and I think you should begin to do the same.¡± Tilly stood there a while longer, thinking over what was ahead of them and what it meant to once again be heading into danger far beyond his ability and level. After a while, with a nod of thanks to Hiro for the company, he left the wall to head back to the city. He needed to find a pack and stuff to put in it. B2 Ch. 24 Send Me On My Way. Tilly made it to his room a little while later, choosing to take the trip at a light run. Kindle took turns launching herself from his shoulder and gliding back down to practice navigating the air at speed. As he looked up, he could tell she still had some trouble gaining altitude, but her maneuvering was looking more natural every day. "Cheeeeeep" She trilled, sending him the image of several predators pouncing on prey as her talons locked on his shoulder, arresting her most recent dive. Soon she would be too large to sit on his shoulder, the thought of her no longer being able to perch on him was accompanied by a small pinch of nostalgia at her rapid growth. However, in the face of her fierce pride, he couldn¡¯t help but play along. ¡°AAARRGGH¡± He shouted, Pretending to stumble as if a great weight had just crashed into him from above. Those last stumbling steps brought him around the corner to the front of his building and to his surprise he found someone waiting for him. ¡°Good afternoon Jonathan, a little birdie told us you were leaving an hour ago, so George and I got this together for your trip.¡± She said, hefting a pack the size of an ambitious middle schooler''s backpack. "Cheep?" Kindle replied, not liking being implicated by a woman she hardly knew. She blasted out a mental image of a flock of birds exploding from a small tree, which Tilly took to be a denial of any involvement. He did his best to ignore the byplay and beamed at the Arborist. ¡°Wow, Edna, thank you! I was about to head to the supply depot to see if I had any contribution points to spend to prepare. Believe it or not¡­ I hadn¡¯t gotten around to checking to see what my balance is, or if I even have an official position with the Alliance.¡± The Three-Fold Alliance''s fledgling economy was underpinned by a currency they called Contribution Points, something Shuji assured Tilly was very normal in these sorts of situations. Until they established contact with the outside world, no conversion to other currencies was offered or necessary. Everyone in the city was issued a stipend according to their experience, class, and position within the structure of the Alliance. Along with additional points assigned to certain tasks and goods produced. For example, Edna had told him that they would be able to build a nice house after the war, with all the points she and George had received for their classes and the amount of food they were able to produce. Tilly, however, hadn¡¯t needed any Contribution Points (CP) to buy any equipment so far. His legendary gear covered his weapons and armor and the med kit they had outfitted him with upon request had never come with a price attached. On top of that the food and lodging seemed to be covered for him as well, at least no one had said anything so far¡­ He was not sure this was true for anyone else in the Alliance and he wasn''t sure how he felt about the special treatment, but he had been training so hard he hadn''t really thought about it too much until now. ¡°Oh, Don¡¯t you go worrying about things like that!¡± Edna said, snapping him out of his sheepish guilt spiral with a surprisingly quick tap on the forehead. ¡°Concentrate on keeping us moving forward! You take care of us young man, and we take care of you. That being said, I think you will have a fair amount of points whenever you get around to checking.¡± She said, a mischievous smile peeking out from her comically stern visage. ¡°Well, I appreciate it a lot, Edna. Anything else I''ll need to grab? I was just swinging by to pick up my first aid bag¡± ¡°That is already packed and restocked at the top of this.¡± She said, holding up the bag for him to put on. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind. Amelia¡¯s coat will make sure you all have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, the others will each carry some essentials for the team, including a pot and some dry goods. With your self-repairing equipment and fire abilities, it wasn¡¯t too hard to get together what you needed. Just a cloak colored to help you blend in with the environment, and a few small essentials.¡± Something about her holding up the full pack as Tilly shrugged it on, reminded him of his first day at school decades ago. Not that he had anyone to pack his bag for him... But as he had looked at the other kids with lunch boxes and notes from their parents, he had wondered what it would be like to be taken care of in that way. Tilly cleared his throat and shook away the memories as he turned around to face the tiny woman. ¡°Tell George that I am so thankful for you two. It''s the little things like this that keep me moving forward.¡± ¡°Oh nonsense! He regretted not being here but he''s been working with Amelia on our boundary. Now I want you to do something for me¡­-¡± she said, trailing off before surprising Tilly by pulling his shoulders down to her height and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. Then holding his head down level with hers, she leaned back and looked him straight in the eyes, her expression taking on a much more serious cast. ¡°No more worrying about us. George and I never got the chance to have children of our own, and for better or worse, you have taken that place in our hearts young man. We won''t ask you to stay safe, but don¡¯t take on any more than you have to¡­ Too many young people die thinking the world lies on their shoulders. Your effort isn¡¯t the beginning or the end of this story.¡± Looking into her eyes, Tilly realized that even though he had only known them for a few weeks, he couldn¡¯t imagine life on Nephesh without their warm support¡­ As the safety of their steadfast care attempted to flood his heart, old panic began to rise up in resistance.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ''I don''t deserve this. ''I''ll just fail them, just like I''ve failed everyone else.'' ''...they leave in the end. They always do.'' All of that and more crackled at the back of his mind, as the white noise of his ever-present anxiety rose in volume. He could feel the newly thickened ichor of the Corruption¡¯s presence weedling its way into his buoyed emotions and dragging them back down into the mud of hopelessness. Through it all, unaware of the secret war raging in Tilly¡¯s heart, Edna stood there. She was three-quarters Tilly¡¯s height, yet she looked into his eyes with all the confidence of a person completely at peace with their place in the world. At that moment, secure in her belief and trust, she seemed immovable. Even amid his internal triggers, that expression and the choice it represented pulled words from the deeper places of Tilly¡¯s soul. Somewhere beyond that wall, deep in the ocean of his trauma, where his doom lurked, a bright light appeared. ¡°Thanks Edna¡­¡± He started in a croak. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t have much in the way of parents either, so I guess that makes us about perfect for each other¡­¡± Silence hung between them as she offered him a small smile and shining eyes. She gave him a motherly pat on his shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly, sealing the moment. ¡°You better get going, or else you will have this old lady blubbering all over you, and I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t have time for that.¡± Tilly nodded gratefully, not so sure that she would be doing all the blubbering. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I get back, until then, you two stay safe! Look after those kids for me, alright?¡± He answered, shouldering his pack and turning away. Kindle turned back toward Edna and called, "Cheep!" ¡°I will! And little lady, if anything tries to get our boy, you burn it to a crisp, you hear?¡± she replied fiercely to the phoenix. "CHEEP," Kindle affirmed. Tilly was faintly able to pick up images of forest fires and burning villages, whispering by the edges of his mind, and he was sure he was not the intended target. ''Wait¡­ Kindle can you talk to others?'' ¡­ After a few more quick stops, Tilly found himself at the eastern edge of the parade ground. He had made sure to visit the nearest outhouse building and take his time clearing out his system. He had a pretty good idea of what a long trip through enemy territory would be like, and he imagined this would be the last really good dump he would be able to take for a while. The shack he had first visited, had grown to a complex of 20-30 cubicles, all taking advantage of the building''s semi indoor plumbing rigged by a few Honu craftsmen. He helped himself to a generous few handfuls of leaves from the new charmin trees on his way out. Edna had cultivated them on either side of the street near the building and with her skill level they had grown to semi-maturity in days. Then he visited the supply depot to double-check his med bag and get it stocked to his specific standards (never trust a medic who isn¡¯t anal about his bag). After a quick inventory, he grabbed a free attendant, and they hurried off to locate the few missing supplies. He saw others verifying their identities on tablets and seeming to go through monetary transactions, but Tilly wasn¡¯t asked for anything of that sort, and he was starting to get worried about being late, so he decided to check when he got back. Then he was on his way out of the city. By the time he reached the far edge of the parade ground, the evening ranger patrol had already formed. Franklin was there waiting with Gorock, who carried his proportionally large pack with ease. Ichiro arrived behind him, moving at a deceptively easy pace, yet somehow appearing out of nowhere. ¡°Alright, is everyone ready? Miss Cooper will be meeting us at the boundary, my understanding is she will be finishing her work at our departure point.¡± The rangers all saluted in response. Something that had spread through the Alliance''s forces from the Bastion¡¯s influence. A closed right fist knocked lightly against the chest. Gorock''s resounded much more loudly than necessary, and the Wall Breaker looked to be shivering in anticipation. With that, they moved out, the rear being taken up by Tilly and Franklin. Tilly once again noticed that Franklin had no trouble keeping up with the rest of the group, showing none of the characteristic slowness that his people consistently demonstrated in most situations. ¡°Hey Franklin, how come you don¡¯t¡­ you know, move like the others of your kind?¡± Tilly asked as they moved through the grass to the treeline at a double-time march. ¡°Are you asking why I am so different from the other honu you have met?¡± He responded, shooting an easy glance in Tilly¡¯s direction to let him know he wasn¡¯t offended. ¡°Yeah, that.¡± ¡°My Great uncle sent me away from the clan when I received my class. I joined the caravans, gaining experience and levels away from the imperial army, and their crooked politics. I had just returned after a 7-year stint when the Cult started to truly press the Empire. Then a few months later, you arrived. ¡°My people don''t have to move slowly, it is just a cultural habit. There is a class in my people''s history called Wave Runner that is built around Dexterity. We are by nature a thoughtful and careful race, but often, in my experience, too slow when it counts. I¡¯m sure great uncle could tell, and that is why he sent me off to the caravans in the first place. During my travels, I saw many people and cities, and eventually, I acclimated to my surroundings. Now I am comfortable at either pace, although I don''t think anyone would ever accuse me of being speedy.¡± he finished with a chuckle. ¡°Thanks for being cool about that. It can get frustrating here sometimes when I am faced with a million things I don¡¯t know and I end up making mistakes out of ignorance. It is hard to know which questions are inappropriate and which ones are essential for my survival.¡± Franklin nodded along with Tilly¡¯s words. ¡°I felt quite the same way my first year on the Steppe. Do not worry yourself on my behalf. If you have any questions, especially about magic and mana-based abilities, I would be happy to share what I know with you. However, I do not imagine there will be much time for talking on this trip...¡± ¡°I''ll keep that in mind. One more thing, is it ok if I call you Frank? I''ve always been pretty big on nicknames, and it kills me that almost everyone here refers to me by my full name. I get that it is cultural and a sign of respect, but It feels like I¡¯m back in grade school. Well, except for Gorock... he seems perfectly comfortable using a nickname for me.¡± ¡°Not a problem¡­ Tilly.¡± He smiled, ducking his head under the thickening foliage as they continued through the forest. The Ranger patrol fell back into the habit of full noise discipline and Tilly followed their example. After a few minutes more, Tilly could see the boundary just ahead of their line. He shifted the pack on his shoulders and settled in his mind that training was over. It was time to see if all the grueling hours he had put in would keep him alive out in the wide world. B2 Ch. 25 Gilly Gilly ¡°Hold.¡± Ichiro called back down the line in a whisper. The formation froze a few yards short of the boundary and crouched down. Tilly was still surprised to see how difficult it was to keep track of the unit¡¯s location as they melded into the surrounding forest. Even Gorock seemed to have a few levels in Stealth. He had watched the others actively train this Skill for weeks, and still had to suppress goosebumps at the sight of a whole group of people basically disappearing. Despite the supernatural elements incorporated in the Skill, it still necessitated real-world knowledge and practice. Being careless and snapping a twig would result in a far greater probability of being noticed. But that didn''t mean there wasn''t magic at work. Quiet footsteps and carefully chosen clothing didn''t account for what Tilly had just witnessed from the entire ranger squad. Aside from Ichiro who still stood in plain sight looking down the line of the boundary, the rest of the squad had just evaporated. Tilly recalled the first day of ranger training when one of the former hunters had shown them what level 35 Stealth looked like in different environments. First, he had activated the Skill standing in an open field while they watched. To Tilly, the edges of his profile had blurred slightly, before firming back up. Then the hunter had asked them to look away and when they looked back, it seemed like he had disappeared¡­ for just a moment. Then something in Tilly¡¯s mind adjusted and he was able to spot the hunter lying completely still in the dirt. The muted color choice of his outfit and his Skill had somehow caused him to blend in extremely well with the rusty brown ground. There was magic at play, but it didn¡¯t come from the user''s own mana well. The Hunter described moments when his Skill had advanced greatly in the past, and how much more the Land itself actively helped him hide now. At even a moderate level in Stealth, an obstruction-rich environment was more than enough to render the user almost completely invisible. After several demonstrations in the tree line, the hunter assured them that high enough levels in Stealth were indistinguishable from full invisibility. The downside to the Skill was its vulnerability to real physical variables. Some races used scent as their primary sense, and few stealth users took adequate precautions against such detection methods. Tilly reviewed everything he had learned one last time, as he tried to get mentally ready for this next mission. His semi-meditative state was interrupted by two figures advancing slowly through the forest along the boundary. One wore a long trench coat with a green crystal-tipped staff and was casting something silently on the plants along the boundary. Tilly watched from his stealthed position as green-hued energy flooded into one plant after another, settling invisibly into the still normal-looking foliage. The other slightly shorter figure followed along, touching any plant that the first waved her staff over. ¡°Clear.¡± The call came whispering down the line. The formation stepped out of cover, one by one until a line of rangers stood waiting for the pair to arrive. The pair paid no mind to the Rangers and continued working right up until they reached the formation. ¡°Is this the correct location?¡± Ichiro asked Amelia. In response, a tired Amelia looked up from her last plant and lifted her staff. A line of foliage running parallel to the border of the Boon in both directions moved along with the wave of her staff. She allowed herself a grim but satisfied smile as she lowered her new magical implement and turned to her companion. ¡°Did you get them all, George?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, all of them have been registered by my Ability in the eyes of the system. Now, this is just another one of my crops, albeit a strange one. I¡¯ll know if any harm comes to them.¡± He said with a reassuring smile. ¡°Good, even when the Boon ends, these plants will continue to grow into one another, until they form an unbroken wall. Anyone free of corruption will be able to pass, but with the High Priestess¡¯s twist on my Ability, they have been keyed to detect and attack Corruption if it comes within range." Then she looked directly into the satyr''s eyes, emphasizing her next point. ¡°Please remember that if any of our people claim they were attacked ¡®by mistake¡¯¡± she finished darkly. ¡°Yes, you told me this hours ago," Georgie replied, waving away her warning, "I''ll take care of them, and with my bonuses, they will continue to grow well past normal, even without your mana. Now, you take care of yourself and stop worrying about us. You will have plenty to worry about as is.¡± Throughout George''s admonishment, Amelia¡¯s serious expression softened into a smile. ¡°Very well George, point taken, I''ll see you soon.¡± She said offering him a quick embrace and turning to the group. ¡°Are we ready?¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs Cooper, I believe we are,¡± Ichiro answered warmly, gesturing for the others to come forward. Tilly exchanged a look with George, who mouthed, ¡°Good luck¡± as if Tilly was trying to land a big part in the community theater play. The humor cut through Tilly¡¯s mental cramming and he couldn¡¯t help but grin, shooting George a thumbs up before joining the others near the boundary. The Ranger squad moved to continue the patrol, while Ichiro, Franklin, Gorock, Tilly, and Amelia formed a small circle at the edge of Boon. Tilly couldn''t help but eye the nearby mana-imbued plants nervously as they huddled up. ¡°Oh stop it,¡± Amelia said, catching his look and heaving an exasperated sigh. ¡°You and I are both infected... Of course I would have thought of that when I designed this enchantment. Anything with a hint of Origin''s flame is keyed to pass.¡± Tilly smiled sheepishly and shrugged as Ichiro broke in,This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Everyone, please-- We have a simple goal, find the next Facet. We will avoid enemy engagement where possible.¡± At this Gorock snorted in derision, ¡°And we will move as quickly and quietly as possible. My father is the only one who has been far enough past the boundary to see where the Land has stitched our two areas together, but he informed me that, except for the pass where we have built the wall, many of the mountains were cut in half by the move, and now present sheer cliff faces to the enemy. ¡°He and the High Priestess are working on building a distraction for the approaching army to cover our descent from any watchers. Once we reach the deadlands, we will depend on our cloaks and stealth to avoid the enemy scouts. Any questions?¡± ¡°Not a question, but depending on what we find at the bottom of the cliffs, I have an idea that should make our movements even more opaque to the enemy,¡± Amelia responded, looking around at the others. Tilly just unslung his pack and asked Kindle to hop on the bag after he pulled out his reddish tan cloak. He flung it over the pack and his kit, and gestured for Kindle to hop back on. It may have been his imagination, but he thought he felt his armor wriggling in disgust as the normal quality cloak settled over it. The others followed suit, each nodding toward Ichiro once they were ready. Tilly took one last look at each member of the group, noting just how different their levels and classes were. Level 48 Wall Breaker Level 35 Tundra Caller Level 38 Botanist Surveyor Level 25 Samurai Hatamoto And finally him, a Level 18 Son of Flame. The lowest-tier enemies they faced averaged at Level 35¡­ God, he was so in over his head. Sensing the general shape of his thoughts, Kindle pecked at him irritably, as she settled back on his shoulder. She sent him an image of a smoldering ember, surrounded by damp foliage. It slowly dried out its surroundings unbowed by the greatness of the trees towering over it. It was in the ember''s nature to burn and burn it would, no matter how insurmountable its chosen fuel. He absently reached up and stroked her feathered back in thanks before deciding to speak up to the group making final preparations. ¡°I know we each have our reasons for going on this mission, but this is as personal for me as it gets. So, I wanted to take this chance before we start to thank each of you for coming¡­¡± He said, some of the emotion of the sentiment lending a gravelly tone to his words. ¡°You aren''t the only one with high hopes for this mission,¡± Amelia snorted, her hand drifting to touch her midriff under her pocketed trench coat. Tilly winced as he suppressed the memory of her burning skin as he did his best to remove the fatal poison. He swung his gaze around, catching an absent nod from Franklin as he fiddled with his scarf. Gorock either sneered or smiled reassuringly at Tilly''s pronouncement¡­ probably the first and Tilly''s gaze came back around to Ichiro. ¡°It is my honor to accompany you, Jonathan Tillman. Your path will bring great change and I will walk with you as long as I am able,¡± Ichiro replied simply before nodding to each of the others and turning to move through the barrier. They all followed, feeling nothing as they moved through the shift in the time dilation. But when Tilly looked back he found the ranger patrol and George had already gone from the spaces they had occupied thirty seconds ago. The group moved through the trees uphill until they reached a gap, and came to the edge of a cliff hundreds of feet high. Tilly held on to a tree and leaned out slightly to see just how dramatic the unnatural fortification was. Even though the System had thrown them almost immediately to the wolves, it had not done so without some favorable factors on their side. Tilly was sure that the impossibly smooth cliffs could be scaled, but he doubted it would be chosen by any significant number of enemies over a direct assault on the wall. To his right, Amelia had just finished whispering with Ichiro who was taking turns looking far into the distance at the closing force and then shifting his gaze back to the sky above the boundary, where something was roiling and building in the hazy sky within the boon. Amelia turned to address the others. ¡°I have a cutting of a certain vine that should work to descend this cliff face, and as a plus, it will wither in a few hours. So we will go as soon as the storm strikes.¡± She said pulling a thick root cutting with hundreds of feeler-like twigs growing off of it. She placed it on the ground at the edge of the cliff and touched the tip of her new staff to the plant which started to wriggle and squirm as she channeled mana into it. New growth exploded out, shooting over the side and snaking down the cliff, sinking its continuously growing appendages into the side of the cliff as it descended. Tilly¡¯s head shot up as a crack of lightning sounded from the barrier, and a stormhead surged over the boundary toward the rolling hills of the deadlands beyond. ¡°That is our signal gentleman, it''s time to move.¡± She said, grabbing onto the initial root, and kicking out over the side, before beginning to descend as the vine grew just ahead of her descent. Tilly watched as she took advantage of the intentional back and froth curves in the growth for hand and foot holds. The rest followed after her, each taking looks, when able, at the sudden and violent storm surging toward the enemy. It had started to pour sheets of water on the mouth of the mountain pass, adding tons of water to the river delta choking the entrance of the pass. Thunder struck the ground angrily like the clanging of a gong, as the force of nature moved toward enemy lines. ¡°How did they do this?¡± Tilly called to Ichiro, as the outer edges of the storm started to soak them with rain, removing any visibility they had of the area. ¡°It was Lady Erash,¡± He called back down over the sound of the storm. ¡°She is able to do this in partnership with my father in his role as a Guardian. They called it a domain ritual. Although, I am afraid it will not rain for months in our valley as a consequence.¡± Even in the rain, the millipede vine provided an almost ladderlike descent down the cliff, and after ten minutes, Tilly''s moccasins landed in the rusty tan grass that covered the lands of their enemy. He looked around as the rain started to lighten near their area and saw Amelia doing something with the grass, as the others adjusted their tan cloaks and packs. She carefully dug up a clump of the ground cover and placed it in one of her pockets, before lifting another and laying it on the sleeve of her trenchcoat. She waved her staff over it, and the grass started to multiply rapidly, springing up in clumps all over her jacket breaking up her shape, and lending the majority of her form an impressive camouflage. ¡°Do not worry Baby-man, I am sure her explosions are nowhere near as impressive as yours.¡± Gorock chuckled from behind Tilly causing him to jump. She looked up from her newly covered form and gestured silently for the rest of them to come forward. She grew each of their cloaks a sort of ghillie suit covering and explained in a low voice, ¡°This plant is called Blood Weed. If you are injured while wearing this cloak, get it off quickly, I might not have time to keep it from burrowing into your wound. But in its inert state, it will provide excellent cover for us as we move.¡± Tilly stepped forward last, but as she started to cover his cloak in the vampire grass, his Legendary armor underneath started to writhe once again and this time Tilly knew he was not imagining things. It felt¡­ Outraged. Tilly was about to call out a warning when his grass-covered cloak exploded all around him, causing Amelia to shout in surprise. B2 Ch. 26 Inexorable Advance Igor Level 84 Vampiric Mesmer Igor smacked his lips in anticipation, not bothering to rub away the drool that ran down his chin mingling with the sticky brown bandages that covered every inch of his face. The life energy emanating from this tiny Faction was delicious. Behind this pitiful storm and one of those laughable piles of stone the cattle seemed so fond of, something bright burned. It felt old and somehow, at the same time, it expressed a vibrancy that Igor had never tasted. He hadn¡¯t salivated like this since the Hunger first graced the Bloodwells at their nation''s heart. Only a few of Father''s favorite children had been allowed to drink from the newly enriched treasure and Igor had not been one of them. On that day, Igor had watched salivating as that fat pig Dimitrov had guzzled from the ruby fount flecked with squirming succulent darkness. Aside from his eldest, Father had chosen two others to partake, having already taken his fill, of course. At first, Igor thought there must be some mistake, no one had been as faithful as him in carrying out his Father¡¯s will! But as he stood there watching the two others approach the Bloodwell an insatiable desire had welled up, gnawing up from the pit of his stomach and battering his already tenuous hold on sanity. He leaped from his kneeling position at the entrance of the caverns, ravenous and desperate enough to risk everything for a taste of the new power flowing from the wells. A multi-octave cacophony issued from his raw throat as he used Maddening Screech to draw the favored pair''s attention toward him. Once they each met his eyes, he knew he had them. They would not be as susceptible as blood bags, but Igor had not risen to this rank by accident. He stacked Mesmerize and Enrage, draining all of his mana and half his health as he overcharged both of them with Blood Sacrifice. Anastasiya and Ivan froze mid-crouch, their faces a rictus of hatred and rage as they were caught in the power of his gaze. He could not hold them for long, but he poured all of his starved ambition into his Will and mentally thundered his command. ¡®DEVOUR EACH OTHER¡¯ They responded immediately, claws and fangs flashing before the dark ichor of Blood Essence began to splatter all over the cave. Not wanting to waste a second, Igor shot forward making use of every bit of his blood-empowered body to reach the Bloodwells and their sensuous whisperings of new dark power. Then He was there. Igor hadn¡¯t even made it halfway before Father intervened. He stood before Igor, holding his two squabbling children by the necks. His pale sinuous form, flanked by two dark grey wings formed of perfect grey flesh and beautiful angular bones seemed to fill the whole cavern. His eyes twinkled feverishly, shining yellow with new flecks of black wriggling like tiny worms around his pupils. Igor both hated him for his power and loved him for his beauty. Those eyes seized Igor¡¯s soul and would have stilled any mortal creature''s beating heart as his voice exploded into Igor¡¯s mind. ¡°You dare defy me in my place of power?¡± the voice raked Igor¡¯s mind with pain, even as he shuddered in ecstasy at his master''s attention. Attention that had killed many of his lesser brethren. But in this, madness gave him strength, and the gnawing hole that was his soul cried out for the new power the wells offered, even in the face of his destruction. ¡°Benevolent Father, Drinker of Souls, have you not taught us that there are but two laws?¡± Igor mewed in terror, hating his voice and the weakness of his position before the others. Demetrov¡¯s beady dark eyes danced with mirth between the endless folds of fat that framed his brow. ¡°I must drink from the Bloodwell Father! I have proven my power over these two. I beg of you, allow me this honor, I will not fail you!¡± Igor cried, bowing deeply to the Patriarch of the Horde and biting his lip in urgent need as dark-flecked blood continued to gush up from the Wells just beyond his Father¡¯s talons. A rich velvety laughter filled the room as the Patriarch tossed aside the other two, and opened his arms wide. ¡°I applaud your ambition. Truly I do, but we cannot allow such an act go unpunished¡­ now can we?¡± he asked, his posture one of a loving father inviting his child into a warm embrace. ¡°I will allow you to drink¡­ but you will pay my price.¡± Igor straightened and was unable to restrain the moan of horror that slipped from his throat. Still gripped in Father¡¯s mental grasp, he moved forward until he was a breath away from the Prime Dirge of the Twilight Lands. His eyes rolled in his sockets as the visible striations of Father''s muscular form parted in hundreds of places to display salivating mouths bristling with needle-like teeth. It is said that the screaming was heard by every member of the Horde in the planes, and had lasted over an hour. Igor¡¯s eye twitched at the memory, and he unconsciously shifted one of the flesh bandages a shaman had given him to staunch some of the endless bleeding. The wounds had not healed, even weeks later, and if he did not constantly feed, the bleeding debuff would slowly kill him. But none of it mattered to Igor now, he had been rewarded richly for his boldness. At the first achingly sweet swallow of the ruby liquid, he had felt his power begin to grow horrendously. His Intelligence had doubled while his Wisdom had been reduced to almost nothing. Yet the Hunger had not left him without a way to regain mana. It had gifted him a new Ability, Mana Siphon. Now he could draw the Mana from any target creature''s blood, giving him an endless supply as long as he was willing to take it from those around him. The cattle that surrounded him, pathetic in their weakness were now his new Mana well. Igor abandoned Wisdom as he gave himself completely over to the laws of Hunger and Power.Stolen story; please report. His sopping wet bandages continued to weep dark ichor down the sides of his face as his eyes shone with insatiable red hunger. His new power demanded to be fed, and it keened from the back of his mind as he used his Mesmeric Sight to watch the defenders run up and down the wall in preparation for an assault. First, they would use this new little morsel of a nation to cull the weak from the Horde. Then the strong would remain, rewarded with the chance to crack open this egg and enjoy the gooey softness of this prize. The Pretenders to the east would do nothing unless pressed, holding back like the weaklings they were. The fools thought that the Horde had given up on its conquest of their lands. They didn''t know that it would only be days until they saw the light of Father¡¯s teachings and joined the Hunger. Then all would join Father on his glorious crusade to finally crush the disgusting Bloodless who had hidden away in their precious city for far too long. ¡®Run little piggies!¡¯ He thought gleefully, as the snacks continued to prepare themself for the meal up on their pile of stones. ¡®We will fatten you on our weakest, as has always been done. Then the butcher will come calling, and rip apart your pitiful force, sinew, and joint. And while King-Piggy Demetrov is gorging himself, I will find the source of this sweet burning power, and swallow it whole.¡¯
Aurelia Level 12 Priestess of Origin¡¯s Flame Aurelia could barely stand, yet somehow she found the strength to continue, shuffling over to the next pile of javelin tips and arrowheads that the smiths had been producing night and day. Just yesterday, she had been called to the forge compound to cast Fiery Will on another exhausted group, giving them the ability to press on. The Ability allowed the target to ignore one Debuff for twenty-four hours, and the smiths as well as many of the other essential laborers had been requesting it whenever she was free to clear their Exhaustion. It was no longer a matter of taking full advantage of the huge skill-leveling bonus. By now, everyone knew what was coming, and anyone who could contribute, did. Even the rest of the orphans had taken to running meals from the cafetorium to the different labor groups. ¡®The rest of the orphans¡­¡¯ She thought hesitantly. She hadn¡¯t really seen them much since that night she had snuck away. But she knew that they were working as hard as anyone to prepare for what was coming. All of them had lost their homes and families, and they would do everything they could to keep that from happening again. She was the oldest now, and it was up to her to lead by example! The Flame had chosen her for a reason. Or at least that is what she kept telling herself as she struggled to follow Erash¡¯s vague instructions in her new class. Her training had been a whirlwind of urgent needs and long repetitive hours of casting, giving her no time to process her new, more mature state. She had purified hundreds of soldiers from Corruption, healed four times that many injured and now she was casting Ignus¡¯ Blessing on as many projectiles as possible to give their under-leveled forces a fighting chance against the new superior enemy. The High Priestess could bless thousands of weapons at once with such a simple Ability and she had, but now she was completely spent, and there were still more instruments of war being produced. Lady Erash had exhausted herself unleashing that storm... gods, it had been terrifying to watch it build above them, pulling wind from the mountains and water from the river as Lord Hiro and Lady Erash invested it with all the Will and Mana they could muster in partnership with the Land. They had said it would slow the enemy''s approach to the wall and kill hundreds of combatants in the process. Perhaps one day she would be capable of such incredible feats of faith and power. Until then, she had blessings to bestow. Early on, they had found that a simple iron tip on a spear or arrow blessed with Aurelia¡¯s Ability would reproduce a weaker version of Mr. Tillman''s powerful fire strike. So they had filled every moment she wasn¡¯t needed somewhere else with blessing duty. She cast again, imbuing another pile of twenty iron heads with Origin¡¯s power. Her lower lip trembled at the burning in her throat and the aching in her arms. Twenty blue sparks shot from her hands, and settled into the iron of her targets. They each took on an almost invisible bluish sheen in response and the blessing would last for over a week. As the Ability finished, her arms dropped and she bit her lip to still its trembling, doggedly moving over to the next pile. All around her, workers shouted, preparing last-minute logistics to make sure those on the wall were well supplied. Commanders shouted out instructions to formations of new soldiers whose feet shuffled nervously in place. All present stole glances up at the wall, waiting. Then the alarm call began to echo, as spotters up on the cliffs marked the approach of the enemy. The storm was spent and the enemy was almost upon them. The Boon would be over in a few hours, and then the sickening creatures would come. She suppressed a shiver as she lifted her hands to bless another batch. Before she could begin, a notification popped up and she scanned it carefully, still not entirely used to having access to something that had been years away only a few weeks ago.
Congratulations! You have spent your entire mana pool on blessings objects over forty-eight times in twenty-four hours. For your effort, you have earned the Title: [Bestower of Providence] [Bestower of Providence] You have pushed your mind and body far past its young threshold to channel a deity¡¯s power for the protection of your people. This has imbued your call on Origin¡¯s power with a unique significance. +100% on the effectiveness of your blessings on objects. You gain .01% of any experience earned with the use of an object you have blessed.
Aurelia had to read it a few more times to understand its implications, but it finally sank in. Not only would her work here be even more effective, but it would allow her to grow faster, and she had to grow as fast as she could if she was going to protect the others. ¡°I was chosen for a reason.¡± She muttered stubbornly under her breath as she lifted her arms above the next pile and began to cast with renewed passion. B2 Ch. 27 So I Creep Jonathan Tillman Level 18 Son of Flame Amelia flinched away, crying out at the sudden and unexpected magical reaction. For Tilly, however, time seemed to slow down. He didn¡¯t know if it was due to Origin¡¯s influence, but everything slowed to a crawl as he watched scattered tan fabric and clumps of freshly grown Blood Weed dissolve in the air all around him. The material was broken down into energy, leaving behind motes of tan and rust-colored mana that were then sucked back into Tilly¡¯s armor. The legendary armor set forcefully broke the surrounding material into its base state and then pulled it back in, using the energy to transform. The normally invisible script running up and down the fur and leather pieces that made up his armor flared brightly and began to change. Fur and leather shifted to something light and dry, looking disturbingly like mummified skin, and then sprouted the Blood Weed everywhere. A hood grew up out of the collar and he was left wearing what looked like a special-forces, fantasy ghillie suit. Time snapped back to normal, and while Tilly had gotten to witness his armor transformation process at one-tenth the speed, the others had only seen an explosion of material and Amelia flinch back. Ichiro and Gorock charged forward and Tilly quickly raised his hands to forestall their advance. Gorock already had his large ¡°short¡± sword raised, and Tilly had no idea how he thought he was going to ¡°help¡± whatever situation he imagined was taking place. ¡°It''s OK guys! It''s just my armor. It spontaneously transforms¡­ sometimes.¡± He called out, realizing halfway through the sentence, that he hadn¡¯t thought nearly enough about the mechanics of these transformations. He turned to Amelia, who was straightening, both hands stuffed threateningly in her pockets. ¡°I had no clue that would happen, I swear.¡± He said waving placatingly while pulling up his flashing notification log. Congratulations! You have activated a hidden prerequisite and catalyzed an armor transformation. Your armor has taken on characteristics of the Blood Mound Shambler. +270% to any stealth-related activities while out of combat in the Undying Plains +50% bonus to first strike from stealth. ¡°I believe you¡­ and somehow I am convinced that this is not the last time something explosive will happen in your company.¡± Amelia said with a sigh, her face softening as she wearily pulled empty hands from her pockets. ¡°Well, if it''s any consolation, this set now gives me a huge bonus to Stealth, along with a bonus to my first strike from hiding. It should be a game changer as we move through this area.¡± Ichiro¡¯s face brightened at the news, while Gorock¡¯s dropped in disappointment, reluctantly sheathing his sword and turning away mumbling. ¡°Very good Mr. Tillman, this solidifies your position as our scout. We must move before the storm dissipates.¡± Ichiro responded, gesturing opposite the cliff face and away from the approaching force. ¡°Gorock, you will guard our rear. Mr. Tillman, you take point. We will move in a staggered line at double time. Keep spacing at about fifty paces, except for you Mr. Tillman, you range ahead at two hundred paces. Kindle. If you would accompany me, I will inform you if we need Mr. Tillman and he can let you know if we need to halt. We will move at a double patrol pace for now. Is everyone clear?¡± He asked, issuing out the commands in a cool professional tone. They all responded in the affirmative. Even Kindle responded with a ¡®cheep¡¯ before hopping off Tilly¡¯s shoulder and fluttering over to Ichiro, settling onto his small pack. She scanned the plains with her sharp all-blue eyes before sending him a word of advice for his mission. ¡®Hide¡¯ she sent stoically, accompanied by images of a small creature moving through the underbrush. Then she looked over to him away from the plains and added, ¡®I protect¡¯ accompanied by the image of a mother bird spreading her wings over the nest. He sent back ¡®I know you will girl. I¡¯ll be careful and you do the same.¡¯ then he turned to her new perch; the serene samurai. Tilly was impressed, but not surprised at Ichiro¡¯s tactical prowess, and only had one question for the initial plan. ¡°What do I do if I am spotted?¡± ¡°Immediate and overwhelming use of force. Do not hold anything back, there can be no report of our presence moving through this land.¡± He responded without hesitation, his calm expression untouched by the intense subject matter. ¡°Finally!¡± Gorock whispered in a tone that very much failed to be private. ¡°We will run as long as we are able, and make camp only when we must. Time is no longer working with us... Is everyone ready to move?¡± Ichiro checked a final time. Tilly fought down the familiar feeling of being an imposter as he observed the expression of professional detachment that settled on the other¡¯s faces. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ''Looks like life or death quests are par for the course around here...'' Choosing not to dwell on his scant qualifications in scouting, Tilly shook out his shoulders and drew his weapons. Everyone else shifted to similar states of readiness, and without further preamble, Tilly turned and started moving at a steady jog. His steps ate up the ground and he once again marveled at the fact that he was easily maintaining what would have been his full sprint in his old life. In fact, the state of his body seemed entirely unaffected by the change from standing to running, and he felt like he could keep this pace for an entire day if needed. After a few yards of finding his pace, he activated Stealth and felt the skill settle over him. However, he immediately noticed a difference in how quickly and thoroughly he felt his form become indistinct. He had been told that as long as the Skill remained active you would feel less¡­ physically present. This sensation was often but not always a good indicator that you remained unobserved by hostile forces. As soon as he activated the Skill he felt a flash of alarm from Kindle who immediately sent, ¡®Where?¡¯ accompanied by a memory of his departure from her perspective. The memory was jarring enough to cause Tilly to stumble mid-stride as he adjusted to the entirely different way she saw the world. All the physical features of the landscape were unchanged if not outlined in a much higher resolution, but superimposed over them was a grey/white haze. Somehow the haze did not diminish her ability to make out even minute details, but did overlay everything with a confusing extra layer of information. Tilly asked her to send the image again, and she complied. This time Tilly was able to pick his own form out from the endless sea of grass, partially because he was moving, but also because the haze was markedly whiter around his form. He realized that she had an innate heat sense built into her vision, which made sense considering what she ate. After a few seconds, he watched himself disappear in the memory, the haze fading to uniform grey right where he had been. Tilly couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of his huge jump in the Skill with the new armor transformation. He sent back the same image she had sent him along with the word, ¡®Hide¡¯. She answered with a mental chirp that was layered with so much attitude that it would have been an eye roll on a human teenager. As tough as Nephesh had been on him, some of the things he had experienced were undeniably cool. Being able to fade into nothingness was definitely one of those things. He leaned a little more into his pace and started to scan the area in front of him. The plains were a reddish tan sea of low rolling hills broken by long swathes of flat land that interrupted the hills like ripples in a pond. Breaking this expanse was the storm wall, now directly in front of the enemy forces, blocking their line of sight. Tilly continued to move at a forty-five-degree angle away from the cliff wall with the storm and the enemy it obscured to his left. He kept moving until they had gained about 5 miles of distance between their group and the pass, keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of place in the monotonous dead grasslands. Cresting a relatively large hill, he crouched low and turned back towards the wall to find that the clouds had cleared, marking the end of the supernatural storm. Tilly was able to barely make out an indistinct grey mass flowing toward the flooded delta before the walls. As that tide of furious hungry flesh hit the waters, it slowed significantly, meaning their inhumanly fast sprint was relegated to a jog. Tilly watched for a few moments more as the mass was broken up, and reduced on its approach to the base of the wall. His sight failed him in the specifics, but he understood enough to know that the wall would likely hold through the first charge if nothing changed. ¡®Hold on guys¡­ The only thing I can do for you now is keep moving.¡¯ He thought to himself as he duck-walked to the downslope and started to move again. Just because he couldn''t make out individual shapes at this distance didn''t mean the enemy had the same limits. Even with his bonus in Stealth, he refused to tempt fate by making a silhouette on any of the high points in the hills. He sent back his observation to Kindle, trusting her to convey the update to Ichiro. He continued along the direction they had set, occasionally sending back an image of a stunted tree, or odd boulder to make sure they didn''t lose his line of travel. Without any real change in the moody grey skies between day and night, it was difficult to track the passage of time. So it might have been thirty minutes or two hours when he encountered the first scout. He had been sticking to the lower paths through the low hills, winding his way further and further to the side of the Horde when he felt a shiver pass through this Stealth. On instinct, he dropped, then achingly slowly, he craned his neck to peer at his surroundings from deep within the cowl of his grassy hood. Once he had turned his head almost completely to the right, he spotted the source of his unease. A figure crouched on top of a hill just past the one he had been skirting. Tilly watched, barely breathing as the creature continued to scan the area. Some part of its predator instinct clearly pushing it to search hills carefully, even though there seemed to be nothing. Level 37 Strigoi Tilly sent back an image of the scout to Kindle from his hiding place. She sent back a mental ¡®cheep!¡¯ of concern, but also sent along a picture of the rest of the group crouching down and hunkering under their cloaks, becoming little more than misshapen features of the same endless rust and tan grasslands. She even looked down at herself to show a new piece of fabric extending out of the pack below her and covering her blue form. Finally, the scout stood, giving up its search, and turning back to head away from Tilly and the others. It released a short sharp screech that echoed through the hills and another screech answered the call a few hundred yards closer to the enemy force. That was the moment Tilly realized that these creatures were far less mindless than he first assumed. He didn''t know how far this screen of scouts spread from the Horde, but he hoped they would get through them soon. Once he was sure the scout was gone he sent back an all-clear to the others and started moving again. As he loped forward keeping his form slightly crouched, he carefully scanned each approaching hilltop. ¡®One enemy avoided, thousands more to go.¡¯ B2 Ch. 28 Overwhelming Force Over the next several hours he avoided three more scouts as they moved through the screen of eyes and ears the enemy army had this far out from its main force. As they continued to move away from the conflict, scout encounters became rare, until after an hour, Tilly was almost sure he had seen the last of them. He was really glad they hadn¡¯t encountered this screen of scouts when they first tried to escape. Another mile or two closer to the army and the scouts would have probably been too close together to move through with their whole group. It had been a good while since he had seen the last scout and Tilly was about to signal back to the others to re-group and set a new heading when he heard a sniffing sound just around the hill in front of him. He scrambled part way up the incline and dived to the ground, stilling completely as the small figure came into view. This one was slightly smaller than the others and his Identify pinged with the reason a moment later. Level 28 Strigoi Juvenile. Tilly sent back what he was seeing as the creature continued to wander forward, obviously less focused than the others in fulfilling its duty. Occasionally it would stop and scratch the ground, sniffing at what it found there, then moving on. As it came within feet of Tilly, he noticed other differences in its features. One unlike the other gray hairless adults, this one seemed to still have patchy hair covering its head, and a few loose rags hung from its gaunt frame. Its skin displayed black vein-like patterns connotating a heavy Corruption presence. As it passed, a realization hit Tilly and he had to fight down the gorge rising in his throat. The hair¡­ the rags¡­ This creature had been something else once. It was a juvenile because it had not shed all of the features of its previous race. It continued to wander past Tilly, and he hastily warned the others to scatter from the line he had been setting when a coughing bark sounded from just ahead. The Juvenile froze in place and then turned slowly back toward the sound, and Tilly followed its gaze, making sure to keep his movements achingly slow to maintain Stealth. Another coughing bark sounded, this time more forceful, and the Juvenile scrambled back past Tilly looking chastised. Tilly¡¯s hood finally cleared from his line of sight and he saw it, Level 72 Strigoi Consumer It had eight or nine other juveniles milling about its feet, all hunched over in subservience and it was looking down at the stray with fury smoldering in its lifeless eyes. Like the others Tilly had seen, it wore a mix of different armor and several weapons. Up close, Tilly noticed that its grey skin was tinged the slightest purple and it also had a spidery network of heavy Corruption burrowing through its skin. The juvenile scrambled up the hill and skidded to a halt just before the Consumer, who issued a vicious kick for its trouble. Tilly¡¯s whole body tensed at the sight of such a large group so close. His joints began to ache with the strain as his knuckles whitened around the handles of his hatchets. The chances of his group being able to take this one without the element of surprise were slim. One misstep by him here and it would all be over. Even if they survived the encounter, there was no way they would be able to keep any from escaping to spread news of their presence¡­ He urgently sent back a command to stop and take cover. Kindle answered with concern and an affirmative that she had passed along the situation. Tilly kept his eyes glued on the Consumer, who seemed to have been assigned babysitting duty. Were there more juveniles wandering around? Sweat began to run down Tilly¡¯s face as the lay there frozen, while the Consumer surveyed the hills before it. Then screeching sounded from behind the group of Strigoi, echoed by other voices further away. The group¡¯s heads snapped back the way they had come at the sound. The Consumer issued a few barking commands before shooting off. The Juveniles scrambled after, their gangly limbs hardly reducing the terrifying quickness of their four-legged sprint. The screeching continued, joined by this group and others. They had found something. Something that had merited a full response. Kindle sent, ¡®We come.¡¯ as soon as Tilly issued the all-clear. For his part, Tilly cautiously moved forward cresting the hill slowly and watching as the distant group that had almost discovered him was joined by other individuals. They converged on a spot a few hundred yards in the distance just out of Tilly¡¯s sight behind another set of hills. A forceful shout rang out from the area, followed closely by a flash of pink light. The group of creatures pursuing the sound went wild, howling as they increased pace. The pink light continued to shine from behind the hill as the creatures arrived at the unseen source en mass. ¡°Mr. Tillman, what do you see?¡± Ichiro whispered urgently from the bottom of the hill. Tilly backed down from the rise and turned to find the others arriving with Gorock pulling up the rear, shield, and sword ready. ¡°Something drew the attention of every creature in this area with some sort of magic. The voice sounded humanoid, and whatever it was, it didn''t seem like the Strigoi are rushing over to say ¡®Hi.¡¯ ¡° Then the sound of a truck colliding with a wall thundered back over the hills from the confrontation, and echoing screeches of fury rose from the surroundings pulling even more Strigoi into the conflict. There had to be twenty to thirty scouts there by now. Ichiro closed his eyes and listened for things the rest of them couldn¡¯t hear. After ten seconds, his milky eyes flicked open and he drew his sword. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°There is, in fact, a battle in play, and the ones opposing the Strigoi seem to be from another Faction.¡± He said, dropping his pack, and letting Kindle loose. ¡°We will move to assist, our goals being the destruction of the enemy force in the area and favorable contact with possible allies in the region. They are swarming, and I doubt they have sent any messages back to the main force yet. Jonathan, you take point, strike first, strike hard.¡± ¡°Done and done,¡± Tilly said dropping his pack in a mirror action to the others who were loosening gear and reading weapons for battle. ¡°Franklin and Mrs. Cooper, you are on containment, as soon as we engage, your main priority is to lock down the area, no one in or out. Gorock, we will move in and capitalize on Mr. Tillman¡¯s primary strike. Everyone clear?¡± Everyone made some version of a nonverbal acknowledgment. Gorock barely contained his giggling delight, and Tilly shook his head in amazement at the Wallbreaker''s battle lust. He turned to his bond, suddenly overtaken with worry that she wouldn¡¯t know what to do. ¡®Kindle, you are on overwatch, only engage if you have an easy win¡¯ Tilly sent to the Phoenix, trying to give her a role that felt significant, without endangering her too much. She eyed him, sending back contempt, along with a significant amount of confidence in her own abilities. She then turned away, shook out her wings, and took off into the air, not waiting for any further instructions. ¡°Shit! Alright, I¡¯ll see you guys on the other side, be careful.¡± He whispered hurriedly before running after her towards the sounds of confrontation. He heard the others move after him but none overtook his position, and Kindle began to send flashes of the scenario ahead of them from the air. Through Kindle¡¯s aerial perspective, he managed to gain a basic understanding of the conflict before him as he ran forward at a good clip. They faced a mass of thirty or so juveniles and two Consumers. Three more of the juveniles littered the ground like abandoned rag dolls, and one of the Consumers was missing an arm. The group had been whipped into a fury, attempting to tear through a glowing pink dome that was somehow managing to withstand their attacks. The two Consumers stood back and watched, seeming to be content to let the younger minions wear down the caster. The barrier was already showing cracks, and through Kindle''s eyes, Tilly could barely make out two figures through the glowing pink surface of the magic. One seemed to be a huge knight, decked out in full plate with its face completely covered. The other was significantly smaller, wearing bright multicolored robes, and holding his hands splayed before him in an obvious attempt to maintain the barrier against the ferocity of the Juveniles. Tilly slowed his approach, as he crested the last hill. He centered himself fully back in his own senses, making sure his Stealth was still in place before peeking over the crest of the last hill. The scene was just as Kindle had shown him, but with his more familiar vantage, his attention was especially drawn to how closely grouped the majority of the Juveniles were in front of the barrier. He took one last scan of the field, looking for the most effective place to strike and tip the scales. He quickly discarded going after one of the elites, even the injured one. That would be a waste of his initial bonus if he wasn¡¯t able to effectively remove it from the fight with the first blow and against something of that level, he would only have one shot. His eyes went back to the crowd of juveniles ranging from nine to fourteen levels above his measly level of eighteen. If this was a video game, their grouping would be screaming at him to stack his bonus to a first strike from Stealth with an area of effect Ability. But this wasn¡¯t a game, and [Resolute] would only block one strike¡­ to fail here would ruin everything. Fuck it, he had a job to do, and he would do it to the best of his abilities. Some of his old competence rose to the surface as he considered this problem just like he would a burning structure. His two worlds merged and the feeling of being on a razor-edge he used to get going into a burning building slid into place. Weeks of diving into certain pain and dismemberment paid dividends, and even in the face of possible death, he found himself creeping forward despite leaving behind his momentary hesitation. The Corruption wriggled within him, egging him to abandon all fear and give in to the call of battle pouring off the scene in front of him. The Strigoi seemed to have no fear, throwing themselves at the barrier in mindless fury and he couldn''t deny the pull their frenzy had on him. The freedom it offered was almost intoxicating in its promise of release from his worldly cares¡­ He acknowledged his desire to give in, accepting it with a deep breath. Then he held it, feeling its power weaken against his acceptance. He pulled the temptation close, not denying it, but letting it be a part of the tapestry of pain and hope that made up his soul. Then he released it along with his breath. His breathing pattern settled into place and he stoked the fire within him steeling himself against Corruption¡¯s influence for what now seemed like the thousandth time. ¡®Endurance, don''t fail me now.¡¯ He thought as he crept forward the last few yards towards the ongoing conflict. Cracks now spiderwebbed around the ferocious knot of grey teeth and claws that was the pack of Juveniles attempting to breach the barrier. Beyond the failing wall of magic was the armored figure, cooly holding its mace at the ready. Tilly army crawled past the two Consumers, who he was sure would have spotted him, even in his Moundstalker gear, if not for the distraction of the conflict playing out right in front of them. As he neared the back of the frenzied group, Strigoi juveniles began to howl in glee as they shoved their heads and appendages through the widening weak points in the barrier. The knight calmly shifted its stance and hefted the massive mace ready to meet the first to break through. Tilly drew in the flames at his center, compacting them and activating Flame Explusion a foot or two behind the mob. A second later, the roaring crackle of a conflagration exploded out from Tilly¡¯s center, and he felt it the moment his Stealth failed. A screeching bellow of outrage sounded off from the side of the injured Consumer as blue fire shot out from Tilly¡¯s position in all directions engulfing the nearby Juveniles. A flash of intuition shot through Tilly like lightning and he activated [Resolute] right as a gaunt one-armed figure exploded through the wall of fire and clawed out his throat. Or, that''s what should have happened. Instead, Tilly felt the blow land against his exposed neck before his eyes even had a chance to register the Consumer¡¯s attack. He was launched forty feet away from the shattered barrier, his throat thankfully intact as he flew away from the conflict. B2 Ch. 29 The Lost Boys Tilly impacted the side of the hill, taking a few percentage points of damage right as his allies crashed into the confused and injured group of Strigoi. The blast had also been the final straw for the barrier and as soon as it collapsed, the Knight on the other end rushed through the mob toward the uninjured Consumer. This left the colorfully clothed magic user to collapse. Tilly climbed back to his feet taking in the scene before him. The mob of Juveniles had been scattered, with roughly a third of them badly burned, and the rest moderately to lightly wounded. Amelia and Franklin had stepped up to the top of the hill to start picking up targets on the edges of the fight, mostly focusing on crowd control and damage over time. Meanwhile, Gorock and Ichiro had made full use of Tilly¡¯s distraction, engaging the one-armed Consumer who had just tried to remove Tilly¡¯s throat. The outer edge of Flame Expulsion had barely left it singed and it seemed to have no trouble facing both the new combatants at once, even with one arm. Gorock¡¯s shield was taking a beating as he soaked up a few lightning strikes from the creature¡¯s clawed hand. Ichiro was successfully landing hits from behind Gorock¡¯s guard. Unfortunately, even with his blade glowing silver, none of the strikes were causing any significant damage to the far superior foe. The Knight was the only one on the field who seemed to hold any advantage, having instantly charged the undamaged Consumer. His monstrous mace blurred through the air, raining down blows on the creature who wielded a serrated sword with far less grace. The knight was only slightly slower, and that allowed the Consumer to barely evade or parry the vast majority of the blows but seconds into the fight it was already flagging. Tilly¡¯s mind went into overdrive taking all of this in. He measured the field of battle, getting a sense of where he was most needed, his intensive training allowing him to commit to a course of action in half a second. He ignored the elites completely in favor of drawing the attention of the much weaker Juveniles and keeping them out of the other fights for as long as possible. The immortal words of Bonnie Raitt started to play through his mind as he charged forward with an animalistic scream, only slightly tinged with panic. ¡®Let¡¯s give them something to talk about-¡¯ The center group of Juveniles turned to his challenge as he sprinted back into the fight, and he activated Wrath¡¯s Shroud, covering himself in blue flames. This immediately drew the attention of the rest of the Juveniles, who howled and shrieked recognizing the attacker as the one who had just exploded in their midst. They charged to meet him, undaunted by the blaze of blue fire surrounding his form. Right before they would have crashed into each other, Tilly lept over the front line of the mob, landing in their midst and rolling to his feet, hamstringing Juveniles to either side of him, with enflamed strikes. The group he had passed over whirled, while the back of the group pulled up, confused at his sudden appearance in their midst. He was behaving like no prey they had ever faced, and he kept them on their toes tackling the nearest Strigoi, even as they tried to dogpile him. He had spent weeks sharpening his combat sense, and he felt the effects of his training regime now, as he shot from one vicious attack to another, waisting no movement and never staying in place for more than a second, turning his enemy''s advantage in numbers into a hindrance. Needle-like teeth clamped onto his shoulder in retaliation for another tackle, as the blue flames roaring all over the surface of his body melted the offending creature. He pulled the charred teeth with him as he rolled over the now waxy mass of grey flesh, taking several claw swipes on his back and legs as he continued to evade being locked down. Every time his body contacted the Strigoi and each swing of his weapons acted as Flame Strikes, punishing the Corruption-riddled opponents with the huge 200% attack damage bonus. His movement through the unorganized mob could be traced by severe lingering burns and smoldering axe wounds. His strategy would have never worked against a more organized force, but the Juveniles were new to their existence, and they continued to dive in gleefully over the ruined bodies of their allies unmindful of the flames wreathing Tilly¡¯s body. This was not to say that Tilly moved unencumbered through the sea of snapping maws and swiping claws. For the duration of his frenetic rampage, what should have been deadly blows were reduced to shallow wounds and bruises by his ridiculous Endurance. That along with the constant damage output from his flames turned what should have been a near-instant suicidal charge into a war of attrition. He swept through a dozen of the higher level opponents, landing vicious blows as he felt his lifeblood draining from his body''s accumulating injuries. He ducked a suicidal tackle from an already burned Juvenile, catching a ripping swipe of the creature¡¯s clawed hand on his forehead. His blood dried instantly in the heat of the shroud, and he barrelled forward into the next target. To stop moving was to die and he was doing everything he could to match the mob¡¯s ferocity with his own. But after downing ten of his opponents, he was flagging, and more of the remaining juvenile''s attacks were connecting. A blur of blue and white feathers crashed into the head of a creature to his left, causing it to burst into flames as a furious screeching cheep resounded in his mind. A tangle of vines impacted several Juveniles behind him, bursting in supernatural growth to snare the Strigoi. They had been about to pounce on Tilly from behind, and he stumbled forward, free from their attack to swing a dual diagonal chop into two more Juveniles in front of him even as his Mana dipped below five percent. The Juvenile on his left stepped into his swing, taking the head of his hatchet to the shoulder in exchange for biting a chunk out of Tilly¡¯s bicep. The Juvenile on his right took the hatchet in the side of its ribcage, grabbing onto Tilly¡¯s arm as it burned alive, and pulled forward to bite at his neck. Tilly slammed his bleeding forehead into the mouth of the one on his right while yanking his arm free of the other and kicking it away. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Tilly¡¯s Health dropped dangerously as he noticed several Minor Bleeding notifications stacked below his falling Health. He jumped away from the two dead foes in front of him and whirled to face his remaining attackers as his Ability flickered out, leaving him with thirteen percent Health and zero Mana. Utterly spent, he lifted his two weapons weakly, facing the handful of injured foes that still encircled him. Ice speared a Strigoi directly in front of him and a profusely bleeding Gorock battered aside another two on his left, just as the forth jumped on him to his right. Before Tilly could react to the enemy trying to bite his face off, its neck burst outward in a spray of black ichor, and Tilly exhaustedly pushed the body off of him, to find a bloody Ichiro turning to face their temporary allies, flicking the ichor off his sword. The Knight moved from standing over the body of the Consumer that Gorock and Ichiro had been facing to assist the colorful magic user to his feet. Now that he wasn¡¯t looking through a magical barrier, Tilly¡¯s Identify pinged for both the figures. Level 72 Knight of the Sanguine Order Level 43 Bloodline Wizard¡¯s Apprentice Tilly reflexively swept his gaze around the rest of the area to find Franklin and Amelia had made it through with only a few superficial wounds. They jogged down the hill to join the others. Tilly collapsed to his knees, numbness setting into his leaden extremities. He looked over to find Gorock had already collapsed onto the ground nearby, bleeding profusely onto the reddish tan grass. It was then that Tilly saw Blood Weed earn its name. As soon as any of the plants were splashed with blood, their reddish undertones burst forth in vibrant color, and the skinny blade-like stalks began to grow, straining towards the source of the liquid. ¡°None of that now!¡± Amelia growled down at the plants as she jogged up and knelt by Gorock''s side, sending a shock wave of her Mana throughout the nearby ground to force the plants back to their dormant state. Tilly''s head felt fuzzy and saw another Blood Loss Debuff appear below his still-dropping Health. ¡°Erm...bag¡­¡± He muttered, as Amelia pulled out large purplish leaves from her pockets and started wrapping them around Gorock''s most severe wounds, which were already festering with Corruption. The others didn''t seem to have heard his request and Tilly dry swallowed to try and speak again. ¡®I''m Coming!¡¯ Shouted a mental voice, clearing some of the fog from Tilly¡¯s mind. He looked back over the hill and caught sight of Kindle, labourously carrying his First-Aid bag in her talons, barely able to keep aloft. She dropped it next to him a few seconds later, and Tilly collapsed over it, fumbling into the side pocket where he kept all the bandages in three-four foot rolls. He grabbed one, and immediately began wrapping it around his worst injury on the inside of his thigh to stop it from pumping arterial blood down his pant leg. The bleeding had been slightly staunched when he had been consumed by flames, but now he was leaking everywhere. Kindle hovered over him in concern, while Amelia fought to stem the decline of Gorock¡¯s Health. Ichiro and Franklin moved to stand between their injured party members and the Knight, who had helped up the Wizard¡¯s Apprentice and had turned to approach. ¡°Well¡­ Met, strangers. We do not recognize your like from these lands¡­ did you arrive with the¡­ recent shift in the Land perchance?¡± The colorfully dressed Apprentice asked groggily, still leaning heavily on the Knight¡¯s support. ¡°A moment please, we must see to our wounded,¡± Ichiro said, sword drawn in a protective stance before the group. Tilly wrapped several rolls of bandages around his chest and back while trying to keep an eye on the exchange. As soon as he tied off the bandage, he felt First Aid kick in again and sighed in relief as the Bleeding and Bloodloss Debuff disappeared from his HUD. His health stopped dropping at 7.5 percent and slowly began ticking up as he crawled over to Amelia and Gorock. She had finished tying off the large purple leaves with little strands of elongated grass and reached into her pockets. She was muttering plant names to herself as she found and shoved some kind of root into Gorcock¡¯s mouth. Tilly scanned the edges of Gorock''s wounds and found them red and puffy. The spidery black growth of a Corruption infection starting to reach beyond the coverage of the purple leaves. Tilly winced up at his pitiful Mana bar, It had barely reached four percent since the fight. Amelia shoved a hand into another pocket and handed him a Shaman¡¯s Casting Aid. She tossed the bundle of herbs his way without looking, mostly focused on working Gorock''s jaw to chew on the root she had placed between his teeth. ¡°Yes, of course!¡± The Apprentice said, peering over Ichiro¡¯s and Franklin''s forms to watch as Amelia and I worked. ¡°Would that I could offer assistance, but I am afraid my skills in the healing arts are poor at best and certainly not up to the task of whatever new foul blackness had tainted this cursed race.¡± He continued droning as Tilly took a deep inhale of the bundle, and felt its effects flush through his respiratory system, as he fell into his breathing technique. Tilly didn¡¯t have any way to see Gorock¡¯s Health, but his giant chest was still rising and falling and the bleeding had slowed to a trickle after the application of the large purple leaves. The Corruption was still spreading, but, Tilly¡¯s Mana was almost back up to ten percent with the assistance of the Shaman¡¯s Aid. ¡°Look, I am loathe to interfere, but if you are new here, you may not have encountered this substance before¡­ It is not like any poison status effect I have ever seen, and we have yet to find a cure for it.¡± The Apprentice continued in concern. The Knight stood silently to his side, facepiece down. None of Tilly¡¯s party bothered answering as Tilly watched his Mana tick above ten percent, and as soon as it did, he activated a full-powered Flame¡¯s Renewal. B2 Ch. 30 The Other Kind of Vampire The whole group turned and watched in concern as Tilly released his Mana-infused breath Ability. The magic struck Gorock like a physical blow, causing his whole body to flinch and then go rigid. He released a deep groan, and all of his wounds began to seep again, despite the presence of the living bandages. But the viscous substance that was being ejected from the wounds was much darker than blood. It flowed in tiny rivulets, attempting to join one another as they poured from Gorock''s body. Amelia let out an annoyed hiss and imbued the Blood Weed all around Gorock taking control of the plants directly with her Mana. the blades of grass bloomed back to life, consuming the black ichor as it hit the ground before it could form a cohesive whole. The Corruption was absorbed and spread out amongst the interconnected plants like wine on a tablecloth with Gorock at its center. Once it was all out, Amelia clenched her fist and the infected plants withered, trapping the Corruption within their husks. Gorock¡¯s body slowly relaxed and he let out an involuntary sigh of relief, color returning to his waxy grey cheeks. ¡°By the Sanguine Heart! What ability is this? Human, how did you achieve what even our greatest have been unable to accomplish?¡± The Apprentice barked aghast. Tilly looked up to answer him and finally got a clear view of his features. His face was angular and pale, contrasting painfully with his colorful assortment of layered cloth. But it was his mouth hanging open in shock that yanked Tilly¡¯s attention to the defining feature of the Apprentice¡¯s face. Reaching almost to his bottom lip were two elongated canines. ¡®More vampires?¡¯ Tilly¡¯s hand fell to his weapons, and the motivation behind Ichiro¡¯s stance and caution suddenly became clear. He fumbled for an answer to the WIzard¡¯s Apprentice¡¯s shocked question, ¡°... I got this ability as much by dumb luck as anything else. But you should know, that this ¡®new blackness¡¯ as you call it is not just affecting your region. It is seeping up through the cracks of reality everywhere on Nephesh, offering its dark promises to any who are willing to give up their souls.¡± He finished hotly, the adrenaline from the battle and another near-death still pumping through his system. ¡°Dumb luck you say¡­¡± The vampire answered thoughtfully, his eyes sharpening. A hungry gleam layered over his features, as he considered the group anew. Suddenly the stance of the hulking Knight next to him seemed to take on an even more threatening cast. The dull sheen of his metallic face plate glinted ominously in the light of several still-smoldering corpses. ¡°I am quite impressed by how effective your power set is against the Strigoi, especially in their newly empowered state.¡± The vampire continued, licking his lips unconsciously. ¡°Excuse me. My name is Ichiro Hamamoto, we are on a mission from a newly integrated nation on the border of these lands. Who are you and if you don''t mind, why should we trust you?¡± Ichiro broke in, calling the distracted vampire¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°Yes, of course, how rude of me! I am Hilbert Ferrier, the last Apprentice to the Bloodline Sorcerer Merllyn and a member of the low court of Camelot. This is Sir Michael, Knight of the Sanguine Order. He currently holds a seat at the High Table.¡± The vampire answered formally. ¡°Merllyn¡­ Camelot? Wait, are you guys vampire versions of the Knights of the Round Table?¡± Tilly burst out, unable to hold his excitement at recognizing some of the possible myths represented by this Faction. Hilbert¡¯s face fell slightly at Tilly¡¯s words, ¡°Ah, you have heard of us¡­ I am afraid some of your information is out of date. I know not what you mean by ¡®vampire version¡¯ but I would be happy to share the history of my people after we are away from this location. More will come from farther afield, even if I reactivate my warding.¡± ¡°How much longer do you think we have?¡± Ichiro asked as Gorock groaned and sat up, looking much better after only a few minutes rest. The veiny Corruption was gone, and his bleeding had almost ceased. ¡®His Constitution has to be insane¡­¡¯ Tilly thought staring down at the Wall Breaker with renewed respect. He had just gone toe to toe with something almost twice his level and survived long enough for the others to finish it. After a moment of consideration, Hilbert answered Ichiro¡¯s question. ¡°We should be fine for a few minutes more. They would never have found us at all if I had not tried to scry the newly formed Horde¡­¡± The Apprentice answered sheepishly, the statuesque Sir Michael moving for the first time, to turn his blank face plate to look down at the Apprentice. ¡°Yes, yes-¡± Hilbert said, waving down the look with a weak dismissal, ¡°How could I have known they would have such a powerful counter to divination? That has never been a strength of the Hordes before! Of course, much has changed in the last few months¡­ but that is why we are here, isn¡¯t it.¡± Then he turned to our group,This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°We too are on a mission from our Order-¡± Tilly didn''t see the Knight move, but his armor creaked as he continued to watch the Apprentice. Hilbert stuttered and cleared his throat before continuing, ¡°Ah, well, what I mean to say is, we are on a mission for our order. They do not know we have come, and they would perhaps be against our reaching out if they knew-¡± ¡°So you have no power to broker an alliance?¡± Ichiro asked, disappointment seeping in at the edges of his formal tone. ¡°...ah, our Order is not what it once was. We still present a strong martial presence in the region, but we are... declining. The Horde has consumed the Jiangshi to the west, and the twilight elves, who used to possess marshes to the south. Now all of those lands have been converted to barren grasslands. You need to understand, each enemy the Horde consumes converts to a Juvenile of their own race. It has left them with an unsustainable force that has grown exponentially, and will consume itself if it does not continue to expand-¡± A barking screech sounded in the distance, drawing the eyes of the whole group toward the distant noise. Hilbert''s head snapped back to the group. ¡°Look, I can hide us, but we need to be away from here. On our honor, we will not harm you and yours unless you try and do the same to us,¡± he whispered urgently, gesturing more or less in the direction they had already been traveling. The smoldering corpses had moved into the visual background of Tilly¡¯s mind during the conversation, but at the interruption of the call of more scouts, he had noticed Kindle settling into the largest pile of corpses like a nest. In her presence, the blue embers had reignited and were merrily consuming the bodies. The blaze was so hot that it was producing complete combustion, creating only colorless heat without a hint of smoke. Tilly watched in astonishment as her physical form visibly matured in the presence of the fire and the fuel it consumed. Ichiro reluctantly agreed to the vampire''s request, ¡°We will accompany you for a few hours, but our mission is urgent, and we have little time to spare. Even now, our people are besieged by this ¡®new Horde¡¯ as you call it, and we must pursue our own objectives here in the Twilight lands. Come with us to pick up our gear, and then we will hear you out in a different location.¡± Ichiro answered, sheathing his sword. A call sounded again, closer to the group. ¡°The initial direction does not matter, I can cast the attention ward anywhere, but it will not stand up to the scrutiny such a scene will bring,¡± Hilbert answered gesturing at the bodies. Gorock was helped up, and he shook off his still-healing injuries, eyeing the Knight who was only slightly shorter than him. With that, the group moved back the way they had come. Accompanied by the two new members they rounded the hill at a jog, heading back to pick up their dropped gear. Tilly moved to follow, calling mentally back to his bond as he ran. ¡®Kindle, leave the rest, we have to go!¡¯ ¡®The coming grey ones cannot fly, I will be away before they arrive. Worry not, Tilly.¡¯ She answered in a warm, confident voice. Some of her words carried hints of the wild scenes that had shaped most of her messages in the past, but the majority of the mental communication he had just received used human language. Tilly stumbled and turned in shock to look at the phoenix who was sitting calmly in the midst of the growing blaze. ¡®I must grow stronger if I am to help you in your task. This is how my kind grows.¡¯ she sent calmly. Another set of screeching howls sounded from only a few hilltops away. ¡®Now go silly human, I will be fine.¡¯ ¡®You better be!¡¯ He mentally growled back as he sprinted off after the others, not at all liking how fast things were changing with her. A few days ago, she was just mastering flight, and now she was using full sentences. Once their group arrived at the dropped packs, Amelia made sure their cloaks were covered in Bloodweed which earned an appreciative look from Hilbert, and they kept moving. Tilly kept looking back anxiously but felt nothing but determination from his bond as the scouting calls converged on their old position. They continued to run, skirting around the small valley they had just fought within and putting distance between them and the site of the battle. Hilbert slid up next to Tilly and spoke in a low but audible tone. ¡°If that creature of yours is spotted and gets away, it will be blamed for the destruction. My skills gave me no level identifier with its tag, so they will be unable to know if it was capable of such a thing or not.¡± ¡°What about the wounds caused by weapons?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡± He answered thinking for a second. ¡°That will depend on whether they have a Consumer nearby or not. If the Juveniles are not specifically forbidden, they will eat anything, even their own dead. They are ravenous, all of them, and this land has long been empty of anything they could eat besides each other.¡± Tilly nodded absently at that, looking back and sending a worried mental inquiry. ¡®Kindle, where are you? It''s been too long.¡¯ In response, Tilly received a strong feeling of exultation through their bond, accompanied by a recent memory from Kindle¡¯s point of view. This time the overlay of her memory barely caused him to skip a step as he kept running. She had packaged it in such a way that as soon as he touched it with his mind, it unfolded, streaming into his consciousness in a far less attention-demanding form. Instead of trying to watch it like a mental video, he simply let the memory sink in, gaining far more from the scene than he had when they had last shared points of view. She watched as the first scout and then the second crested the hill, charging up to the pile of burning bodies and pulling up in confusion, unable to make out the figure in the midst of the stoked flames. Then she did something Tilly could feel but did not quite understand, and the extra energy-rich heat she had been unable to absorb suddenly exploded in a frontal cone, completely enveloping the two Juveniles. The blast also set the two Consumer bodies alight, and she took off in flight as more Juveniles crested the hill. A few howled angrily after her, but she had already gained significant altitude. Then, there was a blur from over the hill, and she twisted on instinct, as a chipped axe whipped by, end over end, flying at an extraordinary velocity. She whirled around to find a Consumer watching her, its hatred palpable even from this distance. The memory broke off, as she headed away from Tilly¡¯s direction planning to circle around out of sight. She would not lead them to her human. ¡®Good girl¡¯ He sent back with the image of a High-Five, not sure if the satisfaction he felt was his own or the lingering echo of her fierce exultation at her first solo victory. B2 Ch. 31 Horchata Kindle rejoined the moving group half an hour later. They had fully skirted the site of the battle and continued moving in the direction Ichiro indicated. None of them had forgotten the pressure the Alliance was facing, and they pushed forward relentlessly, even after the intensity of their last encounter. The two new vampiric additions to the group seemed content with the direction Ichiro had chosen and moved along easily with the group. Tilly was shocked at how little sound the Knight made as he moved, the intricate plate mail that covered his form seemed to flow like water and was easily the finest example of metalwork Tilly had yet seen on Nephesh. Once the calls of the Strigoi were inaudible to Tilly¡¯s ears, Hilbert motioned for them to stop. They had been moving through what probably used to be a creek bed but was now little more than a winding dusty path. ¡°This is a good place for us to come to some sort of agreement,¡± Hilbert said looking around and nodding to himself. ¡°Agreed. Everyone, break out water and rations. We will get the most we can out of this stop.¡± Ichiro called out, moving to stand opposite of the two vampires, and dropping his pack. Tilly mirrored his actions and moved to stand beside the lapin reaching into his pack to grab some of the food Enda and George had packed for him. The knight had moved to lean against the steeper incline of the hill, going completely still as soon as he achieved a position that seemed vaguely relaxed. It was not lost on Tilly, that he had left his right arm and weapon completely free. Hilbert pulled out a few things from his robes and moved around the group, facing outward as he did something at the four cardinal points around their position. Tilly took a long swig of his water and checked on the others. Amelia''s short hair was mussed, and her complexion had grown waxy and pale. She was barely breathing hard, but the blouse she wore under her coat was soaked in sweat and as she looked his way, he quickly continued his scan. Franklin was even sweatier, breathing the hardest of anyone in the group as he held his hands laced above his head. Tilly was amazed at the pace the honu had been able to keep so far and realized that he probably couldn''t go nearly as long as the rest. But Tilly doubted he would ask them to slow down on his account. He was just as determined as the rest of the group to accomplish the mission. Yet despite the strength of their determination, Amelia and Franklin clearly had the lowest Endurance stat by far, and in a situation like this, it was beginning to show. On the other hand, Gorock had splayed out on the other bank of the creek bed and was tearing into a large shank of dried meat. Tilly could only assume it had come from his bag and wondered how much of that pack was weighed down by meat. The Wall Breaker kept casting baleful looks at the Knight between bites, and Tilly wondered what could possibly be going through his mind. At the final cardinal point, Hilbert whispered something in a harsh language, and the four points began to glow that same pinkish hue that had accompanied his magic before. The light faded and the world outside their little group took on a shimmery quality. Kindle let out a cheep of interest, looking at the ward with one eye, then the other as she examined it in a uniquely avian fashion. ¡°This will keep anyone who does not already know our location from finding us, and make any search oriented toward us overlook this position. Now, you said you had your own mission¡­ What are your intentions in this land? Maybe we can offer assistance¡­¡± Hilbert turned and said, leaning toward the group eagerly. ¡°Very sorry, but seeing as we rescued you from that attack, perhaps you could finish telling us about your ¡®Sanguine Order¡¯ and what your interest in our party is.¡± Ichiro responded blandly, his meditative state radiating peace in an almost aggressive show of control as he beheld the two vampires with his milky-white eyes. ¡°Rescue is something of an overstatement-¡± Hilbert started, but then the Knight turned its head in the Apprentice''s direction and he stuttered to a stop, then hedged, ¡°But fair enough, especially in the spirit of your actions. I would be happy to tell you more about our people. As your knowledgeable companion stated-¡± He said, gesturing appreciatively at Tilly. ¡°We started as a kingdom on the rise, led by a truly noble king named Arthur Pendragon¡­ With my master as his advisor, we unseated the corrupt monarchies that surrounded us and ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity for all of the Aos Si. Then, my master''s first apprentice betrayed us, attacking and disposing of a neighboring Faction that had signed a peace treaty with us. ¡°Her name was Morgana, and she had been pushing for a continued expansion of our power for some time. My master understood the importance of balance and had advised against it, but with this move, our Order ascended to the next echelon of power. This destabilized our region and cast our Order and area of influence into the hands of the System. We were sent here¡­ to the Twilight Lands to bring balance, with a quest to end the expansion of the Horde and bring stability to this region. ¡°Their numbers and strength were much greater than they are now, and thus began the Blood Wars. This was hundreds of years ago before I was born, but the short of it is; we lost our King in the fighting, and the Order had to make terrible sacrifices to survive in this new land against such an unrelenting enemy. ¡°To ensure our survival, Merllyn took the Blood Oath and fundamentally changed the nature of the curse of Vampirism into something our people could carry without being consumed by it. Now we are a society led by Dhampires and Vampires who protect the rest of our people and contain the Horde all along our western border while trading and accepting tribute from the lands to the east. We became the Sanguine Order and have maintained balance in this region for the last hundred and fifty years. I was taken as my master¡¯s last apprentice a few years before he was¡­ called away.¡± Hilbert finished quietly, his pale features eerily blank, despite the emotion coloring his tone. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°With Merllyn gone and the King dead, who leads your order?¡± Tilly asked. Hilbert pulled his focus away from whatever memory had tugged at his mind, ¡°Ah, that would be Queen Guinevere. She leads the Order, as our Sorceress Superior. After King Arthur passed, my master began training her and several other apprentices to try and increase our chances of survival. Unfortunately, none of the others have survived, but Queen Guinevere continues to lead the Order to this day.¡± He answered, his voice curt. Tilly didn''t have to connect many dots to guess that she was the one who had been against them striking out into Horde territory and trying to contact the new nation. Ichiro¡¯s cool demeanor remained unchanged, but his eyes sharpened as he watched the pair intently. A thought occurred to Tilly that could possibly bridge the needs of both groups. ¡°You said you guys haven¡¯t been able to cure any cases of Corruption in your people. We know how much of a problem that can become without quick intervention. If we agreed to clear out the most important cases in your Order, do you think your Queen would agree to a temporary alliance with us and attack the forces sieging our Faction? If we succeeded, we could eliminate an enemy army from the field, strengthening your position.¡± The Apprentice''s eyes narrowed in thought, and he turned to the Knight, who had not moved the entire time they had spoken. Something passed between them and Hilbert turned back smiling, his fangs on full display. ¡°This plan holds several risks for both of us, but it aligns with our goals. We will bring you to the Order and gain you an audience with the Queen¡­ She will, of course, be furious with us, but this is exactly why we set out.¡± "Swear to us on your power that you mean us no harm." Ichiro cut in. The vampire''s smile turned downwards slightly, but not in a way that seemed overly suspicious, "I can see how such a thing would go far in assuaging any fears you may have due to our similarity with our shared enemy... Very well, I will do it." He turned toward the lapin and looked him full in the eyes as he produced a dagger from his robes and cut a complicated symbol into his forearm, "By the power in my blood, I pronounce full guest rites over you as representatives of your Faction. No harm will come to you and yours as long as you do not betray this trust." He whispered, his forehead beading in sweat as the glyph he carved into his flesh flashed pink and disappeared. Ichiro nodded in approval and gestured back to Tilly to continue. Tilly knew that the Faction upgrade quest offered to the Alliance was essential to its survival, not that he understood all the details, but gaining an allied force on the field was too good an opportunity to pass up even if it would slow them down in the short run. ¡°Hilbert, what direction would you say Camelot is in, and how long do you think it will take us to get there?¡± Tilly asked, settling into a meditative pose. Hilbert gestured slightly more to the east taking them off of their original heading by about twenty degrees, ¡°At our current pace, we could reach it in a day with a little assistance. Does this have to do with your mission?¡± He asked, in an innocent, curious tone. ¡°Yep. But before I tell you more, I need to check something.¡± Tilly answered, beginning to breathe and settling into his meditative posture. From what he had seen of the valley and the Facet¡¯s Guardian, he felt like it was unlikely that they were within the Order''s lands, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to check. At the very least he would have a good idea where they needed to head after they met with the Queen. He continued to breathe, letting his surroundings and circumstances in, and out. Allowing them to wash through him, without fighting or trying to impose his will on them. He was doing all he could, and that had to be enough. The others continued to talk and rest while his world became the darkness of his mind and the movement of his breath. As soon as he felt himself fully settle, he activated Spirit Walk and rose up from his body. Hilbert was watching him curiously but did not track the movement of his spirit as it separated from his body. Ichiro¡¯s face did not reflect any change as Tilly rose, but his ear twitched when Tilly turned his attention onto the lapin. All the others were recovering in their own way within the ward. Amelia was brewing some tea, and offered it to Franklin, while Gorock lay passed out nearby, clutching the now clean bone like it was a stuffed animal. Tilly cleared his head and let go of distraction, allowing himself to float there and experience his surroundings on a spiritual level. Slowly but surely he felt the presence of the myriad threads that wove through all things. He could not see them, but their effects made themselves known in millions of little contact points around the edges of his spiritual form. Some threads were a part of him, some attempted to invade, while others touched and strengthened him. After a while, he found the Flower¡¯s music. It may have been his imagination, but it felt slightly easier to discern this time, almost as if it had become fractionally louder. As soon as he had the direction, he shot back to his body, unsure of how much time he had spent in that state. His eyes flicked open to find Amelia, Franklin, and Hilbert locked in some sort of conversation, with Ichiro resting and Gorock standing alert nearby. The knight, however, had not moved from his position, watching the group, and a chill ran up Tilly¡¯s spine at just how still the figure had remained. It was completely unnatural. Amelia was the first to see his opened eyes, ¡°He is back.¡± She said simply, putting away the notebook she had been using as Hilbert spoke. ¡°Back? Interesting choice of words, is it some type of scrying ability? I must warn you, they have develop-¡± ¡°Yeah, we know about that guy, he absolutely sucks. And no, it''s not a scrying ability, at least, I don''t think it is.¡± Tilly answered absently turning to Ichiro, who had awoken and had turned to watch him curiously. Tilly gestured in the direction Hilbert had shown them, then moved his hand twenty degrees farther westward. ¡°It is still more or less in the right direction, so going with them would take us off course, but not by much.¡± He said, answering Ichiro¡¯s unspoken question. Ichiro nodded and turned to the two vampires, ¡°We will accompany you to your Order''s headquarters and give what aid we can¡­ Then we will continue on. Our Sovereign Crystal has issued us a quest, and the object of our mission is in that direction.¡± He said, pointing in the direction Tilly had just indicated. Hilbert and the Knight shared another look. B2 Ch. 32 Enemy at the Gates. Linus Level 65 Consul Not for the first time, Linus cursed his new class. It was an inefficient mix of political leadership and limited martial Abilities. To make matters worse, all of the Abilities were limited to Buffing forces that the System classified as ¡°Standing Armies¡±. Flame¡¯s Watch was extremely powerful for what it was, a guardsman class. But without unlocking true martial classes, their utility would be limited. Especially in frontline warfare. The newly minted soldiers were doing an admirable job holding up against the constant onslaught of the enemy. Abilities like Call the Guard, and Riot Wall were working so far as a stopgap. Call the Guard filled any breaks in the line holding the wall by summoning designated reserves directly to the needed spot of activation. When a member of the Watch was summoned this way, they gained a slew of buffs for the next sixty breaths and a minor gap-closing movement ability. Riot Wall was serving as a lesser version of any military unit¡¯s shield push skill. It was meant to be used against citizens and prioritized defense and displacement. Unlike a military equivalent, it offered no multipliers to damage or forward movement¡­ Aside from some weapon and armor proficiency bonuses¡­ that was it. That was what they had to work with as a Faction of their size. Despite this, the men and women rotating in to hold the line were some of the finest initial recruits Linus had ever seen. He had risen through the ranks of the empire¡¯s military structure until he had gained the highest nonpolitical placement and he had never seen a more determined group of new soldiers. They faced waves of enemies, sometimes three times their level, and none broke or wavered. In fact, perhaps because of the lack of unit Abilities, which often turned a group of soldiers into a singular much more powerful entity, Skill leveling and Experience gains had shown to be astronomical. Sometimes powerful unit Abilities became a crutch that the average soldier leaned on, ignoring the fundamentals. But with this group... the fundamentals were all they had. All of this he understood, and yet his skin continued to itch as he watched the ongoing combat. ¡°Justice¡¯s Pit-Cursed Blind Eyes!¡± Linus snarled again under his breath as the most recent wave of enemies retreated reluctantly. The thousand or so combatants had suffered incredible losses, as much as sixty to seventy percent of the attacking wave had perished, while the Alliance forces had lost maybe one in every twenty men. This pattern had repeated itself over and over for the last day. Each time the Strigoi Horde really began to press the forces on the wall, the enemy would call a retreat and move back to their lines. They crashed against their fortified position time after time, taking huge losses in the charge, yet they always pulled back, like dark waves slowly eroding sand from the shore. When the retreat sounded, Consumers and Fleshbags who were still standing snatched any soldier they could and retreated with the rest of their forces. Sometimes the man or woman in question was still alive, and their screams tore through morale like tissue paper. It was humiliating. Linus could literally feel the Bastions chomping at the bit to get in the fight¡­ but they had to be kept in reserve. As the loose braying mob of grey flesh exited bow range, healers were called in and a changing of the units was ordered by the commanders on the wall. ¡®They are playing with us¡­ Gods dammit. An expensive game to be sure, but one that we most assuredly cannot win.¡¯ Linus kicked the nearby stone stair in frustration. ¡°These tactics don''t make any Justice damned sense!¡± He whispered harshly under his breath, schooling his expression as the replacement unit passed by, faces grim with determination and in some cases, resignation. Most thought they were holding, driving back the enemy time after time¡­ Linus hoped none of them realized the truth. ¡°What troubles you Consul?¡± A voice asked quietly from over Linus¡¯ shoulder. He spun away from the battlements to find Erash, standing in all her regal beauty, leaning lightly on her staff. Linus knew even that was not as it seemed, and he wondered darkly for a moment how long she would be able to stand without swaying if she didn''t have that crutch to lean on. ¡°Truthfully?¡± He asked, looking for any hint of sarcasm or mockery in her features. ¡°Yes, we have moved through a full day with minimal losses or use of resources. Should we not be more optimistic?¡± She asked, arching one perfect eyebrow at him, as if she knew more than she let on. She seemed to be looking for something and the unspoken implications irritated him further. He stepped forward aggressively, lowering his voice into a harsh whisper, ¡°You know good and well what troubles me. The same thing that has kept you from resting since the attacks started!¡± He almost spat in frustration. ¡°This is a farce. They are playing with us, and while I see that their numeric advantage is more than enough to defeat us eventually using this strategy, I cannot for the life of me understand why they do not try to sweep us away. If even one of their leaders took the field, I am hard-pressed to see how we could hold against such a meaningful show of force. ¡°Yet they wait! Tossing their weakest at us as if we are some sort of idle entertainment.¡± He finished, deflating. When he looked back up to meet the High Preistess¡¯s eyes, he found something bright there. It was sharp, and it was angry. The eyes took on a glow and scanned the ranks on the battlements before returning to Linus-Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. No that wasn¡¯t quite right, she was staring at a spot right above Linus¡¯s head, as if she could see something there. ¡°Freeze the blood in that bastard''s bones! How have I missed this?!¡± She hissed. ¡°What?¡± Linus asked, suddenly at a loss. ¡°That damned Mesmer! He has covered the whole Tundra-Blasted field in a Malaise! One so subtle that it has escaped my detection..." She trailed off, bringing one of her manicured nails to her mouth and chewing on it in furious thought, "But how do I combat it without waking a reprisal¡­" she muttered to herself, looking back over the battlements. ¡°Malaise? What are you talking about?¡± Linus demanded, his sense sharpening to high alert as he looked back at the enemy line in suspicion. ¡°It is an extremely malicious and subtle area of effect spell. It does nothing the first few hours, but after a day, all who spend time in its presence feel defeated, depressed, and confused. After a few days, suspicion and jealousy set in¡­ Inevitably we would have started to attack each other, breaking our own defense without them having to do anything but train up their young¡­¡± She huffed, her eyes shifting back and forth as she went through her mental options. ¡°I need some sort of mental purifying effect¡­ but it has to be ongoing. One that I don''t have to refresh every few hours¡­¡± She started to mutter to herself, turning to wander away. ¡°Wait, are you saying I am under the effects of mind magic?¡± Linus almost shouted as she turned her back to him. ¡°We all are, Consul. Just give me a few hours. I can counter this, but I need to do so in a way that does not draw out an immediate confrontation. Ideally, I want them to think it is still working for days yet. Every hour gained is a victory for us, do not forget that Linus.¡± She said over her shoulder before moving away quickly towards the healing tent and her base of operations. A few moments later, Hiro arrived, coming down the rear stairs, and catching Linus¡¯ gaze with a questioning look. ¡°The men said you were shouting at the High Priestess¡­ I imagine you would not do so without reason,¡± he stated as he neared Linus¡¯ position at the base of the stairs. ¡°We were speaking of the enemy tactics, and somehow through the discussion, she discovered some sort of large-scale mental magic at play. She headed off to counter it¡­ I may have overreacted, which is not typical of me, and perhaps evidence of her point. Gods I hate mind magic.¡± Hiro nodded, his crystalline gaze missing nothing. ¡°The Honu have a saying, ¡®A shark''s hunger undoes his brother and protects us all.¡¯ They use it to describe a creature of their oceans whose young devour each other until only the strongest remain. It is in their nature to sacrifice the weak so that the strong may rise. I think we are facing something similar here. They see us as a leveling and¡­ Meal opportunity. They rightly believe us to be harmless to them on any scale that matters. ¡°The ones who escape back to their lines have fed, to some degree, on our men and who knows what level of significance that has in their culture. If not for our purifying capabilities, this tactic would have already destroyed us by nature of the Corruption they are attempting to infect us with. But now, it is working in our favor. Each day they give us is a gift, we grow stronger, and our people gain the time they need to accomplish their quest. None of this will be easy, but we would not have been thrust into this conflict if there was not a way through. ¡°I had lost hope the first time I met that Human, yet through him our people have obtained more than they could have ever dreamed¡­. There is a way through this friend, we just have to hold on.¡± The elderly Samurai finished, something like kindness glittering in his hard green eyes.
Relevus level 22 Butcher He¡¯d had the dream again¡­ This time he had woken up outside the camp near the forest covered in blood¡­ Blood was nothing new for Relevus, but the portly Satyr was used to it happening in the back of his shop. He had especially loved when the farmers would deliver live animals, and he- But that was all over now. The slimy Scalebellies had taken everything from him. He had to leave behind almost everything except a few of his favorite knives, and now he was stuck in this frontier refugee camp, surrounded by idiots who pretended like the fools in charge were some sort of saviors. He had gotten sick with many of the others while living in the squalor of the capital city, but he hadn¡¯t gone begging for some handout like a weakling. He toughed it out, like he always had, and the strange black rash slowly faded from his skin, leaving him feeling better than ever. Then the dreams had started. Dreams where he was wistfully taken back to his old shop. There he would relive the memories of the best days. Slaughter days, where he could cut off another living being with nothing but the strength of his hands and the edge of his knives. He smiled as he thought of the dream again, before looking down and remembering he had blood all over his hands. He wiped at some new wetness dribbling from his mouth and created a red streak down his forearm. ¡®huh.'' He didn¡¯t know exactly what was happening, and as long as he didn''t get caught, he didn¡¯t really care. The dreams made him feel strong. They gave him that feeling of control that he missed so much from the back of his shop. Through the darkness, he stumbled over to the river''s edge and washed off the blood as best he could before heading back to the camp. There were hardly any Watch around with the attacks happening on the other side of the valley. The misstep of a foolishly early activation of the Sovereign Crystal was just another example of the ineptitude of these new leaders. The food and shelter problems they claimed to have solved would have only taken the weak, leaving the strong majority secure. They were going to get us all killed, just like the idiots in charge of the empire had tried to do¡­ ¡°Relevus.¡± A voice whispered from the shadows of a tent as he entered the camp. The Butcher¡¯s head whipped around until he found a gaunt figure, wrapped in robes so that nothing but his elderly face showed. He had what once might have been dignified features, now lined and worn by the elements. But his eyes were still sharp, glittering with intensity from their shadowy cowl. ¡°Who are you? How do you know me¡± The Butcher''s voice asked in outrage, barely covering over his rising panic. ¡®Have I been discovered? Will I have to end this old man?¡¯ He thought hurriedly, reaching for his knife below his dirty leather apron. For some reason, the motion sent a thrill through him, and he felt a strange but pleasurable sensation from the area of his body that had recovered from the rash. ¡°Worry not. I am not one to deny a man his simple pleasures¡± The robed figure waved placatingly. ¡°I am here because I see greatness in you¡±- He said, showing a row of sharp teeth. ¡°You are not the only wolf penned in with the sheep. ¡± B2 Ch. 33 Next Stop, Camelot The Wizard Apprentice met Tilly¡¯s eyes after sharing a look with his silent companion, a complex expression on his face. ¡°I am afraid we most assuredly know where your quest objective is. That way lies the city of Requiem. It is the seat of power for the Whytes. They are a Faction formed of incredibly strong imprints left by those who have passed beyond the vale of this plane. For a long time, they remained neutral in this region, but now they face a siege many times greater than your own. Last reports place the majority of the Horde¡¯s forces outside their gates, attacking relentlessly.¡± ¡°That makes them allies, correct?¡± Ichiro asked. ¡°Now, yes. In times past they stayed completely contained behind their nigh impregnable walls, and sheer mountains. The Horde seems to have turned out in full force to break the city, which is another mystery in itself to this recent shift in power¡­ "They call the Whytes, ''Bloodless'' because, while the strength of their supernatural presence creates a corporeal body, it has no life force from which the Strigoi or even we, could benefit. This has positioned them to stand apart from the conflict that has always marked these lands. In fact, unless one had access to a prohibitive amount of wealth with which to trade, one would hardly be worth their notice. And even in that case, they only allowed non-Whytes to do business outside the walls¡­ ¡°However,¡±- he said looking conspiratorially around the group as he drew out the word - ¡°I do know of one living being that has both entered and exited the city. He doesn¡¯t speak much about the experience, but don''t hold that against him.¡± - The vampire stage whispered, gesturing theatrically at the Knight, who remained completely frozen against the berm. ¡°I present to you, Sir Michael. His story is his own, but suffice it to say if you wanted to make it into the city, there would be no better guide, and he is not bad in a fight either, which you will probably need if you want to make it past the siege.¡± He finished with a flourish, obviously smug that he had something to weigh down his side of the scale. The statuesque Knight slowly moved, looking over at Hilbert, who looked back after his presentation and shrugged unashamed. Finding what he was looking for in that motion, Sir Michael nodded once and then returned to complete stillness. ¡°And so we are prepared to offer terms!¡± Hilbert said, clapping his hands together. ¡°Come with us to Camelot, rendering the aid we so desperately need. I can not make any promises or predictions on behalf of our leader, but no matter what, afterward, Sir Michael and I will accompany you to Requiem and do everything we can to get you into the city.¡± Ichiro turned and looked to the others, not questioningly, but clearly opening the floor for input. ¡°It seems to me that the possible advantages outweigh the delay.¡± Amelia chimed in. Franklin nodded in agreement, and Gorock wasn¡¯t even looking at the group. He had sat through the conversation looking longingly back the way they had come as if reminiscing on the recently fought battle. Ichiro then turned to Tilly, who considered the two before him with narrow eyes. There was more going on than the Wizard Apprentice had admitted, and the mysterious silent Knight obviously had more to him than stage fright¡­ this could very well turn into a huge time suck with no gained advantage for their people. Hilbert, as if sensing Tilly¡¯s reserve, smiled reassuringly, once again putting his two elongated canines on full display¡­ ¡®Yeah, that''s not helping dude.¡¯ Tilly thought sardonically before deciding to ask one final question. ¡°Ok, so the leadership of your order are all vampires and dhampires¡­ how much blood do you have to drink to survive, and how do you obtain it?¡± Tilly asked, interested to see how the Apprentice would handle such a broad question about his society. The Vampire¡¯s smile dampened, ¡°Yes, I can see why you would want to understand this before entering into an agreement with us. I will be brief. First, as to how much we must drink, it entirely depends on our level of activity. We may enter into periods of rest for decades and not drink for the whole duration. However, Sir Michael and I, with our heightened activity, will need to drink before we continue to Camelot. And likely again once we arrive in the city.¡± As soon as he mentioned needing to drink, Tilly and several other members tensed, wondering if they had just discovered a trap¡­ ¡°Do not worry friends!¡± Hilbert waved placatingly, showing his empty hands. ¡°We would never embark on such a mission without our own supplies.¡± He said, slowly reaching into his robe and producing a silvery flask. He then looked over at Sir Michael and motioned for him to do the same. The Knight moved slowly, so as not to startle anyone and touched his right thigh, below his mace, coming away with an elaborate syringe-looking object, that differed greatly from Hilbert''s flask. It had been seamlessly integrated with his armor and Tilly had not noticed it at all until the Knight pulled it away with the click of a metallic release. Hilbert held eye contact with the group as he opened the flask and took a long drink, before capping it. The runes along the side, glowed for a moment, before showing a circle that was a little less than half full of ruby light. The Knight beside him lifted the syringe to his forearm and placed its now glowing tip against his armor. The metal folded back briefly, and a hissing sound shot out from the object as it touched the bare skin underneath. The normally stoic Knight experienced an involuntary full-body shudder at the injection, and then quickly put the object away before Tilly could get a better look at its composition. It snapped back into place under his mace and out of view.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°As for how we obtain this precious resource-¡± Hilbert continued, drawing the attention away from his companion and to himself. ¡°We do so just like any political entity, through tax and trade. To enter our city, you will be taxed. We call it the ¡®gift¡¯ and through an enchanted object, you will donate a small portion of your life''s blood. In return, you are promised basic rights in the city and a measure of protection. All citizens and allies of our order have the choice to pay the blood price or its equivalent in Standard Gold. Many do not mind temporarily giving up some portion of their health in exchange for what the Order has to offer. ¡°We try to keep the number of turned citizens as low as possible to remain sustainable, but with the increased pressure from the Horde¡­ Things are not as balanced as they once were.¡± He finished, biting off the last words as if reluctant to part with them. Tilly turned to Ichiro, whose expression remained unreadable. ¡°I think I agree with Amelia, there are certainly risks, and we are gambling with precious time, but the possible upside is too good to pass up.¡± He said, quietly. He knew everyone could hear him but he still wanted to signal that he was only talking to Ichiro. The lapin¡¯s face remained unchanged as he took in the last of the group¡¯s input and turned to face the vampiric representatives. ¡°As a representative of the Alliance¡¯s ruling council, I formally accept your offer. We look forward to a possible partnership between our peoples¡­ But be warned, do not be fooled by our level disparity. As you have already seen, we have much else to bring to bear besides simple stat superiority. So deal with us honestly, and we will do the same with you.¡± Before Hilbert could answer, the Knight stood and moved forward. Ichiro responded gracefully and without hesitation, rising to his feet to face Sir Michael. The imposing figure thrust out his hand and Ichiro looked down at it for a moment before clasping it firmly, shaking once, and then stepping away and bowing. The Knight awkwardly mirrored his movements and then straightened. ¡°Well, this turned out wonderfully, just wait until we see the look on Mallytza¡¯s face!¡± Hilbert exclaimed excitedly. The whole group looked at him questioningly. ¡°Ah... well... she is an ally we have in the court. She didn''t think this was a good idea and is the only one who knows exactly where we went.¡± He said, his face becoming even paler if that was possible. ¡®Is that the vampire version of blushing?¡¯ Tilly thought to himself as Ichiro turned to face the group. ¡°Collect your things and prepare for another run. We will not stop until we make Camelot and we will be leaving shortly.¡± Tilly reached for his bag and absently began to wonder how he would get his armor to turn back into its Moundshambler form when the flashing icon at the top of his HUD finally got his attention. In all his worry about Kindle, the two vampires, and his Spirit Walk, he had forgotten about leveling! He glanced up sheepishly at the flashing notification icon and the log appeared in front of him. He filtered through the damage indicators, asking the System to summarize the net gains of the battle.
You have defeated eighteen Juvenile Strigoi in combat and assisted in the destruction of another seven. Due to level disparity, an Experience multiplier has been applied to your gains. Congratulations, you have leveled up! You are now level 19! Congratulations, you have leveled up! You are now level 20¡­ Congratulations, you have leveled up! You are now level 23! 1.3 million experience until the next level. You have 25 unspent stat points.
¡®Woah, five levels! Not bullshitting around with a Mana feedback loop is awesome!'' Now if only he could find the time to grind... He thought quickly running through the math he needed to maintain [Resolute] which had once again saved his life. Despite the high cost, there was no way he could get rid of something that so consistently saved his life. ¡®Ok, so from five levels, I gain forty stat points total, ten of which automatically went into Endurance. I¡¯m going to need to double that if I want to keep the stat higher than the others combined.¡¯ He thought to himself, dropping another 10 into the stat. The feeling was immediate, not as intense as it had been the moments before he had dived into the fiery cave so many weeks ago, but still significant. It felt like his physical form had become more substantial¡­ No that wasn¡¯t it. Dense? He looked up at the others, who were almost ready to go, and pushed off the musing for later. He still had fifteen more stat points to assign after the automatic single point added to Dexterity at each level. He pulled up and looked over his stat sheet critically.
Stats: Constitution: 18 Endurance: 121 (133.1) Dexterity: 40 (44) Strength: 13(15.8) Wisdom: 18(13.68) Intelligence: 16
Ok, he was still taking a serious hit on Wisdom which had absolutely established itself as the bottleneck in his ability to output damage¡­ And if he was being honest with himself, even though his crazy Endurance was soaking up a lot of damage up front, his fighting style was still taking him far too close to death for it to be sustainable. So Constitution couldn¡¯t be ignored either. Everyone around him stood and shouldered their pack, as Tilly made his decision. Ten in Wisdom, bringing it to 28 base, and five in Constitution taking it up to 23. He then hopped to his feet, and shouldered his pack, moving forward with the others as Hilbert whispered some arcane words, and the glowing symbols hemming in the group faded away. ¡®Next stop, Camelot¡¯ B2 Ch. 34 Running up that Hill. They set off at a ground-eating pace, with Hilbert leading the way, following some sort of magical compass. The group stayed mostly silent as they ran, but Tilly found that he was a long way from feeling any exhaustion after the break they had just taken. His Endurance had just gone up another twenty points, and he felt like he could probably run at this pace for the next twenty-four hours and barely be winded at their destination. The effortless feeling that marked his movements during moderate physical activity contrasted greatly with how quickly he had felt depleted near the end of the fight. It seemed like his abysmal Strength stat was holding him back whenever he operated at the leading edge of his physical ability. However, if he kept himself to moderate output, he had the sense he could go on for a ridiculous amount of time. That being said, when he thought back to the recent battle, he couldn''t help but smile in grim satisfaction. He might not have been a paragon of grace, but he more than held his own in the fight. All of the practice scenarios and the brutal Skill leveling he had done over the last month had really transformed his combat ability. Sure his power advantage over corrupted opponents was the only reason he had survived that last encounter, but it had not been the only factor... He had also kicked some significant monster ass. And he wasn''t the only one! Kindle had demonstrated a dramatic increase in capability after the fight. Tilly could only imagine how having access to this new sort of fuel allowed her to advance. Instead of riding on Tilly¡¯s pack, she had taken to the air, gliding as an almost invisible spot high above them. She was now more at ease in the air than perched on his shoulder. A change that he wasn¡¯t sure if he liked or not. He loved her increased survivability, but not being needed quite as much stung a little. ¡®Are you sure you don¡¯t need a rest? I think Hilbert has some sort of tracker that lets him avoid scouting parties, so you don''t have to keep watch all the time.¡¯ He sent again, marveling at their capability to suddenly converse in complete sentences. ¡®We just rescued that peacock from a pack of the grey flightless. With your permission, I would like to remain above as another set of eyes.¡±- She replied with only a hint of exasperation, then he felt something like affection thrum through their bond, - ¡°But I promise, I will tell you if I need a rest. I can sense how strange my growth seems to you. But this is my nature. I cannot remember them, but I can feel hundreds of my previous lives reaching back through time. This is the way my kind grow.¡¯ Tilly tried to dampen down his sadness at how much she had changed in such a short time, knowing that she could feel it as clearly as he could feel her concern. ¡®Well, I am excited for you to continue to advance... I saw that flame attack you did at the end. What''s next?¡¯ He asked, unable to keep from sending images of mythological phoenixes he had read about in the past. Creatures that were the living embodiment of flame. Symbols of immortality and resilience. She considered the images he sent, and replied hesitantly, ¡®Some of that feels correct, but I know for certain that I can and will die¡­ It feels like an essential part of my cycle, and when the time comes, I will know how to best leverage my end. Also, I don¡¯t think I have ever been bonded before, and I feel there will be unique options for us going forward as we both grow. Things that none of my kind have ever experienced-¡¯ on the tail end of that thought, Tilly caught the barest hint of a concept. Something that she couldn¡¯t put into words. It felt sort of like a future invitation to become a whole that was greater than the sum of their separate parts. He wanted to ask more but got the sense that she was already pondering over the same questions, and he realized how jarring it must be for her to advance in leaps like this. Catching hints of what had been and yet forced to remain in ignorance until reaching a future unknown threshold of power had to be difficult to balance. So he released their connection and smiled as he felt her return to the newfound joy of untethered flight. She may have been maturing rapidly, but there was something innocent and captivating about her exultant emotions at rediscovering her chief domain. She was a creature of Air and Fire and today¡¯s events had allowed her to discover a much greater portion of herself. He left her to it, deciding instead to catch up to Ichiro, who whether by coincidence or intention, had maintained the first position behind the two vampires who led their group. As Tilly pulled up beside him, he noted that while the lapin didn¡¯t seem as fully at ease as Tilly, he looked like he also would have no trouble keeping this pace for hours on end. ¡°Ichiro, can I ask you something personal?¡± Tilly spoke in a low tone, hoping that they were far enough away from the vampires that they wouldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°Please, Jonathan Tillman, feel free to do so. I will let you know if I think it unwise to continue in our discourse,¡± he answered, with a quick, but pointed look at the two leading their group through the twisting lowlands winding between the hills. ¡°As you and Shuji both know, my build is maxed around Endurance and while I think I understand both the benefits and costs of my stat layout, I am not sure I fully understand the context of my numbers.¡± Tilly laid out hesitantly, trying to form his ideas into a cohesive question. ¡°Shuji told me that if my stat score matched my level numerically, then I would be around the average for someone at my stage of power. He then explained that most builds only double, or rarely, triple their level score in a single stat, and that each multiplicative threshold I pass produces some sort of unmeasured but noticeable impact. But now, my Endurance is more than five times my level and I¡¯m not sure I really understand the implications. How does it square up against something like a level 75 Consumer for example?¡± Tilly whispered, leaning into the lapin¡¯s extraordinary hearing ability to make sure their conversation stayed private. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Tilly watched as Ichiro considered the question, and for the first time noticed that the lapin wasn¡¯t breathing in rhythm with his steps. Instead, he was maintaining a double-speed version of the meditative breathing he had taught Tilly a month ago. Then it hit Tilly¡­ Ichiro was meditating. He never stopped meditating. In the recent fight, while he was running, even while he talked, he fit every one of his moments and actions into a cadence of his meditation. Tilly couldn¡¯t imagine what his Skill level must be at this point. Ichiro¡¯s calm measured answer interrupted Tilly¡¯s musings. ¡°A very popular theory in this area is that your Endurance and an opponent¡¯s Strength, are measured against each other by the System in every martial exchange. If the stats are equal, then there are no unseen stat modifiers affecting the blow. However, if your opponent has twice as much Strength as you have Endurance, then they might gain something like a +50% modifier to their damage output. But the reason this is only a theory is that these exchanges are also affected by armor, positioning of the blow, racial and skill boosts to attacks and defense. In fact, there are even more theoretical factors than the ones I am mentioning¡± He said speaking his words in a rhythmic cadence, ¡°The exact numerical advantage of having such a high Endurance is not known, but doubling or tripling your opponent''s Strength score will make their Strength-modified attacks significantly weaker against you. The same is true for magical attacks and intelligence, as well as environmental damage against your physical body. Endurance essentially is the measurement of your body¡¯s ability to persist in its ideal physical state no matter the opposition. It does not, however, help you with spiritual and mental attacks¡­ that is where Wisdom comes in, and it is the area of your build I have been most concerned about.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see that. Especially with Corruption eroding my mental defenses. The attack from the Red Eyes guy more than demonstrated that¡­¡± Tilly trailed away losing himself as he considered Ichiro''s answer, as he mindlessly followed the group through the hills at an easy jog. He had achieved some measure of mental defense against the surges of dark desires that were leveled against him in times of extreme stress, but that wouldn¡¯t help him when it came to resisting the powers of the forces arrayed against him. Ichiro watched the conflicting emotions play out across Tilly¡¯s face and lapsed into silence easily, content to give his companion space to process. ¡®The Wisdom bottleneck is where the Min-Maxing of my build takes its toll. But honestly, [Resolute] has saved my life so many times I can¡¯t imagine going forward without it, and without the increase to my survivability that Endurance has given me, I wouldn¡¯t have made it through half of the fights I have faced so far. So I¡¯m pretty much committed... ¡®Just got to keep moving forward and look for some alternative way to shore up my weakness¡¯ besides stat dumping. At least until I finally rip this thing out of me. ¡¯ ¡­ They continued on their run for hours, letting Hilbert lead them around enemy hot spots well in advance of actually seeing them. After a while, Tilly moved up to ask him about the compass object he held and he explained that it was keyed into the vampirism variant that infected the Strigoi. It was something his master had left him as a parting gift years ago. Otherwise, they made great time through the Twilight Planes, something that Hilbert said would normally be much more difficult if the Horde wasn¡¯t so concentrated on both fronts of attack. During one of their short breaks, he shared with the group that the Order still patrolled the edges of the Horde lands on their border, and typically kept covert resources invested in tracking Horde movements. Yet every major Horde aggression over the last few months had been so far away from the Order¡¯s lands, that intervention had seemed like a foolish risk to the queen, who thought each attack was a feint to lure them away from protecting their supply lines. However, the consequences of this non-interventionist policy had driven a very small number of their Order to seek out alternatives. The Horde continued to expand at an alarming rate and Hilbert, Sir Michael, and a few others thought that their continued expansion had to be stopped at all costs. The group kept their breaks short, and after what seemed like seven or eight hours, even Tilly was starting to develop a sheen of sweat under his Moundstalker armor. Franklin and Amelia were in much worse shape. They barely kept pace, relying on different herbal concoctions from Amelia¡¯s never-ending stock to keep moving. Yet, even though they had not uttered a word of complaint, Tilly was beginning to grow worried for the pair. ¡°There it is, one of our outposts!¡± Hilbert''s voice interrupted Tilly in the middle of another worried glace back at the two who were now struggling not to fall behind. ¡°We shall vouch for you and hopefully secure better transport for the rest of the trip to our Order¡¯s Capital.¡± He said, looking back at the last members of the group lathered in sweat and grime. They did not reply to his comment or even look up as he gestured to what Tilly could see was a small military structure on the horizon. The two Vampires didn''t seem winded at all for the effort, but a darker part of Tilly was glad to see that they still did have to breathe to function. He had been thinking a lot about what had happened back with the ancient cave bear, and was sure there were another couple of tricks he had up his sleeve, even in open-air environments, that would multiply his group''s attack power by an order of magnitude¡­ They approached the rest of the way to the outpost at a walk, and as they drew near, Tilly saw that it was a squat medieval-style fortress, surrounded by a wall two stories high. The moment they came within view of the fortress towers, a cry went up, and soon after, a group of ten riders emerged from the gate to meet their group out in the open. B2 Ch. 35 Team Edward Their approach didn''t seem initially hostile, but Tilly couldn¡¯t help but notice that each rider held their weapons at the ready as their formation rode out to meet his group. Once they got within range, Tilly¡¯s Identify pinged, and he learned several interesting things. Nine of the ten riders had the class; Dhampire Cavalry with levels ranging from the low forties to the mid-fifties. The warrior at the head of the formation was a painfully handsome vampire with long blond hair streaked grey at the temples. He was decked out in traditional plate mail and held his open helm under one arm, and his reins in the other. Level 74 Knight of the Sanguine Order He held the same class as Sir Michael, but his armor was much less¡­ otherworldly. Sir Michael¡¯s armor had no gaps and no discernable straps or joints, whereas this Knight wore something more like what Tilly would expect from the Middle Ages. It was ornate to be sure, marked along its edges with runes that glowed faintly but it didn¡¯t hold a candle to the intricacy of Sir Michael¡¯s. This Knight also rode out with his face uncovered, his Vampiric nature on full display. While Tilly noticed all of these details, they fell to the background as the cavalry¡¯s mounts came into full view. Each one seemed to be a nightmarish combination of horse, and skeletal hunger. They all varied in some way, some showing the greyish hairless skin of the Strigoi, some with a plump purplish hue. But all had an equine head with sharp fangs reaching down past their lower lip. Vampiric Nightmare [Mount] ¡°Ho there! I recognize you Young Hilbert¡­ and Sir Michael, I am surprised to see you away from your duty in the capitol¡­ Who are these that accompany you and what is your business past our borders?¡± The Knight called authoritatively. Sir Michael offered a simple salute in response, not overly enthusiastic, but probably keeping within the boundaries of decorum. Hilbert, however, threw on a huge smile at the Knight¡¯s approach. ¡°Sir Cador! My, it is good to see you! We are on a very important errand and would love your assistance.¡± He waved warmly. The Knight pulled up the formation and looked down on them, confusion slowly souring to suspicion, as he took in the others in the group. ¡°Errand you say? How is it I have heard nothing of this from the Queen? I gave her my report this morning and she spoke nought of you, or a group of foreigners passing into our lands¡­ especially from enemy territory.¡± ¡°Report this morning¡­ Of course, you did.¡± Hilbert muttered darkly through the side of his mouth before continuing in a loud voice. ¡°Yes well¡­ There is a chance she doesn¡¯t know about this particular¡­ Errand.¡± At that, the Knight¡¯s face hardened, and the eerily silent mounts shifted foot to foot. ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to allow you to pass. There is a reason I am trusted with this post. At the very least, I will need to hold you in the fort until I can get in contact with the Queen.¡± he said, in a weary voice. ¡°That is not acceptable,¡± Ichiro said, stepping forward to address the group. ¡°At this point, you don''t have much of a choice traveler.¡± The Sir Cador said, his hand dropping to the pommel of his sword. ¡°Well now! Hold on a minute! Sir Cador this is not what it seems, but we really are in quite a hurry!¡± Hilbert said, stepping between the two groups and appealing to the commander of the fort. The cavalry looked ready to ignore the Wizard¡¯s Apprentice, and Tilly rested his hands on the handles of his hatchets, not willing to be intimidated. Then Gorock took it way too far and drew his weapon snarling. Ichiro turned on him making a fierce negative motion with his hand, while Hilbert stepped even closer to the Knight''s group, whose mounts danced around him toward their group. Sir Cador¡¯s eyes were hard as his companions reached for weapons. ¡°Wait! We are from the newly integrated Faction currently under siege by the Horde!¡± Tilly shouted over the din of weapons being loosened. ¡°Yes! Sir Cador! If I can just have your attention for a moment more! Our business is with the Queen and it is urgent. The Horde expansion continues unchecked, and these¡­ ambassadors, hold the key to our continued survival!¡± Hilbert shrilled with both his hands in the air urging calm. Gorock reluctantly sheathed his gladius and Ichiro turned back to the group as Sir Cador¡¯s eyes narrowed further. ¡°Continued survival? I never thought to hear such weak-willed mewling from one of Merllyn¡¯s Apprentices. Since our excursion two months ago into the heart of the Deadlands, we haven¡¯t seen a single Strigoi within ten miles of our border. They are scared, Apprentice¡­ The border is secure, and we are under no obligation to intervene in distant conflicts!¡± He finished with a stubborn flintiness gleaming in his eyes. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. At those words, Hilbert completely dropped the Mr. Nice Guy act. A fierce snarl put his fangs on full display, and runic circles started to dance around his upraised hands. Which suddenly seemed much more threatening. ¡°You bull-headed idiot! Would you just listen for a moment!¡± His voice boomed, releasing a concussive blast that whipped back everyone''s clothing. ¡°Was your son not one of the ones injured in the ¡®Excursion¡¯ as you call it? It has been painted as a victory, but half of the high table came back with that debuff, and we have yet to find a way to cleanse it. He and the others now lay entombed, perhaps never to wake, and still you cling blindly to this foolish non-interventionist idea! Just who is the mewling weakling here?¡± There was a sound like a crack of thunder and before Tilly¡¯s eye could register what had happened, Sir Michael stood before Hilbert with his mace out, catching a blow that would have cleaved the Apprentice in half. Sir Cador¡¯s reluctant, but dutiful mask was gone, as he pushed down against Sir Michael''s weapon with animalistic fury. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare sully my son''s sacrifice, Peasant!¡± The wild-eyed knight screamed, spittle flying from his fanged mouth. Hilbert¡¯s magics winked out, and he stepped right into the path of the blocked blade so that it was only a hair away from cutting his neck. The cavalry behind the enraged knight milled about in uncertainty, and Ichiro signaled everyone to wait, his eyes watching the conflict, seeing more than the rest of them could. In a voice barely above a whisper, Hilbert answered, ¡°I told you, Sir Cador¡­ They hold the key. I have seen them clear the infection with only a breath. We need to get to Camelot, and we need to get there fast. The wild flickering in the Knight¡¯s eyes slowly dimmed and he looked at the group as if seeing them for the first time. ¡°They can cure it?¡± ¡°Yes, they have even offered to help in exchange for an alliance. Something that we need desperately. It is not enough for you to let us pass¡­ I need some of your mounts temporarily bound to this party. I have seen the Horde at their gates. They will finish the winnowing in a day, and attack in earnest soon after. If they break through, we will all be out of time.¡± At that, Tilly saw Ichiro¡¯s ears twitch, and Tilly shared his surprise at the previously unrevealed intel. The Knight seemed to be on the brink of relenting before the emotion on his face drained away, reverting to its previous mask. Tilly watched as the commander thought through the risk, and made his conclusion, stepping away from Sir Michael and lowering his weapon. His expression took on that reluctant, dutiful cast that Tilly had seen in leadership hundreds of times. The face of someone unwilling to stick their necks out doing the right thing. That cowardly mask had been responsible for the deaths of more than a few people in Tilly¡¯s past life. When life-saving action butted up against protocol, professional reputations got laid on the line... and that''s when you would find the cowards hiding behind rules and regulations. That couldn¡¯t happen here. Over one hundred thousand people were depending on them to make something happen, and Tilly wasn¡¯t going to let their mission get caught up in stupid red tape. Every hour meant more deaths on the wall, let alone whatever Hilbert had just said about the ¡®winnowing¡¯. Tilly stepped right into the Knight¡¯s face as he was about to open his mouth, forcing eye contact, ¡°You don¡¯t know me, Sir Cador. But I have been marked by the same force that has infected the Horde. The same thing that now has your son. The Strigoi think they have found a new form of power, but by now, they are most likely almost completely under its control. It will not stop until it consumes everything it can reach. We can and will help your son, our nation needs you as much as you seem to need us. Don¡¯t delay us here.¡± The Knight looked Tilly up and down, taking in his strange armor, and low level as he considered his words. Then a complicated series of emotions crossed his features, ending in a hard-eyed resolve. He sheathed his sword and swore softly to himself, casting an accusatory glance at Sir Michael and Hilbert. ¡°How is it that you two are always in the midst of trouble? If I send you on and you are unable to deliver on this promise, I will beat you to death myself... if it is the last thing I do.¡± ¡°Thank you Sir Cador! You won''t regret this, we promise!¡± Hilbert answered exuberantly, before adding, ¡°Now, I know you have a command to maintain here, but we need mounts for these five if we are going to make it to Camelot at speed¡­¡± Sir Cador looked at the Wizard Apprentice like he was pushing it, but then he looked back at Amelia and Franklin struggling to remain standing. ¡°Can you not leave a few behind?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ichiro and Tilly answered at the same time. ¡°We cannot risk our true objective by splitting the party,¡± Ichiro added. ¡°And what objective is that?¡± The Knight replied, suspicion rekindling in his tone. ¡°They seek the city of Requiem.¡± Hilbert cut in, "Sir Cador, we only need you to temporarily offer up five of your bonds for the trip to the capital, nothing more. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can make our attempt to restore Constantine and the others who slumber." Sir Cador let out a long exasperated sigh and turned to his men. ¡°Oh, alright. Rich, Ed, Thaddeus, and Erec, dismount. Blood is short all across the kingdom, so your companions will be paying their own blood price. My men and I will dismiss our bonds in 6 hours. That is more than enough time for you to make it to the capital.¡± He said, moving toward his freakish horse creature and taking down his weapons. After he had them in his arms, and his men had reluctantly obeyed, he turned back to the group. ¡°Sir Michael, I do not like what you are, but I respect your place at the table. Do not give me cause to regret this.¡± He said, weapons in hand. Sir Michael saluted him formally and reached for something at his neck. Hilbert turned to the rest of them, as Ichiro moved closer to whisper, ¡°You said nothing of mounts. How far away is Camelot and why did you not speak of this Winnowing earlier?¡± Hilbert had the good sense to at least look chagrined as he answered, ¡°It will be less than the six hours they are giving us. As far as the mounts are concerned, I don¡¯t like them any more than you, but they are necessary to complete both of our missions. The time frame does not change the fact that we still need each other.¡± He explained as the soldiers led their Nightmares close to the group. ¡°You five will need to allow them to partake of your blood. This will form a temporary bond with the Nightmare and it will let you ride it as long as the bondholders maintain the manifestation.¡± Sir Cador explained to the group, a pitiless smirk on his pale face. ¡®Just how much else has Hilbert been holding back?¡± Tilly wondered to himself as his own grey-fleshed, fanged Nightmare approached, led by a sour-faced cavalryman. B2 Ch. 36 Blood Bank After a brief explanation by Hilbert on what exactly Nightmares were, and an unpleasant ritual involving the summoned mount clamping its fanged mouth onto their forearms, they were ready to go, each having given up about ten percent of their blood to the Bond. Hilbert explained that summoning a Nightmare was a unique Ability pioneered by Merllyn. Because he had basically invented a racial transformation, he had some effect on the new Abilities allowed to the new vampiric variants. This hybrid Racial Trait/Ability allowed the user to summon an equine manifestation of their greatest fears and use it as a mount. It cost them life energy to maintain, or life¡¯s blood for any not of the vampire race. After they completed the ritual, they all received some version of this status notification,
You have ritually enacted a Blood Bond. For the duration of this bond, your health will be capped at 90% and the other 10% of your life energy will go toward your Blood Bound manifestation as tribute.
Sir Cador warned them that they would be dismissing the borrowed mounts in six hours, at which time, the Nightmares and the Debuffs would disappear. None of the mounts changed as they took on new riders, maintaining the shapes of their owner''s fears, which seemed to universally revolve around hunger, and devolving into their more beastly enemies. Their guides, however, were both exceptions to this rule. Hilbert''s summoning had resulted in a mount that was a strange cross between a spider and a horse, displaying eight legs on an elongated equine torso and a set of arachnid eyes. Hibert audibly gagged as he approached the obedient creature, and shivered as he mounted it. Sir. Michael¡¯s summoning resulted in something that echoed the more Strigoi-like mounts of the Cavalry but had a deep purple tint to its skin and was incredibly sleek and muscular, as opposed to the uniformly skeletal/hungry look of the others. Once all the mounts were present, they climbed into the saddles which were another part of the spell, each adjusting to their rider magically. With a final admonishment from Sir Cador that he would be notifying the Queen of their meeting, they had set off at a gallop. They rode past the border fort and followed the road behind it, into the Sanguine Order¡¯s lands. The mounts were completely metaphysical in nature, not true living creatures, and this made riding them much easier than it should have been. Tilly had never gotten a chance to ride a horse in his past life but found the experience with the Nightmare mounts to be eerily smooth. A rhythmic staccato of hoof beats marked out their mile-eating pace as they moved through the countryside at speed. He could feel an invisible tether attaching himself to the creature. It started from the spot of the creature''s bite, and ended in the center of its mass, Tilly guessed that was the active cost of the Ability being channeled through the Blood Bound Debuff. As soon as they were out of sight of the fort, Kindle dived back down to fly parallel with the group, complaining about the ¡°animated parasites¡± the group was now riding. Tilly asked if she sensed anything evil from them, and she answered in the negative but maintained a strong feeling of distaste throughout their mental conversation. Tilly wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought it had more to do with him having another kind of bond, than any dislike she had for a summoning of this type. After a while, she ascended and promised to let him know if she spotted anything out of the ordinary. An hour or two into their journey, the climate had almost completely reverted to something that felt much more alive than the endless reddish tan of the Deadlands. The ground became covered in green grass and was characterized by intermittent stands of trees and rolling moors. Eventually, they even started to pass small villages and farms. The architectural style of these settlements ranged from typical middle-age village, with thatched roofs, and dirt roads, to human-sized hobbit-hole structures, that Tilly was able to Identify as Aos Si Barrows. Some of the ones they passed as they got deeper into the Order''s lands were absurdly large hill-covered structures, that looked like they could fit 50-100 people. The people Tilly spotted from the road were remarkably ordinary at first glance, pinging as Level 22 Farmer Or Level 15 Peasant They all shared distinctive creamy porcelain skin and glinting eyes like you would see on a cat in low light. He did not spot any other vampires on their trip but did see occasional groups of Dhampire Infantry posted in some of the larger settlements. Overall, the journey was remarkably smooth and while the Nightmares were creepy as hell, whatever magic had created this summoning Ability had made it almost idiot-proof. Tilly could constantly feel the mount responding to his intent and any movement he made with the reins seemed almost redundant. In fact, as soon as he had set it in his mind that he was following the two vampires in the lead, the Nightmare he was riding had simply continued in that vein with little or no input from Tilly. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The mounts never slowed from the cantering pace that was set at the beginning of their journey. This probably had something to do with the fact that they didn¡¯t seem to breathe, each one tirelessly bearing its rider for the low low price of its life energy. Tilly would have loved to use the journey to ask more questions, but the noise of a group of hooves constantly hitting dirt and stone roads was prohibitive. So instead he just kept an eye on his surroundings, trying to learn as much as he could about their new neighbors. He also took the opportunity to break out some provisions and get in a meal while he could. With the Alliance under siege, he didn¡¯t think there would be much time for eating, drinking, or¡­ any other essential bodily function during this quest. Luckily for him, the stress had tightened everything right up, and he doubted he would be going any time soon. He eventually looked back to find Amelia and Franklin asleep in their saddles and was glad they had found some time to recuperate. Gorock still held the rear of the formation, looking comically large on his horse-sized mount. This more than anything told Tilly that normal physics didn¡¯t apply as Gorock¡¯s skeletal Nightmare didn''t look any more tired than the rest. Then it occurred to Tilly, that Gorock¡¯s Constitution was probably also the highest in the group, so the ten percent the creature was gaining from the Blood Bond was probably more than enough to offset the extra effort. ¡®Tilly, I see your destination ahead¡­ It is not what you are expecting.¡¯ Kindle sent through their bond, accompanied by her view of the City. From her aerial perspective, the city was dominated by a structure that appeared to be a large stone castle, half sunken into the hill upon which it was built. That hill was surrounded by three rings of stone walls, making the approach to the central structure extremely secure. As Tilly continued to examine the image, he realized two things were off from his initial perspective. First, he had vastly underestimated the scale. Kindle focused in on a figure the size of an ant patrolling the top of the outer wall, and Tilly realized that the central ring wall was twice as large as the one they had built at the mouth of the valley. The second thing he realized was that the hill, which he could now see was closer in size to a mountain, was a part of the structure itself, mirroring the Barrow style of building that he had seen throughout the countryside. Stairs and gates were set directly into the side of the grass-covered dirt and led into a settlement-sized structure within. Even with all of this, Camelot was still smaller than the Thousand Phalanx Empire''s capital, both in geographic footprint and population. But what it lacked in size, it more than made up for in defensibility. The whole city layout was clearly designed with a militaristic purpose in mind. ¡°We should see the city once we top the next rise,¡± Hilbert shouted over the sound of the galloping Nightmares. The rest of the group perked up at the news, and Tilly glanced back to catch Amelia blearily rubbing her eyes in the saddle and Franklin stretching in his. Hilbert pulled up at the top of the gentle hill and waited for the rest of the group to catch up. No one gasped as the city came into view, but you could tell that everyone was impressed by the sight of the valley below and the huge hill fortress that dominated it. From the ground view, Tilly got an even better sense of the scale. First, the hill that the castle was sunken into was probably the size of ten or fifteen city blocks, and it rose more than a hundred feet off the ground. The only reason Tilly didn''t feel like it qualified as a small mountain was that it looked like it was made up of dirt, not stone. Every inch of the hill not supporting an opening to the interior or a cobblestone road, was covered in grass and cultivated plant life. About fifteen feet out from the base of the giant Barrow was the innermost of the three walls, with one main gate leading out of the fortress and into a more traditional middle-age settlement with stone and timber buildings and slate roofs. This more familiar cityscape filled all the space between the second and third walls. Outside of the second wall stood some of the settlement-style architecture of the inner section but also displayed larger more impressive structures, some of which broke with the middle-age theme. Tilly spotted a large timber arena and several buildings that could have been temples, including two that he thought he recognized from his time sneaking into the Temple of Light. It looked like the space between the first and second walls was for commercial ventures, while the space between the second and innermost walls was reserved for native residential areas and smaller businesses. Overall the city was incredible and made it crystal clear to Tilly the differences between the factions in higher and lower-level areas. Even the land around the city felt¡­ denser. Richer in some indescribable way that made its potential apparent. ¡°And he will build a great city¡­ where all will know peace and prosperity,¡± Hilbert said, almost to himself as they all looked out over the seat of power for the Sanguine Order. Then the dreamy expression on his face hardened into something more serious, and he turned to the rest of the group. ¡°There is a tax to enter the city. I do not know if you carry any Standard currency, but the price can also be paid in blood. Almost everything in the city can be bought with blood if you are willing to pay. The blood tax, once paid, typically results in a 10% Constitution debuff, and it lasts for 5-10 hours depending on your race. Once we reach the gates, I will banish your mounts, and the Blood Bond will be removed. Ichiro frowned in thought, and Tilly wondered about money for the first time. Did they have currency? What was the ¡°Standard¡±? How was that handled between Factions? ¡°How is the tax collected?¡± Amelia asked, staring down at the city with a considering look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Then realization dawned on Hilbert''s features, ¡°Oh, gods! No one bites you or anything, we have magical devices that collect and store the payment to an exact degree.¡± Hilbert answered. ¡°The devices are certified by the Commerce Guild itself and can not be tampered with by any except guild workers. The city has a long-standing agreement with them to make our non-traditional economy work and it has been safely in place for hundreds of years. That being said, never give blood to someone looking to circumvent the system. It is in place for a reason, and exchanging blood outside of its bounds is illegal in our lands.¡± He finished sternly, clearly proud of the system that governed those in power. At his explanation, Ichiro nodded slowly. ¡°We do have some meager funds if a need arises, but I would prefer we save them. Is everyone willing to pay the tax?¡± He asked turning toward the rest of them. B2 Ch. 37 Taxation Without Representation Under Ichiro''s open gaze, no one hesitated in affirming their willingness to take on a Constitution Debuff for the benefit of the mission. With that settled, he turned toward the two vampires and gestured forward, ¡°We are ready and in your care. We need to see your Queen as quickly as possible and will do whatever we can for those who are infected. After that, we must continue on, perhaps stopping for some specific supplies on the way out.¡± ¡°Of course. We will do whatever we must to gain an audience immediately.¡± Hilbert intoned heavily, rubbing at his forearm where he had cut his oath, before bringing his mount into a canter forward. The group followed Hilbert as he set off, and Tilly once again marveled at how smoothly the summoned mount responded to his intentions. They covered the rest of the distance to the first gate relatively quickly, and as they approached, Tilly called up to Kindle, ¡®Hey girl, we are headed into an unknown here, and I honestly don¡¯t know if it would be safer for you to stay out of the city or ride in with us¡­ So I¡¯m going to let you decide.¡¯ ¡®I am coming now. I will move with you into the city and make it harder for any to dismiss your words. Only fools would take my presence lightly.¡¯ Tilly looked up and watched as a blue speck slowly grew larger, falling from the sky and fanning out her wings at the last second to halt her dive. Her talons touched the top of Tilly¡¯s pack almost gently as she fluffed her feathers, not quite hiding her pleasure at such a smooth landing. ¡®Impressive! I can¡¯t believe how fast you have improved.¡¯ Tilly sent, not having to lean into the compliment at all. It was jarring to watch her grow in leaps and bounds like this. ¡®It is less improvement and more remembrance. I regain myself as I grow stronger. I do not yet know my full capabilities, but I know they are far greater than what I have discovered so far.¡¯ She sent back preening. As they drew near the gates, they found a small line of people moving through the taxation process, and a large group of wagons off to the side, waiting to go through the process before entering the city. Tilly curiously eyed the different cargos as they passed, spotting normal goods, like produce and textiles, but also seeing things that he couldn¡¯t figure out in a glance, even with Identify active. There was a large chunk of silver crystal roped down on a wagon bed that the system labeled as, Silverite. There was also a train of wagons protected by surly-looking one-eyed guards, Level 48 Cyclopic Brawlers On the backs of their wagons were large urns lashed upright by numerous ropes. The urns were covered in a red glowing script, reminiscent of what Tilly had seen on the blood repositories Hilbert and Sir Michael had shown them. But the script looked sloppy as if it had been carelessly scrawled instead of meticulously crafted. Tilly couldn¡¯t help but get a queasy feeling as he stared at them. Then Hilbert¡¯s voice interrupted Tilly¡¯s gawking, ¡°Ho the Gate! Good morning Gentlemen, how goes the watch?¡± He called cheerfully, bypassing the other individuals waiting in line, and moving right to the guards and official running the tax and entry checkpoint. There was some grumbling as they passed the others on foot and wagon, but everyone quieted once they saw the Nightmares. It would make sense that the mounts typically marked a higher station in the city, and Tilly realized it was probably one of the reasons Hilbert had angled for their whole group to borrow the creatures. At Hilbert''s greeting, all the dhampire guards and the vampire official looked up at the approaching group wearing many shades of the same frown. None seemed interested in matching Hilbert''s cheerful tone. Then from within the shadow of the gate, an elegant-looking knight with dark hair and even darker eyes stepped forward, a sneer evident on his face. Level 68 Knight of the Sanguine Order ¡°Ah, the stable boy had returned¡­ Imagine my surprise when I was called from standing vigil over my brothers, to fetch our little lost lamb.¡± ¡°Sir Accolon, of course... it''s you,¡± Hilbert replied in surprise at the sudden appearance of the knight, his tone slipping into a higher octave. At his false cheer, the dark-eyed knight¡¯s sneer turned further downward into a snarl, ¡°You¡¯ve finally done it, you filthy upstart. She is ready to set you cleaning Dagonet¡¯s cage for the next century. And you!¡±- He said, turning on Sir Michael- ¡° You call yourself one of us, but we all know what you are. Some of the others may be fooled, but after abandoning your post, they will see what I do, an imposter.¡± he finished his accusation by spitting on the ground at the feet of the Nightmare. Sir Michael didn¡¯t even flinch at the insult, while Hilbert looked¡­ mildly nauseous.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ichiro moved his horse slightly forward and attempted to salvage the situation. ¡°Sir, we are here as official emissaries from the new Faction grafted into these lands. We request an audience with-¡± ¡°I know what you claim. Cador sent in the report hours ago. We don¡¯t believe in good fortune or miracles around here, and that old buffoon must be getting desperate to make such a misstep.¡± He said dismissively, barely glancing in Ichiro¡¯s direction. ¡°Pay the tax and dismiss those mounts you have sullied. You are to come with me, and the Queen will see you at her earliest convenience.¡± He sighed, his anger turning to exasperation as the sneer settled back into place. ¡°We have seen it with our own eyes, Accolon-¡± Hilbert started to explain, but was cut off by a furious hiss from the Knight, ¡°How dare you refuse me my title!¡± - He barked his fury blazing back to life in an instant. - ¡° Do not waste any more of my time on this farce. Remove yourselves from those mounts and pay the tax!¡± He demanded, eyes glinting dangerously. Hilbert nodded stiffly in reply and complied. He dismounted his eight-legged Nightmare careful to avoid looking at the creature and Sir Michael mirrored him, seeming completely at ease, even in the face of the tense exchange. The rest of the group followed suit, and Hilbert muttered something under his breath to his mount, causing it to fade away like fog before a noonday sun. He then moved towards the rest of the mounts, muttering an incantation before each one, and laying a glowing hand on its withers. At the glowing touch of his magic, they each faded away. In less than a minute, all of the Nightmares were gone, and they stood before the uncomfortable-looking official and the contingent of guards who didn''t want to be caught in the middle of whatever was playing out between the Knights and the Wizard¡¯s Apprentice. ¡°Arms please gentlemen.¡± The official asked the two vampires, who moved with rote compliance, stretching out their right forearms. The official pulled out what looked like a large enchanted monocle, and peered down at the appendages for a moment before waving them through. Whatever the device checked, it seemed unaffected by the armor Sir Michael wore or Hilbert¡¯s colorful robes. Then the rest of the group moved up and the official droned, ¡°Blood or Standard? Blood tax is currently set at 1.32 pints. Standard is 7 silver, 4 coppers today.¡± ¡°We will pay in blood¡± Ichiro responded cooly, moving to present his arm first. The official marked something in his ledgers and lifted another object from the table. It was a dull grey metal tube marked with arcane symbols and as he held one end to Ichiro¡¯s arm, the symbols started to glow red. Blood Extraction Tube Rare {Commerce Guild Certified} The light of the tube was matched by a large container behind the table that was also covered in the now glowing symbols. Blood Vessel Epic {Commerce Guild Certified} ¡®They must be linked.¡¯ He thought as the red glow died simultaneously on the Vessel and the Extraction Tube. The guard¡¯s position flanking the official to both sides now took on new meaning as Tilly realized that they were probably there as much to guard the Blood Vessel, as the gate. Ichiro filed past, looking no worse for the experience, and Tilly moved up next, holding up his arm and pulling back his sleeve without a word. The official made another mark in his ledger and placed the end of the tube against his skin, activating its ruby glow- The device sputtered, flashing red, before going dark, and the official sighed, ¡°Traveler, please deactivate any defensive Abilities, this is not designed to hurt you.¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t have any defensive Abilities,¡± Tilly replied, confused. ¡°Sir," The Official started with a flat look, "we have been doing this for a long time, you are not the first one to think of such things¡­ but you will not be entering the city without paying, either in blood or coin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you. I don¡¯t have anything active at all right now, it''s a problem with your stick thing.¡± ¡°Excuse me, I believe I may understand the problem.¡± - Amelia said, stepping up from behind Tilly in line. ¡°I do not know what the device is rated for in regards to Endurance, but despite his displayed level,¡± Amelia said gesturing vaguely above Tilly¡¯s head, ¡°he is probably well above the threshold for that device.¡± ¡°Preposterous!¡±- The official sputtered.- ¡°The enchantment is rated through the second tier of Endurance.¡± ¡°Wow, really?¡± Amelia answered looking over at Tilly with a shocked smile. ¡°You really doubled down on Endurance, huh?¡± She continued trying unsuccessfully to push down her grin. ¡°I have very good reasons for my build. I got it approved by Shuji and everything!¡± Tilly replied in mock offense, while the official looked on aghast. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t be serious. To do such a thing would be to cripple any possibility of balance¡­¡± He cut in incredulously. At his statement, Tilly winced, his small smile at Amelia¡¯s teasing disappearing as he turned back to the Official. ¡°I said, I have my reasons. Now can I pay this tax or not?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, of course, my mistake¡­¡± The official replied, shuffling around behind the checkpoint, before pulling out a new metal tube, with the same markings. The only difference seemed to be that this one was made up entirely of silver. Tilly held his arm up again and the official pressed the end against it and activated the enchanted object. Blood Extraction Tube Epic {Commerce Guild Certified} The symbols roared to life instantly, and Tilly felt a rushing sensation as something was pulled out of his center through his arm and into the devices. He couldn¡¯t understand how Ichiro had endured the feeling so calmly. It felt like he was being sucked dry, and as the device winked out, Tilly struggled to stay on his feet, swaying in place. The official frowned as he turned and watched the glowing symbols on the Blood Vessel stay lit for another three seconds. ¡°That can''t be correct¡± He muttered to himself, while a new debuff flashed at the top of Tilly¡¯s HUD and he attempted to steady himself against the surface of the checkpoint. Blood Loss: You have lost over 30% of your blood in a short amount of time, -30% to your Constitution for five hours. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Tilly said shakily, ¡°My math may not be perfect, but this thing took way more than 1.2 pints from my body.¡± B2 Ch. 38 Don鈥檛 Stop Me Now Tilly experienced a strange combination of nausea and sleepiness before he managed to fully steady himself against the checkpoint table. Losing that much blood without a wound was a surreal experience and it took a moment for him to get his bearings. The official was busy turning back and forth between the device and the vessel behind him, repeatedly muttering under his breath. The dark-eyed Knight cleared his voice noisily from the shadow of the gate, and the official jumped, startled by the interruption to his musings. ¡°Ah. Very sorry... Sir, this is quite irregular, I do apologize. I don''t think the device was calibrated to be able to factor what could be, do pardon me for saying this, an unforeseeable ratio between Endurance and Constitution. Nonetheless, the error is ours and while we can not issue you your blood back,¡± he said, pulling out a special sheet of paper with gilded edges and starting to fill it out. ¡° I can issue you this notice of refund along with a small damage payment from the Commerce Guild. Their backing comes with an insurance policy of sorts. Turn it in, and they will issue you a payment in either Standard or local currency.¡± He finished, signing the paper with a flourish and handing it over to Tilly.
Notice of Refund - {This document can no longer be altered} It has been sealed with an official Skill. This notice of device failure must be turned in by Jonathan Tillman to be exchanged for fiat currency at any Commerce Guild location. Item cannot be lost or stolen.
¡°Thanks¡­¡± Tilly smiled weakly, rolling up the sheet and stuffing it in his pack. ¡°Villers! If you take any longer, I will leave them here to find their own way to the keep and I will give the Queen your name when she demands why!¡± Sir Accolon shouted in impatience. The official fumbled with the original Extractor and laid it against Amelia¡¯s arm as she stepped up smoothly behind Tilly. ¡°It¡¯s never easy with you is it?¡± She whispered conspiratorially to him, as the device lit up along with the vessel. She didn¡¯t flinch as the blood extraction finished and moved past to join the others. Tilly didn''t bother to restrain a woozy smile at her antics. It was kind of nice to be able to joke around a little bit, even if it only seemed to be possible in the middle of a life-or-death mission. The last members of their group made it through without a hitch and they all moved past the checkpoint. They passed under the foreboding portcullises and murder holes as Accolon stepped in front of them sneering for all he was worth. ¡°Gods, I can already tell you are going to be a chore. Come, Her Majesty waits for no one.¡± He declared curtly before turning on his heels and moving through to the light on the other side of the gate passage. The group hurried after and found a small escort of six Dhampire Guardsmen waiting for them. They were each dressed in fine livery, and carried polearms. Level 42 Dhampire Guardsmen. At the arrival of their leader, the group of guardsmen spread out to encompass the group, and began their march through the city with Sir Accolon at the head, followed by a slightly discordant Hilbert and a silent Sir Michael. The escort moved through the city at a quick walk and Tilly was struck by the differences between it and the empire¡¯s capital, the only other city he had encountered so far on Nephesh. The streets were cobbled and the outer district held large medieval-style buildings. This was completely different from the sandstone-paved streets and heavily Roman-influenced architecture of the empire. Both had felt established, but Tilly thought that there was a good chance that this Faction was younger by a significant margin, despite its higher Tier of power. He couldn¡¯t begin to guess the ages of some of the vampiric figures Hilbert had told them about in his short recount of their faction¡¯s history, but he doubted the faction as a whole was more than five hundred years old. Tilly mulled over the nature of the rising and falling of power on Nephesh as they passed a side street leading to the arena, several large inns, and a theater. He did note that there were no beggars on the streets, or any signs of poverty for that matter. In fact, on the whole, the streets were far less crowded than either the Alliance''s new capital or the Empire¡¯s before it. That is not to say that there wasn¡¯t a constant buzz of activity thrumming through the city. It''s just that while there was traffic, there were no choke points on the roads, and while there was the murmur and chatter that accompanied any population center, Tilly didn''t catch any of the shouting that he would expect from hawkers. A variety of peoples and races could be seen on the main road, but everyone seemed subdued, not cowed per se but something indefinable was missing¡­ Soon enough they were through the first section of the city and had passed another gate, this one manned by guards who seemed much less impressed by the Knights in their company. Both Knights and Hilbert had to present their arms again, and a writ was requested from Sir Accolon to prove permission for ¡°outsiders¡± to gain admittance to the inner city. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Once they were through to the inner city, any hint of outside architectural influence disappeared. The population was reduced again by a significant factor, and they were almost all of the Aos Si race. A pale, beautiful people who all carried the same air of aloofness. There were some businesses in this section of the city, but most of the buildings were residential in nature. The trip through this area was much shorter than the last and with only a few looks of interest from the residents. The escort proceeded to the main gate of the Keep, a solid intimidating structure that looked like it was about to be swallowed whole by the giant barrow that engulfed it. The stone fortifications jutted from the manicured grass and landscaping of the hill it was built into and its opening yawned wide, leading into the significantly darker interior of the keep. This checkpoint was manned by two Knights who wore their entire plate, and while their armor didn''t obscure their faces like Sir Michael¡¯s, they seemed just as uninterested in talking. Both hardly moved as they watched the procession pass through the security checks and gain admittance to the Keep. Sir Accolon fought fire with fire, leaning into ignoring their presence as fully as possible as he passed by. Sir Michael, on the other hand, offered them a formal salute before continuing into the keep. Once inside the structure, strange pinkish lights began to illuminate the cavernous hallway and numerous servants became visible, moving about the passage busily attending to whatever duties their stations demanded. All of them were Aos Si. As Sir Accolon continued to lead them forward confidently, Hilbert looked around and slowed his pace, allowing him to fall in with their group. He flicked his hands subtly casting something that muted the air around them. Without looking at them he muttered, ¡°This is both going better and worse than I thought. As long as you are able to clear the infection, everything should be fine. I am afraid that due to the way we have¡­ gained Her Majesty¡¯s attention, your welcome will not be very warm. Whatever happens to Sir Michael and I, do not get involved. Maintain your positions as emissaries, and be insistent that you be allowed a demonstration of your claims." At this point, most of the group seemed unsurprised by the complicated nature of their reception but they all nodded along with the explanation. Except for Gorock, Tilly wasn¡¯t even sure he had heard. The giant had found a piece of jerky from somewhere and was noisily chewing it with eyes glazed over in pleasure. Hilberts dismissed his small spell and picked up his pace to rejoin Michael¡¯s side, a small popping sound accompanying his movement away from the group. Tilly cast a side eye at the guards, who appeared not to have noticed anything, and found himself impressed by the Apprentice''s sneakiness. They had entered a huge underground hall, floored by a beautiful mosaic that was too large for Tilly to gain an understanding of what it depicted while walking on it. At the end of the hall was a giant staircase leading up to a set of double doors flanked by numerous smaller entrances. In the distance, Tilly saw a group being let into the double doors and faintly heard a crier announcing the group to whatever was on the other side. He had difficulty making it out over the clattering of their footfalls on the mosaic. Sir Accolon reached the base of the stairs and leapt up them two at a time, obviously ready to be done with his fetching duty, and the rest of them had to jog to keep up. As they topped the stairway, a servant in an ornate uniform moved forward from one of the side doors and stepped in close to speak with Sir Accolon. The Knight nodded along in annoyance at whatever he heard and as soon as the servant stepped away Sir Accolon turned and smiled at them, showing the full length of his fangs. ¡°And so, my duty is fulfilled. Stable boy, you and this hulking imposter are to be tried before the High Table for disobeying orders and dereliction of duty. As for your friends¡± - He said, turning his toothy smile on them- ¡°They will receive their chance to beg of the queen¡¯s mercy. But know this, she is much less patient with fools than she once was. So do not waste the Table''s time. Be quick about your business. You will be called in as soon as the current filth is shown out. Apparently, it is a day of vagrants and swindlers...¡± He finished, smile curling down into its typical sneer before turning and walking down the hallway to another much nicer side entrance and entering. At his apparent dismissal, the Guards backed away to the tops of the stars, keeping watch on the group, but labeling them as no threat. Hilbert moved to the benches flanking the large door and collapsed into one of them looking exhausted, leaving Sir Michael to remain stoically standing watch in front of the large doors. Tilly moved toward the slouching Apprentice to try and get as much information as possible about what they were going to face in the chamber, when another side door, opposite of the one Sir Acollon had moved through, opened. A lady in an ornate dress rushed out of it, closing the door behind her carefully to reduce any noise. Level 32 Lady in Waiting She wore a beautiful dress cinched tight around the bodice but flowing outward at the hips, and her hair was piled atop her head in a complex configuration of braids and ribbons. As soon as she turned from the door, her pale beautiful face took on a look of such exasperated disbelief that Tilly couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed by association, even though the look was entirely directed at Hilbert. ¡°How could you!?!¡± She sputtered at the Apprentice who opened his eyes wearily before registering the owner of the voice. As soon as he saw her, he sprang up, ramrod straight. ¡°Mallytza! My dearest! What news of the court?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®what news of the Court¡¯ me!¡±- she almost ranted, before looking around and schooling her voice.- ¡±After your display in front of the High Table, you were expressly forbidden from pursuing your plan. Not only did you ignore a command from the Queen, you pulled away one of those called to stand vigil!¡± She whisper-shouted, before turning to the statuesque Sir Michael who somehow managed to look chagrined without moving a muscle. ¡°And you! You know full well your standing at the table! Half think you should have never been admitted in the first place. With this, you will lose your seat for certain, if not worse! What have you to say for yourselves?¡± Hilbert stood, shooting a quick look at Sir Michael, before holding up pleading hands, ¡°Mallytza, my moon and stars. We did it! We have found a cure to the Blood Darkness.¡± He said, gesturing vaguely in Tilly¡¯s direction like he was some sort of commodity. ¡°It will be a simple matter to negotiate terms, and see all those who are laid low restored!¡± At his words, the Lady in Waiting turned to consider the outsiders for the first time. B2 Ch. 39 Court Crashers The Lady in Waiting considered the group for a moment, processing Hilbert¡¯s words. ¡°-Can you do it?¡± she asked cutting straight to the point. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I can clear up anything but the worst cases. If they are too far gone for me, then it is probably too late for them anyway.¡± Tilly answered solemnly. Kindle took the opportunity to fluff up her feathers while sitting on his pack, drawing the Lady¡¯s eyes for a brief moment. ''Nice'' he sent to her with the image of a thumbs up. ¡°Well,¡± she said, turning back to Hilbert and Sir Michael before lowering her voice even further, ¡°the shortage has gotten worse since you left, and with the new levies, we are coming perilously close to our emergency reserves.¡± She whispered, leaning closer to Hilbert so that Tilly was barely able to hear what she was saying. ¡°...I thought the entry tax was higher than I remembered,¡± Hilbert muttered. ¡°She has already raised those taxes twice, but with many of our trading partners turtling up against the rising threat and the residents hitting their Life Energy Limit we are at our lowest level in decades¡± ¡°I thought we carefully monitored the residential Life Energy Limit!¡± ¡°We do! But what other options do we have? The Weasel somehow heard about our predicament, and it is a sign of the times that the Queen has even given him an audience.¡± ¡°I wondered about the shoddy blood magic I saw coming in. She can¡¯t be considering it! The last time he..." Tilly had been so focused on listening to the whispered conversation that he had missed the entry of another group to the main hall. But as they approached the base of the large stairway, the clamor of their footfalls made the rest of the exchange impossible for him to hear. Tilly turned and saw another group of Guards escorting some of those Cycloptic Brawlers from the strange caravan. There were four of the One-Eyed Brawlers forming two pairs that bore a stave running through the handle of the large clay urn covered in angry red symbols. The Cycloptic Brawlers must have been a Strength-based class because they had no trouble carrying the urn, which looked like it could hold over four hundred gallons of liquid. They marched along with their Dhampire escort, not hesitating as they reached the stairs and started climbing. Once again, Tilly got a sickly feeling at the sight of the urn, and as the guards approached holding it, his gut churned. The lingering nausea from the blood loss and the heady feeling emanating from the vessel and the four Brawlers combined to make his vision swim for just a moment as they passed him, reaching the top of the stairs. To his left, the large double doors swung open and a rich velvety voice echoed from within, ¡°There they are now, Your Majesty. Once you see my product, you will understand that this opportunity is exactly what your Order needs in such trying times.¡± Then the door swung shut, and Tilly¡¯s vision refocused, Mallytza, Ichiro, and Hilbert were now whispering furiously behind him, but their words were lost in the background as he clutched his stomach. Amelia approached him, her eyes following the path of the urn with as much concern as he felt. ¡°I don¡¯t like the feeling of that magic. It¡¯s too close to the Naga¡¯s with a similar¡­ Taint.¡± She muttered, turning towards him and noticing his discomfort for the first time. Kindle chirped in agreement, watching the closing door with a sharp gleam in her eye. As the doors finished closing, Tilly straightened, pulling his arms away from his center, and coming fully back to himself, his mind finally parsing the different sensations that had rolled through his body. Some were new, but the sudden writhing he had felt reverberating up his side was not. An awful clarity washed over him, and he looked over at his companions in momentary shock. ¡°Those warriors are Corrupted¡­ And whatever they say is in that urn, it''s a lie. Something terrible is waiting inside." Amelia¡¯s eyes narrowed considerably, ¡°Are you sure, I felt something from my infection, but it is faint and it is not the first time I have felt such things over the last month...¡± She asked, her intensity trailing off as her internal struggle with Corruption came to mind. The wriggling twisting through Tilly¡¯s torso was beginning to subside, like the wringing of nervous hands. As he thought back to the other times he had felt this sensation, he was reminded of the first time he had confronted Titus. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure. We have to do something about this now¡­ before it''s too late!¡± He growled, the reality of the situation settling on him with its full force. He turned and rushed to the trio behind him and Amelia followed, mirroring his urgency. The three looked up at his approach. ¡°We have a serious problem. Whatever is in those Urns is Corrupted.¡± Tilly announced in a heavy whisper. Ichiro¡¯s eyes sharpened immediately and then glazed over as he looked through the door at the hall beyond with his sight ability. The Lady in Waiting didn¡¯t register the meaning of his words, but Hilbert¡¯s face fell at the announcement.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Corrupted... that is how you refer to the blood darkness, isn¡¯t it¡­ You mean to say that it''s some sort of trap?¡± He answered anxiously. ¡°Absolutely...¡± Tilly''s answer was cut off by a sudden breeze to his right, marking Sir Michael¡¯s arrival. ¡°-We need to get in there and stop whatever is about to happen.¡± He finished urgently. Hilbert''s face fell even further, if it could have gotten any paler, it would have. ¡°Gods above, I hope you are right¡­ wait, no I-¡± ¡°Hilbert, what is happening?¡± Mallytze demanded, ¡°Darling, whatever the Weasel just brought into the High Chamber will be disastrous for our Order if it is not contained.¡± At that, her confusion melted away to deadly focus, and Ichiro¡¯s distant gaze focused back on the group, ¡°A very large shift is coming. Threads are already fraying.¡± He added. ¡°Alright, alright!¡±- Hilbert waved in frustration- ¡°We need to get in, and I am afraid these guards will not allow that on a simple hunch¡­ I have a fairly illegal Mind magic spell I can use, but have to be completely outside of their attention to use it.¡± ¡°Distraction got it,¡± Tilly answered resolutely, by this time their huddle had been joined by Franklin and Gorock, the latter of whom was now smiling hungrily at the break in the boredom. ¡°I will return to the Queen''s side as quickly as possible, she must know,¡± Mallytze said, producing a pair of daggers from nowhere and laying them against the flat of her forearms as she glided back to the servant door with a sudden feline grace. ¡°I will stay here, the rest of you move over to the doors, and be ready to move as soon as the guards are down, the spell will only last for about ten breaths. ¡° Hilbert muttered, already forming arcane gestures with his hands. The group quickly moved to the space before the double doors, having already attracted the attention of the majority of the guards with their furious whispering. Tilly immediately began belligerently shouting, not wanting any of them to glance over at Hilbert, who had remained in the shadow of the closing servant''s door. ¡°Listen, you hose-wearing peacocks! I am tired of waiting, we have something very important to share with your Queen. I won''t be kept out here like some errand boy!¡± Tilly yelled, putting on his best impression of a drunk looking for trouble¡­ He didn¡¯t know why that was what came to him in the moment, but the guards ate it up, moving toward him with polearms at the ready. ¡°Sir, you will await the Queen''s pleasure!¡± One of the guards shouted back, as they approached from their positions around the top of the hall. As soon as the last guard passed Hilbert''s position, the Wizard¡¯s Assistant raised his hands. ¡°I honestly don''t give a shit-¡± Tilly said, dropping his pack, as Kindle took to the air above the group. - ¡°about your Queen¡¯s pleasure.¡± Then he drew his hatchets and painted a manic grin on his face at the cautious approach of the guards. At that insult, the group of Guards pulled back their lips in snarls showing fangs and giving voice to their outrage. Just before they could charge, Hilbert completed the spell, and a pink flash ripped through the hall. Tilly¡¯s vision cleared and he found the Guards frozen in a tight half-circle around him, having begun a charge, but now wearing a vague expression of confusion on their slack faces. ¡°Move! Ten Breaths!¡± Hilbert shouted, rushing toward the doors. The group had all drawn weapons, and Gorock and Sir Michael flung open the doors releasing the last sentence of the conversation that had been going on within. ¡°Inspect this sample for yourself Your Majesty, it will more than assuage your concerns.¡± The velvety voice promised. Time seemed to freeze as everyone within the large chamber looked up at the unexpected interruption when the main doors where flung open. In that momentary confusion, both groups sized each other up. The chamber was large and circular, the outer edge taken up by large stone columns, and a table that sat just in front of the pillars, wrapping around the whole space in a circular strip of elaborately carved wood. There must have been over a hundred seats around the table, but about four-fifths sat empty. Three seats directly across from the opening were more ornate than any of the others. The center and largest seat in the chamber was empty, as was the one to its right. But the one to its left held a hauntingly beautiful pale Vampire in a rich red dress. Her eyes were two ruby orbs that shifted their narrow suspicious gaze from the center of the chamber to the entrance. Level ??? Sanguine Sorceress Superior. The center of the chamber was opened and currently held the four Brawlers, who had dropped their burden, and a hooked-nosed man who must have been the owner of the velvety voice. He had just passed off a goblet of something to one of the two Knights standing guard before the Queen and at their interruption, his face had screwed up into a rictus of rage. Level 59 Black Market Trafficker. Tilly was shocked to see his third human in his time on Nephesh. ¡°You dare enter this Chamber unannounced!¡± The queen shouted, rising to her feet. ¡°Your Majesty, If you could give us a moment to explain!¡± Hilbert shouted, rushing in behind Tilly, with the sound of outraged guards coming to their senses echoing from outside. Tilly¡¯s eyes had become hyperfocused on the other Human in the room, whose face had immediately schooled to calm. He started walking toward the urn at the center of the room as if nothing was amiss. Tilly¡¯s gut twisted in on itself, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt he had to stop this man. ¡°Hilbert-¡± The Queen started before being interrupted by Tilly¡¯s shout ringing through the chamber, ¡°Stop him from reaching the urn!¡± As if his words broke the fragile glass of stillness in the room, everyone started moving at once. One of the two Knights protecting the Queen drew his weapon and rushed forward, passing the Trafficker and charging Tilly¡¯s group, the other remained motionless, looking down at the cup in his hands. The rest of the Knights surrounding the chamber exploded to their feet, but few had weapons in hand, and even fewer still were wearing their full plate. Tilly''s whole group charged forward toward the urn and the Brawlers, while the Trafficker dropped his pretense of calm and sprinted toward the center of the room. ¡°I demand to know the mean-¡± The Queen shouted, her voice carrying through the hall, before collapsing as the Knight in front of her, the one who had received the cup, groaned and dropped it, looking down at his arm in horror. It began to bulge and deform under his armor. ¡°What-¡± Her voice fell, just as Mallytza arrived at her side, weapons drawn. B2 Ch. 40 A Bloody Mess Too much was happening for Tilly to keep up with events as they unfolded around him in a flurry of chaos and conflict. He didn''t get a magical 360 slow-mo breakdown of the fight as it happened step by step. Instead, his whole attention zeroed in on the narrow band of obstacles and objectives that lay before him. Sir Michael exploded past the rest of the charging group to crash into the Brawlers while Ichiro and Gorock immediately peeled off to block the charging Knight opening the path for Tilly to slip in between. He pumped his legs in Sir Michael¡¯s wake while vaguely noting Hilbert, Amelia, and Franklin hanging back to start casting. Sir Michael¡¯s charge must have been a gap-close Ability because as hard as Tilly had taken off, he had been left in the dust. The Knight was almost instantaneously bashing his mace through the group of Brawlers like an Italian grandma attacking a lump of dough. The Knight successfully locked down all four guards with his impact and follow-up strikes. Tilly took full advantage of his initiative to leap over the conflict leaning into his now superhuman Dexterity. Sensing his intent, Kindle soared in behind him, matching velocity, and grabbed his back in the air, lending him a slight increase in lift to clear the dueling fighters. Mid-flight, Tilly finally regained a line of sight on the Black Market Trafficker... Who had already reached the Urn and was ripping off its lid with an expression of manic glee pulling tight at the skin of his face. The lid came fully away, the markings around its surface flashed red, and died, ending their containment of the thing within. As soon as its prison was open, Corruption exploded out from the opening, a writhing mass of tentacles and teeth. This was especially unfortunate for Tilly, whose aerial momentum took him directly toward the center mass of the creature exploding out from the vessel. A split second before he hit, Identify pinged, notifying him that it was not one large monster, but hundreds of smaller things, densely packed together in a stream of terror and hatred. Level 12 Corrupted Splitter Collective In a split second, Tilly activated Flame''s Wrath with a yell of anticipated trauma tearing itself free from his throat. His burning form crashed into the pillar of black writhing tentacles with a sizzling meaty thunk. The impact disrupted the Splitter Collective''s momentum as it attempted to branch out into dozens of attacking appendages. Kindle screeched from above, sending out a torrent of blue flames to follow up on the impact multiplying the effect of Tilly''s unwilling surprise attack. The mouths near the impact site screamed as one, and their center mass exploded in a burst of fiery kinetic energy. Despite the caustic nature of his presence to the creature, the unmelted mouths now surrounding him furiously tried to latch onto his body, in some places succeeding before being burned away by the ongoing damage output of Flame¡¯s Wrath. He waved his axes around wildly, cutting away huge swathes of the collective before falling through the creature to the other side of the urn and landing like a puddle of vomit at the feet of Black Market Trafficker. The Splitter was utterly devastated by his attack, but it proved true to its name and divided what remained of its mass into hundreds of tentacled starfish with mouths. The little creatures scattered everywhere rushing the surrounding Knights who were only just now charging into the fray, shocked at the turn of events. Tilly looked up as manic laughter sounded above him, the greasy-haired human gloating in the chaos. A pillar of Corruption had grown up behind him completely consuming one of the two guardian Knights. It lashed constantly at the shocked Queen, who had summoned a ruby shield just in time. Mallytza was by her side, whirling her daggers in complicated patterns and removing any offending appendages that came close to sipping past the Queen''s defense. ¡°Do you see, brother? Why fight it? A new world order is coming to this Plane, and we are destined to be its rulers.¡± He cackled, his voice ringing with that same velvety invitation he had used earlier. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to have to stick with a no on this one!¡± Tilly growled, leaping to his feet, and lashing out at the guy with two enflamed strikes. Unfortunately, the wild look in the man¡¯s eyes did nothing to slow his reflexes. Before Tilly¡¯s strikes could land, the man reached up to a pendant at his neck, activating an opaque faceted shield emblem, inset with a glowing gray gem. A spherical shield sprung up to protect the man, rendering him impervious to Tilly¡¯s attacks which struck against the glass-like surface with dull thuds. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, even she couldn¡¯t get through this easily¡± he smiled, wild glee glowing on his face as he gestured over his shoulder nonchalantly. Behind him, the Queen finished a series of arcane gestures and shouted, ¡°Enough!¡± before loosing a surge of what could only be blood magic. The ruby streams of Mana formed into a series of whirling blades, blurring through the creature in front of her and decimating it before continuing on to crash against the Black Market Trafficker¡¯s shield. He didn''t even flinch as the blade''s impact thundered against the barrier. Instead, he leaned forward, a smirk secure on his face as he whispered conspiratorially over the din of battle. ¡°See what I mean? Maybe her master could have been a threat, but he bailed on them as soon as he could.¡± The man didn''t seem interested in actually fighting, so Tilly rearranged priorities and left him to gloat as he turned and focused on the small eldrich starfish flinging themselves at the surrounding Knights. In a quick pivot, he shot back toward the thickest remaining group of creatures, choosing to ignore the human as a secondary threat. ¡°Why resist what is coming? Embrace it!¡± The Black Marketeer called after Tilly in a sing-song voice. ¡°Absolute Blood Barrier.¡± Echoed the shout of the Queen¡¯s next spell. A ruby barrier rose between the pillars closing in the room, sealing the chaos within. ¡°Knights, remove this threat from our Halls! When we are done, I will render the flesh from your bones, Weasel!¡± She called as Tilly released inflamed strike after inflamed strike, dropping Flame''s Wrath as his Mana hit its bottom third. ¡°How many times have I told you idiots? My name is Wesley!¡± he shouted back, all of the laughter gone from his voice as it cracked into broken pieces. Around the room, the Knights of the Round Table showed their skill at arms easily dispatching multiple Splitters with every sweep of their weapons¡­. But none of the creatures seemed to care, dying en mass for the chance to momentarily latch on to any exposed extremity. And unfortunately except for a few knights, none of the combatants were wearing their customary armor.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Tilly couldn¡¯t help but note how perfect the plan of attack was. No one who trained in a style of fighting that accounted for full plate would concern themselves with small wounds, that was the advantage of being fully armored¡­ but that very mentality showed its drawbacks here when even the smallest wound had a chance to pass on Corruption. All of the unarmored Knights were taking wounds as the creatures were quickly cut down, and Tilly could already see signs of infection spreading from obvious wounds. Arcane words rang out once again in the hall as the queen finished casting another longer spell and the barrier exploded inward in a forest of spikes, most finding one of the remaining Splitters and spearing it through the center. While the majority of the spikes concentrated on the smaller creatures, the full central portion of the attack concentrated on the Weasel¡¯s barrier, completely obscuring it from view, crashing against the gemlike barrier with a boon-shaking impact. The Queen released a breath and the razor-sharp blood lances melted away, having dispatched the vast majority of the remaining Splitters. Unfortunately, the main target of the attack remained unharmed behind his barrier, leering at his surroundings. The room became very still as the last of the Splitters were dispatched and everyone''s collective attention turned toward the man behind the seemingly impregnable barrier. Through the stillness, the Queen''s voice rasped in fury, ¡°Mallytza, I locked down all the doors. Find and destroy any of those disgusting creatures that may have gotten out before I raised the barrier. Knights, prepare your strongest Abilities. It is time the cur is punished.¡± The queen ordered, her pale face livid. The Weasel turned slowly to face her, his visage one of mild curiosity. His smooth velvety voice once again echoing through the chamber. ¡°I must say, it was painfully easy to topple what was left of your Order. When they offered me the job, I was excited, to say the least... but I am sorry to say, this has turned out to be rather disappointing.¡± The Queen''s full, red lips pulled back in a hiss of fury, raising her hands once more, as a dark red light began to build in her palms. The Knights, despite sporting numerous infected wounds, lifted their weapons and readied Abilities, prepared to shatter whatever magic protected the confident saboteur. ¡°Looks like my time is up¡­¡± -the hook-nosed man said, turning back to Tilly - ¡°See you later friend.¡± he winked, before snapping something hidden in his hand, and beginning to glow. ¡°Destroy HIM¡± The Queen screeched, launching one of many salvos of Mana-enhanced strikes and Abilities. The storm of power collided against the shield and shattered it, just as the figure within faded away like dew on a bright morning. ¡°GAAAHH¡± The Queen¡¯s shriek of frustration tore through the room at the disappearance of their attacker. Then she collapsed into a boneless slouch on her ornate chair, as if the scream had held the last of her bodily energy. Her eyes however flicked around the room, processing the implications of such an attack, and running through the possible outcomes. After a moment of thought, she whispered into her hand and flung it out, releasing a cardinal-looking bird made of blood that streaked by Kindle in the air, and moved through the large doors as if they didn''t exist. Then she issued orders to the rest of the room, ¡°Knights on Vigil, find the rest of the Weasel¡¯s caravan and reinforce the gate! Send a report back to me at once. The rest of you stay here. It seems this day''s horrendous beginning will worsen before long.¡± She said darkly, releasing another arcane gesture and flinging the large doors open. All around the room, blades were sheathed, and about a fifth of the Knights and Guards hurriedly left the circular hall. Tilly noted that the dismissed Knights were all the ones he had seen wearing armor, including the Guardian that had initially charged them. The group also included Sir Accolon who refused to meet their eyes, sneering on his way out. The rest of the Knights in the room turned to the second set of intruders. Many sported wounds that they believed were unhealable, yet they remained alert, ready to respond to whatever the Queen needed, warry eyes on this group of newcomers. Mallytza materialized near the open door and nodded to the queen confirming that the room and its surroundings were clear and the Queen let out a long slow breath, ¡°...Tell me human, how did you know?¡± She whispered, her quiet voice echoing through the chamber, its haggard tone complimenting the dark circles now shadowing her blood-shot eyes. Tilly turned to face her fully, and thought carefully about his answer, recognizing the terrible blow her Faction had just received, ¡°Your Majesty¡­" He opened slowly, looking for the easiest way to explain who he was and what he could offer, ¡°I am a Divine Champion, and my deity has set itself against this new threat. What you call blood sickness, we call Corruption. The Strigoi Hordes on your border are using it as a new source of power, but really, it is only a set of chains.¡± Then, instinctually feeling it would lend the most immediate credibility to his words, he lifted his jacket to reveal his scared side, with thick pulsating veins of Corruption reaching out into the rest of his body. The surrounding Knights once again reached for weapons at the sight of the ghastly scarred wound, as Tilly continued, ¡°Our Faction, the Three-Fold Alliance, is beset now by a Horde army, not because we are an easy target, but because we hold a power to cure all but the most terrible forms of this sickness, and we are searching out a solution to even that. Our Patron had vested in me power to remove this Corruption from any others that are still strong enough to resist. I cannot yet be free myself, but as long as I catch it early enough, I can remove it from others.¡± He finished, dropping his jacket back over his torso. ¡°You must forgive me if I am slow to trust such an offer after my recent¡­ interaction with your kind. Can you demonstrate this Divine Ability of yours.?¡± She asked slowly, her perfectly manicured hand cradling her chin, as she resettled on her chair, displaying an impassive attitude. Tilly nodded, peeking at his Mana, which had ticked back above 32%. He turned a slow circle and found Gorock, who had unsurprisingly gotten covered in wounds in the recent conflict, his style of fighting similarly disadvantaged against an enemy like the Splitters. At Tilly¡¯s look, Gorock came forward without hesitating, bare arms covered with infected bite marks. He looked around the room as he approached with his teeth bared in an expression Tilly was still unable to decipher. ¡°My class Ability is activated through my breath. It multiplies a target''s Endurance and makes them able to fight off any poison or infection. This is bolstered by the Champion''s Mantle I carry, which makes the effect several times more powerful against this specific kind of invader.¡± Tilly explained before churning the flame at his center and exhaling it over Gorock''s frame. This time the Wall Breaker didn''t flinch as his skin grew flushed, and noxious steam rose from the myriad wounds. In seconds all of the black infected areas were clear, and a cloud of dark smoke was gathering on the ceiling. Before Tilly even had time to say something, Kindle was there, bursting through the cloud with a body wreathed in blue flames, and dispersing it immediately. The Queen watched the process with a glint in her eyes as the Corruption was flushed from Gorock''s body. Kindle¡¯s display at the end was icing on the cake, and the Queen didn''t stop the smile from curling her mouth as the cloud hissed into non-existence, her two fangs pressing against her full bottom lip in a striking mix of hunger and beauty. B2 Ch. 41 The Queen鈥檚 Gambit The Queen opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the scarlet bird Ability she had released earlier streaking back into the room and fluttering around her excitedly. It passed on a silent message and then melted away. The queen¡¯s smile died on her lips, and she turned her eyes to the assembly, fury reigniting on her pale features. ¡°It is as I feared, this vessel was not the only one containing one of those¡­ things. The Brawlers in the Weasel¡¯s caravan were forewarned and managed to open two more of the urns before we could lock them down. There were no casualties, but many more are reporting this sickness.¡± After a moment''s thought, her eyes narrowed in on Tilly and she continued, ¡°They are now saying that the System notification is flagging it as Corruption. It has been tagged as ¡®Blood Sickness¡¯ for the last few weeks in our notifications, but with your arrival, it has changed¡­ Just how connected to this substance are you?¡± Tilly considered her question, looking for an answer that didn¡¯t involve sharing everything but still gave the gist of his credibility. This, of course, was made more difficult by the fact that even he hardly understood the forces at work in this conflict. Something big was happening all over Nephesh, and it seemed to reach through every echelon of power. ¡°I believe I have been set up as an opposition to this entity. My system calls it Corruption and we have confirmation that it is appearing all over the Plane. I don¡¯t know if it has a sentient center of control or if it is just the result of magical entropy. What I do know is that I have been granted a power-set that seems to be uniquely suited to mitigate its spread. However, I am far from equipped to stop it alone. Honestly, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll be able to clear it from my own body before it kills me. ¡± He declared heavily, the implication of his words dropping on the surrounding audience like stone weights. ¡°Look,¡± He continued gathering his resolve, ¡°I still barely understand this world, but I know evil when I see it. I might not live through what¡¯s coming, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that evil is at our door. If we let it, it will take everything from us. As you just experienced, no one is safe. Corruption and whatever is behind it, is making a play for the whole Plane. Its nature is voracious, and It will not stop until it has consumed everything. I, personally... would rather die than watch that happen.¡± Tilly finished with a growl, some of the heat from his chest suffusing his whole body as he leaned into his conviction. As he looked around, he realized his words had been building throughout the chamber, echoing some unseen spirit of nobility that had once filled this room. The Queen watched Tilly as the ingrained magic of the chamber responded to him, and washed through her Order¡¯s greatest Knights. Her eyes flicked back and forth in cold calculation before resting on the most senior of her Knights. He moved forward at the unspoken command and they exchanged a whispered conversation before he stepped back and to the side. Having made her decision she sat up straight, exuding an effortless air of royalty as she pulled the attention in the room back to herself. ¡°Very well, I will need to know how often you can use this Ability and how costly it is to you. We will set up a rotation and move through all of those infected in the city, supplying you with potions and Buffs. You will, of course, be reimbursed for your time and I will personally offer you and your companions a sincere gesture of our gratitude for your services.¡± She decreed, motioning for another Knight to come forward and report to her as if the matter had been decided. ¡°Ugh, Ma¡¯am-¡± Tilly began, but Ichiro stepped in before he could continue. ¡°Your Majesty, we are here as ambassadors of a neighboring Faction, and our interests are much greater than personal wealth. I am afraid our position necessitates that we leave in the next few hours. Your Order is not our final destination. We came here in the hopes of brokering a temporary Alliance of arms.¡± He declared in a calm voice that did not have to fight to echo through the pillars of the room. The Queen froze at those words, turning back to the group slowly, her lips thinning to a line at the apparent refusal. ¡°I do appreciate your position and your timely intervention. But I am afraid I am similarly limited by my obligation to my people. Unless you can cast this Ability en masse, I must insist that you stay until we have cleared my population of this taint.¡± She responded, mustering a reasonable tone that barely concealed the granite behind her words. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I am more than willing to help as many of your people as possible. But our city is under attack as we speak, we need much more than money and gifts. We need an Alliance.¡± Tilly cut back in, not at all liking where this was going. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Hilbert cut in adding desperately, ¡°They claim there are others in their Faction who can cleanse this taint. I brought them here in the hopes that you would be willing to discuss a concerted effort to break one of the Horde armies that has formed near our borders. Surely you can see now, that we are their next target! Such an alliance would strengthen both of our positions.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. At Hilbert''s interjection, all reasonableness drained away from the Queen¡¯s features, leaving only a mask of apathetic resolve. ¡°It no longer surprises me just how far outside of your station you are willing to step stable boy... I do not care that you think you are right, or that you have found a small solution to our current problems. You have defied my authority for the last time.¡± She declared icily, ¡°I will deal with you, and Sir Michael when this is through.¡± She snapped at the Wizard¡¯s Apprentice before turning back to Tilly and Ichiro, ¡°Now, I am willing to speak of a martial alliance, but not until after you make good on your promise and cleanse my people. Until then, we have nothing more to speak of.¡± ¡°No,¡± Tilly said softly. To his right and left, Ichiro and Gorock¡¯s hands fell back to their weapons. ¡°Ha! What happened to all of your grand words from a moment ago, Human? As soon as things don¡¯t go your way, you sulk? Now do as you said you would and cleanse those who are infected with this ¡®Evil¡¯ you claim to stand against.¡± She hissed, ruby light beginning to flicker in her eyes. ¡°I will do exactly that, but not before we come to an understanding. I am not one of your subjects. I owe you nothing, but still, our offer stands.¡± Tilly answered right back, his tone just as frosty. ¡°Well, we have ways of accommodating such a decision¡­¡± She suddenly quipped, allowing her lips to curl up in a predatory smile, and leaning back into her chair. She magnanimously gestured with her right hand and the surrounding Knights reluctantly drew their weapons. ¡°Actually, Your Majesty,¡± Amelia declared in an easy tone, coming up from behind Tilly and drawing the attention of the room. ¡°I may have a solution that meets all of our needs quite nicely.¡± She said, reaching back to her cloak and coaxing some of the inert Blood Weed there to shift into her hand. ¡°I assume you are all familiar with this plant?¡± She asked, holding it before her and beginning to channel her Mana. The Queen leaned forward in her chair, her curiosity piqued, ¡°Yes, it is the vile weed that grows into the wounds of our soldiers if we let it. Like so much in the Strigoi Lands, it sustains itself with blood alone. Why do you ask?¡± Amelia watched it for a second and smiled as her magic finished imparting a verdant glow to the otherwise dead-looking grass-like stalks. ¡°Mr. Tillman here is not the only one who is fighting an advanced infection of Corruption.¡± She stated, taking a moment to look Tilly in the eyes before turning back to the Queen. The look had been filled with meaning that he would have to ask her about later¡­ but in the current circumstance, it might as well have been inscrutable. Nonetheless, Tilly was glad for any idea that didn''t involve them fighting against a group of higher leveled Knights, or worse, being held prisoner as he was squeezed for every last drop of magic he had. Amelia stepped into the center of the room and raised her voice easily to present her idea to the room, ¡°My Class revolves around plants, and I am able to imbue them with my mana imparting specific commands that will last as long as my magic does. My own infection has been contained but not eliminated by the same force that empowers Mr. Tillman¡¯s Abilities, and this gives my magic a unique resonance with both the Fire that he carries and the Corruption that poisons so many of your wounds.¡± She explained looking back down at her newly imbued plant, excitement showing on her features, as she followed up with a a question. ¡°Your Majesty, am I correct in assuming your command of blood would allow you to hold a certain buff applied to it in stasis?¡± ¡°Theoretically, yes. I would have to build a ritual that would be able to act as a target for his Ability. But if the magic takes hold, I should be able to lock it into the blood for an extended period.¡± The look of reserved interest on her face bloomed into something altogether different as Amelia dove into her explanation. Now, she was leaning forward, something like eager fascination on her face enliving her cold features. It was then that he realized she was a leader facing the possible loss of the majority of her power base. The harsh reality of her context was coloring her actions to a strong degree. As that thought fell into place, he saw her unyielding focus on the immediate restoration of her people in a new light. In her mind, she could not risk anything less... But now, speaking on a subject that she was passionate about, some of that cold mask fell away. If there was another solution for her people, especially one not centered around the whims of another Faction, she would take it eagerly. ¡°We would need blood¡­¡± The queen continued musing, before turning to Tilly, all of the earlier conflict absent from her features as she worked through the magical problem. ¡°It is my understanding you paid the blood tax, yes?¡± ¡°That is correct Ma¡¯a- I¡¯m mean, your Majesty,¡± Tilly said, not sure he understood exactly what these two were suggesting, but happy with the direction things were going. ¡°That will do nicely. Your blood will be what I use to bind up the rest of the volume into a metaphysical projection of an entity. That gives us our best chance at capturing your Ability and imprinting its nature into the whole.¡± She muttered to herself, her eyes distant as she worked through the problem. Then, having reasoned what was needed to make the spell work she called to the guards, ¡°Guards, I need the gate vessel here immediately.¡± Then less enthusiastically, ¡°Hilbert, come forward and assist me, I am confident in my ability to impart the meaning I desire into the spell form, but I want you to look it over¡­ you remain his best student when it comes to theory.¡± Her subjects rushed to obey the command, and Hilbert jogged forward, sneaking a small smile and wink at Mallytza as the Queen turned to Amelia, ¡°What conditions will your weed need to propagate?¡± She asked, rolling up the sleeves of her dress. B2 Ch. 42 Smoking Grass An hour later, Tilly had cleansed all of the Knights in the chamber with the assistance of two mana potions. During this time, Amelia and the Queen had built a large circular spell around the magical Vessel that had been carted up from the gate. Its top had been removed revealing a two-foot opening that exposed the large volume of blood within. Some of the containment and transfer runes were canceled so as not to interfere with the spell and then the Queen drew a Triquetra around the enchanted container. She of course used the blood from the vessel itself to mark the floors in the large open space in the center of the chamber of the High Table. After marking out the shape with her finger dipped in blood, she reluctantly called Hilbert over to consult on several points. They talked through the concept of the spell and marked the edge of the shape with a string of runes, also drawn in blood from the vessel. After all that was done, Amelia called Tilly back from the last of the cleansed Knights. Despite his fears, none of their infections had progressed very far before he had a chance to cleanse them, and Tilly realized that the armored class of Knight must emphasize Endurance heavily as one of its primary stats. While it wasn¡¯t enough to stop or remove the infection, most of them had shown strong resistance to its spread. Regardless he was glad he had been present to stop the spread of Corruption¡¯s influence through a Faction that could hopefully become integral allies in the coming fight. ¡°Do you have enough Mana to cast your strongest version of Flame¡¯s Renewal?¡± Amelia asked as he approached the outer edge of the spell, where she had been taking notes, and preparing several Blood Weed shoots. ¡°I¡¯m just above what I need to put out a maximum strength version of the Ability.¡± He confirmed. At his words, the Queen waved him over to the third point of the ritual shape and had him stand at its apex while she and Hilbert marked out a few final touches on the spell. As they finished, there was a subtle snap that clicked through the metaphysical space within the spell, linking Tilly to the vessel in a way he did not understand but absolutely felt, like a heavy rope had been tied to his chest, and was subtly tugging him toward the vessel at the ritual''s center. ¡°With that, we should be ready.,¡± Amelia called over, her eyes scanning over the runes, vessel, and the Blood Weed, rechecking everything. ¡°Tilly, once the Queen says so, I want you to move to the vessel and cast your Ability at the surface of the blood. The Queen¡¯s spell has been built with two functions. It should cause your Ability to affect the entire volume of blood, just like it would a normal target¡¯s body. Then once your Buff has settled in, she will enact the second portion of the spell, putting the blood in stasis. I believe this is what they have done to the more severely infected Knights to keep them from turning.¡± ¡°Oh, and Tilly-¡± She said, finding his eyes to emphasize her next point, ¡°get out of the spell area before she casts the stasis portion please.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He said, feeling like the toddler invited to place the final block on top of a large tower. After his acknowledgment, she looked back over the entire ritual one more time, explaining the rest to Tilly, ¡°I have locked several simple commands into our test specimens. They should absorb your purifying ability in its stasis form as they feed off the blood. Then, once they are removed from the blood¡¯s surface they will revert to their inert state. I theorize that they will be able to last days, if not weeks in this state before my mana fades and they lose their effectiveness. However, I am not sure how long your Abiity in stasis will remain intact within their simple mana path-¡± ¡°Wait, how will we use them once they absorb the blood?¡± Tilly asked, more to get her back on track than anything else. The Queen looked on curiously now that she was finished building up her part in the plan. ¡°Oh! Yes, I believe they will behave just as they do in the wild when introduced to a wound. I have keyed their hunger reflex onto Corruption¡¯s resonance. They should seek out only infected blood, and release the effect of your Ability once they have taken it in. I believe their rapid growth cycle brought on by the introduction of blood will allow a chain reaction that will keep new growth happening even as the old growth is destroyed by the reaction of the two opposing forces.¡± She answered before turning toward him with a forced bright smile, ¡°Only one way to truly find out... Are we ready?¡± She asked turning to the Queen. The monarch nodded, looking altogether relaxed, the sleeves of her dress pulled back and her fingertips stained a rusty red, ¡°For what it is worth Mr. Tillman, I do believe this will work. I have never used alchemy in such a¡­ lively way, but the theories are sound and from my experience with magic, strong Intent can make even the strangest things possible.¡± She said, lifting her hands to a ready casting position and nodding for him to proceed. ¡°Ok, here goes nothing¡­¡± He said as much to himself as anyone else. He stepped over the edge of the spell, feeling a strange sense of vertigo as if he were stepping into a familiar room. The sensation was not too different from what accompanied his Spirit Walk Skill and he did his best to ignore it as he carefully moved over the lines of the spell without disturbing any of the markings. After several well-placed steps, he was at the lip of the Vessel and looked down into the still, dark mirror that the surface of the opaque liquid created. He saw a wavy face looking back at him, his dark brows pulled down in focus as he began to churn the fire at his center, activating the pattern for Flame¡¯s Renewal. He took a deep breath and then exhaled, releasing shimmering heat waves through the air, and rippling the surface of the blood. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The spell form all around him began to glow with a ruby light, and he quickly stepped back through the path he had charted for himself on the way in. The blood began to steam and then boil. Just as Tilly exited the spell form, the Queen called out in a loud voice, ¡°Sanguine Histasthai Nocturnum!¡± The Spell laid out on the floor flashed once in a burst of power, then went completely dark. Tilly turned to look at the vessel and saw that steam was no longer rising from the top, all the activity that his Ability had caused stopping immediately. ¡°Hilbert, what Status effects are you reading?¡± The Queen called across the ritual to the Wizard¡¯s Apprentice. He had a spell that formed a circle in front of his eyes acting as a lens through which he watched the vessel intently. ¡°I see Flame¡¯s Renewal reading out on the Vessel, and interestingly, it says the target effect is stacking with something that looks like a Partial [Title]?¡± He asked, shooting a quick questioning glance in Tilly¡¯s direction. ¡°I have one that makes me more resistant to poison and infection. Probably the only reason I am still me and not a monster at this point.¡± Tilly happily chimed in, attempting to ease the tension of the moment as the whole room waited to see if the spell worked. ¡°And¡­ is it holding?¡± the Queen followed up. Hilbert turned back to the Vessel and watched it for several more seconds before answering, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I show no change in status. Tillman, your Ability¡¯s effect is usually instantaneous yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so. It activates and then supplements the target''s Endurance increasing their ability to resist anything the system catagorizes as an invader.¡± ¡°Well then, with no presence of poison or Corruption, I am happy to report that its continued effect means that the stasis has successfully held.¡± Hilbert declared, looking up and smiling. The Queen schooled her focused expression back to something reserved, but Tilly could almost feel the satisfaction rolling off her, ¡°Ms. Cooper, I believe it is stable, you may introduce the specimen.¡± she advised. Amelia moved forward taking care to not disturb any part of the spell and gently laid the Blood Weed on the still surface of the open container. As soon as the roots touched the surface, the plant started to shudder. New growth burst out in every direction and it drank greedily from the surface. This wild growth continued until the plant was spilling over the lip of the Vessel before stopping immediately, most likely due to Amelia¡¯s influence. When it shifted into its active feeding mode, its color deepened to a rich red, as Tilly had seen before. But as it continued to spread, some of the original growth continued to change color, taking on a bluish hue before reverting to its inert state of rusty brown. ¡°Any change in the stasis?¡± the Queen asked Hilbert. ¡°None your majesty,¡± He answered happily. ¡°Villers, come forward.¡± She called to the surrounding crowd which had grown precipitously. Through the audience stepped the same Official that had taken Tilly''s blood tax at the front gate. ¡°Ms. Amelia, Villers has agreed to be the first test of your solution. You may proceed.¡± She added as the Official moved forward, looking much worse than he had a few hours ago. His clothes were torn in several places and Tilly could see a collection of wounds festering on his arms and chest from the second part of the Weasel¡¯s plan. Despite this, He presented himself calmly near the edge of the spell. Amelia carefully detached a piece of the Weed from the carpet of flora that now covered the top of the open Vessel. The hole made by its absence was quickly filled in by the surrounding plant, but as soon as it reached the lip of the container, it once again stopped expanding, held in check by Amelia''s magic. The Botanist Surveyor, moved carefully out of the spell''s effect and up to Villers, who regarded her stoically, manfully ignoring the black streaks of Corruption reaching out from each of his wounds and attempting to dig deeper into his body. ¡°Thank you for volunteering sir.¡± She addressed him checking over the plant with her magical senses before lifting it in front of him. ¡°This should only consume the Corrupted blood in your system, as it does, that blood should clash with the imbued Ability within the plant and destroy itself¡­ But I am not sure what this reaction will look like. I am however prepared to pull it back at a moment''s notice if you so desire. Simply say the word and I can stop its growth, are you ready?¡± The Official, who had seemed bookish in their first interaction, showed a stern calm as he offered her a stoic nod in answer. He kept his face composed to a heroic degree as Amelia lifted the Blood Weed to his chest and placed the red-tinted roots against his largest wounds. The Queen snapped her fingers nearby and all of his scabbed-over wounds began to bleed freely, sending the Blood Weed into a frenzy. The roots reached out to the source of new energy burrowing deeply, while the blades multiplied, sending new shoots in the direction of the other sources of free-flowing blood. Any place that wasn''t actively bleeding was ignored as the plant covered all of the Vampire¡¯s infected wounds in an eager explosion of manic growth. In reaction to what must have been a horrendous experience, the official bared both fangs fully, allowing himself a long hiss at the pain. After about thirty seconds, the original part of the plant that Amelia had initially attached to his chest began to blacken and wither as the veins of Corruption''s infection shuddered and shrunk. Tilly watched in fascination as the growth charred before his eyes, eventually falling off the Vampire, leaving a pale, uninfected wound behind. The shallow cuts began to heal immediately, and the intense expression on his face eased. ¡°Oh!¡± Amelia said in surprise. When Tilly looked over to smile at her success, he found her eyes looking into the middle distance, reading over some notification. Then his Identify pinged and her level changed. Level 40 Botanist Surveyor After allowing herself a happy smile, she announced. ¡°The System has recognized this new use of the Weed as a discovery of significant proportions on the Plane, and hints that there is more to discover beyond this possible interaction.¡± She read sharing the prompt with the room. B2 Ch. 43 Quid Pro Quo At Amelia''s announcement, the Queen scoffed, effecting a pained expression, ¡°Of course¡­ A Crafting/Martial hybrid class. I should have guessed from the name. I have always been a little jealous of your kind¡¯s ability to gain Experience from advancing your craft as well as combat-¡° The Queen said, her lips quirking in satisfaction at the success of their experiment,- ¡°Villars, did you bring the Extractor?¡± She asked turning back to the subject, her smile growing in eagerness. The Official looked up in distracted amazement as the Blood Weed withered and died over the rest of his wounds. It took him a moment, but then he registered her words and answered, ¡°Yes, my Queen,¡± reaching into the folds of his torn petticoat and pulling out the same device that had been used on them to take the blood tax. He stepped forward smartly and presented it to her, and she took it in hand eagerly. Turning to the Vessel, she activated the portion of the enchantment that bonded the two devices and called absently, ¡° Bring me a few of the most infected Guards.¡± The rest of the room watched curiously as she approached the vessel and tapped the devices to its side, causing a ripple in the enchantment. ¡°Hilbert, how is the stasis holding?¡± ¡°Unchanged my Queen.¡± He answered his tone rising in an unstated question. ¡°Your majesty¡­ If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what are you doing?¡± Amelia chimed in, watching as the Sorceress fiddled with a dial on the side of the Extractor. Several Dhampire Guards shuffled forward, all looking much worse off than the Official. Their torsos had been protected enough, but many had infected cuts and bites all over their arms and faces. It looked as if an army of feral rats had assaulted them, which actually would have been preferable to reality. ¡°My dear,¡± The Queen answered Amelia with a doting tone, ¡° your method of transference with the Blood Weed is admirable and useful as it is its own transfer vector and storage all wrapped up in one solution. But we are Vampires, and as soon as you thought of this idea, another more direct method occurred to me.¡± She said, looking up from the device in her hands as its runes lit up in a pattern reminiscent of a cup being filled with water. She then turned toward the injured Guards, and the senior most man came forward silently as she continued to explain, ¡°You see, each Dhampire in our forces has a daily ration when on active duty, and that ration is doubled upon injury¡­ This Vessel was marked to cover the guard''s ration for a few days. Now, Mr. Tillman, you have given me a way to pay out that ration and rid them of their taint at the same time.¡± Seeming to understand her idea, the Guard presented the inside of his forearm to the Queen. She laid the tip of the device against the Dhampire''s skin, and instead of the runes filling up with light, the glowing Extractor pushed out its substance into the Guard¡¯s body. He involuntarily shivered, heat moving through his blood system as his wounds started to sizzle and steam. The injected blood cycled through his whole body, reacting with all of the guard''s wounds and releasing that same noxious cloud. Immediately the Corruption started to attempt and escape up into the ceiling, but the Queen gestured lazily at the gathering cloud of roiling black smoke and blood manifested all around it in an opaque ball. Then with a clench of her fist, the sphere collapsed with a pop soon after. ¡°There should be enough in this vessel to issue out hundreds of these Ability imbued rations, and grow enough supply of imbued blood weed that we can travel with some form of immediate treatment for our people¡­¡± She said, turning towards Amelia and Tilly, her regal bearing slowly falling back into place now that a solution had fully presented itself to her Faction''s problem. ¡°Now if you don''t mind, those that I have kept in stasis are in our sacred chamber. I would prefer it if you saw to them yourself, while I discuss the details of our future military arrangement with your companion.¡± She said, gesturing over to Ichiro, a smile gracing her now serene features. ¡°You will break the siege on our Faction?¡± Tilly asked excitedly, wanting to be sure he understood what she was hinting at. ¡°Contrary to what the young Apprentice here has claimed,¡± She said, raising her voice drolly as Hilbert winced, ¡°I have not been holding back my forces out of fear, or ignorance. Our Faction, and our arrangement with peoples further into the land of the living, exist to curb the threat of the Horde. We could never sit idly by and wait for them to ravage our lands and our people. But without a counter to this poison, my hands were tied. I would have been throwing away all of my forces in one attack, which would have been foolish by any measure.¡± Hilbert face screwed up in even greater discomfort over her shoulder, as she revealed the rationale behind her actions. She seemed to sense his discomfort playing out behind her and her smile shifted from serene to predatory in a blink. ¡°Give us a day to marshall our forces and march. Your Faction''s emissary and I will work through the initial details, while you fulfill the last of your promise. I am eager to see what future opportunities such an alliance can afford both our Factions. But beware, what has shown up on your borders is far from the Horde''s main strength and I am afraid the coming conflict will be decided over much more than a single battle.¡± She stated, the weight of her words settling on every soldier in attendance. Shoulders subtly shifted back, and brows lowered in understanding. Tilly realized she was speaking to them as much as to him.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°In the meantime,¡± She continued, her tone lightening a fraction, ¡°go revive the rest of my Knights. Some of my best have been laid low by this sickness, and it would do our hearts well to have their number with us again. Villars, give Hilbert the tier two Extractor and set it to dispense a full ration allotment.¡± She called, and the Official stepped forward, handing Hilbert the silvery enchanted Extractor that had caused Tilly such a headache earlier in the day. ¡°Now¡­Hilbert. You will take my errant Vigil Knight and our new ally to the Chamber of Repose. Your judgment has been postponed, but I do not wish to see your face again without a company of restored Knights at your back.¡± She dismissed, turning back toward the line of injured Guards. ¡°Yes, My Queen,¡± he said, smiling in relief and taking the object from the Official. Then as if his reprieve was time-sensitive, he waved urgently over to Tilly, gesturing to a cleverly hidden gap in the round table at the rear corner of the Hall. ¡®I will fly over the gate. There is a chance they missed some of these creatures, and I want to hunt.¡¯ Kindle sent from her perch on one of the doors. ¡®Alright, send for me if you need anything.¡¯ ¡®I will not need you for such a small task Human.¡¯ She sent back with the avian equivalent of a smirk. The image involved an artful flick of tailfeathers. She leapt into the air and winged out of the chamber. Tilly smiled as he moved toward Sir Michael who was waiting on the other side of the table as if by magic. Tilly scanned the room one last time and found the queen dispensing healing to the worst of her injured Guards, and Ichiro stepping up for his audience with her. Amelia had wandered back over to the vessel and was collecting several samples of the Blood Weed and putting them in one of her pockets for later use. ¡°Well, that went better than I expected!¡± Hilbert said in a low cheerful voice to Sir Michael¡¯s faceless helmet as Tilly joined them moving through the gap in the table. ¡°Yeah, about that. You left out a lot of details when you were trying to talk us into coming here¡­¡± Tilly muttered, giving the Apprentice a hard stare. The subject of Tilly¡¯s disapproval smiled demurely, ¡°I knew it would work itself out somehow¡­ Or at least it always has in the past.¡± he answered cheerfully. On Hilbert''s other side, Sir Michael shook his head slowly in disapproval as he moved toward the back wall. ¡°Enough about what is done, let us get onto what still needs doing!¡± Hilbert chattered, gesturing to a small stone door Sir Michael had just reached. It was entirely made out of a dark granite flecked with silvery granules of some other kind of rock. Its surface was carved in a relief of a Knight kneeling with his sword pointed at the ground and a ring of coffins surrounding him. The artwork reminded Tilly of something he might see in a catholic church. ¡°Just through here,¡± Hilbert said lightly, as Sir Michael pushed open the door. The hallway beyond was pitch black, and the Knight moved into the darkness without hesitation. Tilly sighed and followed as Hilbert closed the door behind them and then clucked in disapproval at the pitch-black state of their environment. ¡°My apologies!¡± Hilbert huffed, snapping his fingers. A rosy pink light flared at the tips of previously unseen sconces and the small dark hall became slightly less ominous in the light of the flickering mana-infused flames. Sir Michael continued to lead the way, seemingly unaffected by the presence or absence of the light. Eventually, they arrived at a second stone door, covered with another life-like relief of a long-haired vampire Knight laying in the classic Dracula pose, with arms crossed over its chest. Sir Michael paused at this door and placed his hands against the stone, waiting. After a few moments, previously invisible markings started to glow all over the surface of the door, and it opened soundlessly on its own. The Mana torches continued into a large cavern-like structure and their glow illuminated lines of stone coffins arrayed around a large central edifice. As Tilly¡¯s head wrapped around what he was seeing, he noticed that the walls of the cavern were also broken up with hundreds of carved shelves, their contents hidden in the flickering shadow of the torches. He didn''t have to work hard at guessing their contents. This was a catacomb. ¡°Here is our resting place, eternal or otherwise.¡± Hilbert breathed out reverently beside Tilly. He sounded just like he had walked into his favorite bar, and Tilly couldn¡¯t help but smile at his clear comfort in such an ominous environment. At times, it was easy to forget that the unpredictable Wizard¡¯s Apprentice was partially undead¡­ Or fully, Tilly didn''t know how Vampires were supposed to be classified. Sir Michael moved forward into the lines of coffins and stopped at one with its lid askew. He shifted the stone slab to the side until it was completely open and turned back to the pair standing at the door. ¡°So you keep your¡­ dead here? I mean¡­ The ones that no longer exist, or-¡± Tilly stumbled over his questions not quite finding the right terminology to make it clear. Hilbert turned to him and smiled, his eyes glinting in the torchlight, ¡°Yes. Our original race, the Aos Si, has always enjoyed the feeling of being underground. It is where we are most at rest. This became doubly true in our new forms, and we find great comfort in the presence of those who have gone before us. Many in this room have passed beyond this Plane, but it is also where we have kept those who are fighting this Corruption, as you call it.¡± Hilbert explained, waving an open hand toward Sir Michael in a ¡®please, you first¡¯ gesture. ¡°Huh¡­ Well, I guess that makes sense.¡± Tilly said shrugging and moving through the lines of stone coffins. As he entered into their uniform ranks he realized that some were empty, and others were closed. The group nearer to where Sir Michael stood all had their lids half open. As Tilly approached the open coffin at Sir Michaels''s feet, he saw it held the body of a young, blond-haired Knight, lying as if sleeping with both hands folded over a plain, well-kept Longsword. ¡°Good thinking, Sir Michael! Young Constantine is a wonderful place to start.¡± Hilbert said as he walked up next to Tilly. B2 Ch. 44 Silent Knight Tilly stared down at the still body and began to notice several stretches of pale skin near the edges of his armor showing black veins frozen in their insidious advance. Level 71 Sanguine Knight His Identify pinged helpfully. ¡°So he was one of the Knights who went on the ¡®Excursion¡¯?¡± Tilly asked. ¡°Yes, the name they chose for the venture was slightly more light-hearted than I would have liked, but the mission was serious. Several smaller roving bands of Strigoi were forming from the recent successful campaigns they had waged on other borders. We sent fifty Knights on a scouting campaign with orders to disrupt and destroy any leadership they could find without getting caught in a full engagement. You have yet to see it, but a full contingent of armored Knights on Mounts is truly awesome to behold.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Tilly asked as Hilbert took out the extractor which still glowed with active runes, its connections to the vessel seemingly unaffected by distance. The Wizard¡¯s Apprentice handled it carefully as he knelt beside the coffin, considering the body frozen in its near-Corrupted state. ¡°Upon contact with the enemy, they found the Horde''s numbers had grown far beyond our estimates. Somehow the average Consumer''s level had jumped significantly in the space of two months. So even against a smaller Horde, we lost five Knights in a fighting retreat, and only ten in the entire force returned free of the Blood Sickness. We tried everything we could to cure it, but nothing worked, and while we do have a small temple of light based in our city, the holy magic and our natures do not mix well¡­ When it was discovered that a cure was not available to our people yet, they volunteered to come down here and the Queen put them into stasis one by one to hold until the day we found a solution.¡± He said, easing the tip of the device against Constantine¡¯s neck and looking back up at Tilly. ¡°Are you ready? The Stasis will break when I administer a blood ration, and while I hope this is enough, perhaps for the first one you should add your active Ability to the one latent in the blood.¡± Tilly nodded and shot a glance up at Sir Michael, ¡°Can you be on Sludge duty? I don''t know what form the manifestation will take in this situation, but hopefully, it''s one you can smash with your mace.¡± The faceless Knight nodded easily and pulled his mace free from the latch on his thigh. ¡°Ready,¡± Tilly answered, churning his mana, and kneeling opposite Hilbert over the lip of the coffin. ¡°Administering now,¡± Hilbert said with quiet focus, as he clicked something on the side of the device and the glowing light sunk from its silvery surface into the Knights neck. Steam started to hiss out from under its armor and the sleeping figure slowly bared its fangs in unconscious agony. Tilly took that to mean it was working and released his Ability, exhaling over the body. Once the second stack of the ability took hold, the knight''s body started to shake violently, and thick black worms started to crawl out from under his armor, fleeing the newly hostile environment. ¡°Ah, Sir Michael, it looks like these will fall more into my purview.¡± Hilbert breathed, lifting his hands and flicking them through several arcane gestures before whispering, ¡°Abod¡¯s Gathering Hand¡± At those words a large pink hand formed over the shivering body and began a slow pass down its length. Every place it went, the worms were sucked up into its form until it the construct was packed with the black wriggling creatures. Eventually, the Vampire¡¯s seizing stopped, his eyes flicked open, and his grip on the hilt of his weapon redoubled. Tilly could hear the leather of the finely-made handle creaking. ¡°Sir Constantine! It is good to see you alive and well! ¡­ Or just well-¡± Hilbert greeted brightly, accenting his greeting with a clenched fist. The motion was reminiscent of how the Queen had dispatched the last manifestation of Corruption, and the black worms caught in his mage hand all disappeared with a pop, along with the construct. In a much deeper voice than Tilly had expected from such an elegant-looking man, the Knight asked, ¡°It is done?¡± The words came out semi-garbled in a groan of pain as he slowly moved his head to examine the faces above him before groggily looking back down at his body. ¡°I believe so, but best query your Character Sheet to check,¡± Hilbert answered. The Knight¡¯s eyes immediately glazed over as he took a few seconds to do just that. Then the urgency in his expression drained away, leaving him looking haggard, his skin drawn slightly too tight across his sharp cheekbones. ¡°I was never told you could dream in stasis¡­¡± He mumbled distantly, as he slowly sat up. ¡°However long it has been, my time has been fraught with horrors. I believe the Sickness they carry is much more than it seems.¡° He concluded gravely as he came fully to his senses. ¡°Nonetheless, thank you, Gentlemen. You have my sincere gratitude.¡± He added, taking another turn to look at the trio, and lingering on Tilly the longest. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°You are correct in your conclusions, Sir Knight, it is much more. But a solution has been found for our people. Now how does your status read? We have many more of your brethren to awaken and a strict timeline to get it done.¡± Hilbert answered solemnly, some of the cheer bleeding from his tone. ¡­ They persisted in that room for hours, re-awakening and cleansing 34 Knights in total. Tragically two were too deeply infected for even the double stack of imbued blood and Tilly¡¯s Ability to cure. In a horrifying turn of events, the exhausted group had to put down the two warriors as they began to sprout tentacles and scream in fury, attacking with abandon. The experience left even the most seasoned of the Knights shaken and by the time they reemerged from the catacomb, few looked much better than the walking dead they were. The first failed cleansing had happened after only a few Knights were revived. So for the rest of the attempts, Tilly couldn¡¯t help but be stressed to unbelievable levels, as each Knight whose eyes flicked open had a small chance of immediately attacking. This was doubly true for the growing body of revived Knights, who had to watch in tense readiness as each of their number was cleansed and awoken. But as they filed into the chamber of the High Table, something about the sight of the pillars and the seven virtues inscribed into the central floor of the room revived them. Many had lingering Debuffs from injuries and Stasis that would fade in the next few hours, but as they crossed through the stone door, into the hall that enshrined their highest ideals, some of the shadowy doubt faded from their countenances and they stood a little taller. Tilly was one of the last through the door, and he found the Queen back in her chair, still speaking with Ichiro, who was now seated and flanked by Gorock. Franklin and Amelia were absent, and there was a line of injured soldiers stretching out of the main doors. It ended at the Vessel which glowed much less brightly than it had when Tilly left, and Villers stood at its side, carefully administering Ability-embued rations to each one, before waving to the next. The Knights who filtered into the room were diverse in their states of readiness, having been put in stasis from different posts. Some had been in full plate, and some half undressed, but all looked drawn, like they could have used another couple weeks of sleep. The Queen looked up from her conversation at their procession and allowed herself a grim smile. ¡°Report?¡± She asked, her tone somewhat more gentle than Tilly had heard it at any point previously. An Elderly Level 82 Knight stepped forward, the one who had apparently led the doomed expedition in the first place. ¡°We lost two men completely to the Sic- Corruption. Seven more were cleansed but did not awaken when the ration was administered. There is a chance they just need more time, or they could have passed through to the final rest. At this point, we do not know.¡± He announced solemnly. The Queen nodded, ¡°Thank you, Sir Kay. I feared it would be much worse. I know from your perspective you returned from the field only a day or two ago, but a campaign is being organized and Sir Cador is gathering all of the Cavalry and Knights the border forts can spare¡­¡± She took time to look at the Knights before continuing, paying homage to their strength as they stood before before her unbroken. ¡°We have good information that the bulk of the Strigoi forces are committed on two fronts. We will be hitting the smaller of these armies with the intent to annihilate them before they overtake our new allies. I must ask you to be prepared to leave in a matter of hours. Do whatever you must, but be ready when the Horn sounds at the gates..." "The Sanguine Order rides to war.¡± She finished, not trying for any sort of inspiring speech. Each of the men she addressed knew their duty, and even shaken, not one of them would hesitate to fulfill it. Sir Kay saluted sharply, despite his clear exhaustion, and the Knights behind him all did the same. After a moment of holding the Queen¡¯s gaze, they turned and started moving for different exits to the chamber. Some were met by servants, others had squires rush up and greet them enthusiastically. Yet the vast majority of the Knights did not reply to greetings or inquiries. To a man, they wore an expression of budding wrath. Brothers had been lost, their sacred hall had been defiled¡­ They were furious. Tilly himself was exhausted. Even with his ridiculous Endurance, the last day and a half had pushed him for all he was worth. On top of that, his Blood Loss Debuff was still active, adding its weight to the boulder of weariness that rested on his shoulders. He hoped that wherever Amelia and Franklin had gone, they were taking what rest they could. The Queen¡¯s eyes lingered on her exiting Knights, concern breaking up the otherwise perfectly smooth porcelain skin around her eyes. As they all left, she made the come-hither motion, and Tilly along with Hilbert and Sir Michael approached the small conference area that had been set up for Ichiro and the Queen. Her eyes moved over to Tilly and did not miss his wrung-out state. The lines around her eyes eased up into a faint expression of gratitude. ¡°You do not know, nor do I have time to tell you the heroic and tragic history of our Order. But suffice to say,¡± she muttered, leaning in and lowering her voice, ¡°We knew when we took on this new class, the power would come with a price. Each of our Knights is irreplaceable, and our population can only support so many turned warriors before it collapses into¡­ something else. I can not let that happen. So each year our strength fades, and still, we do our duty, holding back the baser members of our dark heritage. With my husband gone and Merllyn off seeking a solution to some esoteric problem, it is easy to take on a level of fatalism.¡± She admitted in a low voice. Her eyes, however, took on an intensity that belied her dour words. ¡°But you have given us something today¡­ Despite the traitorous blow leveled right at the heart of our Order, the fire in our hearts burns again with renewed purpose. I will see this gift repaid. On my honor.¡± She swore, before leaning back and assuming the more impassive expression of royalty. Just for that moment, Tilly saw the woman behind the mask. She was just as passionate as any of the Knights about their place in the world and would do everything in her power to give them a chance to continue to achieve their noble goals. B2 Ch. 45 Mounting Terror The Queen eyed their small group with a veiled air of respect, ¡°Lord Ichiro has informed me that your Three-Fold Alliance would be happy to enter into trade agreements with us once the siege is broken. I hope that many goods and resources will be made available to both sides that have otherwise been¡­ difficult to obtain.¡± At the vague summary of their discussions, Ichiro nodded formally, his face one of perfect serene decorum. They had hammered out something that would work well for both parties, but Tilly found his attention drifting to the third member of this small conference, who seemed to have sat in on the entire negotiation without saying a word. Gorock was drooling slightly, rhythmic breathing accompanying his middle-distance stare as he stood behind Ichiro in silent support... After another second of watching, Tilly was rocked by the realization that the Wall Breaker was sleeping with his eyes open. Had he successfully slept through the whole meeting without anyone noticing? ¡°Uh¡­ Thank you, Your Majesty...¡± Tilly replied belatedly, tearing his eyes away from Gorock¡¯s large oblong irises which seemed to leer at him even absent of their consciousness. Ichiro broke in, covering over Tilly''s stumbling response, ¡°May I add, Your Majesty, that we would be honored to take you up on your offer of hospitality. We have precious little time to complete our mission, but in our state, I am sure a few hours rest will benefit us all.¡± ¡°Your mission¡­Yes of course. Mallytza will show you to some rooms, and I will see you at the gates before we leave.¡± She dismissed, leaning further back into her chair and waving them away. Mallytza, the Lady in Waiting who likely served in a role very similar to Mochizuki, materialized out of nowhere and waved them toward one of the many side doors in the chamber. Even as tired as he was, Tilly didn''t miss the look she shared with Hilbert as they moved to follow her. He also watched Gorock eagerly to see if he would startle as they got up to move, but the warrior just blinked a few times and seamlessly got to his feet, joining the group and moving toward the exit. ¡®Damn, that was smooth¡­¡¯ Tilly marveled internally at the warrior¡¯s well-honed ability to avoid any part of life that did not have to do directly with battle. Mallytza led them through a series of smaller hallways that would have been a maze to any invader. As soon as they were out of the chamber, Hilbert joined her at the front of the group, falling into a whispered conversation that was impossible to hear despite its obvious intensity. Soon enough, they arrived at the rooms and her conversation with Hilbert cut off as she turned to address the trio, ¡°Your two companions are already settled down the hall. Take your rest in these rooms and we will come to collect you in time to meet the Queen before the main army marches off.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am,¡± Tilly said gratefully, already moving toward one of the doors as the thought of a few hours rest sang sweetly in his ears. ¡°Your service is deeply appreciated,¡± Ichiro added with Gorock grunting in agreement. As he opened his door, his eyes barely noted the furniture, or even the fire cracking gently in the room. His focus instantly tunneled onto the bed against the far wall. The door behind him closed slowly as he trudged over to the bed, and a few words of a heated conversation followed him to its inviting surface, ¡°What do you mean you must go with them?¡± ¡°Dearest¡­ I have given my word-¡± Hilbert¡¯s voice traveled, before being cut off as the door clicked shut. Tilly didn''t bother with covers or removing any clothes. If this was going to be as short as he thought, he wanted to take advantage of every moment of sleep he could get. ¡­¡­. A soft knock sounded at his door and he mumbled, ¡°Wuh? Oh¡­ Uh, Come in.¡± A servant entered, waving at a spot on the wall activating some clever enchantment that filled the room with soft light from an alcove in the ceiling. For the first time, Tilly thought about being completely underground¡­ No windows, no ventilation. But the Keep hadn¡¯t felt stuffy or dark at all. They obviously knew what they were doing when it came to underground structures, and Tilly had found himself surprisingly comfortable for the most part. ¡°Sir, here is your pack and some provisions with which to refresh yourself. Your companions are being woken as we speak and an escort is ready to take you to the front gates of the city when you are ready.¡± The servant said in a soft, respectful tone. Tilly rubbed his eyes and spotted his pack, which he had embarrassingly forgotten outside the door during the urgent pace of events. The servant also brought in a tray laden with cold cuts of meat, fruit, bread, and cheese, along with a full pitcher. Even as Tilly was registering the contents of the incredible spread, the door closed and the servant was gone. Tilly groaned and stretched, more out of habit than any soreness. He once again reveled in the new condition of his body. Even after only a few hours of sleep, he felt restored. Not fully rested, but certainly ready to operate at 100%. A quick glance at his Health and Mana showed them both at 100% with the temporary Blood Loss Debuffs cleared. He moved over to the platter and quickly ate his fill of the food provided, enjoying its variety and flavor. Tilly especially enjoyed the cheese, something that they had just started producing in the Alliance before he left. Most of what they had was something similar to mozzarella or feta. The block provided with his platter was a beautiful well aged cheddar, and he mumbled happily to himself as he found a tightly woven cloth sack with a few basic enchantments on it under his tray¡­ Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡®I¡¯m really beginning to like these guys!¡¯ Tilly thought to himself as he tucked the remaining hearty portion of his meal into the small sack and threw it into his pack. He took one last long swig of watered-down wine and got up to leave, shouldering his pack and opening the door. In the hall, Tilly found Ichiro nibbling absently on a piece of cabbage wrapped around assorted vegetables and meat and Gorock next to him with another comically large cut of meat. ¡®Where does he keep getting those? Did he pack them?¡¯ Somehow the image of Gorock¡¯s large pack being almost completely full of salted cuts of meat did not seem unfeasible. Amelia and Franklin emerged from down the hall and joined the group as Tilly eyed the heavy-looking pack on Gorock''s back suspiciously. ¡°While supplies are understandably short in the city, I was able to secure us each some consumables with the provisional money we were brought. The queen had an agent purchase them for us at favorable rates.¡± Ichiro announced, handing out some classic red and blue vials. Tilly got one red and two blue, Gorock got two red, and the other two got one each. He was about to just put them at the top of his pack when he felt something shift at his waistline at his lower back. He reached around under his jacket and found three small loops that were perfectly sized to slide the vials into¡­ ¡®How in the world do you choose when to be helpful and when to do nothing?¡¯ He grumbled internally at his legendary armor set as he slipped the vials into the loops. ¡°I doubt that supply of imprinted blood will last them much longer. We should get moving before they decide they need Tilly to extend his stay.¡± Amelia quipped as she dropped her vials into one of her pockets. ¡°Yes, it is best to get moving. Having a guide will save us some time, but I do not wish to tarry any longer.¡± Ichiro declared, looking down the hall and finding the servant waiting a respectful distance away, ready to escort them. ¡°Let''s go find our flower,¡± Tilly said lightly, but the faces around him only nodded in grim agreement, not at all put off by the object of their quest. As they met up with their Guard escort at the gates of the keep, there was a noticeable difference in the feeling of the formation that surrounded them. It felt less like a prisoner escort and more like a ¡®make way¡¯ kind of escort. The Guards actively called ahead and cleared any obstacles before the group met them so that they were able to cross the city at an easy jog, passing both checkpoints without a pause. Tilly reached for Kindle through his bond and felt her flying above the outskirts of the valley. ¡®How was the hunting?¡¯ ¡®I have found and destroyed a score of the disgusting creatures. The last one I hunted had almost completely dissolved on its own before I ended it. It seems they cannot continue on this Plane without the protection of a host.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, that is consistent with what we have seen so far. Out in the open moving on its own, Corruption is violent and aggressive but does not last very long. ¡® ¡®I will return and meet you at the gate. There is quite a gathering of landbound outside the city.¡¯ She replied. The city itself was bustling with energy. People were moving everywhere, some hauling goods out of the city, others bringing in fresh supplies. Much of the traffic seemed to be flowing towards the city¡¯s transport hub that lay far off the main road through the gate in the commercial district, and by the time they were nearing the front gates, Tilly was glad for the escort. The press became especially thick near the front gate, which was choked with traffic going both ways. With a significant amount of shouting from the Guards, they cleared the last gate and emerged out into the open field before the city. There arrayed in neat groups of five were almost seventy Knights with a few hundred Cavalry lined up loosely behind them. The fact that all of this had been mobilized in less than half a day was beyond impressive and if thousands of people still moving to and fro between the main force and the city were any indication, this rapid mobilization had been no easy task. As the Queen spotted them from the head of the formation, she turned away with a few of her Knights and urged her mount toward them. Like everyone else in the formation, she was riding a Nightmare, but unlike everyone else, hers was massive, at least a third larger than any of the others. As she approached, belatedly followed by the first five Knights in the formation, probably her honor guard, Tilly saw that her Mount was formed entirely of blood. ¡°Our final preparations are being made, and I was informed you got what you needed from our suppliers.¡± She called as her mount cantered forward silently on the field. It didn''t so much run as flow forward, covering ground in a manner that only faintly reminded Tilly of a horse. ¡°Yes, we are ready to head out.¡± Ichiro answered, ¡°Are our escort terms still acceptable?¡± He added, looking back at Sir Michael and Hilbert who were just now coming through the gate, with Mallytza leading the way, her face a storm of emotion. ¡°Yes, nothing has changed¡­ But are you certain?¡± She asked, eyeing the approaching trio and then turning back to Ichiro and Tilly, standing at the front of their small group. ¡°We go to face the smaller of the two Hordes, and you go directly toward the larger force¡­ would it not be prudent to join us in the campaign and then move on to yours as a united front?¡± She finished, her authoritative visage softening slightly into a frown of concern. ¡°You are probably right Your Majesty¡­ But we have a quest, one issued to us from two different sources. There must be a way to complete it with the resources we have at hand¡­¡± Tilly answered before leaning in and continuing in a softer voice, ¡°And I worry that its completion is essential even to the success of your coming battle.¡± Tilly finished, eyeing the approaching Knights, resplendent in their full plate. Her eyes became hooded in response to his concern, but she did not contradict his words. ¡°Very well, I thought as much. It is best that we speed your way as much as possible then¡­¡± She stated, before leaning back in her saddle and reaching into a pouch sewn into the side of her battle dress. From it, she produced a handful of silver pendants and reached down, offering them to Tilly. ¡°These are the last of Merllyn¡¯s gifts. They hold within them one of his personal contracts with a Nightmare. You can bind this item with a drop of your blood and then once per day summon a mount that will persist until you die or dismiss the bond.¡± She explained as Tilly took the pieces of jewelry. There were five in all and each one showed a different shaped pendant hung on a silver chain covered in runes. ¡°Your summons will not be friendly to any but you, and unlike our inborn Ability, you will not be able to pass on the bond while you live¡­ However the need is great, and your service to our Faction has been exemplary, so here is our reward to you.¡± She finished, sitting tall in her saddle as her own mount stood bearing her, absolutely still. It did not breathe, or twitch, and its stillness was emphasized by the subtle flowing movement at the surface of its form. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty! This is an incredible boon.¡± Ichiro bowed clutching his tightly as Tilly passed them out. ¡°Yes, well, do me the favor of living long enough to enjoy the benefits of such a gift. I do not wish to throw away some of our people¡¯s greatest treasures on a fool''s errand¡­¡± B2 Ch. 46 Strong Enough Aurelia Level 28 Priestess of Origin¡¯s Flame Morning, the next day. The last two and a half days of battle had easily been the most exhausting of Aurelia''s young life. The closest thing she had ever experienced was the terrifying flight her family had undertaken before the advance of the Naga army. The memory of those chaotic weeks played at the edges of her consciousness, in shades of grey, interposed by flashes of screaming color... This was nothing like that. It was both far more terrible and somehow less overwhelming at the same time. The High Priestess remained on the wall night and day, handling each emergency as it came, and she had left Aurelia in charge of the healer''s tent down below, well back from the fighting. She knew her job, and even as the initial panic of responsibility had faded into the dull grinding exhaustion of days of effort, she had done her absolute best to make sure everyone who approached their area after their time on the wall received what they needed to recover. She knew her younger self would have long since given up, but something was keeping her going, stumbling to her feet each time another rotation was called. She was not just a little girl in an adult body, those years had not disappeared. She could feel their memories deep down, just out of reach. They undergirded her new strength of will, getting her to her feet even when she was convinced she had nothing left. This is what she could do to protect her home... ¡°ROTATE!¡± The cry went out from above. She flinched as Watch members stumbled down the large rear stair bleeding and broken. Erash had stopped healing and cleansing the centuries rotating off the wall a day ago. They were keeping her as a counter to the increasing numbers of elites coming with every wave. That left Aurelia and the three Acolytes to handle all of the healing needed for each rotation off of the wall. Depending on how heavy the press was above, they could be looking at two or three rotations in an hour. On top of that, the rangers had run out of blessed projectiles hours ago, and several pallets were waiting for her as soon as she had another moment to spare. Members of the Watch crowded down the stairs, some moving as fast as they could, as if chased while others were almost completely incapacitated, carried by their brothers and sisters down to safety. The tide of enemies was endless, and at this point, they all knew they had yet to see the worst of the enemy''s capabilities. Grim faces filed into the healer''s tent, telling a story of hope dangling by a fraying thread. ¡°Please, ma¡¯am! He can make it. He just needs a little help!¡± A pair pleaded with her from the front of the injured group. Aurelia''s stomach churned as she looked over and saw the dead satyr hanging on their shoulders. Wild eyes, bright with a potent mixture of desperation and fear completely missed her defeated expression as they dragged the dead man up to her... Unable to muster any words, Aurelia just bit her lip, choking back a sob as she shook her head. The two belatedly turned and looked at their burden, who might have been living before they had carried him off the wall. Aurelia tried to speak up, to repeat the orders she had received. She was the one they had left in charge here, and someone had to remind these tired soldiers of the best way to get help. They needed to make sure the most injured were in the front of the lines. But she couldn''t squeeze the words past the blockage in her throat. She stood there, frozen in her despair, unable to look away as two companions gaped in shocked disbelief at their lost friend. His empty eyes stared out into the middle distance as if he had forgotten something and was straining to remember it Then a strong voice called from behind her breaking the dead man''s spell. ¡°Check your Debuffs and Regen! If you are still able to gain health, however slowly, move on! If you are dropping, report to the healing station. Organize yourselves! The Healers can¡¯t do everything, you need to put your worst brothers and sisters up front!¡± Linus called, approaching the healing station and gaining control of the situation with an economic efficiency that spoke of years on the field. Aurelia and the overwhelmed acolytes glanced back in numb appreciation before turning to see the group of soldiers beginning to order themselves. They had already gone through this several times, but something about hearing the commander say it again helped the pieces fall into place for their tired, numb minds. Many stumbled past the station to find food and rest for as long as they could have it, but far too large of a remainder lined up to receive healing, with the most severe cases finding their place before her. She took a deep steading breath, raised her hands, and cast Flame¡¯s Warmth, centering it on those in front of her, but knowing it was a wide enough area of effect that it would cover many of the others. Creases of harsh worry and frantic hope eased slightly on their faces as the sensation of sitting down before the warmth of a fire washed through them, giving each target +10% to Constitution for their next 200 breaths. Two of the three Acolytes joined her AoE Ability, casting on the group, easing pain, and disrupting Corruption¡¯s advance. It was for this reason that they kept the lines so close, and she hoped it would give many the time they would need to have their turn at the front. She was even encouraged to see some at the back check their status screens, and shuffle off, seeing that the Buffs would compensate for their maladies until their native regen took over. Fighting to straighten her shoulders, she turned to the first woman in front of her, one of their few minotaur fighters. Her impressive stature was curled in on itself as she shuffled forward, with a large wad of soaked cloth held against her midsection. The flesh and padded armor over it was eviscerated by several jagged wounds, and filled with enough Corruption that its healing had been slowed to a deadly degree. As had become her procedure, she raised her hands and cast the very first Ability she had received as a Priestess, Cleansing Flame. A stream of dancing blue flames leaped from her hands and bathed the wound, consuming the Corruption in its place. Unlike Mr. Tillmans''s Ability, it did not expel the substance, creating a manifestation. Instead, it consumed it completely, expunging its taint from the target''s body. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. A notification popped up, and she minimized it for a second while she went on to cast her second most powerful healing Ability. The wound began to close and the Minotauress¡¯ face went slack with relief, ¡°Thank you, Priestess, praise Origin¡± She uttered, moving past so that the next in line could come forward. Aurelia nodded back absently, recalling the screen as the next patient shuffled up.
Congratulations! You have cleansed one thousand targets in 24 hours. You have earned the Title [Fount of Purification]. All allies within a hundred-pace radius of your position will have any infectious-class Debuff potency reduced by 50%.
There was no joy at the notification. She registered somewhere in her mind that it would make her role here that much more effective, but the majority of her attention was on the first number the screen had revealed. One thousand in twenty-four hours¡­ ¡®Had there really been that many?¡¯ she thought numbly. She dismissed the screen taking in the next Watchman to step up, holding his right arm close to his torso as he tried to stanch the bleeding of the nearly severed appendage. Aurelia immediately cast her most powerful healing... Any time there was a possibility of a loss of limb, she always took it seriously, knowing that the only one who could regrow them was Erash and she didn''t have any mana to spare for non-elite soldiers. And just like that, they slowly cleared the lines, and this time, thank Origin they didn''t lose anyone who had to wait in line. Actually... that wasn''t entirely true, they had lost one right before he arrived... How could she have already forgotten? Commander Linus had been standing with them throughout the rotation, saying nothing, but somehow offering his support despite the silence. Aurelia could already hear the fighting above begin to increase in fervor as men and women began calling out the positions of enemy elites in the coming charge. ¡°It''s time for you to take a break,¡± Linus said simply, looking her over. She looked up at him in incomprehension, realizing she had sat down on one of the pallets they needed her to bless without realizing it. Her mind struggled to find the words needed to respond. ¡°I will, sir... After the next group of soldiers.¡± She mumbled, squinting up at the scarred commander. ¡°It¡¯s an order, Priestess. Each of the Acolytes has already rotated off for a few hours. You will take a full eight. We will find you when we need you.¡± Those words cut through her fog slightly, and she was surprised to find bitterness welling up at the news. ¡°When you need me? You need me now, Consul! What are you going to do when the next century rotates off, let more die?¡± She questioned angrily, her bloodshot eyes narrowing blearily. ¡°We have our Health potion supply online, and we will make sure Erash treats the worst injuries before they leave the wall,¡± Linus responded, his face softening slightly. ¡°That won''t be enough... We have lost too many as it is.¡± She choked out, having to swallow down the sob that had returned to threaten its escape all over again. ¡°Ay. More will die. But that''s not your fault. You need to trust me when I say that if you don''t take a rest, the losses will be greater. The battle is far from over, and I am ordering you to take eight hours... Away from the wall.¡± He stated with finality, his expression a strange mix of unyielding strength and a deep understanding. The anger she had been using as fuel to push past the pain suddenly drained away, and all she had left was her weakness. Her body shuddered with the effort to hold back the sobs. Then the dam broke, and she lost the contest, huge racking sobs shaking her body, as she cried like the little girl she no longer was. A calloused hand gently cupped the back of her head as the commander pulled her into a simple embrace, holding her against his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I thought I would be stronger.¡± She stuttered out between sobs. Then in a quiet voice that somehow dampened the distant screams of battle, Linus answered her, ¡°Shhh, You''ve done more than we should''ve asked¡­ I''m... I''m proud of you."
Four hours later Pupienus Level 45 Bureaucrat There wasn¡¯t enough time¡­ The twenty-four-day Boon was the only reason that they had anything resembling a working economy. And while it would grow on its own if given enough time, it seems they had run out of that as well. Food and weapons production had barely covered the demand brought on by the challenge of fielding a few thousand soldiers at the drop of a hat, and now their three alchemists were working day and night to produce some of the lowest-grade Health Potions Pupienus had ever seen. ¡®I should have listened to my aunt and left with the rest of the family¡­¡¯ He fumed internally as another missive arrived on the table in his tent/office. He squinted up at the courier, but the man was already gone by the time the note hit his desk, joining the piles of paperwork, all demanding his attention. He had been working on the mess all morning and he probably wouldn''t be able to leave his desk for hours yet. ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t¡­¡± Pupienus trailed off as soon as it was clear the messenger had truly left without issuing any sort of verbal report. ¡®I am surrounded by idiots¡­ How can I prioritize tasks if there is no input system? If everyone just stops by whenever they want to drop off something new, we will never make any progress.¡¯ He folded up the report the loud dwarfs had recently turned in. The quarry had uncovered a very rich vein of metals under the mountain, along with a large pre-dug tunnel. They had been able to produce stone and iron much faster than anticipated once they discovered the hidden mine. They were asking for an increase in contribution points to reflect their higher output... and he would probably have to issue them... Their work was literally keeping the rest of them alive right now. He picked up the dirty piece of paper the courier had flung at his desk. It had a note scrawled on it and Pupienus had to squint at its contents through his spectacles, hardly able to make out some of the letters due to a large stain. Then a realization struck him through his exhaustion, ¡®By the Yawning Pits¡­ is that blood?¡¯ He thought in a mild panic, holding it by its corner as he struggled to make out the message. Councilmen, there is an urgent risk to the satyr element in the camp. We have discovered a conspiracy by some of the other races to displace our people and erode our position further. I fear that soon we will be little more than slaves in this ¡°Alliance¡± they have formed. Meet us a third of the way up the mountain at midnight, and come alone. Not all of our people can be trusted¡­ B2 Ch. 47 Mount Up Jonathan Tillman, Level 23 Son of Flame They departed along with the Sanguine Order shortly after receiving their enchanted pendants. The whole host shared the road, and Tilly¡¯s group rode up front with the Queen on their new mounts until the first town, where they split off to head further north. From there Sir Michael and Hilbert led them through the rest of the day, only emerging back in the Dead Planes as daylight faded. Not that concepts like night and day had much meaning in these lands. The obscured sun and moon painted everything in similar shades of dusk and dawn. The difference in the time of day was more marked by yellow, orange, and silver hues than any increase or decrease in actual light. As the soft pink and orange coloration of evening started to bleed across the cloud-covered sky, they passed by another of the Order¡¯s forts, one that was now manned by a skeleton crew. They did not hail the gate, but the Guardsmen atop the wall gave them a salute as they galloped by. Tilly gratefully took in the momentary distraction of the fort keeping his eyes on it for as long as possible before they eventually were dragged back down in morbid fascination to the forms his party¡¯s Nightmare mounts had taken. Two were harmless enough, following logical lines that Tilly could easily parse out. Franklin¡¯s mount had taken on the form of an emaciated, skeletal creature, who seemed to be more a husk than anything living. It gave off the feeling of living jerky, and Tilly took it to mean Franklin feared being without water. Ichiro¡¯s mount was covered in chains that seemed to wrap it tightly, and with his history of being held against his will by the Corrupted tree, that made perfect sense. Even Tilly''s own mount, while gruesome and nausea-inducing, did not depart too much from the pattern. It showed veiny Corrupted infection all over its equine body, even producing several tentacles that undulated slowly with its galloping stride. The Corruption however was just an imitation. Sitting on the mount caused no reactions from the growing Seed within him. Amelia¡¯s was the first of the mounts that he didn''t understand. It was covered in an intentional pattern of thin cuts that always seemed to be bleeding, but never left any trail behind the mount. He didn¡¯t know what it meant and felt like it was invasive to ponder it too deeply. At times he felt like they were warming up to each other. Then at some point, he would run head-first into what felt like this huge invisible wall... Whatever her mount meant, he doubted it would be a good idea to ask. That left the final member of their party. Almost against his will, his gaze swung back to Gorock, who rode what was easily the most horrifying of the Nightmares. The creature''s body was sleek and muscular. Unlike his last mount, this summon was proportionally sized, almost twice as big as the other mounts. In fact, it was the picture of anatomical perfection. The Nightmare''s head, however, was where it slipped from a bodybuilder''s wet dream to something out of a bizarre European horror film. At the neck, it abruptly shifted into a ghastly caricature of a human head with the mane fusing into a shaggy head of hair and a terrified scream frozen on its face. Worst of all, It seemed to be able to feel whenever Tilly looked in its direction. Unable to look away, Tilly watched as it once again turned and leered over at him, bobbing along with the galloping motion of its body. Unsuccessfully suppressing a crawling sensation that climbed up his back, Tilly whipped his head forward, feeling dirty for some reason. Each of them had steeled themselves as their mounts had manifested before them for the first time, but Gorock had squealed in fright when the summoned shadow coalesced into a human-headed horse. That particular part of the memory brought a smile to Tilly¡¯s face, and he replied to the sound in his head a few times before the awful urge to look back over at the creature returned. It was going to be a long ride... ... Sir Michael raised his hand in a ¡®halt¡¯ motion an hour or two later bringing his mount to a stop and jumping down turning toward the rest of the group. Hilbert followed suit pulling out his device and scanning the area in front of him, before gesturing for them to come in closer and setting wards around the group. ¡°The way ahead is choked with enemies, which is not surprising considering we are almost through the hills. A little farther and we will clear them and have a full view of the Forgotten Plain and the mountain fortress known as Requiem. However, if we continue any further, we will be unable to avoid encountering any scouts. How do you want to proceed?¡± The Wizard Apprentice asked as he finished circumnavigating the group and establishing the ward. Tilly turned towards Ichiro, who nodded for him to go ahead, ¡°As it stands, the plan is for me to spirit walk into the city and hopefully make contact with an ally. We don''t know how we are going to get in, or out, for that matter, but our priority is to make contact with the Facet and figure out how to obtain its ¡®Patronage¡¯¡± Tilly said, attempting to sound more confident than he felt at how vague it all sounded. With so little information it''s not like they could come up with much more. They would just have to stay flexible and hold onto the hope that this quest would be achievable. ¡°Uh, about that¡­ I do have some news I can share on the escape front.¡± Franklin added, speaking for the first time in quite a while. He had been quiet almost the entire trip, and while they didn''t really have many opportunities to chat, something had felt off. Tilly didn''t know him well enough to peg if that was just his personality around groups or something more but he had worried about the honu''s silence more than once. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The honu readjusted his scarf and reached into his sleeve, pulling out a Conche shell covered with tiny glowing runes. ¡°The elders gave this to me on my way out but cautioned that it might not be ready in time for us to use. I have checked it every few hours and now from the look of the spell link, it seems that they have succeeded. They have successfully tied it back to the platform in the village square and now we will be able to activate it.¡± Hilbert''s eyes widened and a slow smile of relief crossed his face, ¡°Ha! I told Mallytza this wasn¡¯t a suicide mission! Someone among your Faction must be very talented in Teleportation.¡± ¡°Any chance I can get the child''s version of what you just said?¡± Tilly added dryly. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a teleport anchor keyed to our home platform. If I infuse the spell with my mana and break the anchor, every being within 10 paces of my location will be pulled back to the platform instantaneously. It is the main way those without the use of a dedicated teleportation mage travel via the platforms. But with our platform broken, the elders didn¡¯t know such a thing would be possible in such a short timeframe. However, with their new Wayfinder classes, they seemed to have been able to bridge the gap.¡± He explained, stowing the precious object back in the folds of his robe. Even delivering the good news, there was something distracted about his tone. The timing was terrible, but Tilly was afraid it would only get worse from here, ¡°Hey guys, would you mind giving us a moment?¡± Tilly asked, drawing away the Honu until they were at the edge of the ward. He knew almost everyone would still be able to hear them, but it was the best he could do. ¡°Hey man, are you ok? Something seems off...¡± The Honu returned his concerned gaze with a look of guilt, which slowly morphed into a reluctant acceptance. ¡°I am sorry Tilly. You are right to ask. You are not the only one who is wrestling internally on this journey. I am sure you have noticed I am the only Honu with such a clothing item,¡± Franklin said, plucking at the blue scarf wrapped around his neck absently. "Honestly, I just thought you were the best dresser of the bunch." Tilly quipped evoking a ghost of a smile from the honu. ¡°That may be the case, but this isn¡¯t just any cloth¡­ It was a gift from the oldest mage in the Minotaur caravans. She said she was entrusting its care to me, and that when the time came, I would know when to let it go.¡± ¡°Let it go? Go where?¡± ¡°That is just it, I do not know¡­ But it is an Epic quality item that has increased my Wisdom stat by 50% when I channel water Mana. There is a real possibility that this item may be the only reason I got selected to go on this quest. Yet, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that it is trying to speak to me, urging me to move in the very same direction you have been leading. It... wants something. Something that lies just over these hills. But, I fear if I give it up, I will become a liability to the mission. Our people are depending on us... On me to be strong.¡± ¡°I see what you mean. I sure as hell wouldn¡¯t be in a rush to give up something that increased any of my stats by that much¡­ Well, there isn¡¯t anything we can do about it until we know for sure. But, I can say this: even without that scarf, you''re not a liability. I trust you to make the right call when the time comes. You have been nothing but dependable since I met you. Hell, you should be doubting me! I''m the one-¡± The Honu began to shake his head firmly, ¡°No, we will proceed as you say, but if you can choose to trust me, then I have the privilege to do the same, agreed?¡± He asked, with an unexpected intensity gleaming in his eyes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m clear on that.¡± Tilly smiled roguishly, happy to receive the spirited rebuke from the reticent mage. He clapped the Honu on the shell and turned back to the others, who all had the good sense to be looking in another direction. Except for Gorock and his horrifying mount, who both watched them speak with bored expressions on their very different faces. ¡°... Alright Hilbert.¡± Tilly stuttered, put-off by the pair, ¡°What can you tell me about this city and the siege it is under before I head out? I¡¯m hoping I will be undetectable to the forces on the ground, but a little context about what I am going into won¡¯t hurt.¡° The Wizard Apprentice perked up at his name but didn''t answer right away, instead choosing to look over at Sir Michael for a long moment. The Knight slowly nodded in ascent and Hilbert turned to Tilly, releasing a long sigh. ¡°Yes, well the short version is that very few have ever been within the city and everything I know is secondhand. It is a place of the dead, or more specifically a place for Whytes to exist in a state of rest, pursuing whatever it is they pursue in their semi-eternal state.¡± ¡°And what exactly are Whytes? ¡­Ghosts?¡± Tilly asked, ready to finally get some clarification on this point. ¡°Not exactly. Ghosts are more like tortured fragments of a soul, they do not exist outside of the pain they are constantly forced to relive. A Whyte on the other hand is something much more complete. It is a memory construct, formed from the impression that remarkable individuals can make upon the pattern of Nephesh itself. For that reason, they are often very powerful, but also extremely limited.¡± ¡°So they are made of memories?¡± ¡°Yes, especially someone who has some unresolved desire or duty. If a person of considerable power or impact bent themselves toward a certain task for long enough, they have a much higher chance of leaving behind a Whyte. They can think, feel, and often are indistinguishable from the originator, but they cannot gain levels. Every action they take is empowered by a certain memory from their originator, and therefore finite. Once all the memories are used up on a kind of action, they are unable to perform that action ever again. For this reason, they are known to spend months if not years in quiet stillness and are very uncomfortable amongst the living. ¡°They are also rumored to hold one of the greatest libraries on the Plane, a collection of all the knowledge of their past lives. My master even visited the city once, paying in their currency for the knowledge to help create the very items you were gifted.¡° At this, Amelia spoke up, ¡°Their currency? Is that code for more blood? Hilbert¡¯s mouth flicked up in a smile, revealing the points of his fangs in amusement, ¡°No madam, nothing so replaceable as that. They sometimes accept Guild Standard, but their currency of choice is Memory. They trade for what they do not have, to extend their agency on this Plane. They trade with each other, and in times past, outsiders.¡± Hilbert finished, his tone meandering as he looked back at his companion and waved him forward. At this, Sir Michael cleared his throat and moved forward, slowly pulling off his helm. B2 Ch. 48 Total Recall Everyone turned in shock as the Knight stepped forward into the center of the conversation and reached up to remove his helm. ¡°In a manner of speaking, this will be a sort of homecoming for him,¡± Hilbert added theatrically as Sir Michael revealed the features he kept hidden under his ever-present helm. The Knight pulled back the front of the blank metal helm revealing the grey, purplish skin of the Strigoi race, but in a form unlike any Tilly had seen. It was not the gaunt hunger of a Consumer or the emaciated skeletal structure of the even weaker basic warriors. Instead, Sir Michael displayed features that were sleek and full. Something more akin to a well-fed predator than any sort of scavenger. His eyes smoldered steadily with a deep hunger undercut by an unyielding restraint. ¡°I was once known as Mikhail.¡± He growled in a halting rumble, obviously having trouble forming the words. That said, he turned to Hilbert and gestured for him to take up the explanation. ¡°The Horde is led by something called the Prime Dirge. It almost never takes the field, and some say it is the progenitor of the Strigoi race. Sir Michael was once its second in command and the leader of its ground forces. I will not go into great detail for the sake of time, but he fought our King in a duel, and something about tasting Excalibur¡¯s blade freed him temporarily from the Dirge¡¯s hold. Their forces retreated that day and Mikhail ran to find haven from his master¡¯s wrath. ¡°He found himself at the gates of Requiem, hoping that their hidden knowledge would be the key to his freedom, and offered all of his memories in exchange. He does not know what transpired after that, but some time later, he emerged with a set of armor unlike any we have seen. While wearing it, he is in full control of his urges and can resist the once undeniable longing to obey the will of his master. He came to our Order decades ago hoping to help end the Prime Dirge¡¯s reign in these lands. Arthur accepted him to the High Table at the advice of Merllyn and the rest is history as they say.¡± Hilbert ended with a flourish, cheekily looking up to read the impact of his story. Tilly took it all in with a raised eyebrow. He would never say this out loud, but to him, a vampire was still a vampire and Sir Michael''s race of origin changed very little. Hilbert''s face fell as he took in the lack of reaction from the group. He turned back to his ward to fiddle with it in dispair as silence hung heavy in the air. Finally, Ichiro stepped up to the stoic Knight. ¡°You have treated us with honor and this is a far greater measure of your worth in our eyes than your race of origin. Each of us carries the burdens of duty and failure, yet those things do not define us. Our choices do.¡± The Samurai offered, before lowering his head in a small bow of respect. Sir Michael nodded in return before replacing his helm and facing out toward the Strigoi army somewhere in the distance, having said all he needed to say. Kindle chose that moment to land amid their formation and look around ruffling her feathers impatiently. ¡°No girl, we can¡¯t risk you being spotted. You will move forward with the rest of us as soon as I get back.¡± Tilly answered her unspoken request. ¡°Alright everyone, I¡¯m going to scout in my Spirit form. I will be back as soon as possible, hopefully with more information and a way past the enemy.¡± He continued turning to address the group. Ichiro nodded, pulling free his sheathed sword and settling down in a kneeling vigil. ¡°We will watch and prepare for your return,¡± Franklin added from behind Tilly. Gorock unhelpfully slapped him on the back as Tilly sat down distracting him momentarily from his breathing. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long Baby-Man. I don¡¯t know what I''ll do if this trip does not liven up soon.¡± Turning with a grimace at the heavy-handed slap, Tilly deadpanned, ¡°I''ll try¡­¡± The Wallbreaker nodded sagely and turned to take up his watch position. Tilly managed to keep a sigh from interrupting his breathing pattern, and breath by breath, sunk deeper into his meditation. It was not necessary to activate his skill, but he had found the better connected he was with himself before he went into his spiritual form, the more mobility and strength he seemed to have. So he breathed through the pressures, the time crunch, and the overwhelming odds. He let each one surface in his emotional landscape and accepted it. The exercise had grown familiar over the last weeks, and he quickly found the simple calm he was working toward. The flame in his chest began to stoke merrily at the greater internal integration. Just as he was about to activate the Skill, the Seed wriggled distractedly, straining to reach deeper into his physical members. The sensation almost elicited a gag, and his eyes suddenly flew open in worry. His gaze flitted over the top of his HUD. Heath:100% Mana:100% Corruption¡¯s Influence: 28% He hadn¡¯t taken much damage in the fight yesterday so he hadn¡¯t paid much attention¡­ But he had lost another two percent to Corruption¡¯s influence. He quickly closed his eyes again, attempting to regain focus, but bitterness began to bubble to the surface of his calm, signifying deeper worries that he was not ready to face. He had missed its advancing again¡­ And if there was anything like that red-eyed fucker here in this army, he might not even make it into the city. The more he ruminated over it, the darker his thoughts became. The flow in his internal environment was interrupted by these intrusive thoughts. They pressed in on him, heavy things, ponderously moving over the surface of his mind like tanker ships in the night. He did his best to accept them, and to let the feelings they carried move through him, but their weight began to overwhelm him, throwing off his rhythm and robbing him of momentum. He had not sat down and taken the time to process the events of the last couple of days, the implications of the Weasel¡¯s scheme, and his ominous mention of the ¡°They¡± that he had alluded to. Greater forces were working on a scale that he could not imagine to advance Corruption across the Plane. The more that these realities sank in, the heavier he became until it felt like he was trying to breathe with hundreds of pounds pushing down on his chest. Sure, there might be some crazy confluence of events to get them access to the Flower and then back to the Alliance¡­ But what about after that? It was becoming clear that this stuff was everywhere. Who was going to stop it?If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. It seemed like most people were still ignorant of its existence¡­ let alone had the power or willingness to do anything about it. To top it all off, there had been no hint of Origin opposing Corruption''s spread anywhere else on the Plane¡­ Did that mean it was all up to- ¡°-Jonathan Tillman,¡± Ichiro¡¯s voice floated quietly over to him from his kneeling position. The calm utterance broke through Tilly¡¯s downward spiral and he realized he had lost his breathing cadence at some point, his breaths having transformed into a rapid panicky staccato. The tightness in his chest loosened at the sound of his name and Ichiro¡¯s calm voice continued, shining a soft light in the dark corners of Tilly¡¯s reverie. ¡°There is far more at work here than we can see. Do not drown in the waters of your ignorance. You have a path forward that only you can walk¡­ it is up to you to choose it.¡± He chided gently, his words cutting through to the heart of Tilly¡¯s fears. Tilly took a deep breath, feeling like he had come up for air, and thought about responding, before closing his mouth and choosing to take another breath instead. There was nothing to say, no excuses, no apologies¡­ He just needed to do. So he took another deep breath, and then another, returning to his rhythm with a force of will that he had not experienced since that first day outside the temple. He could almost feel Ichiro''s approval spurring him on, as he crashed back into the waters of his despair, diving deeper than he had in weeks, searching out whatever was hidden in its depths. For some reason, as he breathed and sank past the anxiety, the fear, and even the self-loathing, he found a memory floating up from his subconscious. It vibrated with a deep bass thrumming that shook his soul, and Tilly shied away from it at first, feeling the weight of its significance, and fearing it. Then before the cowardly part of himself could choose to surface, he dived into the memory surrendering to its overwhelming force. He winced as he tried to shut the hospital door quietly, only for the stupid door latch to click shut thunderously. He turned quickly and found his daughter''s eyes still shut, her breath coming in shallow watery gasps under her oxygen mask¡­ The news was worse than they thought. This wasn¡¯t a virus at all¡­ He felt his chest constrict. Suddenly, not able to take a full breath, as all of his desperate hopes came crashing down around him like the block tower that still lay all over the living room floor. She had knocked it over a few days ago when her coughing had gotten really bad¡­. Then as if she could feel his entry back into the room, her eyes began to crack open, and he rushed to her side, stepping as quietly as possible around his wife''s sleeping form. Her eyes found him, and he reached forward and clutched her hand, holding it as tightly as he dared. She met his gaze with a small smile. Pain showed on her face with every effort-filled breath, but that didn''t stop her smile as she caught sight of him Oh god... his baby girl. He couldn¡¯t do anything to help. They had said there was nothing left to do. But he could be here, He could hold her little hand. The memory faded, and he exploded forth from the depths, activating Spirit Walk, and rising from his physical body like a cloudless dawn on the horizon. He looked down at his spiritual form and found himself wreathed in white flames, almost as if he had somehow activated an incorporeal version of Flames Wrath. He may not have enough power to stop the end of the world, but there was something he needed to do, here and now. He looked around at the group, shining with spiritual strength. His transition had once again gone unnoticed by most of the group, but Kindle looked up at his emergence and met his gaze, sending a fierce mental image of a bird of prey in a shrieking dive. ¡®I will get it done girl¡­ No matter what.¡¯ he sent back, turning and taking off into the air. His spirit responded to the command with shocking speed, and he found himself fifty feet in the air before he had even registered his extreme increase in velocity. He looked back down towards his body, which was now connected to him by a vibrant thread of woven fire. Then he turned and looked forward, having cleared the sight line of the hills. From his new vantage, he saw a small mountain chain in the distance, resisting the repeated crashing of an ocean of dark energy. It took Tilly a moment to register the immensity of the force crashing against the portion of the mountain chain that lay directly before them. The scale of this enemy force dwarfed the one outside their own wall by an order of magnitude, and the density of its energy was significantly thicker. Despite the enormity of the clash playing out before him, he immediately registered a faint sound dancing over and through the tumultuous conflict. The Flower¡¯s song, undaunted, and undiminished rang out through the air, continuing past the threat to touch the plane in incomprehensible ways. The site of the conflict reinforced their need to reach the Facet and Tilly shot forward, moving faster than he could have even at a full gallop on his new Mount. The flames covering his spiritual form lent him incredible speed as he streaked past pickets of subtly hidden scouts, and noted their positions. Then he began to approach the main army, and even in his current empowered form the malevolent energy they exuded buffeted his flight, slowing his pace toward the embattled city significantly. As the pressure increased, he decided to stop short of the edge of their howling ranks. From the rear of their forces, he could now clearly make out the front third of the Strigoi army crashing endlessly against a wall that made the one the Alliance had hastily constructed look like a joke. A pale ghostly energy crackled and snapped in the air above the edifice, as projectiles and spells were hurled down by the defenders, mowing down the endless ranks of enraged enemies. The city that rose beyond the wall, climbed the steep mountains that were its backdrop until they both disappeared into the ever-present clouds. Through it all, Tilly looked in vain for any way he could approach the wall without flying directly through the churning storm of Mana that boiled above the conflict. He doubted he would survive such a flight in his current form. In desperation, he scanned the sheer mountain faces, looking for some other way through. The closer he looked, the more he noticed some sort of subtle magic at play. An intricate weave of spellwork draped over the entire natural formation of stone, with the central root of the spell reaching deep into the heart of the fortress city. As he scanned west and then east, Tilly''s eyes were drawn to a break in the flat lands that stretched out from the mountains in all directions. A river poured down from a great waterfall halfway up one of the mountains and wound its way through the flat lands, off into the distance. The possibility that the waterfall presented to his spiritual form was as good a chance as he was going to get. He began to move in that direction, picking up speed, and pulling away from the Horde when the malevolent cloud of energy hanging over the whole force shifted. Tilly felt panic rise, as he realized that the cloud of energy hanging over the enemy force wasn''t just a mindless overflow of the creatures below it. He could suddenly feel its sentience as it shifted focus to Tilly as he tried to streak away and felt a palpable weight withdraw from the wall and shift to his position fleeing the rear of the Strigoi force. Tilly poured energy into his flight, egging more speed from his form, and burning off some of the flames that accompanied its empowered spiritual state. The weight of the cloud¡¯s attention rolled across the rear of the army, causing all of the creatures below it to flinch and howl in pain as their master swept its senses over them. Tilly raced just ahead of its rolling advance, pushing away in panic as it drew near. He looked back in panic and for the first time spotted his pursuer at the center of the vast hateful energy. Floating amid the roiling cloud was a winged figure. Something about Tilly''s attention changed the vague motions of the being''s pursuit and Tilly watched in horror as the thing looked up and met his eyes. B2 Ch. 49 Hammer Time If he hadn¡¯t been in his spiritual form, Tilly was sure his heart would have seized up from terror. The weight of the figure''s attention surrounded him blanketing his mind in numbness and then began to squeeze, overwhelming his soul with instinctual fear. Tilly¡¯s flight stuttered to a stop as a silent scream tried to escape through his gritted ghostly teeth. The figure was still obscure, but as Tilly stared in growing dread, its eyes began to shine with a dark intensity. Tilly couldn''t tell if it was moving or not, but its indistinct features began to sharpen as the sounds of battle grew closer. Then the small part of Tilly that was still cognizant of his surroundings realized that he was involuntarily floating back toward the battlefield and the cloud roiling above it. The compulsion was as undeniable as gravity, and Tilly felt himself falling toward his doom. All the while, those eyes grew like twin stars of darkness, filling his vision... becoming his new reality. Then a clarion call rang out from the wall, one so high and pure that it cut through the white noise of dominance that had fuzzed Tilly¡¯s mind and robbed him of all agency. Both his attention and thankfully, the figure''s, shifted to the wall, whose gates exploded open in a surprise countercharge. The gates reaped hundreds of enemy lives as they went from impenetrable to unstoppable in an instant, mowing down or flinging away anything in their path. Tilly couldn''t help but flinch at the thunderous clang the three-story metal doors made as they slammed to a stop against the walls that barely held them on giant swinging hinges. Behind them, a stream of combatants took the field charging through the recently made space and taking full advantage of the shock of their enemies to cut through their decimated front ranks and deep into the heart of the Strigoi offensive. Leading the charge was a wide variety of ghostly warriors, ranging from pale-looking humanoids to barely visible specters. Simultaneously, the ranged attacks raining down from the wall suddenly multiplied, bursting forth with embedded magics. Fire, wind, and even spectral blades tore through the press of bodies just beyond the charging Whyte counteroffensive, softening their opponents further and removing the possibility of a rally. With the weight of the figure''s presence gone, Tilly could suddenly think again and his fight or flight instinct redoubled. He had never been more sure of his need to flee a fight in his life. He poured everything he had into getting away from the battlefield, burning through whatever added spiritual agency the white flames had given him. There was no way he would survive that thing''s attention if it bothered to look back at him. In those moments it held his gaze, it had owned him, heart and soul. The loss of all of his control with just a glance from this new enemy filled him with a certainty of his own inferiority. Against something like that, he was well and truly over his head. It hadn¡¯t been like last time with the red-eyed figure¡­ there had been no struggle, just a silent, terrifying end to his will. Struck by a sudden thought, he desperately checked Corruption¡¯s Influence on his HUD. Corruption¡¯s Influence: 38% It had barely been boosted by the other creatures'' will¡­ He released a silent sigh of relief as he tore through the air as fast as he could following the face of the mountain range. Tilly wondered if the figure had even used an Ability or if the gap in their power levels was so overwhelming that someone with Tilly¡¯s low Wisdom was virtually helpless before him. He risked another glance back, making sure to focus only on the wall and the conflict raging before it. The Defenders had cut a huge wedge into the attacking army, killing thousands as they completely demolished the front ranks of the Horde. But the Whyte offensive had slowed significantly as it approached the area covered by the chaotic dark cloud. Its influence rolled forward, pressing against the ghostly blue barrier attempting to hold it back. Under the returning corrosive influence, the effectiveness of the attacks from the wall halved. His view was slowly blocked by the curve of the mountain range and he turned forward hoping to still accomplish his goal before it was too late. Before him stretched the river, snaking off through the flat plains and just up ahead were the powerful falls that fed it, thundering through a break in the mountains a couple of hundred feet up. At this point, the white flames that had covered Tilly¡¯s body had diminished to only a few patches and his speed decreased incrementally as he approached the falls, ascending to its top. He angled his flight to meet the barrier where it hovered above the water and slowed to a stop, floating before it. In his spirit form, the magic of the incredibly large spell was fascinating to see up close. He took a moment to marvel at what looked to be a tightly woven net of runes, exceedingly intricate and barely discernable even with his heightened sensitivity to mana in its base forms. The lines of arcane text slowly crawled through the pattern, causing a shimmering shifting in the ghostly blue lace of enchantment. He reached out and touched the barrier, and found it as strong as steel against his spiritual hand. A little jolt traveled through his arm at the contact, and the faint song of the Flower became more audible for a moment. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. He watched a faint ripple run through the magic in all directions, shooting off out of sight. Nothing else happened that he could see, so he decided to stick with his plan and slowly sunk into the deluge of water pouring out into the plain. His wince of hesitation relaxed into a smile as he entered the water and found that it passed through him with no resistance. In fact, as he fully entered its flow, the last pieces of flames burning on his form strengthened and grew, covering his shoulders and arms like a mantle. While the water was just water, hidden in its flow was something of significant spiritual weight that seemed to revitalize him spiritually. The song had grown even clearer in the center of the water¡¯s outpouring, and Tilly suspected that the roar of the water would have been deafening in his physical form, but the way he was now, it was relegated to playing in the background. Surrounded by water and the growing sweetness of the song, he stretched out his hand a second time. His vision was obscured by the flow of the river, but as he reached forward, his hand was still arrested by the impenetrable barrier. ¡®Even underwater?¡¯ He thought to himself in disappointment. He was about to pull his hand away when he felt a ripple roll through the barrier and sink into his spiritual form, mirroring what had happened when he first touched the barrier but in reverse. ¡®Come little brother, we do not have much time.¡¯ Then the resistance before him was gone, and he hesitantly flowed forward, finding the way suddenly clear. As soon as he passed, he felt the barrier close in behind him, and it may have been his imagination, but the movement seemed sluggish and stuttering, like turning on the lights in an old building. As he moved past the barrier, he felt the weight of another kind of attention close in around him. It felt distinctly fluid and wild and Tilly suddenly got the impression that he was somewhere he did not belong. Following instinct more than anything, he shot up out of the waters, feeling the weight of that unwelcome attention lift as soon as he removed himself from its domain. There, past the mouth of the falls, he found a curving path cut through the mountains by the river. Without hesitating, he shot forward, following its curves and taking full advantage of his partially restored spiritual flames to streak forward as fast as his form would take him. The river narrowed and broke off as he progressed, dividing up into hundreds of different tributaries from which it received its water. After cutting around several bends, Tilly emerged through the mountain range, gaining a view of the valley he had seen, what felt like ages ago. He left behind the river which cut back through the range at an angle and floated forward, suddenly hesitant. The song rang out here, just as clearly as it had the first time he had visited this valley, and even with the terrifying pressures and obligations he now carried on his shoulders, he felt the weight of their urgency lighten slightly. He flew over the trees, skimming their tops excitedly, now that he had finally made it back. He cleared the top of the tree line in minutes and the sight of his objective hit him like a physical blow. The Flower and the rising crescendo of its song were heady and overwhelming, however, when juxtaposed with his recent burst with the leader of the Strigoi army, Tilly couldn''t help but compare the two for a second. The Prime Dirge¡¯s power had dominated him, crushing all resistance before he even had time to realize what was happening. In contrast, the Flower and its song did nothing to snuff out his will. It was more than a force of nature, its power undeniable as it flooded the valley. Yet it demanded nothing of its spectators, offering its gift freely. The Flower¡¯s beauty was continually being poured out, made even more alluring by the fact that it was¡­ vulnerable. Tilly longed to approach it, feeling deeply attracted to its physical presence, but at the same time, felt a fiercely protective instinct rise up in him as he realized that the sole objective of the chaotic energy that suffused the Prime Dirge was to twist this power into something completely different. At some point without realizing it, he found himself on the same hilltop he had visited the first time, lost in the layers and nuances of the Flower¡¯s song. Revelations about reality itself seemed to be playfully hidden within its melodies and time took on a strange dreamlike quality in its presence. Then the sound of a deep sigh drew Tilly¡¯s attention to his right and pulled him back into the present. Looking over he found Thunder Descends leaning on his hammer and taking the same sight wistfully. ¡°When I united the tribes of my peoples, I was insatiable in my appetite for more. I wanted the greatest treasures of this Plane for myself¡­ I was arrogant and my pride spelled my doom. But my desires for great treasure lived on, and part of me continued in this form. I was looking for something I could not name, but knew I had to find.¡± He slowly pulled his gaze away from the flower and met Tilly''s eyes. ¡°My new people found this place long ago, and to our wonder, we discovered that proximity to this Facet allowed us to act out memories of our predecessors many times before they faded. It has been the treasure of our culture for a thousand years, and each of us swore to protect it once we joined the city and learned of its presence.¡± His smile fell as the solemnity of their situation sank in, even here at the heart of the hidden valley. ¡°Now the time of our stewardship comes to an end. I heard the charge of my brothers and sisters and their courage calls to me. It is now time for me to break the pride of another arrogant heart.¡± He declared, straightening and looking back west, where the city lay on the other side of the mountains. ¡°Wait, how do I obtain the patronage of the Flower? How do I even get back here in my real body?¡± Tilly all but shouted as he realized this was going to be another abrupt end to a conversation with the huge Whyte. Thunder Descends rolled his shoulders as he looked off into the distance, his frown turning fierce as he considered his opponent. ¡°I believe one of your party has something that will grant you a boon from Old Man River. Take it to him, and he will help you to reach this place. As for the rest of your quest¡­¡± He trailed off, turning back toward Tilly and pausing before continuing hesitantly, ¡°I can¡¯t say I know. But there is a seed in your party, and that is a good start.¡± He finished, cracking a smile as if that was everything Tilly needed to know. Then he hefted his hammer, and the sight of its sigil-inscribed head made Tilly¡¯s ghostly jaw ache. ¡°Now, I will send you back to save you some time. I do not think your presence has gone unnoticed, and the blood drinker has come to contest your claim. You must hurry.¡± He stated, his eyes narrowing in concentration as the head of his hammer began to thrum. ¡°Wait, I need more information! ... And what are you doing with your hammer?¡± B2 Ch. 50 Old Man River ¡°This shouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Thunder Decends muttered, concentration writ across his face as the head of his hammer shimmered and became incorporeal matching Tilly¡¯s state. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t?!¡¯ Tilly had just time enough to think before the hammer exploded forward and crashed into his abdomen. The impact transferred an incredible amount of kinetic energy to him and he launched into the air, streaking over the mountains at unbelievable speeds. The thread connecting him back to his body tightened and began to pull him back, the flames woven into the connection flaring brightly with the strain. Tilly choked off a belated scream as he realized that the impact hadn¡¯t actually hurt. His spiritual form was fuzzing at its edges under the strain of taking on so much energy, but it did not cause him any harm, spiritual or otherwise. After only seconds he was clearing the mountain ranges and gained a clear view of the battle raging below. The Horde had made it through the gates and now had the upper hand in the battle. The Whytes however, were exacting a high price for every advancing step, and Tilly saw at least half the attacking army had been destroyed in the reckless push. He burned past the cloud of chaos and hatred, closing his eyes, hoping that it would make some difference. But just as his arc began its descent toward his physical body, he felt that same terrible awareness pass over him, attempting to latch on. It might have been because of the distance, Tilly¡¯s speed, or even due to some effect of Thunder¡¯s Ability but whatever it was, the Prime Dirge¡¯s attention slid off him, unable to latch on. Tilly let out a sigh of extreme relief as his path shot him behind the hills. As soon as the line of sight was broken, Tilly felt the weight of its attention lighten considerably, but not disappear entirely. Before he knew it, he was gasping for breath, once again fighting the feeling of vertigo that always accompanied his return to a physical state. All around him, his companions stirred, getting to their feet. ¡°We have to go, now!¡± Tilly gasped, rolling to his feet dizzily. Ichiro rose from his sitting position smoothly and tucked away his sword, ¡°We are ready, what is the plan? How do we get into the city.¡± ¡°The city is just a doorway into the valley, one that the Horde will soon open, but I think there is another way,¡± Tilly said, moving over to the embodiment of his fears and sticking one of his moccasined feet into the stirrup. As he stepped up and settled into the saddle, he looked around to find the rest of the group mirroring his urgency as they too, mounted their Nightmares, looking to him for further information. ¡°I don¡¯t entirely know what this means, but we need to get to a river that pours down from the mountain range to the east of the city. The Prime Dirge is leading this attack directly and spotted me on the way in and out. My contact assures me that if we reach the river, we will be granted a boon and access to the valley. But first, we need to clear these hills and then cut east to meet the river by the fastest line possible. Everybody ready?¡± Everyone in the group nodded as they loosened weapons and prepared for what was to come. Kindle lept into the air above them, crying out fiercely in anticipation. Tilly turned his mount toward the battle and the object of their quest. ¡°Let''s go!¡± He called as he kicked his Nightmare forward into a gallop, not bothering to lower his voice. The rest of the group followed and they cleared the last of the hills in less than a minute. As they broke out into the plain, Tilly immediately felt the Prime Dirges'' attention redouble on him, and he heard gasps and exclamations all around him as its weight settled down on the group. The battle was still too far for them to make out any details of what was happening on the wall, but they did see a small contingent breaking off from the rear of the Horde and moving toward them. Tilly cut to the east toward the distant river, urging his mount to move as fast as possible on the open ground. And move it did, Tilly could feel a slight tug of discomfort on his bond, as the Nightmare pulled on his life energy even further to eke out more speed. The mount¡¯s feet were a blur as it pushed toward the river with all it had, followed closely by the others. Turning back to measure the approaching group''s relative distance, Tilly was shocked to see that they continued gaining, even with the mounts at full speed. Even worse than that, Tilly could see the cloud approaching as well and felt the pressure on his mind increasing by the second. He whipped his head over to Hilbert whose nose was bleeding freely as he held an arcane gesture in one hand and the reins in the other. From his form, a shimmering shield had risen to cover over the group, interposing itself between the Dirge¡¯s attention and the galloping group. ¡°I am doing all I can!¡± he snarled, the blood from his nose painting his teeth red as it continued to flow. The pinkish energy of his magic was thick above them, and it flickered ominously at the increasing pressure being levied by the distant pursuer. Then the pressure again redoubled, and even the mounts began to slow under its weight, causing the pursuing contingent to gain on them even more. Tilly¡¯s group had a shorter path to the river, but whoever this group was they possessed incredible speed.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Tilly looked back towards the battle once again, looking for any sign of the guardian Whyte. After a moment, he spotted something, glittering in the sky high above the mountains. The distant object continued to grow until it resembled a meteor. It was then that the sound of a boom reached them, and a ring of concussive pressure exploded out from the object as it increased speed, hurtling down towards the battle. As suddenly as it had fallen, the Prime Dirge¡¯s attention lifted from the group, and they gasped in relief as the Nightmares picked up their speed in the absence of its pressure. Tilly, however, continued to stare back at the coming collision in awe. The cloud whipped around the Prime Dirge in a vortex before shooting up to meet the new threat like a lance. As the cloud launched upward to meet the falling meteor, Tilly heard the shout of the Guardian booming through the heavens, ¡°THUNDER DESCENNNNNDS!¡± Whether he was shouting his own name, or he was named after his strongest Ability Tilly did not know, but another boom, this time so loud that Tilly felt it in his chest, rolled off from the impact. The cloud was completely dispersed by the kinetic energy released as Thunder crashed into the Prime Dirge, hammer first. Their collision with the ground below reminded Tilly of an artillery strike and hundreds of the enemy army were caught in the resulting concussive blast. It. Was. Epic. ¡®Hell yeah brother¡¯ Tilly grinned fiercely at the incredible opening move Thunder had used to lay into the Prime Dirge. Unfortunately, this had done nothing to slow the group pursuing them¡­ And Tilly was loath to realize that they were still gaining. He turned forward in his saddle to try and measure their distance to the river and his heart sank further. They wouldn¡¯t make it. He sensed the formation of galloping mounts shift behind him and saw Ichiro in a tight conference with Sir Michael, speaking loudly enough to be heard over the gallop, but not loudly enough for his words to carry to Tilly. Whatever was said, the Knight nodded and pulled back on his reigns causing the mount to slow. ¡°Gorock, with me,¡± Ichiro called. Gorock looked back at the lapin and hooted with glee as he saw Ichiro''s intentions. Tilly was about to slow as well, thinking that the group as a whole had a much better chance of defeating whoever had come to pursue them. ¡°No, Jonathan!¡± Ichiro called, slowing just enough so that he would meet the trailing attackers within sight of the river. ¡°Do not forsake the mission! You must obtain Patreonage or this is all for nothing!¡± He shouted over the growing distance between their two groups. With him were Gorock, Sir Michael, and Hilbert. Kindle let out a fierce war cry, wheeling in the air and breaking off with the group to turn and face their pursuers. Tilly¡¯s face fell, but he nodded in understanding and turned to fully focus on the approach to the river, which was coming up fast. Time was short and he would trust his companion''s decision-making as much as they trusted his. To his right and left were Franklin and Amelia, both showing complicated looks on their faces, but determined to continue. Gorock¡¯s wild taunting echoed from behind them as they pulled up to the river''s edge. Tilly dismounted, and the others hopped down just a moment behind him. ¡°Hey! Mr. River?¡± Tilly shouted at the flowing waters, urgency undercutting his attempt at a respectful tone. No answer returned and he looked at his two companions feeling lost. Amelia returned his look with nothing to add, but Franklin ignored the look entirely and moved to the river with a strange mix of concentration and sorrow pulling down the lines of his face. ¡°This is it¡­this is the moment.¡± He spoke quietly as he unwrapped the scarf from around his neck. Tilly looked back to see the pursuing group almost upon the rest of their party. Ichiro''s group had dismissed their mounts to regain the lost Constitution and were taking up a diamond formation with Sir Michael at its point and Hilbert at the rear. ¡°Well, whatever you are going to do, do it.¡± Franklin laid the blue length of fabric tenderly across his upturned hands and knelt at the edge of the water, lowering it in. Tilly blinked in shock, as the water rippled around the piece of clothing and formed the shape of a young girl with blue skin. She looked to be sleeping, but as Franklin lifted her back from the water, her eyes blinked open slowly. The sound of a clash of arms and a cackling howl broke out in the near distance, but Franklin seemed to be immune to outside pressures as his face broke out in a brotherly smile at the appearance of the little girl. ¡°Hello little friend, it is nice to finally meet you¡­¡± He said settling her onto her feet. She looked around slowly and her eyes grew as big as saucers. Her location sunk in and she rubbed the heels of her hands into her face as she fought back tears. ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­ for bringing me home.¡± She stuttered through a hitching sob. Then behind her, the water began the froth and a man with a beard of flowing water and scales running along his upper body stepped up from its surface at a run. ¡°Daughter!¡± He exclaimed, throwing his arms open and rushing to the shore. ¡°Papa!¡± She cried collapsing toward the approaching figure. He snatched her from her fall and twirled her around, laughing uproarously. Something in Tilly twinged at the sight, but something far deeper began to well up along with the pain, washing it in healing sorrow. He broke his eyes away from the site and looked back at the Ichiro¡¯s group, who was now completely enmeshed in battle with the pursuers. Now that they were much closer, Tilly was able to count twenty-ish Consumers being led by a huge Strigoi wielding a battle axe. Even as the smaller group fought to keep them engaged, half of the Consumers broke off and continued toward the river. The water-bearded man looked up from his embrace and his smile fell, ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± He said, setting down his daughter and turning to address the three before him. B2 Ch. 51 Face Tat The physical personification of the River stood to his full height, surveying the trio from several feet above their eye levels. ¡°You have my gratitude¡­ I would ask what boon you would have of me, but given the circumstances, I imagine I already know the answer. It is within my power to bring you to the Flower and back, simply step into my waters, and I will carry you.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Tilly said as he moved forward in a rush, every clang and shout instilling greater urgency into the moment. He couldn¡¯t stand the idea of them fighting to protect him, while he just stood here. ¡°Honored Elder, I would request a different boon.¡± Franklin interposed. The River¡¯s look softened as he met the Honu¡¯s eyes, ¡°Yes, I see Little Brook''s mark on you. It is no small thing to give up such a benefit to your magic¡­¡± The honu nodded, licking dry lips, ¡°What I need most now is the strength to protect those with me. Will you grant me this?¡± He exclaimed in a rush. The battle raged a few hundred yards off and the smaller contingent of Consumers was almost upon them. Old Man River, however, took his time considering Franklin¡¯s request. ¡°My daughter¡¯s blessing would have followed you through every tier of growth, becoming something truly powerful if you survived¡­¡± He ran his fingers through his beard as he thought and Tilly choked down a growl of frustration as he drew his hatchets and half turned to keep an eye on their approaching attackers. The little girl tugged on to her father''s hand shyly and he knelt down to hear her whisper, before laughing in response, ¡°OH! Very good child! I had forgotten all about her. That will do nicely!¡± Tilly grit his teeth at the pace of the conversation and finished turning to face the approaching group. They were now within his striking distance, and he would only be able to get in a few throws before they crashed into the river bank. Amelia pulled several handfuls of something from her pockets, joining Tilly as he lifted his hatchets to throw when they heard a throat-clearing harrumph from behind them. Two huge vortices of water rose up from the river and crashed down on top of the sprinting Consumers with the weight of thousands of gallons behind it. The force of the water was undeniable, but it did not push the attackers back the way they came. Instead, it swept them to either side of the group and down into the river. And, just like that, they were gone. Tilly suddenly feeling a chill as he belatedly looped his hatchets back on his belt. He looked back at the River closely, but no identifier popped up above his head. The power he had just displayed, however, spoke for itself. ¡°Disgusting parasites if you ask me¡­¡± River sniffed absently as he turned his attention back to the three of them, ¡°Now to your boons, you two, pass through my waters and I will grant your companion a gift worthy of this deed.¡± Amelia looked over at Tilly raising her eyebrows, and he nodded, whatever was to come, they had to get to the Flower first. Without hesitating, she dismissed her mount, and Tilly turned to do the same. With a flex of his will, the Mount faded, and 10% was restored to his Constitution. Then they turned together towards the water and stepped off the shore into a surprisingly deep drop-off. Before Tilly could even shout out in shock, he was slipping into the river¡¯s depths, joined by a twin splash to his left. The water swallowed them, and Tilly felt the invisible grip of a mighty hand encircle him and launch him forward. It felt as if they were slipping between the flow of water, and Tilly felt no resistance as they shot upriver. His lungs constricted, and he fought panic as they moved in a way that confounded his comprehension until suddenly he was breaking the water''s surface. He looked up, wiping water from his eyes to find himself on the small rocky bank of a shallow mountain stream at the base of the hidden valley. ¡­ Franklin Level 35 Tundra Caller Amelia and Tilly disappeared as soon as they stepped into the river, and he could feel his mana stirring in response to the wild application of water and teleport magic that the River employed. The presence of the being before him vibrated in his senses, and he did not think either of the other two had a grasp of what they were dealing with. This wasn¡¯t a river. This was a manifestation of all Rivers¡­ His power suffused Franklin''s water-attuned senses as he tried to maintain calm before what might as well have been a deity. The figure in question turned from watching the two disappear, and looked Franklin in the eyes, his expression becoming more frank with the others gone. ¡°You know who I am?¡± ¡°Yes, Honored one,¡± Franklin answered quickly, attempting not to choke on his own nervousness. His great uncle had spoken of such beings. Creatures that bridged the gap between the Land and the Divine realm, standing with one foot in each. He had said he only met two in his time and both had been as wild and unpredictable as a summer storm. They lived by their own code of conduct and had very little regard for the wants or cares of the sentients who subsisted off their bounty. ¡°Good. Keep that to yourself. As much as I would like to help, I am bound to my domain, but your actions have allowed me to tip the scales slightly, so as my daughter suggests, I will grant you a contract with something not seen on Nephesh for Epochs¡­ She will be scaled down to your power level, but I think you will find her a more than suitable reward.¡± He said, his eyes beginning to glow. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Franklin was about to thank the being but was distracted by two glowing tendrils of water rising from the river before him. They moved toward him almost hesitantly, as if considering, their glow matching the light coming from the River¡¯s eyes. ¡°Now, you need to hold still¡­¡± He muttered as the point of the tendrils tapered off to razor-sharp points and shot forward. The movement was so fast and shocking that Franklin only had time to blink as a pattern of pain erupted from his brow. They punctured him thousands of times in the space of a breath moving faster than thought, and Franklin bit back a shout as their movements danced a hair¡¯s breadth from his eyes. Then as quick as they came, the tendrils misted away, and the River leaned forward to admire his work. The girl clinging to his side smiled encouragingly at Franklin as he lifted his hands to his face. He felt no physical change, but he could feel a new Ability available to him, although he did not pull up his screen in front of the Elder, fearing such a thing would be rude. ¡°I think it is a fierce reminder of what she is,¡± he said absently turning to his daughter, ¡°What do you think Little Brook?¡± At his side, the little girl''s smile turned mischievous and she spoke for the first time since entering the water. ¡°Auntie Fjord will love it!¡± she exclaimed. Her father clapped in delight, then turned back to consider the scene playing out just beyond his reach. ¡°Your friends have shown a surprising amount of resilience, but I am afraid they will be overwhelmed shortly without your help.¡± He said, waving dismissively. ¡°Thank you, Honored One!¡± Franklin said, sketching a respectful bow and turning quickly to find Ichiro¡¯s group a few hundred paces out, surrounded by harrying attackers as the huge Strigoi at the front hammered down blows on Sir Michael¡¯s crumbling shield. At the sight, Franklin jerked forward, catching the neck of his skeletal mount and climbing up into the saddle, kicking the summon into a gallop. ¡°Too many in these milder climates have forgotten what we can do, young Tundra Caller!¡± the River shouted after him, ¡°Remind them!¡± Franklin nodded, clinging to his mount as it charged forward with a speed inconsistent with its emaciated leathery frame. Franklin sent his senses through his magic and discovered the new frigid place that housed his gift. He pulled up its description in the moments he had before arriving at the battle.
Summon Elemental of the Primordial Ice: At the cost of 45% of your mana, you may evoke your summon once a day and it will persist until destroyed or a thousand breaths have passed. Her Strength and Endurance will be scaled to 2x your Intelligence and Wisdom respectively and she will be granted control over her element equal to your highest Ice-related Skill. She may manipulate that element using her own Mana, but doing so will shorten her summon time.
Franklin sensed that he could begin the summon anywhere in his line of sight, and he immediately activated the Ability causing whatever had been done to his face to suddenly ache with cold. He centered the summon right behind the Strigoi leader, and a whirling vortex of Icy winds began to spin in that place. The leader reflexively jumped back from Sir Michael''s crumpled form and turned to take in the new threat. Gorock looked like he had bathed in blood, most of it his, but the attackers on his side of the surrounding group were all wounded in some way. Ichiro¡¯s robe was glowing with a strange pattern, and he seemed to be untouched, having struck down several foes far above his level, but his eyes were bleeding profusely and his movements showed an uncharacteristic sluggishness. Hilbert had simply done all he could to hold back the thin group that had come around for a full rear flank. He had his same barrier up again, but Franklin watched it shatter on the next blow from one of the Consumers. Kindle dived in between the Wizard Apprentice and the Strigoi and released a gout of flame, bathing the oncoming attackers. They surged forward into the gap despite the flesh melting from their frames as Franklin''s Ability fully activated. The icy whirlwind snapped to a standstill and then exploded with a powerful roar. The sound parted the blanket of snow that had manifested allowing a huge ursine creature to walk through, its pure white fur showing intermittent patches of frost. As soon as it emerged from the portal, its presence blanketed the area in a sudden freezing cold, and all the attackers paused and pulled back to take measure of the new predator entering the field. Franklin could feel the elemental¡¯s savage satisfaction at the enemies presented before it, and it let out another huge roar. One layered with notes of challenge and defiance. The Strigoi leader did not hesitate to charge the Summon, releasing a shout Abilitiy that froze Franklin and the others in place. The Elemental rose on its hindlegs unaffected, and slammed them down, releasing a rolling wave of icy spikes against her charging attacker, and most of the Consumers surrounding the group. The axe-wielding leader jumped out of the way, breaking off his shout as he did so, and Franklin lurched into action, launching ice spikes at the backs of the distracted Consumers charging Hilbert¡¯s position. The whole fight erupted into chaos as the thin balance of the conflict was completely disrupted by the emergence of the new combatants on the field. Gorock bellowed in unimpeded joy as he dived into the midst of his attackers, who had been scattered by the Ice spike attack. Ichiro wove through the new obstacles, his white eyes ablaze with a piercing silver light as he removed any stray appendage that appeared in the field of death. Several of the Consumers tried to break through the icy barriers, but as soon as their bodies made physical contact, they were slowed, immediately growing frosty patches of ice all over their skin. The leader turned to see he was losing the initiative, and roared again, activating some sort of overdrive. His body swelled with engorged muscle and ropy black veins of corruption. His fanged mouth began to pour out a mixture of black ichor and blood as he screamed in part outrage part pain, ¡°Mikhail, This Is The Last Time You Escape!¡± Enraged, he body tackled the Elemental, ignoring the patches of ice that formed all over him and viciously cutting into the summon''s side with his huge serrated axe. The Elemental roared in response and began to gore the flesh of her attacker, even as it continued to reform with ever-increasing layers of engorged muscle. The remaining Consumers also went into a full rage, their forms bulging as they shrugged off the slowing effect of the Primordial Ice. B2 Ch. 52 Lay it Down Amelia Cooper - Level 40 Botanist Surveyor She dragged herself up from the rocky stream, gasping for breath. Jonathan had arrived with her through the strangest transport magic she had ever experienced, and they both stumbled to their feet on the other side of the mountains. Something prickled all along her skin and Amelia quirked her head. Her growth-aspected mana stirred interestingly as she bent her internal senses to find the source of the sensation. Jonathan had explained to them what this Facet was like, but she had not expected it to resonate with her mana so¡­ profoundly. Then the sound of screeching metal followed by a concussive boom reverberated through the mountains. Amelia looked up to see something crash into the far mountain range, chased by the malevolent creature that had almost destroyed them in their flight to the river. ¡°The barrier is down, we have to hurry,¡± Jonathan noted grimly beside her, his eyes following the trajectory of the impact. ¡°Let''s get moving then! You lead and I''ll keep up.¡± She replied, running her hand through her wet hair to get it out of her eyes. She has some Drinking Dust stored away somewhere, but they didn¡¯t have time for something as petty as drying off. ¡°Alright, let''s go.¡± He said, distracted by the fight occurring in the distance. Then as if jolted by electricity, he lowered his head and moved straight for the forest at a jog. Amelia jumped to follow, fighting a grin at his sudden shift into action. After all this time, she was still bemused by the man. He could be exceedingly short with his words, direct in his manner one moment, then playful and clever the next. Below all of it lurked deep waters that she would catch glimpses of in the strangest moments. That being said, she hadn''t exactly been the best version of herself with him either. She had left behind her kind decades ago, writing them off and doing her best to embrace this new life. Then he showed up, just as everything she had built began to crumble. She had been running herself ragged trying to beat this infection in the children, and he just showed up and did it¡­ At first, she had been frustrated that someone else had stepped in to solve her problems. Then as she saw him cleanse people until he was comatose, she had grown a grudging respect for him, but that respect had not removed the tiny seed of bitterness that continued to whisper in her ear, Look, you are still not good enough. As he moved through the trees ahead of her, she lengthened her stride to keep up. Her feelings toward him still in constant flux. He was proud and hated to see others sacrifice themselves in his place. Yet he insisted on doing so for everyone around him. His martyr complex was truly impressive... Yet, she could not deny he was honest and courageous when it mattered. Actually, he probably leaned into those virtues more often than was prudent, charging in without thinking, sharing secrets without hesitating¡­ Amelia shook her head ruefully as she ducked a low-hanging branch. Whatever his failings, he had been good to the people he had promised to help. He might not be much of a leader, but she now fully understood that his intentions were in the right place. Even if he drove her crazy with his bullheadedness. For just a moment she allowed herself to imagine what life would be like if they survived whatever conflict was washing over the entire plane. Forgotten wounds ached again at the thought of possible companionship with another of her race, and the risk of her disappointing someone else¡­ Even as old pain rose to the surface, the sensation around her deepened. The feeling of goosebumps on her skin spread from her arms down to her back, like warm water flowing down from a hot shower. A shiver of delight and relief suffused her senses as she moved deeper into the valley, and the warm reality of endless possibilities seeped into her soul. You are holding him back. What part did she have to play in all this? Was she just here to get her Corruption cleansed? Or was there something more? The feeling of lightness danced just on the edge of her hearing, growing clearer with every step. It was the ringing of bells¡­ No, that wasn¡¯t it, although it had that quality. There was singing there too, and some sort of rhythm present as well. ¡°It¡¯s music!¡¯ She finally realized, Her steps became lighter, and the chains of guilt and condemnation that so often bound her heart began to loosen. Emotional weights so familiar to her that they had become a fact of her existence began to lighten, and a small smile tugged at her straining face as she plowed after Jonathan through the ancient forest. Then a jarring staccato of violent crashes echoed through the valley, followed by a symphony of screams that sounded as if they had been ripped from hundreds of mouths. Whoever was fighting that thing had to be extremely strong. She hoped it could hold it off long enough for them to accomplish their quest. ¡°The only thing you will find in this valley is your end!¡± the voice of their temporary protector shouted in the distance. ¡°You are almost forgotten, shade. Then the power of Endless Life will be mine, and my children will wash over the Land like the tide.¡± Jonathan looked back at her, a desperate question left unspoken on his lips. She sighed internally and called forward,The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°If you are holding back for my sake, don¡¯t! I''m here to help, not hinder!¡± She growled forward at him, suddenly furious that he was going slower than he had to for her sake. They had a mission to accomplish! He picked up the pace significantly, moving directly toward what Amelia now recognized as the Flower¡¯s song. The forest started to thin again, and she began to notice another growing sensation in the pit of her stomach. Something that started as a painful cramp and grew with every step into a halo of stabbing pain surrounding her core. ¡°Guhhh¡± She stifled a groan as the pain redoubled. The Corruption¡­ It had never done anything like this. Instead of trying to integrate with her body, it had begun to attack her internally, as if finally realizing its end might be near. She glanced up to see her Health now falling with every step, as the sensation of repeatedly being stabbed reached further and further into her torso. Origin¡¯s seed within her also seemed to be reacting to the song, but not in a way that counterbalanced the damage being done by the now furious parasite. They cleared the trees, and the song grew louder, as did the discordant notes of her agony. A few steps ahead of her, Jonathan was grunting in his own pain, his gait hitching oddly as he continued forward. It was then that she noticed the blood he was leaving behind with every step. Health: 72% She reached under her shirt and found that her abdomen had also started weeping blood. The pain was now lancing into every nearby area of her body with violent disregard for their function. It was getting desperate, and part of her hardened in the face of this inescapable opposition. If it wanted to kill her¡­ so be it. She would rather die than quit while so many were counting on her. Her insides wrenched, dropping her health another 5% and she bit back another scream. Out of long habit, she palmed her health potion, ready to down it as soon as she became unable to keep up with the dogged pace he was setting. She knew his infection was far more pervasive than hers and she refused to be the reason they slowed down. If Jonathan could continue then so would she. They stumbled to the top of a low rise, the sight of Origin¡¯s Bloom at the center of the valley was almost enough to make her forget her pain. It was nothing more than a simple blue flower, yet for some reason it felt more real and vibrant than the breath in her lungs. The sight of it did nothing to lessen her agony, but it did give context to the pain. They were almost there. Almost done. Ahead of her, Jonathan grunted, slowing for a moment as they both took in the sight. She moved the last couple of steps to catch up to him, and saw, to her horror, that his mouth was pouring dark blood. Before she could say something, he stumbled down the rise in an almost mindless motion, as much stubbornness as will. In that glimpse of his face, she had seen death. She tightened the grip she had on her Health potion and moved to follow, focusing all of her attention on keeping up. They were so close! Health: 41% That symphony of screams echoed through the valley again, this time much closer, and Amelia heard a sad, but friendly voice carry over to them on an invisible breeze, ¡°This is all the time I can give you, little brother, little sister. Spend it well.¡± Before she could process those words or their source, the sky boomed, shaking the entire valley as lightning descended out of the ever-present clouds and crashed down out of sight. Those same screams of outrage warped further into wails of pain as the lightning continued in a seemingly endless bar of energy. It was as if heaven itself was pouring out the entire cup of its wrath in one violent judgment. They both continued toward the sweet song, its source pouring forth unbridled joy uninterrupted by the conflict around it. Jonathan coughed wetly a few steps ahead of her and released a guttural grown, before falling over. They were ten feet from the Flower, which swayed softly just beyond their reach. She stumbled over to him and pressed her potion into his hand, the sharp sensation of pain at the action almost causing her to keel over as she straightened. ¡°Don¡¯t stop¡­ *Cough* One of us has to make it.¡± Tilly gasped, eyes fixed on the Flower. ¡®He wasn¡¯t going to make it¡­¡¯ The reality slammed into her, attempting to drive her to the ground, as hot knives of pain wriggled, reaching further into the cavity that vainly attempted to protect her organs. Health: 28% Her jaw was clenched too tightly to answer him, but she forced her body to take another step and then another. What''s the point? You¡¯ll both be dead in minutes, Just sit for a second and catch your breath. That same sickly sweet voice kept bubbling up through the pain, promising her the relief of no longer caring. Step after stumbling step, she answered the voice. Not with malleable arguments that only gave it more power. But with the iron finality of action. She had no clue if the Facet could save them or not. But she was done being ruled by fear. She wasn¡¯t going to give up this time. Her midsection boiled over into a frothy orgy of pain as she collapsed in front of the Facet, reaching out her hand and gently touching the edge of a petal. It was so blue that it drank in her vision, drowning her in its azure vibrance. Its song was so clear that even through the pain, she felt her tense body relaxing in relief. At her touch, the song coalesced around her, somehow forming words in her consciousness: This Facet¡¯s Champion has fallen, do you accept the mantle: Bloom¡¯s Guardian? Smiling spitefully in the face of the gut-wrenching pain attempting to scramble her insides, she sent her assent to the music-formed notification, and the song roared into a crescendo, causing all kinds of flowering plants to erupt from the ground around them. Then something changed in the midst of the song, an order rippling through the wild melodies that intertwined the Flower and its new Champion. Emergency Quest Initiated /// Transport compatibility identified /// Relocate Facet to a safer location. Reward: Patronage of Origin¡¯s Bloom Do you accept? ¡®In for a penny, in for a pound¡­¡¯ Amelia thought grimly as she accepted the notification. Ch. 52. Bed time version bonus episode. I posted the recording on patreon, but it is free, so no worries about paying to listen if you are interested. I think it is like 12 or 13 min long. also I have to meet a minimum word count so don''t mind me... I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs.I like eggs. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. Aint no party like a firefighter party, cause a firefighter party don''t stop. B2 Ch. 53 Death鈥檚 Doorway Jonathan Tillman, Level 23 Son of Flame Tilly¡¯s insides were boiling over into an exquisite mixture of burning flesh and eviscerated organs. As soon as he had begun to approach the Flower, the Corruption within him had started to struggle, resisting his movements and causing him pain, but it was nothing his crazy Endurance couldn¡¯t counterbalance. But as he cleared the trees, the warnings turned into waves of frenzied attacks that increased in intensity the closer he got to the Flower. He started to wheeze, then cough up blood as the Corruption¡¯s internal network of branching feelers flexed and pierced his internal organs. Even with Tilly''s Mana-reinforced internal structures, the damage moved from dangerous, to severe, to catastrophic as he attempted to push through the last 50 feet to their goal. He felt Kindle''s consciousness blaze into his mind, taking in the damage he was experiencing along with its source, ¡®Do not die, Bonded! I am coming. I have just remembered something important!¡¯ Tilly sent back a vague assent as more and more of his will was demanded in the struggle to keep moving forward. Step after grinding step, he pushed, picking up the Internal Bleeding Debuff, and watching it slowly stack until Organ Failure joined it on his HUD. None of that mattered to Tilly... His mind''s eye was fixed on the fight going on just past the mountains. He would not waste their sacrifice! After an eternity of agony, he attempted to clear his blurry eyes of the film of tears that were free-flowing, seeing the Bloom just a few feet away. Massive Hemorrhaging appeared next to the other Debuffs, rounding out the trio. As soon as it locked into place, strength drained from his limbs like water from a tub, and he stumbled to the ground, struggling to breathe, his eyes still fixed on the Bloom, barely out of reach. His torso was a mess, abdominal muscles shredded in their attempt to contain the furry of the Corrupted tendrils. He tried and failed, to pull his legs under him, finding some essential connection missing... A wet gurgling gasp sounded next to him, reminding him that he was not alone in this agony. straining the mostly intact muscles of his neck, he looked up to see Amelia still stumbling forward, a grim scowl pulling down the corners of her mouth as her own invader attempted to keep them from their goal. ¡°Don¡¯t stop¡­ *Cough* One of us has to make it.¡± He wheezed through needle-filled lungs. The fire flowing through his mana pathways burned the Corruption, attempting to combat its furious attacks, but this only resulted in further internal damage to Tilly¡¯s ruined organs. He blinked as a blurry shadow passed him by, and felt something small and cold settle into his hands. He uncorked the object and lifted it to his lips, the motion more a memory than a conscious decision. He coughed wetly as it went down and his focus returned as he watched in some satisfaction a few moments later when Amelia fell to her knees and lifted her hand to touch the Flower. At that moment, as the unnatural healing rushed through his body attempting to combat the massive damage being leveraged against him, he thought of his ex-wife. Not the woman he had known near the end when their relationship had devolved into a bitter shriveled ghost of itself. No, watching Amelia fight tooth and nail to do what no one else could, reminded him of Laura at her best. Tough as old leather, yet relentless in their support of those in their care. The Flower''s music rose victoriously at her touch and Amelia sat there for a breath or two before the melody began to fade, whispering into silence. Then to his dismay, the Flower dissolved into motes of light. Tilly managed a grunt of shock as he watched the Facet disappear. In an almost comical mirror of this turn of events, the temporary spike in his Health ran out as the potion''s magic waned before the furious onslaught of his internal enemy. The fact that he had any Health left at all was truly a testament to the stubborn nature of his Endurance-infused body. Through the gut-wrenching pain, Tilly watched the motes of light dance through the air and swirl into a vortex that centered on Amelia¡¯s core. As the song faded in its entirety, the motes completely vanished into their chosen vessel. ''Ha!'' Tilly thought triumphantly, cracking a bloody smile at the sight. If that wasn''t a good sign, he didn''t know what was. Then a new sound arose, completely replacing the sweet music that only just faded. A multitude of screams tore through the air toward them. A brutally disfigured Prime Dirge appeared over the near horizon and crashed into the ground before Amelia, tearing a huge furrow in the previously vibrant carpet of grass and clover. ¡°What Have You Done!?!?¡± The cacophony of discordant voices screamed from hundreds of mouths all over the muscular grey and purple-skinned creature. Its fight with Thunder Descends had obviously not been one-sided, and the waxy, molted remains of severely burned skin covered its once sleek form. Yet, even wounded, its presence completely overwhelmed Tilly. The Prime Dirge struggled to its feet, looking around in momentary confusion, before centering its attention on Amelia and lifting its arm almost curiously. Tilly¡¯s health ticked down to 1% and he desperately activated [Resolute] as he fought against the mental weight that had settled down over him like cement. Darkness crept in on all sides, surrounding the scene of their failure like the curtain closing on the final act of a play. The Title kicked in, and all the damage he was receiving from his internal trauma ceased just as Kindle¡¯s burning presence entered his peripheries, high in the sky. ¡®Bonded, I need your Mana!¡¯ Kindle sent urgently as Tilly hovered dangerously close to the edge of death. The horrifying slurry that was now his internal organs had somehow been stabilized by [Resolute], muting the battle between his flame and the juvenile Seed of Corruption, yet it had all been for nothing. The Prime Dirge stood before them, gravely injured, but still far beyond their power to resist. Kindle¡¯s words stoked what little will Tilly had left, revealing a minute avenue of opposition, as a final desperate hope flickered back to life in Tilly¡¯s mind. A glowing sigil lit up on the back of his right hand and in it, Tilly could feel the straining need of his Bond. Tilly raged against the Aura that blanketed the area, pulling on his wild desperation to lift his arm and throw every bit of Mana he had into the link, launching it toward the phoenix. Far above them, Kindle wheeled into a dive, her distant speck bursting into a startling brightness.
Warning, Your Bond has activated the Sun¡¯s Final Descent. This has a 77% chance of severing your connection forever, do you accept?¡± Y/N
A scream seemed to scrape Amelia''s throat raw as its claws began to dig into her abdomen curiously, its voice mellowing into a warm chuckle, ¡°Ah, I see. You tucked it away. Unfortunately, dearest, flesh is something of a special-¡± Its words cut off as it whipped its head around in search of the sudden feeling of danger. Tilly slammed yes mentally and felt his Bond swell dangerously as it drew in all of his flame and demanded more. So even as he watched the horror unfolding before him, he shoved everything he had into the connection. His manic need to do something, his longing to live, even his overwhelming desire to be finally free of the Corruption that had poisoned almost every moment of his new life. All of it became fuel for the righteous sun of anger bearing down on them. The Prime Dirge narrowed his eyes and jerked his bloody hand away from Amelia''s torso, glaring up as it found the source of the impending attack. Kindle plummeted through the air like a shooting star, burning with azure intensity. His disdainful frown turned into a grimace as Kindle¡¯s burning redoubled into a burst of supernova-like blazing only a few feet from impact. Her fierce cry tore through the valley in defiant opposition. At that moment, having poured all of himself into the bond, Tilly understood Kindle''s nature. No Phoenix died of old age, they burned ever brighter until a suitable end was found, then they crashed against that end with the full explosive weight of their fire. [Resolute] snapped, withdrawing whatever system governed protection it had levied against Tilly¡¯s grievous injuries. His Health ticked down to zero, the final chime on an old clock, and his perspective careened downward as the final vestiges of strength left his body. The Prime Dirge tensed to dash away from the suddenly deadly attack, recognizing its end. ¡®Tilly! Do Not Give In!¡¯ Kindle screamed into his soul through their straining bond.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He fell face first, as thick roots surged up from the ground in front of him, snaring the Prime Dirge''s clawed feet as it attempted to push away from the impact site. There was no collision as he hit the ground. It was almost as if he kept falling, plunging ever deeper into an endless darkness... Behind him, worlds away, there was an earth-shattering roar, followed by a burning heat. That burning plunged deep into Tilly''s body, chasing his soul into its darkness and reaching across the seemingly endless divide to establish a tenuous but vibrant connection. ¡­ Amelia Cooper - Level 40 Botanist Surveyor A scream tore itself from her lips as the most terrifying being that she had ever seen casually reached into her flesh and began digging around. It was just on the verge of grasping the explosive energy that had hidden away in her core when its eyes narrowed and it pulled its hand free with a wet sucking sound. If Amelia had not been held fast by the overwhelming aura that poured off the injured Prime Dirge she would have collapsed in a boneless heap. The trauma of her badly damaged midsection being violated in such a way almost pushed her over the edge. But as the creature looked up, the disdain on its face morphing into something resembling fear, she felt the faintest glimmer of defiance shine out from her core connecting with the vibrant energy of the Facet and flooding her Pathways with power. Time slowed to a crawl as her senses expanded to an extraordinary degree and she began to absorb the Primal energy spinning in her center. An awful heat bloomed above her, and she found herself grinning as she vindictively channeled the torrent of energy into the ground below herself and the Dirge. The many rooting plants lying hidden underground instantaneously mutated into monstrously thick versions of themselves and shot out of the ground to tangle the horror¡¯s legs, even as it attempted to jump away and dodge whatever judgment had come to claim it. ¡®Oh no you don¡¯t. Whatever this is, it''s here for both of us.¡¯ She mentally exclaimed satisfaction washing through her battered soul as time shuddered back into motion and a white supernova crashed into the creature, vaporizing Amelia¡¯s world and incinerating the center of the valley. The blast washed over her, strangely pleasant to most of her senses. However, the area of her body that had been ravaged by Corruption sizzled as white-hot fingers of fire traced their way through the twisting paths of its infection, violently cleansing the area. Almost before the pain could register, the energy overflowing from her core rushed in to fill the space left by the burning furrows through her flesh. A furious itching filled the blackened voids and her body reknit itself in a spontaneous and incredible burst of regrowth. Her eyes popped open, finding her surroundings completely changed with ash falling all around them like a gentle snow. She urgently patted her body, surprised to see that even her clothes had gone unsinged, but as she lifted her shirt, the messy infected handprint that had covered over the site of her infection was completely gone. Instead, the area over her stomach showed only restored pink skin. She looked up in wonder, finding the Prime Dirge had been reduced to a ruined husk in the middle of the impact site. She almost spat on the thing in vindictive triumph before a thought struck her, shattering her moment of victory. Her eyes widened, and she urgently scanned the area, until she spotted him, lying face down under a pile of ash. ¡°Jonathan!¡± She shouted, rushing over and collapsing to her knees next to the body, grabbing his shoulder and hauling him over to lay on his back. His lifeless eyes stared blankly into the cloudy sky. ¡°No, no, no!¡± she sputtered in confusion. She lifted his jacket to find his own gristly scarring wide open and charred, revealing a large amount of gore and burnt tissue. The Corruption had been burned out of him too, but without the growth energy of the Bloom, he had nothing to save him. ¡°This can¡¯t be the end¡­You were so close!¡± she cried, refusing to believe her eyes. Her core was already full to bursting again, and she took all that energy and shoved it out through her hands into the ruined body before her. She was shocked to see the flesh start to regrow, as networks of fat, muscle, and skin were rewoven, pulling deeply on the seemingly endless energy of the Bloom. Hope burst through the damn of her denial and she eagerly watched his face for any flicker of movement. But even as his body regrew from its terrible wounds, his eyes remained empty. A gasping sob escaped her mouth as the reality of the situation hit her. The power of the Bloom continued to sing in her blood, flooding her pathways with possibility, but even with all of that, she could do nothing to reach wherever he had gone¡­ She gently took his hand, looking down sadly at his slack expression, almost peaceful in its emptiness. The tears came quietly after the first sob¡­ all of that and in the end, the voice had been right. She hadn¡¯t been enough. A strange itch started to tingle under her palm, as she took a final moment to mourn her friend. Then the sensation flared painfully, and she snatched her hand away, finding a glowing rune shining on the back of Jonathan''s hand. Belatedly, she realized that something had been pulling the Facet¡¯s energy through her hand. As soon as her strained mind caught up with what had just happened, she grabbed at the hand glowing with the strange rune. Again the Facet¡¯s power began to flow into the mark, completely outside of her control. Ignoring the pain that this was causing, she pushed more of the foreign power into the mark, which seemed to be able to drink in the energy like water on parched sand. The Pathways down her arms began to burn with the constant strain of handling such huge amounts of power, but she pushed on without hesitating, watching in morbid fascination as the distinct shiver of a heartbeat reverberated powerfully through the once-still body. ¡­ Jonathan Tillman, Level 23 Son of Flame Tilly had no idea what death would feel like, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so painful. None of his senses were functioning, and even his ability to think was gone. He had been reduced to a singular experience of suffering. Burning fingers reached deeply inside him, rooting out everything that didn''t belong and he lost himself to the agony of being cleansed. ¡­ Thump. Thump. Thump Thump Thump Tilly was yanked up from the dark, comforting embrace of unconsciousness and thrust back into the world of screaming sensations and harsh light. He moaned in pain as nerves were brutally reconnected and the essential pathways of life restored through his shattered body. A relieved sigh sounded somewhere nearby, ¡° -too stubborn to die¡­¡± With the voice came the faint tinkling of music keeping time with the heavy thumps of his beating heart. He blacked out moments after awakening, his mind completely overloaded by the cacophony of wild electrical signals flooding his recently silent brain. ¡­ Awareness flashed again briefly to the sensation of his feet dragging on the ground as the majority of his body lay on something pliable with two rigid poles compressing the sides of his shoulders. His body was still a ghastly mess, slowly... miraculously clawing its way back from ruin. Moments later, mercifully, darkness crashed down on him again. ¡­ Tilly jolted back into consciousness as his body hit the ground. ¡°You are every bit¡­ as heavy as you look,¡± Amelia declared above him between gasping breaths. Tilly groaned in response, a million pieces of information hitting him at once even as he lay face down in the rocky dirt. First and foremost the sensation of unspent Stat points hovered at the edge of his awareness, however, unlike other times when it had sat patiently like a paperweight in the back of his mind, the heaviness of the amount of stats that he had to allocate lodged itself in his psyche like a piece of Stonehenge. His eyes flicked open to the notification bell at the top of his HUD and another revelation struck him like a slap to the face. His Debuff line only held a single entry... Resurrection Sickness. Corruption¡¯s Influence was gone. It was gone. The thought attempted to register again and again in his mind, but just would not land. Despite his entire body feeling like a giant bruise, a distinct feeling of wholeness pervaded his physical form. It wasn¡¯t that he felt good. Actually, he felt like he had just been run over by a truck several times. Rather he felt singular. Like his body was wholly his again. It''s gone. Somewhere around the seventh or eighth try, it finally started to sink in, and up from the depths of his being came an overwhelming response; Joy. ¡°It''s gone.¡± He choked out through a parched throat. Those words, uttered from exhausted lips elicited a gasp from above him, and he felt long graceful fingers reach under one shoulder and roll him over onto his back. ¡°You''re awake,¡± exclaimed a beaming Amelia through continued gasps. She stood looking out over the bank of a small rocky stream near where they had arrived. ¡°Yeah¡­ But I need a moment if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Tilly whispered breathlessly, weighed down by an extraordinary exhaustion. She nodded, her skin around her eyes tight, betraying some lingering concern. ¡®Kindle?¡¯ He sent out. No answer. He tried to feel internally for the bond, and found it¡­ It was strained, but present. Yet as he reached through it to find his partner, the connection seemed to disappear into a void. Tilly considered lifting his jacket to see what had become of his side, but even thinking about the motion caused his bone-deep weariness to push him further into the ground. So instead he mentally pinged open the notification window and his vision was filled with a torrent of messages. B2 Ch. 54 Crashing to a Head Linus Level 66 Consul The last transition off had been rough. Despite what he had said to the young priestess, she had become invaluable to the system they had developed to endure the almost constant waves of enemies. Linus checked the gnomish device they had in the corner of the large healer''s tent and saw that she still had an hour left on her leave. Erash had done her best to heal the worst cases before they came down, but they were losing too many in the wait to be seen by the few acolytes. The non-combatants'' growth had been shocking in the last couple of days, but nowhere near enough to keep up with the strain of the constant inflow of near-dead and injured. The exhausted supply of health potions had made a difference, but they were gone. Erash had blessed everything the fletchers and smiths had sent a few hours ago, but those supplies had run out as well. Linus thought about going up to check on her again, and while the tempestuous High Priestess was hard to read, the last time he had seen her, Linus would have bet that she was about to collapse. They all were. None of the leadership had slept and they were all showing it. They had used every trick in the book to keep the soldiers as fresh as possible, but the wear of the battle showed deeply on everyone¡¯s face¡­ Well, besides Hiro. The Samurai Guardian had stayed near Erash¡¯s side, making sure she only spent mana on healing or essential counters to certain enemy pushes, and seemed unaffected by the days he had spent on his feet, guarding their most precious resource. ¡°Watchman,¡± Linus called to a passing soldier who looked every bit as haggard as he felt. The Satyr was joining a century about to head back into the city for a few hours'' rest. ¡°Consul!¡± he turned and saluted, ¡°When you get back to the camp, I need you to find the Priestess and send her back here.¡± The soldier nodded sharply and then jogged off to join his century. They were down to twenty-four units¡­ Yet every surviving man and woman had seen an increase of at least twenty levels in the last days¡­ He once again winced at the lost opportunity. If they had true military classes and Unit Magics they could have benefited so much more, but as things stood, they where holding on. When Aurelia returned, he just needed to find a way to get Erash a rotation off the wall and maybe, just maybe they could hold another day. ¡°BWWWWAAAAAAHHHH¡± A distant horn sounded. A million things shot through the Consul''s mind as he dashed from the tent and up the main stairs. Stalling tactics shattered in his mind as his day''s long suspicion was finally confirmed. These tactics of attrition had grated on him. Not because they weren¡¯t valid, but because they seemed to be completely in contrast with the nature of their enemies. His commander¡¯s instinct had itched in anticipation of the whole balance crashing down and the enemy throwing forward all of its reserves at once. Whatever reason held the main body of the Horde back, it could not last. He had known this as sure as the setting of the sun. So he had done his best to balance the scales for this moment, holding what little they could in reserve, preparing for this moment. ¡°Bastions! With me! Marcellus, get your ass on this wall, and fill out the first Rank!¡± Linus shouted down at the unofficial Bastion transition area near the stairs, where the surly veterans had waited days to face the enemy as a unit. They had all gained many levels on the wall leading their respective centuries¡­ but there was not a man among them that didn¡¯t long to show the enemy the true strength of the Line. Linus kept up his shouting even as he topped the wall, ¡°I want three more centuries up here! Form Second, Third, and Fourth Ranks behind the Bastion line. I want two more units in reserve on the stairs! The rest of you, form behind the wall! We are all in the fight now!¡± He declared as men and women started to rush in different directions at his commands. He found Erash leaning heavily on her staff muttering an incantation as he approached. She finished and gestured forward tiredly, forming a circle of glowing runes that magnified the enemy forces enough to see clearly. ¡°Is it wise to use this again?¡± Hiro asked at her side, his ear twitching as the distant horn sounded again. ¡°I don¡¯t think many of them are looking our way at this moment.¡± She replied tiredly, as she used the divination spell to scan the horizon until it hit on a distant glint. Night had fallen hours ago and you could barely see the Horde in the dark, but something about the spell also made its targets plainly visible. There, moving forward at a trot building into a canter was a line of Heavy Calvary. As Linus watched, the spell began to populate classes and levels. The first rank all had the class, Knight of the Sanguine Order, their average levels looking to be in the upper seventies¡­ But more importantly, they looked to be charging directly at the Horde''s rear. As soon as he saw this, a fierce smile cut Linus''s face. This was somehow tied to the human''s actions... he could feel it. They stood little chance of surviving the night, but at least now there was a chance. Erash quickly panned back to the enemy mass and found disarray and infighting had begun amongst the chaotic groups that formed the enemy force. The monsters'' mysterious discipline was gone and Linus¡¯s hope flared further. Then a fierce barking call resounded through the milling chaos, echoing so powerfully that even Linus felt the pull of some of its magic. In response, the entire Horde split to meet their opponents on both fronts. Their heavy units moved into a counter-charge against the Knights, followed by thousands of support. The rest of the main body began to amble in a charge directly at the wall. Erash pulled back the scope of the magnification to sweep the entire mass. Linus wasn¡¯t sure of the count, but his gut told him there must still be ten to fifteen thousand coming in the charge against the wall. The average Flame¡¯s Watch level was now in the forties¡­ But it wouldn¡¯t be enough to face what would likely be at least a thousand of the enemy¡¯s elites at once. The mass movement built into a frenzied charge as the enemy army committed itself in its entirety to the attack. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°BASTIONS!¡± Came a booming shout to the right of the lens Erash had created. Linus couldn¡¯t keep the death¡¯s head grin from forming on his face as he looked over to see the last of his old unit filing into the first rank of defenders on the wall, with Threstus at their center. The waiting was over, it was good to finally, honestly lay all the cards on the table. ¡°Vacation¡¯s over!!¡± The new Commander shouted theatrically up and down the formation. ¡°It''s time to show these dogs what it means to HOLD THE LINE!¡± As one, the empire¡¯s finest soldiers slammed down their shields on the edge of the wall, and began to emit the familiar glow of their unit magic. ¡°SHIELDS UP! Let our enemy come and crash against us! DON¡¯T GIVE AN INCH!¡± The familiar notifications washed over him as Linus¡¯s soul brimmed with nostalgia and not a small amount of pride. The centuries that filled in behind the first Rank, however, had never seen the unit in action. They only knew these men as commanders, a role his men had chafed under just as much as he had. The effect of the magic taking hold was unmistakable. The shuffling stopped, murmuring quieted, and the top of the wall became unnaturally still, facing the sea of approaching enemies unmoved. Spears bristled over the heads of the first rank, who stood with stoic, almost bored expressions. These were soldiers who had elevated indifference in the face of death to an art form. Linus would know¡­ He had trained almost all of them himself. He didn¡¯t know what that Calvary was capable of, or if the status of the quest was even close to being complete. But none of that mattered¡­ They would hold... as long as it took. ¡­ Cog, Level 0 Gnomish Child A little sigh of relief escaped his mouth as Cog considered their closing window of opportunity. They wouldn''t even have a chance if those overbearing treehuggers hadn¡¯t been so busy constantly checking the plant barrier for bad guys trying to sneak in. The two oldies seemed to have eyes in the backs of their heads. But even with them busy, no one was just leaving them to their own business. No matter how many times Cog snuck into the Alchemist¡¯s burgeoning workshop, someone would always come for him before nightfall to collect him back to the ¡°safety¡± of the oldies house near the forest. Well away from the city, the refugee camp, and the wall. Away from anything that mattered. ¡°Mrs. Amelia asked us to watch you! You need to be grateful and mind her wishes.¡± ¡°Running messages is plenty important! Do what you can now, and soon enough you will be able to help in other ways!¡± The adults kept repeating these stupid sayings over and over. The original fifty that had hung around Mrs. Cooper¡¯s shop may not have been adults, but they sure as Pits weren¡¯t kids. To make matters worse, the youngest of their number had snuck off and somehow become full-grown, with a Class and everything! It wasn¡¯t fair, and no matter how many times he asked about it, they just kept stonewalling him. He was sick of it. ¡®Everyone else gets to fight! It''s not like keeping us penned up at night will save us if they get through¡­¡¯ These and other more intrusive thoughts had made Cog what the adults called, ¡°surly¡±. Well, they could think what they wanted¡­ He and the rest of the originals were going to find out just how Aurelia had done it, and to do that, they needed to make it to the temple without any more of the adult¡¯s meddling. So they had hatched a plan. Earlier that day, Cog had run messages with the rest of them, getting away as soon as possible to the Alchemist workshop. He liked the three haggard crafters who seemed to do little besides work and sleep. As long as he wasn¡¯t in the way, they treated him like another of the assistants hoping to unlock the class and never mentioned his age, or lack of Class. He spent the last few hours till evening crushing leaves into powder in bulk, running out to get more wood for the cauldron fire¡­ whatever they needed, but all the while, he kept an eye out for a few of the more ¡°useful¡± ingredients. He didn¡¯t feel that bad about pocketing a few things, they weren¡¯t that valuable and probably could be counted as payment for all his hard work anyway. But just as the sky started to change hues, he snuck around the back of the workshop, and started rolling zip rocks in along with spark leaves, twisting the edges of the water-tight packet just like his favorite uncle had taught him¡­ ¡°Cog! What have you got there?¡± One of the Farm hands said, coming up on his not-so-hidden spot and trying to catch a glimpse of what was in his hands. Cog slipped the packet into his pockets, not bothering to hide the guilty look on his face. ¡°They gave me some sweets for the rest of the kids¡­ I just wanted to try one!¡± He wheedled. The farmhand''s eyes softened and a knowing smile quirked the edge of her mouth, ¡°Oh, alright. I won¡¯t tell then. But it is time to come along.¡± ¡®Idiots.¡¯ Cog thought, disgusted at how quickly she bought that load of Auroch crap. ¡­ ¡°Everybody ready?¡± He whispered into the large room where they usually bedded down for the night. Mila sat straight up, throwing off covers and showing her fully clothed form, her horns glinting in the moonlight. If he was the brains of the outfit, she was the brawn. ¡°Yeah, we are all ready to go. You got the goods?¡± She whispered back. Cog nodded slowly in response, his teeth glinting in sharp anticipation. ¡°What''s the status on Flavian¡± She turned and whispered to the little form at the door. ¡°He¡¯s out!¡± ¡°Alright, let''s move. And for Pit¡¯s sake, everyone keep quiet!¡± Cog followed up, barely keeping his voice down himself in his excitement. The whole group filed out into the short hall, past Flavian, the farm hand who had watch duty tonight. He liked to sit for the first part of his watch, and would almost always be asleep by the time his shift was up. They eased through the doorway, past the farmhand house that the rest of the workers slept in. Both George and Edna had been called away almost every night as stray bad guys pressed the barriers at different points near the wall. If they were ever going to make it to the temple, tonight was their night. The moon shone brightly as they moved through the quiet fields, staying as close to the river as possible. This was the trickiest part of their plan. The newly built stone bridge was guarded, and not an option¡­ But the old ice bridge had held up surprisingly well, showing as a sparkling ruin just above the water upstream from the bridge. It was almost completely gone, but it could still be crossed if they were careful¡­ and small. Mila had perfected this over the last few days, and she helped each of their group over the uneven mostly melted structure. Once they were all over to the other shore and quite a bit wetter, they followed the river bank until it met the base of the mountain. It would take about an hour or two to climb in the dark, but they would be halfway up before the next farm hand woke up Flavian at midnight and found the ¡®Originals¡± missing. Too late to stop them. B2 Ch. 55 Bring Back Vine Jonathan Tillman Level 35 Son of Flame The scroll of notifications zipped by him at an enormous speed, and his mind quailed at the thought of pulling out the pertinent information while his friends were dying on the battlefield. But he refused to rush on and leave resources on the table that he could use to help their cause. So he settled for a quick and dirty review of the high points. In a flash of inspiration, he mentally instituted a filter that combined all of his level-up notifications into one line, and after another moment¡¯s thought, he got rid of all the notifications concerning Experience. Instead, he asked the system to display his percentage of EXP gained until the next level, saving him a headache as those numbers grew exponentially. The changes took place immediately, the math being nothing to whatever OS governed the UI backend of his screens. The notifications Brrrr-ed together and left him with a final result.
Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 35! You have earned 24 points in Endurance and 12 points in Dexterity. You now have 60 unused stat points to allocate.
Tilly hurriedly pulled up his stat spread and did some math to make sure he kept [Resolute.] He added to his stats as evenly as possible, shoring up some weaknesses while keeping the insane imbalance he had committed to.
Stats: Constitution: 23 > 29 Endurance: 145 (159.5) > 165 Dexterity: 52 (57.2) Strength: 13 > 23 Wisdom: 28 > 34 Intelligence: 16 > 25
Despite the injuries and Debuff, the stat distribution made an immediate difference. As they hit, energy rushed through his body, easing strain, and strengthening muscles and ligaments. Tilly groaned as he sat up, and looked over to see Amelia catching her breath, lost in concentration. Concentric circles of plant growth flowed out from her body rhythmically in time with her breathing. ¡°Are you doing that on purpose?¡± Tilly asked, turning to look the way they had come and seeing their path marked by a verdant streek of wild growth through the forest. ¡°I am afraid not¡­ My Pathways are overflowing with the Facet¡¯s energy. Even in its dormant state, it is constantly pushing my Mana past 100%.¡± She said screwing her eyes shut as a particularly large burst of greenery surged out around her and washed the area in a riot of spontaneous growth. Taking that as one more sign that he needed to hurry the hell up, he zipped through the rest of the notifications. Rapidly taking in just how many multipliers were involved in Kindle¡¯s last strike. [Divine Wind] and [Origin¡¯s Champion] had affected her final attack and he smiled in pride at how fiercely she had struck down the Prime Dirge¡­ Then his smile turned back downward as he reflexively reached along their bond and found nothing. He quickly shoved that worry down, promising himself he would return to it as soon as this was all done. Finally, he found the end of his notification scroll and caught sight of two new Titles.
Congratulations! You have died and been reborn due to the intervention of a Facet of Origin connected to growth and rebirth. You have been awarded the title [Verdant Rebirth]. [Verdant Rebirth]: Power from one of the Land¡¯s key nexus points was used to restart your nonfunctioning heart and regrow essential bodily functions damaged in your cleansing. This has fundamentally marked you. You are now a part of the Land¡¯s deeper tapestry and will be recognized as such by its fellow denizens. Congratulations! You have struck down an enemy over 5 times your level, emptying yourself of all internal resources to do so. You have been awarded the title [All or nothing]. [All or Nothing]: Once a day, you may choose to channel all of your Mana into a single Ability. This Title is limited by Intelligence.
After that last notification, Tilly glanced up at the other side of his HUD hopefully, before sighing in disappointment and stumbling to his feet, his body screaming in protest to match the readout at the top of his HUD. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Health: 38% Mana: 22% The first Title was another nebulous one like [Scarred Heart], he wouldn¡¯t be able to measure its effect, but judging by the events that had just unfolded he was sure his most mysterious Title must have been operating on an unseen level. He took another moment to collect himself and stumbled forward to the edge of the stream. Amelia looked over at him inquiringly, and he just smiled, completely unaware of the dirt and blood that was caked all over his face. ¡°I''m good¡­ Let¡¯s do this. Elder River, we are ready!¡± Tilly called, Amelia shuffled beside him, now clutching at her midriff and attempting to school her breathing. He was about to call again, when the water began to froth, and a very different being stepped forth from its depths. Where Elder River¡¯s features had been marked by a neatly defined beard and balanced symmetrical features, the thing that stepped out to the water was distinctly more chaotic in its visage. It still resembled a large man, covered in scales, but it had wild spray dancing around its head as hair and churning waters flowed down from its chin. Its back was stooped and its eyes were different hues of blue and green. ¡°It would be my pleasure to carry you¡­ Cousin?¡± he said, looking at Tilly curiously, as if trying to identify an interesting bug, ¡°And you as well, blessed one.¡± He said turning to Amelia. Before Tilly could utter a hesitant thank you, the thing struck like a snake, elongating its arms and yanking them into itself. Tilly didn''t even have time to scream, as a thunderous churn of water pressed in on him from every side and caused his body to flip end over end. Water invaded his mouth and he barely kept himself from gasping in surprise as his lungs immediately began to spasm in response to the tumultuous experience. Then as quickly as it had begun, he felt the distinct impression of being shoved from behind, and his body violently broke the surface of the water, arcing through the air, and landing with a thud on the river bank. Gasping for air in-between coughs Tilly looked back at the waters that had just spat them out and saw the crazy being''s head just above the water leering at him. As soon as it noticed Tilly''s gaze, it winked and sunk back down into the river. Then Tilly noticed the new growth bursting forth on the shore of the river. He looked over at Amelia in growing concern. Her breathing was labored, and her eyes were screwed shut in concentration. Tilly spotted small flowering vines poking out from the sleeves and collar of her coat. ¡°How much longer can you carry it?¡± He asked, his voice tightening. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the music is deafening, I can barely think.¡± She replied in a murmur. Tilly hauled himself to his feet and moved over to help Amelia, taking in the mayhem playing out on the plains before them. The once-focused might of the Horde was now scattered over miles, consuming itself. Everywhere he looked, Tilly could see creature fighting creature in a frenzy of gore and animalistic fury. Ahead of them, fighting in a shambling retreat were their allies. Tilly pulled Amelia''s arm over his shoulder and started to shuffle forward, partially supporting her, and partially leaning into her for balance, as his own body slowly recovered from its greatest trauma yet. Franklin voiced a distant exclamation upon spotting the pair but his words were lost in the tumult of battle. The chaos had not yet made it to the river, but Franklin''s group continued to gain the attention of a steady flow of enemies looking for something to consume. Tilly drew one hatchet as he and Amelia neared the edge of the conflict, and the ragged formation of his friends continued to retreat toward the river. A deep bestial roar drew his attention to the front line of their formation and he was surprised to see a giant, gore-soaked polar bear. It was covered in gashes and lacerations bleeding a glowing blue substance, yet its ferocity seemed undiminished. A smile cracked Tilly¡¯s concerned visage as he realized that Elder River had not skimped on his reward to Franklin. The honu himself seemed more or less uninjured and was helping along an uncharacteristically drunk-looking Ichiro, with blood running down from his eyes like tears. Hilbert shuffled behind them, clutching a broken arm, with the left side of his robes stained sopping red. Gorock held the left side of their formation and was an absolute mess of wounds. While he didn¡¯t seem to be slowed by any of them, blood puddled on the ground every time he stopped moving to block a strike with his shield or ward back an attacker with a sweep of his spear. Sir Michael held the other flank, his shield bucked into a misshapen concave bowl, and his enchanted armor covered in dents. None of the group was missing and for that Tilly was thankful as he hobbled to meet them, trying to stay ahead of the threat of being surrounded by a growing tide of enraged enemies. Both groups would have been overwhelmed in seconds if not for the fact that most of the Horde were busy fighting itself, having broken into thousands of small conflicts of dominance. ¡°It is good to see you, my friends!¡± Franklin exclaimed tiredly, as they neared enough to be heard. ¡°Did you do it? Do we have the Facet¡¯s Patronage?¡± Tilly winced, and Amelia answered in a tense voice, ¡°Not yet, we have to deliver it to the Temple. Uugghhh¡± She followed her answer with a groan and Tilly felt power rush out of her and into the ground as a wave of explosive growth shot out in all directions. The growth hit the other group and they momentarily stumbled over the now waist-high wild grasses, flowering with exuberant blooms. They soldiered on through it and finally met about a hundred yards from the river. Franklin disentangled himself from Ichiro and produced the glowing conch shell, beginning to whisper over it. Amelia likewise pulled away from Tilly and eyed the surrounding enemies threatening to press in on their group. She arduously produced her staff from one of her pockets and called, ¡°Everyone, try not to move!¡± Before whipping her other hand from another pocket and throwing vine cuttings out into the crowd of enemies. She followed up the movement with a thump of her staff into the grass, and green light exploded from the crystal on its tip. The vine cuttings she scattered around their group shot into the ground, and emerged again with ropy, thorn-covered thickness, entangling the closest enemies and continuing to grow so fast that they combined to form a macabre wall of thorn-pierced enemies. The thicket continued to grow, becoming more dense at the formation¡¯s perimeter, and fanning out deep into the milling chaos that was now the Horde. The rest of the group looked over at Amelia in awe. Strangely enough, her face relaxed into relief as a fierce green light continued to shine from her staff, ¡°I am carrying the Flower within me now¡­ the power is overwhelming, to say the least.¡± She explained. Tilly¡¯s smile at her relief soured quickly as he noticed the growths emerging from under her jacket had continued. Now the vines creeping up her neckline had mingled in with her hair, dotting her dark brown locks with blooming flowers. ¡°It is ready,¡± Franklin added, lifting the conch, which was now vibrating with potential energy. ¡°Do it,¡± Tilly responded urgently, unable to take his eyes off the vines that seemed to be growing out from her body. Franklin threw down the shell and it shattered. The reaction was far greater than Tilly had anticipated from contact with grassy soil, the enchanted object seeming to be much more fragile than its natural counterpart. The glowing script that had covered it, however, did not break along with the shell, in fact, it hung in place above the break, beginning to whirl and expand, now free to accomplish its purpose. ¡°Hold on!¡± Franklin called as the entire group was drowned in deep, blue light. B2 Ch. 56 Running up that Mountain Jonathan Tillman Level 35 Son of Flame A wave of azure energy swept them up and slammed them down. Except as they hit the ground, it shifted from rusty grass to stone. The bottom of Tilly¡¯s moccasins landed easily on the hard surface and he opened his eyes to find himself once again in the old village square. A shout of surprise, followed by a gasp of disbelief greeted them as Tilly spun around to take in the state of his Faction¡¯s city. His ragged allies joined him, scanning their surroundings with weapons drawn. Looks of relief softened harsh lines of concern, and they found the city intact and undamaged. One of two honu Elders rushed forward, having waited to meet them. ¡°Thank Origin¡­ we felt the spell activate¡­ I got here in time!¡± She exclaimed. At the look in her shining eyes and the familiar visage of what had once been a simple village square, Tilly could not hold back a tide of comfort that rolled over his battered psyche. After such a harrowing journey of completely new environments, returning to something vaguely familiar lifted a weight off his shoulders. Unlike the Twilight Lands, the moon hung in the sky in full view and Tilly relished in the scene of the moonwashed city as they all got their bearings. The faint sounds of battle reached his ears as his mind fully adjusted to his new environment. ¡°Are you well¡­ Did you complete the Quest?¡± She asked, her voice quieting slightly as she belatedly took in the sight of the Polarbear covered in gore. ¡°We are close, Mother, but some of our number must be delivered to the Temple,¡± Franklin answered for the group. Tilly looked over to check on Amelia and found her on her knees, dazed. He quickly got an arm under her shoulders and hauled her to her feet as she struggled to adjust. The honu Elder nodded at Franklin¡¯s answer, and waved her staff topped with a sextant over them, washing them in a cool magic, ¡°This is a small¡­ blessing¡­ One that should¡­ Help you find speed along your path.¡± ¡°What is the situation at the wall?¡± Ichiro asked in a slurred voice, rivulets of blood still leaking from his eyes. ¡°The enemy¡­ has launched its¡­ full force against us¡­ We are holding¡­ But barely.¡± Tilly looked up from Amelia to the others, ¡°I think I need to be the one to take Amelia to the temple. Are you all able to fight?¡± The others nodded, Gorock even smiling at the question as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. ¡°We are at your disposal until this is done,¡± Hilbert answered with a tired conviction, shaking out his recently broken arm. He took a deep pull from his flask and Sir Michael took the opportunity to use his injector. Tilly smiled grimly at them, ¡°Good. See you on the other side.¡± Then he slung Amelia''s arm over his shoulder and started to hobble away as briskly as he could manage. If time was as short as he believed, he didn¡¯t have another moment to waste. She leaned heavily on him, dragging her staff behind her. Wild growth followed its path over the hard-packed dirt, marking Tilly''s line through the expanded square. The others, moved off in the opposite direction, transitioning into a steady jog toward the wall and the battle that waited there. ¡­ Marcellus, the Elder Level 56 Corrupted Aristocrat. It had been simple to grab the Priestess brat as she slept, gagging her and removing any chance of her activating one of those disgusting Abilities. Then things had become complicated. He had gathered a pitiful fifteen men in his time in this wretched camp, encouraging the small amounts of Corruption he had found in each of them to grow, making them more malleable to his will until they were little more than puppets. At that time he had received instructions, learning of the critical weakness of the power exalting itself in the Temple. The Gift inside him squirmed in response to the thought and he looked back in frustration at the men tasked with moving the girl. She had been wrapped in cloth and thrown in with supplies on a hand cart. One with a ghastly rusting wheel hub that was distracting. As annoying as it was, the noise drew the attention of anyone they passed to the wheel of the cart, and away from any pitiful mewling that emerged from under the piles of fake supplies. This had worked like a charm as they passed through the camp and to the base of the mountain. The idiot pulling the cart, however, looked like he was going to be sick, and moved at an increasingly slow pace. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Marcellus the Elder whispered fiercely, dropping back to berate the bumbling fool. The closer he got to the cart, the more his insides clenched in discomfort. ¡°Sir¡­ It''s the girl.¡± The supposedly strong portly man in a butcher''s smock whined pitifully. ¡°Being near her hurts something dreadful.¡± Marcellus the Elder screwed up his face in disgust, making sure to show none of his own discomfort, ¡°You have a simple task, with an extraordinary reward, but it is plain to me that you are too weak to achieve it... You can and will be replaced.¡± He threatened with all of his menace, even allowing his hood to fall back slightly and show some of his glorious new form.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The man flinched back, moaning in terror, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Please, just let me change out with one of the others when we meet up.¡± Marcellus the Elder scowled as he pulled his hood back into place with some of his new appendages, ¡°You will do as I command, or you will die. Now stop squealing like a pig and pick up the pace!¡± ¡­ Even with his motivating presence, the trip took twice as long as it should have. Instead of arriving with plenty of time to set up the space for their meeting with the Bureaucrat, they arrived at the chosen spot barely ahead of him. The rest of his men had arrived in twos and threes over the last hour, with the exception of those whom he had shadowing their target. He had been forced to switch out the ones pulling the cart multiple times, as their complaining grew to unbearable levels. Marcellus looked forward to killing all of these imbeciles. ¡°Hurry up you fools! It is almost time!¡± He spat out in annoyance, having to force himself to keep from shouting. They had set up at a flatter portion of the trail, with lots of low bushes, covered in little blue berries. The path here ran parallel with a creekbed giving his men ample places to hide for the initial part of the meeting. The cart rolled into place blocking the path just ahead of him and the one pulling it immediately edged away. Marcellus fought to not do the same as proximity to the girl turned his stomach. ¡°You and you, stay in plain sight. The rest of you, conceal yourselves just like we discussed!¡± he commanded gesturing to his two most intimidating flunkies to flank the cart and their cargo. Just as they hid, a skinny one-armed Satyr raced up the path, the gaps in his teeth visible in the moonlight as he pulled to a stop huffing before Marcellus. ¡°Out with it!¡± Marcellus growled. ¡°Two with him, and two hidden following behind.¡± The man gasped, face screwing up as proximity to the girl washed over him. ¡°Gods¡­ what is that?¡± he moaned, the flushed color of his face draining to something pale and sickly. ¡°Do the ones I sent to follow know what to do?¡± Marcellus asked, absolutely disgusted by the weakness on display before him. The man hesitated to answer, looking like he was about to vomit. This ratcheted Marcellus¡¯s fury to a new level, and before he even consciously considered his actions, part of his new form had whipped out from behind his layers of robes and wrapped around the insect¡¯s neck. Snap He could not stand incompetence. The men behind him flinched at the display of power and a rich syrupy feeling of pleasure rose up from his center. This was true strength! They would see¡­ They would all see. Then, the thing that used to be Marcellus the Elder casually launched the corpse into the woods, keeping his hands comfortably at his sides. Cog, Level 0 Gnomish Child Things had gone so well until they started climbing the mountain. Before they had even hit the halfway point, someone had come behind them huffing loudly. ¡°Get off the path!¡± He whispered desperately down the line, and the small figures vanished into the forest on either side of the trail. Everyone disappeared without a sound. He would like to see that the adults thought of that¡­ No one in the originals had arrived at the old empire¡¯s capital on vacation, and every one of them knew what was at stake when the call came to hide. Cog ducked around a tree, hunching his already small form, and Milas slid into a dip nearby going completely still in the deep shadows cast by the canopy. The moon was full, and no clouds hung in the sky, but that did not mean it was bright in the forest. Soon enough a one-armed satyr that Cog did not recognize jogged past, clearly struggling to make it up the mountain. He moved through their position none the wiser, and Cog slowly shifted to find Milas''s eyes shining in deep shadow. She raised her thick brow in a silent question, and he answered with a shrug. They both knew enough to wait until they could no longer hear him to slowly approach each other, waving the others they could see to remain in place while they figured out what to do next. ¡°Who was that and what is he doing heading toward the Temple?¡± she asked. ¡°Pits if I know. But, he sure as the Six Princes wasn¡¯t one of the Watch.¡± ¡°What shou-¡± Something crashed in the forest up ahead, and both of the young conspirators shot uncertain looks up the path. Then before they could discuss what was happening another nasally voice sounded, moving up the path. ¡°Did you hear that Aticus? Whoever they are, these men must be buffoons. Keep your weapons at the ready! I have no patience for fools.¡± The voice complained moving up the path at a steady pace. Milas sunk down and Cog knelt back at the base of the tree, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new group moving up the mountain. The sound of constant murmured grumbling approached, interspersed with the heavy hoof clops of armed Satyrs. Suddenly the man stopped right as he was passing Cog¡¯s positions and turned. Cog''s silent breathing hitched in his throat at the unprompted stop. Turning to look past the two Watchmen, he spoke in a steady, but carrying voice. ¡°Make sure to stay out of sight until I call for you, and for Gods¡¯ sake, keep quiet, we are almost there.¡± He spoke, addressing two shadowing figures farther back that Cog only now noticed due to the direct address of the Satyr in charge. ¡®Wait, I know this guy. He¡¯s the one with the funny name in charge of the camp¡­ What in the Deep Pits is going on here?¡± The Satyr in question smartly turned on his heel and continued up the mountain, his two guards making sure to make what Cog now saw was an obvious amount of noise. Once they were out of sight, along with the two other Watchmen with cloth stuffed into their armor, Cog almost stood back up, but Milas¡¯ heavy hand snaked around his ankle and squeezed desperately. Cog froze in response, prey instinct taking over as he heard a faint rustle of leaves from the path. He slowly moved his eyes to the young minoutauress and saw her nostrils flaring, as her dim eyes flitted up and down the path. He followed her gaze and spotted two more figures, covered in rags and dirt, bloodshot eyes shining in the dark. They crept up the path, following after the strange procession. Both held naked blades in their hands and their intentions were broadcast clearly by their almost silent movements and expressions of hungry anticipation. Finally, they passed, and Cog hurried over to Milas''s position, whispering desperately, ¡°I don''t know what is happening, but it can¡¯t be good, we can¡¯t bring the rest any further.¡± She nodded at him seriously and then crawled over to the next original¡¯s position, ¡°Plan¡¯s changed, stay here, Cog and Me will check ahead. Pass it along.¡± She turned to him, determination shining in her eyes, as gentle whispers continued down the line of hidden orphans. ¡°We gotta do something.¡± She declared softly in the shadowy light of the moon. ¡°Yeah.¡± Cog said, fingering his emergency plan in his pockets, ¡°We do.¡± B2 Ch. 57 Taken Aurelia Level 28 Priestess of Origin¡¯s Flame It seemed impossible to take a full breath under the pile of dirty fabrics they had tossed on top of her tying her up. All she could do was squirm uselessly, furious at herself for being used in this way. Her gag was so tight that every time she tried to open her mouth to scream, it seemed like more of it was pushed into her mouth. Tears leaked from her eyes as she moaned again and again trying to call for help without throwing up. Meanwhile, the constant whining grind of the wheel near her head drowned out her ability to hear anything outside of her own personal Pit of torture. After what felt like hours of bumping along an uneven path, they finally came to a stop. The indistinct mutterings clarified into garbled words as the grinding wheel hub ceased and she heard a cruel voice begin issuing commands. Wherever she was, her captors were no longer concerned about being discovered. A crash sounded off to the side of the cart and then silence reined amongst her kidnappers lasting the space of a few dozen shallow breaths through her nose. The smell of the used fabric scraps and her own sweat mingled in her nostrils as she fought to push down the rising panic that battered against the doors of her self-control. In desperation, she again reached within and attempted one of the meditation techniques Erash had taught her. The movement and whining of the wheel hub had been too distracting before, but now that they had stopped, she tried again. Without her voice, she couldn''t activate any of her Class Abilities but at this point, that didn''t matter. She needed something, anything, to distract from the indistinct voices outside of her prison deciding her fate. Breathing as deeply as she could through her nose, she dived into her center, focusing on the small flame there and somehow managing to shove her panic into its burning heart. Fear and impotent fury drained away with every shallow breath, and soon, she had moved from being overwhelmed to regaining some control of her thoughts. The cruel voice started up again, this time answered by a nasally one. The words were just beyond her ability to make out under all the layers of intervening material, so she kept focusing on feeding her flame, fighting to be ready for anything. They needed her for something or else they would have already killed her. She refused to be a tool in the enemy''s hands, and if they made the mistake of giving her a chance to fight... she would, even if they killed her. Breath by breath, she continued to shove her panic into the flame. The mana-generating connection at her core grew hotter and hotter as it slowly integrated with her soul on a deeper level under the pressures of her circumstances. She did not know what it was accomplishing, but any progress was better than just lying there helpless. Shortly after the voices began speaking, the materials above her were pulled away, revealing a leering dirty face. The leer became a choking gag as the man yanked her into a sitting position, loosening the cloth that had bound her, but keeping her gag intact. She was yanked to her feet, out of the cart and a knife was shoved up under her throat, carelessly nicking her skin. She felt a dribble of blood trickle down her neck, joining the cold sweat that already covered her body. Finally out of the cart, her attention was quickly drawn to the others crowding the small forest path. There was a man in crumpled official''s garb, flanked by two Watchmen. His face screwed up in outrage at the sight of her, and hope bloomed in her chest. ¡°What is this? She is barely more than a child!¡± The official snarled. The guards on either side of him drew their weapons. ¡°Now, now.¡± The cold voice demured to her right. She slowly shifted her gaze over to him, trying to not disturb the knife at her throat, and saw a figure draped in many layers of grimy, dark cloth. ¡°Do not be so hasty to dismiss your salvation. Sometimes, to protect one''s people, a leader must do distasteful things¡­ You have been lied to and used, just like the people you serve.¡± The voice answered smoothly. An incredible feeling of foreboding radiated off of his figure. Aurelia had to suppress a shiver at its proximity. The knife at her throat wiggled painfully as its holder suddenly wretched, vomiting to the side behind her. ¡°Distasteful!? This is the path forward you spoke of? This is nothing! Now let her go or I will be f-forced to take d-drastic action.¡± The official whined, his voice quavering. The robed figure chuckled and gestured. At the signal, men stood up from the surrounding forest, all clutching weapons, ¡°Perhaps the presence of your men has emboldened you irrationally¡­ let me help you with that.¡± Barely contained panic shattered what little confidence the official had and his voice cracked as he screamed, ¡°Now!¡± desperately looking back the way he had come. A flurry of motion rocked the night as weapons clashed and grunts of effort erupted around Aurelia. She tried not to flinch as the Watchmen were both overwhelmed and summarily executed, taking down several of her captors in the process. The official backed away from the melee, shooting looks desperately behind him all the while, but out of the shadows, two more thugs emerged, wielding knives already dripping with blood. ¡°Let me ask you again." The robed man''s voice cut through the melee, "Will you do what is necessary to ensure the survival of your people? One death will prevent tens of thousands. Be a man and do what you must to save your constituents!¡± He challenged. The official swallowed, looking at the Aurelia again, weighing his options. Hope died in her chest as the flame struggled to hold back the tide of despair that threatened to drown her. The sight of her would-be rescuers cut down in moments, cut her to her core, and a pang of deep guilt began to build even as she watched the man in front of her struggle to come to a decision. He licked his lips, eyes darting between her gagged form and the rest of her captors who now outnumbered him eight to one¡­ ¡°Why are you doing this? Why me?¡± He blurted. ¡°I represent the interests of the opposition. We are not at all what you have been told. You simply have to prove your sincerity with this small task, and when our forces take the city in a matter of hours, you will be spared.¡± At those words, something in the official¡¯s gaze shifted, hardening, and his eyes settled heavily back on the robed figure. Broken, but not in the way Aurelia had expected. ¡°...Ah, earlier you mentioned saving the whole camp. Now you specify me¡­¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The robed spread his arms in a theatrical gesture, ¡°No matter what, the first step is to take hold of your Salvation!¡± He declared magnanimously, urging the man before him. The official sighed, reaching into his robes, and pulled out something that looked like a letter opener, ¡°Very well, where must it be done.¡± The robed figure laughed richly and the thugs around the official relaxed, ¡°We will head up to the temple and finish this unfortunate task.¡± The robed figure answered, lowering his arms. Aurelia quailed at the turn of events but saw the moment that the official¡¯s hand clenched down on the handle of his pitiful weapon. Eyes shining with unshed tears, he lurched into the nearest thug, plunging his letter opener into their neck. The thug screamed, spurting blood all over the shocked face of his attacker, and the others fell on him stabbing and bludgeoning until all that remained was a bloody pile of ruined clothing and bruised flesh and one pair of shattered spectacles. ¡°A pity¡­ I thought for sure he was our best option for desecrating the Temple.¡± The robed figure sighed in disappointment, before turning to Aurelia and letting his hood fall back, revealing a horrifying visage. Something that might once have been a distinguished elderly satyr face looked back at her. Yet the strong angles of his sneering face were now intersected by thick, dark roots, that dived in and out of the flesh of his jaw and scalp in a seemingly random pattern. ¡°Nonetheless, the Seed assures me that your blood spilled in the sanctuary, will be enough to cut off the Flame¡¯s influence for now. We can find another innocent to pervert its power later¡­¡± He continued. Aurelia bit back a moan of terror even as the Flame within her blazed in resistance to the mind-numbing emotion, blanketing her thoughts and making her feel pitiful and small again. She was all alone again... It was her fault they were dead- ¡°Man, you guys are really stinking up this mountain!¡± A high-pitched voice called from slightly down the path. The whole group turned in surprise to see a comically small figure casually step out from the forest. ¡°You know there is a river right next to camp? No charge or anything,¡± he called, stepping into the moonlight. His voice warbled in false bravado, and his hands shook as he clenched something in both his fists. ¡®Oh Origin¡­ It¡¯s Cog!¡¯ Aurelia thought desperately, her teeth clenching on her gag. ¡°Who are you, little boy? And how did you find us?¡± The Corrupted satyr hissed unconcerned. The thugs all raised their weapons and began to move toward him. ¡°Not so fast, Stink Gang, or whatever you call yourselves!¡± He sputtered, raising his fist dangerously. He was terrified, yet the absolute impossibility of this confrontation made the thugs hesitate at his threat. ¡°I have two fist-fulls of Gnomish Explosives right here, ready for anyone who wants to take them. Now, Give. Me. Back. My. Sister!¡± He finished with a shout, actually stepping forward with his threat. Aurelia¡¯s insides twisted in fear for him even as his words bolstered the flame in her chest to an inferno. ¡°You idiots! The boy is bluffing. Kill him and then search for any other rats hidden on this Pit Cursed mountain!¡± The robed figure yelled. ¡°Have it your way!¡± Cog shouted back, lobbing the contents of his fists at the oncoming thugs. Cog immediately dived away, his motions causing the rush of individuals to flinch as the small objects Cog had thrown scattered before them. Everyone stared down at the point of impact confused, when a disorienting series of flashes and bangs exploded from the ground, one after another in a rapid staccato of light and sound. The thugs screamed, and even Aurelia had to blink back tears as her vision was filled with afterimages. The knife at her throat suddenly vanished, and she heard the man behind her cursing vehemently. ¡°Kill the boy!¡± The robed figure screeched in frustration. The blazing stars faded from her sight as she slowly reached to remove the gag from her mouth, not wanting to alert anyone with a sudden movement. The cursing behind her suddenly ceased, and her hand froze, hovering above her gag¡­ Had he seen her? Then the flame within her roared over her fear, and she realized she would rather be stabbed in the back than used in this ploy to destroy her people. In one motion, she yanked the wadded cloth from her mouth and whipped her head around, ready to ward off the blow she knew must be coming. But it didn''t. Instead, she found a scared-looking young minotauress standing over her unconscious captor. ¡°Milas?¡± She whispered, her voice horse and dry. The girl smiled for just an instant before the commotion behind them demanded their attention. The group of thugs had caught Cog and he was now struggling uselessly, shouting in defiance with a courage that belayed his small form. They began pounding into his little body with punches and kicks, punishing him for his impudence. Milas moaned in fear, but the sight did something altogether different inside of Aurelia. Her flame, already blazing, exploded from within her. One of the thugs grew tired of the game and pulled back his knife to end it. Something broke inside Aurelia broke. Her limits, her place in this world, her self-doubt¡­ They all shattered along with it. ¡°Get away from my BROTHER!¡± she screamed, as the forest around her began to dance with a blue and white light. Her words thrummed with power, and a new Ability lit up her Mana Pathways as she instinctively reached for something¡­ anything to save him. ¡­ Jonathan Tillman Level 35 Son of Flame Amelia¡¯s weight had shifted more and more onto his shoulder as they moved through the camp at a hobbling jog. To make matters worse, greenery kept sprouting all over her form, adding even more weight to the awkward movement. But Tilly soldiered on, listening to each gasping breath eliciting from Amelia''s mouth with mounting worry. By the time they started climbing the mountain she had lost the ability to walk, sucking in air desperately as she tried to lift her feet so they would not drag, slowing them further. With a grunt of exertion, Tilly squatted down and threw her body across his shoulders, straightening up and picking up the pace. Amelia groaned, whether in pain or protest, Tilly could not tell, but seeing the vines now completely covering her exposed skin had done it for him. Somehow, he pushed his jog into a sprint, squeezing everything he could out of his new Stats as his patchwork of injuries and Debuffs did their best to tear apart his only recently restored body. Thankfully the moon was bright enough that even well into the night, he could make his way up the worn path without much trouble. He pumped his legs over and over, sucking in as much breath as his cramping torso would allow. Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang! Tilly almost tripped at the sudden interruption to his cadence, as a staccato of small explosions sounded further up the path¡­ ¡®No way this is anything but more bad news.¡¯ He growled down at his legs, urging his thrusting knees to increase their pace. ¡°Get away from my BROTHER!¡± A screaming voice demanded from above. As Tilly ran up the path, little figures stood in the forest to either side. He almost dropped Amelia and grabbed his weapons, before realizing they were all children¡­ The kids Edna and George were taking care of. That¡¯s when the voice fell into place in his memory. Tilly rolled Amelia off his shoulders to the ground and called his hatchets into his hands bursting into an all-out sprint. Blue flames lit up the forest ahead of him as ran up the mountain. B2 Ch. 58 Tree Part 3 The sound of multiple screams egged him on as Tilly topped an upward bend in the path, emerging into a scene of fiery conflict. Seven or eight satyrs were arranged in a writhing circle around a little lump of clothing. A familiar blue fire was everywhere, originating from another confrontation still playing out twenty yards beyond the initial scene of destruction. Tilly''s eyes momentarily struggled to make sense of the twisting mass of rootlike appendages surging toward the source of the flames. In the middle of the inferno was Aurelia, the Priestess. Her whole body had been set alight as she pushed out wave after wave of fire. ¡°YOU THINK THIS IS ENOUGH TO STOP ME?¡± A screaming voice cajoled from the center of the mass of the root creature. It rolled forward, attempting to push through the waves of fire being released by Aurelia. The Priestess held up both hands in a warding posture screaming in effort. The roots were constantly being burned away but regrew at an equal rate offsetting the damage and allowing the thing to inch closer to the girl. As soon as he registered the enemy, Tilly¡¯s body whipped into action, engulfing his weapons with his mana and sending them whirling toward the enemy. They hit with wooden-sounding thunks, cutting deep into the cloth-bound center of the creature, and evoking a caterwauling scream, before the thing turned away from the previous object of its wrath. ¡°Hey! Overgrown shower clog! Roll your ass over here and try me on for size!¡± Tilly called, stepping over the pitifully mewling bodies on the path before him, to stand unobstructed before the thing. As the expanding mass of dark ropy roots rotated to face him, Tilly saw that nested in between the tightly bound layers of dirty clothing and writhing appendages, was a face. One rendered almost unrecognizable by the roots diving in and out of its flesh. But the eyes, filled with icy hate, and brimming over with cold superiority, were a dead giveaway. Behind the creature, Aurelia collapsed, her fire sputtering out as the last of her mana was used up. Level 56 Seed Corrupted Aristocrat ¡°Ah! The cockroach himself! What a happy circumstance to meet you here at my ascension. I am eager to snap your neck myself before I cut off this pitiful excuse for a Faction from its benefactor!¡± The speaker''s original body seemed to be gone, now lost in layers of cloth suspended by hundreds of roots. Tilly recalled his hatchets, trying not to reveal his dismay at how ineffective the attacks seemed to be. The place where his hatchets had lodged in the creature''s side had burnt away and detached from the whole before quickly being replaced by new growth. If he was going to take this thing out, he would have to bypass the shifting mass of wooden roots and hit this guy in the face. Trying to buy time, he called, ¡°I didn¡¯t see it before, but man, the resemblance is uncanny! You are the spitting image of your son. The apple really doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree...¡± He spat between bellowing breaths. Marcellus the Elder chuckled in reply, roots tearing up the ground in front of him as he advanced slowly, like a hundred-legged spider, ¡°You did me a favor getting rid of that weakling¡­ My true heir was always the eldest. After this, I¡¯ll bring that pup to heel, and we will take our place at the front of this glorious revolution.¡± Tilly peeked behind him considering a short retreat to draw this thing further away from Aurelia, and did a double take. The little lump in the middle of all the bodies had rolled over and was struggling to get to his feet. Cog¡­ ¡®Shit, looks like it''s here and now.¡¯ He thought to himself desperately, turning back to the slow confident advance of the monstrosity. His patched-together internal healing felt like it was ripping at the seams, but Tilly bore the sensation with a scowl, shifting his weight to try something else. ¡°Ah, how the bravado of the ant dies before my stomping hoof.¡± Marcellus the Elder sneered out spitfully. Tilly responded by spinning in place, releasing and calling back his hatchets in a fiery whirlwind of rapid attacks and feints to try and make it past the layered guard. But the curtain of roots rose seamlessly, absorbing the hits accompanied by small blue explosions, before falling away and being replaced. Even the lingering embers that would typically do damage over time were shed along with the dead roots, removing their effect on the whole. As disturbing as Marcellus¡¯ new form was, he was now a perfect counter to Tilly¡¯s burst damage AoE and damage over time. Expulsion would not work and neither would his thrown axes, not until he got past that guard¡­ The roots parted mockingly before him in a twisted game of peekaboo. Marcellus¡¯ leering face peeked out from in between his myriad appendages and he crooned, ¡°Let me show you what true power feels like!¡± Then almost moaning in ecstasy, he shed any guise of sanity, and the many feelers of his new form quivered in anticipation and suddenly shot toward his prey. Tilly''s weapons twitched, trying in vain to figure out how to get out of this one. His only chance was to get as close as possible, and activate an Expulsion, hopefully before Marcellus raised his guard back up. Tilly adopted a mask of hopelessness, something that wasn¡¯t much of a challenge in his current circumstance, and dropped his hatchets in defeat. Marcellus¡¯ root-pierced visage pulled up short of his charge and paused to lean toward Tilly through his curtain of defense, black ichor dribbling like drool from a too-wide smile. Internally, Tilly steeled himself¡­ Kid or no kid, as soon as that thing grabbed him, he was going to activate his new title, [All or Nothing] in tandem with Flame Expulsion and see if he couldn¡¯t take this bastard out. Then the trees all around them groaned and the ground undulated like a quivering mass of jelly. For a moment, Tilly was afraid of some sort of new Ability from his opponent, but Marcellus¡¯ leer fell into a grimace, and he plunged more roots into the ground to stabilize himself. Tilly¡¯s Mana Pathways lit up as he prepared to take advantage of the surprise when the surrounding flora erupted in a flurry of growth. The ground all around the Seed Corrupted Aristocrat exploded as roots native to this mountain burrowed in amongst their invading counterparts, and tree limbs shot in to tangle the floating curtain of appendages that fanned out around Marcellus the Elder¡¯s transformed body. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What is this?!¡± He cried trying to pull away from the entanglement. Then the combined force of all the new growth simultaneously went taut, pulling away all of his additional protections, and leaving his center mass exposed. ¡°Arrrggg!¡± He cried out in impotent frustration and the beginnings of fear. A strained voice rose from behind Tilly, ringing with a finality that sealed Marcellus¡¯ fate, ¡°Get away from my kids, you piece of shit¡­¡± Not one to waste the opportunity before him, Tilly shifted the Title''s focus to his first and simplest Ability. He inflamed the hatchet in his right hand with 20-30 times the normal amount of Mana and an immense WUMPH went off at his side, as he felt the very nature of his soul-bound weapon momentarily shift in response to contain the new power. Tilly lunged forward, swinging his weapon in a simple downward chop, delivering a blue solar flare-like strike into his opponent''s face. For just a moment, Marcellus the Elder¡¯s corruption-infested expression was brightly illuminated in stark blues, a caricature of shock before the concussive blast of the overcharged Ability''s impact turned Tilly¡¯s world white and blew him back through the air. A series of branches attempted to arrest his flight, which ended decisively as he hit the thick trunk of a tree. He fell to the ground, his body finally giving out after hours of relentless abuse. There on the ground, he groaned incoherently, trying to muster up the strength to get an arm under him, as knife-like ringing cut through the center of his head. The blast had addled him and his thoughts fell through his mental fingers like sand as he fought to impose his will on his disjointed extremities. They refused to answer his confused mental urgings, and he lay there in a heap like a puppet with cut strings. ¡°Amelia¡­ Temple¡­¡± He muttered to himself, his lips dry and cracked as half of his face dug into the ground he had collapsed in. His thoughts swam in lazy circles, utterly refusing to form of a linear plan. At the periphery of his awareness, many small hands grabbed his limp body, pulling him up and dragging him forward, advancing arduously up the mountain path. Tilly''s consciousness flashed in and out as unknown Debuffs fought against his will to stay awake. His Regen struggled to balance out the toll they demanded as his battered body clung to consciousness with the rigid stubbornness of a two-year-old. Blink Some children moved past, holding Cog¡¯s small, weak, body between them. Blink A young Minotauress dragged a tangle of vines and branches larger than her body up the obstacle-strewn path. She was crying and others walked behind the mass of greenery, lifting and pushing where they could. Blink High-pitched voices argued about what to do next as an ornate wooden entrance stood open before the group. Then they all went silent as a groggy voice muttered, ¡°Oh Cog! Are you OK?¡± Blink Warmth flooded Tilly¡¯s body, knitting together ligaments and muscles that had been operating on sheer will for far too long. The muddled soup that was his mind clicked back into operation and his eyes snapped open. He was surrounded by the same kids he had seen outside Amelia¡¯s shop months ago. At the front of the group stood a frazzled Aurelia, tears streaking down her face, and behind her rested a huge messy tangle of still-growing plants. Tilly¡¯s head looked around in confusion, finding himself in the crystal chamber of the Temple, its steady glow offering comfort to the distraught group. ¡°I''m sorry Mr. Tillman! This isn¡¯t something I can fix. I can barely sense her in the middle of all that strange Mana.¡± Aurelia cried, waving historically at what used to be Amelia. The whole of the situation crashed into Tilly¡¯s rebooting mind and he lurched to his feet, his body wobbling uncertainly. ¡°Come on, we have to get her to the central chamber.¡± He said confidently, not at all sure if that was all that they needed to do, but hoping desperately nonetheless. He stumbled over to the car-sized mass, and grabbed onto a few sturdy-looking branches, hauling it toward the inner hallway, which was just barely wide enough to accommodate Amelia¡¯s increased size. He groaned in effort as his healing body attempted to leverage the full weight of his newly increased Strength. The children quickly scampered in around him, grabbing anything they could and lending their collective effort to the endeavor. The mass began to move, scraping along the walls and floor as they pulled and pushed for all they were worth. After a long thirty yards, they arrived at the central chamber. The fit through the last door was the tightest yet and the effort to get the tangled knot of vegetation through caused the whole group to tumble out into the slightly sloped chamber, as they pulled her free of the impediment. Tilly who had been hauling backward, pulling with both hands from an almost seated position landed flat on his back as the resistance vanished and Amelia¡¯s flora-choked form entered the central chamber of the Temple. A Roaring flash erupted from the altar in response to their arrival and Tilly, from his position on the ground facing Amelia, saw a subtle green flash answer it, originating from the center of the mass. A jet of blue fire shot out from the altar, and the vegetation all around Amelia began to wither and die, meeting the flame as dry tinder, ready to be consumed. Tilly almost cried out in distress before seeing the flame immediately pull back as the vegetation was consumed, leaving an unharmed Amelia surrounded by a cloud of ash. Her eyes opened, and she smiled in relief as green motes of energy so potent that they set Tilly¡¯s teeth on edge emerged from her core, and drifted by him toward the waiting Flame. He turned to watch along with every other person in the chamber as music bubbled up all around them, interspersed with the gentle shivering of the Flame on the stone surface. As soon as they arrived, the motes orbited the flame, shifting in time with the melody that was just beyond Tilly¡¯s ability to comprehend. As they drifted nearer the song built, flooding the chamber with an energy so rich in possibility and potential that Tilly felt his very soul start to vibrate in harmony with the Song. Tilly saw a thousand ends and ten thousand new beginnings as all of the universe expanded in an ever-evolving pattern of sound and light. Amidst the crescendo, a small ember, brighter even than the surrounding Flame, rose up from the center of the altar. The green dancing motes swung around in their orbit and crashed into the ember one by one, combining to make something new, adding to the depth of its multi-hued vibrancy. Tilly¡¯s next breath seemed to take a lifetime as he watched the motes finish joining with the central ember transforming into a tiny perfect Seed. The riot of energy flooding the chamber dampened and steadied along with the Seed¡¯s formation and the urgent vibrancy of the moment faded, eliciting a sigh of loss and relief from its audience. The seed floated back down into the flame and slowly cracked open, shooting forth a delicate sprout with two little leaves. Then as if the entire event had been a whisper designed to draw in their attention, a booming notification exploded out from the altar in a tidal wave of green and blue energy. Congratulations, You have obtained the patronage of Origin¡¯s Bloom and completed a Hidden Quest. Quest Rewards Incoming¡­ B2 Ch. 59 Glow Way Up Jonathan Tillman Level 37 Son of Flame The wave of green and blue energy washed over Tilly, instantly clearing away his remaining Debuffs and soothing his strained Mana Pathways. As his vision cleared, all that was left of the immense wave of energy was a dancing blue and green flame hovering before him. It floated there expectantly and not entirely sure what to do, Tilly followed his instincts and lifted his hands to the flame as if receiving a gift. It split obligingly, its green nature moving toward Tilly¡¯s left wrist and its blue nature moving toward Tilly¡¯s right. The flames elongated and cooled, forming two silver bracelets. They were a matching set, one with a vibrant green crystal set in the midst of carved flames and the other with an electric blue gem set among an intricate scene of interlaced flora. Celestial Bracelets of Substitutional Might ¡®Celestial¡­ Isn¡¯t that the highest grade in existence?¡¯ Tilly thought to himself as he pulled up his notification log to see just what these items were capable of. All around the chamber, the vibrant energy of change thrummed as Amelia and every member of the ¡°Originals¡± were transformed. ¡­ Linus Level 69 Consul Linus thrust his borrowed spear right into the eye of an oncoming Consumer who had lept over the first Rank using the hill of crumbled bodies as a springboard. With its momentum arrested on his spear, a soldier to his right screamed and chopped deeply into its neck even as it was still fighting to disembowel those in the second and third rank. ¡°PUSH THEM BACK!¡± The new Bastion Commander called from somewhere down the wall. The Bastion¡¯s Unit Magic sent a concussive burst outward, clearing the top of the wall momentarily and buying the whole formation a few breaths of room. ¡°Second Rank! Fall back, Third Fill-In! Reserves, UP!¡± Linus called in a hoarse voice his commands echoing up and down the wall as they took their moment of reprieve to refill the ranks supporting the stalwart Bastions on the front of the wall. ¡­Incredibly, they were holding. The roiling mass of enraged enemies had been stopped, unable to clear the obstacle before them. For days the enemy had tested the stopping power of the soldiers on the wall and repeatedly the units stationed at the top had barely held. They had stood fast, taking minor, but over time, significant losses, facing just a fraction of the enemy¡¯s might. But this was a calculated risk, one that had finally paid off. From his time as their commander, he knew that even with the increase in average level, the Bastions would run out of unit magic to spend in the next couple of minutes, but they had successfully stopped the full weight of the charge against the wall, and now much of the enemy was clamoring over itself in confusion at the sudden halt in the attack. In the distance, he heard the sound of inhuman roaring followed by a crash so loud that it rattled the sword sheathed on his hip, Whatever that calvary was¡­ their Charge Ability was like nothing Linus had ever seen. His attention was drawn back to the battle before him as the Strigoi regrouped and sprinted up the mountain of their own dead to take running leaps at the Alliance¡¯s front line all over again. Crashing like waves of enraged flesh against the bulwark of the Alliance¡¯s finest soldiers. Erash was down to one knee, being guarded by Hiro as she channeled all of her Mana into the enchantment that spread her heal over time to the entire front line. Green energy sparked subtly around the Bastion¡¯s boots as her Buff plus their own Unit Magic gave them everything they needed to stand fast. The enemy died in the hundreds and then the thousands, as the previously dominant Consumers met their match in the stalwart front-line defenders. If the Fleshbags had been allowed to charge¡­ it would have been a massacre. But the Consumers and lesser strigoi alone were all strength and speed. With their momentum arrested against the immovable shields of the Bastions, they fell like so much wheat before the scythe, feeding the entire formation Experience at an incredible rate. A screaming call was taken up at the center of the enemy mass, one that spread to the entire back half of the forces that had come to take the wall. Linus'' burgeoning hope came crashing back down as half of the charging enemy turned towards the surrounding cliffs and split their forces down the middle, preparing to try and climb in order to circumvent the wall altogether. ¡°Rangers, Tidecallers and Third Rankers! Get everything you have on those cliffs, Now!¡± Linus bellowed urgently, hefting his own spear and hurling it with incredible accuracy at one of the front-running Consumers. He watched just long enough to see his throw find its mark, amidst far too many misses from his still unskilled soldiers. Then he turned and shouted down into the logistics area choked with all of their remaining soldiers in different states of injury or resupply. ¡°Reserves! Fall back and sweep the nearby forests! We have flankers incoming!¡± Unfortunately for their plan, almost all of the unit¡¯s leaders were up on the wall holding the first rank against the Horde, but he did hear one all too familiar voice start to rise above the chaos down below, ¡°Alright, you Worthless Slugs! Nap time is over! Get equipped and get into the trees! Kill anything that moves! ¡®That woman deserves a commendation¡­¡¯ Linus thought wryly as he rushed to the units on the stairs. They would need to pass up their spears to replace the ones they had just lost in the initial volley¡­ ¡­ Igor Level 86 Vampiric Mesmer An ear-splitting screech of frustration ripped itself free from between his teeth. This was not how it was supposed to be! The stubborn cattle had displayed a surprising amount of resilience in the face of their charge, and while Igor was confident he could break their cowardly collective Abilities himself, doing so would embroil him in hand-to-hand conflict.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. That was less than ideal if he wanted to be the first to reach the succulent prize at the heart of this little Faction. He flexed his Will in fury against Father¡¯s commands before once again finding them completely gone¡­ Had he already forgotten that he was now free. Why play by the rules? Why delay? He layered Command over his voice and called for a change in the attack. Any of the Horde too far from the wall to make themselves useful were to pull away from the frontal assault and take to the cliffs. Then using even more of his dwindling Mana, he shrouded himself in Plain Visage and siphoned off as much Mana from the surrounding fodder as possible, scaling the cliffs along with thousands of his weaker brethren. He could have pulled ahead but knew it would be easier to pass unnoticed amid the flood of his kin. A pitiful few projectiles and Abilities swept along the vertical surface, removing hundreds of those around him, but leaving thousands more untouched. They would flood the surrounding forest and sow chaos, providing the perfect distraction for Igor to pluck the prize he had so readily earned from this low-hanging branch. As he joined the flow of fodder over the lip of the unnaturally tall cliff face, he became aware of something strange happening along the route that most of his inferiors had taken towards the cattle settlement. Howls of surprise and the sound of snapping wood greeted his senses as he followed the flow a little further into the forest until he found that many of his kin were locked in combat with¡­ Plants. Igor growled in frustration at his own Factions'' stupidity. They continued to throw themself into the carnage, not nearly as disciplined as they had once been under the heavy shackles of Father¡¯s Will. He thought for a moment about redirecting them, but then he spat in disgust, and left the idiotic conflict behind, choosing to range farther laterally until he found a gap in whatever protection this was. Their purpose was chaos, and they were accomplishing it just fine. He moved through the forest like a ghost, leaning into all the advantages that his respectable Dexterity gave him in this obstacle-strewn environment. Now that he was away from all the noise and stink that unfortunately always accompanied the Horde, he was able to pick up a sharp bitter smell about twenty paces closer to the settlement. It stung his nostrils and reminded him of burning metal. His combat instincts, honed over decades of fighting every day for every scrap of power he had gained, kept him from pressing the barrier multiple times. They prickled up and down his back as he attempted to approach the mysterious protection. It was no enchantment, Igor would have tasted it on his tongue, but something had been set in place around the settlement that was dangerous to his kind. His limited experience in magic was not enough for him to investigate further, and he honestly didn''t care. He knew he didn¡¯t understand what was at play here, and that made him worry. He had not survived this long by being reckless¡­ But his new strength gnawed at his insides, salivating for him to move in for the kill, and take the prize hidden within. The Hunger he had won at the Bloodwells was not a patient force and his rows of sharpened teeth cut fresh lines of blood in his gums as his jaw clenched in internal conflict. Finally, the desperate part of his nature won out, and he used half of his remaining Mana and 20% of his Health to summon Blood Armor. Wounds opened all along his body, and blood gushed out, immediately hardening into dozens of shell-like carapace plates that would block almost any strike, but shatter in the process. He was not too worried about the Mana loss, he was sure there would be plenty of snacks on the way to find his unguarded prize. Now fully armored, he changed the direction of his run like a striking snake, diving into the bitter-smelling line of magically fortified plants. They immediately reacted to his presence, whipping toward him with Mana-enhanced speed and attempting to snare him in vines, branches, and roots. He leaned fully into his build, dodging as many of the grasping plants as possible while making sure to only take hits on armored areas when he couldn¡¯t avoid the plant''s touch. Blood carapace shattered around him as he burst through the hostile zone and exited out of the reach of the animated guardians. Sneering back at the inept defensive measure, he turned to orient himself and froze. There, leaning against a tree was one of the cattle. He looked gristly and seemed not to have noticed Igor¡¯s crashing through the forest. Instead, the cattle was entirely focused on lighting a pipe, taking a deep pull from its stem, and releasing a smoke ring with a grunt of contentment. Igor smiled, happy to take his meals raw or smoked. He sprung forward clawed fingers extending to rip out the cattle¡¯s wrinkled neck when the creature looked up and met his eyes. There was no surprise there, not even concern, and Igor¡¯s combat instincts screamed at him. He broke off his lunge, strafing sideways and lowering into a crouch, eyeing his surroundings warily for some trap. ¡°You were right again wife¡­¡± The elderly cattle called, looking down at Igor in amusement. His identifier reading, Level 58 Agriculturalist Igor snarled in fury at his casual dismissal, especially when he was so clearly a weakling, but his instincts continued to scream at him to flee. Something about how they smelled did not match up with the low levels shown to him by the System. ¡°George, it''s been three Epochs and you are still so quick to doubt¡­¡± Igor¡¯s head whipped to the side as another bony specimen stepped out from in between some trees. Level 52 Arborist Looking back and forth at these two Igor began to feel an itch at the back of his mind. A lifetime of pushing against Father¡¯s influence had sharpened his Will to a razor edge, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion, as the system-produced identifiers started to waver, as if covered in a haze. ¡°Not so fast, little monster¡­¡± The elderly male rebuked, shaking his pipe stem at Igor in mock chastisement. That final dismissal of his superiority was enough to break Igor''s caution. The Hunger screamed in him to kill and he obliged, lurching for the female in the blink of an eye. His eyes lit up with Mesmerize as he strained toward her jugular with his claws. Something like a vice clamped around his extended arm, arresting all of his momentum, and nearly ripping his arm out of its socket. He looked up from the easy smile of the female to find the bony male¡¯s hand around his arm. Acting on instinct, he channeled all his remaining Mana into his Ability, pouring weaponized hate out through his glowing red eyes. The man stared back, his dull grey eyes slowly developing a multi-hued glow of their own, ¡°You want into my head do you? Suit yourself¡­¡± He muttered around his pipe stem. Igor¡¯s Ability crashed into the cattle''s soul and dissipated like a drop in the ocean. He tried to pull back, but the connection had already been made, and the weight behind those eyes crushed his soul with barely a thought. The Vampiric Mesmur¡¯s body collapsed in a boneless heap, as he screamed internally, locked away from any agency over his soon-to-be-ended life. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count does it?¡± George asked, looking over at Edna, a few creases of worry forming around his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure it doesn¡¯t. This is just saving us a little mess down the line, it doesn¡¯t change anything major¡­¡± She answered, moving over to pat him reassuringly on the shoulder. A boom of energy sounded in the distance, and a light flashed near the top of the far mountain. Both of the elderly satyrs glanced in that direction, eyes reading through the many layers of reality with long practice. ¡°Oh Good! The dears made it. I knew all that trouble with little Cog would be worth it!¡± Edna said with a smile. ¡°Right again, dear,¡± George replied, a slow easy smile stretching the corners of his mouth, forming a familiar network of lines reaching up to his eyes. ¡°...Right again.¡± B2 Ch. 60 Ends and Beginnings Hiro Matsumoto Guardian Daimyo of the Three-Fold Alliance His charge had finally succumbed to her exhaustion, and with her, the enchantment bolstering the Bastion rank had flickered out. Hiro had been planning his next move for hours and instantly took her unconscious body and slung it back behind the wall with all his strength. He wanted her well clear of any enemy combatants while he was gone. She filled too important a role in the Faction at present to let anything happen to her. He watched as she crashed into a few tents before rolling to a stop over two hundred paces away. He was no longer surprised at what he was capable of with his newly bolstered Strength and with her Constitution such an impact would be negligible¡­ Once he was sure of her safety, he turned to the flagging front line. Behind them, the thinning second and third ranks barely held on in their support role as waves of enemies continued to crash against their formation. Linus had sent out the reserves as soon as the enemy''s attack had shifted in nature, but now with no replenishment available and the healing gone, the First Rank would break soon. Thousands of the enemies sprinted up the mountain of their own dead, like a morbid siege ramp, attempting to bury the soldiers in bodies. The Consumers among the rolling charge focused on landing as many strikes as possible in the chaos before being rebuffed. The only goal was the slaughter, and all thought of strategy had faded from their collective attack. Iron thigh muscles flexed as he took this all in and crouched down, gathering the new strength in his body and focusing it into his legs. On the outside, he still looked the same except for his eyes, which now gleamed a crystalline green. But internally, his stats were completely transformed, and while he no longer could gain levels from combat, he had grown much more accustomed to this form over the multi-day battle they had fought defending the wall. He had not tired, and no wound he took remained for long. His greatest limitation now was that he could only be in one place at a time, and the defensive nature of this conflict did not play to the strengths of his build. So he had hung back, keeping their main magical support in the fight for as long as possible. But that had just changed. A booming clap sounded as he exploded from his crouch, launching into the air under the power of his explosion of applied Strength. The path of his jump took him high above the center of the enemy formation and for the first time in days, he allowed himself a grim smile. Sword in hand, he reached back extending its midnight blade fully behind him, perfectly timing the motion to coincide with the top of his flying arc. ¡°Waxing Shadow¡± he whispered, unnoticed by the masses of creatures below. His blade¡¯s weight suddenly multiplied, layering on metaphysical significance that began to pull him to the ground along with gravity. He held the blade back as he began to fall like a meteor, its weight continuing to increase. This Ability was an aspect of the special nature of his Legendary blade and was scaled to match its wielder¡¯s Strength. A stat that had recently doubled for Hiro upon his resurrection as a Guardian. His fall picked up speed and he brought the blade around, straining against its reality-warping significance. It ripped through the fabric of space as Hiro swept it forward, aided by the full momentum of an object crashing down from the heavens. As he completed his swing, the energy that had been building was expelled forward ahead of his fall at an angle designed to hit a large portion of the Horde before the wall. Much of his kinetic energy was canceled out by the unleashing of the Ability and he felt all of his built-up momentum transfer seamlessly into the attack''s release. A cataclysmic roar sounded in the air around him just before the Ability crashed into the enemy below. The first rank of enemies to be hit by the expanding arc were obliterated by the most concentrated epicenter weaponized darkness. Hiro landed with a crouch in the recently cleared area surrounded by enemies. Ahead of him, his Ability continued to expand, mowing through enemies at an incredible rate, clearing fifty, then a hundred, then two hundred of the strigoi from the rear of their chaotic formation. By the end of its expenditure, some of the Consumers were able to block the Arc of dark energy, breaking bones and weapons, but by that time, Hiro had created an immense gap in the roiling mass of creatures. The collective weight of the Horde''s attention turned as one toward the newly created gap in its midst, howling in frenzied challenge at their new attacker. Scanning his surroundings calmly, Hiro took in a deep breath, held it, and then expelled. The Land was now attuned to him in a way he could not express to the others. It was a part of him, and here, defending it against invaders, he felt at peace. He was completely one with himself and as easily as putting on an old pair of boots, he entered Battle Trance. His son may have evolved this technique into something new¡­ but he had learned it at Hiro¡¯s feet. As enemies charged in from all sides, Hiro shouted back in defiance activating Waning Light and Cascading Strike. An umbral darkness exploded out from him, eagerly drinking in the charging enemies as they flooded the gap his first attack had created. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Breath steady, Hiro began to move through his sword forms. Cascading Strike caused every consecutive strike in a battle to increase strength by 1%. The second passive Ability of his weapon activated along with this, increasing the weight of the blade by 1% every consecutive strike. Both of these effects worked in tandem to create a vastly overpowered damage output for very little Mana expenditure, and Hiro simply focused on adjusting his steps and posture with every swing to accommodate the change in the weapon. The motions were so familiar, and the effects of his Abilities so well practiced, that Hiro¡¯s meditative state only deepened as the world around him became a chaotic storm of blood, fangs, and claws. Not a step was wasted, not a swing misplaced as he leaned into the darkness of his environment like an old friend. The Land beneath him augmented the combination of Abilities like never before, giving him an even greater understanding of his surroundings. He danced between the enemy¡¯s frenzied forms, whirling around and through tightly packed bodies, desperate to vent their long-suppressed fury on an enemy. The carnage grew so thick that blood began to mist the air, and offal sprayed out in concentric circles from each of Hiro¡¯s strikes, showering the blinded combatants. Then his trance was almost broken in shock as the strigoi nearest to his sword strikes lost any semblance of control in the presence of so much blood and rent flesh. Enveloped in complete darkness, they seemed to give up altogether on telling friend from foe, and an orgy of slaughter began to grow from the epicenter of Hiro¡¯s Domain. He stilled and crouched down, attempting to center himself again, an island of calm in a sea of madness. He had hoped to buy the wall sometime¡­ But as the screams of combat grew from the midst of his Domain, more and more enemies charged in from all directions collapsing the press against the wall, and drawing in its weight to the center of the new killing field like a black hole. Just as he was about to enter back into the fray, a deep reverberation echoed through the Land. His head whipped up, peering unimpeded through the Umbral Domain toward the mountain. Something had just happened to the Sovereign Crystal. A rippling tide of energy was washing over the Alliance¡¯s land, touching every member and imparting some of its bounty as it expanded inextricably over the entirety of the Faction¡¯s holdings. Hiro stood smiling as the wave of azure light was accompanied by a new verdant counterpart. He could feel it restoring and empowering as it washed over those on the wall. That was not all, the energy not only touched those defending its domain but also spent a small portion of its wrath upon each enemy combatant. Laying them low with some sort of Debuff he did not understand, they were not killed... No, instead it cleansed them of the darkness using the monsters as hosts and rendered the bodies comatose from the sudden loss of animating energy. As the wave washed over him and moved to the boundaries of their allotted portion of the Land, he felt it grow outward, pushing the boundaries of what had once been theirs, expanding and transforming their Faction¡¯s influence, and along with it, his strength¡­ Canceling his Umbral domain to reveal a shocking field of eviscerated bodies, Hiro called to the wall in a booming voice. ¡°Attack Now Defenders of the Alliance! Your enemy has been delivered to you, now reap them for the experience they offer!¡± His voice echoed supernaturally past the wall, deep into the forests and valleys, spurring every newly empowered member of the Three-Fold Alliance to charge forward and finish the work that the Faction¡¯s transformation had begun. ¡­ Deep below the mountain, at the epicenter of a network of tunnels that had only just begun to hear the ringing of mining picks once again, something stirred. The energy of the Faction¡¯s transformation had reached deep below the bedrock of the Holy Temple touching an ancient magic of binding and sleep. The contact stirred the enchantment, and a series of if/then logic statements began to unravel, as the spell unwound itself around its target, beginning a process of reanimation. The supernatural slumber that had held it for Epochs began to fade¡­ ¡­ Wesley level 59 Black Market Trafficker Wesley couldn¡¯t help but sneer at the posturing fool next to him reporting on what had happened on their assignment. He had set everything up perfectly, and this fool had to go and ruin it by bringing in some unknown variables at the last minute. ¡°-Because of the ineptitude of this slimy human, the trap was sprung too early, allowing many of my brethren time to respond. That, along with the presence of this unknown warrior caused much of the infiltration to die in its infancy. We had still gained dozens of new agents at every level of the Order, but it was not nearly what we had planned.¡± The dark-haired Knight finished smoothly, bowing as he shifted the blame for the failure on Wesley. Wesley could not allow those to be the last words of the report¡­ So with scorn dripping from every word, he rebuffed the accusation, ¡°And who pray tell gave entry to this warrior in the middle of our operation? Perhaps you are not as loyal as-¡± ¡°Silence.¡± A hissing cacophony of voices from one of the thrones. Wesley¡¯s flinched as if struck. There were six gigantic thrones arrayed before them, each holding a figure of unbelievable power cloaked in darkness. Wesley¡¯s eyes darted across the line of thrones as he knelt immediately, trying to parse out which figure the voice had come from. The command hung over the gargantuan chamber like a leaden weight. The Hall of Fallen Princes had not been occupied in millennia and even Wesley knew that the thrones were no longer being held exclusively by classic figures of demonic strength. Power had shifted in the Pits¡­ just as it was shifting everywhere. Times were changing, and a new empire was rising, one that would drown the current system of hierarchies in its own arrogance and give rise to a new Empire. ¡°Tell me of this Warrior and the power he wielded to expunge our influence.¡± B2 Ch. 61 Epilogue 40,000 years ago -Epoch of God¡¯s and Heroes- Brokenridge breathed in the scent of his domain, letting the heady layers of aroma enter into his ridged nostrils to be parsed into a thousand pieces of information sorted by his superior intellect. He had set the green two-legs that were scattered all over the surrounding forests to look for tribute worthy of their master and it smelled like they had returned. They stank of anticipation and fear¡­ Good, perhaps they would have something worth adding to his treasure chamber this time. Gleaming piles glittered around him, as if doubtful that such paltry trinkets could improve on their beauty¡­ ¡°Do not worry darlings, only the best will be allowed to join you.¡± He breathed out in a smug rejoinder to their cute self-assurance, smoke dancing lazily between his arm-sized fangs at the cleverness of his response. He also detected the tangy bitterness of subterfuge from the hairy ones he had caught burrowing under his mountain. When he had first discovered them, they had pled ignorance, and he had shown them mercy. A few hundred dead were nothing to the thousands that still infested the area below his mountain. Their few petty enchantments were no impediment to his fire¡­ His jowls rose in excitement at the memory of the smell of so much burning meat. It has been a while since he ate one¡­ perhaps it was time he had another snack and reminded them who the ruler of this domain was, above and below ground. Their offers of tribute had been¡­ acceptable. He found them much better sources of treasure than the tribes of nomads infesting the surface. While it was always enjoyable to start huge forest fires, collecting loot and carrying it back to his lair was arduous¡­ He much preferred to create a tribute system that was slower but steady. His slit pupils dilated as he imagined growing his hoard until it rivaled even the greatest of those peacocks roosting in the Council Peaks. They ruled over a system of their own devising, growing fat off the labor of others and he would snap its mechanisms between his jaws before he served under it again. Soon it would be time to slumber again and absorb the strength of his Chamber, adding to his not-inconsiderable might. The journey would be long, but without that punishing burden of fattening those above him, he would grow strong enough to take what was his by right. He breathed in the Scorch-marked magic that permeated the cave, indicating to all who knew to look that this was his Domain and connecting the treasure within to his soul. Its strength was his strength. Remaking a Soul-Bound chamber had been very difficult, especially after those pretenders had destroyed his last chamber and stolen all the treasure within, robbing him of much of his unprocessed strength. With nothing left, he had been able to tear his soul free from the destroyed chamber in an act of desperate cunning. What he had done was almost unheard of, and none would expect him to reforge a new chamber in this place, so far away from his enemies and the center of things. They thought him exiled and weak¡­ they would see. He eyed the piles that seemed a little less impressive at the memory of what he had lost. Gold to increase his strength, jewels to increase his magical output. Weapons and armor for his claws, teeth, and scales. It was all here¡­ There was just far too little of it. Perhaps he needed to take a visit down to hairy one¡¯s kingdom and see what other baubles they possessed. However, that raised the question of those copper-cursed tunnels¡­ Brokenridge huffed out a smokey sigh. A problem for another time. Soon he would sleep, and take in his gains from the last five hundred years of conquest. Then he would loot, pillage, and burn to his heart''s content. Tongues of flame danced past his snout and his blood ran hot at the thought of the coming glory of further conquest. On his next inhale, he pulled in the mixed aroma of the green skins and the hairy ones approaching together. They had entered the opening to his lair at the base of the mountain and were advancing cautiously down the long ramp deep underground that led to his Soul-Bound chamber. He had made the mistake of choosing a high abode once before, where many of his enemies could approach at once¡­ Now only one dragon at a time could advance on his Domain, and he could rend them each tooth and claw. Plus there was an unpleasant smell near the top of this peak that he could not stand to approach. He was hoping it would ward off any others in the occurrence that they came looking for him during his slumber. The smell was not the only advantage to this location. It also contained a startling density of Fate which had made bonding his new chamber possible, if not easy. ¡°Lord Dragon!¡± One of the hairy ones called asking permission to enter. This was followed by the guttural call of the green skin¡¯s Mana user, who used his tribal title instead, ¡°Burning End!¡± He quite liked the name they had given him, not that he would ever tell the meat that. ¡°Approach,¡± he uttered, layering his voice with Authority. The small group advanced down the appropriately sized tunnel, pulling a large cart behind them piled high with tribute. Just what he needed before a long nap. He rose up on his forelegs excitedly, flames leaking out of his clenched jaws as he beheld a rather impressive pile of gold, weapons, and even a few magical artifacts. One in particular caught his eye at the top of the pile. It was a perfectly round sphere of crystal, exuding a strange, almost hypnotic power. He flicked out his tongue, tasting the magic, unable to identify exactly what it did. His curiosity rose¡­ unknown could mean powerful, and powerful was always welcome. ¡°What have you brought your Master?¡± He asked, making sure to keep the greed from his voice. It would not do to let the peasants think they had pleased him. Fear was the only reliable motivator for one¡¯s servants. ¡°Your Deadliness! Our king sends his tribute to your growing kingdom, long may you reign!¡± The Hairy one declared loudly, that same tangy stink of betrayal rising off him in cloying waves¡­ But the Crystal sphere glittered invitingly and he found himself too intrigued to care what little scheme they were running. He would eat this little one later. ¡°Burning End, our conquest of the local elves had succeeded with your leadership. We have brought you the finest of their weapons and treasures.¡± The green-skinned Mana user said, his scent oddly muted to Brokenridge¡¯s senses. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the pile. Whatever these ¡®elves¡¯ were, they were no crafters¡­ There were some small magics on the weapons and armor, several enchantments for sharpness and durability. Trash. Then his eyes wandered back to the top of the pile, and he breathed in the magic of the sphere all over again, finding it intoxicating. His disappointment was forgotten as he beheld the powerful artifact. ¡°And where did you get this lovely bauble?¡± He asked, unable to keep the pleasurable chuckle from escaping his throat. ¡°Your Greatness, that is something our king found deep in the under dark¡­ He fought through fearsome magics, defeating terrible foes called Beholders to obtain it. They called it a Foci. Does it please you?¡± The hairy one asked, beginning to exude the heady scent of satisfaction. Brokenridge decided to allow him his small victory at satisfying his master. More and more of his attention was consumed by the sphere which seemed to pulse and throb with alluring power. ¡®What does it do? What will I gain from such a treasure?¡¯ Absorbing an artifact like this would accelerate his timeline greatly. This was the kind of power he had been searching for. The power to dethrone pretenders and take what was his. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Leave.¡± He said quietly, gazing upon the sphere. The two-legs glanced at each other, passing some meaningless silent message before scurrying away like the little mice they were. Brokenridge reached forward with one of his claws, hooking the end of the cart and pulling it close to the mound of treasure he laid upon. He lowered his snout to the newest addition to his horde and took another exultant inhale, breathing in the magic of the artifact deeply. His eyes narrowed for just a moment as he detected the faintest thread of magic anchoring the sphere to some distant point. Just as he was about to snip the little strand with an Authority-tipped claw, the sphere flashed flooding the chamber with a magic so heady that it overwhelmed Brokenridge¡¯s senses. His eyelids grew heavy and his head dipped past the cart, resting gently on the stone floor. ¡®And why not?¡¯ he thought tiredly to himself. He had already intended to absorb the power locked away in his chamber, why not start a few months early? ¡­ 4000 years later Brokenridge¡¯s eyes flicked open as he sneezed out a gout of flame. His internal clock instantly told him how long it had been, and he gazed around his chamber, suddenly alert as he found the entire cavern empty. He urgently thrust his senses inward checking to see if he had already absorbed it all in such a short time. ¡­But no. He had not advanced in any of the categories he should have. His Mana well had actually diminished, and his scales had lost much of their luster. His adamantine claws clicked dully in frustration against the stone floor as he struggled to come to terms with his situation. Flame churned in his chest and his blood began to heat, boiling in his veins as the betrayal took full shape in his memory. ¡°GGGRRRRWWWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH¡± He roared, flooding the front of his layer with dragon flame. Its intensity was so great that it thrust out through the front entrance and burst into the sky announcing to all his kingdom his great fury. He tried not to think about how much of his well that display had just used and his claws tore into the stone supporting his immense weight as he leaped forward, charging up the tunnel out of his chamber, launching himself into the air. ¡®THEY WILL PAY!¡¯ He thundered internally, breathing in deeply to find where the little rats were hiding¡­ Nothing. None of the musky scent of the green skins, or the sweat and metallic odor of the hairy ones. Gone. They were gone and they had taken what was HIS. He roared again, his fury thundering across the landscape when he finally caught a new scent. Rather, something old¡­ layered and complex but also simple. He took in another breath, detecting something that smelled vaguely like food, and dead wood fashioned together in a rudimentary fashion. His pulse quickened and he wheeled in the air, diving toward the source. His fury demanded destruction, and whatever lonely few they had left behind would tell them where the others went¡­ Air howled past him as he pushed his speed, wings grasping huge quantities of atmosphere and launching him forward with every beat. In a few moments, he had crossed the breadth of his Land and dove through the canopy to crash into the narrow dirt track hidden beneath the leaves. Earth exploded outward from the force of his impact, and he dug his claws deep into the ground to arrest his incredible momentum. He roared again in fury, and liquid flame dripped from his gaping jaw as the rain of detritus settled and the object of his rage was revealed. There before him, placidly chewing on some grass was a long-eared four-legged food, attached to a cart with a single occupant¡­ and absolutely no treasure. A female two-leg draped in all sorts of cloth sat on the front bench of the cart, her chin held in her hand as she hunched forward. The sight of what was clearly not his quarry sent Brokenridge over the edge, and without consciously deciding to end these pathetic creatures, his eyes narrowed to slits and a geyser of dragon¡¯s flame bathed them and all their surroundings in the hottest substance known to the plane. The nearby trees were vaporized and those beyond them burst into flame, instantly creating a barren wasteland of destruction and ash¡­ That is¡­ except for the four-leg, two-leg, and the cart. Unbelievably, they remained untouched, now backed by a landscape remade in the image of his wrath. ¡°Very impressive, if misplaced... Something I believe you have consistently failed to correct over your lifetime.¡± The clothed two-legged drawled, straightening on her seat and stretching. ¡°How dare you-¡± It finally hit him as his Authority was choked out by a weight greater than his. This was no average two-leg, she must be one of the new spawn that emerged with this Epoch¡­ ¡°Go on, you are getting close to the truth.¡± She said, watching his thought process play out over his draconic features. ¡°Little Godling. What business do you have in my Domain?¡± He tried again, this time bearing his teeth in a minor acknowledgment of her power. ¡°Not quite, but it will do.¡± She answered, confusing Brokenridge even further. ¡°I am here to make an offer: You desire the Council Peak throne, and you seek to try and take it using the same system of power that you hate¡­ This will fail, in fact, your scheme has failed before it has even begun.¡± Brokenridge did not bother to quiet the rumbling growl that vibrated through his chest at the being¡¯s mockery. Godling or not, he would see just how well that cloth could hold up against the snap of his fangs. ¡°Now, now.¡± She waved him down in a conciliatory manner. ¡°Your ambition is laudable, but impossible unless you are willing to change. Like, will never change like. You must be different if you want to supplant that which you hate.¡± The rumble died slowly in his chest at her words, and he breathed in her scent again, attempting to gain some grasp of the being that dared suggest anything besides the superiority of his race. Strange scents floated in amongst the ash and char. Images flashed through his mind as he attempted to place them: a balanced scale, silver... old paper? Pervading it all he sensed the Beginning on her, something that he recognized by instinct, not experience. Dragons were some of the first creatures on the plane, and some memory of that explosive time remained locked deep in their blood. Nonetheless, Brokenridge refused to be some pawn in the convoluted games the ¡°lords¡± of this new Epoch played. ¡°I refuse. I will defeat my enemies with my own strength or not at all. I will never serve another.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ But you already serve a master you do not know.¡± She answered, quirking a smile. Brokenridge roared at the insult, ¡°Dragons serve none but ourselves!¡± ¡°You are truly a poor servant to yourself if you have sought your benefit. From where I am standing, it looks like you are worse off than you have ever been.¡± Brokenridge¡¯s mind blanked in rage, and he lunged forward in the blink of an eye, snapping his jaws closed on her relaxing form. The clack of empty teeth cracked through the forest and his eyes narrowed even further. He pulled back and refocused on his prey, who had bent down to pick up something at her feet that positively thrummed with Mana. The movement had looked slow but put her upper body just below where his strike should have torn her in two. More trickery¡­ He hated trickery. ¡°Look, I know you are an honest Dragon, so I have gone to great trouble to shape what I propose in Scorch. You may look it over and see its intent completely.¡± That caught Brokenridge¡¯s attention. Very few outside his race understood the draconic equivalent of writing. Many thought because Dragons could read, that they simply used an inferior form of communication when they were not speaking face to face. That this Godling claimed to not only understand Scorch but to be able to write it was truly intriguing¡­ Seeing her opportunity in his hesitance, the two-leg unwrapped the object, revealing a perfect triangle of dragon glass, etched all over with the unmistakable glowing symbols of the dragon language. He breathed it in deeply, taking in its sight and scent as he unraveled the dense symbols and smells, unpacking the layers of enchantment they represented¡­ It was an augmentation of his soul-chamber magic, an inborn ability of all dragon-kind. Yet this augmentation was tailored to his exact Mana signature. Some of the concepts were foreign to him, which was the most impressive thing he had seen yet from the Godling. Where had she gotten this information? Some things, however, he understood immediately. This would radically expand the boundaries of his soul chamber, and the list of things he would be able to benefit from as unprocessed treasure would grow exponentially. There was mention of the activation of some object of power to initiate the transformation, but no such object existed to his knowledge. It seemed to reference Land allegiance being held by some other entity or being. ¡°This is interesting, but nonsense¡­ This makes use of things that cannot and do not exist. In fact, the fifth and third principles are based on laws that have not been established.¡± He finished, sighing in disappointment at the waste of what was obviously the work of a master. ¡°-Yet¡± She answered covering up the dragon glass and tucking it away. Her single-word answer stuck in his mind like a splinter, as understanding slowly lodged its way into his brain. All of the unknowns about this encounter fell into place, forming a single cohesive conclusion. ¡°¡­Fatewatcher¡± He muttered, ducking his head low and baring all of his fangs, in the closest thing a dragon could show to respect. ¡°Correct.¡± she smiled, emphasizing his revelation with a pointed finger. ¡°He who took everything from you will not sit on the throne forever. Your time to challenge him will come, but this is the only path that moves toward that end.¡± She said lifting the covered object. ¡°Furthermore, your opportunity will not come for Epochs yet¡­ Now tell me dragon, are you willing to wait to obtain your greatest desire?¡± Brokenridge redid the calculations on how long it would take him to reascend to his previous heights before he had been cast out and then surpass them enough to challenge the King of the High Mount¡­ Millenia at least. ¡°I can wait.¡± He breathed, allowing a lazy contented smoke to coil up from his nostrils, ¡°Tell me where the weave is going, Fatewatcher.¡± END B2 B3. Ch. 1 Memorial A new stone plinth stood jutting out of the center of the parade ground as most of the population of the Three-Fold Alliance stood around it, holding a silent vigil. The sun had only just begun to peek above the mountaintops, bearing witness to the event that had gathered the Faction¡¯s whole population. The battle had ground to a halt sometime late last night and the enemies still trapped in the now greatly empowered forest boundary were summarily ended by the new protections. Those caught within the Alliance¡¯s magically reinforced borders found themselves stunned and trapped by the explosive energy released by the Facets. Well into the predawn morning, mixed patrols of Rangers and the Watch searched them out and destroyed them. It had not gone any better for the force attacking the wall. The explosion of energy had rolled well past the wall, incapacitating all but the strongest of the Strigoi Horde still pushing against the battlements. Simultaneously, the energy released by the Quest fully restored the surviving defenders. Under Linus¡¯ leadership, and following Hiro¡¯s example, they shifted into a sortie. Their offensive maneuver ended another ten thousand enemies and reaped their experience to further bolster the triumphant Faction¡¯s fighting force. Everyone who fought had gained a slew of levels and most had been offered new classes by the Sovereign Crystal in recognition of their contribution to the Faction quest. However, the rewards were not limited to only the martial classes. Even the non-combatant citizens had been offered a reward according to their contribution to the defense effort. All over the Alliance, new classes, or in some cases, facilities were being issued by the Crystal, and the changes had been dramatic and immediate. Tilly was glad the headache of discovering and documenting all of the changes belonged to someone else. Now that they no longer faced imminent destruction, the Alliance was about to butt up against several logistical nightmares. They had to make full reimbursement possible for contribution points, basically creating an economy out of thin air so that the trust the people had shown in exchanging their work for this currency would be validated by higher-quality gear, items, and even basic necessities. Tilly shivered at the thought of the administrative burden represented by such a task, and he looked around uncomfortable at the remaining leadership standing with him on the front row of the Vigil as the names of the fallen were read out one by one. The Council was scrambling to readjust as the two elected members over the refugee camp population had been lost in the aftermath of the battle. Linus¡¯ class had not been upgraded, but he had gained access to full control of the Alliance¡¯s new standing army and had eagerly stepped down from the council to accept the role of general. He would be given charge of its full deployment and growth under the supervision of the rulers of the Faction. Pupienus, the other council member, had died attempting to foil the same plot Tilly had stumbled into on his way up the mountain. Marcellus the Elder had apparently been behind a slew of murders in the camps. It had been uncovered that he was the head of a small but growing insurrection that had been tasked by some unknown agent of Corruption to somehow break the Covenant between Origin and the Three-fold Alliance. If not for the delay that the Bureaucrat and his few guards had caused, they might have made it to the temple¡­ Tilly shivered as he considered what a ritual like that would have entailed and why they would have needed Aurelia. Pupienus¡¯ name had been one of the first read-aloud before being magically inscribed near the top of the stone at the beginning of the ceremony. The council had met after the dead had all been collected and burned in the early hours of the morning. It had been decided that before they began to build for the future, the Alliance needed something to mark the sacrifice of those who had made such a future possible. Hiro had collected Erash and partnered to create a towering formation of stone in the middle of the parade ground. Word had been passed to every surviving citizen who had all benefited from the restoring aspect of the Quest reward. They had all shown up to watch as one by one, people stepped forward to Erash and whispered a name. Once she heard it, a small flash of fire would appear on one of the faces of the plinth, searing the name of the fallen into the stone. Each of the surviving Bastions stepped forward to read out the losses from their unit commands, followed by Threstus who stepped forward and spoke the names of the five losses from the Bastion unit. The rest of the unit commanders stood by and watched solemnly as their leader spoke out the names proudly. Five may have seemed like a small number compared to the rest of the losses¡­ but it was five more gone out of a unit of valuable elites that from all reports had single-handily held the wall against the enemy''s full strength in the last hour of the battle. The plinth was already half full, as people continued to come forward with more names. Different community leaders stepped forward to announce one death after another in the chaotic conclusion of the conflict, and Tilly felt himself feeling simultaneously relieved and ashamed. He had not lost anyone he personally knew, but the sound of soft crying throughout the crowd told him that he was one of a lucky few. Ultimately, around one in ten of the Alliance¡¯s citizens had died. Attempting to distract himself, Tilly took a moment to scan the front row again. At the other end of the line were the newly appointed Sanguine Order representatives. Tilly had been the one to inform the Queen of the Prime Dirge¡¯s defeat in the whirlwind of introductions after the battle had ended in the dark hours of the morning. Upon hearing the news, she and the rest of the Order¡¯s forces had immediately set out, hoping to capture the Horde¡¯s base of power before some other monster rose to stabilize their number. She had promised him a reward for defeating the Prime Dirge when she returned and then informed the rest of the council that the Horde still likely outnumbered their combined forces fifteen to one. She and her highly mobile force would take this opportunity to strike, while the other Faction was at an unprecedented disadvantage. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Before leaving, she assigned Hilbert and Sir Michael to stay behind as the rest of their forces continued to pursue the scattering Horde. The two vampires had also been tasked with facilitating further trade between their two Factions, most notably in blood. They were very interested in obtaining agreements for standard shipments of the valuable commodity and even discovering a more sustainable way to produce Ability Imbued varieties. The queen had given him a meaningful look as she loudly issued out these commands to her subordinates and he had not missed their importance. The breakthrough Amelia had shared with the Sorceress Superior had much deeper implications than just a way to purge Corruption from their bodies, and the Faction was very eager to continue to uncover the future possibilities. The Queen¡¯s political machinations or even the economic ramifications such a partnership implied were way above Tilly¡¯s pay grade and he found himself at a loss as he observed his recent companions facing the plinth from the other side of their circular formation. Sir Michael stood as erect and silent as the stone memorial before him and Hilbert stood next to him, wearing a solemn expression. Tilly fought to press down a small smile as he noticed the newly-christened Lifeblood Sorceror¡¯s eyes flit back and forth as he read through the invisible screens of new information trying to glean some insight into his new class. As the Bastions and Threstus filed back into the crowd, Achillia, the Guard Captain turned Flame¡¯s Watch Commander, stepped forward. In her hands, she held a long sheet covered in writing and in a loud serious voice, she began to read out the last of the names, tallying the remaining losses to their defenders. It had been left to her to collect the rolls of the dead from the units that had lost a commander, and she had taken up the duty with a surprising amount of formality. The Alliance¡¯s fighting force had been cut down by a third, now numbering a little over two thousand five hundred. The numbers seemed staggering to Tilly, but Ichiro had assured him in the quiet leading up to the memorial service that when weighed against the Faction¡¯s gains, the conflict had actually ended up being very advantageous to the burgeoning nation. From what Tilly understood, each non-Bastion wall combatant had been offered the choice of two classes: Flame¡¯s Watch Veteran, or Three-Fold Infantry. The vast majority had elected the Infantry position, which Linus had confirmed would have Bastion as a future class option once they reached level fifty. The class came with a Buff to shield, spear, and short sword-wielding Skills as well as access to the legendary Unit Magic that Tilly had seen used to such devastating effect on the battlefield. About ten percent, led by Achillia had taken the Veteran class evolution, allowing more individual and modular unit formations suited toward movement and patrols. The Rangers, led by Nyuk and Kuro had enjoyed almost zero casualties and had been offered an evolution called Twilight Rangers. Tilly hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to learn about the new class, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice the new identifiers sitting over many of his friend''s heads. None of the Honu seemed to have gotten a new class, but based on everything he was seeing, he was sure there was more to the story. All in all, whichever route each individual had chosen, their fighting force had emerged from the conflict with levels averaging in the mid-forties. Watch Commander Achillia finished reading off the names on her sheet and Erash lowered her staff, burning the last of them into the stone. The Service was almost over and names reached nearly to the ground. For a morbid moment, Tilly couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen next. When the next batch of names came in, would they grow the plinth higher, or would a second stone be raised? All indications pointed to a conflict that was about to spill over to the whole Plane, and if that was true, they were going to need a lot more stones¡­ As soon as this thought finished coalescing on the surface of his mind, he reflexively clenched his right fist, resisting the negative spiral of temptation that had been his constant companion since being infected with the Seed. He clenched his jaw in anticipated conflict, before stumbling mentally at the complete lack of internal opposition. He relaxed his jaw, and unconsciously rubbed his side, now containing nothing more than a fist-sized scar. The feel of the unfamiliar additions to his wrists brought him back to the present. He sighed, realizing that as dark as the thoughts had been, that gallows humor was all him. There was no longer an invader attempting to suborn his will and for better or worse, he was once again fully in charge of his faculties. The sun finished rising over the mountains that protected their Faction on three sides, and Hiro stepped forward to address the crowd. Erash did something to the air in front of him and his voice boomed out over the crowd, reaching almost as far as Tilly could see. ¡°Members of the Three-Fold Alliance. We fled here together, forced into each other''s company by desperation and necessity. We were uneasy allies, clinging to our old views of the world. Of this, I was just as guilty as any of you. But from this day forward, that has all changed.¡± He declared in a weighty cadence, gazing out over the crowd unruffled by the number of people now looking to them for leadership. ¡°You have sweat, bled, and died to protect what is growing here, and your determination will be matched only by our own to lead you into the prosperous future we all desire. We will thrive as a new people, reborn in the fires of adversity into a nation that can stand against anything that comes against it and triumph. We are building a Faction where the powerful both protect and nurture new growth for the benefit of all. With us is a new kind of Deity, one who offers a great reward to those willing to pay the price of power and see this nation grow. We will honor those who have paid the ultimate price to give us this chance and we will-¡± A deep chime reverberated throughout the valley interrupting Hiro¡¯s speech. Tilly looked around in confusion as a screen opened in front of him, dominated by words he had never seen before: System-Wide Announcement! B3. Ch. 2 World Quest Gasps and murmurs broke out in the crowd as the same notification popped up before everyone. Then in an even stranger turn of events, the Announcement was read aloud in that same bell chime voice Tilly remembered from his transference.
System-Wide Announcement! Due to radical shifts in the landscape and power structure of Nephesh, a World Quest has been issued. World Quest: Powers that have remained stable for thousands of years have fallen, and new regimes are rising. The old balance of Light and Dark is ending, and such tidings mark a change in Epochs. The Epoch of Levels and Progression closes, and a new Epoch of power is about to begin. This is a time of great upheaval and opportunity; the Contested Lands have once again been revealed. Discover the new forces vying for power on Nephesh and pick a side. Gain the prizes guarded jealously by the Apex predators of the first Epoch. Prepare for the final struggle of this Age, where the victorious power will determine this Plane''s direction for millennia to come.
And, just like that, the announcement was over. Tilly¡¯s eyes swept across the crowd and found expressions of dismay and confusion waiting for him. At this point, he was used to random stuff he didn¡¯t understand just popping up, but apparently, it was a much newer experience for everyone else. Right off the bat, he gauged that he probably only recognized what half of this meant. The Contested Lands sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had heard of them. And he was pretty sure the upheaval the System was referring to was the result of Corruption worming its way into every power structure it could infect. Hiro said something under his breath to Erash and magic once again bloomed before him as he prepared to continue his address to the people. But before he could start, a rumbling came from the distant temple mount, and another wave of notifications rolled across the gathering, this time in the form of a more traditional silent blue screen.
Congratulations Three-Fold Alliance! You have met the requirements for advancement to a City-State rated Faction. In recognition of this feat, you have been issued a Quest by your Patron Deity, and your advancement board has been updated! See the City interface for newly available buildings and their associated cost. Next Faction rating available: Kingdom.
The sound of Hiro clearing his throat boomed over the assembly and Tilly dismissed the oddly timed notification as just another odd brick in the wall that was his new life. ¡°As you can see. Much is changing, and we will not be relegated to the whims of whichever power takes an interest in our growing Faction. Rest assured, we will take all these changes into account and continue to take serious steps toward both growth and security.¡± As his speech turned more towards logistics, Tilly felt a light tap on his shoulder and he turned around to find Mochizuki standing behind him, displaying rapt attention matching the rest of the crowd as they hung on the word of the Guardian. Tilly¡¯s happy surprise was dampened down immediately as he heard a whisper next to his ear that did not correspond to any movement from the lapin¡¯s mouth. ¡°Please look past me, Jonathan Tillman¡­¡± Confusion ran over his face like a cracked egg. He obeyed her request without pause, looking over her shoulder in an attempt to remain nondescript. As he bought himself a moment, he realized that she was dressed as a Laundress again, and her identifier registered her at level twenty-two, which he knew to be false. Whatever she had been doing, she didn''t want people to know about it. ¡°You are needed at the teleport square, I have returned with vital information and I need you to confirm the identity of a guest to our Faction. Turn back toward Lord Hiro, wait for thirty breaths, and then leave the gathering as inconspicuously as you can.¡± She subvocalized, somehow casting her voice to his ears alone. In a crowd of lapins that was an impressive feat indeed. He turned away from the spy lost in thought and vaguely keeping track of his breathing while Hiro went on about the election that would occur for the refugee representatives later that day. Tilly hadn¡¯t seen Mochizuki since just before she had escaped the city. But he was certain he could trust her, she had saved his life, and while he had no clue where she had been, he was sure she wouldn¡¯t be operating outside of Hiro¡¯s direction. ¡®28, 29, and 30¡¯ thought to himself, suddenly patting his non-existent pockets, and looking around as if he had lost something. ¡°Now where did I put them¡­¡± He muttered to himself in what he hoped was a convincing precursor to leaving. After looking around at the ground for a minute, he turned and wandered back through the crowd as if retracing his steps, avoiding eye contact with everyone and quietly moving through the crowd. He was unsurprised to find the spy already gone when he turned to leave. As he began to distractedly move through the crowd there were a few whispers, but almost everyone was still paying close attention to the guidance Hiro was giving. He had transitioned to explaining the next phase of their growth as a Faction and the expanded opportunities that would become available to the Alliance now that they weren¡¯t facing an imminent invasion. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Tilly moved through the crowd for a while, keeping his head down, until he found one of the lanes kept open for easy movement, and then picked up his pace back toward the city. The building had not stopped during the attacks and Tilly couldn¡¯t help but feel proud as he surveyed the expanding structures. With rich timber resources close to hand, along with a decent quarry that led into veins of several metals under the mountain, the city had enjoyed ample resources to fuel its growth. That paired with the Skill boon that had accompanied the Faction¡¯s founding had created quite an explosive start for the city. The walls had been left out of the new designs, and Tilly imagined the plan was to eventually combine the camp area, the honu enclave across the river, and the main part of the lapin settlement. In the distance he could see several large commercial structures had already filled in the spaces between the camps and the main city, allowing easy access to all the workers and customers that would fuel these budding industries. Luckily, even with all the changes, the layout of old village roads had not changed during the expansion and after weeks of training, he had become fairly familiar with the growing city and its different facilities. The lone teleport square still stood in the central part of the city, at a crossroads between the main throughfare to the river and the street leading out to the valley and the camps beyond. The streets were all but empty once he cleared the city boundaries, with only a few members of the Watch out patrolling. Tilly was glad to see them and hoped they would have very little need of such a force over the next months considering what the Faction would be facing. But assholes were assholes and he knew having a police force close to hand would be good for the growing urban environment. He jogged through the streets, his mind ablaze at the implications of the Faction¡¯s growth, the two notifications, and what Mochizuki¡¯s cryptic request meant. Soon enough, he was turning the corner and had arrived at the central square, which now housed a small fortification, along with a contingent of the Watch. Apparently, this was treated as another entrance into the city and was guarded as such. It had been explained to him that the likelihood of someone discovering their exact location and linking to this square was very low, but it was standard to put precautions in place, both magical and mundane. Past the guardhouse, next to the teleport platform was Ichiro, standing face to face with Mateus the elderly temple steward from the now destroyed Satyr capital, and another non-descript-looking elderly servant with drooping eyes. The second figure had a slender build with larger ear lobes and an exaggerated forehead, but otherwise looked pretty close to human. Mochizuki was nowhere to be seen. The two members of the church of Light stood a ways off from the teleport square wearing coordinating colors. They had their heads together in an intense discussion, probably over the recent world announcement and Ichiro stood slightly apart watching without eavesdropping. Tilly jogged up to the trio, and Mateus looked up, recognizing him immediately and cracking a worn smile. ¡°Wow! Level 35 in just under a month¡­ you have been busy!¡± ¡°Busy is an understatement!¡± Tilly answered sheepishly, not bothering to hide his pleasure at seeing another friendly face survive the destruction of the city. ¡°Did everyone from the temple make it out?¡± he asked, looking around for any others. ¡°You don¡¯t grow to be a network of our size without having several options for relocating in emergencies. All of the temple staff and a not inconsiderable number of citizens were removed from the city before its¡­ end.¡± Mateus answered allowing his smile to slip into a small frown at the memory of the capital¡¯s downfall. ¡°I am afraid, however, that our temple''s fate has been far from unique¡­¡± the Steward added ominously. ¡°How did you guys find us?¡± Tilly continued, glancing over at Ichiro. ¡°We sent out inquiries after your encounter with our Order and a mutual acquaintance facilitated this meeting.¡± The droopy-eyed man answered. ¡°Mateus is here to vouch for me, and I believe you are here to do the same for him.¡± He stated respectfully, his gaze seeming to barely take them in. Tilly took another hard look at the man with Mateus, but found him unremarkable in every way, despite its few nonhuman quirks, it just screamed plain. This was compounded by the bland look that shaded the man¡¯s expression. Identify pinged above him as a level 34 Hall Attendant. Ichiro interrupted his scrutinizing gaze, ¡°This is correct, now that Mr. Tillman is here, let us move to more private quarters, where we may discuss our next steps. I have been empowered by the rest of the council to represent the Alliance fully in this, and we welcome you as representatives of your Order.¡± Mateus and the droopy-eyed man nodded and the lapin set off. Tilly hurried to catch up with the lapin and whispered in a low voice he hoped the others would not be able to hear, ¡°What''s going on? Where is Mochizuki?¡± Not breaking his longlegged pace, Ichiro answered in a normal tone, ¡°Jonathan Tillman, our little corner of the plane is about to be open to the wide world, and this is part of our attempt to get ahead of it. The Contested Lands being opened has only moved up our timeline.¡± ¡°And what are those exactly? Should we expect another attack?¡± Tilly asked glancing back at the two church representatives in guarded wariness. ¡°The Contested Lands are an important piece of this Plane¡¯s history, and their opening really only tells us what we already knew¡­ that everything is about to change. With them open, almost no enemy force will bother with these lands. What that means for our forces, I do not yet know.¡± He added, flicking his own glance back at the clergymen who had their heads together and were likely discussing the exact same thing. Tilly was beginning to get the feeling that System Wide Announcements were not a normal occurrence on the plane. While Ichiro spoke, his long footsteps led them to a part of the city that Tilly had not yet had a reason to visit. The building they approached seemed to have made it through the transition untouched, just like his shack. Wide timbers supported graceful inverted arches leading up to squared peaks. The building was a work of art, surrounded by carefully tended sand gardens and a small manmade stone creek that turned the whole structure into a sort of island. Two lapin guards wearing Hiro¡¯s colors stood before a large round gate door that looked more ceremonial than defensive, showing the stages of a moon in transition. The guards opened the doors at Ichiro¡¯s approach and their small group moved through without saying a word. Past the gate was a simple stone pavilion with a low table prepared with cushions. Ichiro moved to the side and gestured to the rest of them to sit. As they took their seats, Mochizuki stepped out from the main building wearing a Kimono and carrying a tray laden with cups and a steaming teapot. The two from the church said nothing and Tilly decided to follow their lead as Mochizuki set out and poured five cups before settling down at the table next to Ichiro. As opposed to her normal business-like garb, the kimono she was wearing displayed a flock of red birds in flight and looked elegant on the lapin. Tilly even noticed a subtle application of makeup that matched the hue of the pattern gracing the edges of her eyes and cheeks. ¡°May the Light ever Shine,¡± Ichiro pronounced, lifting his small cup of tea, before taking a long slurp. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality,¡± Mateus answered solemnly, raising his cup along with his companion and taking long sips of their own. Tilly belatedly followed their lead, Mochizuki matching his awkward timing with a wink as they took their own drinks. They all set their cups down and Tilly noted that the moment had the feeling of ritualistic importance. Mochizuki stood and began to refill their cups gracefully, ¡°My Lord, allow me to introduce Mateus, former steward of the fallen empire¡¯s Temple of Light, and with him, Reginald high ranking servant from the Tower of Light itself and most probably, the head of their espionage network¡­¡± she said, allowing a small smile to grace her lips as the droopy-eyed man''s frown deepened considerably. Ichiro gave a small bow to the two, ¡°You are welcome in my home gentlemen. Now let us be about our business, you can imagine why we reached out to you. Would you mind telling us why you replied with such a high authority?¡± B3. Ch. 3 Alliances Mateus looked over at the droopy-eyed man, not quite concealing his shock. The man, to his credit, softened his frown considerably as he answered, ¡°It is good to see you continue to surprise. Your Faction, considering its unaligned nature is doing far better than it has any right to. This, of course, must have as much to do with your unique Patron as it does your obviously talented people.¡± He allowed with a nod towards the female lapin as she finished serving the tea. The man¡¯s eyes briefly skated over Tilly as he considered their surroundings, and Tilly was now sure that he was taking in far more than he seemed to be. ¡°You¡¯ll need connections and backing as you begin to interact with the more powerful factions on the plane, and frankly, we desperately need the resources you represent.¡± He admitted his voice unnaturally even. ¡°Corruption is wreaking havoc on the Plane. Dynasties are falling, kings are being usurped, and even our oldest enemies seem to be shifting in the upheaval. Our most powerful traditions are poorly matched against this new rising darkness, so I am here to find out as much as I can in hopes of bringing back some sort of solution, and possibly new allies to the Tower of Light. However, with that last System-Wide announcement, I can only stay for a short time¡­¡± He trailed off, leaving a vacuum in the conversation. Before Tilly could speak, Ichiro answered, ¡° ¡°We are prepared to exchange all we know for your latest information on the state of your network and the balance of Light and Dark on the plane. We will likely choose to work with you, but we want the best information before deciding to fully commit to a partnership..¡± ¡°Understandable, and in the spirit of cooperation, accepted. But know that it is a sign of how close we are to collapse that you are speaking to me at all¡­¡± The Spymaster answered fixing them all with a flat-eyed stare, which the lapins returned with serene indifference. ¡°I will limit this information to our immediate standing across the plane without getting into too many details until we have a more formal-¡± Another rumble rolled through the ground beneath them, this one not coinciding with an announcement at all. The two lapins and Reginald¡¯s heads snapped in the same direction while Mateus and Tilly just looked at each other in confusion. Tilly made to get up, but Ichiro lifted his hand in a calming motion. ¡°Whatever it is, it is coming from the Temple. We will investigate as soon as this meeting is done, Jonathan Tillman, but for now, we assume it is something to our benefit¡± ¡°Do these occurrences happen often?¡± The droopy-eyed spymaster asked blandly. ¡°More often than you would think. Although most of the time it is a little more flashy.¡± Tilly answered with a small smile. ¡°Very well¡­ I will keep this brief. In living memory, the Tower¡¯s primary concern has been the Blasted Lands. The Six Thrones seek to subvert the ascension of power to a primarily demonic process, eliminating all other paths of progress. Unfortunately, the reality is that they would have succeeded long ago, except for two main factors.¡± He said, lifting his two fingers. ¡°First, their constant infighting. There have hardly ever been Six princes to sit the Thrones. Every time it has occurred, the fragile balance we fight for has been put at risk, yet thankfully, these times have always been blessedly short. Primarily, this is due to the second factor that has kept them from overwhelming the Powers of the plane: Us. ¡°Much of the light works out in the open to oppose the darkness, we may be much smaller militarily, but we form a united front to their divided collisions and we have spent millennia investing in allies to call upon for the times when the Pits spew their filth unto the Land. But there is another arm of our Order, the only visible branch of which is the Forsaken. We destabilize the hierarchies of the Pits whenever possible and have always succeeded in weakening the threat before it became unstoppable.¡± As he explained all of this, the bored expression slowly slipped from his features, as deep furrows of exhaustion revealed themselves. ¡°This last year has been an unprecedented year of silence from our sources. Something new has risen to power there¡­ Our agents have either been killed, or gone to ground and all we know is that the Six Thrones are once again filled and united to some new purpose. For the first time in its history, our Order has failed to penetrate the shadowy hierarchies of the Pits, and we are blind to the machinations of our ancient foe. We can only assume this has to do with the advent of Corruption across the plane. The announcement we just received further confirms my worst fears. Everything is about to change, and we are on our back foot, blind and behind the curve.¡± He finished gravely. ¡°And what news from your Patron?¡± Mochizuki asked in a respectful voice. At that, the Spymaster winced, ¡°News from the Divine Realm is perhaps even graver than that on the plane. Our Lady says that all of the old alliances remain unchanged on their face, no deity has declared any new alignments, but the landscape of the realm itself is changing rapidly. It unravels at the seams, and both sides are pointing at each other in blame. Due to the Divine Compact, they will limit their conflict to this plane, or risk ripping our reality apart, but She can feel her influence waning. Frankly put, we need whatever hidden player you have behind you on the field, and we need Him yesterday.¡± He declared, looking at each representative of the alliance in the eyes and allowing his gaze to linger on Tilly.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Whatever Corruption is, its influence is still too hidden for us to combat, and even when we find it, it proves far more resistant to our holy magics than any darkness we have ever encountered. The only piece of information that has given us any hope is the reports of your Faction and its victories against this new enemy¡­¡± Then Reginald¡¯s intense gaze sharpened, and the blandness surrounding his features fell away. Tilly suddenly found twin beacons of light shining behind his dark Irises, almost too bright to meet. They reminded him of a full eclipse, with the light almost completely obscured, and yet still shining with an intensity that had left him blinking away after images for minutes afterward. Tilly¡¯s Identify pinged again, this time revealing a different class and level above the man¡¯s head. Level 113 Counter Intelligence Asset Director Then, reality winked and everything was back to its bland normal. The Hall Attendant looked over the table at them with that same vague expression, ¡°It is important to me that I express the truth of our dire situation, but it is equally important for you to keep in mind that we are far from powerless. Our Order has turned away calamity uncountable times, much to the thankless indifference of many of the ¡®Neutral Powers¡¯... We will do so again, but we are asking for your help. Will you stand with us?¡± Ichiro took a deep breath, and looked over at Tilly, ¡°We discussed this possibility when we sent out Mochizuki, and the Alliance is open to this partnership, especially if the extent of our political relationship remains hidden. But we need your input on this, I get the sense that our Patron is open to any and all partnerships that align with the values we have pursued so far¡­ but ultimately, we wanted you at this table if possible. What do you think?¡± Everyone turned toward him, waiting expectantly, and Tilly swallowed down the quick and easy agreement he had on his tongue. He typically liked to take things at face value and almost all of his interactions with these guys had been above board, but he wasn¡¯t naive. Where there was power, there was abuse, and he was sure that as good as its intentions were, there would be parts of this partnership that would grate on them or even conflict with their goals as a new nation. But ultimately, they were long on problems and short on allies. If they could take on an agreement with Vampires, then it would be hypocritical to deny the church of Light based on general suspicion. That wasn¡¯t even taking Origin into account¡­ Tilly sighed and closed his eyes, taking a moment to school his breathing and think through his opinion on this and the ultimate direction of the Alliance. He could no longer just react, going with his gut. He had influence now and a responsibility to these people. He needed to give this moment the gravity it deserved. As he chewed on the idea of the partnership between the church of the Light and the Alliance, the flame at his center crackled on merrily without concern. The idea did not move him either way, and he was pretty sure they had the freedom to make this agreement without reprisal. So far Origin had been very hands-off when it came to ¡°commands¡± or ¡°rules¡± but at the same time, Tilly hadn¡¯t missed how much intervention there had been on their behalf as they pursued the impossible goals set before them. Whenever they had stretched themselves to the limit reaching for something far beyond them, there had always been some small piece to fall into place, making the impossible slightly more probable. So far, their goal had mostly been survival, and the question of what else Origin wanted had seemed like a problem for the future. But here they were, the areas were getting grayer and the questions becoming more nuanced. So far as he knew, the Alliance wasn¡¯t facing destruction in the next couple of weeks, and that breathing room gave them a lot of options. What were Origin¡¯s ultimate goals? It was pretty clear that the Light wanted to protect the plane from total domination from their opposites. This goal was noble in a lot of ways, but it was all too easy for Tilly to imagine how many shortcuts could be justified for the sake of the ¡®Greater Good¡¯. Especially a ¡®Good¡¯ administered by the church itself. But just because the institution was imperfect, didn''t mean inaction and apathy was the answer. The flame within him had roared in opposition to any sort of compromise or cowardice, and Tilly was very clear on how passionately Origin felt about cleansing the world of Corruption. It almost felt like taking a step forward was much more important than doing everything perfectly. He opened his eyes and looked into Ichiro¡¯s collected patient expression. The Lapins and other leadership had probably already thought through much of this, and would never agree to something that could be used to put them into anything but an advantageous position. They just needed to make sure there wasn¡¯t some sort of supernatural input they were missing before moving forward. He could give that to them if Origin had something to say, Tilly was listening, but until then, they could push forward. Tilly slowly nodded, turning to look at the church representatives with a serious expression to underline his answer, ¡°For what it is worth, I think my Patron would be fine with us partnering, I am not sure what His ultimate goals are, but everything I have seen from you seems to line up with what I know about Him. So as long as we don''t discover some sort of twisting of the ideals you claim, we can work together." Reginald nodded along with his words before answering in kind, ¡°Our policy mirrors that quite closely. We will work with anyone until they show themselves actively opposed to our mission. We feel confident that you will not fall into this category, but rest assured, if you ever stray, we will know.¡± At that Ichiro cracked a large smile, and pulled a scroll out from his sleeve, ¡°Wonderful. We look forward to working out the details, but we are very much in favor of mutual support. In light of this, we have prepared a full intelligence report on our experience so far with both our enemy and the broad strokes of what we have gathered about our Patron.¡± He said, handing the scroll over to Reginald, who flicked his wrist and caused it to disappear. ¡°Very good, I¡¯ll leave the rest to Mateus, who has been empowered to negotiate on our behalf and will be the one we leave as our representative here, if that is amenable to all present?¡± ¡°I would be honored to establish a long relationship of mutual support,¡± Mateus added solemnly. Before Tilly or Ichiro could answer in the affirmative another rumble, more massive than the previous two combined rolled through the city. The group rose uncertainly to their feet looking in the direction of the mountain. Ichiro opened his mouth, perhaps to suggest they end the meeting prematurely when a deafening roar sounded out over the valley. Followed a voice so deep, that it it shook the stone walls of the building. ¡°Come and swear fealty to your new Lord, ants. I have awoken, and your reckoning is upon you.¡± B3. Ch. 4 Pissing Contest Tilly shared a brief look with Ichiro before surging to his feet. ¡°I may have misjudged this one, my friend¡­¡± He said sheepishly, rising just as fast as Tilly, ¡°I am sorry gentlemen, but it seems our time must be cut short.¡± He called, already moving with Tilly toward the door. Whatever that was, Tilly was sure it wouldn¡¯t wait forever before rampaging through the city. So he pumped his arms for all that he was worth, bursting past the confused guards, and onto the street, making a bee line to the main road. Ichiro easily caught up and held pace with Tilly as they ran at what must have been thirty or forty miles per hour through the city and out into the empty camp. The roads were still mostly empty, but Tilly heard distant screams coming from the parade ground as the people despaired in the face of another unexpected threat. A grim part of Tilly¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t help but admit that the voice had sounded far too close to the snake god manifestation for comfort. If they were facing something like that, Tilly had no clue what he could possibly do to stop it¡­ Not that it mattered. He and a few others were all this place had. Tilly felt a wind blow past him and caught a brief glimpse of Erash astride something furred with too many legs followed closely by Hiro, Linus, and Threstus whose full sprint vastly eclipsed his own. Tilly¡¯s lungs were already burning, and he sorely felt his lack of real stats in anything but Endurance. Instead of whining about it, he just doggedly poured on more speed. The tents and long house were almost a blur as they moved through the camp coming to where the road diverged. One path stayed straight, snaking up the mountain toward the temple, the other curved with its base, leading around to its rear where the quarry and mine had been discovered. This path was broader and had seen the passage of hundreds of carts over the last month as resources had been pulled into the Alliance¡¯s projects at breakneck speeds. As they circumvented the base of the mountain, a deep chuckle resounded from up ahead, ¡°And so the ants send their finest little soldiers¡­ Perhaps a demonstration is in order?¡± The words rumbled through Tilly¡¯s ribcage like speakers at an EDM concert and he struggled to breathe through condescension dripping from the powerful voice. They turned the last bend in the road to find the others stopped short before something that had once been a fanciful possibility, even on Nephesh until this moment. The entrance to the mines had been shattered open into a gaping hole in the side of the mountain by the emergence of an actual Dragon. It sat before the mouth of the subterranean passage with its head reared up and smoke cascading from between its huge teeth. Tilly stuttered to a stop well short of the others, who stood dwarfed before their three-story opponent. Their weapons seemed less than impotent in their hands as they stood opposite the legendary creature. Level ??? Heart Fire Dragon ¡°Dragon, by what authority do you claim this land?¡± Hiro shouted up. Its teeth flashed in what could only be a predatory smile, as a blue light began to kindle behind its eyes, and a matching glow built deep in its throat. ¡°My own,¡± he spat, opening his jaws wide. The blue of that flame was unmistakable to Tilly and even as the others in front of him sprinted out of the path of the breath attack, he stepped forward and shouted the first thing that came to mind, ¡°I recognize your flame Dragon, for it is the same as my own!¡± Along with his words, he activated Wrath¡¯s shroud and screwed his eyes shut as the dragon belched forth a torrent of azure flame. An unimaginable heat washed over him, and he felt his armor shift in response to its new environment. The scorching sensation drilled into every nerve of his body, but just like with his flame Abilities the sensation was accompanied by no pain, and after a few seconds the feeling abated and Tilly opened his eyes. He found himself in the middle of a huge arc of incinerated foliage. What little grass had remained near the quarry basin had been turned to ash, and any shrubbery left in the area had been turned to ash. Thankfully, Tilly caught sight of the rest of his companions just outside of the blast radius as a frustrated rumbling snarl echoed off the rock walls surrounding the group. ¡°This is becoming an irritating pattern! What are you? And how do you draw strength from my Hoard?¡± The metaphysical weight had receded from the dragon¡¯s voice, and Tilly found it much easier to think now that each word wasn¡¯t pounding into his psyche like a battering ram. ¡°What do you mean draw strength from your hoard?¡± Tilly shouted back, waving back the others. Something wasn¡¯t adding up here. This wasn¡¯t some random attack, and it was certainly not a coincidence that the dragon had access to Origin¡¯s flame. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The smoldering blue flames dancing in the back of the dragon¡¯s throat began to wane as the creature itself looked back toward the new giant opening it had created and took a deep breath in through its ridged nostrils. The vanguard of the Alliance¡¯s elites stood ready even as the dragon seemed to have momentarily forgotten their presence. Instead after its deep breath in, it began to mutter under its breath. ¡°She said¡­ the Scorch signified¡­ consolidated¡­ not absorbed.¡± Tilly was able to catch snatches of the dragon¡¯s musing as it lost itself in discovering the answer to a puzzle it had just discovered. Not wanting to lose initiative completely, Tilly decided to do something stupid. Possibly the stupidest thing he had ever done, but he was more than sure that inaction would result in something worse. ¡°Now I am asking! By what authority do you claim our Faction?¡± Tilly shouted, evoking Flame¡¯s Wrath to punctuate his words, displaying mastery over the same element the dragon had just wielded. The dragon¡¯s head whipped back around, and the sharp iris¡¯ dilated as its head dipped to better take in Tilly¡¯s form. In the face of its incredible form, Tilly was again struck by the stupidity of what he was about to attempt. He jostled the bracelets now adorning his wrists, irrationally checking to make sure they were still there as the dragon leaned in to examine Tilly, giving him an up-close and personal view of its primal and terrifying form. The sheen of its scales was a matte metallic grey, and above its eye ridges were the beginnings of two large horns, one ending in a razor point, and the other broken off just above its base. As it lowered its head to Tilly¡¯s level, its lips pulled back in a prominent display of something that might have been a smile. ¡°Ah, one of the Hairless Monkeys¡­ Your kind has always had trouble knowing their place. I Claim these lands by right of power. Normally I would incinerate all of you, and just speak to the next two-leg to show up trembling with tribute¡­ But it seems that you are tied to my Hoard somehow, and I do hate to let something so novel go to waste.¡± ¡®Pissing contest it is¡­¡¯ Tilly¡¯s mind went into overdrive as the dragon''s answer confirmed what he had suspected. His heart tried to gallop out of his chest as he answered in a surprisingly disinterested tone. ¡°Incinerate is a big word. That felt more like a warm breeze if you ask me. You know, if your claim is based on power, then I challenge you to a simple exchange of blows. Your best against my best. The one left standing lays claim to the land.¡± The dragon¡¯s eyes dilated even further, and it let out a hiss that sounded more like a steam engine putting off pressure than something that you would expect from a reptile. ¡°You Dare-¡± ¡°I dare all day, big guy!¡± Tilly interrupted with a shout, despite the newly renewed force of the dragon''s words making Tilly¡¯s knees knock. ¡°I¡¯ll even let you have the first shot! But fair warning, you might want to try something besides that little candle flame you¡¯ve got hidden back there-¡± The dragon roared in outrage, and Tilly felt both his ears pop as the tender drums inside ruptured. In his peripherals, he saw Hiro drawing back his blade, and Erash muttering a spell under her breath, even as her eyes scanned the quarry mouth for some escape. Tilly again waved them down, and Ichiro shouted something that Tilly could no longer hear. The dragon finished its roar and reared back its head, ¡°Very well, meet your end.¡± It growled, somehow making itself heard even through Tilly¡¯s temporary deafness. Then its head flashed forward, and Tilly barely managed to register the movement in time to activate [Resolute]. Teeth closed in and an indescribable pressure pushed in on the upper half of Tilly¡¯s body, which had been momentarily bolstered by the full might of the System. Like the flame before it, Tilly experienced the full terrifying weight of the creature''s power, but none of the accompanying destruction such an attack should have produced. Then as fast as it had appeared, the jaws enclosing Tilly¡¯s body were gone. He was left standing there and had to pull on every ounce of will he had to keep from collapsing on the ground in terror at the sheer animalistic ferocity that had accompanied the strike. ¡°What Trickery is this?!¡± The dragon growled, looking around at the others as if trying to unravel some plot. ¡°No trickery, just hard-earned power. Same as yours I am sure¡­¡± Tilly called out distractedly as he engaged the power thrumming through his bracelets.
You are about to activate Celestial Bracelets of Substitutional Might. Select one of your following Stats to exchange values with your highest. This effect will last ten breaths. >Strength >Intelligence >Wisdom >Dexterity >Constitution
Tilly mentally selected Strength and felt ice shoot into his veins from one of the bracelets, extracting something from his body as the other bracelet poured fire in. The new energy did not replace what was lost, instead carving its own painful path through each strand of his musculature. The dragon focused back on Tilly, baring all his teeth anew, ready to strike again, and Tilly knew he had to keep its pride on the line if he was going to have any chance of living out the next few moments. ¡°What? Afraid of one little hit from a ¡®hairless monkey¡¯?¡± He called goadingly through the intense sensations wracking his body as the exchange finished pulling and pushing on Tilly¡¯s soul like a pair of toddlers fighting over a new toy. His muscles ballooned under his armor, which seamlessly grew in size to accompany his newly engorged form. As the transformation finished, his tendons screamed, and his bones creaked under the new strain of the immense strength now coiled within his form. ¡°This farce is a waste of my time¡­ I can smell divine magic on you, but know this¡­ Our kind was around long before those uppity newcomers took their place on this plane. No little magic trick is going to save you after you expend yourself against my superior form¡­¡± It said, raising its head and thrusting out its chest where thick ridges of metallic-looking scales overlapped each other in a display of natural armor that was unmatched on Nephesh. Tilly had pulled up his notification log as the dragon monologued and smiled even as he crouched down, groaning through the immense pain that his now inadequate Endurance and Constitution forced his new Min-Maxed form. None of that mattered though. He just needed to get in one hit¡­ and with the title he had just temporarily gained, he was pretty sure he was about to rock this dragon¡¯s world.
Warning, you no longer fulfill the requirements for the Title: [Resolute]. The title has been revoked but can be regained if the requirements are met again in the future. Congratulations! You have earned the Title: [All-Might] [All-Might]: Your Strength Stat is higher than all of your other Stats combined. As long as this remains true, you may empower a single strike with double your Strength once per day.
B3. Ch. 5 Serious Hatchet Throw Tilly took a deep breath in and carefully drew his hatchet back, taking great pains to keep his movements slow and deliberate. His Strength Stat was now at 169 and in a moment for a single strike, he would double it to 338¡­ and with his Endurance now down to a measly 28, he was fairly sure he was going to do more damage to himself than to the dragon. Not that he had much of a choice. He may have been new to this world, but he could tell right off the bat that the dynamic unfolding was one that was going to end up getting someone killed. He was more than betting that dragons didn''t know the meaning of mercy or compromise and if he didn''t do something to flip this script, everything was going to fall to shit, and fast¡­ ¡°Ready, dragon?¡± He called, exhaling his third breath since activating the bracelets. A snarl of teeth from the ancient killing machine was the only answer as the dragon stood stoically, ready to take any blow the human before him could dish out. ¡°Alright, here goes nothing¡­¡± He muttered to himself, holding the weapon in a motion that felt eerily similar to Ichiro''s demonstration of his will-imbued strike at the top of the mountain a month ago. He took another slow breath in, holding it as he began the forward motion of the throw. Contrary to his initial instincts with axe throwing, each throw started in the opposite foot and moved up the body in a whip-like release of potential energy. As the slow twist began to pick up speed, he exhaled, activating [All-Might] just as his shoulder started to rotate in its socket, moving his arm forward in a baseball-style, over-the-head throw. Anticipating just how different his body was with his new Strength, he had been moving as intentionally as possible, but that all changed with the activation of his title Ability. A concussive blast went off like a cannon right next to his deaf right ear, and something like the Hand of God slammed his body down into the rock of the quarry. The rock attempting to support his legs cracked and exploded into a crater as every bone in his body fractured. This was the summation of both Tilly¡¯s hopes and fears when he had first read about the Celestial Bracelet''s power, incredible power at the price of any sort of balance. His Ax-Throwing Skill was at a respectable 31 and he felt it guiding his limbs even as he applied almost 10 times more force to the motion than he ever had before. It just barely allowed him to instinctively adjust his motions as his body was decimated by Newton''s third law. That, plus whatever magic bullshit logic made his Title possible in the first place, allowed him to follow through correctly, finishing the throwing motion even as blood vessels ruptured and muscles ripped free from ligaments with the unparalleled internal force he had just violently subjected his body to. The sensation of broken glass being shoved into every square inch of his flesh suffused his mind. The few nerve endings that were still intact fired off at him so fast that he was practically being electrocuted as he collapsed into a literal boneless heap. A 10.0 earthquake whose epicenter was twenty yards in front of Tilly went unnoticed as he focused all of his shattered mind on forcing his body to take its next shallow breath. Six breaths later the Bracelet¡¯s effect reversed, and the nightmare of world-ending pain was reduced to simply overwhelming as his herculean Endurance was restored, imparting an otherworldly resilience to his remaining bodily functions. It didn¡¯t heal any of the damage, but it slowed the plummeting of his health bar to something just shy of fatal. Then a wave of warm blue flames washed over him, slowing the fall of his health even further. The first wave was followed by another, and then another, until finally the downward trend started to reverse course, and his ruined body began to reknit itself. At some point, his agony was reduced to a dull roar, and his hearing was restored just in time to catch a roar of fury dampened by a newly created barrier of hundreds of tons of collapsed rock. ¡°Alright, I have stopped the worst of it, but it took a quarter of my Mana to do it. He had more Debuffs than I have ever seen in a single person.¡± Erash called from the side. Her report was met with a deep chuckle from right over Tilly and he opened his eyes to find Threstus, Hiro, and Ichiro standing over him. ¡°Do you ever run out of surprises human? Actually don¡¯t answer that. It is too much fun being around you, and I don''t want the magic of it ruined.¡± Threstus smirked as Hiro continued to shock the world with the basso sound of his actual laughter. ¡°I never took you for a slapstick man.¡± Tilly groaned up at the laughing lapin. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Jonathan Tillman, I know not what that term means, but I must admit a deep enjoyment of such an unexpected reversal of situations.¡± The Guardian answered, his deep basso chuckle slowly dying, as Ichiro reached down and helped Tilly up. The motion hurt, but Erash¡¯s spells were doing their work, and he was able to bear the weight of his own body as he stood shakily on his feet. The roar ceased and the recently collapsed opening that Tilly had apparently knocked a dragon through began to pour forth smoke and heat. ¡°Ah.. that can¡¯t be good. I can¡¯t imagine it''s going to be too happy with you, human.¡± Threstus stage whispered as the small party considered the magma-like slag beginning to flow in rivulets from the cracks in the rubble. ¡°A fight with such a creature would not have gone well for us¡­ But perhaps we will now have some amount of its respect?¡± Ichiro added although Tilly couldn¡¯t tell if it was a statement or a question. Others started to arrive at the mouth of the Quarry, and Hiro split a sharp glance between the forces arriving and the slag pouring from the mountain entrance. ¡°Threstus, get them out of here. However this goes, we can perhaps limit the damage to those of us who have initially confronted the creature¡­¡± ¡°On it,¡± Threstus answered, turning toward the arrived troops and sprinting away in a flash, before reappearing before their ranks, and turning them back. Finally, enough of the collapsed rock was melted away, that the flame behind its transformation burst forth, shooting up at an angle like a hellish gieser. The small group flinched before the display and Hiro whispered, ¡°Spread out. Jonathan, for better or worse, you are on point. We need to find a way to de-escalate the situation, and if possible, find out how it got here. If you are unsuccessful, we will surrender or attack, depending on how this unfolds.¡± With that, he leapt away to the right, more or less covering Erash, while Ichiro spread out to the left, leaving Tilly front and center for what was about to come out of that opening. The fountain of flames cut off, leaving a car-sized hole in the side of the mountain. Then the rumbling began again, and now that he was here to witness it, Tilly realized that it was the dragon shouldering his way through actual stone¡­ Thankfully by the time it burst through the opening, most of the slag had cooled to a glowing, but solid state, and Tilly was able to dodge the falling debris as the snarling mythical creature emerged. Its eyes immediately zeroed in on him, shooting forward in a slithering rush. Tilly was all out of tricks, so he did the only thing he could think of; he went full bullshit mode. Assuming as much nonchalance as he could physically force his tense body into, he rested his hands on his hips and held himself still at the dragon¡¯s approach, which stopped just short of striking Tilly. The dragon pulled up to its full height while keeping its neck coiled back, ready to strike. ¡°Remove this, Ape!¡± It snarled, smoke puffing out to emphasize each word. The Metaphysical weight crashed into Tilly along with the command, and everything about the dragon¡¯s aura poured forth fury and violence. But through it all, Tilly was shocked to find his hatchet head lodged deep in the dragon''s chest, just to the right of its sternum. Around the impact site were several shattered scales, and now that Tilly¡¯s face was just feet away, he could see steaming blood oozing from the spot¡­ ¡®That had been one hell of a hit.¡® Doing his best not to piss himself, Tilly looked up at the dragon with a scowl of indifference, channeling his favorite instructor in the fire academy. The guy had done every back-breaking exercise with the new recruits, outdoing even the biggest studs in the class. After PT was done, he would take off his fire gear, and drop the weight vest he kept on underneath. Sometimes, halfway through the worst of their workouts, he would get this crazy look in his eye, like he was willing to die, as long as it meant crushing them into the dust one more time. The guy was forty-five eating twenty-year-olds for breakfast and to this day was still one of Tilly¡¯s heroes, ¡°My name is Jonathan Tillman, and I don¡¯t have to do shit. If you want a round two¡­ just let me know.¡± He growled up at the dragon. The dragon''s eyes dilated to razor-thin pupils, and he lowered his head until it was inches from Tilly''s face, ¡°I will consume you and destroy this backwater if you do not heed me, Soul-Bound Hoard or not.¡± It hissed, pushing smoke into Tilly''s nostrils and eyes. Tilly did his best not to cough, and he waved away the acrid substance pooling in his face as his armor rose to cover his mouth and nose. ¡°Yeah, and how did that go for you the first time? I have another one of these with your name on it.¡± He snarled, patting the second weapon on his hip and forcing himself to lean closer to the closed jaws. They held each other¡¯s gaze for a long moment, and Tilly felt his fear begin to melt away. The flame in his chest had become a roaring inferno and he realized that some part of himself believed his own words. He had faced one mind-bending terror after another, and he had pulled through again and again, while each of them had ended up as ash. Maybe he couldn¡¯t go toe to toe with this thing, but that didn¡¯t mean he was some pushover. The dragon¡¯s Authority attempted to press him into the ground, but Tilly¡¯s Will burned just as hot, and raged against the pressure, using it as fuel to stoke his determination to new heights. Tongues of white flame began to dance in between them, bursting forth like sparks between two crashing rocks. Then the moment was over and the dragon pulled its head back and relaxed, eyeing the others and taking in a thoughtful breath through its nostrils, ¡°Yes¡­ you will do nicely. I did not anticipate this when she showed me the augmented Scorch, but I can feel your increase in strength affect my own. This new style of Hoard might work¡­¡± He muttered, looking past their group into the valley beyond. The sudden slackening of pressure caused Tilly to almost stumble, but he readjusted his footing and called up to the creature, who was now, once again lost in thought, ¡°Look, I can get my weapon out of you, but we need to know why you are here.¡± The dragon¡¯s eyes lazily slid back down to rest on Tilly, and its lips pulled back in an expression that could have been either a smile or hunger, ¡°Your question is moot, human. I was here long before your little group arrived, this is my domain, no matter what games we play. The question you should be asking is why have you been put here? Fate had woven us together, and the Watcher was crafty indeed to nudge things in this direction.¡± At this point, Hiro stepped back in, which was good, because Tilly was at a loss at the sudden change in direction the conversation had taken. ¡°Dragon, what do we call you and what would be required for us to share a common cause?¡± The dragon did not look over at Hiro as he took a long moment to answer, obviously no stranger to dramatics, ¡°My name is too rich for you to comprehend, but you may call me Brokenridge. As to my destiny¡­ I will ascend the peaks of the Contested Lands and take the Dragon Throne by right of conquest. You, my Soul-Bound Hoard will serve me in this.¡± B3. Ch. 6 Bloodbath Tilly shot a glance over at Hiro, trying to gauge if he understood anything about that answer. The only thing he could recognize was the reference to the Contested Lands, everything else might as well have been in another language. But, of course, Tilly was unable to read anything on the Guardian¡¯s stony face, who simply held the dragon¡¯s gaze with his crystalline eyes. Without even thinking about it, Tilly let out an explosive sigh, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t anyone answer direct questions on this plane? Look, Brokenridge, why do you keep calling us your Hoard, and what do you mean by ¡®giving you strength¡¯? What do you want from us? Because we aren¡¯t just going to follow you somewhere and fight in some dragon conflict.¡± Brokenridge shifted his front legs to focus back on Tilly. His snout twitched almost imperceptibly as he felt the continued bite of the axe head in his chest. Despite the obvious pain, his gaze fell back on Tilly, as if he was trying to unravel a particularly interesting riddle. Finally, he answered with something less opaque, ¡°It is not a question of you following me. Your strength is my own as long as you remain within the boundaries of my Domain. The Fatewatcher¡¯s gift changed everything about how the binding is set. I have given up the ability to absorb your worth permanently, but in exchange, the size of my Domain and the spectrum of things I can bind with has increased tenfold. I do not yet know what has augmented my breath attack, but I assume it is an artifact of unsurpassed power to be able to affect my form at such a fundamental level.¡± He explained in a slow voice, almost as much to himself as to them. As he spoke, Tilly realized that this creature was incapable of anything that even hinted at submission. Especially to those it thought lesser. Even the concession of giving an explanation was more due to a grudging acknowledgment of Tilly¡¯s prowess than any sort of willingness to compromise¡­ Its nature seemed obsessed with dominance, and since they would never be able to dominate it, the best they could hope for was some sort of mutually beneficial symbiosis. ¡°So the more valuable the treasure in your Hoard is, the more powerful you become?¡± ¡°It is known.¡± The dragon responded, Just then a huffing Shuji turned the corner of the rock walls of the quarry and gasped. Well, he had already been gasping, but this sound he made upon seeing the three-story creature built from muscle and scales was significantly higher than the noises before it. ¡°Uuuah! ... So it is true!¡± ¡°Shuji, you may leave us at once.¡± Hiro quickly ordered, still not sure where this conversation would end and not wanting to risk any more people than they had to. ¡°Ah, yes, Lord. Normally I would, but there is something you must know.¡± He stuttered as Brokenridge turned to consider the new addition to the group. ¡°Something has changed in the Crystal Chamber. A smoldering magical script that I have never seen rose up from the stone itself and wrapped around the chamber. When it happened, I was studying the new requirements for Faction advancement, and then the mountain started to shake. I must say the journey down was quite¡­ perilous.¡± ¡°Yes, Snack. You are correct. The Scorch that would normally enclose my Soul-Bound Hoard was changed in anticipation of one of these new Crystals Epochs ago. The boundaries of this Crystal¡¯s influence are now my own.¡± The dragon said, pulling in a long breath through its nostrils and closing its eyes in focus, ¡°I am not displeased with what you have here, I can taste the beginnings of power, but it is not nearly enough. Long tooth has sat his perch for far too many millennia, and with the change I feel coming in the Land, the time of challenge is upon us. I will plunder nearby powers and return with their greater strength. Then we will set off to conquer my Birth-right¡± Tilly was about to follow up with another question when Shuji gasped again, this time even more dramatically, if that was possible. He fell to his knees as he took in the drying slag that covered the ground of the quarry and the walls of the dragon''s passage. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ But of course¡­ How else?¡± He said, carefully picking up a still-hot piece of stone, now resembling something close to obsidian. He gingerly handled it within multiple layers of his robes and took in the still-glowing heart of flowing crystal, frozen in its strange shape by its exposure to the cool air around it. ¡°Oh, what is it now scholar?¡± Erash huffed keeping her eyes warily on the much more important threat, and quickly growing tired of the lapin¡¯s dramatics. ¡°Dragon Glass,¡± he whispered in reply. Erash froze in place, almost like a piece of glass herself, as her eyes once again scanned the ground before looking back up at the dragon, who at this point was oozing smug indifference. ¡°My father owns a Dragon Glass sword, and it is one of our chief treasures, you can¡¯t be saying this is all the same material¡­¡± Then with an irritated huff of smoke, the dragon intervened, ¡°Yes, yes. I have seen some of your kind scurrying behind in the wake of our power and collecting such things, but it is simply a poor byproduct of my might. Now, it is time for me to be off, there is some strength here, but you will need to grow much richer if you are to be of any use to me.¡± The dragon answered in a bored-sounding voice, hunching down as if to leap before once again twitching his lips in a snarl at the weapon still lodged in his chest.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Tilly waited in astonishment as he realized that the dragon was too proud to ask again, and would literally leave it in his chest to prove he wasn''t bothered by it. Teeth bared, Brokenridge repositioned his claws, putting the majority of his weight on his hind legs. ¡°Wait!¡± Tilly called, an idea forming as he belatedly registered that the nearest target in the dragon''s mind would probably be the Sanguine Order¡­ ¡°Let me remove that from you, mighty Brokenridge.¡± The dragon¡¯s studied indifference melted away, and another one of those predatory smiles cut across his elongated jaws, ¡°Very well, Little two legs. If you insist, it is in your best interest after all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Tilly, not two legs, and I wish to make an agreement with you first. One that will multiply the strength of your Hoard.¡± ¡°And grow its riches!¡± Shuji added, looking up with a feverish glint in his eyes. Brokenridge eyed the small group in front of him, and the paltry, but not insignificant potential power they represented to him, ¡°State your terms, little¡­ Tilly. But do not think you have me at some sort of disadvantage. This,¡± He said, waving a claw at the tiny-looking hatchet in his chest, ¡°Is a pittance, barely a bother. I am still perfectly willing to destroy all of you if I see any advantage in doing so.¡± He finished, eyeing Tilly with such intensity that Tilly could almost feel those sharp teeth closing on his neck. Suppressing a shudder, he answered loudly, trying to shape out his argument in a way that would make sense to the predator, ¡°You want to strengthen your Hoard. This aligns with our goals perfectly, we also must grow stronger to survive. But some of the neighboring factions have allied with us, and if you attack them, you will diminish our power in any upcoming conflict.¡± ¡°You are incorrect, I will pillage what is of value, and then they will come here and submit to me as their new ruler. Their tribute will increase the value of this place significantly.¡± The dragon answered back, not at all interested in the petty agreements of his lessers. ¡°My lord Brokenridge, am I correct in assuming you slumbered through the last several epochs?¡± Shuji broke in, sensing the weakness of Tilly¡¯s argument in the eyes of a creature with a vastly different outlook on the plane. The dragon looked askance at the corpulent lapin, ¡°What care do I have at the minute changes to the world my kind still rules?¡± ¡°None! It is but a small thing!¡± Shuji declared, bowing repeatedly. Tilly had seen him adopt this sniveling behavior before and was not shocked to note that it seemed to work perfectly in redirecting the dragon''s attention. ¡°It is just that the last Epoch was aptly referred to as the era of Mercantile Domination. Along with it, came the establishment of two plane-wide institutions. The Guild of Commerce and the Auction House.¡± ¡°And what, Snack? You seem to be wasting my time, and from what I smell of you, I could eat you and it would be no great loss to my Hoard." Shuji straightened from his bow, something like a smug smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, ¡°These two institutions have made plane-wide trade possible. With your¡­ By-products and certain other magical discoveries we have recently made, we will soon be able to bring in vast wealth. War comes again to Nephesh and we seem to be in a position to supply essential arms to one side in exchange for¡­ tribute to your Hoard.¡± The dragon¡¯s eyes narrowed at Shuji¡¯s explanation, obviously not enjoying the idea that he did not already know something significant, ¡°How can that possibly be better than plunder?¡± he snarled. ¡°My lord, your might is unquestioned, and your power is awesome, but you can only plunder one place at a time. If you allow us a window to prepare, we will have powers from around the plane clamoring to offer us tribute in exchange for this.¡± He declared, lifting the now cool, but still glowing chunk of melted stone in his hand. ¡°Very well, you may do so¡­ while I go out and plunder.¡± The dragon concluded, rocking back on his rear legs and preparing to launch. ¡°Wait!¡± Tilly called, finally understanding the implications of Shuji¡¯s argument, ¡°It will be a waste of your time to plunder nearby allies because they will¡­ plunder themselves to trade for what we have. If we had enemies nearby, you could plunder them, but we have recently defeated our greatest threat, and they are scattered. Now, I am going to remove my weapon from your chest, are you ready?" Tilly followed up quickly, hoping to distract Brokenridge enough to pull him off this whole ¡®plunder¡¯ obsession. The dragon tossed its head unconcerned, ¡°Do as you wish human, such a small th- AAARRRGG!¡± he roared surprised as Tilly recalled the hatchet. To the shock of everyone present, including the dragon, a geyser of blood exploded out along with the absence of the weapon. Tilly who was still the only one standing a few yards in front of the wound found himself suddenly soaked in dragon¡¯s blood, which, as it turns out, burns terribly. ¡°AHHH!¡± He screamed, his voice joining the dragon in surprised pain. The dragon whipped its head down and blew out a river of flame over his wound, stanching it closed, and at the same time, bathing Tilly in fire once again. The whole group dodged away from the sudden melee and the floor of the quarry was once again flooded with blue fire. Erash leaped onto one of the high walls surrounding the mining operation, her staff already stretched forth to bathe Tilly in healing magic. All the while, she kept her eyes on the dragon to make sure its focus stayed wholly on Tilly and itself. Tilly for his part, managed to cover his face with his arms just before the blood hit him. Every piece of exposed skin began to boil and the dragon did not help anything by quickly following up with another face full of blue flame. The seconds before Erash¡¯s magic took effect seemed to last hours even as the flame rendered the blood¡¯s caustic heat inert. Tilly felt the burns all over his hands, head, and neck begin to heal, and he lowered his arms, eyeing the dragon in front of him in fury. His armor and weapons began absorbing the Mythic substance even before Erash¡¯s healing washed over Tilly and his notification icon began blinking excitedly, not that he paid it much attention as he took a few threatening steps toward the giant lizard. ¡°What the Hell!¡± Tilly shouted up at the dragon, brandishing one of his axes like he was about to throw it again. The dragon, for just a split second, almost looked chagrined, before laying on a snarl of its own and bringing its head back level with the furious two legs who had clearly forgotten its place. B3. Ch. 7 Friendships are Fire Brokenridge lowered his head until it was only a yard away from Tilly showing every one of his teeth, ¡°That was nothing but a lucky blow, human! The only reason I have not snapped you in two is your future usefulness to my cause!¡± he snarled. The aura of his bloodlust exploding outward, drowning the entire quarry basin in blood and fire. As it washed over Tilly, his fury stoked to new heights, pushing back against the sudden pressure attempting to lock him up in primal terror. Without conscious thought, fire rippled out from his center writhing him in white and blue flames as his voice cut through the oppressive energy in challenge, ¡°Try it¡­ I already knocked you on your ass once, and I would love to do it all over again.¡± Tilly¡¯s almost felt like he was having an out-of-body experience as he bullshitted his way deeper into this hole, but his gut was screaming at him that backing down now could cost his friends their lives. He didn¡¯t have a choice, backing down was not an option, and he had positioned himself as the one to stand up to the dragon. Standing there, looking into those slitted eyes, everything became simple. He was walking a razor edge, but honestly, it''s not like his life was any more at risk than it had been the last four days. At that moment, he realized that if the dragon called his bluff, he was ready to fight again. Even worse, some part of him thought he might survive such an encounter. The broken thing inside of him that had rushed into burning buildings had now fully transformed into a new brand of insanity. One that might just be a perfect fit for the battle-crazy plane he now inhabited. That thought caused a smile to relax the edges of Tilly¡¯s glare. Face to face with a dragon that was inches from killing him, and he smiled. Here he was, threatening this legendary creature with a weapon that was smaller than some of its teeth¡­ The whole situation was so insane that the pressure building up in his belly reached a crescendo and demanded release. Laughter exploded from Tilly¡¯s mouth and tears pooled at the edges of his eyes. It might have been the last finger of his grip on reality letting go¡­ but whatever it was, it felt good. Really good. Brokenridge flinched back in shock at the explosive laughter, and shot glances at the human¡¯s companions, finding them no less confused than he was. His rictus snarl loosened at the sight and a deep rhythmic vibration started at the back of his throat. The bass of the sound shook the loose rock around the quarry, and the rest of the group looked back and forth at the dragon and the deranged human in shock. Even Hiro wore an expression that could have been characterized as mild indigestion. ¡°I like you, Human! You are going to need those balls for what is coming.¡± the dragon rumbled, relaxing his crouching stance, and revealing a patch of scarred leather where the hatchet and three scales had once been, ¡°I will delay my pillaging for one week. I need to sleep and consolidate my new Domain anyway. When I emerge, you will show me this tribute you speak of-¡± He declared, letting the last of his chuckles die, ¡°and if you fail in this, I will burn this pitiful city to the ground.¡± He finished, pressing his reptilian lips together in a hard line. ¡°You are here for a reason Brokenridge. Don¡¯t waste the opportunity. But if you want to go off, let me know, and I¡¯ll happily go another round with you.¡± Tilly answered arrogantly, looping back his hatchet and allowing the flames around his body to die. The dragon considered him for a long moment before snorting and turning to move smoothly back down the passage, leaving the group stunned at both the sudden arrival and the anticlimactic exit of the legendary creature¡­ A creature that now seemed to be a sort of ally, if a very dangerous one. As soon as the dragon was out of sight, the group looked at each other, and Tilly opened his mouth to say something, but Hiro held up his hand, gesturing instead to Erash, who shakily lifted her staff and whispered an incantation. The air around Tilly popped and the dragon''s movements cut off from his hearing. ¡°Such creatures are known to have incredible senses, let''s not take any chances,¡± Hiro stated looking down into the subterranean tunnel after the retreating creature. As soon as she was done, Erash shook her head to herself in disbelief, ¡°Just when I think I have a handle on what is next for this little Faction, everything is flipped on its head¡­ Somehow I can¡¯t shake the feeling that this too, was the doing of that witch¡­¡± She muttered to herself darkly, as her eyes swept the quarry basin now covered in solidified slag again, ¡°This will be impossible to work with, but would fetch a much greater price if we processed it ourselves.¡± ¡°Forget the rocks for a second-¡± Tilly broke in, his body beginning to shiver now that the gallons of adrenaline were done running roughshod through his system, ¡°A freaking dragon guys? How normal is this?¡± ¡°Surpassingly rare,¡± Shuji answered absently, ¡°I have read of three such occurrences across the plane in the last thousand years, but now the words of the world announcement and the Sovereign Crystal¡¯s transformation make much more sense. Which leads me to my other essential news.¡± His eyes sharpened as disparate pieces of information were synthesized in real time for the Librarian. ¡°The new Faction Upgrade requirements had followed the same pattern we expected, two of the more typical requirements and one Patron-specific Quest. The first requires two Epic-class buildings erected in our capital city, and the second requires an equivalent of 1 million Standard Gold of goods or services to pass through our borders. Both of these would typically be very difficult to achieve for a Faction of our size, but with our growing relationship with the church and several other atypical opportunities, it is feasible that we can have these two done in a matter of days¡­¡± He said, before pausing to lend his next words gravity. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°The third requirement was to obtain the patronage of another Origin Facet, but as the dragon¡¯s magic interacted with the Sovereign Crystal, the requirement shifted¡­¡± He stated, opening his robe and allowing a sheet of paper to fly free, unfolding in the air before the group. Patron Quest Update: Assist the keeper of your Bond in deposing the Dragon King and obtain the chief treasure of his hoard, Origin¡¯s Breath, the Facet of Wind and Change. ¡°I came down immediately to inform you. In light of the plane-wide announcement and our new¡­ guest, I think we have to accelerate our plans.¡± Shuji concluded as the others scanned his copy of the new requirement. Ichiro was the first to speak, ¡°I will return to the representatives of the church, and continue negotiations. I believe our initial goals of a temple and an introduction to the Guild of Commerce should remain, but I also think we should pursue an Auction House location, leveraging our newly obtained resource as capital to facilitate this investment.¡± Ichiro added, gesturing with a sweeping hand at the transformed quarry. Hiro nodded along with his son''s words, before adding a somber warning, ¡°There will be ideas about what has happened here¡­ but we must keep silent for as long as possible. Opening ourselves to outside trade is a necessity. The great powers of Nephesh are now focused on the words of the Contested Lands and the coming conflict. If we are to begin supplying our side with as many effective weapons against Corruption as possible, then anonymity is our only option. Am I correct in the assumption that something as basic as a dragon glass arrowhead, when blessed by one of our priests, would be a significant multiplier in combat?¡± He asked turning toward Shuji and Erash. The question pulled Erash into the present from wherever her thoughts had taken her, ¡°That is very much correct, even a dragon glass emblem embedded in our warrior''s shields would radically boost their effectiveness on the field, and if we concentrated on spear tips and arrowheads, we would be able to equip almost all of our soldiers in a relatively short amount of time¡­ that is, if we can find a way to work with the material¡­ It took our greatest smith weeks to forge my father''s sword and he was an expert in non-metal materials.¡± She added doubtfully. At her final sentence, Shuji''s face lit up, and he pulled forth another sheaf of paper from his robe, scanning it quickly, ¡°Perhaps¡­ that will not be as large of a problem as we think. The largest rewards reportedly distributed to non-combatants occurred for our three Alchemists and the smithing complex. None of the individuals were offered a new class or unique items, but as the wave from the temple washed over their facilities, they each received an extraordinary upgrade. The Alchemy shop received a large contraption called a Synthiziser that will allow them to combine lower-grade materials and create higher-grade versions of anything used in alchemy, the possibilities of which are very exciting. The Smithy received something called a Neutrino forge, which they have yet to discover how to light¡­ ¡°The description, however, states that it can melt any substance down into a malleable state, and remove its impurities.¡± Shuji finished, reading from a report before handing the whole thing to Hiro smiling like a kid on Christmas. ¡°This is all rather exciting, isn¡¯t it? I am sure there will be a learning curve, but with this, I can¡¯t help but think that all of this is connected,¡± he concluded, grinning at the rest of the group. ¡°Yeah¡­ I get that feeling too. I just can¡¯t help but wonder where it is all going.¡± Tilly added a little more grimly than he intended. Hiro tucked away the rest of the report, taking Tilly¡¯s words in stride, ¡°We are the masters of our destiny, and will arrive at no destination except the one we choose.¡± He declared firmly, ¡°There is much to do if we are to prepare for the dragon¡¯s re-emergence, and whatever comes with it. Ichiro, your course of action is well chosen, make whatever promises you have to. We must obtain a Commerce Guild outpost and a currency exchange certification for our Faction. After that, we can petition an Assessor from the Auction House to evaluate us, and hopefully approve access for the Alliance. ¡°I will go and calm our people, setting them to work. Keep what happened here on a need-to-know basis until we have no choice but to reveal our association. We will do ourselves no favors by broadcasting our intentions to the wide world. Erash, please return to the Temple and use your limited Ability to Commune, we need to find out as much as possible about the meaning behind that announcement, and what our Patron''s goals are in regards to the Contested Lands.¡± Ichiro bowed and jogged off. Erash tilted her head in acknowledgment before gliding off absently, riding a mound of earth. The air around them popped again, and the noises of the outside world came flooding in as she left. ¡°Jonathan Tillman, I have a feeling you will have a pivotal role in each of these goals, let alone what will be asked of you as the specifics of this quest are revealed. But, for now, I ask that you remain here for the rest of the morning. I do not believe dragons are creatures of deception, but until we establish some sort of guard, it would comfort me to know you are standing watch here.¡± Hiro stated, before allowing a half smile to crack his stony visage, ¡°Especially because you seem to relish the idea of another chance to knock the beast down a peg or two¡­¡± The comment and accompanying smile were so surprising that Tilly couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡° Yeah, I don¡¯t know what came over me¡­¡± He replied sheepishly. ¡°I do. You are our Champion, Jonathan¡­ When no others can make a way, you always do.¡± Hiro answered, with a calm confidence that remained unaffected by the insane changes his people had faced over the last two months. His words shook Tilly, not because they seemed false¡­ rather because Hiro¡¯s declaration, and how he made it, resonated so deeply with Tilly that he found himself both terrified and filled with hope. ¡°I will send a group to relieve you as soon as I can, and then I want you to get some rest. We will need you again soon, I am sure.¡± Tilly nodded, still trying to process what the Guardian had just said. Hiro clapped the human on the back and shot away, moving at what was probably a jog for him. With a sigh, Tilly turned back to the melted entrance to the dragon¡¯s cave and settled down into a meditative pose. As he watched the huge opening for a little longer, he realized he needed this time¡­ There was so much that had happened and he needed to consolidate his gains and process the cataclysmic events that had rocked his world over the last couple of days. He flicked his eyes up to his blinking notification icon, ¡°No better place to start¡± He muttered to himself, sitting in the center of a raging sea of melted stone and shattered glass. B3. Ch. 8 Gains Tilly settled into his meditative pose facing the mouth of the now huge cavern and pulled up his notification log, trying to make sense of the constant shuddering that seemed to be racking his armor and weapons.
Congratulations! Your Legendary Armor and Hatchets have been imbued with a new form! After absorbing Dragon¡¯s blood and flame, you have gained access to the Draconic Emissary armor set and Dragon¡¯s Fury hatchet Modifier. Draconic Emissary Armor set: Made from masterwork dragon leather, this set gives the wearer access to the Draconic Authority Skill and Primal Aura Ability. -Draconic Authority: The wearer¡¯s ability to resist aural pressures against their soul is multiplied proportionally to their willpower and self-perceived authority in a given area. -Primal Aura: You may exert Will on your surroundings, imbuing your words and actions with the first true power to rise on Nephesh. Dragon¡¯s Fury weapon modification: Through repeated exposure to flames at Legendary tier or higher and the absorption of dragon¡¯s blood, your hatchet heads have transformed. They now issue out a flat x2 damage modifier to any flame attack channeled through the heads of your weapons. Flame channeled in such a manner takes on the characteristics of Dragon¡¯s fire, including but not limited to the dissipation of weaker magics and the ability to burn in nonstandard environments.
Tilly couldn¡¯t help but release a low whistle at the jump in power his Growth-Type equipment had just made. He un-looped his hatchets as their shuddering grew even more intense, laying them on the ground before him and watching as the once-knapped stone heads melted and reformed. After the process began to cool, what was left was a mix between polished obsidian, and dragon glass, covered in smoldering red script. The leading edge of each hatchet head had a glittering edge polished into its tapered beard and was balanced by jagged hooked points extending opposite the blade. The antler handles remained but took on a scorched appearance, and Tilly got the impression they had hardened to a significant degree without losing any of their tensile strength. He took a few moments to appreciate just how dangerous the weapons now looked, more than hinting at the huge gain in damage output they had just experienced. The x2 modifier alone would be insane against any corrupted opponents, let alone the implications of his flame output taking on the characteristics of Dragon Fire¡­ Who knew what that meant? A few deep breaths later Tilly sent a gentle flex of his will toward his armor, and felt a shiver of response from the newly empowered set¡­ ¡®Ok, I have waited way too long to do this, but I need to know if you can change on command¡¯ he sent inwardly, now more sensitive than ever to the insubstantial bonds tying him to his equipment. Tilly mentally pushed toward the first transformation his armor had experienced, sending the impression of burning and overwhelming heat. His connection thrummed in response and he felt an almost physical click as his conscious desires connected with the item''s innate ability to transition into different forms. A ripple, starting at his neck, ran down the fur and leathers as they shifted into the deep yellow of the Sun Salamander hide. Tilly felt a cowl slide over his head, and a mask reach up to settle comfortably over his nose. Then with another thought, he shifted the armor to its Null Spider form, and just like that, he felt the addition of his Mana Overdrive Ability fall into place within his Pathways. A quick scan of his stats did confirm that his original bonus to Endurance from his base armor was not present in these other forms. But the utility was undeniable. ¡°... If I am careful how I pair these with my broken title-gaining capability-¡± He muttered lost in thought. When he had first read the description of his Celestial Tier reward, he had been cautiously optimistic. Each shift in stats only lasted ten breaths, and could only be done once per day. But that did nothing to diminish the insane usefulness that flexibility would give him depending on the situation, especially since they made the glaring weakness in his build much harder to pin down for any opponent that would be trying to plan for his power set in the future. However, when he had reread over the description of his [Resolute] Title, an idea had occurred to him¡­ did an equivalent Title exist for each of the Stats? And if they did exist, would activating one ¡®superlative title¡¯ keep him from activating the other on the ¡®once a day¡¯ reset? He had planned to test those questions out later today but had sort of been forced into an early attempt by the absolutely ridiculous conflict he had just barely survived bluffing his way through. That being said, Celestial was the highest Tier he knew of, and in retrospect, it was obviously something near the top of possible power on the plane. With a more typical Stat spread, this reward would have been amazing. With his skewed Stats¡­ He had just become a walking nuclear bomb of potential damage. The opportunity would only come once per day, but if he planned it right, he had just become a huge force multiplier against the mysterious powers aligning themselves against the Plane. While the change to his damage output was astounding. He also needed to get a better understanding of Draconic Authority. From his initial reading, it looked like it had great potential to help shore up one of Tilly¡¯s biggest weaknesses, his mental defense. That flaw in his build had been especially painful in the face of Igor the Vampiric Mesmer, who had completely disappeared after the battle, and the Prime Dirge. No one had any intel on where the local commander of the Horde¡¯s forces had gone and Tilly did not relish having to face him again. The idea of having something to shore up that area of his defense was a huge relief. With a thought, he used his newly discovered mental connection to push his armor toward its Draconic Emissary state. A ripple of scales emerged from the material layered over his body to create a completely unexpected look. He shot up from his meditative pose gawking down at his newest armor form. The material itself was not too unexpected, a sort of metallic snakeskin, but that was not what had his eyes almost bugging out of their sockets in shock¡­. No, that award went to the fact that the whole set had formed something akin to a three-piece dragon skin suit, complete with a white silk dress shirt, a blood-red tie, and scaled dress shoes¡­ Tilly was so caught up in the moment that he even checked to see if the armor had generated a solution to his ongoing underwear problem. Nope. Despite that disappointment, looking down, Tilly couldn¡¯t help but notice that at some point in recent history, he had become the owner of a six-pack. The dad-bod paunch had departed over the course of weeks of intense physical training paired with the modest diet provided by the Alliance. His new trim figure was emphasized in every way by the slim-cut suit unlike his typical bulkier leather and fur armor. He buttoned his shirt and jacket back up with an uncomfortable frown, feeling like some strange combination of a fantasy Gucci model and snakeskin enthusiast. ¡°Really?¡± He growled down at the unbelievably ostentatious-looking ¡®armor¡¯, ¡°What am I supposed to do with you, hit a fashion show?¡± He demanded of the equipment, which now exuded a smug feeling of superiority. Its crisp lines and perfect fit screamed ¡®Pretentious A-hole¡¯. Tilly was about to command it to revert back to the base form when he remembered the new skill and Ability that came with the set. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He pulled up his Skill list to take a look at how the system was registering it, filtering out any Skills that hadn¡¯t changed in the last couple of hours.
Skills: -Beginner Hatchett level 30 > 32 -Ax Throwing Level 31 > 38 -Draconic Authority Level N/A
¡®Nice! Got a couple of Level gains from that insane attack! Of course, ¡®N/A¡¯ tells me nothing¡­¡¯ He thought ruefully, before attempting to somehow activate the Skill despite its lackluster description:
-Draconic Authority: The wearer¡¯s ability to resist aural pressures against their soul is multiplied proportionally to their willpower and self-perceived authority in a given area.
Nothing happened, and Tilly could find no internal sense of how to apply the skill. But that probably had something to do with needing an aura to ¡®resist¡¯ in order for its effects to be felt. Also what the hell did that last part of the description mean? ¡°Self-perceived authority¡± That one had to win the award for vague and unhelpful language¡­ Only slightly discouraged by his almost immediate failure, he pulled up his new Ability,
-Primal Aura: You may exert Will on your surroundings, imbuing your words and actions with the first true power to rise on Nephesh.
Unlike the Skill, he could feel this one hovering like a veil around his core. Almost hesitantly, he tried to ¡®flex¡¯ it, and nothing happened, in fact, the veil became more solid, further dampening the ¡®heat¡¯ being released from his fiery core. To a degree, he was now constantly feeling the heat of his mana radiating along his Pathways, and even exuding from his skin to a certain degree. Primal Aura seemed to make him aware of this barrier and even able to affect it in some way. Tilly studied the metaphysical formation for another couple of minutes before realizing something. He could feel different emotions woven into the fabric of the structure, things like Hesitance, Doubt, and even Anxiousness. Each of these emotions was pulling minute amounts of mana from his core into the structure to empower it, limiting the effect of his soul on his surroundings. He was the one unconsciously keeping the barrier in place¡­ The lines around his eyes deepened as he studied this newly discovered structure, following his Ability granted intuition and cutting off the mana flowing to the structure, relaxing his hold on his own power. Hazy streamers of heat started to dance all around him as the power contained in his soul billowed out into his surroundings. The sensation felt amazing like stretching a long restrained muscle and almost instinctively, he pushed into the sensation further, straining against his outer limits as his new aura flooded the quarry. A sudden and unrestrained smile pulled at his lips, revealing most of his teeth in a fierce grin. He felt¡­ Dangerous. Every battle he had won, every time he had beat the odds and come out alive. They had all left a mark on his soul. Even more notably, his intense hatred for Corruption and the seemingly endless wrath he had already poured out on its chosen vessels had purified his aura into something incredibly intense. His core flame now bathed the surrounding area in a heat that was more than just physical, it was spiritual. Small tongues of white and blue flame began to spontaneously ignite all over the quarry as Tilly explored this new sensation. The possible Plane-wide influence of his enemy, the countless legions that they would likely bring to bear, even the untold horrors waiting to be unleashed¡­ none of that fazed Tilly¡¯s Flame. The very thought of these things stoked the fire within him hotter, and to Tilly¡¯s dismay, it felt¡­ Hungry. No that wasn¡¯t quite right, the flame was not separate from him, it was him. And as he continued to flex his aura, an absolutely insane thought occurred to him. One that he couldn¡¯t shake, no matter how arrogant or foolhardy it seemed¡­ He was Ready. Suddenly, the feeling of superiority that exuded from the suit made sense. It was the armor embodiment of the greatest apex predator men had ever dreamed of. The suit offered him no stat bonuses or outward power, but he could already feel the way it was pulling out a part of his personality that he had hardly ever given free rein. He had never been an adrenaline junkie, and even now, he did not relish the thought of more battle. But he could not deny that he felt prepared to do what he had to, no matter what came against them. Perhaps challenging the Dragon had been the final straw to his perfectly human sense of self-preservation, or maybe he had lost yesterday in the face of Kindle''s incredible sacrifice. He still didn¡¯t love how ridiculous he looked in the suit¡­ but as he drenched the quarry in the heat of his Aura, refined through the repeated pressures of facing foes far beyond his strength, he understood it. Whatever the next few months held¡­ there would be no more room for doubt or hesitation. He would have to leverage everything he had to make sure as many people made it through the other side as possible. The rest was above his pay grade and no longer his concern. Almost reluctantly, he sent the command to return his armor to its normal stat-enhancing state. The ten percent increase to Endurance would remain the most helpful addition to his build, plus Tilly felt eminently more comfortable wearing the snug moccasins and looser fitting primitive kit than any of the other forms. Seven days. Brokenridge said he would reemerge in seven days, giving Tilly just enough time to activate the Celestial Bracelets four more times, discover the other ¡®superlative titles¡¯, and gain a basic understanding of his new potential. He would let the others worry about buildings and politics. When this unhinged dragon reemerged from his cave, Tilly would be ready. It was time to go to war. Tilly settled back down and brought up the rest of his Character Sheet as he began to meditate, attempting to internalize all the changes he had experienced and get a handle on what he was becoming.
Jonathan Luke Tillman Level: 37 (12% EXP until next level) Display Name: Tilly Race: Human Class: Son of Flame Health: 100%(2.9% per min.) Mana: 100%(3.4% per min.) Status Effects: None Titles: [Harbinger], [Resolute], [Origin¡¯s Champion], [Trusted Gaijin], [Hostile Environment], [Scarred Heart], [Divine Wind], [All or Nothing], [Verdant Rebirth]
Stats: Constitution: 29 Endurance: 169 (185.9) Dexterity: 54 (59.4) Strength: 26 Wisdom: 32 Intelligence: 28 Abilities: -[Blue] Flame Strike -[Blue] Flame Expulsion+ -[Blue] Flame¡¯s Renewal+ -*Mana Overdrive -Wrath¡¯s Shroud -*Primal Aura
Skills: -Forestcraft level 19 -Identify level 23 -Cooking level 12 -Beginner Hatchett level 30 > 32 -Animal Processing level 9 -Stealth level 18 -Herb Lore Level 8 -Ax Throwing Level 31 > 38 -Dual-Wielding (Hatchets) Level 26 -Spirit Walk Level 20 -Meditation Level 16 -First Aid Level 38 -Draconic Authority Level N/A Equipment: Origin¡¯s Primitive Stone Hatchets: +10% to Dexterity. (Legendary, Growth-Type) +Imbued Ability: Recall. +Imbued Buff: Dragon¡¯s Fury Origin¡¯s Primitive Leather Armor: +10% to Endurance. (Legendary, Growth-Type) +Imbued Form: Sun Salamander +Imbued Form: Nullspider/Mana Engine Enchantment. +Imbued Form: Blood Mound Shambler. +Imbued Form: Draconic Emissary Celestial Bracelets of Substitutional Might: Swap your highest stat once a day with another of your choice.
B3. Ch. 9 Interlude Brokenridge Heartsflame Dragon His claws clicked deliciously against the stone floor as he fought to keep from outright laughing. Such luck! He had been prepared to risk much on the Fatewatcher¡¯s plan, his timeline having been set back astronomically. After all, what was boldness if not to fully extend your own neck to lunge at your enemy¡¯s exposed throat? But this was beyond his wildest expectations. Even now, his Dragon¡¯s Soul Binding continued to expand as he moved down the tunnel to what had once been his pitifully small treasure chamber. ¡®Now I have an entire nation as my own!¡¯ he snarled internally in triumph. He was still acclimating to this entirely new configuration of Scorch Binding, but he could already tell that everything within the boundary of this Faction¡¯s influence was his to draw on. It was a strange strength to be sure, but its bounty was undeniable. The thought of filling this mountain to bursting with treasure, and having an entire army to protect it while he went and obtained more was absolutely delightful. Laughter again began to rumble in his belly, starting to bubble up, before being cut off painfully at his chest, where that peculiar human had struck him a mighty blow, barely missing his heart¡­ Yes, seven days would be enough to fully establish a connection to his strength here and restore this insignificant wound. Then it would be time to multiply his strength and take what was his by right. He would rend Old Longtooth''s neck- An aura of old exploded in his Domain and Brokenridge¡¯s eyes dilated in sudden shock as he whipped his head around to charge back out a defend his treasure Horde from the interloper. Endless seas of burning black corpses, Raging hatred, Roaring determination. ¡®How had they already found him?¡¯ He thundered internally as fire poured freely from between his clenched jaws. He took in a long breath through his nostrils and sensed¡­ Nothing No other dragons, just the same little two legs he had left behind. The Aura persisted for another few moments before withdrawing slowly, leaving that same peculiar human at its center. Yes, he would serve well as a chief servant¡­ What had it said its name was? ¡®Ah, yes...Tibby¡¯ He thought to himself as the fire slowly died back down eliciting another twinge in his chest. He turned and continued down the tunnel at an easy pace. The next few months were going to be Glorious. ¡­ Cog level 7 Thaumic Munitions Specialist One Hour Earlier A smile that had already threatened to crack his face in half ratcheted up several notches at his most recent notification. He had no clue where the rest of the Originals had gone, but that was their business. Personally, he couldn¡¯t stand the idea of wasting another moment now that they were adults. He dismissed the level-up notification and carefully placed the stoppered vial on the work surface next to his other creations. After he nestled this one like a baby bird in its nest of dirty cloth to make sure it did not clink with the others or roll away, he stroked his mustache in satisfaction¡­ Well, there was still a lot more lip than mustache, but his uncle had always claimed that stroking a beard helps it grow, and he was sure the rough patch forming under his nose was the beginning of a glorious display of mature facial hair. He still couldn¡¯t believe it had worked! Just like Aurelia, they had all been offered a chance to finally do something and Cog pulled his notification log back up, to double-check that it was all still real. The others had mentioned something about class options, but Cog hadn¡¯t really been listening at the time. Instead, his body had shed its childish weakness and supernaturally matured into its current manly state, he had received an incredible notification¡­ His very first, to be exact. Congratulations! Due to your participation in the deity quest to obtain the patronage of an Origin Facet, and your successful completion of multiple hidden prerequisites, you have received access to a completely novel Class. Thaumic Munitions Specialist [Epic] Thaumic Munitions Specialist You have been handling mildly incendiary agents since you could walk, and have shown a deep fascination for the art of alchemy. This has been paired with your rewards from a Primal source of both Nature and Fire Mana. You will have access to the typical skills and Abilities of an alchemist, but any alchemical product or enchantment you produce that does not produce an incendiary effect will spontaneously combust. However, you will receive a 200% bonus to any Skill or Ability when handling Flame-related agents or producing novel items. +2 Intelligence and +1 Constitution every other level. Starting Abilities: Flame Eater, Pyro-savant, Tinkerer. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The others had started exclaiming loudly in shock as they had each been transformed, quickly moving to Aurelia to ask her questions, but not him. Even with his extraordinarily well-aged physique, he only had eyes for the new plant life bursting up all around the central chamber of the Temple. He had immediately gotten on his hands and knees to examine the extraordinary array of wildflowers and grasses that were bursting up through the cracks in the stone of the mountain. He could sense aspects of growth, change, and¡­ fire being woven harmoniously in each plant he examined. His mind started racing with the possibilities some of these plants could have when used in conjunction with a few other reagents in the workshop. Then, for the second time in his life, he had felt the mental buzz of a notification, and in wonder, he had opened the screen back up. Congratulations! You have discovered a new valid entry into the Herb Lore Codex. Notify any qualified Alchemist or Herbalist to add it to the Codex. You have learned the skill Herb Lore by discovering a new previously unknown use for a piece of flora on Nephesh. Herb Lore - Mana infuses everything on Nephesh, you have become a student of the unique effects this has on its plant life. That was when the crazed smile had started. He immediately identified and picked Fire Lilies, Flame Thistle, Spark Mustard, and more. For the first time truly appreciating Mrs. Cooper''s awesome jacket as his pitifully typical pockets became full to bursting. Then, while the others were distracted, he had snuck out of the chamber, absolutely sure someone would try and stop him to make him ¡°sleep¡± or ¡°recover¡±... that stuff didn¡¯t apply to him anymore. It wasn¡¯t like he was a kid anymore and it was finally time to start leveling. The trip down from the mountain had been easy, Aurelia¡¯s healing and his subsequent transformation making it so that he felt like he might never be tired again. Occasionally he could hear the sounds of distant battle, but he was sure that with Mr. Tillman and Mrs. Cooper back with whatever they had just brought to the Temple, they were going to win. Besides, what better way to help than to make something awesome for the soldiers to throw over the wall at all those weird monster things? By the time he was moving through the camps, most people were up and about, rumors of a victory in the night already circulating through the population. Cog ignored them all and slipped up to the Alchemist''s workshop. The three Class holders and their hopeful assistants were passed out in the bunk room attached to the building, so it was easy for Cog to sneak in and lay out his materials. He ignored the huge new feature adorning one wall of the workshop, choosing instead to focus on the task before him. His mind was whirling with ideas as he thought back to the recipe his uncle had entrusted to him so many months ago. He was sure that the ingredients he had just brought down would be the key to taking that recipe to the next level. Then followed the three most explosive hours of Cog¡¯s short life. The noise had awoken the others at some point, and they had barged in demanding explanations. But once they saw his new class, and whatever the new thing in the workshop was, they left just as quickly. Not that Cog paid much attention, he was too busy Inventing. ¡°Level 7 already!¡± he whispered to himself excitedly¡­ doing his best to resist the urge to fiddle with the concoctions he had created. Each recipe had been derived in some way from his uncle''s, but they were all untried. He had gotten system confirmation that they qualified as workable alchemical creations¡­ but they needed to be tested. He started to carefully wrap up the vials, wracking his brain for a private place where he could test them when a deep rumble reverberated through the ground, shaking everything not held in place. ¡­ Azurel Level 113 Demonic Seer. Finally, it spoke¡­ Agony racked her lithe form, followed by intense waves of almost unbearable pleasure. The now familiar trickles of dark liquid ran in rivulets from each of her orifices as she screeched, attempting in vain to release the unimaginable pressure building up inside her soul. Almost too late, she remembered to bend the entirety of her Class Abilities to pull herself back from the brink. Communion, Astral VIsion, Demonic Insight, and Mental Regeneration activated almost simultaneously as she fought to maintain her sanity. Many misunderstood this power¡­ Azurel wasn¡¯t sure she understood much of it herself, but there was one thing that was clearer to her than her scrying crystal; Nothing about it was new. Perhaps it was older than the Plane itself. Some thought it was the chaos from which all of creation rose, calling us back to our original, freedom from the tyranny of form. The older demonic scholars advocated that it was simply the unavoidable entropy that unraveled all things. The Princes themselves, both old and new didn¡¯t seem to care one way or another. Corruption had crashed into the Plane like an unexpected tide, destabilizing everything and if there was one thing the Pits thrived on, it was Chaos. Most had embraced the new source of power, drinking it in merrily and soaring to new heights of power, whose only price was to give in to their more base natures. Even those who seemed to be in complete control, leaned forward eagerly, waiting for Azurel to finish her reading of the vast sea of chaos. They did not truly understand¡­ This thing had no mind, no will to enact. It ravaged her mind, seeing the world through her eyes and many others, only seeking to orient its hunger. It desired only to destroy, unravel, Coerce, Corrupt. Panting with the effort of sorting through the vast ravings that attempted to shatter her mind every time she touched that outer darkness, the High Priestess of the Pits straightened her shoulders until she stood tall before the six Thrones. Only four of which were currently occupied. ¡°...A champion remains unchosen¡­ We are to participate in the Cursed System¡¯s final game, Moving our full strength to these Contested Lands, But we will send our most fleet of foot as harbingers of our coming, To plunder the prizes of the First Beasts. Only once Your Majesties stand as triumphant Conquerors at the edge of this Epoch, Will one of you be chosen to rule.¡± Her pronouncement produced a predictable variety of displeasure. Bezzelbub¡¯s entire hive buzzed discordantly at the news. Magog¡¯s building-sized fist pounded against the arm of his throne, somehow shaking the foundations of the Mythic chamber. Asteroth leaned back in his cowl, the ram¡¯s skull face of his current lich form as inscrutable as ever. These were the ones that Azurel was confident posed no risk to her continued position. They were known elements, as predictable as any demonic power could be. The others¡­ were something different altogether. The one they now referred to as Asmodeus was absent. Of course, he had hardly been seen since he ascended to the throne, seemingly on a whim, a few thousand years ago. Lilith likewise was also absent, her machinations ever a mystery to the other Princes. These were the only two that held no forces in the demonic army and had ascended thrones on the basis of personal power alone. Then there was the last throne, the one most recently ascended and the clearest sign of the changes sweeping across the plane. The newest of the Princes maintained his smugly superior smile throughout the whole of her proclamation, as if she were a jester there for his entertainment. ¡°Well then, I think it is undeniable that I am the fleetest of foot here¡­ It seems I have some hunting to do.¡± He declared nonchalantly, the haunting melody of his voice having no effect on her but ringing out all the same. Completely black eyes seemed to sparkle with an incongruent twinkle as he stood from his throne, and reached for a horn at his belt that radiated power, even here in this most profane of chambers. B3. Ch. 10 Seven Days Tilly actually ended up really enjoying the hour or two they left him there to guard against a surprise reemergence of the dragon. He went through his character sheet with a fine-toothed comb and got a good feel for where he wanted to go next with stats. It was a given that he would keep his imbalance, but the cost of such a low Strength stat when he swapped had been eye-opening. He spent the first half of his time thinking through how he could test the other combinations of his Bracelet without getting himself or someone else killed. Which basically came down to:
  1. Devise a measurable test for each boosted stat and still to be discovered Title.
  2. Find a large open space to run the test.
  3. Have any of the new healers on standby for when things inevitably went wrong.
Until he understood what he was capable of with this new ability, it represented a significant danger to him and his surroundings. Once he finished processing just how intense his new capabilities were and their implications, his thoughts inevitably went back to the events that had transpired the day before. He read back through the notification log to try and make sense of what had happened at the end with the cleansing of his Corruption and Kindle¡¯s sacrifice. Thinking about her hurt and as he scrolled back through the System log, he reflexively reached for her bond again. An explosive sigh escaped his lips as he found the connection easily, but felt no response to his mental inquiries. He read through line after line, allowing what he remembered of those last moments to play out in his mind as he searched for new answers. She had activated some sort of phoenix ultimate attack while benefiting from Tilly¡¯s Titles, [Origin¡¯s Champion] and [Divine Wind], boosting her Ability, Sun¡¯s Final Descent by 225%. He couldn¡¯t read a description of the Ability itself because it wasn¡¯t his, but he imagined it must have already been very powerful. He scrolled down a few more lines about Amelia partially immobilizing his opponent and boom, the notification log just stopped as his health ticked to zero. His fragmented memory didn''t serve him much better, leaving him with a vague impression of a world turned white, and a flash of such intense heat, that it seemed to sear him down to the bone. Whatever Kindle had done, it had eliminated all Corruption near the point of impact. This had destroyed what was left of the Prime Dirge and wiped out the infection hiding within both the nearby human bodies¡­ Considering he must have been dead at the time, he did not remember the next part. But something about the event had mingled the two Primal powers within Amelia for just a moment, completely healing any damage she had sustained and leaving her brimming with magical potential. In her words, she had crawled over and, ¡°Shoved as much of it into your body as possible.¡± Which explained the next line in the log after his apparent death. The Primal energies of Flame and Growth have fused with the power of Rebirth through your bond, restoring a spark of life to your fading soul, and completely clearing all Debuffs from your body. Then there was nothing, nothing on Kindle, nothing on the bond, just a slow roll of Constitution Regen notifications, as his body clawed its way back from the edge of death one percentage point at a time. Even that glowing sigil on the back of his hand had faded by the time he was resurrected. The bond was still present. In fact, it may even have grown in strength over the last day, but it seemed to lead to¡­ blankness. In momentary frustration, he threw his will against the emptiness, but felt no resistance, no response, Nothing. Last time she had started as an egg, but now, all he had was his bond, and he had no idea how to bring her back from wherever she was. His instinct told him she wasn¡¯t gone, but without any sort of guidance, he was stuck. Hitting his head against more of his ignorance was getting old. So he started to come up with a list of anyone who might have an idea of what he could do differently, the top of which was Erash. Someone he honestly couldn¡¯t stand, but he had heard enough about how she had stood against the enemy magics almost single-handedly the whole time to reconsider his position on the snobbish fairy. Something like that earned you a second chance in Tilly¡¯s book, and if she couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t help him, then maybe he could join heads with Franklin and come up with some other ideas. Then a voice exploded in the distance behind him, interrupting his thoughts with its characteristic unpredictable priorities, ¡°IS IT TRUE BABY MAN? DID YOU STRIKE DOWN A DRAGON?!¡± Gorock¡¯s voice echoed off the quarry walls emphasizing the urgency with which he demanded an answer. Tilly rose to his feet and turned to find Gorrok with three other Bastions moving at the head of a line of miners. Gorock was practically straining to move out of formation, holding his spear in one hand and his sword in the other, as if hoping that there was still some fighting to be had. Level 62 Wallbreaker Tilly couldn¡¯t keep the tired smile from his face as he answered the large warrior in the most frustrating way he could think of, ¡°Sorry, Gorock. I¡¯m actually not allowed to talk about what happened here¡­¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The other Bastions formed up loosely around the cavern entrance with one hanging back at the mouth of the quarry, while the miners started to mutter amongst themselves, examining the new substance that now littered the floor of the quarry. Gorock however, stopped in his tracks, bristling with anger, before suddenly changing pace and launching forward. Tilly kept his expression aloof as the Wallbreaker pulled up just short of stabbing him, and snorted in his face. ¡°Just tell me human¡­ No one else has to know.¡± He demanded breathily. ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t¡± Tilly answered smugly. ¡°Leave him be, you big Oaf!¡± ¡°We have our orders, now shut your trap!¡± The other Bastions called over. ¡°GGRRAAHHH¡± Gorock shouted in frustration, sheathing his weapons and glaring at the entrance to the heart of the mountain as if it had stolen his ice cream. Tilly patted him on the shoulder patronizingly as he walked by the rigid warrior. ¡°Next time buddy. Next time.¡± Tilly then walked through the crowd of miners who were already loading up carts with the loose, cooled slag, and beginning to discuss how best to extract the riverlike veins of Dragon Glass that were now frozen in a pattern that seemed to flow up from the tunnel and into the quarry. ¡°Should we pull it up in large pieces?¡± ¡°Ney, they hav¡¯teh melt it, so small¡¯s best.¡± ¡°Did they tell ye that, ye daft block? Or are ye just having a go?¡± Tilly allowed himself a small thrill of pleasure at the argument, realizing this was the closest he had been to the group of dwarves that called the Alliance home. Part of him wanted to stay and get to know them. To satisfy some of the burning questions that had plagued him since he learned that there were dwarves on the plane. Like, why the Scottish accents? Or how in the world did they keep up with grooming so much facial hair? But the arrival of a relief guard and the fact that Tilly hadn¡¯t slept more than a few hours in the last three days was suddenly weighing him down. Maybe it was Hiro¡¯s advice to get some rest while he could, or maybe it was the fact that the Alliance had a small amount of breathing room now that someone wasn¡¯t actively trying to destroy them... Whatever it was, Tilly¡¯s limbs felt like cement as he moved tiredly past the workers. Tiredly nodding to the other Bastions and the Miners, Tilly moved past the entrance to the quarry and started trudging down the road. His mind was whirling with all the things that had to happen in the next seven days, but without any of the orderliness that his meditative state had brought. He just found himself rehashing the same scattered to-do list as he put one leg in front of the other. There was a lot to do before he got started tomorrow, but first things first¡­ sleep. Halfway around the bend in the mountain road, Tilly spotted a small figure hurrying toward him. The little guy didn¡¯t seem to be paying much attention to the road ahead of him. Instead, he was constantly looking down and fiddling with a bundle of cloth he held gingerly in his hands. Level 7 Thaumic Munitions Specialist ¡®Who the heck is¡­ wait-¡¯ ¡°Cog?¡± Tilly sputtered, interrupting his train of thought as the gnomish child looked up from his package and jumped as if Tilly had appeared out of thin air. Tilly heard the clink of glass, and the already pale gnome''s face drained of any remaining color as he looked back down at his package with a mixture of fascination and dread. ¡°What do you have there buddy?¡± Tilly asked him, shocked to find one of that crazy group of kids had not aged up into a Class¡­ but wait, he did have a class now, so that must mean- ¡°Mr. Tillman? How did you recognize me?¡± Cog asked after a moment¡¯s pause to watch the bundle. ¡°Uh-¡± ¡°Oh, of course! I¡¯m still wearing the clothes you saw me in yesterday. That was silly of me.¡± He said, affecting a new, more adult /business-like tone. Tilly¡¯s tired mind took a moment to catch up to the situation before it finally clicked. Cog had aged just like the others, but unlike the others, he physically looked the exact same¡­ something that he did not seem to have realized. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what it was¡­ So what exactly do you have there? Also, what is the deal with your new Class? It looks powerful!¡± Cog looked down at the bundle mournfully, before his expression resolved to sturdy resignation and he stumbled through an obviously spontaneous explanation, ¡°I¡­ um¡­ was actually¡­ bringing this to you! Yeah, I figured with your fire Abilities, you would be able to get the most use out of these. While I know they are all functional, I would love for you to run a few tests on their effectiveness so I can make them even better.¡± Tilly took another look at the Class glowing faintly above the Gnome¡¯s head, then back down at the bundle that Cog was now attempting to hold casually. ¡°Those are explosives¡­ aren¡¯t they?¡± A sudden smile cut through the boy¡¯s discomfort and he definitively answered, ¡°Yes! I knew you would understand! They are not nearly as potent as I would like, but without a good understanding of their effects, I am afraid any attempts to strengthen them would likely fail¡­¡± He then seemed to trail away in thought, muttering the names of strange-sounding ingredients and ideas for recipe substitutions. ¡°You want me to test them? How stable are these things?¡± Tilly asked dubiously. ¡°Oh, totally stable in their current state¡­ However, a few are designed to activate once exposed to air and I didn¡¯t want to use the workshop''s nicer equipment without permission, so I only used the cheapest glass vials for these initial attempts. So yes, I would be careful if I was you.¡± He concluded lifting the cloth sack up to Tilly. Tilly considered it for a moment, reluctant to take it, but afraid of the consequences of leaving it in the gnome¡¯s care. After a few moments of hesitation, he gently scooped it up from Cog¡¯s tiny hands and cradled it in the crook of his arm. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take these and give them a try. But no more experimenting without an adul-... a more experienced crafter to supervise!¡± Tilly admonished. As soon as he agreed to test them, Cog¡¯s face split into a grin, and he began nodding. ¡°Great, let''s go right now!¡± He answered almost at the same time Tilly finished his demand. Tilly was suddenly suspicious that the gnome had completely ignored his warning and was about to repeat it when the familiar creaking of a cart appeared behind him. They both turned to look and spotted a few Miners pulling a cart piled high with the Dragon Glass slag that had littered the quarry floor. ¡°D''ye think Hamish was richt aboot the new furnace?¡± One of them asked the other as they came around the bend. ¡°We¡¯ll hae tae see, won¡¯t we? Ah¡¯ll say this: that Patron o'' ours hasnae skimped on rewards yet. Ah mean, ah¡¯ve gained¡­¡± Both dwarves trailed off as they saw the road blocked by the odd pair. Tilly stepped out of the way at the same time Cog gasped, and sprinted up to the pile, clamoring up the side of the cart like a squirrel after a nut. ¡°Oi! What are ye doing ye little mongrel?¡± One of the dwarves shouted as Cog scurried to the top of the pile. ¡°Dragon Glass! How did you- Where- I could¡­¡± The gnome seemed completely lost in his own world as the dwarves began hollering at him to get off. ¡°This is Alliance property, ye ken!¡± ¡°Git aff before we knock ye aff!¡± Even Tilly got in on it, some sort of long-dormant parental instinct coming to the fore, ¡°Cog! Get down, now!¡± The gnome looked up as if coming out of a dream, ¡°Oh, sorry! I just got a bunch of crafting notifications.¡± He said, hopping down from the cart and walking backward toward the camps. ¡°Aye, weel, get in line. Every crafter worth their salt''s gonnae want a go at this stuff, an'' it looks like it micht be a while afore it''s yer turn!¡± One of the dwarves stated dismissively. Tilly¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicion as the gnome continued to walk backward down the road, creating space between him and the cart. ¡°Sorry about that, new Class! Just excited¡­ Any way I have to be going.¡± He said turning and beginning to jog off. As he turned, the pockets of his robe spun heavily and Tilly couldn¡¯t help but snort in bemusement at how sneaky the little gnome was. ¡°Wee-uns¡­ Nae respect any more for the order o'' things.¡­¡± One of the dwarves grumbled. ¡°...Oh, ai¡± The other answered, pulling a tarp out from a side compartment of the cart and belatedly covering their load, before continuing on down the road with respectful nods to the human champion as they passed. Tilly was left holding the bundle of dirty cloth with a bemused smile on his face. ¡°Interesting Class to give the kid.¡± He muttered to the open air, before shrugging and following after the cart, deciding that this, like the many other problems he had to deal with, could wait until after he had gotten some sleep. B3. Ch. 11 In This Economy? Tilly¡¯s trip back to his room passed in an exhausted haze, and as soon as he plopped down on the bed that afternoon, he was out. The few-hour nap turned into eighteen hours of sleep as Tilly¡¯s subconscious forced his body into a full recovery. Time was short and the enemy''s forces seemed to be everywhere. But no one was attacking today, and some part of Tilly registered the reality of this fact, and completely cut him off from his higher functions for the better part of a day. This gave his insanely strained body and soul time to begin the process of recovering. While the deeper damage was far too pervasive to be healed in a day, the large break was essential in reversing the trend of damage on his psyche and giving the gains he had experienced time to settle in. Hell, he had died two days ago! Let alone being cleansed of Corruption or losing a friend¡­ He had several visitors over the course of that day, but each one was turned away by a polite shake of the head from the same lapin woman who had brought him his food on his very first morning. The very same one who had brought him every one of his meals over the last month. She was also responsible for cleaning up after he was gone and maintaining his house when he was away. Far from being bitter about her role, she greatly enjoyed her complete anonymity to her charge. Someone had to care for the Gaijin, and she was honored to have been chosen for the task by her lord. As Tilly began to stir early the next morning, she drifted into his room like a ghost, laying a heavily laden tray down near his bed along with two full pitchers of water. The gentle sliding of his door whispered into his subconscious and after a few unconscious movements, he awoke and began clearing his throat of the gunk that seemed to build up no matter what plane Tilly was on. He opened his eyes slowly and as he did so he saw a soft light pressing through the white panels of his walls. ¡°Hmmggm¡± he grumbled, his mind slowly shaping the chain of thoughts necessary to realize that he had, in fact, slept far longer than he had intended. He sat all the way up and spotted the water pitchers and tray on the floor near his bed. ¡®Damn they¡¯re good¡¯ He thought drowsily, and he plopped onto the floor, sliding over to the water and food. He vanquished both foes with his customary gusto and was soon out on the street headed to his favorite feature of the city, the public bathrooms. He had naturally abstained from relieving himself over the last few days, mostly as a basic tenant of survival in any horror setting. But now that he was back, he planned on taking his time¡­ A glorious thirty minutes later, the sun was rising, and Tilly was moving toward the Masamoto manor, feeling significantly better. It wasn¡¯t all sunshine and rainbows though, and not for the first time Tilly wished for some coffee. This was the place of myths and dreams, right? Someone somewhere was dreaming about a hot cup of Folgers¡­ Tilly would bet his life on it. Not that Tilly was a full-on addict like a lot of the guys he had worked with, but when he got a hankering, it hit hard¡­ He found himself veering toward the Contribution Point exchange near the Valley Gate. It was part supply depot, part bank, and if anyone knew if there was coffee to be had, it would be those guys. He had not bothered with this search during his training under the time crunch of the Boon, but he could no longer deny his urges. His plans for the rest of the day could wait an hour while he checked into just how much local currency he had earned and what he could get with it. Not to mention, he had yet to find something like a bag of holding. It would be so much more- ¡°Oh shit!¡± he cursed, stopping in the middle of the street. His pack! He had left the stupid thing outside the whyte city. It was probably getting chewed on by monsters at this very moment and the thought of those mindless idiots wasting his treasured cheddar block¡­ Tilly suddenly felt sick. When he was a rookie, he had forgotten his turnout pants and boots at the station as they went out on a medical call, and while they were out, a fire had come over the radio. Tilly had searched frantically around the back of the engine and realized his mistake. Right before his captain could respond, Tilly had to tell him that he had left essential gear back at the station. They had missed the fire, and the guys had made him wear his boots and pants for the rest of the shift. The full 19 hours of the remainder. It had sucked, and the moment had lived on in his nightmares for years afterward. Yet here he was again, reliving his rookie mistakes! His mind raced through what else he had put in the bag and if any of it was irreplaceable. After a few moments of thought, he realized that aside from all the stuff George and Edna had gotten for him, the only thing of real value in there had been that piece of paper about getting some kind of refund. He slapped both hands over his face in frustration, using a ludicrous amount of force, and still barely registering any sort of discomfort at the impact. As he let his arms fall back to his sides with an irritated huff, an odd crinkling sound accompanied the movement. Reaching into his sleeve, he was shocked to find that same sheet of paper, folded neatly and tucked into the arm of his jacket. Notice of Refund - {This document can no longer be altered} It has been sealed with an official Skill. This notice of device failure must be turned in by Jonathan Tillman to be exchanged for fiat currency at any Commerce Guild location. Item cannot be lost or stolen. He stared down at the paper, flabbergasted before sighing and continuing on to the Point Exchange with a vaguely appreciative grumble. Finally, some magic bullshit that worked in his favor. The memories of forgotten equipment drew his attention so fully, that he completely missed the line of people he passed on the street as he headed up to the wide counter of the exchange.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The building itself was a huge warehouse where they processed all the raw goods produced or collected by the Alliance. Here they either issued out said goods to the populace for Points or took in new goods, assigning points in the process. The counter to the warehouse was flanked by several cart entrances and was wide enough to create space for several attendants to process the needs of the people. No one complained as Tilly walked up to the counter lost in his own thoughts. Seeing him, one of the lapin attendants smoothly finished up with his current interaction and slid to the side of the counter where Tilly had approached, ¡°Good morning Gaijin, how can we help you?¡± ¡°Morning! I have a few questions for you if you don¡¯t mind, probably stuff I should already know¡­ but you know how it is.¡± he trailed off in reply, suddenly embarrassed as he looked up and noticed the line he had just bypassed, ¡°Oh¡­ crap.¡± he muttered craning his neck back down the street toward the back of the line. Only a few of the line¡¯s occupants looked back at him disgruntled, but most nodded or smiled at him. ¡°My bad¡­ I¡¯ll just head-¡± ¡°That won''t be necessary, sir,¡± The lapin attendant interrupted, ¡°We would all rather you spent your time on things other than waiting in line. There is a reason leadership exists, and we have no problem serving you in this manner.¡± He admonished gently, as Tilly pulled his eyes away from the few people in line who would probably disagree. ¡°Alright, well¡­ Here are my questions:¡± He stated reluctantly.
  1. ¡°How many contribution points do I have, if any?
  2. What is one point worth?
  3. Do you have coffee or know what it is?
  4. How do I get my hands on a bag of holding or something similar? Or do those even exist?¡±
He finished, counting off each question on his fingers, and trying not to wince as he heard how shallow the request for coffee sounded. The lapin jotted down a few notes and then pulled up an invisible screen, reading from it before looking up with an impressive air of professionalism, ¡°Sir, you have 668 Contribution points. One point is worth enough food to feed an adult for a day. Coffee is not unheard of, there was even a small amount of it circulating through some shops in the capital, but we have none here. I have jotted it down to keep an eye out for when we begin to trade with larger Factions. Finally, if I am understanding you correctly, you are searching for a container imbued with space-aspected Mana that can hold far more volume than its appearance would suggest. Is that correct?¡± Tilly took a moment to process just how smoothly the lapin had taken in his questions and come up with helpful replies, ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah. Anything like that would be great.¡± The attendant nodded briskly, jotting down another note on his pad, ¡°Those too are not unheard of, but I am afraid they are even more difficult to procure. The chief difficulty with them is their inability to endure teleportation magic. The two spells are incompatible, often disastrously so. So while some do use such objects, they are not as popular as you might think.¡± Tilly frowned at the wrench in his plans. Just then three figures walked out of the wagon entrance to the Exchange, two of whom Tilly recognized and one of whom was new and easily the strangest humanoid Tilly had seen to date. ¡°As you can see, we are briskly trading internally and have several very profitable resources we are excited to offer to the wider plane!¡± Shuji eloquated, waving his arms expansively around him before spotting Tilly. ¡°Ah yes, and here is one of the several humans to have aligned themselves with our faction!¡± He added, shuffling over and draping an arm over Tilly¡¯s shoulders in a friendly fashion. Tilly smiled uncomfortably as Mateus took the opportunity to jump in. ¡°The church itself is looking to establish an outpost here, and have been more than willing to accept the local currency as remuneration until a Standard rate of exchange is established.¡± He added, his normally unflappable manner somewhat strained by the heavy-handed favoritism he was employing. The third member of the trio stood at around seven feet tall and five feet wide. He was wearing formal clothing that reminded Tilly of Industrial Revolution England at the turn of the century and sported a large set of ears and a long trunk, ¡°Gentlemen! As impressive as this rise to power has been, you must understand¡­ The market is very unstable right now, and the Commerce Guild is hesitant to open any new chapters until things settle down¡­¡± he said, waving his thickly padded single-digit hands in a conciliatory manner. At that answer, Mateus¡¯ face fell, and Shuji¡¯s huge grin died, something far more predatory peeking out for a moment, before being covered up by a look of bland disinterest, ¡°Ah, that is truly a shame¡± he said, snapping his fingers once and sending a few workers inside running. ¡°I understand the pressures your institution must face in times like these¡­¡± He continued, face calm as the pair of workers came scrambling back with a heavily laden hand cart covered over with a tarp. ¡°But, it is also a fact universally acknowledged that with volatility comes unique opportunities¡­¡± Shuji continued, reaching over to the edge of the tarp, and flipping back its edge, revealing a pile of Dragon Glass. The elephantine representative allowed the smallest trumpet of shock to escape his trunk before schooling his expression back to one of studied neutrality. ¡°Ahem¡­ is this the genuine article?¡± He asked in a quiet voice, looking around in suspicion at the many prying eyes on the street. ¡°It is guaranteed, and this is but a tenth of what we have available for trade.¡± Eliciting another small trumpeting gasp, Shuji continued as if he had not noticed, ¡° I, of course, understand your reluctance. Without a Standard of exchange, it will be much harder for us to pursue Auction membership¡­ But I think we can both agree that it will still be more than worth our trouble. With or without you.¡± As he dropped those last words, Tilly had to fight down a smile as the guild representative¡¯s eyes got larger and larger at every word. ¡°Huurrumph. Yes, well, in the interest of supporting promising young Factions and in light of our mission to bolster trade across the plane, I believe we can work something out¡­¡± He waffled, eyes glued to the pile revealed under the tarp. ¡°Wonderful!¡± Shuji bellowed, flipping the corner back over the pile of goods, and shooing away the attendant and the cart, ¡°In the name of said mission, I propose a 30% guild tax reduction and an introductory note to an Auction House Auditor.¡± The representative flinched, first at the sight of the Dragon Glass being hauled away, and then at the apparently exorbitant request Shuji had just made, ¡°Discount? That''s absurd man! It''s unheard of! Preposterous!¡± He sputtered out. ¡°Oh dear¡­ it seems you were right then, caution is probably the best course of action to take with such a young, volatile Faction.¡± Shuji fired back acidically. The representative flapped his ears in duress. ¡°...30%... They will have my hide¡­¡± he muttered to himself, before looking back up sharply, declaring his counteroffer as if it were the encantation to a shield spell, ¡°20% for the first 5 years!... and guild preferred status once your Auction House membership is approved.¡± ¡°DONE!¡± Shuji bellowed, laughing, suddenly beside the representative, pumping his huge hand enthusiastically in two of his own. The representative looked on aghast as Shuji then pulled him away, all the while continuing on enthusiastically. B3. Ch. 12 Fantasy Apologetics Mateus looked over at Tilly bemused, as the Librarian led the Commerce Guild representative away while gesticulating wildly. The Elephantine representative simply followed, looking slightly lost. ¡°Is he always like this?¡± Tilly snorted at the question, ¡°Yep, the coolest Librarian I have ever met. It no longer surprises me when I see him, elbows deep in something way outside his wheelhouse.¡± Mateus considered his answer thoughtfully, before replying with a nod. ¡° When he was put forward to meet with my contact, I was worried your Alliance was not taking this seriously¡­ Without Standard currency, plane-wide trade can be very difficult. But your man there is as wily a negotiator as I have ever seen.¡± ¡°Ha! Wily is exactly how I would describe Shuji.¡± Tilly snorted, taking a last look at the Point Exchange counter before turning toward Mateus. Now that he knew they didn¡¯t have the two things he currently wanted, he would just bank his money until a real need came up. He seemed to have built up an embarrassing amount of Contribution Points, but without a solid idea of how to spend it, he was very uncomfortable just picking up stuff he didn¡¯t need. ¡°So what''s next for you guys.¡± Tilly followed up with the Steward absently, already thinking about heading back to the Masamoto manor. He was pretty sure he would need approval to run this first test and borrow some people, plus he wanted to check in since he had literally just slept almost an entire day. He needed to test out his new capabilities before Brokenridge reemerged. But he could only activate one combination per day, and he wanted to make sure he was fully set up to test each one. He doubted he would have another chance, the way things were going. Those thoughts and more were running through his head and he was almost surprised when Mateus answered. ¡°About that¡­ Do you mind if I accompany you to your next location? I feel it might benefit both of us to exchange a little more information.¡± Mateus asked hesitantly, taking a few steps in Tilly¡¯s direction. Tilly looked over at the older satyr, suddenly wary of some sort of information play. Hiro had asked Tilly to keep the dragon thing as under wraps as possible, and this was the guy who had showed up with the church''s head of intelligence¡­ Seeing his reaction, Mateus quickly explained, ¡°No, no! Not like that. The church is happy with the arrangement we have reached with your leadership! Perhaps I can even save you time and explain a few details, but no¡­ My question is more personal in nature. I wish to gain a greater understanding of your beliefs, especially in light of¡­¡± Mateus gestured vaguely, ¡°all that has happened.¡± he finished, obviously uncomfortable. If Tilly was nervous before, the Temple Steward¡¯s clarification instantly ratcheted up his stress to a new level, causing beads of cold sweat to form on his back, but he swallowed and attempted to play it cool. ¡°Sure, I have a few things I need to do today, but I wanted to check with leadership first. I guess it would be fine for you to come along and tell me as much as you want¡­¡± Tilly said, looking around at the crowded street, and hesitating as he tried to find a way to tactfully hint that some things would have to wait. Mateus nodded immediately, not needing to hear Tilly¡¯s words to understand his thoughts, ¡°This is not my first foray into these waters Mr. Tillman. Nor, hopefully, will it be the last. There is plenty I can share that will be clear as crystal for the whole of your Faction in the coming days. And in regards to my own question, I am more than happy to respect any boundaries of secrecy put on you by your Patron.¡± ¡°No, it''s not that, I don¡¯t have any of those¡­ it¡¯s just that I don''t feel very qualified to speak on something that I barely understand myself. People keep assuming I know more than I do, but sometimes it feels like most of this stuff is happening over my head.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I think I might sympathize with your position more than you know. Consider this a friendly discourse, nothing more, and I promise I won¡¯t keep you longer than the walk. There is much to do for both of us in the coming weeks if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± He answered with an easy smile that Tilly had not seen on the Steward at all during the fall of the empire. It''s not that they were not facing long odds. The odds might be worse than ever if Tilly was being honest with himself, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice the slight glimmer of hope in the old Steward¡¯s eye. With a gesture down the road toward the manor, Tilly invited the satyr to walk, and the elderly Steward nodded gratefully before stepping up beside him. ¡°Firstly, I am not sure what you know about the finalization of our negotiations, but yesterday the Church of Light purchased a plot of land here in the city as the site of our future temple. We paid a generous sum in Standard coin. Along with that contract came permission to bring in our own building team and staff to run the temple. Work will begin today once they all arrive and the materials have all been gathered. This is something we aim to do in every Faction we believe has the potential to oppose darkness, and while there are a few¡­ more private¡­ provisions in our agreement, that is the important and public-facing agreement your Alliance has announced. ¡°With it in place, I was able to set up a meeting with a Commerce Guild representative on short notice, and our infusion of Standard currency into your economy bolstered the worth of your Contribution Points significantly in the eyes of Plane-wide economics. When we factor in the value of your newest resource, I would not be surprised to see you doing business with the Guild in a few days. Their building team is even faster than ours.¡± Tilly took all of that in, processing the reality that he was no longer a part of some rebel band of refugees or a fledgling nation struggling to survive. They had been tested and nearly destroyed several times, but the Three-Fold Alliance had emerged stronger than ever.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Thanks, Mateus, that was all new to me. It really feels like we are entering the big leagues. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what is waiting for us out there, and I really appreciate how much you guys are doing to make this move as fast as possible¡­ I can¡¯t shake the feeling that even with how quickly we are moving, we are still barely keeping up.¡± The professional demeanor that Mateus had adopted as he gave his report of their current agreement fell into something a little grimmer, ¡°Yes, well, that feeling is shared by many in our organization. The Church has been on the back foot for months now...¡± he looked around and leaned forward, muttering under his breath in Tilly¡¯s direction, ¡°Last week, we lost two Faction outposts without warning. This should not have been possible with the protections we have in place¡­ And many more are under pressure or even threat, even within some of our staunchest allies.¡± He finished in a whisper before coughing loudly and leaning back, continuing the walk as if nothing special had been said. ¡°You may feel that we are being altruistic in our maneuvers here, but that is far from the truth. In reality, your Faction represents our only play for meaningfully taking steps to check and even push back the enemy¡¯s advances. We need people with the powers your Patron provides in locations all over the Plane. This is not even speaking of the coming clash in the Contested Lands. We are still collecting intel on this, but it looks like no Powers have teleport access, and the System itself had buffered the area with great swaths of recently destroyed land. Any claim staked to that place will have to arrive physically, and any base of operations in the area before we set up a connection with our Teleport platforms, will be a logistical nightmare.¡± Tilly appreciated how Mateus was breaking down his points in such a concise manner, and for the first time, it felt like they were both speaking the same language. As he took in the shape of the coming conflict, pieces of information began to line up and Tilly started to draw conclusions that might be unique to their faction because of the insane ¡®coincidence¡¯ of a dragon awakening under their temple mount yesterday. ¡°Quick question Mateus. Am I right in my understanding that the Contested Lands are currently ruled by the ¡®Apex Predators of the first Epoch¡¯ that the world announcement spoke of? And that their seat of power is someplace called the Council Peaks?¡± Mateus almost missed a step, shuffling his hoof quickly to regain his balance, before looking over at Tilly with a pensive expression. Consideration slowing his response as he got his thoughts in order, ¡°... I can only assume this has something to do with your new resource and whatever encounter you all had to rush off to yesterday.¡± He muttered, keeping his thoughts in statement form to save Tilly from the pressure of having to navigate withholding sensitive information. ¡°My superior also seemed to leave yesterday with a lot more information than he was ready to share after hearing that voice¡­ Well, I promised you a simple conversation, so let''s leave that point for now and get to the meat of my inquiry.¡± He concluded, moving on from the subject without a whiff of hesitation. They turned the corner to a less crowded road and Mateus¡¯ steps slowed as they approached the guarded manor. ¡°... Mr. Tillman, I have served our Lady for just under a century. In that time, I have never questioned my role as a supporter of the premier force for good on the plane. We exist to counterbalance evil, pushing back the darkness in the hope that all creatures may be free to choose their path. However, it seems our enemy has changed, and we are falling behind. Millennia of balance has been disturbed and I am afraid if the Light remains as it always has, we will lose everything. Change is coming and I must know the truth.¡± With those heavy words the Steward¡¯s steps slowed to a stop, and he looked up at the human inquiringly. Tilly belatedly stopped a few steps later, turning to find Mateus waiting for something. ¡°What are you asking? I think we have already given you guys a commitment-¡± he trailed off as the expression on Mateus¡¯ face fell. ¡°Human, I am old. I do not have time to waste. I must know, is your Patron who you all claim him to be?¡± He implored, something wild showing in his eyes for the first time. ¡°Look, Mateus, I am still super new to this, and I¡¯m not sure what you are asking. What are people saying?¡± At that, the Satyr grimaced and stepped right up to Tilly¡¯s face, ¡°Surely you must know what I am saying?¡± then he leaned forward even closer, lowering his voice into a harsh whisper, ¡°I ask again. Who is this Origin? Is it true he came before the Gods? And if so what are his intentions with us? Doest he lay claim to Nephesh, or are we too far beneath His notice?¡± he asked, urgency coloring his tone to a greater extent than Tilly had ever seen on the old Satyr. For some reason, Tilly still wanted to plead ignorance. He was tired of being expected to know things, and it felt safer to just send the man on his way and go about his business without getting caught up in a religious debate. With an army of obvious monsters trying to take over the world, who cared about the nuance? But something in the steward¡¯s eyes quieted the shallow avoidance Tilly was about to voice. This was not the expression of someone looking for a debate. He looked¡­ desperate. ¡°Ugh, look, I really don''t know much. I can barely understand all this religious crap myself. But I think I met Him, and honestly¡­ He was¡­ Good. It was as if I didn¡¯t know the meaning of the word until that moment. I don¡¯t understand why He has played things so close to the chest for so long. But I do know Corruption is more than some cosmic bad guy showing up to oppose Good at the eleventh hour¡­¡± Tilly snorted as he heard the comic book-esq explanation stumbling out of his mouth. Deciding to switch tack, he tried, ¡°Look, I had that shit inside of me, messing with my head for weeks, but do you want to know what the worst part was? It wasn¡¯t the tentacles in my body, or the twisted thoughts worming through my mind. It was that the whole thing felt familiar! Like a nightmare that you never remember until it snares your consciousness all over again. Corruption is, for sure, Evil. But it is not new¡­ I think Origin set this all in motion,¡± Tilly continued, sweeping his hands through the air to encompass their surroundings, ¡°And it isn¡¯t pointless... When I met Him, He showed me something, something I can barely remember. But whatever I saw was enough to make all the pain, all the struggle, worth it. If I believe in something now, it''s that. The end I saw with Him. ¡°Corruption isn¡¯t here as His opposition¡­ it¡¯s here to oppose us. To keep us from¡­ that. God¡­ I¡¯m not making any sense, am I? This is so far above my pay grade it is not even funny. Honestly, the only way I can sleep is if I keep my mind on doing my best for the people around me. Anything more and I begin crawling up the walls.¡± He finished quietly, with a small self-deprecating smile tugging at the corner of his lips. This was the first time he had really tried to put any of the tenuous peace he had found into words, and the whole attempt felt¡­ gangly. His smile turned apologetic as he turned back to face the Steward, who, to his shock, was openly crying. A look of profound relief glowed through the silent tears and he took in Tilly¡¯s words with his eyes closed. After a moment he breathed the words, ¡°So there is an end¡­ Tell me, is it beautiful?¡± B3. Ch. 13 Reservations Mateus listened quietly as Tilly did his best to describe the encounter that had lived in echoes and flashes at the back of his mind for the last month. When Tilly had attempted to describe what he had seen to Ichiro, it had come out sounding¡­ flat, like a four-year-old¡¯s drawing of a sunset. He was sure he was giving the gist of what happened, but it had felt so empty when he tried to describe it. Yet, in the middle of the street, as Tilly dredged up the memory along with all the wonder and pain it touched deep in his soul, a look of relief softened all the lines of Mateus''s careworn face. ¡®Does he¡­get it?¡¯ As the question rose to the forefront of his mind, Tilly began to worry that he was doing something he wasn¡¯t supposed to. He abruptly stuttered his retelling to an early end, suddenly feeling like an imposter. Mateus blinked a few times, wiping tears from his eyes, ¡°Th-thank you, Mr. Tillman. You have given me a great gift today.¡± ¡°-Call me Tilly¡­ Look, Mateus, I¡¯m only one guy. I don''t know if you should be hanging your hat on anything I say-¡± At that, the old Steward smiled, shaking his head gently in negation, ¡°No, Tilly. It is not the messenger that sings in my heart¡­ It is the message. Our Lady is noble and true. I believe in her with all my heart as I do our cause. But she promises no end to the struggle, only the power to fight, and even that seemed to be waning in recent days. Now¡­ Well, I have much to think about and even more to do to be ready for what is coming.¡± Mateus put a hand on Tilly¡¯s shoulder, eyes shining, ¡°Thank you for your time, May the Light always Shine.¡± He said warmly before turning back the way they came, his countenance still glowing with the beginnings of a new hope. With a long sigh, Tilly turned away from the man, taking a moment to look up at the sky, ¡°You better not be setting me up as some sort of religious leader¡­¡± He muttered darkly before continuing to the manor gates. He gained entry with a respectful bow from the guards and found the quiet courtyard had completely changed since the day before. Several tables were now set up, with aides running messages and delivering replies. Behind one of the tables sat Hiro, in conference with a rosy-cheeked satyr woman, wearing a large white apron. Level 74 Baker ¡°Again, I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t want it! All I care about is my baking. I¡¯m happy to support the Alliance in any other way. You need bread? I can do bread¡­ But this? This is just too much.¡± She growled, gesticulating wildly with a rolling pin that seemed to come out of nowhere. Hiro¡¯s crystalline eyes flicked over to the gate as Tilly entered and allowed only the faintest twitch in reaction to his presence, ¡°Octavia, I am afraid you do not have a choice. The camps chose you for a seat on the Council. I am sure your counterpart will be happy to run most of the administrative tasks, but you must sit in on the meetings and represent your people.¡± He answered seriously. ¡°Have you met our Patron¡¯s Champion?¡± He suddenly changed pace, laying a hand on her tense shoulder and turning her toward Tilly. Her eyes looked through him, as she started muttering to herself, ¡°Nothing but a bunch of lost lambs, willing to follow anyone who will feed them¡­¡± Then she half-heartedly shot him a little nod before pulling away from Hiro and storming past Tilly toward the gate. ¡°I¡¯ll see you back here this evening!¡± Hiro called after her, allowing himself a smile now that her back was turned. She waved an acknowledgment with her pin as she passed through the gate and Hiro¡¯s eyes settled back on Tilly. ¡°New Councilor?¡± ¡°Yes, she hates the commitment to the meetings¡­ But then again, so do we all. Not even Linus is going to get out of all of them by making this move to take charge of our martial forces. Yet, I find myself surprisingly hopeful. However reluctant she is, she is an excellent choice. She held significant standing with the noncombat Class holders in the empire before its fall. Instead of leaving when she had the chance, she stayed with her workers till the end, and ended up here like the rest of us. She has been integral in our food program.¡± ¡°Who else did the camps elect?¡± ¡°Another functionary, Shuji put him forward. The man is relatively unknown by the people but has been instrumental in the Class cataloging and work assignment projects. He is off somewhere right now, counting something, I am sure. But they will make a good pair to help the camps and their people grow the infrastructure they will need to integrate well¡­ Now, what can I do for you.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Oh! Well, I kind of came here to ask you the same thing, but I do have one request.¡± ¡°You first, I am curious about your plans in light of the timeline we are facing.¡± Hiro answered, gesturing for him to continue. ¡°Ah, ok. So you saw what I was able to do with these¡± Tilly said, shaking loose the two bracelets from his sleeves. Hiro nodded in reply, a small smile quirking the edge of his mouth at the memory. ¡°Well, that is not all they can do. They let me exchange my highest stat with any of the others for a short time. I probably would have died if I had tried that without Erash around. So I need to test the other four configurations. The kicker is that I can only activate this item once per day. So I need to prepare as much as possible for each test. I was thinking of using a designated space beyond the wall that you could notify the patrols to stay clear of during my¡­ attempts. I don''t know what will happen when I boost my other stats, but I need to understand what numbers at that level will do to my body and soul before I use them in live combat. Hiro considered Tilly¡¯s words carefully, ¡°That can all be done. The Alliance is extremely busy growing production to meet the coming demand, which should set us up well to equip every soldier much more significantly for the coming large-scale engagements. That being said, there are several problems we have yet to solve in getting our new resource to market. The chief of which is maintaining anonymity. I do not think Dragon glass has been seen in this quantity on the market in living memory. Everyone will want to find its source.¡± ¡°Wait, I thought the thing with the Commerce Guild was going well?¡± ¡°It is proceeding amiably, but they simply provide a currency exchange. They do not purchase goods themselves. It is a restriction in their charter and why so many Factions use them. To sell goods across the plane, we need to use the Auction House.¡± ¡°Yeah, I have heard you guys mention that a couple of times. I have a pretty good guess at what it does, but once we qualify for one, what''s stopping from selling through them?¡± ¡°That is exactly our aim and the institution is known for its discretion. They have maintained full neutrality through many great conflicts in the past. But you can not utilize their services without an agent to attend the events and make purchases. This is where we are having trouble. Any lapin, honu, or satyr would be easy to trace back to us, the newest Faction on the plane. Erash was my next choice to represent us, but for reasons she is not willing to divulge, she cannot expose herself to the other powers. However, she has served us very well, and such a thing does not fall within the responsibilities of her office. ¡°Without her, our choices become very thin. Our agent needs to possess a high level, strong aural mastery or both to stand up to the scrutiny that would surely come with such a notable sale. So while we are still aggressively pursuing Auction House access for our Faction¡­ we have not yet solved the problem at hand. Our secondary option is to sell our stores to the Sanguine Order, and allow their agent to move the goods¡­ but we would lose out on significant profit with that route, and possibly still be found out before we are ready to show our hand.¡° With a sigh, Hiro droned on with a few more details about the Alliances economy and the challenges of scaling up so quickly, but they were lost on Tilly whose mind had shut down as soon as he heard the requirements for an agent. ¡°-We were able to sign a refugee resettlement agreement with the church for vetted craftspeople of significant skill-¡± ¡°It gonna have to be me¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± Tilly interrupted as the pieces fell into place. At his interruption, Hiro looked up from his reports with a sharp glint of curiosity shining in his green crystal irises. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°Well, if our Auction House agent can¡¯t be from a race that can be traced back to us immediately, then why not a human? With our reputation on the plane, one of us showing up with mysterious wealth would be much more difficult to track back to the Alliance.¡± ¡°The thought did cross my mind. But to be honest I was leaning more toward Amelia. She has merchant experience, and is significantly less¡­ recognizable than you.¡± Hiro finished, waving vaguely at Tilly¡¯s primitive leather armor. ¡°Yeah¡­ about that. I may have a solution-¡± Then without preamble, Tilly activated his Dragon Emissary armor form, and the transformation rippled out from his collar¡­ leaving him once again dressed in the embarrassing well-tailored dragon skin suit. Hiro¡¯s eyebrows slowly raised in appreciation, and then he looked around quickly, noting the currently empty courtyard, ¡°Change back please.¡± he whispered urgently. Without hesitation, Tilly rolled back the transformation just as several aides returned to a nearby table with a stack of fresh paperwork. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Tilly asked quietly. ¡°Has anyone else seen you in this armor?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± Instead of answering, Hiro allowed a slow smile to play across his face, ¡°I am sure you have not had a chance to discover this for yourself. But when you donned that armor, Identify changed your Class, simply reading, Dragon Emissary without a level displayed. When I tried to pierce it, I met a surprisingly fierce aura hidden behind the identifier.¡± He answered, his eyes shining with satisfaction. ¡°Woah¡­ That is perfect.¡± ¡°Exactly. We are far from the only ones to anticipate the challenges of the coming fight for the Contested Lands. With that Class, you will sow much disinformation amongst our enemies and give us much more of a chance to reach the battlefield unmolested. And just like that, Tilly felt the weight of one more responsibility settle on his shoulders, ¡°Well I have to be back here when our dragon wakes up. I have no clue what he will do if we are not ready with pillaging suggestions¡­¡± ¡°You will be. And we will maintain a high priority on your goal to discover the full capabilities of your rewards. Our church contacts say there is an Auction event in 5 days. It will be very close, but with the influx of treasure, I am sure the dragon will be more than satisfied, and hopefully amenable to our direction. Such an ally¡­ even one as dangerous as he seems to be, will be an invaluable asset in our preparations.¡± Hiro said thoughtfully, before pulling out a fresh sheet of paper and writing out a few lines on it. ¡°Hand this to the wall commander. It will authorize you to requisition anything that you need from our forces there and let them know your area of operations. Be careful, Champion. We need you now more than ever. B3. Ch. 14 Requisitions. Tilly took the written orders and folded them, unconsciously shoving them in a pocket as he headed out of the manor and into the street. Ideas for what he would need for his first test were tumbling through his mind like a box of rocks. He was halfway to the wall before he realized that his armor didn¡¯t have any pockets¡­ Looking down ruefully, he pulled up the bottom of his jacket to see an innocuous leather stitched patch with an open top, happily holding his set of orders from Hiro. ¡°You''re just full of surprises aren¡¯t you?¡± He muttered happily before being struck by another thought and desperately reached around to the back of his waistband. Days ago, his armor had formed loops to hold a few potions and Tilly had happily, slipped them in, before promptly forgetting about them like an idiot. His hand patted around blindly, finding the loops and the potions gone. ¡°What happened to the potions?¡± He demanded angrily down at his chest. The armor gave no reply, and Tilly scowled, ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­ eat them, did you?¡± He asked, suddenly suspicious about what his armor would and wouldn¡¯t absorb in the pursuit of new forms. At that the collar of his jacket constricted around his neck, suddenly chafing. Tilly slipped his fingers under the material and pulled it back in defense, ¡°Woah, hey! Just asking¡­ jeez.¡± He exclaimed, as the collar slowly loosened back to its normal fit. In dismay, he looked around at the relatively crowded street while seemingly talking to himself. Attempting to go for a much more subtle mode of communication, he subvocalized, figuring it was magical armor, and didn¡¯t need ears to hear anyway, ¡°If you didn¡¯t eat them, and I didn¡¯t use them¡­ What happened to them? The armor stiffened for a moment, and Tilly got the distinct impression that it was, thinking. Then in an impromptu game of clothing charades, it fought to arrest his movement. Curious, Tilly complied, shuffling to the side of the street, and letting his body relax. His sleeves flung his arms forward, before snapping them backward jarringly in conjunction with a heavy imprint of pressure moving in a thick line up and down his back. ¡°Uh... Can I get that again?¡± He asked lamely, trying to avoid eye contact with most of the street as he tried to figure out what the armor was telling him. The armor repeated the motion, this time attempting to throw Tilly¡¯s legs forward too, before being violently flung back in concordance with the appearance of the long, cylindrical impression running up his back. It clicked. ¡®The explosion and the tree.¡¯ The memory was faint, probably addled by what had certainly been a concussion, but in that final blow against Marcellus the Elder, he had unleashed a concussive blast from his weapon, throwing him back against a tree and knocking him out. The impression of the impact that the armor was conveying directly overlapped where the potion loops had been, ¡°Oh man, my bad. I guess my style of fighting doesn¡¯t really lend itself to keeping a lot of items close to hand.¡± He felt his shoulders pushed up into a shrug in response. Tilly smiled ruefully, doing his best not to waste any more time on the dream of an unlimited inventory. Thinking of other possibly useful items reminded him about Cog¡¯s strange request from the day before. Tilly spun around and took a jogging detour to his shack to pick up the dirty cloth bundle before continuing on to the wall. Might as well get this checked out while he was at it. Once he had the bundle, he kept his pace easy, wincing at every clink of the contents, but not willing to open it until he was well away from the possibility of collateral damage. He had already decided to test out a maxed Constitution/Endurance switch today, as it was probably the least likely to create an explosion. What better day to test out experimental items than when he was planning to hurt himself anyway¡­ It would be fine¡­ Probably. Lost in thought on how he would actually test out a Constitution linked temporary Title, he looked up to find himself at the base of the wall steps. The area was busy but not crowded with recently elevated Three-Fold Infantry or Watch Veterans as it was repurposed into a staging ground for patrols out into enemy territory as well as the Alliance¡¯s main line of defense. ¡°Commander?¡± Tilly called, ¡°I''m looking for the Commander of this shift.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Several of the soldiers looked down from their posts on the wall and started muttering, while a few additional conversations started up in the nearby logistical tents. Finally, one of the flaps was flung aside and a familiar roguish smile glinting with gold greeted Tilly. ¡°Oooh, my favorite quest reward generator!¡± She breathed with a throaty chuckle, her eyes lighting up as she approached him with a smooth dangerous gait. Her former mismatched armor had been replaced by something reminiscent of the Bastion¡¯s kit, but more form-fitting. Level 56 Flames Watch Captain ¡°Like the new goods?¡± she said, waving her hand up and down the outfit with a few suggestive eyebrow raises, ¡°Word is, we got you to thank for these too. A lot of the boys who didn¡¯t get a new Class got offered a unique armor or weapon.¡± Tilly had finally been able to pin down the Watch Captain''s behavior now that he had interacted with her a few times. He had known plenty like her in the fire department and realized that while she looked like she was in her mid-twenties now, she was much older. A vet in a rookie''s body. He was sure that came with some perks, but also probably its own set of problems as well. So like any good leader, she leaned into the joke instead of away from it, not at all hesitant to use her youthful femininity, in contrast with her weathered experience-laden personality to keep many around her on their back foot. ¡°It looks great on you Captain! Although, if it were me, I would have asked for more gold. Finish out the set, if you know what I mean... ¡° He said blithely, tapping his finger against his jaw in mock clarification. ¡°Bwahaha!¡± She bellowed, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right! I hear some of our crafters got the recipe for these uniforms, so maybe gold would have been better in the long run.¡± she finished with an over-the-top lick across her alternating yellow and pearly teeth. ¡°So what brings you to the wall? Our last heavy patrol went out hours ago, and the next one isn¡¯t due to leave until sunset.¡± ¡°I have a small errand I will be pursuing just beyond, and I might need a few things from you or whoever else is here over the next couple of days,¡± Tilly answered, reaching into his pocket and producing the orders Hiro had given him. Captain Achillia gave them a quick read before thrusting them out to the side and hitting a robed man in the chest just as he emerged from the tent behind her as if on cue. ¡°Oooph.¡± He groaned in surprise, shooting her a dirty look, and grabbing the orders angrily. ¡°Requisition orders, take ¡®em down and note ¡®em for the next four days, that way we won''t have to do this song and dance again.¡± She ordered without looking, ¡°Now, what do you need from us, oh mighty Champion?¡± She asked, looking him up and down with curiosity. ¡­ After a few inquiries as to what was available, Tilly had left the wall with the shift subcommander in tow, a Bastion named Julius, and a brand new Acolyte. They climbed down the other side of the wall with rope ladders, and Tilly couldn¡¯t help but wonder what they would do now that there was no enemy pressing in on their border. Well, actually, it wasn¡¯t their border anymore, was it? Tilly now had to squint into the distance to see the break in the skyline where their normal sky shifted into the ever-present cloudiness of the twilight lands. Their Faction now boasted a twenty-five-mile radius of influence. Tilly didn¡¯t know how that stacked up against other powers on the Plane, but he doubted it was much. ¡°So what are we going to do about the gate,¡± Tilly asked, looking down at the lane of packed dirt that led through the middle of the swampy morass before the unbroken wall. It had been the killing fields of battle just a few days ago, and workers had only just finished burning the bodies. Julius shrugged simply in reply, but the younger man stuttered out an incomprehensible answer, coughed nervously, and then tried again, ¡°Ahem¡­ uh Sir, from what I know, we will be building a collapsible ramp soon and that will open us to trade for the time being. They say it is not on our short-term priority list to reconstruct the wall.¡± The new acolyte was a sandy blond humanoid with pointed ears and no discernible animal characteristics. If Tilly had to guess, he would have put him somewhere in the low elf category. They continued to move out of sight of the wall along the cliff and Tilly shot a few more glances at the young elf, a nagging suspicion building, ¡°Do I know you?¡± The elf¡¯s pale skin colored an interesting shade of grey and he bobbed his head once, swallowing, ¡°Yes, sir. You healed me in the capital. I¡¯m one of the¡­Originals.¡± he said, looking away as if embarrassed by this last part. ¡°Man, this age-up thing is getting weird, so you were there at the temple two nights ago?¡± ¡°Yep, name¡¯s Marq!¡± He answered, his embarrassed tone turning up into something bright as he took Tilly''s response as proof that he had been remembered. ¡°Well, Marq, Julius. We have two goals today, and if at all possible, I will have you both present for the rest of these so I can keep this as need-to-know as possible.¡± They both nodded, Julius with a soul-deep look of indifference covered over by a thin veneer of professionalism, and Marq with a schoolyard¡¯s grin of eagerness. ¡°First, we are going to give these a test far away from other people.¡± Tilly announced, lifting his cloth package with a soft clinking of glass, and wincing at the noise, ¡°... And once the easy stuff is out of the way, we are going to be testing some of my stats. Julius, this is where you come in. When I say the word, I am going to need you to attack me multiple times to test my Endurance and then Constitution. You were put forward as one of the highest-Strength fighters in your unit, and I need to get some hard data on what my stats can do.¡± Julius accepted the plan without blinking, and Marq''s eyes grew as big as saucers, ¡°Marq, you are here in case something goes wrong. If I ask for it, or it looks like I am slipping into unconsciousness, I need you to give me everything you have healing-wise.¡± ¡°Y-yes sir, I can handle that.¡± Marq stuttered out. By that time, Tilly deemed that they were roughly out of sight and earshot of the wall. He paused to open the cloth sack, revealing four glass containers of various sizes, with tags tied around each one with a brief description written in a messy script. Warily, Tilly picked up the first one, which was a spherical glass bottle with a cork in the top, containing a thimble-full of liquid. Accelerant - Time delay three breaths. Ignite and throw. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± He asked, looking over at the other two. Marq wisely stepped behind Julius, who unlimbered his shield and casually propped it against his body, ready to lift as needed¡­ Just to be safe, Tilly put down the rest of the sack, and jogged a few yards away before calling over, ¡°OK! Here goes!¡± Then he channeled the smallest amount of flame he could manage into his palm, treating the glass container like one of his hatchets and enflaming it slightly. The spark entered the sphere, and the liquid instantly expanded into a high-pressure vapor. Tilly flung it away immediately, and the cork whistled then popped out the moment the sphere left his hand. After that there was the sound of shattering glass followed by a woosh of flame. B3. Ch. 15 Cut Me, Mick It had only just left his hand when the resulting flame washed over him, along with a peppering of glass. He instinctively pushed down a shout of surprise, as the realization hit him that he had not been injured at all by the blast. The fire had been aspected to him, and thus unable to harm his physical body. The Common quality glass, even in broken shards, bounced harmlessly off his skin. His effective Endurance of 185.9 made him more or less immune to stuff like this now. But he had no clue how far that immunity went. That''s why he needed to get a feel for what his limits were before he returned to any sort of real fight. ¡°Holy shit, that worked!¡± He laughed turning toward the other two in amazement, not at all minding Marqs look of baffled amazement at his unharmed state, ¡°I mean, the container needs some work, but without that cork failure, I think it has some real potential!¡± he continued. Julius, for his part, showed his first expression of the day, a look of begrudging appreciation slowly dawned into pure enthusiasm as the implications of such an item unraveled themselves in his mind. ¡°Where did you say these came from?¡± He asked, only slightly breathless. ¡°Gotta be Cog,¡± Marq answered warily from behind him, ¡°He was always brewing up little poppers and things before he got that weird Class¡­ Now? I guess this is his new specialty.¡± He answered distractedly, his eyes still glued to the patch of scorched grass just ahead of Tilly. ¡°You know this crafter personally?¡± Julius asked aghast, turning to address the Acolyte for the first time. ¡°Well, yeah. He was elevated two days ago, just like me.¡± At that, the grizzled war veteran¡¯s eyes widened further, ¡°After our shift, you are taking me to find him! Only two days a crafter, and he is producing masterpieces already! Talent like this cannot afford to be throttled by the idiots in char-¡­¡± Then with a sidelong glance at Tilly, he swallowed and continued in an ill-fitting professional tone, ¡°I mean, the brass doesn¡¯t need to be involved in the early stages of testing, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Tilly smirked, eyes glinting with that same slight mania at the possibilities of readily available munitions for the frontline soldiers. If there was one thing that united all firefighters and the military, it was a love of anything that goes boom¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me Julius, no one but Cog even knows I am doing this. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you can head straight there after we are done and give him the results of our tests. In fact, I''ll make it a part of my requisition orders. Marq, take some notes and go with him to deliver the report and introduce the two of them.¡± Tilly announced, his official orders somewhat juxtaposed by the eager light in his eyes. Whatever happened over the next few weeks would not be safe¡­ but it would definitely be awesome. Marq fished out a notebook from his robes and took a step back, jotting down a few lines. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready for the next one.¡± All three of them turned and looked down at the dirty cloth sack and the three small vials that rested there. ¡­ Fifteen minutes later, Tilly and Julius found themselves breathless with excitement as Marq healed a third-degree burn running down the Bastion¡¯s arm. ¡°Yes¡­ This will do very nicely.¡± Julius growled enthusiastically, seemingly unaffected by the waxy flesh converting to pink, hairless skin. His enthusiasm dampened markedly as he looked back up at Tilly, remembering they were officially here for an entirely different reason. ¡°What else did you say you needed?¡± He asked hollowly, failing to keep his impatience from his tone. ¡°I''ll keep it brief, I promise.¡± Till answered with a rueful smile, ¡°Marq, did you get everything you needed?¡± The Acolyte flipped open his book and read off his report quickly, ¡° Accelerant produced five paces explosive flame. Cork failed, resulting in an early break in the container after only one breath. The smoke mixture pushed out a heavy stream of dark noxious clouds for twenty breaths, but the opening was too narrow. Flame dust spread immediately upon opening the container, difficult to direct particles, but anything it coated became extremely flammable. Finally, blade oil ignited on the blade once lit for approximately fifty breaths. Oil was slightly too runny, and flaming droplets landed on the wielder.¡± He said that last point without looking at the now openly grinning veteran. ¡°You did say he was only level seven, right?¡± The man asked again. ¡°Last I saw, yes.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Plenty of room for improvement then¡­¡± He trailed off, starting to mutter to himself as he looked off into the distance. ¡°Julius, eyes with me, please,¡± Tilly called, pulling the Bastion''s attention back to the task at hand. ¡°I need some real data on what I can and can¡¯t do with my new stats. Before we start, do you mind sharing your Strength Stat?¡± The Bastion eyed him for a moment, before answering, ¡°It¡¯s at 113. Got a ring a few years back that boosts it by 20% and ever since then, I have been dumping in the stat to capitalize on the bonus... I am gonna clobber whoever¡¯s been blabbing in the unit though. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s everyone''s business what I do with my stats.¡± ¡°Totally fair,¡± Tilly nodded, ¡°In the interest of trust, my Endurance is at 185.9. That is what we are going to try and test today.¡± Marq gasped quietly in the background at the numbers as Julius nodded in respect. Tilly continued, ¡°Correct me if I am wrong, but any enemy that is not dumping in Strength will probably not have a stat as high as yours if they are under level 75, is that right? Julius winced at the simplification, ¡°I guess you could say that. If you are trying to estimate how much damage you can expect to take from second-tier enemy blows. Be wary of any of the races that have a racial bonus in the stat though, they will defy these predictions.¡± ¡®Second tier¡­ oh right, anyone between level 50-100.¡¯ ¡°Got it. But for simplicity''s sake, if I were to fight a Consumer right now. How would I hold up against their average strikes? A few days ago, I would have been in serious trouble after a couple of blows¡­ but that was almost forty points back. How can I expect to hold up now.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± The Bastion hummed in thought, ¡°I see where you are going with this¡­ You want to gauge just how reckless you can be with certain enemies, and while I would caution you from wagering too much on this kind of thinking, I also see how it could be useful considering your fighting style.¡± ¡°Exactly what I was thinking,¡± Tilly replied with a snap and a point, ¡°I also need to take into consideration a few new ultimates I will now have at my disposal. Making the right decision before the battle begins will have a huge outcome for me going forward.¡± As Tilly was talking, he pulled his right arm out of his sleeve. ¡°Now, I need you to strike me here on my forearm, using only your normal Strength,¡± Tilly said, wincing as he tried not to think too hard about what he was asking. He needed to establish a baseline that would hold more or less true for any enemy below the third tier. The veteran just shrugged nonchalantly, taking a few purposeful steps forward and drawing his short sword, ¡°Ready?¡± He asked, focusing on the arm, his tone suddenly serious. ¡°Yeah, do it,¡± Tilly answered, biting off the last word between gritted teeth. In a flash of dull sharpened metal, a meaty impact reverberated from the site of the swing, and a deep ache blossomed from his forearm as he watched in morbid curiosity, stifling a groan. The Bastion pulled back his weapon to reveal a cut running perpendicular to the length of his forearm. It had split the muscle on the arm¡¯s top down to the bone. Tilly experimentally moved his wrist and then his whole arm, finding no loss in his range of motion. The injury hurt, but more like taking a fastball to your batting arm than being sliced open by a weapon of war. ¡°Hmm¡­ that is interesting. Never cut something made of flesh that reacted like that.¡± Julius added clinically. ¡°Want me to heal you, sir?¡± Marq called out. ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯ve had plenty worse than this¡­¡± Tilly called back, lifting his jacket against his better instincts and looking the bastion back in the eye. ¡°Alright, let''s try a horizontal chop to the torso, under the ribs, I already know my bones can stand up to an average blow.¡± The Bastion¡¯s face tightened, but he didn¡¯t complain or hesitate, pulling back his weapon and swinging it with fluid strength into Tilly''s side, right below his floating rib. ¡°Gah!¡± Tilly gasped, feeling like he had just taken a body shot to the kidney. Julius pulled his weapon free with a wet, sucking whisper and eyed Tilly¡¯s reaction. His steady gaze helped Tilly to compartmentalize the pain, and Tilly slowly straightened, looking down at the wound. It was a few inches deep and about six inches long. Tilly also noted that while both wounds were bleeding freely, the flow was much less than he would expect in similarly traumatic injuries. He slowly tried to rotate his torso and found that his movement was once again unimpeded by the injury. ¡°Seems like you have yourself a bit of a Barbarian build here,¡± Julius noted, eyeing the wound critically. ¡°But without the berserking requirement¡­ What¡¯s your Health at now?¡± ¡°92%¡± Tilly muttered, as he noted the pain slowly starting to numb. His Constitution wasn¡¯t incredible, at a little over 2% regeneration? per minute. But even with that, he would be totally healed from what should have been debilitating wounds in a few minutes. Julius whistled in appreciation, ¡°The only one I know who can tank hits like this is Gorock, and he dumps in Constitution. You remind me of a really weak troll, now that I think about it.¡± He added unhelpfully. ¡°Alright¡­ let''s keep going. This time I want you to go for the neck. Marq, be ready please.¡± ¡­ A clean gash across the neck, punctured lung, and bashed skull later, Tilly was down to 52% Health. After reeling from the final blow, he was struggling to catch his breath, his injured lungs sucking in ragged inhalations. More than the expected pain, and the Debuffs that came with the injury, Tilly was weighed down by the psychological trauma of shoving down his survival instincts and allowing Julius to strike him again and again in vital areas. Yet, even after the consecutive blows, he moved more or less freely, and the only Debuffs he had picked up were: Minor Bleeding, Addled, and Short of Breath. Julius was very familiar with all three and explained that they were all the lowest-impact versions one could expect from any wounds of the kind Tilly had received. After the initial injuries, each of the wounds had slowly numbed and reverted to a sensation of a sharp tightness. Tilly could still move regularly, but he was sure some of them would be exacerbated if he tried to fight at full speed¡­ Still, he had taken several debilitating blows from someone with strength in the third tier and his ability to fight was still intact. It was exactly the information he would need when gauging an enemy''s strength and judging which of his Stats to swap and when. ¡°Ok. That''s enough of that Julius, do you have an empowered strike of some kind?¡± Tilly gasped, still trying to school his breathing. The Bastion raised his eyebrows but nodded. ¡°This is where things are going to get a little crazy,¡± Tilly continued, as he pulled back his sleeve to reveal the almost healed wound on his forearm. ¡°Think you can take my arm in one blow?¡± Tilly grimaced. ¡°Probably, you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have something that will boost my Constitution to an insane degree and I need to test a theory that if I use it I''ll get a temporary stat-themed Title. If that title shows up, I¡¯ll have only a few breaths to use it, so be ready.¡± B3. Ch. 16 Testing Tilly tried to catch his breath in ragged gasps as he collected himself and prepared his mind for the last part of the test. ¡®I need to find out now¡­ If I don¡¯t, I won''t know what this can fully do, and without that information, I can¡¯t make the right decision when it really matters.¡¯ He reminded himself for the umpteenth time since he had come up with this idea. When he had been brutally sparring every day to get ready for his mission out of the Alliance, he had asked if there were any non-fatal wounds that passive regeneration couldn¡¯t heal. The general consensus was that you could lose a body part or limb, as long as you re-attached it before it completely healed over. However, in the case of an absent limb or digit, spontaneous regeneration was in a whole other league. The same apparently applied if you lost the entirety of a specific organ. With the Bloom¡¯s patronage, Tilly was pretty sure their priests would develop both Abilities at some point, but as of now, not even Erash could raise the dead. When he activated the Bracelets, his Constitution would jump to 169, which would translate to 16.9% Health regen per minute¡­ Honestly not that exciting. In fact, considering the swap would bring his Endurance down to a measly 29, he would probably be making himself much more vulnerable to single-hit kills. This made this combination the least exciting to him in his initial considerations, with one exception. He needed to see what title having a Constitution stat higher than all the others combined would give him. It could either follow the pattern of [All-Might] and just triple his Regen temporarily, or it could be more like [Resolute] and give him an insane single-use ability. But until he knew which, he needed a test that could push the limits of the title, without risking life or limb. Which brought him back to the forearm test. Mentally, he knew that with a clean cut, even if the title could not regrow the limb they could reattach it, and even Marq should be strong enough to make sure the limb reattached enough for Tilly¡¯s regen to take over. But standing there, bleeding from multiple serious wounds as he held his arm out, Tilly was wracked by hesitation. Maybe he should have asked someone else before he tried something like this. Or maybe he should have waited until Erash or even Aurelia was free in case he was wrong about how much healing was required. Both Julius and Marq stood watching him as he hesitated. Marq looked so nervous that it may as well have been him preparing to get his arm cut off. Julius stood as a polar opposite, radiating a calm indifferent competence as he held his sword in a ready position. He was on the edge of calling the whole thing off when some deeper part of his will reached out to the Bracelets and activated their Ability pushing him past the point of no return. You have activated Celestial Bracelets of Substitutional Might. Select one of your following Stats to exchange values with your highest. This effect will last ten breaths. >Strength >Intelligence >Wisdom >Dexterity >Constitution That prompt hit him like a shock of cold water, and Tilly snarled in determination as he mentally made his selection. >Constitution The left-hand Bracelet instantaneously drained the robust feeling of solidity that he had become so used to filling his physical form. As it melted away, his skin felt papery and his bones became brittle compared to their usual iron composition. At the same time, his right hand Bracelet shot an electric jolt of potential that ran through his entire body and sank into each individual cell, invigorating them. Warning, you no longer fulfill the requirements for the Title: [Resolute]. The title has been revoked but can be regained if the requirements are met again in the future. Congratulations! You have earned the Title: [Unkillable] [Unkillable]: Your Constitution Stat is higher than all of your other Stats combined. As long as this remains true, once a day you may instantaneously regenerate your Health back to 100%. Tilly sighed in relief. That was exactly what he had been hoping for, he could already feel boosted regeneration knitting together each of his wounds, even as the Debuffs suddenly increased in severity in reaction to his much weaker form. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Inhale, Exhale. ¡°Alright Julius, do it.¡± He whispered, watching his arm with grim determination. The Bastion¡¯s strike blurred through Tilly¡¯s arm and with his reduced Endurance, it almost felt like the sword had somehow missed. There had been no impact, not even a tug as the sword passed right through Tilly¡¯s limb. Tilly looked up in confusion and attempted to lift his arm when a perfect line of red, appeared like one of those stupid tribal tattoos some of the guys at the station got when they went to Myrtle Beach. Inhale, Exhale. Maybe it was the Myrtle Beach thing, but when his limb flopped to the ground, accompanied by shooting arterial blood, Tilly couldn¡¯t help but think of his last fishing trip, and the sound each fish made as they flopped up from the water onto the deck. Inhale, Exhale. The sight of his arm lying on the ground being splashed with impressive amounts of his own blood was absolutely riveting, and he found himself lost in the sight. ¡°Tilly,¡± Julius called, interrupting his shock, ¡°do something.¡± Pain along with a mental stream of expletives bloomed in his mind, and he tried to pull back from the trauma of his first lost limb¡­ ¡®Ha, first of many!¡± an insane thought flittered jokingly across his strained mind. ¡®Get ahold of yourself, you idiot.¡¯ He replied to himself in an internal shout. His Will was unfocused and erratic as he fought through the cloud of confusion and finally activated [Unkillable]. Inhale, Exhale. This time as he dragged in a panicked breath, it felt like the whole universe came with it. A raging inferno of power suffused his body along with the air and as he exhaled it, a small fraction of that power was channeled to his body. The bleeding cut off, and bone, followed by muscle then skin, burst from his forearm in a stream of multicolored growth. The feeling of his nerves suddenly reconnecting was so intense that he didn¡¯t even notice as the rest of the wounds on his body practically evaporated. Inexplicably, the silver accessory on his dismembered arm faded away and reconstituted on his new wrist in perhaps the most premium display of magic bullshit Tilly had ever seen. ¡°ARGH!¡± He shouted at the overwhelming breadth of the sensations to hit him at once. A few gasps later, the Bracelet¡¯s Ability ran out and his stats swapped back, with his Health at 100% and all of his Debuffs gone. Marq stood frozen with his jaw hanging open, and Julius let out an impressed grunt as they both took in Tilly¡¯s panting, completely restored form. Julius was the first to speak, ¡°You don¡¯t need to share the limits of this Ability with me, but if this is just one of the combinations, I see why you need to test them. As far as I know, I have never even heard of anyone doing what you have done with your stat imbalance¡­ Well, not anyone that has lived long enough to not become a cautionary tale.¡± Tilly tore his eyes away from his old arm, ¡°Ha, yeah, can¡¯t say I have high hopes for avoiding that second group, but until then, I think I just unlocked a way to be much more dangerous in the short term.¡± Then with a heavy look in his eyes, Tilly continued, ¡°I can¡¯t stress enough how this needs to stay as private as possible. The fewer people who know, the more effective an ace this will be. My Endurance build is more widely known than I am comfortable with, but with this, my utility on the field just got radically expanded¡­ as long as it stays secret. I don¡¯t know what the Alliance will face next, but whatever it is, I want to maintain the ability to sucker punch it in the mouth.¡± He finished with a grin, eliciting a laugh from Julius. ¡°We will keep it between us, and make sure to be here tomorrow. If you don''t mind me asking, does your System description say, ¡®once a day¡¯ exactly?¡° ¡°Yeah, that''s the wording.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he continued as he wiped Tilly¡¯s blood from his sword and sheathed it, ¡°You might already know this, but the actual boundaries of that System phrase are daybreak to daybreak, nightfall to nightfall, or two periods of time broken by a long rest, meaning more than eight hours.¡± Tilly slowly blinked at that startlingly useful information, ¡°Wow. I had guessed the first part, but I had no idea about the second. How does the System define rest? ¡° ¡°Complete inactivity, including any form of skill grinding. So some kinds of races meditate instead of sleep, but they can not use it to advance a skill if they want to achieve the long rest stipulation. We have a few Unit Magic Abilities that have day or week cooldowns and have had to do some tricky things with marching and setting the watch to make sure we get them back available in the field.¡± ¡°So I could go take an eight-hour nap, and come back here tonight?¡± ¡°Sure, if you can actually sleep that long, anyone with an Endurance like yours typically finds it easier to wait for the next daybreak or nightfall. Forcing yourself to inactivity without progressing for our kind is¡­ difficult.¡° ¡°Hmm, ok, thanks,¡± Tilly said, his eyes returning to his severed limb even as his mind processed the new information and the possibilities of the capability of the [Unkillable] title. Without thinking about it, he sent his Mana to enflame his new limb, and it reacted immediately, with an unexpected ferocity. A flicker of blue fire raced down his new arm and before he understood what was happening, it jumped to his old limb. The impact burst into an uncharacteristically hot blaze, incinerating his remains in seconds. Tilly flinched at the unexpected reaction, and Marq gagged loudly behind him as the smell of charred flesh permeated the area. ¡°...If tomorrow will still work, I¡¯m going to take the young¡¯un and see about getting more of these items. If you don¡¯t mind, me and the men will take over testing them. I¡¯m sure your time is better used elsewhere.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s fine,¡± Tilly said, absently staring at the dying embers, trying to figure out what had just happened. The Bastion gave him a quick clap on the back and led the green acolyte away as Tilly continued to watch the pile of ash. It cooled from cherry-red to a mute whitish grey after a few seconds as he tried to put his finger on the subtle shift that had just occurred in his core. For the first time in his second life, he was beginning to feel something akin to true power. Sure it was limited and selective¡­ but with these and whatever other titles he could discover in the next few days, he stood a real chance of being able to tip the scales in the coming conflict. A small satisfied smile tugged at the edges of his lips as he looked at the small pile of ash. He was about to turn away and head back to the city when he noticed a tiny glimmer amongst the whitish-grey. Curious, he squatted down next to his own remains and blew on them, dispersing the ash and exposing a tiny sapphire the size of his pinky. He picked it up in wonder and felt his untethered bond snap into place, latching on to the small gem. His small smile burst into something unabashedly joyous at the realization. ¡®She Who Kindles The Dawn¡¯ he sent in wonder through the newly reconnected bond. Some part of him hoped that her full name would somehow elicit an answer. The bond remained silent, but he could have sworn a faint light sparkled in the center of the gem, flickering out a moment later. B3. Ch. 17 Axis and Allies Amelia Cooper, Level 49 Botanist Surveyor ¡°Those kids are going to be the end of me¡­¡± She grumbled to herself as she marched angrily through the camps to the alchemic workshop. Only a day and they had already all moved out of the agricultural group home and off to their selected areas of work. Just like that, no warning, hardly even a goodbye! They had been her responsibility¡­ She had thought she could trust those she left to watch them while they were gone. But her assistant had gone and joined the Watch during the fighting, and Edna and George had been too busy maintaining the border. So the kids had gotten out and done something they would certainly regret. ¡®Throwing away their childhood! How could you let them do that?¡¯ She snarled internally, glaring over at the mountain as she moved through the ever-present streams of people. She didn¡¯t care if the kids had saved her near the end. They had done so by risking themselves needlessly, and that was not the job of children. Then that puffed-up excuse of a Deity they were all sticking their necks out for had given them a ¡°reward¡± for their recklessness! Taking away a child''s chance to live out their young years was a crime in her book, no matter who the criminal was. She noticed that those around her on the packed dirt street were beginning to give her a wide berth, and she scowled, shooting a glance back along her path and finding a thorny bramble springing up in a long line leading back toward the river bridge. ¡°Away with you!¡± She snapped, gesturing sharply at the growth. The long line of interconnected plants shriveled and decayed. She turned back toward her destination with a huff, equal parts frustrated and embarrassed by her lack of control. Helping Jonathan¡¯s Phoenix kill that monster and then carrying the Bloom resulted in many changes to her magic that she was having trouble adjusting to. Holding the Facet for so long had forcefully expanded her Mana Pathways three or four times, and agitated her Well until it was less a well and more of a spring. Not to mention her quest reward, which was another world of headaches in itself¡­ It had a year-long cooldown, but even the idea of becoming some sort of giant on the battlefield disturbed her. She had never minded fighting when she had to, but full-scale battle had always been something she avoided if at all possible. Not that it looked like she would have much of a choice in the near future. The thought of a plane-wide conflict disturbed her more than she was willing to admit, and it was clear that their Patron was going to be at its center. She shuddered at the idea of what kind of pressure they would have to be facing for her to activate its ¡°gift¡± to her. She looked up from her musing and found herself at the doorway to the workshop. Taking a deep breath, and smoothing out her shirt and jacket, she pushed through the door, ready to leave those thoughts behind and spend a few relaxing hours pursuing an exciting idea for a potion based on her Blood Weed breakthrough with the Order. As the door opened, a thick cloud of smoke billowed out, along with the sound of shouting, ¡°Listen, you little Twerp! It was all fine and good when you wanted to help out around here, but now you''re disturbing our work!¡± A hazy figure shouted down towards the other end of the shop. ¡°That one wasn¡¯t my fault Kelvin! This new Glass is crazy, it has so many properties with alchemical importance to discover!¡± Amelia continued to wave away the smoke and saw some enchantments begin to glow in the ceiling, sucking up the rest of the smog and revealing the head alchemist Kelvin, staring daggers at little Cog. Unlike the others, he physically looked the exact same as when she had last seen him a week ago. Amelia would almost have said he was the only one who had dodged the lunacy the rest of the children had taken up, but there, plain as day above his little frame was the strangest class she had ever seen. Level 9 Thaumic Munitions Specialist The head Alchemist turned away from the gnome in a huff, muttering to himself, ¡°¡®Properties¡¯ he says¡­ just wants to know if they will make a bigger boom.¡± Taking that as approval, a white smile slashed the soot-covered mask that was Cog¡¯s face and he quickly turned back to his own station sweeping away the pile of slag that was his last concoction into an already full waste bin. Kelvin looked up at the now noticeable light coming in from the open door and found Amelia there, pausing in the entry as she tried to process the scene and the implications therein. ¡°Mrs. Cooper! A pleasure to have you. I¡¯m sure you heard about our new Synthesizer!¡± He bragged shamelessly, gesturing to the large boxy stone plinth covered in runes with a gaping opening in its side. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Cog, you too?¡± She asked, completely ignoring the statement. At the sound of her voice, those little hands froze, as if caught doing something they weren¡¯t supposed to, and the gnome turned, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Me too¡± he answered simply, his eyebrows knit in a look of concern. At first, she thought it was concern about what she was going to say, but as they both stood there staring at each other, she realized that it was much worse than that. ¡®He is worried about me¡­ ¡® His little eyes seemed to take in far more than she was comfortable with, and she found herself breaking the stare first and looking down at the stained planks of the workshop. ¡°Well, you are free now, free to take as many risks as you like! I won''t be in your way anymore¡­¡± She noted with some surprise that a few fresh droplets were now watering the wood near her feet, and she quickly raised her hands to wipe at her face when the impact of a small body hit her in the legs. Her eyes widened in wonder as the least affectionate of her charges hugged her tightly. ¡°We may be grown up¡­ but we still need you.¡± He muttered, seemingly oblivious to the other workers who were all studiously avoiding looking over at the scene. She opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by another impact on her shoulder as a hand pushed her and Cog aside to make way. Two clopping hooves sounded on the planks behind her and a voice called into the shop, ¡°Where is the young prodigy? We are taking him and building another workshop near the wall, where none of your grubby hands can interfere with his genius!¡± ------ Erash, Level 90 High Priestess of Origin¡¯s Flame A Horn screams in the distance, awakening lusts as old as time. --- The lone dragon falls from the sky as the crown of Nephesh is torn in two. ---- The world chokes on blood and ash, intoxicating the soul of the Land with its destruction. --- Roiling seas of chaos crash against the last bulwarks of order. The sky darkens, boiling with hatred as a single star rises into the heavens, its light small against the fury of the growing storm. --- Erash pulled free from the vision gasping, finding herself collapsed on the floor of the central chamber of the temple, paces away from the altar. Her chest heaved in exertion as she tried to catch her breath in between the billowing waves of emotions that threatened to drown her. Of all the new Abilities that had come with her temporary class, the one she had been most hesitant to use was, by far, Commune. Most of her newer companions had little to no experience with Deific interaction, and they had no clue just how much it cost to open themselves to beings of such power. Control, and at times even conscious choice disappeared in such interactions, and all that was left was the Will of the being you sought. This was doubly true for whatever Origin was. Most deities were consistent with the ideals they embodied, but what did He represent? She looked around as she wiped her eyes, finding blood mingled with her tears. The central chamber was still thankfully empty. The Acolytes had protected her need for complete privacy as she performed the twelve hours of preparation it took to clear her mind and activate the Ability. The pleasant new growth that now filled the chamber reached toward her collapsed form and she leaned into their small strength thankful for the show of support as confusion, terror, and sorrow warred for supremacy in her soul. ¡°How could you let that happen?¡± she breathed, finding the strength from somewhere to raise her head and glare at the Flame. The Flower growing within its blaze remained unapologetic in its song, exuding Warmth and Wrath in equal measures. The High Priestess climbed shakily to her feet, feeling weaker than she had even in those final hours on the wall. The weight of what she had just seen hung on her heart like heavy chains and a sob pushed itself up from her chest, bursting through her lips with small stringers of spittle. ¡°HOW COULD YOU?!¡± She screamed, demanding an answer that she didn¡¯t think she could bear to hear. ¡­ Tim Level ??? Time Lord ¡°The things I do for my research¡­¡± Tim sighed as he took careful steps around the small rivers of blood and ichor that continued to pour forth from the Hive''s central chamber. A close observation would have revealed that the Time Lord was walking a foot above the ground, but the tunnel limited how much space he could put between him and the goop... He couldn¡¯t help but grimace in displeasure. Thus marked the end of another project with significant potential¡­ At one point this one had conquered a full third of the Underdark¡­ now with its Queen and her daughters consumed by the workers, the population was doomed. Evidence of Corruption was everywhere, moving through the tunnels like rich deposits of living ore. In the end, the Hive had fully embraced the power that the substance represented without any precautions, and this had led to radical expansion. They had made it to the foot of the Dwarven Deeps, before collapsing in on themselves in hunger. Over his long life, Tim had found that this always ended up being the case for those given too much power without a truly great purpose to temper it. ¡°Such a waste... It would have done much for those above to face such an incredibly durable opponent. Alas, this conflict will never be.¡± He muttered, scanning the threads of the Underweave as the Hive¡¯s fate unraveled from the pattern and fell away. Now this is what he had actually come to see. To watch something so heavily connected to the pattern of the Plane suddenly ripped from its future was¡­ Fascinating. The effect of Corruption on the Weave was unlike anything he had ever encountered, and he was sure that it held the potential to break the limits he had hit up against Epochs ago. So much to study and so little time to keep up with all his little projects¡­ Speaking of which, he had detected several very interesting changes to an old failure that he had thought relegated to obscurity. He had dabbled in creating Classes earlier in this Epoch, and had mostly been disappointed by the results. But some shifts had occurred in the Land since he had been away and now what he had thought was a failure suddenly hummed through the threads of fate with renewed purpose and weight. Such variables could not be left untended when the balance he had struck to guide the plane into its next iteration was so tenuous. Tim waved his hand and activated a portal faster than any of the so-called ¡°teleportation experts¡± on the Plane could ever dream of. Then his features shivered as his mana reproduced what would now be called an Ability. Perfect Mask. B3. Ch. 18 A Bird in the Hand Tilly gasped as his Mana once again bottomed out. His head was splitting, yet no matter how hard he tried to channel flame into the gem fragment, nothing happened. He had emptied his well two or three times at this point, determined to produce enough heat to help grow the gem back to the egg-like size he remembered when he first got it, but no matter what he tried, the fragment didn¡¯t seem to be able to absorb any of the heat. It was so frustrating. After days of nothing, he finally had a way forward, but it had turned out to be just another wall. Since that first glimmer of a response, he had been unable to establish any sort of connection with the gem. He had begun to worry that his experience with the gem had only been his imagination. ¡°Gah!¡± He shouted in frustration, his Mana Exhaustion headache only deepening at the increased tension in his neck and shoulders. He squeezed the fragment in his fist, willing something, anything to happen. Unfortunately, besides a dull pressure on his incredibly tough skin, he still felt nothing. With a sigh of resignation, he lifted the gem up to his eye line and spoke to it, as much in stubbornness as any sort of confidence, ¡°I don''t know if you can hear me girl, but I¡¯m bringing you back. No matter what. I think I have another plan, but it will have to wait till tomorrow. Hold on just a little bit longer.¡± As he finished, he felt a slight shifting in the inside left chest of his jacket, and he lifted the collar in confusion to find a small pocket had been added on the inside of the primitive fur and leather armor. ¡°...Uh, thanks, buddy. That actually means a lot right now.¡± Tilly grumbled, bemused at the gesture. Nonetheless, he slipped the fragment into the pocket, hidden away from the world, resting on his chest right above his heart. With that, Tilly decided to head back into the city and find some food, while he nursed his pounding headache. The sun was just hitting the trees over the far horizon and he had a few more hours of daylight left. He needed a distraction to pass the time until daybreak tomorrow, and he doubted he could make himself sleep early to get the full-day refresh active any sooner than daybreak. Tilly headed back to the wall, climbing the temporary ladder step up for individuals with no cargo, and moved through the camp without stopping, a listless expression on his face. Maybe it was the Mana Exhaustion or just the fact that he had put himself through low-grade torture earlier today, but his mind felt like mush, and the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be able to try anything else for Kindle until tomorrow morning just added to his apathy. Soon the familiar business-like bustle of a booming city surrounded Tilly and he let the shouts of merchants and the sound of almost constant construction wash over him. Despite the business of the street traffic, Tilly was once again impressed at the cleanliness and order that persisted even amidst the frenzied period of growth and investment the city was experiencing. He stopped by a stall in one of the wide courtyards that housed open-air merchants near the parade ground gate. An old satyr was selling grilled meat on a stick, covered in a dark tangy sauce and the smell was intoxicating. A thunderous grumble reminded Tilly that he had not eaten since breakfast and without thinking, Tilly walked up and gestured for three of them. As soon as the merchant moved to comply, Tilly realized that he had no clue how to pay or even access his Contribution Points¡­ The stall owner smiled at Tilly''s hesitance and pushed the sticks into his hand anyway. ¡°Uh, Thanks! These look great, but, uh¡­ how do I pay you?¡± Tilly asked, trying not to drool as the still sizzling grilled meat hovered by his nose. ¡°For you, Human? No charge!¡± The stall owner smiled, pushing Tilly¡¯s hand now holding the meat, toward his body. ¡°No man, I have money, let me pay you.¡± Tilly insisted, now uncomfortable as he wished he had a wallet or some sort of currency to brandish, emphasizing his point. ¡°Please take it! My daughter was on the wall when you returned and released Fire from the mountain, blessing us all. She says they were about to be overwhelmed¡­ This is a small thing, let me show my appreciation.¡± The man insisted in turn, lifting his hands in a refusal to take the meat back from Tilly. Tilly opened his mouth to push the issue further, not at all comfortable with the growing heroic sentiment he was beginning to experience around the city, but the stall merchant shrugged in a carefree manner, his smile only growing, ¡°Please friend, after you take it, I will be telling every potential customer that Icharus¡¯ Grilled Delights are your favorite food item in the city. My business will triple. Do not worry about me, and accept my thanks!¡± He said, almost laughing at Tilly¡¯s discomfort. ¡°Alright¡­ But seriously, if I did want to pay for these, how would I?¡± The merchant pulled out a rune-inscribed stone tablet from the table next to his grill, and waved it at him, ¡°It is very simple, friend. You tap this each time you buy something from me, and the transaction is logged at the Exchange. Others have more complicated wares, so they had to spring for the more expensive Recorder, but little old Icharus only has one delightful product for sale.¡± He finished with a wink. ¡®It''s like a fantasy card reader hooked up to my Contribution Point total. That¡¯s¡­ awesome.¡¯ ¡°Thanks, Icarus. You can go ahead and tell everyone these are, in fact, my favorite.¡± Tilly exclaimed, taking a searing bite of the meat on the end of one of the sticks. The skin broke with a crispy crackle and released a flood of savory juices into his mouth as he chewed through the tender bite, his eyes widening in shock. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Delightful! I know!¡± The stall owner laughed, turning to wave over another prospective customer. Tilly took that as a dismissal, and moved on from the stall, smiling as he overheard the satyr begin calling into the crowd, ¡°You saw him! Come try the tasty treat that our human can¡¯t get enough of! He didn¡¯t leave with less than three, how many will you enjoy this evening!¡± Tilly moved through the market, down a street that he knew would lead him toward the center of the city. This area had undergone the most construction in recent weeks. The one and two-story buildings that reminded him of Feudal Japan had been replaced by huge stone block buildings that were reminiscent of the construction style used to build the wall. It seemed like the higher-end shops and services were all investing in this area, as the heart of the growing Alliance. Tilly noted that his little shack was actually only a few blocks from the new city center, and the same was true of Hiro and Ichiro¡¯s manor. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he owned the little building or not, but if he did, the property value had probably skyrocketed over the last month. Tilly let his mind wander as he kept an easy pace, watching the people who filled the streets with a calm, unrushed eye. He wasn¡¯t on his way to fight some battle or begin another grueling training session. Instead, for perhaps the first time in his new life, he was able to enjoy the breeze and just watch as people went about their lives in this new magical world. The flow of people was mainly made up of the three founding races of the Faction. But there were more than a few minority races moving through the streets pursuing their own errands or business. After the recent battle, there was an air of determination and grit that seemed to characterize a lot of the faces he was seeing in the city. This world was brutal, and it had punched him in the gut the moment he had stepped foot on the plane. He had moved from conflict to conflict in a rush to survive or do his best to protect those who could not protect themselves. But now, as he walked through the crowds of people he was fighting for, he began to feel grounded in his role. A sense of pride began to well up in Tilly¡¯s chest. It had been messy every step of the way, but he had fought and bled to help establish something like this, and the evidence of the Faction¡¯s thriving encouraged him on a deep level. On some level, even near the end, he had loved being a firefighter. Serving people and taking up the mantle of a role model in his culture was what attracted him to the career in the first place. He still didn¡¯t like when some of the lapins would offer him small bows, or others would gesture at him like he was a roadside attraction, but in the end, he was happy that he had fought so hard for these people. The Alliance was not ¡°fair¡± by his modern American standards. But it seemed like everyone who wanted work had it, and no one seemed to be starving. He knew the situation out in the camps was less idyllic than here in the city center, but he also saw just as many satyrs here as lapins. By nature of their position, the lapins had entered into the Alliance with an economic advantage, but Tilly had not detected any sort of malice in the hardworking people. It was almost as if their racial pride insulated them against the sort of petty hatred that could so easily emerge against those who had once oppressed them. Plus, escaping the capital together and then fighting a war so soon after the establishment of the Alliance had done something for the people that decades of equality never could. The streets were filled with people of many races who had survived blow after blow, and those who had bled to be here didn¡¯t seem like the type to waste the chance. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of a new building in a square that had been completely cleared near a couple of blocks from the teleport platform. He looked up at the workers and almost dropped his remaining meat stick in shock. The large granite blocks were being set by hand in an arched opening that dominated the front face of the building. The workers building the edifice seemed to be moving at three times normal speed. Even the stone carver near the entrance was hammering through an impressively large block of granite veined with dragon glass at an insane speed. His blows sounded like machine gun fire and under the motions, a fiery sun was rapidly taking shape. ¡°If you think our builders are fast, wait until you see the Commerce Guild building,¡± Tilly turned to find Mateus approaching from around a newly arrived wagon filled with building supplies. He finished checking off a list in his hands and then handed the paper to the driver, ¡°They just broke ground an hour ago, but I would bet that you will have an Epic class building by the end of the day tomorrow, and with them establishing a presence so soon, an auction house is sure to be close behind.¡± Then turning to Tilly with a knowing smile, he continued, ¡°How else would a young Faction spend all of its hard-earned Standard Gold?¡± He asked with a wink, before returning his gaze to the Temple that would soon be his charge. ¡°Just when I think this whole magic thing is getting old, I see something like this¡­¡± Tilly replied, following the Temple Steward¡¯s look toward the building being raised at a supernatural pace. ¡°Honestly, I think the build team is just happy to have a new assignment. They haven¡¯t left the island in months, and between you and me,¡± He said, leaning conspiratorially toward Tilly and speaking through the side of his mouth, ¡°Dwarves and the other builder types are not the best at sitting on their hands, especially when the whole plane seems to be collapsing. It''s good to see them back in their element.¡± He finished, his eyes going distant as he watched the crew work. ¡°How are you liking the Three-Fold Alliance so far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ hopeful. It has been a long time since I have visited a Faction this young. Part of my training occurred in a temple outpost of a new nation of Sand Elves that had risen to power after discovering some powerful artifacts in the ruins of the deep desert. They were a private people, who ended their nomadic lifestyle to establish a base of power at the edge of the desert and trade in its treasures. But when I got there, their Faction was years old and nothing like this.¡± A brief memory flashed through Tilly¡¯s mind, ¡°...Dune Ranger of the Sand Seas.¡± He muttered and Mateus¡¯ head jerked to the side in surprise. ¡°You can¡¯t have heard of them, they are on the other side of the continent, and are home to one of our smallest outposts!¡± ¡°Yeah, long story,¡± Tilly replied lamely, not at all ready to get into the details of his transference to Nephesh. Mateus seemed to read something deeper in his hesitance, and nodded solemnly, ¡°Oh, of course, your Patron¡¯s mysteries are yours to keep.¡± ¡°No, uh¡­ actually yeah. Something like that.¡± ¡°Well, thank you for stopping by to check on our progress. It may not be an Epic class structure like the Guild¡¯s, but I think your people will be pleased by the advantages of having your Faction visibly aligned with us. But be warned, we may have gotten here first, Light be praised, but there are many powers on the Plane. They will not hesitate to step on you as they ascend to greater heights. ¡­ Tilly stayed and talked to Mateus for a while, hearing about his travels as a younger priest, and then begging off as the sun began to set. After pushing himself to the brink the last couple of days, it was nice to just spend an evening walking around the city. The trauma of tests from earlier that day and the Mana Exhaustion slowly faded, his mind and soul bolstered by a visceral reminder of what he was fighting for. He had no clue if his idea to bring back Kindle would work, but by the time he laid back down in his bed, he felt peace. Even if he failed again, he wouldn¡¯t stop until she was back. Then, he would do whatever it took to protect these people and his new home. B3. Ch. 19 Strands of Fate Tilly was up before the sun rose the next day feeling refreshed and more than a little nervous about the day¡¯s plans. The tray of food had magically appeared as it always did, but he left it where it was, deciding to only take a little water before heading out. His stomach was in knots and he decided he would come back for it if he was hungry later. Instead, he set out into the predawn light and jogged down the slightly-less-busy streets, heading toward the wall. When he arrived at the staging camp, he realized that he had established no way to contact Julius and Marq to notify them of another test. He looked around the camp, wondering how he should go about finding them. Even at this earlier hour, a patrol was preparing to head out over the wall, and the shouts from the mouth of the valley heralded the return of the last group. The new army had been ranging farther and farther afield into the dead lands, systematically clearing them of the now feral Strigoi and gaining experience as a mobile force. But they still staged every patrol here at the wall. Sturdy stone and timber buildings were already replacing the temporary structures that had served them all through the siege and a few of them even showed evidence of industry, pushing out smoke through clay chimneys and ringing with the clanging of metal. One particular building, set far to the side of the others, released a large whoofing boom, before ejecting an impressive amount of thick smoke. Tilly started moving in that direction without even thinking about it, but a voice called out to him from nearby, halting his automatic Firefighter response. ¡°See boy. I told you he would be here with the sun. Trust me, I know the type.¡± Julius¡¯ rough voice snarked, as the Bastion emerged from behind a tent, having clearly been walking in Tilly¡¯s direction. ¡°What was that? Do they need help?¡± Tilly asked the Bastion, tearing his eyes away from the new soot-stained building. ¡°Naw, the only help they need is space to be left alone and work,¡± Julius replied drily with Marq emerging from the same corridor between tents, wincing over at the building, but adding nothing to the Bastion''s statement. ¡°Alright then¡­ Are you guys ready to head out? And maybe more importantly, does the Commander on duty know there might be some strangeness in our area this morning.¡± ¡°Taken care of, Champion. Are we requisitioning anyone else today?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t think so.¡± Tilly answered hesitantly before leaning forward and lowering his voice, ¡°I''m going to test Wisdom today, and I don''t think the results will be that explosive¡­ but I want you guys there, just in case. I have a guess about what sort of Title will come with each remaining stat. Except for Wisdom, I have no clue how the System is going to reward such a min-max build, but I am hoping it will help me solve a block I have been hitting recently.¡± ¡°Copy that, lead on then.¡± The Bastion answered in a bored-sounding voice, not at all cowed by the unknown variables of the task. Tilly nodded gratefully, happy to have access to such a competent resource for these tests. Soon enough they were over the wall and moving past the unnatural cliff face that ringed the valley on this side. In the distance they could just barely see the next patrol ranging out, moving at what would have been a full sprint back on earth, but only served as double time for their soldiers. Marq couldn¡¯t keep that pace yet, so they moved at a jog until they were well out of sight of the wall. ¡°What do you think?¡± Tilly said, turning to the pair. Julius shrugged, ¡°Your call, are you going to use this boost to cast something explosive?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ It honestly depends on what Title shows up when I activate the items. I won¡¯t have a lot of time to make the call, so I¡¯m going to move a good distance from you before I give it a try. Julius, take care of Marq if things get out of hand. And Marq, handle me if I blow myself to bits or something.¡± Julius nodded with a flat smile, while the Acolyte paled for a moment, looking between his two superiors. Trying to decide if they were joking or not. Keeping his face deadpan, Tilly followed up with ¡°I''ll signal before activating, be ready.¡± Then he turned and took off, quickly moving a few hundred yards away, and settling into his meditative pose. He shot off a quick wave toward the pair and then began to breathe deeply, falling into the pattern that now felt more like home than his bed. Moving slowly, he reached into his new hidden pocket and brought out the gem fragment, laying it in his open hands, and settling into his center, reaching for as much calm and focus as he could. He had debated trying for intelligence in this next test. He was more confident that the boost and associated Title would pair with [All or Nothing] creating a ridiculously overpowered magical attack. But his failed attempts yesterday to put heat into the fragment had led him to conclude that this was not a power problem. He was confident that the fragment was in fact a piece of what had once been the egg he had first received as a quest reward, but he had no clue how to restore it to that state. No matter what he had tried, the fragment hadn¡¯t been able to take in any of his Mana and he suspected that it was still missing something essential to its structure. He was still bonded to it, and he knew this was the key to bringing back Kindle, but until he solved whatever problem was keeping the gem from forming into a fully realized egg, he doubted he would be able to catalyze the emergence of the Phoenix again. That left him with the Wisdom boost. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. On the surface, it would give him access to much more Mana for ten seconds, which he could use to push many times more energy into the fragment than he had yesterday. But if that was all he was interested in, he would have just gone straight for the Intelligence test. No, something in his gut told him that boosting Wisdom that much would result in more than just a straight power or Regen increase. He took a final deep breath, sinking deep into the flame ablaze at his core, and sent a flicker of Will into his Celestial items. You are about to activate Celestial Bracelets of Substitutional Might. Select one of your following Stats to exchange values with your highest. This effect will last ten breaths. >Strength >Intelligence >Wisdom >Dexterity >Constitution His awareness hovered over his metaphysical network of Mana Pathways and his Well, watching to glean some insight into the workings of the Celestial items and hopefully some hint at how to restore his friend. He took one more deep breath and then selected his chosen stat. >Wisdom As soon as he selected it, both jewels inset into the bracelets began to glow. The blue gem pulled deeply on his soul, stripping him of whatever invisible interconnected structures undergirded his body on a cellular level. Tilly¡¯s internal senses were not sharp enough to catch most of what was happening, even while meditating, but he did feel the familiar weakening of his physical form as the incredible sturdiness of his body was radically reduced. Simultaneously, the green jewel burned against his opposite wrist, flooding his Mana Pathways with incredible energy, expanding them by an order of magnitude. He immediately became viscerally aware of the Mana-drenched world around him, his Mana Pathways began acting like a vacuum, pulling in the surrounding energy at an incredible rate, and attempted to jam more Mana into his already full Well. This all happened before he had begun taking his first breath, and he was careful to maintain his breathing discipline as he pulled up his newest notification. Warning, you no longer fulfill the requirements for the Title: [Resolute]. The title has been revoked but can be regained if the requirements are met again in the future. Congratulations! You have earned the Title: [Fate Drinker] [Fate Drinker]: Your Wisdom stat is higher than all of your other stats combined. As long as this remains true, you may empower a single Ability with the very essence of the substance underpinning reality itself, resulting in powerful, yet unpredictable outcomes. Tilly considered this new Title, giving himself several seconds and another whole breath to process, even as his fourth-tier Wisdom stat continually funneled an extreme amount of mana into his system. Unable to enter his core, it was ejected into the air around him, creating an invisible vortex of potential energy, swirling with him at its center. The feeling of unused power filled him to the point that he felt like he was going to pop, and he grit his teeth against the uncomfortable sensation. He slowly forced out another breath, clinging to his meditative pattern as he focused in on the gem fragment, and activated his new Title. His internal awareness suddenly snapped, throwing his perspective into an entirely new dimension. One filled with screaming color, intricately woven into complex patterns of sound and light. Tilly instantly lost his connection to space and time as his sense of self frayed to the point of nonexistence by his new, elevated perspective. His mind was adrift in a sea of dazzling complexity and he was left without anything to anchor him to what he had once thought was reality. Moments bled into months as his perspective itself was pulled through the intricate pattern undergirding all creation. At some point during this journey, a small, significant thing glittered, calling his attention back from the vast sea to a deep blue point hovering just in front of his core. That point did something to him, pulling him back from the edge and helping him to find himself in the context of the cosmos. Tilly felt it as an awareness of his soul bloomed in his consciousness, a revelation of self. He watched in awe as it took in the dizzying array of shifting patterns that surrounded it and wove them into a knot that seemed to beat like a heart. It sent out and received energy with every ¡°beat¡± and he could not help but be drawn to the faint, but significant presence orbiting the complex mechanism that was him. It seemed to beat in sync with him, and the sight of the small sapphire star set off a deep thrumming in the depths of his soul. Light and energy, woven into a pattern of desire, shot out from his core and wrapped around the blue point in a gentle embrace, and began to form a complex network of interwoven points that seemed to crystallize around the star in real-time. This brought him a deep feeling of satisfaction even though he could not remember why. As he watched as the metaphysical structure was built, his heightened awareness started to fade, and the dimensional sea he had found himself in began fuzzing out of focus in his peripheries. Relief washed through him as he felt himself returning to his body, but that piece of his core that had reached out to the small star, shone brightly in defiance, not yet finished with its work. Even as the rest of the scene faded, the connection his soul had formed vibrantly radiated its clear intention in rejection of the slow fuzzing of its surroundings. Even in his addled state, Tilly¡¯s awareness identified deeply with his soul¡¯s desire, and he flung himself at the working, lending as much of his Will and self to the crystalized network that had almost finished its genesis. The heart-achingly beautiful vista of deep reality was slowly covered by a thin layer of space-time, removing it from his awareness. But he clung stubbornly to the working that his soul had almost completed, protecting it from fuzzing out as it urgently wove stunningly complex layers of meaning and purpose around the small sapphire star. His soul, a galaxy of belief and desire interconnected by strands of memory and longing, beat thunderously like a sprinter¡¯s heart, as it funneled as much of the surrounding pattern into the network it was helping form as possible. Yet it wasn¡¯t enough, even in the fading light of his elevated awareness, Tilly could sense its lack and roared as he reached for more. Probability bent, time slowed, and even the power radiating off the Plane¡¯s sun was funneled through Tilly¡¯s strained soul and used in the working. His awareness screamed in effort and pain as something finally snapped in his metaphysical structure, and his ability to hold on to the effort slipped from his mental grasp. The Weave was replaced by an encroaching darkness, as unconsciousness closed in all around him, bringing with it a grim promise of relief. As the last of the Mana flooding his system was thrust into the miniature sun shining in the palm of his hand, Tilly¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed backward, finished. ¡­ Voices floated above him, swimming over the surface of his consciousness as he took refuge deep in the waters below. ¡°What is that thing?¡± ¡°What, you haven¡¯t seen him with it before?¡± Then a small sharp tap hit his forehead, somehow reverberating into the depths of his psyche. Cheep? B3. Ch. 20 Back in Business Tilly¡¯s eyes flew open, finding a tiny down-covered floof ball standing on his forehead looking down at him. His mind was soupy and slow after interacting with reality at a level far beyond what he could comprehend, but that did not stop what might have been the dopiest smile he had ever worn from stretching the edges of his mouth. ¡°Damn, it is good to see you.¡± He breathed out to his companion on her forehead perch. Cheep, She agreed, sending him an image of snuggling under a warm wing, deep in the safety of a nest. He sat up slowly, lifting his hands to his head to cup the tiny chick as the surface she was standing on went vertical. ¡°Mr Tillman! Are you ok?¡± Marq asked breathlessly, still gasping from his run over. Julius stood by his side, his thumbs looped into his belt in a relaxed posture. ¡°Better than ok, son,¡± Tilly answered, gazing down at the chick who had begun to preen her feathers. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you won¡¯t be needing us until tomorrow?¡± Julius added a small smile to play on his normally professionally detached features. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m all done with tests for today.¡± At that, the Bastion nodded and turned to go, prompting Marq to blurt out a question before he was left behind. ¡°Sir, If you don''t mind me asking, what did the new Title do?¡± ¡°Honestly, I''m not sure. I can barely remember it, but whatever happened, was enough to bring her back, which is everything I was hoping for and more. Why, what did you see, anything?¡± ¡°We saw something start to swirl around you, but I couldn¡¯t make out what it was, then¡­ I don''t know, you suddenly felt heavier? Like I had to lean back to avoid getting pulled in toward you.¡± ¡°Hmh. Well, the title let me draw on something besides just Mana to power an Ability. I remember entering into an entirely new reality, then it is all a blank. But whatever happened, I am glad it worked. I¡¯ll just have to mark this one down as an unknown and save it for a rainy day. My cosmic slot machine.¡± ¡°Come on, kid. Leave the man alone.¡± Julius called from several paces away. ¡°Alright, thanks Mr. Tillman! I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± The Acolyte called, before hurrying off after the veteran. Tilly nodded after the young man absently, still looking at the phoenix in his hands, astonishment coloring his features at the incredible outcome of the test. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked¡­¡± He whispered down at the chick, who started to scratch the palm of his hand instantly. ¡°Oh right, food!¡± He said, reflexively enflaming his palm, igniting the chick with a blue fire. She chirped happily in reply and began to roost comfortably in the heat, steadily drawing on Tilly¡¯s Flame. He smiled dotingly down at her, treasuring her in this tiny state. He knew that on a steady diet, she would be flying and speaking again in a few weeks and that knowledge held him there for a few minutes, just enjoying her company. Then a gust of wind ripped the ground behind him, interrupting his reverie, and he spun, shielding the phoenix chic with his body. Something blurred away in the distance, as Erash landed in a crouch just a few paces away. ¡°What happened here?¡± She demanded immediately. Tilly couldn¡¯t help but stand there frozen in shock. Not because someone crashed into the ground behind him. That was somewhat par for the course at this point. No, what floored him was the High Priestess¡¯ state. Her normally pristine robes were completely disheveled, and her face was smeared with dirt, interrupted by the wandering lines of recent tears. ¡°Uh¡­ Are you alright?¡± Tilly asked, completely taken aback by her appearance. ¡°No, human. I am not alright. None of us are. Now answer my question.¡± She again demanded, straightening her robes uselessly as she attempted to project an air of authority. Even in the face of her obvious distress, Tilly couldn¡¯t help but harden the lines around his eyes at her demands. ¡°Listen, lady, we talked about this. I am happy to work with you, but I am not your servant.¡± He growled. Her eyes flashed in response, and a literal cloud started to form above her head, thundering ominously as she responded, ¡°You silly little man. Do you think I am here to play games? All of this-¡± She said, waving back toward the Alliance, ¡°everything you think you have accomplished¡­ It is a puff of smoke from dying embers. It is all going to end, and it seems as if your God plans to do nothing!¡± Literal lighting bolts started to strike the ground around the High Priestess, and the ground around her churned unnaturally as if boiling with her distress. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As she continued her tirade, Tilly slowly pulled Kindle out from behind his back and tried to calm the Priestess down, ¡°Woah! Woah, what information do you have and how did you get it? Is this something we need to inform the council of?¡± Seeming not to have heard his words, her eyes locked on the little creature in his hands and she mumbled, ¡°... a star rises¡­¡± under her breath, her eyes going distant and the storm around her calming. ¡°Listen, I need you to start making sense. If it helps, I did something, I¡¯m not sure what, to bring her back. It is similar to what you saw me do with Strength except I used Wisdom.¡± At his answer, her eyes finally came back in focus and she looked up into his concerned gaze, her distress turning thoughtful in an instant. ¡°I am not initiated into the deeper layers of the Plane, but even I felt that something significant was altered here. I worried our end was already upon us, yet here you are. Doing what you should not be able to, once again defying my understanding of the order of things¡­¡± Then as she looked over his shoulder she continued under her breath, ¡°I swear if I ever see that witch again¡­¡± ¡°So¡­ uh council? Do you have the information they need to know?¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± She answered with a snort, before continuing, ¡°A few riddles and several fractured visions¡­ Gods I hate working with Celestials¡­ But I will tell them what I know and what I think it means. I do know that when you try and direct that beast as he awakens, I will have to accompany you.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that? I thought you had to stay here.¡± ¡°No, I am bound to serve this Faction to the best of my ability¡­ This means I must accompany you to the Contested Lands¡­¡± She answered slowly, looking suddenly as if she was going to be sick. ¡°The horn has sounded¡­ The wild hunt rides.¡± Tilly watched her to see if she would continue, but instead, she pulled her staff from nowhere and gestured to the air. The flame on the end flickered briefly, shooting a spark into the distance. Then a cloud shot down from the sky, almost too fast to follow and she leapt into the air to land on it. ¡°I will go and give this report, then prepare. We stand no chance against what is coming. But you have survived these odds before. Perhaps, with you, I will as well.¡± Then she shot off toward the city, ¡°...Okay. I guess it''s just me and you again, huh girl.¡± He said, looking down the find the Chick happily asleep, and his mana, once again bottomed out without him noticing. A familiar migraine bloomed behind his eyes. He smiled despite the pain and raised his eyebrows at the little creature, who already seemed fractionally bigger. ¡­ An hour later Tilly found himself back in the center of the city. He had taken his time walking back, and his armor had created a fun front pocket for his little rider to cozy up in as he walked, replacing the hidden one that had held her fragment. At first, he thought he would need to head straight to the manor to get any actual information they had been able to get from the Priestess. If anyone could get information out of Erash it was Hiro. For someone who had just been complaining about Origin not being clear in His communication, she certainly didn¡¯t mind handing out riddles of her own. That plan had been dashed as he saw streams of people heading towards one of the main squares of the city. They were talking excitedly about the new buildings, and Tilly figured it would probably be fine if he stopped by to see the new additions to the city. If he remembered correctly, the Commerce Guild building was supposed to be classed as Epic, and he would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t curious about what exactly that would mean. Crowds of people in front of him slowed and thickened as they approached the square, and Tillly found himself just able to see a golden arch peaking over the roofs of the buildings flanking the side street he was stuck on, unable to get any closer to the site. In fact, even the roofs flanking the street were full of people, all trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was happening in the square. Tilly could hear some shouting over the murmur of the crowd, nothing panicked or angry, more like an announcer speaking to the crowd. A few lapins noticed him and began to whisper, spreading word between each other, and sending whatever they were saying up through the crowd. Then to Tilly¡¯s great embarrassment, the crowd slightly parted before him, as Lapins politely but instantly made way for him. Tilly resisted his reflex to refuse the gesture, seeing the amount of pride displayed on the nearest lapin¡¯s face. As much as it made him uncomfortable, to refuse this act would be even more uncomfortable for these people¡­ ¡°Thank you, thanks¡­ Thank you.¡± He muttered over and over as he moved quickly through the opening. They each offered slight bows with polite smiles in response. Tilly tried to avoid making a spectacle as he moved and a minute or two later, he found himself near the front of the crowd in front of the most ostentatious building Tilly had ever seen, rising proudly up from the ground, fronted by beautiful columns, filigreed in gold and silver. The huge metal door stood slightly ajar, and in that gap stood the same elephantine man in a suit Tilly had seen the day before. Facing him was a group of huge individuals, covered in armor and practically radiating power. Tilly tried to Identify one and only got static in return. ¡°Who seeks entry into these hallowed halls?¡± The suited elephant man trumpeted. ¡°Only the lowest of the guild¡¯s servants, Chief. We who have been entrusted to guard the great equalizer of the Plane!¡± Boomed the head guard, looking like he was as much armor as he was flesh. In the midst of the group of guards rested a chest of impressive quality and size. The thing practically screamed, ¡°Treasure chest¡±. ¡°Have you kept the faith? Are your hearts vigilant? Your hands clean?¡± ¡°Yes Chief! We look forward to the accounting of our duty. May it be credited to us as upheld!¡± He answered, saluting loudly against his armor, an echo ringing out from those behind him as they matched his movement with a simultaneous gesture. ¡°Good! Be welcome, and may prosperity flow for all!¡± Answered back the Elephantine man as he stepped out from the door, and it swung wide, revealing something that looked like a fantasy bank, with the granddaddy of all vault doors open behind the counter. The guards picked up their load and marched in to the excited murmurs of the crowd. A quiet voice cut through the noise just to the right of Tilly¡¯s ear, ¡°I have only seen a guild opening ceremony one other time¡­ Quite a sight, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tilly did his best not to jump, as he turned to find Mochizuki standing just behind him, a comfortable smirk on her face at his reaction. ¡°Oh! Hey. What do you need, Mochizuki?¡± ¡°Am I not just another bystander in the crowd?¡± Tilly gave her a flat look and she let out a small laugh, ¡°So you do learn! Very well, look over there.¡± She said, gesturing subtly off to the side of the building where the spectacle was still unfolding. Standing about twenty paces back from where the guard had stopped to complete the ceremony was a figure covered in layers of robes, reminding Tilly of a burka in its complete coverage of the figure''s body. Tilly couldn¡¯t tell anything about the figure except that it was standing just around the corner, making it harder to spot for much of the crowd. ¡°That is Talia, an Auditor from the Auction House. Shuji wrangled our Commerce friend and your friend in the church into an extraordinary negotiation. Sometime tonight, outside the notice of most of the Alliance, the Commerce Guild¡¯s favorite partner will set up shop behind us across the square¡­ just in time for the event scheduled tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh shit, that soon?¡± ¡°Yes, you need to come with me if we are going to be ready in time.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°Oh Gods yes. We would never send you into that den of vipers alone. You are the loud distraction, and I will be your shadow. We need the goods and money they can provide, yes. But even more importantly, we need information. Almost every major power will be present at this Auction after the Plane-wide announcement. All looking for the same things. The auction has always been about much more than the goods it sells.¡± B3. Ch. 21 Trading Places With those words, Mochizuki placidly gestured for them to end the public portion of their discussion, as the murmuring of the crowd quieted and the ceremony concluded. Four of the guards positioned themselves at the Commerce Guild building, two at the door and two near the vault. The Elephantine Chief stood outside and gestured grandly for the doors to close. ¡°Thus concludes the Initiation of our 542nd chapter house!¡± He waved, turning to the crowd as the precious metals worked into the building flared up with power, before fading and leaving behind a glowing enchantment. Tilly tried not to let his mouth fall open as he realized that the gaudy ornamentation had cleverly hidden the runes and lines of a complex working of magic and protection. The golden radiance cast its light over the gathered crowd washing them briefly in its power, before dimming significantly as the spellwork disappeared altogether, hidden once again. Left behind was a stately building, surprisingly reminiscent of some of the older banks in Europe. Except for the glowing symbols that appeared over the door, resolving into two rows of numbers next to a pair of unfamiliar icons. Tilly looked over to Mochizuki, the question evident in his gaze. ¡°Those are the currency exchange rates. The top one is the symbol for Standard Gold and the one below it is the symbol for our Contri-¡± ¡°The Commerce Guild welcomes the Three-Fold Alliance into our illustrious network, and we wish for a long and prosperous partnership.¡± The Chief concluded, gesturing once again, somehow commanding the doors to re-open. The guards stood to the sides of the building, and the rest of the crowd began to disperse with an excited murmur. Most of them did not have any business that required the building yet, but many hoped with hard work and diligence, that would change. Mochizuki continued as the rest of the crowd dispersed around them, ¡°We have agreed to regulate our crafters and vendors to only accept Contribution Points for the next ten years. This will force any outsiders to convert currency to purchase from us locally. We will also of course be purchasing many, many standard gold coins in the coming days to pay for some significant future resources.¡± Tilly nodded, only understanding the economic mechanics in the vaguest sense. He figured the main stake the Guild would have in their alliance initially was the percentage they make off every conversion¡­ but even he knew that the bank probably didn''t just let all that money sit there. He was sure they were investing it all over the place. ¡°Now, it is my understanding that you have some business with the Guild, and it will be good for our reputation if there are some significant conversions on the first day. Would you honor this servant by taking care of this business before meeting back at your dwelling?¡± Tilly smiled, looking back over at the lapin dressed in plain servant clothes. Her eyes were downcast, but that didn¡¯t stop the smirk that had appeared at the edges of her lips. ¡°Yeah, I can do that. They gave me a piece of paper, and I have it here somewh-¡± Even as he began to pat around, he found the thing tucked into his waist-band¡­ If he was honest, he was beginning to find its persistent presence a little creepy. ¡°Yes, and if you would humor this humble servant further, I suggest you transfer all of your Contribution Points into Standard. You might soon find a use for it. Also, even if they are pricey, the keystones are worth it. Very convenient in the right circles. Circles you will soon be frequenting.¡± Tilly looked down at the sheet again, wondering how much it was actually worth. Notice of Refund - {This document can no longer be altered} It has been sealed with an official Skill. This notice of device failure must be turned in by Jonathan Tillman to be exchanged for fiat currency at any Commerce Guild location. Item cannot be lost or stolen.} ¡°What exactly is a keysto-¡± He asked looking up to find the Ninja Infiltrator already gone. He scanned the dispersing crown and found no sign of the lapin woman. ¡°Dammit, she batmanned me¡­¡± He grumbled under his breath. The crowd was pretty much dispersed at this point and Tilly looked around behind him, finding a modest plot cleared across the way, where she had said the Auction House would soon be built. ¡®That makes our second Epic-class building. Which just leaves making a whole lot of money¡­ well that and helping that insane dragon on his quest for revenge.¡± Tilly mentally ticked off the requirements for their next Faction advancement as he headed toward the opening to the fantasy bank. The guards did not react to his approach to the doors, and the chief had already disappeared. Yet even after being open for a few minutes, the large front room was not empty. There were several people that Tilly recognized from the Alliance sitting in front of desks, or comfortable-looking couches speaking with several members of the Commerce Guild. The Guild workers were easy to pick out by their shared attire. They all seemed to be wearing some version of the elephantine tailored suit, each able to operate seamlessly with their diverse physical features. As he walked to the counter, Tilly spotted the Alliance¡¯s head alchemist talking animatedly with the chief through an open door to a back office. Looked like business was booming¡­ Tilly looked down at his primitive armor and shrugged. At this point, he was used to being underdressed and he was sure no one would mind once money was out on the table. He continued to march up to the counter, and the smiling attendant stationed there looked up and greeted him warmly, The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hello, sir! How may we be of service today¡± he asked, revealing rows of pointed teeth. Tilly wasn¡¯t sure, but if he had to guess, he would have pegged the clerk as being part alligator, or whatever mythical source material that pulled from. Identify only tagged him as, Level 42 Guild Clerk ¡°Hey, I''m here to trade this thing in,¡± Tilly said, laying the note down on the counter, ¡°and I need to transfer all of my Contribution Points to Standard Gold. Can you help me with that?¡± ¡°It would be my pleasure!¡± He beamed. His customer service smile was somewhat spoiled by the rows of teeth, but Tilly smiled back, happy to play the game. He had never been the best with money, and banks always struck him as places where shiny fronts for a whole lot of shady deals that he was either too stupid or too poor to know about. The clerk picked up the paper and scanned it quickly, before looking off into the middle distance and reading information from it that Tilly didn¡¯t have access to. His lips turned down into a frown of apparent genuine concern. ¡°Ah, I see... Sir, let me be the first to apologize for the failure of one of our certified commerce items. It is rare but it does, occasionally, happen. The Endless Continent is unfortunately more than capable of sending surprises our way even with our extensive testing and planning.¡± He apologized. ¡°Oh, it''s no problem, it all worked out in the end.¡± Tilly waved away, trying to move through the canned answers as quickly as possible. ¡°Yes, well, I hope this won¡¯t impact your trust in our certified products in the future. Many on the Plane consider it the gold standard of regulatory certifications,¡± he added, twittering at his own joke, before reaching under the counter, to the sound of the clinking of coins. Tilly managed not to wince at the joke as the Clerk continued, ¡°I see you do not have an account with us, and that does give me some leeway in what I am allowed to offer here¡­ Let''s see what I can do.¡± He announced, shuffling coins under the counter for some reason as he explained the payout, ¡°We have a ten times return to your initial failed tax overpayment, which amounts to 7 gold and 4 silver. Then there is the insurance payout for the injury to your person and damages. Which amounts to 32 gold. Finally, as a personal apology, the Guild is prepared to offer you another 5 gold, if you open an account with us today.¡± ¡°Sure¡­ That all sounds fine. How exactly do I access the funds in my account, just withdraw at a guild location?¡± The clerk let out a small laugh at that, ¡°Oh-ho, Sir! Please. We are not some tiny Faction¡¯s economic arm¡­ You, of course, can withdraw funds at any time for hard currency, but many prefer to carry our bank notes, which will be bound to you just like that Notice of Refund was. You can transfer them to another with a flex of your Will, or for our premium members, we offer the issuance of a Keystone. Our certified access item offers constant contact with anything in your account that can be considered a currency, instant exchange rates are available for a small fee of course.¡± ¡°And how much does a Keystone cost?¡± ¡°100 gold, with a monthly fee of 10 gold for upkeep costs.¡± The clerk answered without batting an eye. Tilly stopped to do some mental math before the clerk interrupted his thoughts, his smile widening just slightly as he detected a sale, ¡°Sir, you have 44 gold and 4 silver, along with 668 Contribution Points registered with your Faction. We are currently running a special rate of exchange at 6.7 CP to 1 SG. Which would bring you up to 144 gold, 1 silver, and 1 copper if you converted today.¡± Tilly swallowed at the cost. He guessed that the Keystone was some fantasy equivalent to a debit card, and he could see how that was valuable¡­ but 100 gold? The Clerk stood there patiently, obviously confident in his pitch and hook. There had to be more to it than just instant access to his funds, which he could do with a normal bag¡­ well, maybe a very large bag. But with Mochizuki''s suggestion lingering in the back of his mind, he thought back to the description. A small inkling of the implications formed in his mind. ¡°So, I can keep more than just gold in my account?¡± ¡°Yes Sir, that is correct. If we offer an exchange on it somewhere in the plane, then it qualifies for deposit.¡± ¡®There it is, this must be a broken rule used by the elites of the Plane in some way.¡¯ Tilly thought to himself. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll transfer and go ahead and give me one of those Keystones,¡± Tilly answered, trying not to think about how much 100 gold would have equated to in US dollars¡­ As long as he kept this all as fantasy money in his head, he figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt nearly as much. ¡°Very good sir, that leaves you with 39 gold, 1 silver, and 1 copper.¡± The Clerk said, lifting the coinage from under the desk and placing it on the counter in front of him. The coins were about the size of a half dollar back home, and the four stacks of eleven looked paltry sitting there on the desk when he realized he had just paid 110 to get the fantasy debit card. The clerk nodded, smiling to himself as he took out a dark wooden box inlaid with numerous silver runes, ¡°Place your desired finger on the surface, and it will take a small amount of your blood to bond the keystone to you.¡± The Clerk instructed. Tilly compiled without thinking, playing with his index finger on the top surface of the box. The runes began to crawl all over the wood and glow, as a small pressure exerted itself on the pad of his finger. Nothing happened for several seconds and the runes shined brighter, before suddenly winking out. The box itself began to smoke, and the Clerk frowned in confusion, opening the lid to see a slagged stone melting inside. ¡°Is that supposed to happen?¡± Tilly asked, eyeing the thing he had just paid 100 gold for. ¡°Uh, no sir, my¡­ apologies.¡± Then as if by magic, the elephantine chief was behind him, looking over his shoulder with an aghast expression on his face. ¡°Harold! What is happening here?¡± ¡°Oh! Uh, Sir. The Keystone seemed to have trouble bonding with our new customer. I am not sure what happened.¡± The chief scanned the contents of the counter, including the Notice of Refund, and it clicked for Tilly, ¡°Oh, man. This is my fault. I''m sure you have seen my level, but I have an uncommonly high Endurance stat that sometimes interferes with things like this.¡± The Chief¡¯s eyes flicked to Tilly, then back to the Notice, then back to the slagged Keystone, ¡°Yes, I am beginning to gain a picture of the problem¡­ Not to worry sir, we would be happy to provide you with an appropriate Tier item for the same terms. This is something we should have noticed from the beginning.¡± He said, laying a strong side eye on the clerk, who wilted under the attention. He then reached under the counter and pulled out a metal box inlaid with gold. At this point, Tilly was convinced there was magic bullshit happening under that counter. He doubted they just had all that stuff tucked away under there. ¡°This is our Third Tier Keystone and should be more than enough to meet your needs. It is also nearly unbreakable, and can never be taken from you. Normally this item comes with a cost of 1000 gold and 50 gold per month¡­ But as an apology and a personal promise from our branch to not fail you again, we would like to offer you this at the price of a base Keystone. We at the Guild pride ourselves on our exemplary service, and refuse to have such a promising customer pay for our mistakes.¡± He harumphed, opening the new box with a flourish, and displaying the beautiful ring of inlaid metal, He then closed the box quickly and slid it over to the clerk with a significant look before turning back to Tilly, ¡°Now if you will place your finger on the surface, we can bond it and put this unpleasantness behind us. It is, as always, our pleasure to serve.¡± The Chief concluded, nodding once and turning to go. ¡°Uh, excuse me, but when you say Third Tier, I assume you mean it should be able to bond with anyone with an Endurance under one hundred and fifty, is that correct?¡± B3. Ch. 22 Money Bags The chief turned at his question, blinking slowly and huffing as he took on a patronizing tone, ¡°Yes, honored customer. That is correct, and may I congratulate you on the wonderfully uncommon achievement of tripling your level in a single stat. I have seldom met such a¡­ bold warrior as yourself, and I assure you, this branch''s discretion is assured.¡± The Chief added with a stiff shake of his head. ¡°Now I will leave you in Harold¡¯s more than capable hands and return to my meeting.¡± The chief concluded with a trumpeting harrumph. ¡°Yeah, um¡­ I am sorry to do this to you, but if it stops at 150¡­ it''s not going to work.¡± Tilly responded wincing. The clerk in front of him paled, releasing a small squeal. The Chief¡¯s expression however turned thunderous and he marched back to the counter, his low voice filled with menace. The servile, customer service mask was completely shattered, his disdain on full display. ¡°Listen, human! You are obviously new to the Plane, so let me educate you. The Commerce Guild is a very powerful organization, and we will not be swindled or toyed with. Such a stat spread would be insane and nearly impossible to pull off without some sort of Legendary class. Now you will accept our generous terms and stop causing problems.¡± Even as the lines of Tilly¡¯s wince turned downward into a frown of anger, some part of him sighed in relief. He hated playing games and was glad to finally deal with the real attitudes of this institution. An idea suddenly occurred to him, and his frown relaxed up as fast as it had tightened the lines of his face, ¡°Just to be clear. You want me to attempt to bond with this Keystone as well, and if something goes wrong, it is not my fault?¡± Tilly said, slowly reaching out a finger to the metallic container on the counter. The Chief¡¯s eyes flicked from Tilly to the container and back, and he licked his lips nervously, ¡°Be warned human, if you do anything to intentionally harm that item, the enchantments of this building will not treat you kindly! We have protective measures in place for almost any eventuality.¡± ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t,¡± Tilly smirked, his hand now halfway to the container. ¡°I¡¯m just a happy customer, who completely trusts in the guild¡¯s word and by extension, its certification.¡± He added with a wink. Just before he could lay a finger on the container, the chief snatched it back, confusion and desperation warring across his grey, wrinkled face, as his trunk shivered in distress, ¡°You can not be serious¡­ have you truly done something so idiotic?¡± He asked flabbergasted. ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± Tilly said, shrugging as his attempt to touch the object was blocked. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on the reason, but he found something about the whole situation delightful. Did elephants sweat? He couldn¡¯t remember. Kindle chose that moment to poke her head out of his little front pocket, cheeping hungrily up at him. ¡°Sorry girl, I¡¯ll feed you as soon as I¡¯m done here.¡± He said with a little scratch to her head. She peeped tiredly and snugged back into her warm space against his chest. The elephantine¡¯s eyes flashed with a system notification and his mouth slowly fell open, ¡°You have bonded a¡­ phoenix? What¡¯s next?! A dragon in your pocket!?¡± He asked breathlessly, clutching the higher-tier Keystone to his chest protectively. ¡°Look, I have things to do. Can I get a refund or something? I also think another one of those insurance payouts would probably be appropriate in this situation, don¡¯t you?¡± Tilly asked, ready to move things along. If the third-tier Keystone was valued at one thousand gold, then he doubted they would even carry a fourth tier in this branch considering it was brand new. As he watched the elephantine flap his ear in thought, Tilly wondered how much of this Mochizuki anticipated when she made her suggestion. ¡°Yes, yes, another Notice of Refund would be more than appropriate,¡± The Chief blurted in a whisper, jumping on the request suddenly, as if afraid of being overheard. Yet even as he did, a line of runes began to glow an angry red around the borders of the counter, completely unnoticed by the Chief as he leaned toward Tilly hungrily. He had locked eyes with Tilly and was urgently running figures under his breath. The Clerk to his right, however, immediately looked down as the magic began to glow and swallowed noticeably. ¡°If we pay out two issuances¡­ it would be noted by headquarters.¡± The Chief continued, thinking furiously, a slight sheen of panic begging to glitter in his eyes, ¡°Alright Mr. Tillman! I am prepared to offer you double the rate in damages if you consent to keep this between us!¡± He almost demanded, like a drowning man reaching for a float. The runes went from red to smoldering at the words, releasing actual heat into the nearby air. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°What, Harold? Can¡¯t you see I am busy fixing your mess!¡± the Chief hissed back, his eyes fixed on Tilly. However, the object of his intense attention began to back away from the glowing heat. Even with his resistances, he did not like the look of that spellform. The chief watched his reaction, confusion returning to his large features, before finally looking down, and discovering that the growing heat in the room was more than his imagination. ¡°By the gods! What have you done now, Harold?!¡± The Clerk stepped forward urgently and whispered his response in a panicked voice, attempting in vain to hide his answer from the customer before him. ¡°Sir, you already offered an ¡®appropriately tiered Keystone¡¯ to the client. I think the enchantments registered that as a guild commitment, and now that you are a branch chief¡­¡± His words trailed off, allowing the implications of the Chief¡¯s new office to speak for themselves. ¡°What!? We only have one Fourth-Tier in our inventory allowance!¡± The chief whisper-yelled back. ¡°It is for unexpected VIPs only. Not this¡­¡± The chief turned toward Tilly and realized that his responses were well within Tilly''s hearing range. ¡°Ahhmm¡± He cleared his throat noisily, before coughing several times as he looked back down at the threat of the enchantments on the counter. Tilly watched in fascination as the grey skin of the humanoid elephant actually changed hues. He swayed on his feet as he spoke his next sentence, regurgitating each word in an incredible display of emotional nausea. ¡°It would¡­¡± He, paused, fighting down a surge of bile, ¡°Be our pleasure, to offer you a fourth-tier Keystone. As a sign of respect to your, Um¡­ station,¡± He continued robotically, ¡°We do not charge for this tier. Consider it a gift from the Guild, a sign of our respect.¡± The Elephantine chief deflated as he reluctantly finished what was clearly a rote line. Saying those words might as well have sucked the last of his life from his body, and he finished as more husk than elephant man. He waved vaguely at the Clerk to finish up, and stumbled back to his office. Tilly almost felt bad for the guy, until he remembered that this was a bank, and he was probably worried about losing some first-quarter bonus. Tilly shook any empathy from his mind and shifted his gaze to the shell-shocked Clerk, who watched his boss shuffle away with a wide-eyed look of self-concern. It reminded Tilly of the bystanders he would often have to shoo away from car accidents when they built up on sidewalks like sardines, gawking at other people''s tragedies. ¡°So¡­ Can I see this thing?¡± He prompted. The Clerk flinched, before swallowing and turning toward Tilly with a pale nod, ¡°Certainly, Sir. It¡¯s our pleasure to serve.¡± He choked out, fumbling under the counter, as the angry red light of the enchantment slowly cooled before fading altogether. A faint chime interrupted Tilly¡¯s careful watch of the now hidden spell, and the Clerk pulled out a crystal container, holding it reverently. This one, like the others, resembled a small ring box, except instead of wood or velvet, it was made of what might have been a diamond. The Clerk slid it forward gently, ¡°Your finger¡­ Sir.¡± He said, finally regaining some of his confidence, along with that faint whiff of snobbery. Tilly pushed his hand forward, reaching for the box, and accidentally letting one of his celestial bracelets slip out of his sleeve. A small gasp accompanied his contact with the top of the box, and Tilly looked up just in time to catch the telltale flash of an ocular skill being used. He scowled up at the Clerk, as a luminous glow blossomed up from the box, shining like a prism dispersing light into its broad colorful spectrum. The Clerk¡¯s nosiness forgotten, Tilly looked down in wonder, as he slowly pulled back his hand, and the lid to the container opened on its own. Inside, was a perfect ring formed of a crystal that seemed to refract a different color depending on how long Tilly watched it. The effect was not ostentatious. Rather, it only seemed apparent after you watched it for a few seconds. Then the effect seemed to deepen the closer he looked at it, and without thinking, he reached out and picked it up between his two fingers, engrossed in its many colorful facets. A notification dropped into his log as he picked up the object, Congratulations, you have bonded a Legendary item. As this item is soul-bound, it can not be stolen or lost while you live. Warning bonding multiple items of the same type can have severe consequences. Tilly cleared the notification and found the Clerk watching the item in rapturous awe. After a moment of failing to capture the bank worker''s eye, he cleared his throat. The Clerk''s eyes shot up from the ring and found Tilly¡¯s again, now glowing with envy. ¡°Mind telling me what else this thing can do?¡± Tilly asked, giving the small object a playful shake, and causing the Clerk¡¯s frown to deepen. ¡°As I said earlier. It will give you instant access to your funds as well as instant exchange rates for any currency of your choice. There are no fees associated with this tier and it is impossible to lose or break. You can choose an inheritor upon your death, but otherwise, it cannot be passed on to another. Finally, this tier comes with the ability to deposit and withdraw upon contact. The others are limited to expanding into a subspace opening that you may reach through and manipulate with your will. This Tier automates all of that. In some cultures, it is even referred to as a world ring¡­¡± The Clerk clenched his many teeth biting off any further explanation. Tilly''s giddy smile was a stark counterpoint to the Crocodilian¡¯s consternation. Already, different possibilities were running through his head, ¡°Limited to currency, right?¡± ¡°That is correct sir. If we accept it as a deposit, and it is unattached to another¡¯s ownership, it may be deposited into your account upon contact.¡± Tilly fought down a giggle, until a sudden thought crashed his parade, ¡°Wait, how will this interact with teleportation? Don¡¯t they explode or something?¡± ¡°Sir, It is precisely for this reason that we created this item to be soul-bound. The key to the spellwork is hidden in your soul and will not interact with a teleport spell unless you attempt to use it simultaneously with teleportation magic¡­¡± The Clerk explained tiredly, doing his best to impersonate a burnt-out elementary school teacher. ¡°Got it. No looting while teleporting.¡± Tilly joked to the flat-eyed face on the other side of the counter. The Clerk looked lost, like he no longer understood his place in the world. ¡°Well, thanks.¡± Tilly followed up awkwardly. ¡°-Our pleasure to serve¡± The clerk answered absently, glancing back at the now-shut door of the office. Tilly nodded and turned quickly, eyeing the huge armored guards, as he hurried past them, slipping on his new, almost inventory ring. While he didn¡¯t mind how things had ended up, he did not like how he had clearly been used in some sort of power play between his Faction and the Commerce Guild. Well, he didn¡¯t actually mind that so much as walking into another situation having literally no idea what was going on. B3. Ch. 23 Big Dragon Energy On the way back to his room, Tilly couldn¡¯t help but glance down at his hand every minute or so. The multifaceted dark ring glittered knowingly back up at him and he wondered how noticeable it was to the people passing him on the road. He had never been a big jewelry guy, metal accessories and firefighting just didn¡¯t mix that well. He had managed to more or less ignore the bracelets seeing as how they sat under his sleeves most of the time. But with the new, very expensive ring added into the mix, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he had just walked off the set of Saturday Night Fever. Sure, he had regrown an arm yesterday, but for some strange reason, that had felt more par for the course than his new style choices. He understood his old life was gone, hell, he fought monsters on an almost daily basis now. But this¡­ this felt different, it felt like something new, but no longer foreign. He was different, and not all of those differences made sense to him right now. It wasn¡¯t that he hated or loved the growing power or wealth¡­ Both had been true at one point or another in the last few weeks. No, what he was having trouble wrapping his head around was how natural it was beginning to feel. This was his life now¡­ and surprisingly, that was starting to bother him less and less. Walking through the streets however was not the same as meditating deeply over the internal implications of these changes, so he pulled a classic Tilly and shoved those thoughts down for later. As he navigated the busy streets, he unconsciously tugged on the cuffs of his jacket, covering the already hidden bracelets. Then that strange shivering sensation hit him again along his arms, and he looked down to watch the sleeves spontaneously grow two inches, falling at the first joint of his thumb. ¡°Thanks,¡± He breathed down to his jacket, once again struck by how sensitive it was to his needs, and what it was willing to do to help him. Well, not all his needs¡­ It had never once changed to block a deadly blow. But that thing it had done to create a place to keep Kindle¡¯s tiny fracture had meant a lot. Almost as if it could hear his thoughts, the armor squeezed him around the shoulders and upper back in an eerie facsimile of a hug. Tilly tried not to shiver at the sudden thought of wearing something that might very well be sentient. Especially considering he had still not located anything that could suitably serve as boxers. Tilly sighed in relief when the sliding door to his humble abode came up on his right. He stepped up and opened it, not hesitating to enter his own home. He was not at all prepared to find, not just Mochizuki waiting for him in his rooms, but the Auction House Auditor themselves. Both of them were sitting comfortably on their knees at a low table. Tilly had never seen the table before, but it now sat naturally in the center of his one-room house, hosting a pleasant-looking tea ceremony. Tilly looked down at the threshold of his house and saw two pairs of sandals present near the door¡­ ¡®Shit! they removed their shoes!¡¯ ¡°Excuse me a moment,¡± Tilly breathed, attempting to sound as calm as possible as he stepped back out and closed the sliding door without hesitation. He had barely caught the look on their faces as his shallow distraction moved to block them from his sight. ¡®Ok, read the room, Tilly¡­ I have to take off my moccasins if I don¡¯t want to be rude. That is not good considering I must absolutely stink. Nose-blindness, you are my Bane!¡¯ Tilly rushed through all of his options, and in a split-second decision, activated Flame¡¯s Wrath, covering himself in hungry blue fire. He especially pushed the outflow through his feet making sure to incinerate any grime or funk that had collected there over the days of training and walking. He canceled the Ability after what must have been less than a second and allowed himself a quick serious look, up and down the street, but didn¡¯t hear any shocked screams and only saw a few people glance over at him in curiosity. Kindle however tweeted happily from his front pocket, before snuggling back to sleep after her short snack. Tilly took a deep breath and opened the sliding door again, greeting both of his guests with a small polite bow. Making sure to school his face to nonchalance before he looked back up, he stepped in and removed his shoes calmly, adding his primitive moccasins to the neat row to the side of his door. ¡°Welcome to my humble home, I am glad to see you have already made yourself comfortable.¡± He addressed them in what he hoped wasn¡¯t too stiff a voice. As was typical, he was completely lost on what etiquette was appropriate in this situation, but at least this time, he had avoided two major social pitfalls before starting the conversation. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Mr. Tillman! It is my pleasure to introduce you to Talia, the Auction House Assessor assigned to our humble Faction. Please join us and have some tea.¡± Mochizuki answered, gesturing demurely with a smile that pulled slightly at the edges of her mouth. ¡°Mr. Tillman, it is an honor to meet you. As you can imagine, I have heard quite a lot about you in my short stay here.¡± The Assessor stated in a smooth, female voice, carrying an accent that was familiar in a vague sort of way. ¡°Only good things I hope!¡± Tilly answered with false cheer as he settled down at the table, noting that Mochizuki was already pouring him a steaming cup of tea. He nodded to her gratefully, and immediately took a sip, enjoying the warmth without any threat of discomfort due to his heat resistance and high Endurance. ¡°Now, how can I help you?¡± He asked, attempting to hold on to his polite demeanor in the face of another one of Mochizuki¡¯s surprises. ¡°As you know, my organization is committed to opening a branch in your Faction. You have been put forward as a representative, and I hope I am not too forward in this¡­ But I am here to test your quality.¡± The Assessor answered without batting an eye. Tilly tried not to stiffen in response, and Mochizuki chimed in, ¡°Mr. Tillman. Feel free to be as direct and open with Talia as you would a close ally. She is bound by many heavy oaths to maintain client privilege, and will not share what she hears here with anyone. Even most of the people in her organization will not know the details of who you are and what you are capable of. It is why so many trust them with such precious and at times delicate business.¡± ¡°Yes, the advantages of the Auction House are well known. But the question here is: What level of auction shall we allow you access to? Your Faction will gain access to an inventory of plane-wide goods we facilitate for our 15% fee. But that is the common stock, available to all in our network. What makes you worth allowing access to our highest-level event?¡± Tilly took in her words and breathed through them. He was getting heavy interview vibes, and he had never, ever done well trying to talk himself up before a future boss. He glanced over at Mochizuki and she gave him a slight nod, her eyes flashing briefly with a plea. ¡®Hmm, maybe this wasn¡¯t as planned as I thought. Which means I need to play this carefully¡­ I can¡¯t be myself, that never works¡­ I don¡¯t know nearly enough to be polite or try to play politician... looks like that leaves one option; Go full Risky Business.¡¯ The polite smile that had sat uncomfortably on Tilly''s lips slowly turned downward, and his shoulders relaxed, matching the angle of his falling frown almost perfectly. Then in a fit of inspiration, he activated the Dragon Emissary armor set, causing a rippling change to run down his equipment. He was pleased to note that the pocket holding Kindle was seamlessly transitioned to a front dress pocket on his new scaled suit jacket. ¡®Armor, you are sooo getting a bonus when this is all done.¡¯ he thought toward the equipment, not at all sure if it could read his mind or not. The momentary change released the slight after-aroma of smoke from his hasty immolation outside the door, and he slowly placed his hands on the table, joining each of his fingertips in a pose he imagined a boardroom CEO might take on in the middle of negotiations. The move had the added bonus of fully displaying his fancy new ring and his Celestial Bracelets. ¡°Well, if you are here to determine quality, I should probably put my best foot forward.¡± He finally spoke, voice dripping with unfelt scorn as he picked up his cup of tea again and slurped loudly. ¡°While we never force exact figures from our sources, I have it on good authority that your liquid purchasing power is¡­ underwhelming,¡± she stated slowly, searching out his transformation as she delivered the line, her eyes lingering on the ring. Then Tilly felt the slight mental pressure he had learned signified someone using Identify and his newly settled Dragon¡¯s Aura, roared through the room. Tilly was only slightly satisfied to see the cup in the Assessor''s hand shiver briefly before calming to stillness. Wanting to capitalize on the moment, he answered her veiled question with a rejoinder that was utter bullshit, ¡°I assure you, the majority of my resources are well beyond your information network. I plan to sell extremely rare materials at your auction, and I will purchase any trinkets I see while I am there.¡± Then Tilly paused, allowing his frown to slowly climb up into a predatory smile. It was much less difficult that he expected to lean into the draconic mindset that came with this armor set and he briefly wondered if that was due to unwelcome mental influence¡­ or even more disturbingly, if the armor awakened something that had always been there. ¡°This is all, of course, if my humble quality merits such access.¡± He finished languidly, covering over his sudden internal doubt with as much oozing confidence as possible. The Assessor''s eyes drilled into Tilly as he relaxed holding his empty cup in both hands. Under her gaze, he found that much of his initial nervousness had faded away. He knew he was spouting bullshit¡­ but at the end of the day, he had looked much scarier things in the eyes and lived to tell the tale. He had already faced battles far more perilous than this, and he pulled on those experiences, drowning the room in his aura. She blinked once, very slowly, and then released a small breath, ¡°Very well, it seems that some of my sources were less informed than they thought. I am always happy to be wrong, and I hope you can excuse the passion in which we, at the Auction House, perform some of our duties.¡± she finished, any sign of being caught off guard, erased from her posture. Tilly dipped his chin slightly at the admission, and the Assessor stood smoothly to her feet. ¡°Mochizuki, thank you for your introduction. Mr. Tillman, I think I am going to enjoy working with you.¡± She said, faint lines pulling slightly at her eyes, in a brief suggestion of a smile. Then she glided around the table, and was out the door, in a surprisingly graceful but quick motion, leaving the two of them sitting at the table. As soon as the door slid shut, Mochizuki held up her hand, and a faint pulse radiated from her, washing Tilly in static briefly before the noise in the room went back to normal. Then she let out a huge sigh. B3. Ch. 24 AP Fantasy World History ¡°Forgive me for that Mr. Tillman. She caught me on the street and asked politely where I was headed¡­ It is not wise to lie to an Auditor, something I am very thankful you did not try.¡± she said, a load visibly falling from her shoulders as she poured both of them more tea. ¡°Yeah, I figured something was off. How did I do?¡± ¡°Honestly? That was drastically better than I feared. The inscrutable use of a full-body fire Ability was an incredible way to take the initiative, one that someone of her stature would never dream of addressing, but would wonder about for the rest of the meeting. ¡°Yeah, that''s exactly what I was going for.¡± Tilly laughed nervously. Mochizuki¡¯s eyes sharpened, her gaze zeroing in on Tilly¡¯s newly acquired ring, ¡°Now, tell me¡­ Is that what I think it is?¡± She asked. Her expression had moved from relief to wonder in a split second, the shift so jarring that Tilly almost did a double take, before narrowing his eyes at the female lapin. ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you plan all this?¡± ¡°Mr. Tillman! After Ichiro¡¯s report, I thought putting the Guild further in your debt would be prudent considering what we are about to face. I hoped for a report to headquarters, or perhaps another payout for damages¡­ but this? I can¡¯t even Identify what you are wearing! It must be Third Tier.¡± She breathed, leaning in close to Tilly''s hand. Tilly watched her for an uncomfortable few seconds as she examined the ring from multiple angles. She had done her share of scheming, but it appeared that even their resident ninja could be caught flat-footed. He decided to let the suspicion of her higher-level scheming go and just trust her. ¡°I did what you suggested, Mochizuki. I paid for and received a Keystone, one that is appropriate to my stat levels.¡± He finally answered, allowing a sheepish smile to break up his harder gaze. ¡°Apparently, no one expected me to have any stats in the fourth tier, especially Endurance. It made bonding with anything under the Fourth Tier impossible. I didn¡¯t know this and neither did the branch Chief, so he committed early in the conversation to upgrade me without charging more than the base price.¡± At that, Mochizuki jerked her gaze up at him sharply, almost as if she had been struck, ¡°Jonathan Tillman! Did you say Fourth Tier?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He smiled, feeling only slightly smug at her surprised reaction. ¡°When I saw you in the capitol, I would never have thought that you would be striking dragons and wearing their skin.¡± She said, her shock softening into a somewhat teasing smile. ¡°Yeah, you know that''s not what happened.¡± he deadpanned back, ¡°This is still my armor, it¡¯s just that it can change forms depending on what I give it as a catalyst.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll leave what you have been feeding your clothes out of this for now.¡± She said, pivoting, ¡°Now, I may not have been able to recognize this ring, but others will, and with your level completely obscured by this form, our capabilities at the auction tomorrow have just vastly increased.¡± ¡°Yeah, about that. If at all possible, I need as much information as I can get if you don¡¯t want me to shove my foot in my mouth the whole time. I guess we just found out that I can play ¡®rich asshole¡¯ with the best of them but I definitely need more of a game plan than that. I know we want to sell our Dragon Glass, and somehow gather information. The rest¡­ I need you to fill in.¡± Mochizuki nodded firmly at his request, her expression growing serious, ¡°The Alliance can and will purchase what we need through the Auction House kiosk at their markup. This will be essential in procuring some rarer crafting ingredients that we do not have access to locally. The most recent report from the Rangers hints at a much richer untapped region in our surrounding mountains than what was first surveyed by the empire.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Our mission is about much more than procuring a few Epic items. I do have a target list to look out for during the auction phases of the mission and our budget will be set by whatever our dragon glass ingots sell for. We will even have some help to make sure the price goes as high as possible.¡± ¡°Wow, we have ingots already?¡± ¡°Yes, in what is becoming a surprise to no one, the forge the smithy received for its participation in the most recent Quest can melt the glass at a high mana cost to our crafters. We can¡¯t make anything complicated yet, but everyone who works with the substance is gaining experience at unprecedented rates. We are also iterating a few ideas with our new priests and acolytes that will make the few things we are able to produce before the auction very attractive to the right buyers.¡± ¡°Ok, so we hope our stuff sells for a lot of gold, then we use that money to make some purchases of our own¡­ wait, how do you know when our goods will sell?¡± ¡°We do not know for sure, but we have been informed that typically the newest sellers to the auction are given the unfavorable position of an early spot in the event. This should actually work to our advantage, so we will hope nothing has changed. ¡°Got it. Keep an eye out for whatever is on your list, and buy it with our new funds. Why do I feel like that is the easy part?¡± Mochizuki¡¯s serious expression slipped again, and the edges of her mouth twitched briefly, ¡°Yes, Mr. Tillman, that is very much the easy part. What comes next is far more dangerous. If we don¡¯t perform well, we risk moving into the next arena of this war almost completely blind. Now I need you to pay close attention as I outline the typical procedure for these events, and the major players expected to attend.¡± ¡­ They prepped for hours, only interrupted by a kind elderly lapin woman who dropped off a new tray for tea, and then dinner an hour later. Mochizuki covered everything from the typical order of proceedings at auction to how bidders, buyers, and sellers were all kept anonymous. They would be given teleport access to the venue just before the start and then be led to a private booth, one with a full view of the auction stage and the ¡°bidding arena¡±. In their booth, they would receive a control crystal that would connect to a randomly assigned auction flag. The flags would all be planted on the arena floor and would rise as the owner of each respective control crystal bid on an item. The flag that soared above all others represented the winner of each item. The item would then be packaged and delivered discreetly to the winner after the event was over. Tilly found the whole thing fascinating and might even have been excited until he heard about what made the auction a must-attend event for many of the powers on the Plane. Every ten items, the whole event would pause for a short break. The bidding arena would be opened to the occupants of the booths and the flags would rise out of the way, clearing the space. Then tables and drinks would be set out, allowing the guests to mingle until the next round of items was ¡°prepared¡± This was of course a fiction and a key part of the allure of the event. You could meet on neutral grounds with possible future allies or even better, collect intel on enemies. For some of the major powers, not showing up to the event was tantamount to a declaration of weakness. Other more obscure forces on the Plane attended the event but never bothered to emerge from their booths. To make matters even more complicated, the view from the booths remained active the entire time, so instead of participating in the ¡®cosmic cocktail party¡¯, you could choose to observe and take copious notes on the other attendees. Mochizuki even believed that her natural hearing was good enough to catch many of the conversations happening on the floor, depending on their position. She also warned him not to Identify anyone due to the backlash he would undoubtedly suffer because of level disparity. Instead, she made a list of possible attendees, their expected appearance, and the name of the Faction they represented. Reginald, the spymaster for the Tower of Light, had come through big time, sharing a full report with Mochizuki. The current leader of the Tower would be in attendance but would be keeping well away from them to maintain their cover. She had received the report through Mateus the day before, memorizing it and passing it along to the council before they tasked her with preparing him for the auction tomorrow. They worked on it for hours, even with Mochizuki cutting out as much nonessential information as she could so as not to ¡°unnecessarily burden him when he had such an important role to play¡±. Tilly however could read between the lines just like anyone else, and he was sure that the whole thing was set up with his¡­ below average Intelligence stat in mind. Anyways, she would be with him every step of the way and would be able to help him navigate anything they didn¡¯t anticipate. That is not to say there wasn¡¯t a lot of information to cover. After four fascinating hours of lecturing on the major powers and alliances currently ruling the plane, Tilly was wrung out. It was just a lot. He felt like he was back in high school, taking AP Fantasy World History, but everything he was learning might help him stay alive if he managed to survive whatever plane-wide fight was building. It genuinely was fascinating, but by the end, Tilly was seeing dots. Even the occasional cute distraction of Kindle popping out of his pocket and demanding to be fed stopped breaking up the giant information block after a while. Seeing that they had run out of mental roadway, Mochizuki gave one final run-through, covering the names of the largest Factions and their likely representatives. Tilly nodded along, even mouthing some of the unfamiliar terms to try and get them straight. As she completed the list, she clapped her hands in triumph and pulled out a clay bottle with fresh glasses. Tilly raised his eyebrows as she poured out a light green liquid that smelled slightly vinegary and sweet. ¡°Mr. Tillman, everything we have reviewed is important, but none of them equal the importance of the start of this lesson. The rules that govern this event are paramount. I will repeat them one more time, and then we will drink.¡± she said, sliding Tilly¡¯s cup over to him. ¡°These laws are practically sacred. To break them is to lose access to the Auction House for your entire Faction. No exceptions. They are simple to remember yet incredibly complex to navigate in a room full of exceptions to almost every natural law on the Plane.¡± B3. Ch. 25 Late nights all around. Tilly took a deep breath, swimming back through the sea of information he had tried to absorb over the course of the night to the start of their conversation, ¡°I think I remember all three, mind if I give it a shot?¡± Tilly asked, scrubbing the heel of his hand over his red eyes. ¡°Please, go ahead.¡± ¡°Ok, rule number one, no using Abilities. No one knows how they track them, but they do. This is to minimize the risk of magical conflict on the arena floor. Skills and natural magic, ungoverned by the system, are dangerous and frequent exceptions to this rule.¡± ¡°Yes! Very good, Mr. Tillman. No one may attempt to affect or control you through a class Ability, but, for example, you will find a female mermaid very difficult to deny, if you are not careful.¡± Tilly nodded along, deciding to rattle off the other dangerous charismatic races that he could remember while they were on the subject,¡°I also need to look out for, succubi, sirens, fae, and¡­ what was the other one, with the eyes?¡± ¡°The name is less important than the concept. Any being whose eyes draw on your attention must be guarded against. That Aura that I felt earlier will do much for you in this regard, but you have to notice the influence to resist it.¡± ¡°Rule of thumb: be suspicious of any interesting eyes, got it,¡± Tilly confirmed before continuing, ¡°Rule number two, no physical contact with the other guests, this rule is targeted at keeping any guest from harming one another, but is broad enough to try and cover all the weird things these guys could possibly do to me with a touch. Mental influence, as long as it is not tied to an Ability, is a grey area that most do not risk. The same goes for airborne poison, pheromones and a few other things that Rule number two does not cover.¡± Tilly took a deep breath, ¡°Finally, rule number three, never bid money you do not have.¡± he finished with a wink, raising his glass, ¡°And¡­ that''s it. This is going to be a piece of cake.¡± He finished. Mochizuke matched his motion with a mischievous smile and they both took a drink. Tilly found the liquid to be strangely light on his tongue, the slight burn that he had come to associate with alcohol in his old life was gone, leaving behind the layer of tangy sweetness, followed by a pinch of dryness. ¡°Yes, I believe they will have pastries at the event!¡± the lapin followed up with an exhale. Tilly marveled down at his own empty cup. He had tried sake one or two times in his last life, but this was in a league of its own, ¡°Woah! This is good!¡± He said, sliding his cup over for another pour. Mochizuki smiled as she refilled his glass, ¡°We have just finished producing our first batch, and I am quite pleased with the product, apparently we have someone with the Vintner class, and their Abilities along with our agriculturally talented citizens are creating some incredible products.¡± ¡°Unfortunately¡­ or perhaps fortunately,¡± she added with a twinkle in her eye, ¡°With your Endurance, it would take a lake of this to even begin to affect or impair you, so your enjoyment of our newest product will be limited to taste for the foreseeable future.¡± She said, sliding his cup back over to him. ¡°To the sweetness of a job well executed,¡± she declared, lifting her cup again. ¡°And outsmarting rich assholes,¡± He added, lifting his own glass in agreement. Then they both knocked back their cups of Threefold sake. They finished the bottle over the next few minutes, and just like that Mochizuki was heading out, ¡°I will see you at least a stick before noon in the main square, there, away from prying eyes, we will do our final preparations. Come in your normal armor, we want to keep your emissary persona separate from the Alliance for as long as possible. ¡°Got it. Hey, Mochizuki, thanks for taking the time to get me up to speed. Everything and everyone has been so busy since the day I got here, including me, and I know you probably still have a hundred things to do before tomorrow¡­ So I guess I am trying to say, I appreciate it.¡± The lapin slipped on her sandals, a demure smile playing on her lips as she paused at the door, ¡°Mr. Tillman, this was the optimal use of time to fulfill my duty to our people. You are right, none of us has the luxury to sit and enjoy what we have built just yet, but even one¡¯s duty can be enjoyable occasionally, don''t you think?¡± She finished with a wink, before turning and exiting the door gracefully. Tilly grinned and definitely didn¡¯t flush at the mercurial spy, whose personality seemed completely malleable to any occasion. The soft close of the door caused Kindle to peep tiredly from his dress pocket, and Tilly looked down, ¡°Sorry girl. It has been a long night, hasn¡¯t it?¡± he said, sending a burst of flame mana down to the center of his chest. He let her bask in its warmth for a minute before flexing his will and changing his armor back into its base form. The suit was surprisingly comfortable, moving with him almost as if it was a second skin, but there was no way in hell he was going to sleep in something so ridiculous, no matter how comfortable. No one should sleep in a suit.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. After the transformation finished running down his body, he flopped on the bed, a huge yawn cracking his jaw. It looked like tomorrow was going to be a huge headache. ¡­ He awoke just as soft light began to filter in through the mats that made up the squares of his sliding door. Not that it was the light that awoke him. No, it was the small, and surprisingly sharp beak pecking insistently at his forehead, accompanied by images of some sort of animal Tilly didn¡¯t recognize, completely engulfed in flames. ¡®...I am assuming that you are asking for breakfast?¡¯ he sent back groggily. Cheep! Tilly sat up, gently picking up the phoenix, and pulling her away from her favorite spot on his face. She perched on his palm, giving him an impatient avian side eye, which elicited a small smile even through his morning fog. ¡®Here you go,¡¯ he sent along with a steady flow of flame mana down his arm. It burst from his palm in a surge of blue fire that dampened down almost immediately as the phoenix started absorbing the heat in earnest. She trilled in excitement and pulled on his Mana Pathways hungrily, like a baby on a bottle. Tilly chuckled as he watched her ruffle her down in satisfaction while she absorbed his flame. She ate a surprising amount and almost half his mana was gone by the time the pull on his Pathways decreased. ¡®This is definitely more than you were eating last time at this age¡­¡¯ he sent to her ruefully. She cheeped happily in response, sending a terrifying image of¡­ a sun exploding? The concept was so intense and surprising that Tilly barely had time to take it in before it was gone. ¡®What the-¡¯ ¡­ Despite the somewhat ominous message from his bonded, Tilly managed to grab some breakfast for himself and hurried out the door. As usual, the city was already bustling with activity, and while Tilly could not yet see the sun in the sky, it was already full daylight. His little testing team was probably waiting for him already at the army¡¯s staging area. He cut his usual path through the streets at an easy jog and was halfway across the parade ground, dodging coalescing formations of soldiers, when he took a moment to look back at the mountain. Something about the quiet morning filled with the bustle of preparation tugging at his mind. He gazed up at its peak which was made up of bare, slate-colored stone pushing up front the shroud of trees that covered its slopes. Even now, knowing what was hidden in the temple near its peak, and what slumbered in its depths, Tilly found nothing special in the mountain¡¯s appearance. He didn¡¯t even sense anything coming from that direction. Not that he had particularly powerful magical senses, but he figured with his connection to the two Facets, and the fact that he might be some sort of Emissary for the monster that would emerge in a day or two, he should have felt something. But its appearance and feel belayed any of those realities, and Tilly wished for a moment that its apparent normalcy was actual instead of imagined. He could head out on a quest or two, find some dungeons¡­ The stuff he had always dreamed about when he gamed. He sighed, patting his pocket where Kindle had begun to stir at the shift in his mood. With everything that was happening, he wasn¡¯t sure how he felt. Each situation had once again seemed to demand his reaction, and the pace of events was only growing. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to really meditate since he had left on the initial quest to find the Bloom, and now here he was, running from one thing to the next all over again. Yes, things were getting crazier by the day, but he refused to lose himself in all this. Ever since he had been cleansed of Corruption, he had felt¡­ lighter. The reality of the threat they faced pushed down on him constantly, but without some disgusting parasite trying to take over his body, he was beginning to feel like he could push back. He was still him. Still that boy, who wanted to be a hero, the husband who thought he could take on the world for his family, the father who would do anything to see his little girl smile. Each of those identities had been shattered by the pain life can bring, leaving him broken and listless. But now? Now he had a chance to be a hero again, to take on the world for those under his care, and maybe even make a better future for those kids¡­ well young adults. Tilly turned away from the mountain, promising himself that whatever happened after the auction, he would make time to meditate. He needed to stay rooted in who he was, going to do whatever it was Origin thought he could. He moved through the parade ground with renewed energy, spotting Gorock bellowing at a group of new recruits a little to his left. He gave the goat man a wide berth, not wanting to get caught up in some pissing contest on such a busy morning. He made it the rest of the way to the army staging ground without incident and found Marq and Julius lounging in the shade of a tent with some steaming bowls in hand. ¡°Good morning guys! Sorry I¡¯m behind, I had a late night last night,¡± He called as he jogged up. Julius looked up and raised an eyebrow, making Tilly regret his choice of words immediately. Marq smiled in his direction, ¡°So did we! I went on my first night patrol, and even after several days, we still found a group of strigoi roaming the plains a few miles out from the wall! We crushed them!¡± he added exuberantly. Hearing that they had recently gotten back from a patrol made Tilly feel even more like an idiot, but before he could put his foot any further down his throat, Julius cut in. ¡°So what''s the plan? Do we need anything special today?¡± Taking the offering for what it was, Tilly jumped at a chance to get down to business, ¡°Yeah, I need projectiles¡­ a lot of them.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The Vet answered, turning to look musingly at the group of tents behind him, ¡°Mountain patrol just returned and they got chow before us. A bunch of those bow pullers should still be around here somewhere...¡± ¡°That would be great-¡± ¡°RANGERS, UP AND AT¡¯EM!¡± Julius called out before Tilly could even finish his sentence, and to Tilly¡¯s horror, half-asleep men began to stumble out of their tents, called away from their well-earned post-patrol rest. ¡°Looks like you lot just got called up on special duty! Gear up, we leave in thirty breaths.¡± The Bastion bellowed happily, not at all missing his opportunity to mess with another branch of the Alliance¡¯s armed forces. Several members of the unit in question shot dirty, bloodshot glances Tilly¡¯s way, before diving into their tents to grab their gear. ¡®Looks like this is shaping up to be a real winner of a morning¡­¡¯ Tilly thought glumly to himself as he fought the urge to cover his face in shame. A few minutes later, twenty Rangers, headed by Subcommander Nyuk himself, had formed up in front of Tilly. Tilly tried to catch the lapin¡¯s eye, but the bastard stared hard forward ignoring him completely. ¡°Looks like we are ready to head out, boss,¡± Julius announced happily as he surveyed the surly unit before them. ¡°Yep, looks that way,¡± Tilly grumbled back. B3. Ch. 26 Bullet speed. Nyuk kept up the cold shoulder act right up until he heard Tilly¡¯s plan for the next test, ¡°Human, are you crazy?... Actually, no one needs you to answer that. Maybe your Identify is broken. None of my men are below 40, and Gods, I¡¯ve somehow made it to level 52! Let me tell you that Bottleneck is a real-¡± ¡°Alright! Enough jawing, none of us gets to sleep until this is done. So let''s head out.¡± Julius called, dropping the subordinate act as quickly as he had picked it up. Tilly fought down a grin at the lapin''s characteristic response, and looked up at the sky, noting that the sun was already above the mountain ridges, ¡°Actually Nyuk, he is right. I only have an hour or two at most before I have to be back in the city, so I¡¯ll just have to show you. Nyuk just nodded reluctantly at the dodge and moved to follow as Tilly headed out to the wall. The group was up and over the wall without another complaint. In fact, besides Nyuk, many of the other rangers seemed almost eager once they heard the objective of the ¡°special detail¡± and before he knew it, he was standing with his back against the cliff facing twenty tired, angry Rangers, holding their weapons at the ready. Tilly glanced over at Julius and Marq, who had posted up twenty yards to the side of the line of fire. The acolyte looked nervous, and Julius¡­ Julius¡¯ mask of cynical professionalism was barely covering his eagerness as his diabolical scheme took shape. If that man''s sleep was going to be interrupted, you could bet he was going to do whatever he had to in order to get some entertainment out of it. ¡°You¡¯re sure about this?¡± Nyuk called one more time from his leftmost position on the line of ranged fighters. Tilly eyed the unit warily, but after one more pause to check that yes, he was, in fact, being an idiot, he nodded slowly, hating how extreme he needed to take this for it to actually produce useful knowledge for him in the future. He needed to push himself to the extreme and know exactly what this next title could do if he wanted to be able to make the right call in the heat of battle. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I have much of a choice in this one... Begin firing at my signal, and cease at my or Julius¡¯ command. If it looks like I am avoiding being hit too easily, scale up your attacks until my call or ten breaths have passed. Everyone clear?¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± They called back, hands hovering over knocked arrows, and in one case, a whirling sling. Taking another breath, Tilly centered himself and raised his hand. The Rangers lifted their weapons in response, ready for the signal. Tilly pulled up his Bracelet command, electing Dexterity and the now familiar ripple of frailness ran through his body, followed by what felt like tiny jolts of electricity. His body jerked in response to the magnitude of increased connection and muscle memory that rolled through his frame in an instant. Unfortunately, he realized too late that a hand signal was probably a bad idea when he was testing out another physical stat. His eyes whipped up to the sounds of releasing arrows just as his pupils dilated to an insane degree. On instinct, he tried fruitlessly to dive to the ground, but his body did not respond. No, that wasn¡¯t right¡­ The rate at which he was processing the scene before he shot forward even as the world slowed to an almost comical degree. His body actually was responding, but slowly, as if he was trying to move through mud. The projectiles themselves were similarly affected and while they were moving considerably faster than him, that only meant that they were floating through the air like slow-toss water balloons. Tilly watched in fascination as the nearest arrow warbled back and forth, shimmying through the air as its deadly point surged toward his eye. After watching the arrow travel almost half the distance it needed to reach him, his mind finally adjusted to the new perception rate, and Tilly realized his dive was not going to clear him from the path of almost any of the projectiles, so he improvised. He took the driving foot of the dive and engaged his hips, shifting the trajectory to a more lateral maneuver. As he pushed into the motion, he felt the full effect of his new stats finally take hold of his body, reforging every fast twitch fiber and nerve connection into something that was a magnitude more efficient than its old system. Somehow the process of electrons from the brain through nerves to muscles was reforged into an instantaneous expression of motion, outside of thought. He pushed off the ground, diving through the air as if it were water directly toward the cloud of projectiles right as they coalesced to meet him. Before his conscious mind had even noticed, his subconscious had set his dive at a corkscrew, causing him to minimize himself as a target, and shift out of the way of each projectile as it came for the space that had once been his chest or head. These boys really meant business¡­ Arrowheads nicked along his head, shoulders, and arms, grazing him everywhere, but none landing a penetrating blow. Before he fully comprehended what had happened, he was rolling to his feet, having miraculously made it through the storm of projectiles with only scratches. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. However, his chosen opponents were no slouches when it came to Dexterity and they had been accruing plenty of experience against fast opponents out in the field. Another wave of projectiles was already being loosed even though Tilly¡¯s diving dodge couldn¡¯t have taken more than a second. Not only that but judging from the spread of the follow-up attack, they had released in a wider pattern, intentionally cutting off Tilly¡¯s path to escaping the next round of projectiles. The follow-up was coordinated, focused and seemed to have occurred without any intervention from their commander¡­ Tilly glanced over at Nyuk, impressed before activating his new title, quickly scanning the notification. Warning, you no longer fulfill the requirements for the Title: [Resolute]. The title has been revoked but can be regained if the requirements are met again in the future. Congratulations! You have earned the Title: [Preternatural] [Preternatural]: Your Dexterity Stat is higher than all of your other Stats combined. As long as this remains true, you may advance your awareness and movement speed to four times its base for three breaths. Tilly''s lips curled in a slow smile as the projectiles swimming through the air toward him slowed to a crawl. He fought to stand up from his crouch, fighting against the heavy weight that was normal time. His awareness had moved so far beyond the normal flow of events that he was reminded of his first encounter with Origin. Time was still moving though. Nyuks arm was already slowly drawing back another arrow, displaying a speed that would have been an incomprehensible blur from Tilly¡¯s old point of view. Now though? He felt like he had all the time in the world. He did a mental inventory of his breaths, recognizing the slowly releasing pressure in his diaphragm as the exhalation of his first breath after activating his title. The title would last three breaths before he returned to his Bracelet-enhanced high Dexterity state for another 6 breaths. Taking his time to carefully consider his position, he pushed his body to step slightly to the side and lean forward, reaching out for the one unavoidable arrow on his chosen path of escape. The movements took an arduous amount of time, and he had to focus on the motion of each muscle to make them happen at all, straining against his limits to move in this new world of hyper-slowed time. Honestly, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to move at all at these speeds, he just didn¡¯t have the strength for that level of explosive movement but the change in his body had not just heightened his awareness to an insane degree. His coordination had become perfect, every muscular process involved in each motion felt fluid to an almost instantaneous degree. The casual step he had undertaken, took over forty-five seconds from Tilly¡¯s point of view, and that was with him straining at his maximum output. The slight lunge forward that followed, along with a gentle raising of his hand to meet the body of the projectile coming for his chest, all took another minute after that. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he had yet to finish inhaling his second breath, he would have felt like he was doing Tai Chi in the park. Finally, the tips of his fingers brushed the body of the arrow, moving along with its slow momentum forward, and angling it just slightly off its path. The contact instantly bruised the tips of Tilly¡¯s fingers, but otherwise was surprisingly easy. What followed was several more rounds of grueling physical chess as Tilly carefully navigated the strategically shot projectiles aiming to pin down his preternatural movements. The line of Rangers kept firing, releasing what must have been several arrows per second, but Tilly picked his way through and around them over the course of his next two breaths. In his titled state, each breath felt like it took around five minutes to fully progress through his body, and not wanting to miss such an incredible opportunity, he spent all of it studying his body¡¯s application of force on the environment around him. Every new movement was a revelation as if he had only known how to use the skeleton, ligaments, and muscles in crude crashing motions. Now, under the limits placed on his body in this new state, each gesture had to be perfectly controlled, exerting the minimum force necessary to achieve each maneuver. It was one of the most profound physical experiences he had ever experienced, and as he felt himself finishing his third exhalation, time snapped back to slow, instead of glacial. By this point, the Rangers had fanned out and many were empowering different Abilities to make sure he did not last the full 10 breaths. Tilly knew he had learned everything he needed from the exercise, and he cut his fourth inhalation short to shout, ¡°Stop!¡± His vocal cords vibrated deeply in his throat as the sound escaped his lips and reverberated around the still-coming projectiles. With his speed greatly reduced from the withdrawal of the title¡¯s power, Tilly winced as he spotted several arrows and a spinning riverstone that he no longer had time to dodge. As his command reached the line of fighters, they instantly complied, even as Tilly launched into another contorting dive. He had to shift into a strange, curled hunch as his feet left the ground. The previously identified unavoidable projectiles found their general mark but thankfully missed the vitals they had been zeroing in on. Knives of pain dug into his thigh and right arm, along with the deep crack of an empowered stone shattering the shoulder he had raised to protect his head. ¡°Cease fire!¡± Julius shouted, rushing forward with Marq. Tilly for his part grinned through the pain as four times as many projectiles flitted all around him missing due to the unpredictable position he had adopted with his final attempted dodge. Tilly gasped through the pain, straightening slowly as the Rangers followed in Julius¡¯ wake. The Bracelets thrummed back to life and his stats returned to their normal spread. Before Tilly could say any different, the Bastion gave him a quick look over, before shooting his hands forward like striking snakes. In an impressive display of coordination, he grabbed the two arrows lodged in Tilly¡¯s body and yanked them free. ¡°ARGGG!¡± Tilly yelled out in pain and surprise, as Marq began casting next to Julius, bathing Tilly¡¯s injuries in the blue light of his healing magic. His returning Endurance, along with the healing dulled the pain almost immediately and he looked around at the Rangers eyeing him curiously until he found Nyuk¡¯s eyes. The lapin had on a rare expression of wonder, and Tilly began searching for some cool line to drop on his friend when he noticed the worrying presence of a flashing notification icon on his HUD. He had muted damage reports¡­ and he hadn¡¯t gained a Debuff or anything¡­ Ignoring their looks, he pulled up the notification screen, Congratulations! Your body has experienced a level of coordination and speed reserved for the semi-divine. Your careful observation of the experience has resulted in a minor absorption of this higher level of physical integration. +4 increase to your base Dexterity. Warning, you no longer fulfill the requirements for the Title: [Resolute]. The title has been revoked but can be regained if the requirements are met again in the future. Tilly groaned, his eyes shooting up from his screen to glare at the sky, ¡°You have got to be shitting me!¡± ¡°Told you this was a bad idea,¡± Nyuk added glumly. B3. Ch. 27 Well Laid Plans Tilly was spitting mad. This was the first time he had been ¡°awarded¡± Stat points by the System since he had eaten that stupid ¡®throw-up leaf¡¯! He couldn¡¯t help but feel like he had been tricked, and was being cosmically maneuvered into a place of vulnerability. ¡°Goddammit!¡± He snarled. Julius took a stoic step back, signaling to the Ranger unit to give Tilly some space. Poor Marq however, did not pick up on the signal and stepped forward raising his hands again in concern. ¡°What is it, Mr. Tillman? Do you need more healing?!¡± ¡°No, I need to stop getting screwed over,¡± Tilly grumbled up at the sky. Kindle shimmied out of her pocket, shaken awake by his emotional turmoil. She hopped up to his shoulder, cheeping in anxiety. In the face of the innocent concern from the two youngest members of his group, Tilly got ahold of himself. He took a moment to squeeze his eyes shut, rubbing them vigorously, before opening them and addressing the group with a sigh, ¡°Look, I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just that the most recent test gave me some unforeseen¡­ benefits, which have messed up my stat spread royally.¡± Along with those words, Tilly sent Kindle an image of a bird missing its diving strike on a rodent, attempting to convey his loss. She cheeped mournfully in understanding, and Tilly enflamed his hand and patted her in response. ¡°Oh- Ok,¡± Marq answered, clearly not really understanding, but finally taking a cue from the others. Nyuk cleared his throat and turned to his unit, ¡°Alright, back to the staging area. No more special details this morning. After the debrief this afternoon, you are all on leave until tomorrow morning. Dismissed!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The unit answered in unison, before heading out, shooting a few lingering stares back at Tilly. The beginnings of some whispered conversations floated over, but nothing distinct enough for Tilly to hear, not that it mattered. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Nuyk added as he watched his unit move back along the cliff toward the staging area. He turned and found Tilly¡¯s eyes, showing a twinkle of genuine concern as he moved up and placed a reassuring hand on the shoulder opposite the flaming chick, ¡°Whatever it is, it can¡¯t be too bad¡­ You managed to move faster than anything I have ever seen. Your stat spread may be off, whatever that means, but it can¡¯t be worse than what I expected¡­ so all in all, we are coming out of this ahead, I think.¡± He finished, adding a couple of comforting pats to his gesture. The whole time, Tilly noted that he studiously avoided looking at Tilly¡¯s other shoulder. The one that was more or less on fire at the moment. Unable to keep the smile from crawling up his face, Tilly asked, ¡°What, exactly, did you expect when I asked you guys out here?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know specifically, but I was fairly sure it would involve explosions. When I saw how far from camp we were going, I gave us a fifty/fifty chance to live through the morning. So I, for one, couldn¡¯t be happier with the results.¡± He answered, a completely genuine smile on his face. ¡°I do other things besides explode.¡± Tilly deadpanned. ¡°Sure you do, human. Sure you do.¡± Nyuk laughed, letting his hand fall back to his side, ¡°I¡¯m going to catch up with the unit, then later today if the gods are kind, I¡¯ll be catching up with the missus, if you know what I mean.¡± He finished with a wink. Then with a cheerful nod to the confused Marq, he jogged off, whistling a jaunty toon. Tilly watched him go for a few seconds, letting the turn of events sink in. He had accidentally lost his [Resolute] title again. This time, through an almost unforeseeable turn of events. To make matters worse, he was hours away from attempting to bullshit through an event filled with some of the most powerful beings on the Plane. None of that, however, killed the reluctant smile on his face as he watched the fatalistic Lapin head home, apparently having gained a new lease on life. At least someone was going to have a good day. ¡°You need us for anything else?¡± Julius inquired, reading the shift in Tilly¡¯s attitude. ¡°No, you guys did great. Unless I find you again, consider these exercises over. I have learned everything I can for now.¡± ¡°Ay Sir¡­ Come on, boy, let''s get some sleep. Unlike the string pullers over there, we have another shift tonight.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Tilly broke with his testing team, letting them walk back to the wall, while he jogged back to the city center. His thoughts were swirling with concern as possible scenarios began to play out in his mind. Just because attacks during an auction were rare, didn¡¯t mean they never happened. Knowing how volatile Corruption¡¯s influence could be, Tilly hated depending on the rules alone for safety. He had been fine testing Dexterity today, even with the auction coming up because he could not afford to attack anyone. That didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t been counting on his defensive trump card if things suddenly escalated beyond his ability to bullshit. Being able to take a single hit, no matter how powerful, and shrug it off, was an incredible boon that had propped up his shaky confidence through many encounters. Now though? His hand was completely empty. To these beings, he was just a cockroach, inconvenient to kill, but otherwise harmless. As he passed through the parade ground, he didn¡¯t miss the sight of the innocuous mountain looming in the distance over the valley, ¡°You better not have done this on purpose for some beyond my understanding bullshit reason¡­ I¡¯m willing to own my part in this, but I want you to know, I am putting a lot of eggs in the, ¡®you are not an asshole¡¯ basket.¡± He grumbled up in its direction. The structures of the city moved to block his view, and he decided to leave it at that. The Alliance had made it this far, and if he could nut up and face whatever this event had in store, they would be one step closer to survival. It was either that¡­ or give up. The Temple of Light¡¯s report had painted a grim picture. The stance of most of the Powers on the Plane was that Corruption was either a distant threat that would weaken rivals or a possible new resource to exploit. Those nearest the Blasted Lands who were unaligned with the Pits were most at risk, but they tended to lean toward the darker end of the spectrum and wanted little to no contact with any Light-aligned Faction. It painted a strikingly similar situation to what Tilly had witnessed before the fall of the capitol. The aristocracy of the Thousand Phalanx Empire had almost been willfully ignorant, radically underestimating the threat they faced. Instead of unifying, they played power games, cannibalizing what little chance of defense they had for an elusive temporary gain. Tilly¡¯s face fell as he remembered the chaos at the end of their flight through the portals. Moving through the crowds of now hopeful people, he couldn¡¯t help but remember the faces of those trapped just outside of Elder Kihei¡¯s barrier. That couldn¡¯t happen again. Not now, when he actually had a chance to change something. The failure of the empire¡¯s leadership should have resulted in destruction for its people. Instead, a few key groups put away their differences and aligned to salvage an impossible situation. If something similar didn¡¯t happen on a Plane-wide scale, they would very quickly reach the point of no return. By then, whatever fractured resistance Corruption would face in its domination of this reality would be wiped out one by one. The Church was on its back foot, the other plane-wide Factions were neutral at best¡­ Something had to change. Their enemies were consuming each other in a savage establishment of a hierarchy of power, but soon the fighting would cease, and Corruption would face the world with a united front. The system itself seemed to need to quantify and officiate this conflict, and so was drawing these forces to the Contested Lands, a place no one had seen in epochs. To top it all off, he had been drawn into an ancient vendetta between dragons, that somehow centered on this same area. By the time Tilly had arrived at the appointed square, the stakes of the coming event were pulling on his shoulders like insistent toddlers, demanding more of his attention than he could afford to give. The Commerce Guild still stood proudly at one end of the block, its ornate and columned front demanding respect, the statue of weighted scales standing proudly at its apex. On the other end of the flagstoned space was a strange structure. It was a mix of tiled domes, and graceful curves, unlike any building Tilly had seen on Nephesh so far. Strung up above the entrance of the low wall that surrounded the building was a banner, fluttering in the breeze. It had the words, Auction House stitched into the creamy textile with golden thread. Behind and around the swooping curves of the walls and buildings, Tilly could see hints of artful gardens, and even a few patios tucked into the insets of some of the wandering lines of the structure. Before he knew it, he was swaying on his feet. Without a conscious decision, his investigation of the structure drew him deeper and deeper into the maze of increasingly impossible lines and spaces. ¡°Look back at the banner, it will ground you,¡± said a voice from behind. Tilly did as he was told, eyes scanning urgently as he attempted to pull his attention away from the Escher-like building. The fluttering caught the corner of peripheries, and suddenly he was standing back in the square. He instantly cast his gaze downward and turned toward Mochizuki, who was standing behind him accompanied by a stoic Ichiro. Today, instead of a kimono, or a servant¡¯s outfit, she wore a large cloak, and Tilly wondered what scheme the drab covering concealed. ¡°If you would follow us, Jonathan Tillman,¡± Ichiro said, milky eyes shifting easily from the structure to find Tilly¡¯s. He added a polite smile to the request and turned to move toward a stone building looming clumsily at a perpendicular angle to the two graceful structures. ¡°Just when I think I have a read on this place¡­ it finds a way to get weirder,¡± Tilly grumbled, following the two lapins. As they approached the sturdy doors, a pair of guards emerged, opening the way for the trio and bowing slightly as they passed. Inside was a spacious room that was part guard station, part¡­ something else. There were tables with maps, and notes scattered over the surfaces, racks of different types of clothing, and a few odds and ends Tilly could not ascribe any sort of purpose. At the center of it all, a familiar voice boomed cheerfully, ¡°Jonathan Tillman! I am truly sorry duty has kept me from checking in, but as you can see, there is more than enough work here for a man to drown in!¡± Shuji barked in a laugh that seemed every bit as cheerful as his tone, even when contrasted with the ominous words he had used as a metaphor. The corpulent Lapin glided forward, dark circles under his eyes juxtaposed against his big white smile. Before Tilly knew it, he was caught up in a large hug. ¡°Good to see you too Shuji¡­ I hope you have been taking care of yourself.¡± ¡°Oh, you know me. I¡¯m a glutton for punishment! Enough about that, I hear you are about to go on quite the adventure!¡± Tilly looked around the eclectic room and the group of ten Flame¡¯s Watch sitting in the corner, checking over equipment. ¡°What exactly is this place?¡± ¡°This is the base of our covert operations!¡± Shuji boomed happily. B3. Ch. 28 Big league Intrigue ¡°Kind of close to the other Faction¡¯s buildings, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh yes! Undoubtedly, they have recently installed devices and spells to hear our conversation at this very moment. There might even be a scry set up to watch us!¡± He added excitedly. Tilly shot a concerned look at the others, and Mochizuki rolled her eyes at his antics, ¡°They might be able to hear us, but we are all but certain they can not see us. We do have some protections in place.¡± Shuji nodded along indulgently, as he reached into his sleeve and produced the Librarian¡¯s Codex he had received after they established the Sovereign Crystal. He began speaking as he opened the book to its middle, ¡°Yes, well, be that as it may, I, for one, love operating as if they are listening to every word. They know we watch them, and we, of course, are being watched in turn. One must keep an eye on one''s investments after all.¡± He spoke in a manner slightly more distracted than normal, and Tilly looked down at the book in confusion, seeing a line of text appear simultaneously while he spoke. ¡°They followed you home last night after the incident with the Keystone. Mochizuki handled them, but with so many new strangers walking our streets, we are elevating operational security significantly, especially around the Manor, the teleport square, and this area. They know you will attend the auction, but we wish to lay a few false trails for them. Follow our lead.¡± Ichiro stepped in, ¡°Thank you for accepting the responsibility of this assignment. I wish I could accompany you, but we all have many things to see to and very little time to do what we must.¡± he said. To his side, Mochizuki was removing her cloak to reveal a flowy full-body outfit that closely resembled the Auditor''s from the Auction House. As if to confirm his suspicions, she pulled a head covering cleverly attached to the collar of the outfit over her face, completing the ensemble. Tilly looked back and forth between the three, and tried not to stumble through whatever game they were playing¡­ Ichiro at least, looked just as uncomfortable as Tilly felt. ¡°Yep, looks like I''ll be going then, thanks for the send-off guys, I promise I will obtain everything we need,¡± Tilly said, failing completely to sound natural. Shuji nodded along enthusiastically, handing Mochizuki the Codex, which she tucked away in her voluminous robes. ¡°Friend Tillman, we have much to discuss when you return, do what you must, but make sure you come back to us,¡± Ichiro added. ¡°Yes, and remember, this is your first event. Remain as unseen as possible, head straight to the booths, and speak to no one.¡± Shuji added seriously, his tone now completely contrasting with the mischievous smile at home on his face. At those words, Tilly began to understand. The Commerce Guild was not nearly as tight-lipped as the Auction House, and they wanted to create the impression that Tilly would be attending the event but would remain cloistered away from the powers, which honestly would have been the smartest choice anyway. ¡°Got it, Shuji. I understand the plan, no one will hear a peep out of old Jonathan Tillman the entire event.¡± At the word peep, Kindle emerged from her now snug pocket and eyed the small group in annoyance before cheeping up at Tilly hungrily. Ichiro and Shuji shared a look and then turned back to Tilly, eyeing the phoenix¡­ The ultra-rare, very distinctive bond that many people had seen him with. ¡°Oh¡­ uh you better take this before I leave,¡± Tilly added with a twinge. He reached into the pocket, enflaming his hands instinctively as he picked up the chick. She twittered happily under the heat, and he sent her an image of a nest and hiding. ¡®Hey girl, I need you to stay with Uncle Ichiro for a little while, ok? I¡¯ll be back soon.¡¯ he added to the images. She flapped her little wings nervously as Tilly¡¯s flames winked out and he handed her over to the lapin, who took her gently. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. She sent back a flurry of images of different things on fire that basically amounted to, ¡®But who will feed me?¡¯ ¡°Jonathan Tillman, while you are overseeing the sale of our current stock, I believe I will go to the smithy, and inspect their progress on new designs. Our crafters are becoming more and more proficient with the new forge.¡± Ichiro added, speaking down toward Kindle as much as he was addressing anyone else. Tilly smiled at the idea and sent several images of furnaces to the phoenix. As soon as she received them, she cheeped in acquiescence and settled down reluctantly into Ichiro¡¯s palm. ¡°Hopefully, our current stock sells well.¡± He added, keeping up the pretext. Mochizuki nodded to the other two, signaling that it was time, and then stated aloud, ¡°It seems like your escort has arrived, follow their lead and you should be fine.¡± She said, gesturing to herself with a wink. Shuji waved at the guards, who came over and assembled around the pair in a formation. Tilly didn¡¯t recognize any of them, not that he expected to, but they all wore serious expressions and none, not even the lapins smiled or even looked at him. It was all business today. Along with their increasing professionalism, Tilly noted that the Watch¡¯s uniform was getting more official by the day. Each of them wore heavy padded jackets and pants, carrying shortswords on one side of their belts and a mean-looking weighted club on the other. ¡°Good luck Jonathan Tillman!¡± Shuji shouted exuberantly as the guards finished forming up. The fact that Tilly was only five feet away did nothing to dampen his mood. ¡°Thanks,¡± Tilly replied drolly. Mochizuki nodded to the guards, and they all moved toward the door displaying an admirable amount of discipline as the first two broke off and moved through the door. They cleared the area immediately outside the building and then held open the door. The rest of them moved through and the guard formed back up seamlessly as the group moved across the square. The sight of Tilly walking with an armed escort and a member of the Auction House caused a stir, many of those passing through stopped to turn and stare as the formation passed by. Tilly hated the showiness of this plan. He didn¡¯t mind being watched, but to make decisions to intentionally gain attention rubbed him the wrong way. But thankfully, no one had put Tilly in charge of any kind of subterfuge. No, that responsibility seemed to fall on Shuji¡¯s shoulders whenever the lapins were involved and the Librarian seemed especially fond of glaringly obvious distractions that always hid much more than they revealed. Before he knew it Tilly was moving under the Auction House banner, the strange curves and lines that made up the supernatural structure coming into view as they rounded the gate. As soon as the formation passed through, the guards split and posted up at the entrance while Mochizuki continued to glide forward, having assumed an aloof formal posture for their march. The small but open courtyard was empty, and thankfully, from within, Tilly could only see two or three of the arched openings leading off into the maze, which left him much less dizzy than his first look had. ¡°There are many theories as to how the Auction House does what it does. The one I find most compelling is that they do not erect new buildings for each chapter. Rather, they somehow link our space to an existing entrance of this complex. Where they found it, or if its body lies in the physical plane of Nephesh at all is anyone¡¯s guess.¡± Mochizuki droned, still playing her part. Tilly followed her lead through the first of three arched entrances, which led into a curving hallway that only twisted slightly as it opened into a private courtyard with a soft fountain bubbling and several strange trees, whose trunks curled in on themselves in corkscrew motions. Tilly turned and found that they had moved completely out of sight of the main entrance. He glanced up and found the sky completely changed, now colored a bruised purple and pink, reminding Tilly of an otherworldly sunset. ¡°Wonderfully executed if I do say so myself,¡± Talias'' strangely familiar accent sounded from a cleverly hidden archway, pulling Tilly¡¯s attention back to ground level, ¡°You are surprisingly skilled at adopting our mannerisms.¡± ¡°Thank you! The outfit did the majority of the work, I assure you.¡± Mochizuki lowered her eyes in thanks before shedding the top layer of her disguise. She folded them neatly and moved forward to offer them to the Auditor. ¡°Of course, it is a small thing to offer, and we do so gladly,¡± The Auditor answered as she glided forward to take the outfit and tucked it away in one of her sleeves. Tilly read this exchange as his cue for assuming his Emissary guise, and he mentally drew himself up before sighing dramatically ¡°I have found prudence, while boring, to be a very effective tool for getting what I want.¡± He interjected in a cold voice, pulling the attention of both ladies to him, as he activated his armor¡¯s transformation. His patchwork leather and fur armor rippled from head to toe, leaving him clothed in his scaled leather suit with a red tie and white dress shirt¡­ and the shoes! He had forgotten about the wingtip leather shoes. He tried not to gag as he shot a quick glance down at his transformation. ¡°Shall we?¡± He asked in an unaffected voice, stuffing his discomfort deep into his subconscious where it could whine in private while he did what he had to do. ¡°Just a moment master,¡± Mochizuki stated, pulling off her large cloak and revealing a leather and cloth outfit that seemed to be a strangely cohesive mix of handmaiden and assassin. The bodice was cut low, and her torso was crisscrossed with bandoliers of belts and knives. She pulled on what looked like white butler gloves and adjusted a pair of split skirts. The whole outfit seemed formal while not impeding her movement too much. Once done, she sauntered over, effecting a far more predatory manner than he had yet seen from her, and nodded once to him, meeting his eyes intentionally for just a second, before taking position slightly behind him and to his right. ¡°Good, good! It is almost time for the event, and if you will forgive me some enthusiasm, we here at the Auction House are very excited about some of the new items to make the stage this year.¡± Talia crooned, before turning on her heels and heading back through the arched opening. Tilly and Mochizuki followed after entering the building proper. B3. Ch. 29 Heavy Hitters. Tilly fought to keep his eyes from crossing as the hallway practically squirmed in front of them. The passage they followed seemed to defy logic at several turns, and at one point Tilly was even convinced they had completely a full rollercoaster loop. But, through it all, the Auditor led the way with an implacable steadiness, navigating the twists and turns of space with long-practiced grace. He did his best to keep his eyes fixed on her most of the time, but he found himself constantly forced to shut them for a few moments to keep from growing too dizzy to walk straight. ¡°Here we are,¡± Talia declared calmly as their path suddenly spit them out into a grand hall lined by many different-sized entryways. At its end was a huge gate, swung wide open with a banner hung over it that glowed with crawling scripts of enchantments. ¡°Be welcome, Leave in Peace¡± The huge stretch of the enchanted cloth announced. Or at least Tilly thought that¡¯s what it said. The letters themselves seemed to want to shift as soon as he turned his eyes away from them, and he almost immediately did because they were not the only ones arriving in the grand hall. There were dozens of streams of guests being led by an Auction House employee. All moving toward the same large opening at its end. Tilly did everything he could to keep from gawking in those first few moments as he spotted a walking tree, a rolling pile of magma, and¡­ Pikachu. Not something that looked like Pikachu, but actual Pikachu. He blinked a few times, floored by the breadth of beings displayed before him. He had thought with the relative diversity present in the empire and by extension the newly formed Three-Fold Alliance, he had grown accustomed to living in the world that hosted the dreams and myths of men¡­ but he was dead wrong. It was a huge challenge to keep the disdainful disinterested look on his face during that initial scan of the hall. It was a sobering moment for him to realize that the races present in the Alliance were only a small fraction of the life that called Nephesh home. Even the hours-long review with Mochizuki the night before had not prepared him for this moment, but he kept his shoulders relaxed, and his mouth a thin, downward-tilted line. He had spent decades playing down any surprised reaction he had as an emergency responder, learning the hard way that staying calm in the field was always the first step to solving any problem, no matter how dire. So he clamped down on his expression now at the incredible sight and pulled his gaze back to Talia who had paused to glance back. ¡°If you would be so good as to follow me, I will lead you to your designated booth. Mingling is permissible, but you must be in place if you want to bid on the first round of goods. Bidding is set to begin in two hundred breaths,¡± she breathed, having artfully waited at their entrance into the hall to allow its grandeur to sink in. Tilly was sure she had a good idea of the effect this sight had on first-timers. ¡°Lead on. I do enjoy a good spectacle,¡± Tilly answered in what he hoped was an unconcerned tone. Their robed guide nodded and turned to flow forward into the intermingling streams of myth and legend as if it was just a walk through the park. Tilly did his best to tune out everything around him as he followed, masking his wonder with a bored expression. He could feel Mochizuki a step behind him but did not look back to check, knowing such a move would seem hesitant. The weight of the crowd''s presence began to push down on him as they approached and he was forced to flare his Aura slightly, leaning into the arrogance of the dragon. He refused to treat this like anything other than a mildly tolerable experience. As they entered the streams, Tilly felt the edges of his soul brush against some of the other beings moving toward the huge doors. The experience was jarring, but out of his peripherals, he saw that they showed no reaction to the aural contact. So he doubled down on his casual gait, mirroring their posturing. He fought from shivering as a frigid presence pressed in on his Aura from behind and then had to bite the inside of his cheek as something that felt like tortured moaning leaned in on his psyche from the left. It was like walking through a metaphysical blender of tides and eddies of power, and it was everything he could do to keep walking straight. ¡®Just keep moving. Make it to the booth.¡¯ He repeated to himself as he kept his eyes on the robed figure in front of him, fighting to not look as more extraordinary creatures joined the stream headed to the door. Some called out to each other jovially, others spat expletives at the sight of some hated enemy, but none seemed overly aggressive. Above it all presided the heavy weight of the banner, radiating a magical authority that kept the consequences of violating the tradition of the Auction at the forefront of everyone''s mind. The stream passed under the banner and into the arena, spreading out as they entered a chamber the size of a football stadium. The walls and ceiling were lined with hundreds, if not thousands of openings. Each covered by a reflective window looking out over the arena floor. The main ground of the stadium was covered in planted flags depicting different symbols and creatures. At the center of it all was an ornate circular stage larger than a school auditorium. The ground floor of the arena had a huge path circling the main auction area, and the stream of creatures that Tilly and Mochizuki had joined split off, each being led to a different stairway that opened up into the outer edge of the space. The pressure surrounding Tilly eased up, and he ratcheted up his sneer in response, swallowing down his sigh of relief as Talia cut through the field of flags, aiming for a smaller stairway, across the open expanse. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Moving through the arena floor, they walked past numerous flags. One was covered in interlinking diamonds, and the next displayed a roaring lion reminding Tilly of some sort of heraldry. But they weren¡¯t the only ones cutting through the flag area. A Beholder floated behind an Auction House worker about twenty paces to their right. On the other side of their trio stomped a Troll covered in jewelry. It reminded Tilly of a toddler throwing a tantrum as it barked something at his guide over and over. Tilly could make out the sounds, but the creature''s accent was so thick that the automatic translation of this word might as well have been broken. Risking a larger scan of the room, Tilly realized that not all in the arena were moving toward the stairways. He saw several small groups meeting up among the flags, their guides remaining at a respectful distance while they conversed. Some of the conversations seemed cordial, while others radiated the cold reality of suspicion. Talia led them in a long arc around the central stage, where a few Auction House members busily made preparations for whatever items were about to be displayed. Then a humming chime sounded throughout the arena, and many heads, or in some cases appendages, turned toward the stage briefly before resuming their focus. Rising from the center stage was a figure wearing so many layers of robes that they might as well have been a pile of jewelry and cloth. ¡°Honored guests, the first round of today¡¯s event begins shortly, please make your way to the assigned booths and make yourselves comfortable.¡± A quiet voice whispered through the room, reminding Tilly of the whisper of fabric rubbing against itself. At that point, they were almost to the base of the stairs they had been aiming toward when a whispered conversation floated out from the arched opening. ¡°The old ways are dead! I have made my oath, and I will see him destroyed at all costs!¡± One voice whispered harshly, ¡°Curufin, Please! Listen to reason. You must turn away from this folly,¡± a second voice choked out in reply. Tilly wanted to slow as they came into view of the opening, not wanting to be seen interrupting. But Talia glided forward unconcerned, and he dutifully followed. Two ethereal men looked up from their hunched conversation, and Tilly tensed as the one nearest, furrowed his brow, highlighting the all-black orbs and tear stains of advanced Corruption his eyes displayed. Tilly¡¯s gaze shot away from the pair, failing to keep from looking guilty. ¡°Come away, my lord,¡± the clear-eyed one pleaded, placing a gentle hand on his Corrupted companion. The other flinched, then jerked his shoulder away from his friend, before turning and leaping up the stairs four at a time. The rejected man and their Auction guide belatedly followed. The clear evidence of Corruption¡¯s already present influence shook Tilly in a way he was not prepared for. He knew he would be meeting those on the other side of this conflict at this event, but he got the sense that whole other narratives were playing out around the arena. The fate of whole Factions where in the balance, and behind it all Corruption was weaving its binding net of chains, drawing more and more into its dark embrace. Tilly had already seen hundreds of beings at this event, all representing Factions that could crush the Alliance in a direct conflict. How many more of the Powers present had already given in to the temptation of a rapid increase in power? What could the Alliance or even the Church do against them all? Tilly hardly noticed as they turned off the stair to a small hallway, that led to an engraved door, ¡°I will return at the end of the event to guide you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask any of my order. Otherwise, you may participate in any way you deem fit, as long as you break none of our traditions.¡± Talia stated, gesturing toward the door, which opened to reveal a richly appointed room with assorted foods and two overstuffed leather chairs facing the window at the other end. Nodding absently in response, Tilly moved into the room. ¡°There is your control crystal, it will link to a flag once activated, and is untraceable. ¡®May Fortune favor you,¡¯¡± Talia concluded. With that, the door closed, and Mochizuki and Tilly were finally unobserved. Tilly turned toward the Lapin at a loss and found her suddenly gasping for breath hunching over as it she had just carried a great weight. ¡°Mochizuki! Are you ok?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That was¡­ difficult for me,¡± she replied, slowly straightening as she doggedly moved toward the window with Tilly following after her in concern. Their view displayed the arena floor from a few stories up. Only a few groups remained in conference on the arena floor, and even catching her breath, Tilly could see the lapin¡¯s ears perk up, trying to catch any conversations she could. After a few more moments, even those lingering few broke up and followed their guides to the various stairways. ¡°You activate our crystal and give me a moment. I need to record all that I have seen and heard¡± she continued, pulling out Shuji¡¯s codex and opening it to a seemingly random page, before beginning to scratch out notes. ¡°Activate the crystal¡­¡± Tilly muttered to himself, turning back to the chairs, and finding a side table attached to the seat on the right, holding a faintly glowing sphere the size of a cue ball. He stepped gingerly toward the chair, and took a seat, finding the vantage point perfect to see the entirety of the arena floor, where flags were already beginning to magically float a few feet off the ground in what Tilly assumed was their starting position. He reached over and touched the crystal, finding it warm. A stream of foreign mana caressed the Mana Pathway that ended in his hand, and he grasped it, forming something like a metaphysical handshake. The reaction was instinctual, but it must have been correct because the crystal started to hum in response. A light formation spun to life above where Tilly¡¯s hand rested, coalescing into the shape of a stylized dragon, eating its tail. Tilly snatched his hand back, but the image remained. ¡°I thought you said the flag assignments were random.¡± He complained, frowning at the image. ¡°That is what I was told,¡± Mochizuki said, glaring up from her notes at the image that felt too much like a coincidence to be anything of the sort. ¡°It changes nothing, we must proceed as planned, and hope we gain much more information and resources than we lose in the next few hours¡­¡± She added, trailing off before returning to her notes. ¡°Powers and their Representatives, I am pleased to announce the four thousand and sixty-second Plane-wide Auction is about to begin.¡± Whispered the same voice Tilly had heard after the chime. ¡°Please take your seats and claim your flags.¡± B3. Ch. 30 Big Bidders, Little Quitters Mochizuki closed the Codex and moved over to the chair, looking less harried after a minute away from the intense sea of fluctuating auras they had just left. ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± Tilly asked, checking her distant expression for any signs of lingering distress. ¡°I will manage. I had hoped to be able to hear more from our booth, but this glass effectively blocks much of my range. I can read lips, but that will obviously be limited to those whose faces I can see.¡± She replied thoughtfully, chewing over the problem as she sat and faced the stage with the Codex open in her lap. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help when we go back down? Without the Titles that come with this equipment set, I don¡¯t know that I would have been able to walk, let alone make it through that group of monsters.¡± ¡°Believe it or not, I have extensive training in this area. It is just difficult to focus on insulating myself against a certain kind of aura when there are several others pushing in at the same time.¡± She answered thoughtfully, before turning to Tilly and allowing a small hint of uncertainty to show through her professional mask. ¡°Since you are asking, I do think I have a fix.. one that will fit in well with your current disguise.¡± Tilly nodded immediately, happy to help in any way he could. ¡°A portion of the way through our trip, you flared your aura slightly. At that moment, I was afraid I was close to displaying weakness. But I found that I was able to orient onto your soul once you unveiled it. Staying in such close proximity to you while leaning into the mindset that I was your possession seemed to stave off the worst of the other¡¯s influence, bolstering my internal ability to insulate myself against the others. I think if you expand your aura slightly to fully cover me, I will benefit from a moderate amount of its protection, allowing me to turn my focus to those we are here to observe, which is mission-critical-¡± The whispering voice cut through the rest of her words, gold bangles jingling softly on many layered sleeves, ¡°As is customary, we will begin our bidding on an object of eternal worth, a Living Map from our longtime friends at the Cartographer''s Guild. With the recent system-wide announcement, and the unprecedented shifting of our borders, many of you lay in uncharted territory. Not to mention the fact that this generation of maps is the only one produced by the Cartographers that outlines the location and shape of the notoriously reemerged Contested Lands. Due to these extenuating circumstances, we will begin the bidding at fifteen thousand gold.¡± Tilly leaned in from his chair, and Mochizuki shifted to the side to take in what the Auctioneer held in their covered hands. As if responding to its occupant''s desire the glass front of the room rippled and magnified until an ornate scroll crawling with golding runes came into view. Tilly didn''t have time to really inspect the object, as fifteen to twenty flags went up around the arena. ¡°Now remember honored guests, there will be a map offered at the opening of each round of this event, so this is not your last chance¡­ but with so much interest I can only imagine the price will only go up¡­ Do I have any takers at twenty thousand?¡± The voice continued, taking on the barest hint of pleasure. In response to the words, five flags rose and the rest fell back to the floor. ¡°Thirty,¡± the Auctioneer challenged. Two flags rose, and the other three fell. One depicted an eye at the top of a pyramid and the other held a gnarled tree. ¡°Forty.¡± Neither flag rose. ¡°Ah, perhaps a bit overzealous, it is early after all¡­ thirty-five?¡± The gnarled tree wobbled but did not rise while the Pyramid ascended proudly. ¡°Thirty-five going once, going twice¡­ Oooh and what is this?¡± The robed figure crooned happily turning in place, seeming to be able to sense it as an entirely different flag shot up from the floor to rise to meet the pyramid. It had Lightning forking across a great field. ¡°Someone is playing cleverly¡­¡± The Auctioneer whispered for all to hear. Their androgynous voice along with the playful commentary added an entirely different element to the already unpredictable event, and Tilly was having trouble processing through all the implications of anonymous bidding, unknown item lists, and meet and greets between each round of purchases. It was all so complex, and if there was one thing Tilly hated, it was politics¡­ He has always felt like he was drawing close-fisted with crayons while everyone else wrote with fountain pens. ¡°Will the rest of you let this stand? Some interloper hopping in when the item is all but sold? We all know the remaining maps will sell for more, they always do. Who will enter the fray at Thirty-Six?¡± The Pyramid and the Lightning ascended slightly, matching each other''s movement. No other flags joined the race. ¡°Eager are we? How about we try forty again?¡± They both rose in response, having now ascended to level with Tilly¡¯s window. ¡°I grow bored with this¡­ Fifty.¡± Both flags hesitated for a moment before the pyramid fell back down and the Lightning rose in victory. ¡°No other takers?¡± The arena floor remained still, and the Auctioneer sighed, ¡°Very well, I was hoping for slightly more drama on this first item, but too many of you know my games¡­ The Living Map has sold for Fifty thousand gold. Moving on.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Is something like that on our list?¡± Tilly asked Mochizuki quickly. ¡°No, we should be gaining access to that information through our network after this event. Our focus-¡± ¡°Now for our next item, we have a ten thousand-year Serenity Bonsai, cultivated by our friends at the Ancient Grove Faction¡­¡± Tilly kept his hand away from the crystal, afraid to accidentally activate it before they had any funds to spend. But that didn''t keep him from watching with interest as the Bonzai went for seventeen thousand gold. Next was a sextant that would speed any nautical journey by an order of magnitude. Then there was a set of celestial thread spun from the hair of a deific sheep. Each of the items was cool and Tilly was sure they were very useful in specific circumstances, but nothing that seemed as useful as the map, and if he was being honest, his attention began to wander. Then the Auctioneer waved one of their arms elaborately causing the cloth of their outfit to fan out momentarily and their jewelry to tinkle. When the robes fluttered back down, behind the Auctioneer stood a small pallet of many-hued ingots of glass. ¡°Now, we have another first for this august event! Occasionally we are privileged to be the purveyors of ancient artifacts of power, often crafted from various rare materials. But here we have on our hands an incredible opportunity for any Faction! Before you, I have 100 ingots of Dragon Glass. This substance and its source have been verified and with the recent system announcement, I think you can all agree that we are soon to be approaching an arm¡¯s race of plane-wide proportions. Get a leg up on your rivals and equip your finest elites with the best enchanting material available. Once inscribed and charged with mana, any item properly crafted with this substance will be as strong as Adamantium and will multiply the effects of the mana inscriptions on the material. The only limit is the quality of your craftsmanship!¡± Then the figure paused looking around the room and seeming to make eye contact with every booth in the arena before continuing. ¡°Bidding will begin at fifty thousand gold, and I don¡¯t think I have to tell you that for many, even a few of these ingots would be considered priceless!¡± The Auctioneer flung out their covered arms dramatically and almost in response, flags all across the arena flags rose to the bid. Seeing his chance, Tilly reached over to his crystal and attempted to meet the bid. He felt the mana in the object retreat, leaving space for him to push his own in if desired. He did so, and his attention was immediately drawn to a flag with the same symbol that floated above his crystal. It jerked at his link and ascended to match the others. ¡°Let''s not waste time¡­ One Hundred Thousand!¡± The Auctioneer whispered/yelled manically. Tilly felt the mana in the crystal retreat further, giving him more space to push his own in, but he pulled back and saw his flag fall, along with many others. That didn¡¯t stop Tilly from leaning forward in interest as dozens of flags rose to the new bid. ¡°Ah, I see such a prize has many of you feeling bold! How many will last at one hundred and fifty thousand?¡± The numbers kept rising, and Tilly was overcome by the euphoric feeling of winning the lottery as he watched the Alliance¡¯s coffers grow to dizzying heights. Maybe with this much wealth, they would actually have a chance to survive whatever was thrown at them next¡­ The bid grew to four hundred thousand with five flags still in the race. Tilly''s euphoric rise crashed back down to earth as reality hit him. Each of these Factions had enough gold to spend this much on just one opportunity. This was surely an incredible boon to the Three-Fold Alliance, but at the end of the day, it still only represented a drop in the bucket to some of the major players on the Plane. Mochizuki glanced over at Tilly¡¯s rollercoaster-like response and her focus slipped as a mischievous grin quirked at the edge of her lips. Then she casually threw a bomb into Tilly¡¯s already ruined paradigm. ¡°Perhaps now would be a good time to mention that the Alliance has recognized your personal contribution to our obtaining of such an incredible resource, and as such, ten percent of any Dragon Glass exported from our Faction will be deposited directly into your personal account with the Commerce Guild. ¡°AHA! Tenacious little upstarts, aren¡¯t you?¡± The Auctioneer¡¯s voice continued, oblivious to Tilly''s shattered reality. ¡°Do you have the stomach for eight hundred thousand!¡± The new amount once again set Tilly adrift in a sea of possibilities. He couldn¡¯t begin to comprehend how much the Faction, and now he would be able to do with that amount of gold. Only three flags had hung in the race to this dizzying height and at the new price declaration, a familiar image fell away. The flag divided by forked lightning fluttered to the ground, defeated. Mochizuki¡¯s small smile broadened as the two remaining flags, one depicting a laughing skull and the other showing a crashing wave rose up through eight fifty and then nine hundred thousand. The Auctioneer lowered the bidding intervals as the trio shrunk to a pair, attempting to squeeze every drop from the race. Numbers so large that they would have choked a less skilled orator took the flags to almost a million gold before the flag depicting a crashing wave dropped out of the running and the Laughing skull flew resolutely at the apex of the air over the arena. ¡°Congratulations, honored guest. We have just broken a one-thousand-year record of nine hundred and fifty thousand gold! Perhaps we will break the all-time record today with so many ripe opportunities still to come, Eh? One hundred Dragon Glass ingots sold for nine hundred and seventy thousand gold. The floor fell out from under Tilly as the final price was named, and he found himself unable to process any of the math required to figure out just how much money they had made¡­ Mochizuki was busily scratching a few notes in the Codex and then read aloud her conclusions, ¡°Congratulations are in order, Mr. Tillman. After the 15% commission to the Auction House, our Faction has earned eight hundred twenty four thousand and five hundred Gold. Ten percent of which is yours, coming to eighty-two thousand, four hundred and fifty gold.¡± She finished smugly, Tilly suddenly noticed that words were exploding across the page under her notes. Tilly looked up at the lapin at a loss, completely unable to process what had just happened, let alone whatever item the Auctioneer had already started bidding on. ¡°Mochizuki, are you using that to talk with Shuji?¡± ¡°Oh, Yes! So sorry, I should have explained earlier. Anything written in this book enters into our Librarian¡¯s knowledge and anything he reads, appears in this book wherever he wills it. In the most basic sense, this is a physical manifestation of his mind. He is receiving my notes, writing his responses, and then reading them. It took some practice to get the technique down, but this is our best solution for instantaneous plane-wide communication. Many of the Factions who send representatives have some equivalent in place. As we speak, Shuji is sitting in with the Alliance Council in a closed section, they are quite pleased with the results of our first sale.¡± ¡°That''s¡­ brilliant.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. Now I think we both have to pay attention, I¡¯ll make sure to let you know if something comes up that we need. There are two other groups of items we managed to enter into this event, and while they will partially reveal more than I would like, they will also serve as key methods for us to identify possible allies. So while the Faction''s budget is set, your personal wealth is set to increase even further, so be on the lookout for something that might uniquely suit you. ¡°For our final prize of the first round of the auction, we have a matching triple set. Many of you have heard of the new force sweeping across the plane and it is well known how much opportunity comes with such changes. So, for any looking to set themselves up as a force to be reckoned with in what some are saying will be a new world order, I present three, Mythic-ranked Corruption Seeds.¡± B3. Ch. 31 Seeing Red. Before he even consciously registered what he was doing, a growl escaped Tilly''s lips and fire rippled to life across his shoulders. Oblivious or uncaring to any of the spectator¡¯s reactions, the Auctioneer continued, ¡°By all accounts, these Seeds have the ability to profoundly affect your Mana Pathways and increase your power output multiplicatively. They do come with some side effects, as with most objects of power, you must maintain a tight mental control over their influence. But for the careful user, they could be the key to breaking past bottlenecks or even gaining access to other sources of power completely. Not to mention the immediate positional strength you will gain with the forces rising across the plane.¡± The Auctioneer advertised, looking around the room almost curiously as they spun the display case for all to see. ¡°Mr. Tillman!¡± Mochizuki said urgently as the fire began to spread up and down the rest of Tilly¡¯s body. ¡®These are all only half-truths! Some idiots are going to turn themselves into monsters and destroy everything around them¡­¡¯ His thoughts blazed through his mind as his hand moved toward his crystal. ¡® I have to buy them and destroy them.¡¯ ¡°Johnathan!¡¯ She tried again, getting up from her chair at his lack of response. ¡°Due to the fact that there are three of these powerful objects, the bidding will start at fifty thousand gold,¡± the Auctioneer finished happily. Tilly¡¯s hand clenched on the crystal, sending his flag soaring with the others. ¡°Oho! Dare I jump to seventy-five?¡± Tilly pushed more mana into his crystal, gritting his teeth. Then Mochizuki interposed her face in front of his own, blocking his view completely. ¡°Johnathan Tillman. You will not buy these objects. They will find eager hands no matter what you do. Let this one go.¡± Only three-quarters of the flags fell away at the proportionally huge increase in price. Leaving at least ten buyers. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t get them, I will make whatever bastard who wants them pay a premium.¡± ¡°As expected,¡± The voice whispered sadly in response to the loss of the majority of bidders, ¡°The blood hasn¡¯t truly started pumping yet for some of you. Let''s keep playing it safe at seventy-seven.¡± Tillys Mana twitched reflexively, matching the bids of five other flags. ¡°Jonathan Tillman! You will enrich the seller while temporarily saving a fool that will no doubt endanger their own Faction in some other way!¡± She growled, her hand hovering near his arm as if she would have jerked it back, if not for the fact that it was covered in flames. ¡°Seventy-Eight.¡± The cold logic of Mochizuki¡¯s rebuke cooled some of Tilly''s fury, and he reluctantly pulled his hand away from the crystal, allowing his flag to fall away along with all but two of his competitors. ¡°Seventy-nine.¡± The Auctioneer continued, as both flags wavered, neither one definitively taking the victory. ¡°Come now people. These are Mythic items! The system itself backs their potential!¡± the Auctioneer cajoled. Finally, the flag displaying a unicorn of all things rose above the other to take the prize. ¡°Very well.¡± They concluded dismissively. With a flourish of their sleeves, the case holding the three seeds disappeared, and the robed figure flung their arms wide, ¡°Overall this was a very pleasing start to what should be an increasingly interesting event. As is customary, give our people a few minutes to reset the room and as you see all the flags rise into the air, you may come and enjoy our legendary hospitality while we set the stage for the next round of items.¡± With those words workers covered in body concealing uniforms flowed in from the main passage carrying tables and trays heavily laden with all kinds of things. ¡°Thanks Mochizuki. The thought of someone else having that thing growing inside them threw me for a second,¡± Tilly breathed, allowing the rest of his flames to die down around his body. The lapin eyed him for a second more before moving to retrieve the Codex and sitting with her knees against the window. ¡°I understand your feelings, but you would better serve yourself and our people by thinking a little more deeply before you act. The stakes are very high and any rash decision made now could prove a terrible weight later down the line.¡±Stolen novel; please report. Tilly got up from his chair, frowning at the words, but accepting them for the reality they were. ¡°Is the plan still to post up and watch this first one?¡± ¡°Yes, we will venture forth on the next break. There are always at least three and I have a hard time imagining that the guild will want anything less than four runs of goods at such a high conflict time.¡± Tilly settled down next to her, looking at all the different tables being set up with a spread of food that was at least as diverse as the auction attendees. He saw a guild worker set a huge tray of what looked like radioactive green seaweed next to a long platter of grilled meats on skewers. More and more workers moved into the arena hall, carrying ever-increasing amounts of ¡°food¡± until every table held a dizzying array of goods, some of which Tilly would not wish on his worst enemy. At the center of one particular table next to some average-looking hors d¡¯oeuvres, was a rotting bovine head overflowing with maggots. The smell alone would probably make the arena floor all but impassible. Tilly had lived in a very low-income block of apartments as a child, and even with those foods being mildly familiar, on hot days, the aroma of everyone¡¯s cooking would meld in the hallways creating a nauseating memory that could still make him gag. ¡°The platters are all enchanted to contain the smell,¡± Mochizuki noted absently, reading Tilly¡¯s mind. Or more likely, the sudden waxy paleness on his face. ¡°That makes it¡­ only slightly better,¡± Tilly gulped, trying not to imagine what creature would soon be eating some of these delicacies. Soon after, the staff flowed away from the arena floor like a retreating tide leaving behind an impromptu feast. As they left, the flags lingering on the ground between the tables rose, clearing a complex network of pathways with the stage at its center. The whole thing was designed as a social maze, which, once entered, would be very difficult to extricate from quickly. A bell sounded from somewhere as the flags finished rising, and Tilly got his first chance to fully gawk at the assorted rulers and representatives of the most powerful Factions on the plane. In most cases, they emerged from the different stairwells with dignified strides, scanning the room coolly as they measured the opportunity such a gathering represented. This was juxtaposed by a few notable exceptions. One spindly figure with antlers topping its head and swirling portals of darkness for eyes and a mouth practically ran toward the tables, crashing into one and shoving everything within reach into its mouth. Another figure that looked like a hyena on steroids, jumped atop a table, kicking aside the dishes and howled in delight, laughing maniacally all the while. The more dignified attendees ignored this as par for the course, but Tilly¡¯s head kept turning from one strange figure to another as he tried to take it all in at once. Even with what looked like only half the attendees bothering to come down for the first break, the sight was overwhelming. ¡°Look,¡± Mochizuki interrupted his spiral, pointing to a table near the entrance, ¡°There are Stephen Brightborn and our friend Reginald, playing the part of his servant. I will needlessly remind you that under no circumstances are we to approach either of them today.¡± Tilly nodded, following the direction of her gesture, and saw a towering man with salt and pepper hair, wearing armor that shone with a faint radiance. He wore a stern expression as he spoke with an angry-looking dwarf covered in enchanted armor that must have been at least six inches thick. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the dwarf he is talking to is King Kneekicker of the Dwarven Deeps Faction?¡± ¡°Yes, the first of a long list of overt outreaches the Tower of Light plans to make at this event¡­ It seems this first one is not going very well.¡± She finished, before returning to watching the room and making note of who was talking to whom. Disturbingly, Tilly saw a significant number of beings already showing signs of advanced corruption. They did not clump together, instead, they flowed around tables like predators, eyeing food and other guests with naked huger. At Tilly¡¯s rough count, there were probably less than seventy-five beings on the arena floor at present. He tried to listen in on some of the nearby conversations, but the best he could pick up was an indistinct murmur filtering through the glass. Mochizuki, however, seemed to be able to parse something from the noise and her ears twitched constantly as she scratched away with her pen and stared intently at different nearby conversations. Deciding that it would probably be best not to disturb her, Tilly did his best to mentally put some of the names he had learned the night before to face. Maybe he could pick something up by just watching them. Triton was easy to pick out, the leader of the Atlantian Faction swam through the air at ground level as if it were water. His powerful body was covered in scars, some of which seemed disturbingly fresh, but the figure moved as if he was unbothered by them. Nearby was a Litch floating on the edge of the feast swathed in midnight robes. Its empty eye sockets scanned the room slowly as if waiting for something. He most likely was the representative of the Eternal Dead Faction, one of the few Factions in the vicinity of the Blasted Lands that was not allied with the demonic thrones. As he carefully scanned the rest of the room, he was pretty sure he was also able to spot representatives from the Ancient Grove, Defiant Fist, Enlightened Council, and Winged Host Factions. They were all major players, and typically not aligned with the Blasted Lands or the Tower of Light looking more after their own interests than being swept up in larger-scale conflicts. Tilly carefully scanned each one of the powers as he recognized them, and was grateful that none of them seemed to sport obvious signs of alignment with Corruption. The same was not true for some of the more infamous members of the Pits. A swarm of insects that concealed a faint but visible humanoid figure stood off to one side of the area. Tilly noted that it was conspicuously opposite the Champion of the Tower of Light. The distance spoke of a respect that gratified Tilly until he realized that while Stephen Brightborn was pursuing conversations with different powers on one side of the room. Bezzelbub seemed to be holding court on the other. One by one, other powers and representatives would approach the Fallen Prince, plaintively entering the cloud before leaving a minute or two later, covered in bugs. There was no sign of Magog, the only other Prince Tilly was confident in his ability to identify due to the legendary size of the demonic giant. Not surprisingly, many of the powers reaching out to the prince showed signs of Corruption. But Tilly was no fool, just because he didn''t see any didn''t mean there wasn¡¯t a significant number of people at this event who had already been exposed in some way and were fighting it even now. He knew firsthand that an internal war could be raging under the surface of the most normal-seeming of faces. Soon enough the Bell chimed again, and Guild workers flowed into the arena as conversations quickly ended and the attendees began to move back to their respective stairs. Tilly''s mind was buzzing with different observations and questions, and he was about to turn toward Mochizuki to get a few before the next round of bidding began when a scream of fury rang out on the arena floor. Tilly''s eyes whipped toward the sound and saw that same eerily beautiful man standing in triumph over the representative of the Defiant Fist. The burly Orc was pawing pitifully at a black, living knife that was shooting out familiar tendrils in an attempt to dig deeper into the warrior''s insanely tough skin. The all too familiar veiny network of corruption was already working its way across the burly warrior''s exposed chest. ¡°The stain of dishonor your kind has left on our Faction is cleansed! Wallow in- ¡°How dare you,¡± the whispering voice of the Auctioneer ripped through the sound of the man¡¯s gloating. B3. Ch. 32 Rags and Riches Suddenly the Auctioneer was in the midst of the scene, layers of cloth surrounding the attacker before he could even shout in surprise. The apparent leader of the Auction House then gestured with their other hand, and the space around the knife in the Orc¡¯s chest began to fold in on itself. 2-D planes of existence collapsed on themselves all around the cursed weapon until it and a healthy portion of the orc''s rib cage had been compressed to the size of a pin head, before popping out of existence. ¡°ARG! Snot-nosed brat!¡± The Orc bellowed, getting to his feet and brandishing a huge axe that was equal parts jagged bone and screaming metal. The hole in his chest bled freely, but the wound didn¡¯t seem to impede the warrior at all. The Auctioneer was one step ahead of him, his voice tearing through Tilly¡¯s mind in its fury, ¡°This is not what I meant when I asked for drama Curufin. For this transgression, the Endless Pursuit Faction is forever banned from this hall and dealings with the Auction House. I hope it was worth it.¡± A muffled scream sounded from beneath the cloth that had mummified the attacker before the whole figure under the supernaturally elongated sleeve seemed to collapse into nothingness, leaving only a pile of the Auctioneer¡¯s supernatural sleeves behind. The orc growled in fury, swiping at the pile of cloth as his attacker disappeared, but there was nothing to hit with his impressive axe. In a much more normal voice, the Auctioneer tsked in feigned concern, as they turned and bowed to the furious orc ¡°My dear guest, it wounds me far more than it does you, to see a guest treated so in my halls. Take this pittance of a sum as an apology from our House.¡± they said, pulling back the pile of cloth from where Curufin had once stood to reveal a chest of coins. Most of the rest of the representatives had already cleared the room, and the guild workers were almost done removing the tables and dishes as if nothing had happened. Tilly marveled at the wound in the Orc¡¯s chest which had already begun visibly closing, ¡°Ha! Forgiven, Whisperer! Easiest money I have ever made¡± The orc bellowed, laughing as his internals disturbingly shifted along with his barking. ¡°Happy to be of service,¡± the Auctioneer whispered, back still bowed. The orc bent down to touch the mound of financial compensation and the whole thing disappeared. Tilly glanced at his world ring and wondered if he had just witnessed its capabilities. The orc¡¯s tusked smile grew as he read a notification on the amount received, and without another word, he straightened and strutted happily back to the stairway leading up to his booth. The Auctioneer spun in place causing their many layers to fan out around them, before forming a vortex that pulled their whole body into a central point. Then they were across the room, standing on the stage again, ¡°Powers and representatives! Now that we have dealt with that minor distraction, let us get on to business.¡± Another Cartographer¡¯s Guild map was produced, which did, in fact, sell for more than the first, then they brought out several more items which were each very powerful, but all in selective situations, none of which seemed useful for him or the Alliance. That all changed when the next item came out. ¡°Ah, now here is an interesting little trinket a friend of ours picked up in the deep desert,¡± the Auctioneer tittered while a mechanical scarab beetle crawled out of one of their voluminous sleeves and up onto their shoulder. ¡°We are calling it a Temporal Beetle and according to our best scholars, it has the ability to reset one timer on the effect of almost any other item. The delay being reset cannot be greater than a day, and it cannot be an item that is ingested. The Temporal Beetle will be destroyed upon its use, but I think the effect could be very valuable to some of you in this room. We will begin the bidding at ten thousand.¡± Tilly¡¯s hand shot to the crystal, and put his flag in the running with about twenty others. He was sure many in the room had powerful items, but to have them narrowed down to a day cool-down had to narrow the playing field significantly, didn¡¯t it? ¡°Twenty,¡± the Auctioneer continued. All the flags matched the price rise. ¡°Oho! Cheeky today? Try fifty!¡± Three-quarters of the flags fell away. ¡°Will this work with whatever strategy you employed against the Alliance¡¯s new guest?¡± Mochizuki asked curiously. ¡°It should be perfect for me in emergencies. Giving me another use of what is probably my most powerful capability so far.¡± ¡°Sixty.¡± The Auctioneer giggled. Three flags rose with the number. Tilly¡¯s dragon, a rainbow infinity sign, and a mountain. ¡°Seventy.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. They all rose. ¡°Eighty.¡± Again they all matched the bid to the sound of Mochizuki¡¯s furious scratching in the Codex and Tilly¡¯s thunderous heartbeat. ¡°My goodness, some of you must be sitting on some truly extraordinary items, ninety!¡± Tilly¡¯s flag wobbled uncertainly as he hit the limit of his finances before Mochizuki¡¯s voice came to bolster its ascent, ¡°Mr. Tillman, you may use Alliance funds for this as a loan, you are about to make more gold anyway.¡± His flag had begun to fall along with his retreating mana, but at her words he desperately shoved more back into the crystal, causing the flag to surge with rising energy to meet its competitor. He was not the only one who had balked at the new price. In its resumed rise, Tilly¡¯s flag passed the rainbow infinity flag slowly drifting down. ¡°Oh my. Looks like you almost had it Anonymous Mountain. But the hesitant dragon found its courage. Ninety-five!¡± ¡°Do you think it is worth this? It''s only a single use,¡± Tilly shot over to Mochizuki. ¡°Will its use save your life or give you extra power?¡± ¡°It will do either, but I will likely only use it if I am about to die.¡± ¡°Ninety-seven,¡± the Auctioneer continued after a slight dramatic pause. ¡°Then it is very much worth it for you and your Faction,¡± she replied with a definitive nod of her head. Tilly''s flag rose in response, matched by the mountain. ¡°Ah, I tire of this¡­ Can either of you stomach one hundred and one thousand gold?¡± Tilly had no clue what the best strategy would be here. Should he immediately soar up, displaying confidence and commitment, or should he trail his competitors to make them think they had almost won each time? Probably something he should have asked about earlier¡­ As his flag rose slowly to meet the new price the mountain flag hesitated, rising halfway, ¡°Oh, come now! Make up your mind you dithering cowherd. Do you want this item or not?¡± the Auctioneer spat, suddenly vehement. In silent shame, the flag hung there for a moment more, before beginning its long journey back to the arena floor. ¡°Finally! Temporal Beetle has sold for one hundred and one thousand gold.¡± Tilly felt the life drain out of him as his flag also fell. To go from filthy rich to dirt poor in the space of an hour was a journey he had not been mentally or emotionally prepared for. ¡°Our next item is a treat and another first for our House! Even better, it is another set of 100.¡± The Auctioneer whisper-shouted to the crowd, lifting their arms as the small chest rose up from the floor of the stage. They then took two definitive steps toward the chest and flung it open, revealing pointed, crystalline objects, half the size of Tilly¡¯s hand. ¡°That''s Right! Our dragon glass supplier is not done yet! You have before you one hundred dragon glass arrowheads. They carry no enchantment, and are ready for whatever little surprises your best enchanters can add to them! I am told they do come with one bonus that increases the drama of our current conflict deliciously. There is a blessing on each arrowhead from a being that calls itself Origin. The blessing will cause whatever damage it issues against a Corrupted foe, to be increased by 200%...¡± The Auctioneer delivered dramatically, nodding along to the silent room as if the crowd had just gone wild. ¡°I know¡­ I know. The plot thickens. It looks like our ¡®New World Order¡± isn¡¯t going to have an uncontested rise after all. Just who is this Origin? I haven¡¯t heard of them, have you? I will say this, one of these arrowheads, properly prepared, would be a danger to all but the strongest creatures¡­and ten of them targeted at a single opponent? Well, I think even some of our honored Fallen Princes would need to be wary, don''t you?¡± The whispery voice crooned mischievously. ¡°How did we forge so many?¡± Tilly blurted to Mochizuki''s satisfied smile. ¡°We worked out a deal with the Church. They have loaned us a master Barbaraen Smith, who has been working day and night to figure out how to forge the material after it is cast into an ingot. She gets to keep half of what she makes, and we the other half. She is even train-¡± ¡°So, my honored guest, who will purchase these little instruments of death? Will they be snapped up by the Factions who stand in the way of Corruption¡¯s rise? Or will this emerging force flex its financial muscle and buy them just to spit in the eye of its doomed opponents? I can¡¯t wait to see! Bidding starts at fifty thousand! Flags rose all around the room. ¡­ A few tumultuous minutes later the arrowheads sold for the dizzying amount of seven-hundred and fifty thousand gold. The numbers were changing so fast that Tilly finally gave up and helplessly looked over at Mochiuki as she worked out the numbers after the conclusion of the bidding. ¡°The guild takes their fifteen percent¡­ then you get ten percent¡­ then you pay us back.¡± She muttered as she scratched through the math before looking up with a beaming smile, ¡°Mr. Tillman, you now have forty-five thousand six hundred and thirty-nine gold accredited to you after repaying your small loan, this leaves the Alliance with well over a million gold having passed through our accounts today. We have just achieved one of our most important goals for today; Securing the last Faction advancement required besides your divine mission.¡± ¡°Well done, Honored Guests! What an exciting day,¡± the Auctioneer purred like a cat having just finished its cream. Tilly had loosely tried and failed to keep a general idea of how much gold the Auction House was making on each item, but that fifteen percent added up quickly with so much money flying through the air and he had quickly given up. ¡°There are just a few more items before our next break and for all those interested in the coming conflict at our Plane¡¯s center, I think you will find the next round of items to be most¡­ stimulating.¡± The auction sold off a few more powerful but specific-use items that Mochizuki only noted. They were all either too expensive to tempt Tilly or not applicable to his build. The most notable of which was a skill up scroll that would take the user to level thirty in the Skill; True Strike. Tilly bid on it for a while, but the cost quickly went into the hundreds of thousands, and he did not want to borrow from the Alliance for something that would be an awesome, but non-essential addition to his build. ¡°Wonderful, Honored Guests. Just wonderful. Now if you will excuse us, we have some larger items in store for the next round to prepare, please enjoy our legendary hospitality.¡± The Auctioneer concluded after the final sale as the streams of Auction House workers once again flowed into the room and began setting up another feast, which Tilly was interested to note was in a completely different layout from the first, with entirely new dishes being set on the tables. ¡°We¡¯re up, aren¡¯t we?¡± Tilly swallowed, feeling the anticipatory weight of all those beings''s auras pushing in on his soul. ¡°Yes, we must if we are to get everything we can out of this event. I will be with you, but I am afraid I cannot help you. In fact, for me to accomplish my mission, I will need your help¡­ are you ready?¡± Tilly sighed, and stood from the comfortable leather chair, straightening his already supernaturally pressed suit jacket, and rolling his neck to try and loosen some of the tension gathering in his shoulders, ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be. Let¡¯s do this.¡° B3. Ch. 33 Networking Tilly steadied himself, slowly unfurling that ball of furious superiority that was his aura in this armor set. Brash confidence flooded the area immediately around him, he shoved down the niggling thought that without his [Resolute] Title he was a sitting duck for any insane power that wanted to clock him on a whim. He had seen firsthand that the legendary neutrality of the Auction House still held, but it wasn¡¯t saving anyone from a sucker punch. Unlike the orc from the Defiant Fist¡­ Tilly probably couldn¡¯t regrow his rib cage in a matter of minutes. Memories of death, destruction, and fire flooded his mind in the face of these doubts, not as foreign invaders, but as reminders of his capabilities Draconic Authority pulled on his subconscious, demanding the strength hidden under layers of self-doubt and depreciation. Thousands had been consumed in his flames, and enemies stronger than some of these present had been laid low before him. If any Corrupted thing tried to lay its hand on him, he would put as much fire into an overwhelming response as possible. He may not be the alpha of this group, but he was certainly not prey. His mind oriented itself fully in opposition to those who would try and control him, before slowly rising above the fray entirely. He would not fear, many here had no idea just how much of a threat he posed to their machinations, and he looked forward to burning those plans to the ground. Even as contempt for his enemies was slowly layered over his soul in protection, part of Tilly was dismayed at how natural it felt on him. But after a few moments of settling into this metaphysical armor, he realized that he could uphold this mindset with focus, it would immediately begin to fade if not actively maintained. It was a temporary magnifier for some of the aspects of his soul¡­ or at least that is what he would tell himself later. Now it was exactly what he needed to walk through a room full of mass murderers and act as if they were a waste of his time. Tilly kept his aura tight, about three feet around him, and moved toward the door without hesitation. Mochizuki fell in beside him, shivering slightly as his presence washed over her. She clicked into place seamlessly with his own protections. She was His, and no one would take from him what he owned. The hall and the stairs were both empty, acting almost as a quiet pocket of dim peace, pierced only by the growing murmur of the hall as they descended the second story of stairs and moved toward the arched opening. Tilly did not slow, did not think. He just prowled into the room, taking in the tumultuous frenzy of meetings, greetings, and eating with flat, unconcerned eyes. He was here to give his servant a chance to gather information, and while he would challenge none of these beings, he did not have to be overly concerned about who or what they encountered as long as he made sure they were seen and kept Mochizuki free to note each reaction of those they encountered. Immediately to the left of their archway was a pair of gorgons with theater masks that seemed to function as dampeners for their stone gaze ability. They didn''t look up from their conversation, but several of their snakes tracked him as he moved without pause into the maze of passages in between tables. His pace was slow, deliberately looking at nothing as he moved toward his chosen position. He mostly avoided any others in the passageways, not wanting to be stopped by a random encounter. No, he wanted to be out in the open and draw in friend and foe alike. Many attendees were also flowing into the arena floor and Tilly idly noted that this break would be significantly more crowded than the last. Slowing to a stop, Tilly looked down his nose at the assortment nearest his chosen position. The table was covered in whole roasted legs of¡­ well all kinds of things. It seemed like the only theme of the table was ¡®leg meat¡¯; some of them even looked as if they smelled truly ripe, and Tilly took a silent moment to throw up a thought of gratitude to their hosts. ¡°Still no honey blossom wine¡­ I swear they wait to the last break simply to vex me.¡± A gentle voice rose and fell just behind Tilly. He had felt nothing on his aura and fought to believe it was because whatever had approached him was beneath his concern, but even with the Dragon Emissary armor set, that was a stretch. He simply was unable to detect whatever was right behind him. He turned in what he hoped was a smooth motion and raised an eyebrow while taking in the female figure that had positioned herself right behind him. She was made up entirely of pink flower petals that shifted and danced as if fluttering on a breeze while maintaining the same overall shape even as the form they composed changed its features. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°And you are?¡± He asked cooly, the figure was already within his aural sphere, and Tilly could see Mochizuki two feet to the left of the petal woman standing stiffly with her eyes downcast. A rolling vibration of petals accompanied a tittering laugh that was somehow girlish and womanly at the same time, ¡°I am Elder Ash of the Ancient Grove, and my senses tell me we are related in some way, but you look more like a servant of the Sky than a child of the Land to me¡­ Most curious.¡± She answered, taking him in with empty eyes. ¡°I am what I am,¡± Tilly said enigmatically. ¡°Hmmm, well little cousin, would you mind if I embraced you,¡± she asked casually. Tilly fought not to glance at Mochizuki and ran through his options. He knew of this Faction. The Ancient Grove was typically neutral in its stance between light and dark, and Tilly didn¡¯t want to antagonize them out of hand¡­ but what in the hell did ¡®embrace¡¯ mean? At that moment he realized that despite his desire to maintain his simple guise as an obvious and very visible distraction for Mochizuki¡¯s information-gathering mission, more would be required of him. It looked like he would have to follow his gut on this one. As he stared at her, considering her request, the presence of her soul was disturbingly absent, but there was something¡­ some distant sense of music about her that was all too familiar. He took a deep breath and leaned, ¡°Do what you will, Elder, but I ask that you keep our interaction as subtle as possible.¡± He breathed as quietly as possible, all the while maintaining an impassive expression on his face. She smiled in response, and her petal form broke apart, swirling in place momentarily before rushing around him in a tight circle. Not a single one made contact with his physical form, but the same was not true for his soul. For the first time, he felt a distant impression of her aura pressing in on his own. No that was not right, the aura was there, but it did not press, instead, it opened itself to him, simply revealing its nature fully. Tilly was flooded with the feeling of ancient strength, and weathered patience. This unchanging existence was paradoxically paired with a deep submission to the seasons and a willingness to die and live again with each cycle, just as her nature demanded. She was unyielding and at the same time, constantly shifting. In response to such a vulnerable offering, he felt his own defenses drop. He did not understand what was happening, but it felt like an honorable response to such an act. From the depths of his soul came a wounded cry of wild hope. It shouted in defiance of the infections spreading across the plane and at the same time, cried out in pain at the still-healing scars of his own internal brush with Corruption¡¯s domination. He was laid bare before her, and she knew him for what he was. Then the swirling petals were gone as if they had never been there and Tilly had to tense his shoulders to resist looking around to see if he could spot her. Instead, he brushed off his shoulder as if trying to remove a piece of detritus, and shifted down the table nonchalantly, pretending to consider a leg of meat for himself. On the outside, he was proud to say he likely looked vaguely annoyed, but on the inside, his psyche was reeling from the intimacy of the contact. Then, at a level he could barely discern, the elder¡¯s fleeting voice fluttered past his ear, ¡°You may call me Riss, little cousin. Thank you for showing us what we face. The deeps will shatter and the children will rage when the time comes to throw off such shackles. We will stay free or destroy ourselves in the process. A silent few have been lost, but many still remember and will await the call.¡± Tilly tried and failed to keep surprise from playing across his face as the voice faded away, sure that those words held a meaning far more significant than he was able to parse at the moment. ¡°I have never understood why their kind is allowed to send an Avatar and I am not¡­¡± came a voice from the other side of the table. Tilly looked up to find something that looked like a Velociraptor with humanoid hands, and elaborate robes, holding a haunch of something bloody. The dino wizard took a savage bite out of the dripping joint of meat, its eyes twinkling. Maybe that was Tilly¡¯s imagination, but it seemed like the figure was already playing a game far deeper than Tilly had the ability to read. Or not¡­ he didn¡¯t have much practice reading dinosaur facial expressions. ¡°Avatars have never much interested me,¡± Tilly answered belatedly, attempting to cover his pause by straightening his jacket. ¡°Hmm, well, I tried to send an animated pile of shit to the auction once as a representative¡­ and the creatins here wouldn¡¯t let me through the door. They had no clue just how much spellwork was involved to properly imbue the thing, and it was all wasted on their selective humor. Not that I would call the Auctioneer¡¯s ravings anything close to humor, but I have found decent conversation amongst some of the others in their order, especially the artifact experts¡­ Fascinating bunch.¡± The talkative raptor monologued in between dripping bites of unnamed meat, actually, he did not stop at just the meat, happily crunching through cartilage and bone to accent his statements. The whole thing was so off-putting that it made it strangely easier for Tilly to lean into his persona, ¡°Wonderful¡­ now why are you bothering me?¡± ¡°Oh, just making small talk with the only person to have encountered a Dragon in a few centuries¡­ And, between you and me, the last fellow was much more likely to have fought a wyrm than anything of the true heritage¡­ But not you, definitely not you.¡± Then the creature took a deep sniff through his nose, ¡°Yes, far too much blood involved for me to think you kept it to just talking¡­eh?¡± At that, Tilly''s suspicion of a knowing twinkle was fully confirmed and he decided to lean into what this creature thought he knew, ¡°What I do in my role as an emissary is none of your business. But yes, as many have reasoned from recent announcements, the time of dragons has returned.¡± He snarled, biting off his explanation as if he had been reluctant to share. Everything he had just said was utter bull, but he hoped they sounded juicy enough that this guy and anyone who was listening in would have plenty to chew on. Hopefully, they would even spread rumors that could distract from the truth. The raptor ate it up, his eyes sparkling like a cat eyeing a fresh fish fillet. ¡°I am called Rulak, some refer to me as the First Magnus, but few know anything of substance about one of my favorite areas of interest; the Scorch. I will tell you now, if you ever want to stop by the university to speak of such matters, I am sure a rich reward could be arranged.¡± B3. Ch. 34 Threats As soon as Rulak mentioned the university, the pieces fell into place. The Magnus was here representing the University of Natural Sciences. Any of their founding faculty qualified as powers on the plane in their own right, and they always had a presence at this event. Just like the Auction House, the University had no physical location, at least not one that was accessible by regular means, and for the uninitiated, even the existence of a campus was something steeped in rumor. Mochizuki had mentioned them last night as one of the outlier powers, important, but unpredictable. They hardly ever got involved in conflicts as an institution, however, some of its faculty were known to participate in large-scale warfare, more often as an experiment than for the sake of any agreement or loyalty to a particular side. It was a Faction that was said to have released atrocities and miracles on the plane in equal measure. Now here he was, with a chance to build a bridge with one of the most elusive organizations on the plane. Tilly¡¯s eyes sharpened, and he allowed a predatory smirk to curl the sides of his lips as he pretended to recognize an upper hand in negotiation. He had something they wanted and he would be happy to trade it for future favors¡­ not that he would tell them that right off the bat. ¡°Knowledge of the Scorch is precious indeed, and I doubt those I represent would smile on my sharing of it lightly.¡± Rulak bobbed his head in response, the actions strangely bird-like, and then in a blink, he was standing beside Tilly holding out a coin. Tilly did his best not to flinch as the raptor''s recently bloodied maw was suddenly a foot from his nose, ¡°Of course! Of course! Here take this university token into your World Ring. It is recognized as quite a high-value currency by the Commerce Guild, and they will hold it for you without any risk of you giving us any information you do not desire to share. When you are ready to speak, simply draw out the coin, and I will answer. I promise I will make it more than worth your time.¡± he said enthusiastically, waving the coin in Tilly¡¯s face. Tilly slowly reached for the object, maintaining eye contact with the Magnus, or more accurately the Magnus¡¯ set of stained teeth which were far too close to the offered coin for comfort. As soon as his hand touched the coin, he felt a reactive warmth come from the ring, and he instinctively directed the feeling to the coin, which disappeared without a sound. ¡°Delightful!¡± the Magnus barked, the far edges of his jaw pulling back to reveal even more teeth in what TIlly hoped was a smile. Then, as if the sharp rapport of his exclamation had snapped his existence in half, he was suddenly not there. The space where he had been holding nothing by a wisp of purple smoke. Once again, Tilly found himself fighting to not flinch at the sudden disappearance he muttered under his breath, ¡°Is everyone here too powerful to just walk away? This is beginning to feel like a Batman convention.¡± Tilly shook the interaction from his mind and did his best to Lay on even more layers of conceit. It was then that he decided he had spent enough time acting as bait to see who he could attract. He turned decisively, pretending to ignore Mochizuki¡¯s submissive presence, and began to pick a route toward their stairs and more importantly, the security of their booth. He didn¡¯t know how long it had been since the break started, but after two encounters, he needed some air. The worry that he had already made some huge mistake was eating him up from the inside, slowly chewing through the brash confidence provided to him by the suit, and he was finding it harder and harder to maintain his Emissary persona. He was sure that Mochizuki had taken in plenty of information, and they would get another chance after this next round of bidding. Moving with sure confident steps, Tilly turned the corner of a particularly long table, slowly being consumed by a huge worm thing at its other end when he saw that their archway was completely blocked. A huddle of four or five larger figures stood in quiet conversation at the entryway to the stairs in a position that should have been completely coincidental. That didn¡¯t stop Tilly¡¯s heart from beating faster as he noted various signs of Corruption marking each of the very different powerful beings. Finding another way wasn¡¯t an option, he had no clue if any of the other archways even led to his booth. Plus his destination was obvious to anyone watching, and such a display of submission would be contrary to the rumors he had hoped to start¡­ So instead, he dived into the protections that Draconic Authority offered, oozing superiority, and bearing his teeth at those who would block his way. The closer he got to the group, the odder they revealed themselves to be. He only had a clean line of sight on the three of them facing him. One was a diseased-looking werewolf, to their left was a tentacle-infused jack-o-lantern, and towering over both of them was something that reminded Tilly of the swamp thing but with a lot more teeth. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. They had positioned themselves to be all turned inward and Tilly could hear a faint murmuring coming from a smaller figure he could not see. A quick glance backward showed him a few more small huddles had formed, all carefully placed to block any route he might have taken to avoid this group. His mind raced¡­ This was clearly not their first rodeo, and while they hadn¡¯t shown any outright hostility, they had maneuvered him into an encounter on their terms, and somehow Tilly doubted it would be as friendly as the last two. His steps slowed to a halt as he neared the back of the maggot-ridden werewolf, and he surprised himself with how conceited and cool his voice sounded, ¡°How very clever¡­ Will I have to wait until the bell rings or will you make way for me now?¡± The werewolf did not turn, or even flinch at Tilly¡¯s attempt to prompt a response, so he tried again, ¡°Ahem. I am sure there is a fascinating reason that I am being blocked from returning to my booth. But I can¡¯t, for the life of me, figure out what it is. Would be so kind as to share it with me?¡± Tilly finished loudly with a smile, throwing subtlety to the wind as he rested his hands on the heads of his belted hatchets. At that, the group stirred and shifted and Mr. Mange turned in a silent snarl, revealing the figure at the group''s center. The man standing in their midst radiated a beauty so sharp that it cut through Tilly¡¯s senses, leaving an impression of hard angles and broken glass. He had long silvery hair, and a rapier so elegant it seemed to be spun of glass was belted to his side. On his face was a comic impression of surprise, made deeply ominous by the onyx black eyes that bore into Tilly under the expressive silvery brows. ¡°My apologies! Some of these cretins can be so rude at times!¡± He mocked coldly, eyes locked in on Tilly¡¯s in naked challenge. The figure released his aura along with his words and wave after wave of sociopathic disregard for life attempted to sweep Tilly away. The feeling of the soul before him was wild, braying with madness. Yet at the same time, shackled by the coldest logic Tilly had ever experienced. It felt like he had been dunked into an ice bath if ice could scream with laughter. Every muscle in his back tried to seize, but he forced down the reaction and turned the subtle tensing of his shoulders into a shrug, ¡°Just keep your pets on a leash and we will be fine, Mr¡­ Uh, what should I call you?¡± Something about Tilly¡¯s lack of reaction to the aural assault, followed by the ignorance of the figure¡¯s identity shattered the silver-haired man¡¯s composure, and suddenly, the ten-foot gap between them had disappeared. ¡°I am Oberon, King of the Fey, and soon to be ruler over much more.¡± He spat, his face now inches from Tilly¡¯s. This time, Tilly didn¡¯t flinch at all, not because he had suddenly developed perfect control of his faculties¡­ No, it has much more to do with the fact that the motion had been so fast that Tilly simply hadn¡¯t comprehended it in time to do anything but stare blankly back into the insane Fey¡¯s eyes. Tilly¡¯s Draconic Authority raged against the challenge, urging Tilly to smite the fool who taunted him, but the urge barely caught Tilly¡¯s attention. This close, he could see that the black of the king¡¯s eyes was not perfect, it shifted and squirmed, almost as if the orbs themselves had been filled near to bursting with microscopic worms. ¡°That''s¡­ nice,¡± Tilly answered lamely. Deep under the layers of his armor''s magnified aural defense, Tilly felt his courage begin to drain away in the face of whatever hid behind those eyes. It was unlike anything Tilly had ever seen, and just the hint of its presence pulled at the edges of Tilly¡¯s mind in a way that left him feeling fuzzy, and confused. He had fought Corruption many times at this point, but whatever had dug out this king and made it their home was one another level entirely. However, none of this was apparent to Oberon, who took Tilly¡¯s slow response and distant stare as boredom or even disdain. The fury twisting his face ratcheted up another level until something cracked and his features shattered into an insane smile. The Fey king stepped back, all the tension easing off his form in an instant. ¡°Yes, I suppose it is. I see you bear not one but two Dragon Glass weapons, a set if I am not mistaken¡­ I myself am very fond of the substance and can¡¯t help but wonder at their origins.¡± Oberon¡¯s transition from furious snarl to casual conversation was almost as off-putting as whatever had begun whispering to Tilly from behind his eyes, but Tilly¡¯s mind sharpened at the reference to his weapons. He had a job to do, no matter how creepy the audience was, he had an act to keep up. He needed to lean into their chosen deception while avoiding any outright lies, a game the fey probably excelled at. ¡°They, like this armor, are the result of generous patronage, something that many have felt the weight of this evening. I assure you that as mighty as my benefactor is, they are better served than fought¡­¡± Tilly breathed, letting the intensity of his internal turmoil color his words into something that sounded like fervor. The implications, intended or otherwise wound through the king''s twisted mind, and his already manic smile began to radiate an almost childish glee, ¡°So the overgrown lizards are finally coming out to play! Wonderful! This is just the news I was hoping for and I so feared these Contested Lands would be boring when I arrived.¡± He squealed, the pitch of his words going up and down several octaves and he excitedly declared his intent. Tilly almost got lost in the wild swinging pitch of his answer. There was something haunting in its nearness to Tilly¡¯s understanding of how music should sound, yet otherworldly in its unfamiliarity, like a song that he thought he should be able to recognize if he just listened to it a little longer. From behind his belt, Oberon pulled out a horn formed from twisted bone and shot through with the black veins of Corruption. He considered it fondly, shifting it from hand to hand with gentle caressing fingers, and began to speak again, his words twisting Tilly in strange knots. ¡°My name may have escaped you¡­ but surely you have heard of the wild hunt?¡± He muttered, seeming lost in his inspection of the item. Tilly''s blood ran cold as his instincts screamed at him to find a way out of this trap but his body seemed to suddenly be locked in place. The maggoty werewolf stood to his right, still as a statue except for the things worming in and out of its festering wounds. Mochizuki stood stock still just behind him, trapped as thoroughly as he was. Tilly could feel the tension radiating from her body. ¡°You will move¡­¡± Tilly growled, fear giving way to fury as a roaring rage built inside him in the face of whatever strange force was holding them in place. The bell sounded to announce that the rest of the bidding was about to begin, but Oberon didn¡¯t finch, and neither did any of his lackeys. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will.¡± He declared, looking up from the horn, smiling. Then his expression fell as his eyes locked on to something just over Tilly¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Naw mate, you¡¯ve got that all wrong.¡± declared an Australian-sounding drawl from over Tilly¡¯s shoulder. B3. Ch. 35 Marked Tilly¡¯s eyes stayed locked on Oberon as his smile turned downward into a pout. Like all of the other expressions Tilly had seen the fey king wear, this one seemed unnatural, forced in a way that made Tilly¡¯s skin crawl. ¡°Can¡¯t say I recognize you friend¡­¡± the king ground out through petulant lips at whoever had just arrived. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, ya weirdo, so fuck right off.¡± The king¡¯s expression lightened at the remark as if he thought it was a double entendre and he turned back to Tilly, uncaring smile back on his face. A rumbling growl began emanating from the werewolf, and the eldritch-infused jack-o-lantern¡¯s eyes started to glow a deep green as they turned toward the newcomer. At the same time, servants began streaming into the room, removing tables and dishes all around them With a happy sigh, the insane king breathed out a small, rich chuckle, ¡°Well, I think this was absolutely delightful! Tell your masters I say ¡®hello¡¯, we will be meeting again shortly.¡± Tilly barely registered Oberon¡¯s words when an explosion of pain ripped through his chest. He looked down in confusion to see the tip of the horn buried deeply in his ribs and looked up to find a feral, almost orgasmic joy playing across the fey¡¯s face. Then like shattering glass, everything went to hell. The two goons dived at whoever was behind Tilly, each sprouting a knife in one of their eyes for their trouble. A furious whispered shout sounded all around the arena,- ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?!¡±- as animated cloth burst between Tilly and Oberon. Conflict began to play out on several fronts, but it was all lost on Tilly who had begun to feel the tip of the horn pumping a sickeningly familiar substance into his chest. It wriggled and clawed at his insides as soon as it gained entry to his body, attempting to flood it as fast as possible. It was a horrifying experience, one made even worse by the fact that he had felt it all before. But unlike last time, Tilly had a ludicrous Endurance stat and the Title, [Hostile Environment] tailored for situations just like this. The fire smoldering at Tilly¡¯s center burst into an inferno, sizzling through the pathways Corruption had carved in a vicious counterattack that burned all the way back to the horn itself. The disturbing item screamed in response to the flame as the battle continued to rage all around them. Then in a move that was still too fast for Tilly to track, the horn was ripped free. Tilly¡¯s line of sight was blocked by the whirlwind of cloth flying everywhere, but none of it matched the storm building inside Tilly himself. Rage boiled in his veins and both his flame and the Draconic Authority suffusing his aura demanded retribution. No conscious decision was needed as he began to channel Flame¡¯s Expulsion, while simultaneously pulling on his title, [All or Nothing] to blow as much of this room to pieces as possible. But before he could unleash his fiery reprisal, the cloth flowing around him cleared and he slammed the ability to a halt as the scene unfolded before him. Several Auction House workers were dead on the ground, while many more fought against the goon squad that had accompanied Oberon. Apparently the attack had merited a full-scale response from the whole Faction. The Auctioneer themselves was locked in a stalemate with Oberon, whose sword flickered in a thousand defensive parries, cutting the mana-infused cloth attacks to ribbons, as the robed man sent an endless storm of cloth at the assailant. But not even a thread seemed to be able to pierce the maelstrom of masterful swordwork. The Fey¡¯s off-hand still somehow held the horn, but Tilly was gratified to see its tip now blackened and smoking. ¡°You are banished from my halls, Oberon, and the Fey Court is henceforth barred!¡± The Auctioneer¡¯s whispering shout radiated through the room, as the walls began to glow and reality began to fold itself around each member of the attacking group. ¡°You have no power over me, you neutered fool.¡± Oberon¡¯s voice replied in a gleeful challenge. Then, while his sword arm was still a blur, he put the horn up to his lips and grimaced as he blew into the object releasing a sanity-fraying call of screams and cries of joy all wrapped up in wild abandon. BRWWWAAAAA AHAHAHahahahAHAHA. The whole room seemed to shake, and the reality folding technique attempting to engulf their party was stopped in its tracks, as the space behind the king and his group was ripped open. The Auctioneer redoubled his attacks and many more Auction House members around the room joined in the offensive, but the towering swamp thing burst into thousands of separate appendages, each rising into the air to meet and cancel the attacks as the rest of the attackers disengaged and moved toward the opening. Oberon smirked, the expression made somewhat more comical by the reddish burn mark that marred his statuesque mouth, ¡°I look forward to seeing any of those who are ready to die at the Contested Lands!¡± He shouted to the alcoves of the arena before turning toward Tilly,- ¡°And you! It seems that our future meeting will be even more interesting than I thought. I will see you on the open field¡± He finished with a snarl, before stepping back through the rent in the air, followed closely by any of the group that was near enough to dive through. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Not all of them got away, many of the goons succumbed under the combined attack power of the Auction House before making it to the escape portal. Even the swamp thing, which was right next to the rent in space, seemed to have exhausted its ability to move with the defensive measure it had taken to cover its leader''s escape. Instead of moving toward the point in space that had rapidly shrunk, it lay there in a quivering mass, numerous mouths snapping weakly at the air as its entire form fought to maintain cohesion after enduring the onslaught. For his part, Tilly¡¯s chest was still leaking blood and smoking ichor. It slopped onto the ground in a sizzling puddle and revulsion mingled with a righteous disdain as he looked down on the invader. ¡®God I hate that stuff.¡¯ He sighed internally. The rent in space popped closed and the remaining enemy combatants were folded up into magic origami as Tilly quieted the fiery rage thrumming in his system. Part of him was disgusted with the fact that he hadn¡¯t gotten in a single blow on the enemy, the other, more logical side of his brain argued that such an outcome was ideal when viewed through the hosting Faction¡¯s traditions. With a deep breath, he wiped away a piece of rotting plant appendage that had landed on his jacket shoulder. In the middle of the act, he remembered Mochizuki and the attacks of the werewolf and scarecrow. He whipped his head around to find the lapin and saw her being helped to her feet by a very interesting-looking tanned male with distinctly elvish features. The elf looked to be wearing an odd combination of Western and Arabian gear, topped off with an Indiana Jones-style full-billed hat. Tilly almost rushed over to check on her, but he managed to stop himself as he remembered just how many eyes were on him from the glassed-in alcoves. Instead, he did his best to turn his urgent backward look into a cool scan of the room. His eyes finally landed back on the Auctioneer, whose many lengths of robe were slithering back to surround their hidden body in swaths of dark-colored fabric. ¡°Well, this is turning out to be even more eventful than I had planned¡­¡± The Auctioneer muttered in a whisper that was uncharacteristically quiet as they straightened their many-layered robes. The motions seemed more out of habit than to effect any sort of result and they did nothing for the cuts and burns that had all but ruined the vast majority of the outfit. However, their disheveled appearance didn''t stop the Auctioneer from taking a deep breath and then looking out at the walls of the arena to make another declaration in a haughty tone, ¡°If any of the rest of you plan to do mischief, please do so now and get it out of the way. If at all possible, I would like to finish the rest of this event without any more interruptions. I mean honestly¡­¡± They huffed in forced exasperation. The unaffected act was smooth, and if Tilly hadn¡¯t been standing right next to the Auctioneer, he would never have noticed the slight tremble that marked the ends of the figure¡¯s long sleeves. Whether that trembling was fear or anger, Tilly could not tell, but the recent events had obviously rattled the leader of the Faction. Realizing he had to make some similar show of strength for the combined representatives of every Faction of note on the plane, Tilly let out an explosive sigh, ¡°I suppose this is not normally how this event proceeds? I was under the impression that the guests here would be more¡­ Considerate.¡± He drawled dryly, as sizzling ichor continued to be expelled from his chest. He could almost feel the auxiliary muscles of his chest cavity flexing as they pushed the last of the substance out and he had to fight not to gag at the reminder of his recent battle with the parasite. Instead, he leaned into the superiority of his gifted Draconic Authority for all it was worth, making his inaction seem like unconcerned restraint in the face of something he did not consider a threat. The Auctioneer tilted his head in Tilly¡¯s direction, one actor acknowledging the work of another and answered loudly for all to hear, ¡°Yes, occasionally, I am sad to admit, the children do become unruly, but please dear patron, do not let this color your view of our noble institution. Here is some small token of our gratitude for your continued forbearance.¡± The Auctioneer announced dramatically, waving as a chest the size of Tilly¡¯s¡­ chest appeared before him. Tilly casually swiped his hand in the direction of the payment, and it disappeared without a sound which Tilly did his best to play off as a typical occurrence. He tried not to wince as the wound in his chest pulled painfully at the motion. Notable pain from anything but the most severe injuries had become fairly rare these days with his Endurance as high as it was. But Tilly didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it as the Auctioneer bowed slightly before the heavily clothed figure folded in on itself and reappeared on the central stage. ¡°Now Powers and Representatives, if you will for-¡± ¡°Here, mate. I¡¯ll walk you to your stair,¡± said a voice behind him. Tilly turned to find the tan elf in odd clothing standing next to Mochizuki, who confirmed his presence with a small nod. Tilly turned, barely showing any acknowledgment of their presence and outright ignoring the Auctioneer''s grandstanding as he moved toward the archway with a controlled gait, trying not to reach up and paw at the intense itching that now accompanied the closing of his wound. He didn¡¯t bother to look down at his chest, having felt the Draconic Emissary Suit self-repair over his chest once the last of the Corruption was forced from the wound. Tilly idly wondered just how many of his companions that asshole had given a similar treatment over the last few months. He maintained his act until they were fully within the cover of the archway before slouching and rubbing at his chest, ¡°Thanks for your help¡­¡± He said, turning toward the Indiana Jones elf. ¡°No worries Mate. Name¡¯s Fabian, I¡¯m sure the sheila will catch you up in a bit. I have to get back to my booth, Catch ya¡¯ later.¡± He said, winking at Mochizuki before turning on his heels and jogging back the way he came, easily dancing between the last of the workers taking away the tables as if they had not just been fighting for their lives a few minutes before. ¡°You alright?¡± Tilly said, turning to Mochizuki, who was smoothing out her servant''s garb. ¡°Yes, Jonathan Tillman. I am fine, and I think¡­ perhaps, despite the unexpected nature of that encounter, we have come out ahead¡­ ¡° she trailed off, looking after the retreating figure of the elf a few moments more, before turning abruptly and beginning to head up the stairs, ¡°Come on. We can¡¯t miss whatever they have up for bidding after the Cartographer¡¯s Guild map.¡± Tilly smiled to himself as he thought he spotted a slight coloration in the lapin¡¯s cheeks. He hurried after her, scratching at his scabbed-over wound under the suit. They made it through the door to their booth just as the Auctioneer was stowing away the recently sold map. Tilly missed the final amount but did note almost a dozen flags drifting to the floor in defeat. ¡°I¡¯m sure many of you are noting the increased tension on the plane. Such that beings are now risking much more than is prudent for some small chance at power¡± The Auctioneer mocked tonelessly, ¡°So perhaps it would be in many of your best interest to invest in one of our next round of items, which will all share a distinct¡­ military flavor.¡± They said as a pedestal rose up from the stage, bearing a diadem on it that sparkled brightly with precious gems. ¡°Here we have another Celestial-ranked item, the Sovereign''s Crown. If you have this item equipped when you claim another Faction¡¯s Sovereign Crystal-¡± Tilly tried to listen¡­ he did. But the itching on his chest was getting worse. So, he pulled up his notification log to see how much money he had received as compensation for the attack: Commerce Guild System Sanctioned Notification - You have successfully deposited the equivalent of one point five million gold. Tilly almost cussed out loud as he saw the amount the Auctioneer had so casually waved his way, and then did a double take as he saw the notification above it. ¡°What the F-¡± B3. Ch. 36 Parting Gift Warning, You have been marked by a Fey Noble for the WILD HUNT. Until you or the one who marked you is dead, the hunt will unerringly move toward your location. They receive multiple bonuses to movement speed and Endurance while the Hunt is active, and can not stop until their quarry is found. Beware, the Hunt follows the Wyrd Ways and will not be kept out of any area for long. You are now a participant in the Hunt. It is for you to decide if you will be the predator or the prey. ¡°Mr. Tillman, what is it?¡± Tilly ignored Mochizuki¡¯s question as he slowly pulled open his shirt to reveal the almost-healed wound. Instead of a puckered puncture point marked by a small scar, Tilly found his own skin formed into the image of a laughing horned skull in red and white scar tissue. He frowned down at the mark, looking up at Mochizuki after a long minute of consideration. ¡°I think that asshole is trying to use me as a shortcut to the Contested Lands¡­ He thinks that is where I am returning after this, and he wants to get there faster than anyone else. Obviously that is not going to work for him, but if I don¡¯t move immediately after I get back to Alliance, I¡¯ll lead them straight to us.¡± ¡°Is it not good if we know they are coming? We could set up defenses.¡± ¡°No, no matter what, I¡¯m going. Even if just to make sure our new guest doesn¡¯t change his mind about moving on after he wakes up. This is just another variable to consid-¡± ¡°Next up!¡± The Auctioneer interrupted, ¡°We have Tepegoz¡¯s Eye.¡± Out of thin air appeared a blue and white stone hung upon a simple string. - ¡°This extraordinary item acts as a focus for all mental and wisdom-debuffing magics. If the wearer is targeted by such an attack, even if it is a battle-wide area of effect, the Eye will redirect that magic unto itself and nullify its effects.¡± They announced dramatically, dangling the deceptively simple-looking object in front of the arena¡¯s alcoves. ¡°Such a thing could nullify a wide variety of enemy trump cards, and to top it off, this item is guaranteed to protect against any level Abilities, short of divine intervention. Bidding will start at one hundred thousand gold.¡± Even through the fog of the recent turn of events, Tilly recognized a key opportunity to cover what was probably one of his biggest weaknesses. His hand shot to the control crystal, as Mochizuki nodded in approval and began sending an update to the council. He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what she was going to write to sum up the events over a few lines of text, but he didn¡¯t let that distract him as his flag joined thirty others at the starting bid. ¡°Wonderful! And to think a few malcontents wanted to ruin all of this fun! Let''s just cut the stragglers, and move straight to one hundred and fifty thousand gold.¡± Tilly didn¡¯t care how much it cost, the Auctioneer had just bankrolled him straight into highroller status, and he would need every advantage he could get his hands on for the coming fight with the fey. His Endurance made it so he could take a few solid hits from almost anyone and his status as Origin¡¯s Champion helped him punch well above his weight class when it came to fighting Corrupted. Time and time again the true glaring weakness of his build had been in his metaphysical defenses. It seemed like every Dick and Jane that came along with some sort of mental attack could ruin his day, and he had no doubt that one thing the Fey would have in spades was access to all kinds of mental and emotional trickery. Oberon had bought Tilly¡¯s act and thought he was getting a free ride into the Contested Lands, but all he had done was make sure that they would arrive at the same time, and now¡­ Tilly had time to prepare, and a stupid amount of money to make sure he showed up with as much magical firepower as possible. He blew through the other bidders, easily the most hungry of those who were fighting for the item, and scored it for two hundred and twelve thousand gold. That amount would have seemed out of this world just an hour ago. But not now. Now Tilly was Bruce Wayne rich and had a score to settle. ¡­ An hour later, they had made it through two more collections of items, and one more break session that Tilly and Mochizuki both decided to skip. Neither of them felt up to another face-off if anyone else wanted to try their luck with the ¡°Dragon Emissary¡±. Instead, Tilly watched as Stephen Brightborn and Reginald moved through a string of what looked like discouraging conversations with multiple powers around the room, each one leaving with stony expressions or shaking heads. One Faction representative even ran away from the pair instead of being cornered for a discussion. Whatever their goals had been, Tilly doubted it was going well for either of them. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The Fallen Prince hadn¡¯t made an appearance at the final break feast either, in fact, many of the obviously Corrupted attendees had skipped out on the final feast. Just as the bell rang to end the last break, Tilly was surprised to spot Guinevere the queen of the Sanguine Order gliding through the crowd to catch Stephen¡¯s attention right before he turned to leave. She was accompanied by an older man with an impressive beard. He was following in the sorceress¡¯ wake, but something about the way she held her shoulders seemed to hint at how important she thought he was. Plus everything he was wearing screamed ¡°Wizard¡±, so Tilly was going to go out on a limb and guess that Myrllen had returned to the Faction. ¡®Why not? Seems like everything else important is happening right now. Let''s throw another variable in and see what happens¡¯ Tilly monologued internally as the room cleared. He watched, more than a little curious, as the pair held a quick conversation with the Church leader. After the short exchange, Guinevere extended her hand graciously, and the Champion of the Lady Light mimed taking it and bowing, while completely avoiding any actual contact. After what Tilly assumed was considered a respectful gesture, the delegation from the church turned and left. It was good to see some of their allies meeting and speaking on friendly terms, and Tilly wondered why he had not spotted the leaders of the Sanguine Order earlier. They left to find their own stairway amidst the bustle of clearing workers and as the queen moved through the arch, Myrllen stopped to turn and cooly scan the arena. It may have been Tilly¡¯s imagination, but it felt like those eyes hesitated as they found the window to Tilly¡¯s booth. Then the moment was gone, and so was the legendary figure. Tilly couldn¡¯t, however, shake the feeling that the wizard had actually met his eyes for a fraction of a second. Before Tilly could mull over the unsettling feeling of being caught staring, the Auctioneer began to announce the final round of items. One dramatic bidding war after another, they moved through some of the rarest artifacts and resources that Nephesh had to offer. When it was all said and done, the Alliance and Tilly combined had spent a truly staggering amount of gold. Mochizuki requested that he snap up several Faction-boosting items whose total almost surpassed the Alliance''s budget. Tilly wasn¡¯t sure how exactly they would use all of what they had bought, but from everything he had seen so far from their scrappy leadership, he was sure it was gold well spent. For his part, Tilly decided to go with the theme of his earlier meetings and go full Batman. He had an enemy to face that was superior in almost every way and he was going to do it with nothing more than whatever clever plan he came up with and a grudge¡­ plus 1.5 million gold. Tilly had no clue what a Corrupted Wild Hunt would entail, but he was fairly sure that he didn¡¯t stand a remote chance of surviving if he kept the fight fair. They obviously had a plan to take on the current inhabitants of the Contested Lands, and it started with finding a way to get there before anyone else by marking Tilly. That wasn¡¯t going to work out for them since he wasn¡¯t any closer than they were, but it also meant that he had to get moving almost immediately after he returned to the Alliance. So he bought everything he could afford that piqued his interest as half-formed plans and contingencies buzzed around his mind, droning with the steady, low note of righteous anger. Some of the things he had purchased sounded incredible, he just had to find the perfect way to use them. Not to mention he had to get his build synergy back online before the majority of his nascent plans would even be possible. He had hoped that rolling up to the Contested Lands with a dragon more or less on his side would be a huge factor in his favor. But Oberon didn¡¯t seem too concerned at the prospect of taking on the whole Draconic contingent, let alone a single dragon. So it was up to Tilly to prepare for his enemy using everything he knew about fire science and Jerry-rigging some of his own brand of magic bullshit to prepare some day-ruining surprises for the insane fey king. ¡°The Auction House offers its most sincere gratitude for your participation in what has been a record-setting event in more ways than one!¡± the Auctioneer announced cheerfully, pulling Tilly¡¯s attention back to the stage as the robed figure bowed to the unseen audience, ¡°Your liaison will be with you shortly to escort you back to your respective lands, and for those of you who made purchases this evening, your items will be waiting for you at your local chapter house. Thank you and good evening,¡± they said grandly, once more bowing deeply before continuing the motion until they actually folded in on themselves, disappearing entirely. Mochizuki was scribbling back and forth with Shuji furiously, but after another minute, she looked up with a mischievous smile, ¡°Well, you only started a fight with one of the oldest powers on the plane, so, all things considered, I would say we did very well.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯d say that, Moch! You got your butt saved by a handsome elf¡­ or should I call you sheila?¡± Tilly rejoined, his matching smile breaking the lingering tension left by the event. At his words, Mochizuki suddenly looked away, totally failing to hide a small blush. The whole event had been so tense that even the slightest teasing had Tilly feeling giddy, and he was about to ask for more details when a soft knock at the door interrupted them. ¡°Ah, yes, that must be Talia, here to guide us home,¡± Mochizuki said quickly. She got up to get the door, when it opened up on its own, allowing the last figure they expected to walk in, entering their booth in a flurry of angrily rustling cloth. ¡°How dare they! Do those upstarts think they are beyond my reach?¡± They whispered angrily, seeming to look past the room¡¯s occupants to the stage beyond. ¡°Yes?¡¯ Tilly answered, having no clue if it was a rhetorical question or not. The Auctioneer looked over at their chairs and paused as if surprised to see them there, ¡°-I am sure I am far short of the full context, but to my knowledge, you are at the leading edge of the opposition to these so-called Corrupted?¡± Tilly fought not to look over at Mochizuki, wanting to present as strong a front as possible. As far as he knew, while he didn¡¯t have to tell them anything new, the Auction House was probably already privy to more secrets the Alliance held close to its chest than most. ¡°That would be fair to say.¡± Tilly hedged. The Auctioneer nodded to themselves, ¡°Good, so you will likely be at the center of whatever mess the System is brewing¡­ I must inform you that the Auction House will remain neutral in this and all other conflicts on the plane as a part of our charter¡­¡± ¡°However, we are very interested in setting up a chapter house in these ¡°Contested Lands¡±. As a promising member of one of the Factions likely to be present in those lands, I wish to offer you this,¡± they said, turning over the sleeve of their robe to reveal a seed-sized shape that was constantly growing and folding back in on itself in a nauseating violation of what the laws of nature. ¡°This is a chapter house seed, if you plant it in the ground of land the system recognizes as yours, it will grow an entrance to this domain in a matter of hours.¡± B3. Ch. 37 Contingencies Tilly looked down at the seed trying to work through the possibilities it represented, thinking through the hint the Auctioneer had just given him. Many of the older denizens of the plane seemed to have an idea of what the Contested Lands were, but details of how the conflict would play out were scarce. Now that he knew there would be a way to ¡°claim land¡± he needed to get as much information out of the unpredictable Faction Leader as possible. ¡°Why should I agree to setting up a neutral trading house on land I will probably be bleeding to take? It is just as likely to benefit my enemies as myself.¡± Tilly fished. ¡°Yes, yes. We can all see how tenuous your chances are.¡± The Auctioneer answered, seeming to mull over Tilly¡¯s answer for a moment before continuing, ¡°The best I can do is provide free one-time transport from your Factions chapter house to the newly created location for as many of your allies as you can convince to come to your banners call.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Tilly hedged, remembering the line about claiming treasure from the world announcement, ¡°I think there is some significant money to be made by whoever gets to sell whatever loot is discovered in long untouched lands. A single instance of fast travel does not seem like much in the light of such profits, and likely a monopoly for some time.¡± ¡°Tch, Infant!¡± The Auctioneer spat, gesturing violently with the sleeve that still held out the offered Chapter House seed, ¡°The system prevents almost all kinds of teleport in and out of these Contested Lands, they are the fulcrum by which new Epochs are made. What I offer you has unparalleled worth, now take it, or I will go and offer it to the other side!¡± Tilly looked into the dark hooded visage, visualizing the figure''s eyes as he did his best to ooze dissatisfaction at the deal. Tilly knew that his Faction was the riskier choice to back, yet the fact that the Auction House had still approached them was significant. He knew an opportunity when he saw one, and stubbornly leaned into the silence a little longer- ¡°Was the gold not enough? It is four times what I should have paid you. I must remain neutral, anything more and the weave undergirding our charter would break!¡± The Auctioneer whined. Tilly watched the powerful figure carefully. Just an hour ago, a group representing the possible new rulers of the plane had casually violated the Auction House edicts at the very center of their power. Something like that was meant to send a message. One that Tilly was just beginning to understand from the robed figure¡¯s point of view¡­ They were afraid. ¡°You know I go to face the group that just spat upon your honor. There must be something, anything more you can tell me to even the odds without violating your neutrality.¡± Tilly pushed a little harder, lifting his hand to hover over the seed just shy of taking it up. The Faction leader looked around, struggling to think of something else to add to the deal. Then their gaze fell on Tilly¡¯s hand, and the world ring- ¡°Ah, perhaps there is one more piece of information that would help your cause, but neither of you will share its source with anyone¡­ do we have an understanding?¡± Both Tilly and Mochizuki nodded. ¡°Very well, I am not sure how you convinced them to give you one of those, but it is far more powerful than most realize. The bank prefers you keep your wealth in gold or platinum, it is by far the most common bullion on the plane. You can loot with it, but all the items stored in this way will be automatically converted to gold at guild rates, and they make a tidy sum doing it.¡± ¡°But that is beside the point, the true power of this item lies in your ability to convert the wealth within into any form of currency currently recognized by the Guild. Some of these idiots may soon realize that you plan to register Dragon Glass ingots as currency and will drive up the price as they attempt to convert all you offer to the bank. However, very few of them have the means to discover the full list of currency registered with the Guild. One would have to have millennia of plane-wide economic experience to gain-¡± Tilly fought valiantly not to roll his eyes as the Auctioneer continued to play up the value of their information.- ¡°such rare information.¡± ¡°I share this strictly to secure our business arrangement and for no other reason. There is a remote Faction called the Ascendant Pulgasari Tribe. A few hundred years ago, they began an immensely profitable exportation of some very rare herbs that grew high up in their domain and were guarded by their semi-divine patron. The Commerce Guild caught wind of the amounts of money these tribesmen were making after I sold more than a few of the incredible specimens at a premium. They met with the Tribe to try and negotiate money-changing rights, and were successful, with one caveat. The guild had to recognize the Tribe¡¯s traditional currency and back it against gold. The Guild reluctantly accepted, agreeing to guarantee a certain amount for the next five hundred years. The Tribe was destroyed fifty years later, and the guild still stocks one hundred thousand golds worth of this currency-¡± Maybe it was the almost-not-stop exposition from the last twenty-four hours or the overwhelming variety of magical creatures that had surrounded and in some cases tried to kill him over the course of the auction¡­ But Tilly was burned out, not at all following how this sort of information could be useful. His eyes must have given away some level of this incomprehension because the Auctioneer¡¯s smug lecturing voice dropped off and they sighed, This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Gods save me from the edge cases of this world¡­ I will make this easy for you. Guild exchange any currency. Currency of old tribe; iron filings. Fey no like iron. Understand?¡± They concluded in a mocking tone. For some reason, the tone and simple information summary reminded him of the many dress-downs he had received from senior guys in his years at the fire department, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. If he had a nickel for every time one of the guys explained something to him in a baby voice, he would have retired¡­ or, rather, died, a wealthier man. The smile must have communicated something else entirely to the robed figure, who tilted their head in confusion, taken aback by the relaxation their mockery caused. ¡°Yeah, I get it. I have access to practically endless amounts of instantaneous iron, and if I use it properly, the fey are going to have a very bad day.¡± Tilly said, snatching the seed, which felt completely stable in his hand even as he watched it sickeningly twist in on itself over and over. He quickly stuffed it into his breast pocket, ¡°Well, better get going if I am going to spit in that guy''s face for you.¡± The Auctioneer scoffed, but if Tilly wasn¡¯t mistaken, the muffled sound from under the layers of cloth could have easily been a snicker before it was bitten off. ¡°Very well, get out of my sight, and do not fail to plant that seed. I can just as easily make the same offer to the other side.¡± They said, waving their sleeved hand in an activation of one of their abilities. The space all around Tilly began to fold in on itself and instead of looking directly at the mind-bending magic, Tilly closed his eyes and pretended to yawn, ¡°Yeah- Awwwhh- Good luck with that.¡± He said as he disappeared. ¡­ Auctioneer, Level 164 Laundress Talia glided into the room, as the spatial magics faded, and watched the spot the strange pair had just inhabited with interest, ¡°Your eminence, is it wise to back such unlikely victors? Surely these Corrupted will catch wind of our support one way or another.¡± ¡°They chose to cross me in my own domain, not once¡­ but twice, making a fool of me in front of the others. I will not let them get away with a simple exile. I doubt the human will live long enough to do anything of significance, but I have given him everything he needs to be exceedingly annoying in the near future, and I can do the same with any of their other opponents if they continue to try my patience. This rising alliance seems to have cozied up with the Commerce Guild. Perhaps they think they can finally cut me out of plane-wide trade¡­ We will see how they feel after a few more nudges on my end to level the playing field in the Contested Lands.¡± Talia paused, glancing over at her superior with a thinly veiled posture of disbelief, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call One point five million gold a ¡®nudge¡¯. Surely the Guild will inform them of the deposit.¡± This elicited a laugh from the Auctioneer, ¡°Oh, I am counting on it! Why do you think I told the boy about the trick with the world ring? Let''s see how well the new bedfellows get along once he starts burning through a significant Faction in their ranks with iron provided by a World Ring. I am discrediting a competitor and exacting retribution in the same stroke, all without violating our charter.¡± Then their voice took on a more somber tone. ¡°For anyone with eyes, it is clear to see that the balance of Light and Dark is finished. If I am not mistaken, at this point the Church has completely emptied its coffers and is running on lines of credit with the Commerce Guild, something I am sure Clarence is tickled about. We must position ourselves in a place of power if we want to carve out any space of worth in the coming Epoch. We have weathered such things before and we will do so again.¡± Talia bowed respectfully and gracefully exited the room, returning to the task assigned to her personally. For their part the Auctioneer continued to stand in the booth, looking out over the arena long after the lower members of the House finished their menial chores and returned to other areas of their domain. As they stood there, their clothing slowly repaired itself, moving far slower than normal as it struggled against the magic of wild destruction that Oberon now embodied so recklessly. They had failed to protect 6 members of their own Faction in the very center of their power¡­ The insult once again racked the Auctioneer with fury, and they struggled to control the trembling that reverberated through their small body under the many layers of cloth. ¡°Power indeed¡­¡± They muttered to themselves clasping one hand in another to still their trembling. ¡­ Tilly Level 37 Son of Flame He stumbled as space regurgitated him out into the courtyard of the Auction House Chapter that grew up in one of the Alliance¡¯s central squares. The sun was setting and he quickly triggered his armor change, returning to his primitive leathers. The boost to Endurance and Dexterity was more noticeable than ever and he felt his entire physical form solidify as the superiority complex that he had worn like armor faded away, leaving him feeling weak in the knees as the events that had just transpired settled more fully into his awareness. Mochizuki, unsurprisingly, took the transfer much more gracefully and reached over to a branch to pluck an oversized robe that seemed to have been hung there just for her. She draped it over her outfit and looked over at him. Her expression had returned to the flat professionalism that he was used to, but he noted the stiffness in her posture as if she was standing straight more by force of will than any sort of confidence. Today hadn¡¯t been easy for anyone. ¡°You two have surpassed expectations at every turn¡­ I am always pleased to see a recommendation of mine benefit so much from our institution!¡± Talia¡¯s voice rolled smoothly across the courtyard as she emerged from a doorway accompanied by two other robed individuals, each pushing a cart laden with their goods. ¡°Here are your winnings, feel free to visit us any time if you want to make more mundane purchases or sales, you will be of course informed when the next plane-wide event is to take place¡­¡± The unspoken ¡®if you are still alive¡¯ hung for a moment in the air between them until Mochizuki filled the gap with a warm-sounding response. ¡°We look forward to it, Talia. May I say, you are a credit to your Faction and I hope the unpleasantness experienced by our party and others is not a sign of future disrespect against your institution.¡± Mochizuki replied, moving toward the cart on the left to inspect its goods. Her response had been perfectly measured in its effect, and the Auction House representative stiffened momentarily before covering the motion with a bow, ¡°Rest assured. No such dishonor will stand for long.¡± Tilly looked briefly between the two, wondering if he was supposed to say something, and then just shrugged, before moving toward his pile of goodies. He was done playing politics. It was time to return to something he was far more familiar with; Fire. B3. Ch. 38 Plan F Tilly snatched up the Eye and looped it around his neck before tucking it below his armor. As the amulet made contact with his skin, he felt a brief flash of magic echo through the Mana Pathways in his neck for a moment. Then the sensation was gone and Tilly looked over at Mochizuki a question that should have come up much earlier in his time on Nephesh occurring to him. The lapin was motioning some guards through the door to come and gather up the Alliances¡¯ items off the pallet, ¡°Hey Mochizuki¡­ I don¡¯t have much experience with enchanted items. Is there a limit to how many I can wear and where you can wear them?¡± Talia stepped forward before Mochizuki could answer, ¡°Allow me,¡± she said turning toward the lapin briefly before addressing Tilly, her voice taking on a tone that would have been at home in a lecture hall, ¡°There is a limit, however, the boundaries of such things are more nuanced than stationary. Most items with repeatable uses create a bond with the Mana Pathways in their area of contact and are designed to function along with almost any kind of mana signature that would flow through those pathways. Notable exceptions to this are some of the more destructive kinds of mana, like chaos. However, Mr Tillman, I believe your flames are well within tolerance for most items¡­ Although I would hazard a guess that any Corrupted item you tried to use at this point would not react well with your build.¡± ¡°This issue becomes even more complicated when multiple enchanted items share the same space in a user¡¯s Mana Network, especially in the case of simultaneous activation. Such combinations can have dangerous and unpredictable effects with very rare instances of synergy. There is of course much more to say on the topic, but in summary, be very cautious when attempting to use multiple magical items on the same part of your body simultaneously.¡± During her explanation, the contingent of guards, who seemed to have already been waiting outside the Auction Chapter House came in and loaded the Alliances¡¯ items into nondescript containers under Mochizuki¡¯s careful supervision. She did however spare a glance in Tilly¡¯s direction to nod in confirmation of Talia¡¯s explanation and Tilly glanced back down at what he had purchased, cross-checking any possibilities of interaction.¡± ¡®Hope you don''t mind buddy¡¯ sent down to his primitive leather armor as he picked up the intricate woven belt with five clips and attached it under the long flap of his jacket. Then he attached the second and third items he had purchased to the belt before finally picking up the fourth item gently, careful not to shake its volatile contents. ¡°Thank you for your help Talia, tell your boss that they won''t regret the investment. I definitely plan to kick some fey ass.¡± Tilly quipped, masking his near exhaustion with some classic light humor. The Assessor offered a light bow of farewell in response. Tilly would have liked to think she was holding back a chuckle, but it was hard to tell under all the layers of clothing. Whatever the case, he took it as her farewell and moved out along with the contingent of guards and Mochizuki into the crowded square. Mochizuki eyed Tilly¡¯s very visible fourth item and raised an eyebrow at him, ¡°Perhaps it would be prudent to cover that up? Now that we have sold the glass through the auction it is only a matter of time before our enemies locate us and the shadow war begins, if the Commerce Guild hasn¡¯t already revealed us. It would be prudent to hold onto every secret we can.¡± ¡°Yeah, good point,¡° Tilly winced and looked around for something to use. One of the nearby guards produced a simple linen sack, which Tilly slid the enchanted glass container into. Their group forged through the crowded square, many of the people making way for their procession as they headed straight for the manor and the inevitable council debrief, they probably had a thousand questions about what just transpired, and with his tight timeframe¡­ ¡°Actually can I have one of you take this and find Cog? Once he sees it, he¡¯ll know what to do, but tell him that whatever he makes, needs to be done by tomorrow morning.¡± The guard that handed him the sack took a quick look around and found his compatriots all conveniently looking elsewhere, ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ll take it, sir. We are talking about the kid that keeps blowing things up, right?¡± ¡°That''s the one!¡± Tilly said enthusiastically, shooting a finger gun at the satyr after passing along the enchanted glass container sloshing with a volatile liquid. The guard frowned worriedly as he peeled out of formation and headed toward the parade grounds taking careful steps while the rest of the group continued to the oldest part of the city. Soon enough they found themselves passing through the manor doors, now manned by Bastions instead of Flame¡¯s Watch guards. ¡°By my calculations, we can maintain this pace of growth¡­ but barely. I still do not understand. Why the rush, are we not past the need for such emphasis on military logistics?¡± A voice Tilly did not recognize sounded through the courtyard as the manor doors opened. ¡°Your point is noted Livius, our representatives to the Auction House have returned, but we will pick back up on your thought after we debrief.¡± Linus¡¯ voice replied with a long-suffering sigh. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The guard troop that had been accompanying them laid down their packages before the council saluted, and turned to join the others at the doors, leaving Mochizuki and Tilly. The lapin moved to a nearby tea tray without pause, falling into her role as an unassuming servant like it was a suit of armor. Tilly had never seen the council in session and was interested to note that it was made up of Franklin¡¯s aunt, the other honu elder, Hiro, Ichiro, Linus, Shuji, and the two delegates from the refugee camps. Each of whose attention focused on Tilly as Mochizuki abandoned him to get everyone tea. ¡°Well, how did I do?¡± He asked, trying for a light tone, but unable to keep the slight genuine question from creeping into his voice. Without the Draconic Aura coloring his thoughts, he was feeling like an empty balloon in the confidence department. ¡°Incredibly!¡± Shuji boomed before anyone else had time to answer the question, ¡°You have identified our chief opponent in the coming initial engagement, or rather he identified you. Haha! We have made inroads with several important Factions, and invested our newly gained wealth into several avenues that will hopefully keep us from being destroyed in the near future!¡± Ichiro smiled, nodding along with the summary, but most of the rest of the council was flat-faced or outright frowning as they considered their own feeling about the day''s events. Mochizuki eased some of the tension by walking around with a loaded tea tray and offering a fresh cup to each of the members. ¡°Oh thank you, my dear,¡± Shuji said, smacking his lips appreciatively at his first sip and patting the Codex she handed to him along with the tea. ¡°Excuse me for interrupting, but I still have some serious questions about how we are choosing to spend our now considerable assets. I understand the threat that we face is important, but many in the camps have yet to gain access to a second set of clothes, let alone any of the other necessities that should come with civilized life. We are spending almost 7000% more on military resources than we are on our civilians. Surely this should be slightly more balanced.¡± A wizened satyr broke in, reading from several scattered sheaves of paper. One of the honu elders waved her hand in agreement with the sentiment, ¡°We understand¡­ the short-term necessities¡­ of our position¡­ Lord Hiro, but our contribution point system¡­ is woefully bent toward¡­ military production. This is stagnating¡­ our future growth as a Faction.¡± Hiro quietly considered the two arguments, which were clearly not new concepts from his fellow councilors. He thoughtfully took a slow sip of his tea and gestured for Tilly to take one of the two open seats, ¡°Your concerns are worthwhile, and I am hearing them, but if I may, I would like to ask Mr. Tillman a question,¡± He said, addressing them before turning to face Tilly, ¡°Considering our Patron, and now, the direct animosity that ties both you and our sleeping guest to the Contested Lands¡­ what do you think our chances are at surviving the next few months, let alone years if Corruption continues to expand at its current rate?¡± He asked his gravelly voice grave with the weight of his question. Tilly didn¡¯t answer right away, taking time to consider the looks of all of those around the table who had been elected to lead their new Faction. He didn¡¯t sense any outright hostility or reluctance, just genuine concern for the welfare of their people. None of them were trying to line their pockets or gain greater positions of authority. These were survivors who just wanted to build something better than the previous system of government that had failed them so utterly. After a long pause searching for some way to qualify his words, Tilly sighed, giving in to the unavoidable reality of their current position, ¡°Well, if what we saw at the auction is a true sampling of the Factions from around the plane, then we are almost out of time. I know what happened with Oberon means I have to get out of our Faction holdings as soon as possible, or else bring the wild hunt down on our doorstep. But whether I succeed in Origin¡¯s quest or fail, it will not change the fact that the system itself has recognized a change in the fundamental power structure of the plane. Corruption¡¯s forces are making their play, and if what I saw today was any indication, those who would oppose them are fractured at best and indifferent at worst. If we don''t step forward with everything we have, I doubt there will be much of a resistance at all.¡± The satyr woman in a baker''s apron frowned tiredly, ¡°Why us? Are there truly no others?¡± ¡°On that note, there is one final event I must report that occurred just before we left,¡± Mochizuki interrupted, adding their encounter with the Auctioneer to the report she had shared with Shuji through shorthand throughout the event. Ichiro¡¯s pale eyes lit up as the story progressed and by the time Tilly produced the seed to show the council, his gaze grew erratic as he traced the invisible passage of fate to and from the object. ¡°I cannot answer the why, Octavia¡­ but it is clear to me that we are far from alone in our task. Great Powers from afar find themselves bound up in the emerging pattern, and I have hope that as long as we stand, others will stand with us. There is a brighter future available to those of us willing to fight.¡± He said, awe coloring his tone as he beheld something only he could see. His robes began to glow along with his eyes as he spoke, and a strange ringing filled the air at the conclusion of his final sentence. It was a bright sound, something that felt real and dreamlike at the same time, causing Tilly to marvel and doubt in equal measure. Then just fast enough to make him wonder if he had seen or heard anything at all, it was gone, but its mark remained on the room, in the slowly rising expressions of each of the council members. Dismay and resignation gave way to glimmers of hope, and the light of courage touched on the horizon of the council''s dark hour. Tilly bore his teeth in a fierce smile at the reminder of what they were fighting for and he couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°I can¡¯t say I fully understood everything that happened myself with some of the people I met today, but judging from my interaction with the Ancient Grove Faction and the Auctioneer, I think there is a lot more going on then we can see from our point of view. You guys will lead the Alliance however you see fit, but I know what I have to do. I am going to lead that piece of shit exactly where he wants to go, but it won¡¯t be anything like he thinks it will. We have already fought, bled, and in some cases died to protect what we have here, even if it is just a beginning. Our next step demands nothing less.¡± His words, and perhaps more importantly, the conviction with which he said them, elicited a positive response from almost everyone at the table. Looking around and noting a quorum over their future role in this conflict, Shuji capitalized on the momentum, ¡°Perhaps now would be a good time to share the details of our secret military pact with the Church. Their forces are being pushed back across many Factions as Corruption¡¯s influence grows, but we have been intervening through covert usage of their inter-temple teleportation net-¡± ¡°What have you done!?¡± A voice shouted as the manor doors slammed open and unkempt Erash marched into the courtyard-turned council chamber. Her normally immaculate appearance was disheveled and dark circles marked her eyes. B3. Ch. 39 Family Trouble ¡°High Priestess! You were invited to the meeting hours-¡± ¡°You!¡± She shouted ignoring Shuji¡¯s overture and zeroing in on Tilly, her nostrils flaring. Not liking where this was going, he rolled to his feet, meeting her eyes in challenge as she marched up to him, pulling short inches from his face. ¡°Erash¡­¡± Tilly frowned. ¡°How did he get to you? You reek of his magic, even now, it is incessantly buzzing in my mind!¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, you would have been briefed on-¡± ¡°Silence! I need to hear it from him¡­ Although I almost fear the answer enough to wallow in my own ignorance.¡± Tilly didn¡¯t answer her right away, instead choosing to stand there and process everything that was happening before him. The hidden thread of Erash¡¯s story was coming to light. She arrived here with a stranger and was willing to join a ¡°weak¡± Faction at the drop of the hat, all to be able to change her class and ¡°advance¡±. She had rarely spoken of her past and never mentioned why she left her old Faction in the first place, but now, all of that was beginning to make sense. As the realization hit him, her demanding haughtiness suddenly didn¡¯t seem so frustrating. Whatever front she normally presented looked nothing like the desperate young woman before him. Her eyes glinted feverishly and her question had been voiced in an almost keening tone. These things combined to shift his harsh impression of the High Priestess and his response softened considerably from the angry retort he had been about to voice. ¡°He ambushed me at the Auction and marked me for the Hunt,¡± Tilly answered quietly, looking into her eyes with a growing concern at her mental state. Whatever demons she had been running from had just made it to her doorstep, and he had been the one to bring them¡­ His answer hit her like a blow to the stomach, bowling her over, as a slow moan emerged from her lips. Octavia, the baker-turned-councilmember stood, motherly worry etched on her face as Erash¡¯s mental distress built to a crescendo. ¡°How could you let this happen? How could you let him find me again?¡± She muttered beginning to rock back and forth as she clutched at herself desperately. The sight of her devolving into an almost animalistic fear evoked a roaring in Tilly¡¯s chest. Outrage mingled with a protectiveness so fierce that he felt his guts yanked in her direction. Before he had time to think about it, he had taken the rocking High Priestess in his arms and was holding her tightly. She tensed at the movement, freezing in the midst of a fight or flight response so severe that it shut down all of her normal protective postures. Then, as if all the muscles in her body relaxed as one, she collapsed into his embrace and began to sob. ¡°I won¡¯t let him find you, I¡¯m leaving in the morning¡­ He won¡¯t ever get to you again, I promise.¡± Tilly muttered, doing his best to comfort the person in his arms that was part myth, part child. They stood there for a minute, as the council sat in silence and in Linus¡¯ case, averted their eyes as Erash worked through her fear and grief. Tilly had been at odds with this woman for the entirety of their relationship, but now, holding her in his arms, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how old she actually was and what sort of trauma she was fleeing. ¡°...Thank you¡± She whispered, slowly pulling away from his embrace. Tilly released her reluctantly, suddenly hesitant to face the relational consequence of his actions. But as they pulled apart, he found her eyeing him searchingly, as if looking for some subterfuge. Sensing the opportunity to diverge from whatever her history was, he spoke up. ¡°Look, the thing I met at the auction was a monster who has given himself fully to Corruption. I don¡¯t know what your history is with him, but I promise, I am going to end him or die trying. Either way, he won''t find you here. That, I promise.¡± ¡°He, Oberon is my father.¡± She whispered in response, her gaze sliding down to the floor. ¡°I am Titania¡¯s only daughter.¡± Those words dropped like a bomb in the courtyard. Tilly had known Erash probably walking in high circles¡­ but the fey were one of the oldest Factions on the plane, and apparently, she was the daughter of two out of the three leaders. Ichiro was the first to break the silence hanging in the aftermath of the admission. ¡°If you do not mind, Princess¡­ What was the situation when you left your Faction?¡± he asked softly, somehow managing to make the question seem wholly appropriate to the moment. At his address, she took a deep breath, before looking up from the ground and meeting the eyes of each of the council council members. Mochizuki stepped forward from the periphery and placed a chair behind her and she collapsed into it gratefully. Tilly joined her, sitting down and leaning forward as she collected her thoughts, her mouth held open as the words slowly coalesced on her tongue. ¡°Our people have always existed in a delicate balance. My father and his followers always moved back and forth between summer and winter, courting both queens with equal passion. He was ever the agent of change in our Faction and my half-sister and I are the fruit of that change. He was well respected amongst our people both for his cruelty and his cunning. Both are characteristics that I experienced frequently in my youth. It was not perfect, but it was a balance that lasted thousands of years. Then it all changed at the turning of the seasons last fall.¡± Her eyes grew haunted, and her words sped up slightly as if she wanted to be away from the memories as soon as possible.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°He was prone to go on long hunts with a few of his closest advisors at the shifting of the seasons, and no one ever knew when he would return and his allegiance would shift. My mother was heartbroken at his disappearance, as she always was, and winter was gathering its strength to push its borders in the coming campaign. Then everything changed. When my father returned this time, he brought with him a new source of power, one that he said would unify our people. At the ceremony to commence the fall campaign, instead of shifting his support to Maeve, he blew the horn and sounded a Hunt, declaring that any who did not join as hunters would play the part of prey¡­¡± ¡°By tradition, the hunt was only sounded in times of dire need or supreme triumph for our Faction and had almost never been used against our own people. His declaration shattered the ceremony, with many of the more¡­ wild elements of our courts joining the new shift in power gleefully. My mother¡¯s most loyal guards stood with her, and Maeve stood in opposition to the move as well, but the Change is when they are at their weakest¡­ we lost that battle and were forced to retreat.¡° She choked slightly on her words as if the conclusion of the story were being pulled from her throat painfully. In distress, she found Tilly¡¯s eyes, as if she owed him some brief explanation. ¡°It was then, in our flight, that my mother came across Wisdom, and begged her to spirit me away, charging me to grow in strength and only return when the Faction had achieved balance again. That was the last I saw of her, and now, judging by your experience at the auction, I can only conclude that my home has been shattered. I am bound by my agreement to not send any message to my family, as it would risk revealing your location to a possibly hostile Faction, but now, I am not sure there would be anyone left to answer¡­¡± Hiro¡¯s face slowly hardened as the tale unfolded. As she finished, he cleared his throat and spoke up, his deep voice ringing with a respectful timbre, ¡°My deepest condolences High Priestess. I fear that many of the old powers on the plane share some similar story of struggle in recent months as our enemy has successfully waged a campaign to subvert or destroy any opposition it would face before the contest has even begun. But they will not go unopposed.¡± He declared, the weight in his voice shifting towards anger. ¡°What we have achieved here is unprecedented in my knowledge of the flow of power on the plane, and yet, we must not be allowed to rest on our victories. For the first time, the battle for our survival is not on our doorstep and this leads to a dangerous temptation to delay or hold back some of our strength from the coming fight. But, if Corruption¡¯s advance is left unchecked, we will be giving up everything we have gained for the sake of temporary comfort. Our Patron¡¯s Champion goes now to prepare the way, and we will assemble all we have to join him on the field when the time comes. Do any on the council oppose this course of action?¡± The remaining members said nothing, Linus went so far as to scoff at the possibility of an alternative. Even the new councilor, Livius who looked sick at the thought of further fighting, nodded his head slowly in agreement. Tilly had come to terms with the fact that he was going to lay it all on the line to give these people a fighting chance and protect a place he had come to admire. But to see them respond with such commitment struck a deep chord in his Mana Well thumbing through him to his core. The burning determination in Tilly had already been feeling deepened, reaching down through the layers of his motivations and suffusing his soul. Everywhere the warmth went, peace was left in its wake, and for the first time in a long time, Tilly felt like he belonged. He knew who he was, and what he had to do. He was done protecting himself or hesitating¡­ he had been called upon to protect this Faction, and he would do whatever was required to see them through the coming war. The fear of death slid off his shoulders, leaving behind an aching desire to see his goal achieved at all costs. ¡°He will not be going alone. I will accompany the dragon and Jonathan Tillman to the Contested Lands.¡± Erash whispered, breaking the heavy silence that Hiro¡¯s question had elicited. Tilly whipped his gaze around to the puffy-eyed fey princess, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that! I don¡¯t think we will be walking, and I have no idea how you would even be able to come.¡± he responded quickly. At that, some of her characteristic haughtiness returned, ¡°Oh? And how did you think you would be traveling to the Contested Lands? If you were picturing riding the beast, you are sorely mistaken.¡± She sneered, a small genuine smile ruining the normally iron mask of superiority she wore. Tilly choked down his answer, realizing that at the back of his mind, he had assumed something like that, and hadn¡¯t spent a minute of his time, actually thinking through how he was going to convince the dragon to take him along. ¡°I have a means of following the dragon, and between us, we will convince him to head to the Contested Lands along our desired route, does anyone object?¡± she asked cutting Tilly out of the decision entirely and turning toward the council as if it were already decided. Her previously displayed vulnerability was gone like a puff of smoke and what was left was steely determination. ¡°Can¡­ the young one¡­ perform your duties?¡± One of the honu elders asked. ¡°Adequately. She has proven an acceptable pupil and she clearly holds some favor with our Patron. She will more than suffice for the time I am gone.¡± Ichiro nodded sadly, tracing the changing of the weave around them as their course was set, ¡°it is decided then. You two will go and prepare the way for our forces, so that we may establish a forward operating base for those who will stand in opposition to Corruption. I only wish more of us could join you, but I believe flight is beyond any others here¡­¡± He trailed off looking down the line of councilors. Chewing on the problem of convincing the dragon to bring him along, Tilly had an idea splash through the murky waters of his mind, ¡°Shuji, what do you need to transfer my holdings with the Commerce Guild to Alliance accounts?¡± ¡°A simple affidavit affixed with your mana signature for a locked period of time would suffice I imagine.¡± ¡°Awesome. Can you get me one of those to sign for the transfer of any loot I take with my world ring over the next month? I want it to all be added directly to the Alliance accounts.¡± Tilly said confidently. Shujis eyes blinked owlishly at the absurd request, ¡°Are you sure Mr. Tillman?¡± ¡°Oh yeah.¡± He answered, ¡°We will see just how flexible the Scorch¡¯s definition of Domain is, worst-case scenario, you guys will just have to withdraw everything that comes into my account and physically store it at this branch¡­ I¡¯m going to sell myself as a mobile deposit to our new ally for some grade-A pillaging. Speaking of which, if we can figure out how to get him to agree, where are we sending him? B3. Ch. 40 Last Min Packing Unfortunately for Tilly, they had to stay up well into the night formulating the plan for the coming engagement. Food was brought in, and dozens of messages were sent out as they broke down every eventuality they could think of and created a loose contingency for each. No matter what happened the broad strategy of the Three-Fold Alliance remained the same. Tilly and Erash had to convince Brokenridge to head straight to the Contested Lands, by way of several Factions that had completely fallen under the influence of Corruption. Erash informed them that Wild Hunt¡¯s Buffs were not teleport magic, and while they would increase Oberon''s ability to move his forces dramatically, TIlly still had a decent amount of time to get moving. He would need to present a moving target for the fey magic to keep them from zeroing in on his location immediately. To do that, they had to successfully channel all of the dragon¡¯s passion for pillaging against the enemies that stood between them and the Contested Lands, whose locations they now held. It turned out that the anonymous first purchaser of the latest edition of the Cartographer Guild¡¯s map was the Church of Light. They were using it as an important means of securing crucial data on the layout of the coming battle and setting up supply lines to the front through a series of teleport hubs. They had offered full access to the information in exchange for a series of covert missions by some of the elites of the Three-Fold Alliance disguised as Forsaken operatives. Corruption had attempted to infiltrate almost every major collection of power on the plane in the last year and a disturbing number of powers had fallen to its influence in one way or another. Some had found solutions at great cost to resisting and exterminating its presence, but a key few were still embroiled in internal conflict as the fate of their Factions teetered on the edge of defeat. The church¡¯s influence had been waning in these places for months. But now with the support of teams from the Alliance led by Amelia, Threstus, Franklin, and Ichiro, they were staging high-impact counterstrikes against the enemy. The goal was to stabilize these Factions and secure their support in the Contested Lands as soon as possible, bolstering the frankly dismal numbers that Reginald''s information-gathering network estimated they would be able to muster. If successful, the Three-Fold Alliance would be used as a staging ground, making full use of the Auctioneer¡¯s offer to flood the Contested Lands with as many combatants as possible, with the goal of arriving and fortifying before the bulk of Corruption¡¯s forces reached the field. Yet, in order for that to be possible, Tilly had to succeed in:
  1. Not dying.
  2. Defeating Oberon, who was serving as Corruption¡¯s advance force.
  3. Settling this dispute Brokenridge had with the ¡°Dragon Throne.¡±
  4. Securing the patronage of the third Aspect of Origin.
With those impossible goals in mind, Tilly left the meeting as early as he could to handle some last-minute packing. He left the manor with nods to the guards and set off on a jog through the city which was kept brightly lit even this far into the evening. He planned to meet Erash at dawn near the mouth of the mine and needed to get everything ready plus a few hours of sleep if he wanted to be anything but a wreck the next couple of days. It was going to be a late night. His first stop was Cog¡¯s new workshop where the little gnome had apparently been working day and night to produce some truly terrifying new inventions. Gnomish explosives were already well known on the plane, something about the race seemed to lend itself towards volatile chemical combinations. But with his new class Thaumic Munitions Specialist, he was creating things never seen in Nephesh¡¯s history. Ichiro had taken Kindle to the new forge, and something had happened there that he said, ¡°had to be seen instead of explained¡±. Witnessing this event, Cog then begged to be allowed to take her back to his workshop for testing and Ichiro allowed it upon her insistence. Tilly didn¡¯t know what he was going to find when he got there but hopefully, Kindle was fine and Cog would have a few things for him to add to his new belt that would even the odds of the coming battle. He had even tried to send Kindle a few mental messages but kept getting the psychic equivalent of the busy signal¡­ which he had not known was possible. The streets on the path through the city were quiet with only a few groups of higher-level individuals still out working on one thing or another. Tilly passed several patrols of Flame¡¯s Watch guards on his way out, and was gratified to see that when they fully mobilized the military, the Alliance would not be left undefended. Once out of the city, he picked up his pace significantly, making his way to the military encampment in minutes. Tilly was no longer surprised to see how much it had grown in the day he had been gone, with several new permanent buildings set up behind the huge blocky wall. One building in particular was set far off from the others and smoke billowed out of several chimneys even this late into the night. Not needing much more of a hint, Tilly angled toward the squat sturdy building and arrived at its door barely out of breath. ¡°Yes, It will level Cities! You are the best bird ever!¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Cheep!¡± An almost manic cackle emerged from the door along with swathes of smoke as Tilly shoved it open. There at the far corner, was an adolescent Kindle glowing with a bright white heat as she breathed over a cherry red object Cog was holding with a pair of tongs. Neither looked up as Tilly entered, trying to make out whatever the object was. ¡°Ok, It¡¯s sealed!¡± the little gnome squeaked. Kindle immediately cut off whatever it was she was doing, and Tilly was shocked to see that one once downy white chick was now almost fully feathered again, except now she continued to glow even when not actively putting out fire Mana. Cog for his part, carefully hefted the object to a cooling rack, and set it down gingerly, as its melty glow dissipated and its shape became more apparent. Tilly¡¯s jaw slowly fell open as something very similar in shape to a rubber duck made of glass resolved itself in the midst of the slowly clearing smoke. Kindle immediately started preening as its final form was revealed and Cog turned to look at the doorway, a fierce white smile cutting a sharp line over his soot-covered features. He sighed in relief and lifted his goggles away from his eyes, unsuccessfully trying to remove the caked on streaks of sweat and ash that covered his face. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Tilly sent silently, approaching the object cautiously under Cog¡¯s beaming gaze. Kindle sent back a series of images of chicks in a nest, ¡®It is my child,¡¯ Tilly sniggered, before turning it into a cough, dramatically waving away the clearing smoke. ¡°So what have you two made for me?¡± He wheezed dramatically, attempting and failing to Identify the object as he squinted at it from different angles. ¡°Ignorant fool¡± Cog hissed under his breath. Tilly shot a glance his way, his smile slipping as Cog¡¯s too-bright demeanor returned instantly. Cog¡¯s wild swing back to excited pulled fresh creases into the grime covering his face. At the quickness of the kid''s mood swings, Tilly wondered if he had somehow gotten access to fantasy coffee now that he was an adult. ¡°Ahem¡­ I mean. Thank you for your delivery a few hours ago. I jumped another level just attempting to handle the substance.¡± He followed up sheepishly under Tilly¡¯s gaze, which finally produced an identifier over his head. Level 26 Thaumic Munitions Specialist ¡°Holy Crap Kid! How many levels have you gained in the last couple of days?¡± Tilly blurted, turning in surprise to Kindle and seeing her Identifier had changed as well. Level ??? Bonded Starfire Phoenix ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Combat isn¡¯t the only way to advance your level on our plane dummy,¡± Cog chided with an abashed laugh, ¡°I think in the last three days I have invented over twenty novel alchemical items recognized by the system. But this¡­¡± He trailed off, turning a longing gaze upon the item on the cooling rack. It sat there, holding a flickering white light at its center even as Cog tapped the surface to check its temperature, ¡°I might have to reconsider my position on combat, because I would love to see what you can do on the field,¡± he whispered to the half melted looking glass ducky. ¡°Should I leave you two alone?¡± Tilly asked dryly as the little crafter¡¯s antics started to stale. ¡°Tsht, hardly.¡± Cog snorted, clearly not sure what Tilly meant, but savvy enough to deny it anyway. Instead he picked up the figurine, admiring it from all sides. The glow within the object began to flicker and intensify in his hands. ¡°When you sent me a piece of Promethian Fire, and I saw just what your extraordinary bonded here was capable of, inspiration struck. I know my glass-blowing skill is still crap, but it was fashioned with love in honor of its inspiration¡­ I call it Phoenix Fire.¡± ¡°Cheep!¡± Kindle added emphatically, hoping over to stand on the work table proudly next to her melted playdough look alike. ¡°Let¡¯s back up.¡± Tilly said, eyeing his bond, ¡°What happened with Ichiro and the forge? And why do you have Starfire in front of your name all of a sudden? Also, are you glowing?¡± Kindle sent him images of eating a big meal while preening with the attention, obviously pleased with herself. Cog happily chimed in with a slightly more complete version of the story, when it was obvious that she would keep her answer short, ¡°When Lord Ichiro visited the forge with her to check on the progress of the dragon glass weapons, it was up and running at full blast. He brought her as close to the mouth of the forge as he could and she was obviously loving the heat. But when he couldn¡¯t take her any further she surprised everyone and jumped into the thing.¡± ¡°Some people started yelling, and the forger started flashing wildly in a way that hurt my teeth, but I was wearing my goggles and I could see her clear as day, settling in like a Roc Hen to roost. A few minutes later the forge had nearly powered down, and the three nearest smiths had lost all of their mana to the bond with the thing in its attempt to maintain heat. When she came back out, she wasn¡¯t a chick anymore and had added Starfire to her name. Which was just about the coolest thing I have ever seen.¡± Kindle gave Cog the side eye and then lightly tapped her beak on the item in his hand. ¡°Oh yeah, so they let me take her out of there and we started working on something that would mimic or reproduce her flame attack. Did you know that if she lights a fire and it is put out, her flame will almost always reignite on the fuel? It has to be taken to below freezing before that reaction is suppressed. I kept trying to find a way to weaponize that characteristic, but the reaction was just too gradual¡­ Until your package arrived. With that and a dragon glass container that I imprinted with one of my abilities called Trigger, I was able to make this bad boy.¡± He finished stroking the half-melted face of the duck. Bemused at the duo''s antics, Tilly pushed on. ¡°So¡­ what does it do? ¡°Well, Promethean Fire is a permanent liquid combustion that is impossible to put out by anything short of divine intervention. We infused it with a bath in the rebirth aspects of Kindle¡¯s flame and sealed it all in a dragon glass container set to explode upon activation. Theoretically, this is a fire bomb that will release a flame that won''t stop spreading until it meets a substance of heavier significance on the cosmic scale. In fact, we don¡¯t know the upper limits of its destructive capability yet, but if you live through its deployment, I need to hear what happened.¡± Cog answered, reluctantly handing over his magnum opus. ¡°Not sure what that all means, but I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Tilly said, holding it gently in one hand as he took a closer look at the strobing flame held in a sphere at the duck¡¯s center. ¡°How stable is it?¡± ¡°Oh, it was designed with you in mind, Mr. Tillman. It can¡¯t be activated unless you infuse it with your specially aspected flame mana, but once you do, you have between five and ten seconds before it explodes.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Well, I dub thee Doom Ducky.¡± Tilly said, looking into the creature''s lopsided face. ¡°What? No¡­¡± Cog said, looking around as if someone was listening. Then something mentally clicked in Tilly¡¯s head and an identifier tag popped up over the item in Tilly¡¯s hand, Weaponized Phoenix Fire Flask - aka - Doom Ducky. (Legendary) ¡°By the Gods¡¯ ugly Tes-¡± Cog fumed before choking down the rest of his sentence at Tilly''s curious look, ¡°I mean, I wish you hadn¡¯t done that. Creating new items is a tricky thing when it comes to getting the system to recognize the name. I still regret letting some of the bastions into the workshop yesterday. Now Boom Juice is the system-recognized name for my best accelerant.¡± Tilly nodded along, smiling as he attached the glass duck to one of the loops on his belt. The magic secured it instantly, but not before Cog caught a glimpse of Tilly¡¯s most expensive purchase at the auction. ¡°Mr. Tillman, can I see that again?¡± ¡°Negative kid. The fewer the better on this one.¡± He answered, lowering the flap of his long jacket over the belt, ¡°Now tell me more about this Boom Juice. Could I, say¡­ put it in a container at the center of a sack of iron fillings and make the whole thing explode?¡± He deflected, sending the manic young crafter off on a tangent like a dog after a ball. B3. Ch. 41 Silent Night An hour later, Tilly left the workshop with a snoozing Kindle on his shoulder. She continued to glow faintly even as she slept, mirroring the soft but persistent light from the stars above. If he had to guess he would have put the time at around midnight at this point, and he still had one more item to check off on his to-do list. He needed a health potion, the best quality he could get on such short notice. He trudged back toward the city, a soul-deep weariness dragging at his bones as he racked his brain for options on where to find what he needed to fill the final slot on his belt. Tilly muttered to himself as he moved through the parade ground, the torches lighting the area sputtering and flickering in his wake as if stirred by an absent breeze. Step after step, he tiredly continued to bully the haphazard jumble of thoughts and contingencies into an actual plan, hoping to have something usable by morning. He hunched his shoulders against an inexplicable chill as he quickened his pace arriving at the main gate and nodding to the squadron of guards there. He figured the best place to start was the Contribution Point Exchange. He didn¡¯t know when or if they closed, but he hoped he could just roll up there, and grab the last thing on his laundry list, nice and simple. He rubbed his numb hands together in anticipation of finishing his errands and grabbing some sleep, scowling at the empty streets of the city. Everyone else was probably already in bed, lucky bastards. Taking what he thought was the right turn off the main street, Tilly tried to keep moving with purpose, looking forward to the end of this endless day. His new amulet sat uncomfortably cold against his chest and he shifted it awkwardly, not liking the feel of the new accessory at all. He came to a break in the road and peered down both streets, which seemed to stretch on before him in a long hollow darkness. ¡®Did I take a wrong turn somewhere?¡¯ he thought blearily to himself. Kindle shifted in her sleep on his shoulder, chirping uncomfortably. ¡®Don¡¯t worry girl, we will be home soon.¡¯ He turned back the way he had come, attempting to gain his bearings, but the way back seemed just as dark and foreboding as the way forward. Tilly frowned in thought, hands slowly falling to find his hatchets. As if in response to his wariness, the surrounding shadow began to bend toward him, and the temperature dropped significantly. Right at the edges of his perception, something seemed to writhe within the folds of shadow hiding the sides of the street, and a bone snappingly cold fog rolled in from nowhere, sapping any body heat Tilly had left. Responding too late, Tilly attempted to push back the cold with his own fiery mana, but it felt sluggish in his pathways like he was trying to push cement where water had once flowed. A sharp pain radiated from the amulet against his skin as his hands groped for the handles of his weapons, clumsy and slow. ¡°Hmmm, they said Endurance was the only thing impressive about you¡­ but you have somehow shrugged off several of my Abilities where many others would have succumbed.¡± a scratchy voice crackled out from the dark street. The shadows there seemed to relax, falling away from its center to reveal a figure in a long fur-lined coat with a fox''s head. As its form resolved, a strange simmering sheen refracted along the surface of its skin as the faint starlight was allowed to touch it for the first time. Level 79 Wechuge Dream Hunger Tilly finally yanked his weapons free with numb shaking hands as the sub zero air clawed down his throat, into his lungs. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± the fox-headed figure said in a bored voice, ¡°I took this job because I¡¯m a hard counter to someone like you¡­Well, that and I love the taste of human meat.¡± the Wechuge said, licking its chops as it took smooth predatory steps toward Tilly¡¯s shivering form. Its body was tall and stick thin which perfectly complemented its snout which was too long and filled with jagged teeth. The closer it got, the worse Tilly''s shivering became, waves of cold radiating off the creature like light from the sun. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Tilly tried again to activate any of his fire Abilities, cycling through each one, but they only flickered weakly around his weapons and body, before quickly sputtering out. As the wechuge confidently approached, Tilly searched in vain for some outrage or anger to stoke his internal flames, but all he found was despair in the pit of his belly. All his work, all the people depending on him, and his stupid min-max build was about to get him killed. ¡°I am curious what little tricks you are hiding in that warm meat sack¡­ Let''s find out.¡± It said, drawing long serrated knives from behind its back as it arrived within reach of Tilly¡¯s incapacitated form. In a fit of sluggish inspiration, Tilly dropped his weapons and fumbled with the flap of his jacket. The creature cocked its head curiously, ¡°Hmm, what''s this? Something interesting I hope.¡± It said, taking a long inhale through its snout. Taking full advantage of the creature''s confidence, Tilly pulled free the sack of iron filings, and the creature tsk-ed at the big reveal, ¡°I¡¯m no fey kid¡­ I¡¯ll eat a little cold iron for breakfast and ask for seconds.¡± It said, revealing all its teeth as it leaned forward curiously at the object, completely relaxed in Tilly¡¯s vulnerable, shivering presence. Desperately shoving his tar-like mana through the very first spell form it had ever developed, Tilly attempted desperately to manifest a flicker of flame. The creature¡¯s sub-zero domain ruled the space all around them and igniting the air near his hand felt like lifting a boulder. The fox-headed wechuge shrugged, lazily bringing one of its knives to Tilly¡¯s warm, throbbing jugular, with a disappointed sigh. This close Tilly could see that the creature''s body seemed to be made up of ice stained a rusty brown. If there was one positive in the all-consuming cold, it was that Tilly could not smell the bits of meat caught between the creature''s teeth as they hovered inches from his nose. With aching slowness, he finally felt the Ability form, sending a tiny surge of warmth up his arm and into the sack. The bite of the jagged edge of the creature''s weapon was barely felt on his numb skin as the wechuge slowly began to cut through Tilly¡¯s neck. ¡°Who¡­ said¡­¡± he forced out through chattering teeth. ¡°Ooooh, last words? I love last words!¡± The creature smiled indulgently, leaning in and pausing in its murder. ¡°a-a-anything¡­ a-a-about c-c-cold i-i-i-ron?¡± Tilly finally stuttered out, feeling the sack begin to warm as the delayed reaction Cog had built into the blasting component catalyzed its own ignition. Of course, that delay mechanic had been put in so that Tilly could get the thing as far away from himself as possible before it exploded¡­ but beggars can¡¯t be choosers. ¡®Suck some explosives, discount Dr. freeze.¡¯ Tilly snarled internally as his newest item went off between them. A sound like ripping paper whooomphed from Tilly''s hand and the Wechuge snarled and looked down at the object in Tilly¡¯s hand, jumping backward too late as a cloud of liquid-hot iron fillings shot out in all directions. Tilly just had enough time to close his mouth and eyes before his world was filled with burning metal and seared flesh. Unconsciousness blessedly swooped in to claim him a second later and he awoke to the concerned muttering of someone above him and distant yelling. The surface of his skin was ablaze with healing magics and an intense itching skittered over every square inch of exposed flesh. ¡°No vital points!¡± A voice shouted, ¡°Area Debuff!¡± Another added. He tried to open his eyes, but they had been sealed shut somehow, and the act of pulling apart the fused lids shot fresh agony into his brain, and he released a deep groan. ¡°Not yet, Mr. Tillman!¡± a familiar young voice cried urgently from above him. ¡°I have never seen anything like this, but your wounds are still expelling¡­ something? I don¡¯t know, but you need a few more seconds.¡± ¡°Gah! Away with you gnats, give him to me!¡± the wechuge shouted from somewhere nearby, punctuating his words with a burst of cold so intense it threatened to fuse Tilly to the cobblestones he was lying on. ¡°Oh dear¡­ t-t-this will not d-d-do.¡± Aurelia said in reaction to the area effect. She started muttering a prayer, and tongues of blue flame began to dance in the air around them, flickering weakly against the cold, but stealing the edge off its strength. ¡°Can I o-o-open them?¡± Tilly asked, afraid to try, even after the itching finished dancing across his face. ¡°Yes, -it should be fine-¡± she answered distractedly between verses. Tilly blinked his eyes open and found Aurelia, the Priestess standing over him aglow with the light of Origin¡¯s Flame. Then appearing behind her like a specter was the Wechuge, half its body missing as it raised a knife above the healer''s head. Before Tilly could even shout a warning, a vine the size of a truck slammed into the creature from the side, sending it careening down the street. There it met the happily bellowed challenge of Gorock, who charged wildly into the creature. It seemed no worse for wear missing a limb, and displayed a freakish speed as its long knife ripped through Gorock in a dozen places in the space of a breath. The Wallbreaker laughed, throwing his arms around the creature to restrain it momentarily as Threstus appeared behind the figure, shoving both his weapons deep into its chest cavity and activating some sort of Ability. A sound like shattering glass rang through the street, and the nightmare of animated ice fell to pieces. ¡°Hey! I had him!¡± Gorock bellowed in outrage. ¡°It looked like you were about to take him home after dinner...¡± Threstus snided back. Gorock snarled and kicked one of the chunks of ice away in frustration. Tilly rolled over, getting to his hands and knees, as the cold finally started to dissipate. The shattered pieces of the wechuge remained still, scattered over the street, but that didn¡¯t stop Tilly from keeping an eye on them as he got to his feet. ¡°We have got to stop meeting like this.¡± A bemused voice said behind him. B3. Ch. 42 Evening Stroll Tilly groaned, turning to find Amelia staring at him with eyebrows raised. He smiled back, his chagrined expression made even more awkward by the myriad of small, still-healing burns that covered his face. The ground around him was littered with little bits of iron, and he couldn¡¯t help but peek down at them, still grinning. It had worked even better than he had hoped and he might have been just a little bit giddy at the thought of setting one off near its intended targets. Shaking his head, he turned and found the rest of the group standing over the icy chunks of assassin littering the side of the street. ¡°Is it me, or is this area getting a little rough?¡± He chuckled as Kindle dived down from the sky squawking in outrage. She fluttered around his head angrily, before settling back down on his shoulder. Tilly didn''t know if her outrage was at his poor joke or near death, but he was glad to see that the phoenix had somehow evaded any damage. ¡°You. It¡¯s definitely you.¡± Amelia deadpanned, putting her hands on her hips. It was then that Tilly finally registered one particular detail that all of his friends currently had in common¡­ They were all wearing the same Forsaken uniform he had worn when he anonymously went on a cleansing spree in the fallen capitol of the Thousand Phalanx Empire. Amelia was covered in grime and blood, but the uniform was all there, she even had the identity obscuring hood hanging from the back of her collar. The whole group was outfitted in tailored uniforms and were giving distinct ¡°team¡± vibes. Well the whole group minus Gorock, calling the shredding mess that hung in bloody ribbons from Gorock¡¯s muscular body a uniform was a stretch. Once it was clear that the assassin was well and truly down, they wandered over, looking as tired as he felt. ¡°Thanks for the save guys¡­ But mind if I ask where you have been?¡± ¡°Oh, nowhere special.¡± Threstus grinned, sheathing his swords with casual grace. Aurelia, closed her mouth at the blithe answer, clearly having been about to give Tilly actual information. Then their levels and classes started populating as Tilly¡¯s scrutiny unconsciously activated the Identify skill. Level 56 Botanist Surveyor Level 72 Bastion Commander Level 68 Wall Breaker Level 48 Priestess of Origin¡¯s Flame Tilly¡¯s heart sunk seeing their levels¡­ now feeling absolutely sure that he had wasted the last week. While he had been messing around testing out his new synergy, they had clearly been doing some serious leveling. He tried not to glance up petulantly at his measly level 35¡­ it didn''t help that hadn¡¯t even succeeded in testing all the possible combinations, and had lost the title synergy to boot. Until he got another level, he was stuck. The notification icon was blinking pointlessly opposite his name and class, but he didn¡¯t bother to open it. Whatever Experience the fight with the wechuge had given had obviously not been nearly enough to get him to the next level, not spread among all the others. He would have to find another way to steal a few levels before he got to the Contested Lands. Gorock lifted his shredded bit of cloth, squinting down at them, ¡°We put on these stinky uniforms, and the dress-wearing people send us off to fight.¡± He summarized helpfully. ¡°Ok, secret missions for the church. No biggie. I can even accept how ridiculous some of your growth has been if you have been fighting for your life all week¡­ But Aurelia, how is your level possible?¡± Tilly asked, trying his best not to sound morose. He was supposed to be the Champion, the one who fought to protect everyone, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel that his leveling had been nerfed somehow when looking at the others. ¡°Well¡­ um¡­¡± She muttered, turning red as the whole group turned curiously to look at her. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to answer if she doesn¡¯t want to.¡± Amelia interposed, glaring in challenge at the others, ¡°It''s bad enough that we are allowing her on these missions, let her have some privacy if she wants.¡± ¡°No, its ok Mrs. Cooper¡­ I¡­ I have a title that gives me a small amount of experience when something I bless is used to kill another creature. It has been steadily sending me experience for weeks.¡± She finished abashed. Threstus whistled in appreciation before a thoughtful frown creased his forehead, ¡°That is one valuable title girly, but I doubt it will remain that useful once you pass the bottleneck. The system stops tracking any gains less than 10 experience at Level fifty. So unless the title is truly broken, I imagine much of your individual notifications are going to be rendered moot.¡± ¡°Must have been pretty nice while it lasted though¡­¡± Tilly grumbled, to the embarrassment of Aurelia, who was clearly uncomfortable with the whole conversation. ¡°Just what in the hell is going on here?! Y¡¯all having some sort of murder party in the middle of the night?¡± A voice shouted from down the street. The whole group turned to see Watch Captain Achillia at the head of a contingent of Flame¡¯s Watch. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. While everyone was distracted, Amelia elbowed Tilly in the ribs, ¡°She is still a child! You should be grateful for any advantage she gets.¡± She hissed through the side of her mouth as Threstus stepped up to answer the approaching Guard Captain in a loud voice, ¡°Enemy infiltrator. Attempted to assassinate the human, but we took care of it.¡± ¡°¡®Took care of it¡¯ my ass! I lost twenty men tonight, and several more patrols still have to check-in. Keep this shit out of my city.¡± The Watch Captain spat as she approached. The Flame¡¯s Watch with her held weapons at the ready and scanned the street for further threats. Tilly''s jovial attitude at surviving the attempt on his life and getting to catch up with some friends began to sink as he realized that the night''s events had been far more involved than he had realized. He was about to speak up to apologize when Threstus beat him to it. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to cancel the rest of my invites to any other monsters across the plane.¡± Threstus drolled as he stepped up to confer with their group, gesturing behind his back at the rest of them to get away while they still could. The look on the Watch Captain¡¯s face spoke of many more questions, but a late-night interrogation sounded like exactly what he didn¡¯t need right now. So he hooked Amelia''s elbow and started guiding them away from the conversation. Gorock had somehow already disappeared, and Aurelia looked back and forth between the departing pair and the official sounding debrief, before sighing, and moving to stand next to the Bastion Commander. Tilly walked quickly away to the sound of an overly loud conversation between the two leaders of military arms in the Alliance. ¡°Obviously, I have a few more questions, but before I ask anything else¡­ you don''t happen to have a decent health potion I can have?¡± He muttered as they inconspicuously turned out of sight down a side street. Kindle took the opportunity to alight on Amelia¡¯s head, affectionately ruffling her pixie haircut. ¡°Gah, good to see you too, featherball!¡± she exclaimed, snatching the adolescent phoenix off her head and holding her close to her chest, stroking the newly grown feathers. ¡°Why, do you still need more healing?¡± She followed up confused, squinting over at his face in the low light. ¡°No, Aurelia fixed me up just fine. This is more for preparation. I had a list and it¡¯s the last thing on it.¡± Kindle chirped in annoyance as Amelia took a break from stroking her and rifled through one of her pockets until she pulled a free flask tinged a characteristic red, ¡°Sure, the church has been outfitting us with one health and mana before each mission.¡± She said, casually handing it over to Tilly who examined it as she went back to rubbing her fingertips down Kindle''s back. Major Healing Potion (Epic) Add the equivalent of 110 stat points in Constitution for five seconds. ¡°So¡­Do you guys work for the church now or something?¡± He asked, tucking the potion into the last slot on his belt gratefully. His lips quirked upward as he felt another Feyback had already formed in its slot. He had figured that it would be fast, seeing as the item had only been rated Rare by the System. But it had to have only been minutes! ¡°No, this is more of a temporary arrangement.¡± She said, plucking at the hood hanging from her shoulders, ¡°Honestly, I was not interested when they first approached me, but when I saw several of the children volunteering, I couldn¡¯t stand by while they were sent who knows where to do who knows what.¡± Then she paused, her eyes going vacant for a few breaths as she moved through some obviously heavy memories. After a quick, shuddering breath, she continued, ¡°Now that I have gone on a few missions, I have found the work is even more dangerous than I had feared, but also incredibly necessary. It is one thing to see Corruption ravaging your own home, but to see the havoc it is wreaking in Factions across the plane¡­ I find myself glad I agreed to help.¡± ¡°It''s good to hear the church is finding ways to fight back where there is opportunity. I just wish there were more powers trying to do the same¡­¡± Tilly responded tiredly, before forcing a little more energy into his voice, ¡°Any successes?¡± ¡°Difficult to say,¡± She replied, taking another turn, at this point fully leading the way through the city toward Tilly¡¯s little house, ¡°Thus far, our team has deposed two Corrupted Faction leaders, and helped evacuate three other Factions as they devolved into a feeding frenzy. None of It has been very pleasant, and I can¡¯t say any of the Factions we have helped so far will be able to meaningfully contribute to a military operation in the foreseeable future. There are some elites from each one that have agreed to come to our aid when called, but too much of the rest is in ruins to be of any help when the time comes.¡± ¡°Is that what it has been like for the other groups?¡± ¡°No, not all. I spoke with Heras two days ago, you remember my shop assistant? Well, she somehow earned the Bastion Class, and from what I hear, she comported herself very well on the wall. She is fulfilling the tank role on Franklin¡¯s team although with that bear of his, I can hardly see why it is necessary¡­ Anyway, three days ago, they were sent to support an important bid for leadership over the orc clans. My understanding is that they have some sort of sanctioned brawl within a stasis field every few years and the winner rules the clans until a new challenge is called. With Franklin¡¯s team¡¯s intervention, the Corrupted candidate was defeated and now the clans are ruled by a Chieftain who is more or less favorable to our cause. Everyone knows the clans love a good fight, so hopefully that will work in our favor. Though, I honestly doubt they will answer our call unless we offer to pay mercenary wages.¡± Amelia had slipped into her lecturing voice at some point during the walk, and Tilly honestly found it comforting. Something about hearing her share details, some important, and some less so, made him feel the tiniest bit normal. Almost like he wasn¡¯t going on a suicide mission tomorrow, he smiled as a now pleasant breeze danced along the nape of his neck. He asked after the rest of the children who had been offered classes and early adulthood by Origin. He didn¡¯t know them well enough to even keep up with all she shared, but she happily ran down the list, naming names and newly acquired classes, along with their first weeks in their roles. Amelia had apparently split her time evenly between checking in on them and risking her life to help others on these missions. Before he knew it, they were at his door and even though his eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, he couldn¡¯t help but smile ruefully at how nice it had been to just walk and talk. ¡°Well, I have to get an early start tomorrow, got a thing with a dragon and after that, a vendetta to settle. You know¡­ The usual¡± Tilly said tiredly, yawning at the end of his sentence. He reached out his hand for Kindle and she chirped in tired agreement before hopping from Amelia''s arms onto his open forearm. ¡°I understand a little better why you are the way you are.¡± Amelia said, suddenly serious, as her eyes focused on him intently, ¡°I know you are only doing what you have to, for all our sakes, and more than ever I am convinced that there is much more at work behind the scenes than I can fathom. Even if I happen to disagree with much of it. Many people are alive, and perhaps even thriving because of you being¡­ you. So go do what you have to, but if you get the chance to come back to us¡­ Take it.¡± She finished quietly, looking down. Then before his tired mind could form any sort of meaningful response, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek. B3. Ch. 43 Parting Words Tilly''s mind went from sluggish comfort to manic overdrive in the space of a breath as he tried to process what had just happened. For her part, Amelia leaned back from the soft kiss and looked into his eyes searchingly. Tilly''s heartbeat sped up, and he opened his mouth to say something¡­ but there was nothing. No quip, stupid joke, or even a lame piece of small talk rose to the occasion, leaving them both stuck with an awkward silence that pained Tilly on a physical level. Seeing the man who had literally charged into fights with horrific monsters, frozen in uncertainty brought a sudden and genuine smile to Amelia¡¯s vulnerable expression. A steady resolution solidified behind her eyes and with a deep breath, she broke the silence first, ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m not asking you on a date or anything like that. I am, however, woman enough to recognize what a friend you have been to me, and I didn''t want you to leave without knowing how much you meant to a lot of us here,¡± She allowed her last sentence to trail off, as she searched for the right words to communicate how she felt, ¡°I guess what I want to say is, you are more than a hero, or some distant noble sacrifice that we can all watch crash and burn. You are a real person, one that many of us can and will protect with just as much passion and determination as you show in your role. No one else can do what you have to¡­ but you are not alone. Please don¡¯t forget that.¡± Her works trickled and dripped through the space between them, thawing the last of his frozen defenses. Edifices that had kept him insulated from really needing anyone were now nothing more than puddles as he realized he cared deeply for the people around him. To his embarrassment, Tilly felt a deep blush creeping up his neck like a freaking schoolgirl at the realization, and Kindle cheeped in confusion, looking back and forth between Amelia and her bond with curiosity animating avian eyes. The questioning tone in his bond¡¯s voice distracted both of them for a moment, and in that brief space free of the relational tension inherent in Amelia''s gaze, Tilly felt the temporary paralysis in his mouth release, freeing him to haltingly respond. ¡°Amelia¡­¡± He breathed, pulling her attention back from Kindle''s innocent expression, ¡°That¡­ That means a lot. I¡¯ve always felt like sort of a screw-up, and with all this,¡±-he said waving his hands around at the city built by the Alliance- ¡°I finally feel like I know my place in the world, and I actually believe I might have a chance at succeeding. I have no clue how I¡¯m going to pull any of it off, but for the first time in my life, I have hope that something different is possible. Something here has been trusted to me¡­ and I¡¯m going to do whatever it takes to make sure you, the kids, and this whole place has a chance to survive what is coming.¡± Then it was his turn to look down, his eyes finding part of his armored jacket that rested over the knot of scar tissue in his side. ¡°We¡¯ve both had that thing inside of us. We know better than anyone that it won¡¯t stop until it consumes everything. If I can keep even one more person from experiencing that¡­ I will.¡± He said, lifting his eyes to find hers beginning to shine in the low light emanating from the moon and stars. Tilly wasn¡¯t sure if what he was saying made sense or not, but he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it was important to say something genuine here, even if it wasn¡¯t perfect. He was done pretending to have it all together, hiding behind masks of cool competence or indifferent humor. As cliche as it was¡­ something about her admission made him want to try and be himself¡­ whatever that meant. ¡°Ugh-¡± She groaned, rubbing the heels of her hands into her watering eyes, ¡°It''s never simple is it?¡± Tilly opened his mouth to try and wring some clarity out of the wet rag that was his thoughts but she didn¡¯t give him the chance, ¡° No, I get it. Trust me I do. There is more to life than our little wants. Honestly, in your shoes, I would be doing the exact same thing¡­ but whether this helps or not, I needed you to know that it would hurt to lose you. So don¡¯t go jumping off the first bridge you find because you see a bad guy down there that needs an axe to the face, got it?¡± She finished with a lopsided grin. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± He said, now grinning in return, ¡°If it helps, I have been figuring out all sorts of ways to deliver some serious hurt from a distance.¡± ¡°It would help a lot more if those ways didn¡¯t keep exploding in your face-¡± ¡°... Yeah, that''s a good point. Maybe Kindle can drop some of these off for me.¡± ¡°Cheep.¡± She happily agreed, her mental cheerful acceptance not at all hinting if she understood what Tilly was implying or not. Amelia chuckled at that, stuffing her hands deep into her pockets and rocking back on her heels, ¡°Well, goodnight Jonathan Tillman. Hopefully, I¡¯ll see you in a week or two. Then we can all face whatever is next¡­ together.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Something about her last word carried so many layers of meaning, that it took Tilly¡¯s breath away. It was deeper than the possible chemistry between them. In those words, Tilly felt the call of something that he had been chasing his whole life and never felt worthy to obtain. He had looked for it in the Fire department, shattered it after the loss of his daughter, and ran away from it ever since. It was the call to belong to something greater a greater whole than yourself¡­ a family. He choked up then, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat, and in a flurry of impulsive action, slung an arm around her, pulling her into a fierce hug. She squealed in alarm at the sudden movement but as soon as she recognized it for what it was, she answered the strength of his embrace. Wrapping her arms around his chest with a surprising amount of force. ¡°... I won''t waste what¡¯s been given me¡­ I promise.¡± he breathed, through the roiling of his emotions. It was then, clinging to another who cared for him on a fundamental level, that he felt the full weight of his responsibility lifting from his shoulders. It was still there, but instead of weighing him down, he felt a new strength bearing it up, flowing from a place deeper than he currently had the ability to comprehend. He wasn¡¯t in a video game trying to beat the boss. He was fighting for something real, and the conviction that flowed from that realization felt endless in its capability. Having communicated everything he could in his fierce display of body language, his shoulders relaxed, and he let her go, allowing the moment to pass slowly. She came away with a dopey smile on her face and awkwardly shoved her hands back down into her pockets. ¡°No matter what happens, I will see you again¡­ all of you. I can¡¯t promise when, but I¡¯m never letting this go.¡± He declared fiercely. She nodded silently, now the mute member of the duo. But her eyes showed with that same light of resolution, one that spoke of acceptance and hope, all mingled into one. Then with that, she turned on her heels and walked off into the night and Tilly watched her go for a while, letting what had just happened settle down into his soul. Once she turned off the street, he slid open his door and found a fire smoldering in the fireplace adding to the already warm feeling suffuing his whole body. ¡°Whoever keeps this place needs a raise,¡± he muttered to himself as Kindle once again woke from her half-sleep with a happy trill and hopped/ glided into the stacked stone structure to nestle in amongst the dying flames. Tilly smiled tiredly and wandered over to the pile of dried logs, picking up a few and stacking them all around the softly glowing phoenix, who had already fallen back to sleep in the growing heat. With a quick step out to perform a total body immolation consuming all the grit and sweat caked on his skin, he got ready for bed. He had no way to really tell what time it was, but he trusted his body to wake him along with the sun. With a final happy look in Kindle¡¯s direction, he slumped into bed, determined to make the most of what would probably be his last night of comfort for a long time. ¡­ Dawn¡¯s soft light came with the soft sound of his sliding door closing, and Tilly jerked up, reaching for his hatchets. Kindle trilled angrily from her spot in the crook of his neck and he sent her a bleary apology as he stumbled out of bed and found a steaming tray of food next to his door¡­ Tilly sighed in gratitude as he sidled up to the tray tucking into his simple but delicious food. Kindle started pecking at his arm insistently, and he grabbed a few nearby logs and enflamed them, before tossing them into the fireplace until it was almost dangerously full. She cheeped in excitement and dived in immediately beginning to siphon off the heat. Soon enough they were both well-fed, and ready to head out, Tilly looped his hatchets and then moved over to pick up his new belt, now with all of its five slots filled. Hermetic Belt of Multiplication. (Mythic) Holds up to five alchemical-based items, and will protect them from anything short of a Fourth Tier attack. Any item used from this belt will begin to reform on its clip until a complete copy is reproduced. Reformation time dependent on quality level of item. Belt cannot reform anything equal to or above its Quality rating. Tilly smiled grimly as he clipped it back on under the flap of his jacket. His anti-fey improvised explosive sack was his lowest quality item on the belt, only rated at Rare and it had reformed in minutes. That seemed like it would prove to be all kinds of useful in the near future. His highest quality item was ironically the Modified Phoenix Fire Flask or Doom Ducky rated at Legendary. Its description was disappointingly vague, and he hoped to put it to use as soon as possible on the way to the Contested Lands to give it maximum time to reform. Modified Phoenix Fire Flask - aka Doom Ducky (Legendary) Promethean Fire imbued with the Phoenix¡¯s aspect of rebirth and magnified by a dragon glass container enchanted to explode on breaking. Caution this is a Plane First Item. Its effects are untested and unknown. After the Council meeting last night, Tilly could think of several fallen Factions between here and the Contested Lands that would be good candidates for a test of his secret weapon. Places that had descended so deeply into the chaos and hunger of Corruptions influence that had already begun to cannibalize everything around them. Or course, that was if they could convince their resident dragon to actually work with them. Tilly winced at the prospect of getting that thing to do anything helpful¡­ but it wasn¡¯t like they had a choice. He shot a mental invite over to Kindle and she she shook the last of the dying embers from her now-glowing form and hopped into the air from the fireplace, landing on his shoulder with a few flaps of her wings. Her body was already only slightly smaller than his head, and soon she wouldn''t be able to perch on his shoulder anymore¡­ again. This whole bird dad thing was made a lot more complicated by the fact that his bird was immortal and would keep repeating its life cycle. ¡®You ready girl?¡¯ She sent back an image of a hawk diving down on unsuspecting prey and let out a fierce trill. ¡®Agreed. They don¡¯t know what''s coming.¡¯ He sent back, sliding open the door to the bustling city and heading toward the mine-turned-dragon¡¯s lair. Before abruptly coming face to face with Edna the elderly satyr Arborist. Well not really face to face, seeing as her head only came up to Tilly¡¯s chest, but even with the height difference, he always felt like he was somehow looking up at her. B3. Ch. 44 What Team? ¡°Good morning young man!¡± She said cheerily. ¡°Oh, hey Edna! I¡¯m actually just about to head out-¡± ¡°Oh shush. I know you young people are busy! I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were bringing enough food with you before you left on your little trip.¡± Tilly was about to ask how she knew he was leaving¡­ as far as he knew the only people who even knew about the details of the encounter with the dragon were the council and a few of the Alliance¡¯s elites. Then her words actually sunk in. He hadn¡¯t actually packed any food for the trip! His mind had been consumed with weapons and strategies¡­ and he hadn¡¯t actually put a single thought into how long this quest would take, or what practicals he might need to bring¡­ Edna¡¯s eyebrow rose expectantly as she watched Tilly¡¯s thoughts play out over his expression. Once his face had settled on frustrated despair she reached up and patted his cheek affectionately, ¡°Now, now. Don''t you worry, George and I stopped by that nifty little shop they set up across from the bank and picked you up a little gift.¡± she continued, patting his cheek way more times than she needed to. She then reached into a fold of her simple working linens and pulled out a cloth square with four leaf clovers stitched along one side. ¡°Oh Edna, you didn¡¯t have to do that. I can grab something on the way out.¡± Tilly protested weakly as she took his hand and put the strange item in it. As soon as the item touched his skin, he briefly heard a faint melody of fiddles and stomping before it faded away as quickly as he noticed it. ¡°Now, now. You have enough on your plate.¡± She said with a wink, causing Tilly¡¯s eyes to narrow at the pun, ¡°Let us old-timers make sure to keep you fed, and you can focus on the rest. Here now deary, take this. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make good use of it. George and I stuffed it chock full of goodies for you.¡± She said, closing his fingers around the item. ¡°Uh. Thank you guys¡­¡± He said peering down at the item. Paden the Leprechaun¡¯s Snack Pocket (Epic) An enchanted piece of cloth produced by the Lucky Charms Faction. When sewn onto a piece of cloth or leather armor, it forms a basic ¡®pocket¡¯ dimension that is charmed to hold food in stasis until it is retrieved. You can not choose which food item emerges when you reach in. Tilly¡¯s eyes barely finished scanning over the system description when the sleeve of his armor suddenly hummed and began to glow. The cuff of his sleeve was barely touching the cloth square, but the area of contact began to vibrate fiercely. Concerned, Tilly tried to separate the two, but the Snack Pocket fuzzed in his hand, moving through his fingers like sand, before disappearing entirely. ¡°What the-¡± Then he felt an absurdly irritating tickling sensation skitter to life on his right buttcheek. He slapped the spot in annoyance, and his hand found a newly added square of material had been stitched onto his pant leg right below the flap of his jacket. Feeling around the edges of the square, and discovering its open top, Tilly grumbled about magic bullshit and flicked open the notification icon that had begun happily flashing the moment he had discovered his new pocket. Congratulations! The base form of your Growth Type Primitive armor set has discovered a compatible enchanted item, and has absorbed its capability, modifying its basic form. +10% to base Endurance. +Pocket Dimension for Snacks. Tilly reread the notification, bemused as he reached into his flat back pocket and pulled out an apple. He looked up to ask Edna how she and George chose- She was gone¡­ He had been freaking Batmanned again. Kindle chirped curiously from his shoulder, and he sent her a quick inquiry of where the older lady had gone. Kindle sent back the bird equivalent of a question mark, leaving Tilly with nothing. He shrugged and took a bite of the apple, which was of course sweet, crisp, and tangy all at once. He had just eaten, but he couldn¡¯t help but groan in delight at how good the fruit was. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°New rule,¡± He said around a mouth full of apple as he began to stroll through the city in dawn¡¯s early light, ¡°When Magical Bullshit is working for you, just roll with it. When it works for your enemies¡­ complain bitterly.¡± He announced to himself, happy to have formed a new lens from which to experience the utter unpredictability that Nephesh often operated under. ¡­ A short time later, the sun was just edging over the mountain range, and Tilly was turning the corner of the road that led to the quarry, and entrance to the mine. Erash was already there, waiting deep in thought. Workers bustled around the site, carefully harvesting the last of the dragon glass under Shuji¡¯s watchful eye. Nearby stood a watchful Hiro, still as a statue while his eyes took in everything around him without focusing on anything in particular. ¡°Are we ready?¡± Tilly asked, walking up. He couldn¡¯t help but smirk as he asked the question, well aware of how ridiculous it was, but unable to think of anything else to say in greeting. ¡°Ah, Mr. Tillman, one moment please,¡± Shuji acknowledged in greeting, before turning back to the workers, ¡°That''s it! Clear out and do not return until sent for¡­ Get that last load as far away from here as possible. I say this again, you want to be clear in the next half a stick!¡± He announced loudly. The workers who had already been moving with some urgency, obviously aware of some sort of time frame, doubled their efforts, loading up the large sturdy wagon with huge chunks of slag and semi-melted stone, showing bright veins of the valuable substance. A minute or two later the wagon was loaded up and being hauled off, followed by the entire mining team, some thirty workers with classes suited to the work. ¡°To answer your question,¡± Erash huffed tiredly, looking like she had hardly slept, ¡°None of us is ready for what is coming¡­ But we will all do our best, and desperately hope it is enough.¡± Hiro¡¯s stone visage cracked at that, and a small smile broke up the relentless lines of his normally unreadable expression, ¡°Such is Karma, we play in a game much bigger than ourselves, and it will turn out however it must. In the meantime, we will move our pieces as shrewdly as possible, and be ready for any opportunity that comes.¡± he declared, not taking his eyes from the opening to the mine. ¡°We have truly experienced a meteoric rise to significance on the plane! Such things are rare, and never uncontested!¡± Shuji added ominously. His words were juxtaposed by the bright enthusiastic smile on his face. ¡°Well, if no one else has any final thoughts, I¡¯m going to go wake the dragon and see if we can¡¯t get him moving in the right direction. It''s been six days and we are running out of time.¡± Tilly said, gearing up to once again do something incredibly stupid. This time without the added insurance of access to his Title Abilities, which he had to get back before reaching the Contested Lands. ¡°Yes, the magic of the Wylds is thickening around you. The mark calls to them, and I can hear the sound of the horn in my dreams.¡± Erash breathed, watching the skies warily. ¡°Yeah, about that. I know you are coming, and in any encounter, I will be the obvious target. How do you feel about holding off and staying in reserve as long as possible? I have a few surprises for your Father that will be incredibly dangerous to you, and I would rather save you for dire need than have you openly contributing from the start.¡± ¡°We are in agreement on this. Even if you die, I have vowed to destroy my Father at all costs.¡± She answered darkly. Tilly¡¯s face fell, and he opened his mouth to encourage a slightly earlier intervention but was interrupted by a tremor rippling up through the tunnel and into the quarry, followed by a deep rumbling voice, ¡°You are early, little mice. But no matter, my blood boils for conquest!¡± Those words were followed by an incredibly deep growl that was slowly building into a full-on roar. Tilly sighed, shoving down his answer to the fey princess¡¯ fatalistic outlook, and turning to watch the mouth of the highway-sized tunnel, ¡°Hiro, is our demonstration ready?¡± ¡°Momentarily, Jonathan Tillman.¡± He responded loudly over the growing rumbling of the dragon''s burgeoning roar. In a move almost too fast to follow, Hiro slipped out his sword and waved it lazily a few times before resheathing it. A chunk of stone a few feet in front of Tilly detached itself from the rock wall and cracked to the ground at Tilly¡¯s feet. It was mostly the normal stone that the quarry had been providing for weeks, but the center had formed into a large piece of Dragon Glass after last week''s events. ¡°ROOOOAAARRRR! My time has come!¡± Brokenridge announced as he exploded from the base of the mountain in a flurry of wing and claw. Even as the wind from the Dragon¡¯s too-fast movements hit him, Tilly maintained his calm expression and stepped up next to the chunk of stone. Brokenridge landed in a powerful crouch at the entrance to his lair, blue flames dancing in his eyes and in between his teeth. He had not been lying when he claimed that his strength was directly tied to the worth of the Alliance. However his Domain magic worked, it had fully registered the increase in monetary wealth of the Faction as well as the strengthening of its citizens. Where before the dragon had been imposing in every sense of the word, now he practically radiated power. His scales shone with a metallic gray hue and his teeth and claws practically glowed with sharpness so real, it bridged the gap between actual and conceptual in a way that hurt Tilly¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well done, my sheep. I am pleased with your progress and will reward you with your lives. I go now to win the glory that was always meant to be mine.¡± He breathed triumphantly, each exhale billowing out streams of unintentional flame as Brokenridges energy levels fluctuated wildly. An aura of unquenchable ambition and wild ferocity radiated from the bowl of the quarry, and Tilly found himself having to set his feet against the almost physical pressure, as he breathed in deeply and called out in challenge. ¡°Not so fast, you big lizard! We have a plan that you need to hear!¡± Tilly shouted, puffing out his chest and channeling every bit of machismo he could. The dragon blinked owlishly at his claim, frozen for a moment at the audacity of one of his lessers. Then, in the space between breaths, he moved and was suddenly breathing heavily in front of Tilly, fangs bared just a foot from his face. ¡°Now, my little pet. Push me any further, and I will happily take the paltry loss in strength your death would cost me.¡± Brokenridge breathed. His words washed Tilly in a gentle stream of flames, which, due to their composition, did nothing to him. ¡°I¡¯m happy to go another round big guy¡­ But this time, you¡¯ll be napping for much longer than a week.¡± Tilly growled back. To his surprise, even without his armor in its Dragon Emissary form, he began to feel his own aura manifest under the dragon¡¯s spiritual pressure, flickering brightly like a candle before the sun of Brokenridge¡¯s ancient fury. As the leading edges of their souls pushed against each other, Tilly was shocked to feel how similar they were. Both were more than willing to throw themselves against incredible odds, and both had survived many things that would have destroyed lesser beings. Brokenridge obviously felt it too, as he suddenly cut off the pressure of his aura, and sat back on his haunches, eyeing the human curiously, something that might have been a smile pulling at the edges of his jaw to reveal even more teeth. B3. Ch. 45 Plunder and Pillage ¡°What need do I have of plans? I have a Destiny! It will see me enthroned or dead,¡± the dragon boasted, smoke curling up from his nostrils in apparent unconcern. Taking this as the draconic version of ¡°I''m interested,¡± Tilly continued, ¡°Look, There are two essential pieces of information we want to share with you before you go to meet your ¡®Destiny¡¯. The first is that the Contested Lands are about to be the focus of a plane-wide conflict, and we, your Domain, have a serious stake in the outcome. We will be destroyed if Corruption and its agents win, leaving you much weaker. However, you will be enriched beyond imagination if we somehow overcome their offensive and win.¡± ¡°In light of this reality and possible opportunity for both our parties, we have obtained the location of several Factions aligned with enemy forces that are more or less along the route to the Council Peaks. If these Factions were to be pillaged, it would strengthen your Hoard, and weaken the enemy for further conquest in the future.¡± Tilly finished as confidently as he could. He had rehearsed these points multiple times on the way over and hoped they were framed in such a way that Brokenridge¡¯s greed and ambition would be sufficiently stirred. ¡°I am not some dog to fight your battles, Cur. You may be my Domain, but I will not coddle you, such is the way of our world.¡± The dragon replied, his slit eyes narrowing. Tilly was undeterred, leaning further into his point, ¡°I want to emphasize the Pillaging aspect of our plan. I am not asking you to fight in some battle or defend these lands. I am proposing you to pay a visit to some very wealthy and Corrupt Factions to plunder their treasures and strengthen your Domain. Of course, we will benefit from such actions, but you will benefit even more.¡± Tilly answered, before reaching out his hand to the nearby boulder in anticipation of the dragon¡¯s next objection. ¡°It is I who decides upon whom I pour out my wrath! Not my lessers¡­ besides, I cannot add such treasure to my Hoard without many laborious trips, something that is beneath me. For this reason, I prefer to conquer and collect tribute. It is your place as my subjects to do the collecting and carrying.¡± Tilly lifted his World Ring placing it against the dragon glass melted through the chunk of rock. They had briefly checked this last night and found that he could not harvest the substance straight out of the ground with the looting function of the ring. However, if a sufficient amount was freed from its natural source, he could seamlessly deposit it. In a demonstration of this capability, there was a brief pop of displaced air, and the large stone broke into pieces, with the melted formation at its center gone. ¡°During your rest, I have acquired the ability to instantly capture loot and send it back to the Alliance. Everything I absorb will add to the riches of your Domain, instantly¡­ giving you an incredible advantage and a chance to strengthen yourself further before your contest for the throne. All while increasing the chances of your Domain¡¯s future survival.¡± ¡°Why do you keep mentioning survival? Who dares threaten what is mine?¡± the dragon asked finally, curiosity overcoming his air of indifference. Tilly fought to keep himself from smiling as the conversation moved down the path they had hoped and planned for. ¡°The power you now wield with your breath is set in direct opposition to something called Corruption, a rising cosmic force attempting to claim all of Nephesh. An advance group aligned with this threat plans to take the draconic throne for themselves, and loot all of your people¡¯s treasure.¡± Pfft. The dragon huffed in disbelief, releasing a wave of smoke, ¡°None would dare such a thing¡­ Long Tooth may be old, but he is no fool and will crush any lesser beings who come against him. Besides, just because I have taken this strange power as a part of my Hoard, does not mean I am obligated toward any such squabbling it may represent.¡± He dismissed, looking away. At that moment, Tilly was strangely reminded of a toddler refusing to do some menial task. Now, Tilly may not have been the greatest parent, but as soon as he was faced with reluctance on the dragon¡¯s part, he knew just how to handle it. ¡°Of course! How could we expect anything from you, a being so much greater than us. We simply wanted to share our information before you did as you pleased. I only humbly wish to offer my services. If you bring me along, I will enrich your Domain every chance I get, and I will add my ¡°paltry¡± strength to your attempt for the throne.¡± Tilly answered, his voice clear and only slightly honeyed. The plaintive, almost patronizing tone was completely lost on the dragon, who took the statement with a noble sniff and began whispering to himself in a voice far too loud to be missed by any present, ¡°Many in the Council Peaks will have droves of minions to do their bidding¡­ It would be befitting to have some retinue as I present my challenge¡­ But I loath the thought of carrying such a burden.¡± Then his eyes snapped open, seeming to have come to a decision ¡°I am willing to accept such an arrangement, but only if you have the ability to follow me as I fly. It is completely inappropriate for me to carry anyone, even servants. You will find a way to fly, or I will set out alone.¡± He finished, cocking his reptilian head to the side, as he thoughtfully inhaled through his nose, a slight scent having caught his attention. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Before Tilly could answer, the dragon¡¯s eyes dilated, focusing on Tilly¡¯s shoulder as he noticed its passenger for the first time, ¡°Hmmm, interesting. Another of the first races¡­ I have never met your kind in such a young form.¡± ¡°Cheeeep cheep cheep cheep.¡± Kindle twittered somewhat smugly from Tilly¡¯s shoulder sending dense packets of mental information to the Dragon. Tilly missed most of it as the images were too complicated and foreign for him to digest at the speed she sent them. He only vaguely managed to pick out that, Tilly already belonged to her, but she was willing to share, as long as she was given the right to participate in the pillaging. The dragon nodded along, his smugly superior attitude suddenly shifting to something almost cordial as he received direct communication from the adolescent Phoenix. Thankfully, he chose to reply back in a way everyone could understand, ¡°Young one, I would never be so disrespectful as to claim you as a part of my Domain, but your presence here does benefit me greatly. Sojax the Sunborn was honored to have one of your kind as an ally, and over the centuries, her presence in his Domain augmented his fire to an almost legendary degree. He left our people long ago, but his story lives on as an inspiration. I will accept your offer in the spirit it was given, but my condition remains the same. Your human must carry himself if he wants to witness the glory of my ascension.¡± Then Erash spoke up, stepping forward and bowing deeply, ¡°If you will allow it great one. I have a solution that should satisfy all parties.¡± Brokenridge¡¯s head twitched slightly as she spoke as if annoyed by a buzzing near his ear. He didn¡¯t take his eyes away from Kindle, or acknowledge she had spoken in any way, but the Priestess continued, undaunted, ¡°I can perform a spell that will allow me to link objects to you spatially. For the duration of the spell, whatever I link will maintain its spatial buffer with you perfectly, on both the horizontal and vertical plane. In essence, where you go, it will go, and you will be carrying nothing.¡± Finally, the dragon turned toward her, his gaze becoming flat and dismissive, ¡°-No. I tire of two-leg magics¡­ use such things to fly, or be left behind.¡± The dragon huffed, not even considering the proposal for half a second. Erash stumbled at the abrupt rejection, and it was Tilly¡¯s turn to narrow his eyes. That reasoning sounded suspiciously like the dragon was afraid to have anything he didn¡¯t understand cast on him¡­ Then inspiration struck, ¡° Well¡­ how about this rock,¡± Tilly tried, patting one of the larger chunks of the boulder that had fallen away from the demonstration, ¡° If she enchanted it, and then you held it in your claws¡­ you wouldn¡¯t be carrying anyone, and you could dispose of the object at your convenience.¡± He added, trying not to trail off as he heard just how flimsy his logic was. It was basically the same- ¡°Done! You pitiful humans may tie yourselves to this rock, and I will bring it wherever I desire your petty magics to be employed.¡± Brokenridge declared suddenly cutting Tilly¡¯s line of thought off. The dragon rose from his haunches and eyed the rock impatiently. Tilly was floored by the dragon¡¯s shallow logic, but Shuji stepped forward, not hesitating in the least at their chance to further influence Brokenridge¡¯s actions. ¡°Mighty One!¡± He boomed, stepping forward and unfurling a huge piece of parchment from his sleeve, ¡°We have prepared this map for your convenience! It displays our location and the relative direction of the Con-¡± ¡°I know where my throne lies, Snack!¡± Brokenridge interrupted, but Tilly didn¡¯t miss the way his eyes focused intently on the information. Tilly himself had only briefly seen it and joined the dragon in studying it. ¡°Of course!¡± Shuji continued smoothly, not at all put-off but the explosive rejoiner, ¡°We simply marked it as a point of reference. We have taken the liberty to annotate several areas of interest that would perhaps typically be beneath your notice, but have a high probability for rich plunder.¡± The Librarian finished, sounding subservient and professional all at once. Shuji¡¯s map continued to unfurl until it was the size of a banner, and Tilly once again saw the value of his paper magic employed in unpredictable ways, as the map floated in mid-air in front of the dragon¡¯s slitted eyes. The lapin boldly stepped in front of the map and began to point out different words and symbols that occupied the space between the Alliance and the Contested Lands. ¡°This area here, nearest to us, is the Arachnic Supremacy Faction. Their lands are filled with thick forests and deep caves, which do not present you with a very opportune location for plunder. However, at the center of their Faction¡¯s holdings is a large pyramid dedicated to their god. It is said that they surround the central sacrificial chamber with treasures uncountable to honor Arachne. Such a stop would hardly be out of your way, yet could prove very lucrative.¡± Shuji presented these points with waved hands and a low bow. What he didn¡¯t share, was that, as our nearest enemy, there was serious concern about us sending a large force to the field with the Arachnic Supremacy Faction only a few weeks march away. According to the Church¡¯s network, they had completely given themselves over the Corruption under the influence of their minor deity, who seemed to have done the same. ¡°Pssht.¡± The dragon huffed at the name of the Faction¡¯s Patron, ¡°Jumped up insect. She was a bug in our time, and it seems like nothing has changed.¡± He smiled. Tilly wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to spot some drool, with how hungry-looking the dragon had just become. Shuji bobbed his head in response and moved on to another symbol, that stood right in the middle of their line of travel. ¡°Here, we have the Perfected Golem Faction. They were once known for their work with precious metals and gems, but now seem to have abandoned such works in favor of more¡­ organic forms. Their entire Faction is rumored to be undergoing a shift, and there should be many materials stored in their impregnable tower that would be a boon to any force.¡± Brokenridge snorted as Shuji said the word ¡°impregnable¡±, and Tilly fought not to smile. The dragon''s arrogance was incredible¡­ Tilly just hoped it was merited. ¡°Finally, if you continue on in an almost direct line to the Contested Lands, you will pass by the Exalted Slime Fac-¡± ¡°I have heard enough, Snack.¡± Brokenridge interrupted suddenly at the mention of the word ¡°slime¡±, ¡°I have no further need of this almost useless information. I will be the one to choose when and where I pillage. Now,¡± He said, turning to look at Erash, ¡°cast your little two-legged spell, Gnat and we will be off. I refuse to lose any more time to useless ramblings.¡± He finished with a smoky huff. ¡®Says the guy who took a six-day nap¡¯ Tilly fought with all his might to keep the thought from coming out as a grumble as Erash gracefully stepped forward and began to cast her enchantment on the large rock Tilly had indicated. B3. Ch. 46 Dragon-Air Tilly stepped back from the broken pieces of boulder while Erash did her thing. He eyed the impatient dragon and rested his hands on his hatchets, attempting to look unconcerned. His mind however was a whirlwind of nervous energy as he realized they had actually done it! Brokenridge was going to at least partially assist them in taking out some key enemy Factions and hopefully arrive at the Contested Lands significantly ahead of most other elements. Now all he had to do was survive long enough to get a few levels and make it to his fated meeting with Oberron all in one piece. Erash had not been very forthcoming about her method of flight, and with everything else he had been worrying about, he had pushed it from his mind. Now as the blue fiery script began to glow around the torso sized chunk of rock, all sorts of wild ideas of what could go wrong began to run through his head. Forget being eaten alive by spiders. What if the dragon just ran him into the side of a mountain by accident? ¡­Well with his Endurance that probably wouldn¡¯t be fatal, but it sure as hell wouldn¡¯t be fun. The High Priestess interrupted his anxious spiral, ceasing her whispered chant over the rock and turning toward him, her flame-tipped staff glowing ominously. ¡°The spell is very specific, Mr. Tillman, so in the interest of comfort I will attempt to target your torso, leaving your extremities free,¡± She said, making significant eye contact to make sure he understood the implications¡­ which he wasn¡¯t sure he did. All he could extract from her wording was that the targeted part of his body would be frozen in the spell while he was linked to the object. She then pointed to a little rock outcropping about thirty feet back from the enchanted rock, ¡°Now I think it would be best if we position ourselves behind and above this object, to help us react in the event of a sudden landing,¡± she added specifically not looking over at the dragon, he responded to the possibility with a derisive snort, and Tilly stole a glance over to see that he had already set his legs into a ready crouch, eyeing the pair. Not wasting any further time, Tilly turned and followed the fey princess as she made for the outcropping at a jog, hopping to its top easily, and shifting over so there was space for him to do the same. He made the ten-foot jump easily, not even hesitating to take on something that would have been impossible a few months ago. As he landed, she quickly added, ¡°Now I will be able to adjust my position in real-time, but I cannot affect your link unless both targets are still, so once positioned you are committed until I break the bond. I would say you should be able to flex your will to break free in an emergency, but I honestly don¡¯t think you have the Strength or Wisdom to affect this spell¡­¡± She trailed off somewhat patronizingly. Tilly winced at the dig, and then Erash¡¯s eyes narrowed over his shoulder at the dragon, to whom she realized she might have just revealed too much. She had the grace to look momentarily abashed, before beginning her chant. ¡°Hurry, Gnat. I tire of waiting. My time has come, and I refuse to be delayed by my lessers.¡± Brokenridge growled. Tilly felt Erash¡¯s magic begin to form a tight layer of immaterial energy around his chest, and he breathed in uncomfortably. The magic adjusted, somehow making allowance for the slight movement of his muscles and lungs. Once he was sure he would retain the ability to breathe, he turned toward Hiro, making eye contact. The de facto leader of the Three-Fold Alliance gave him a small nod, face revealing nothing of his internal thoughts. His crystalline eyes however, sparkled and Tilly realized that the lapin was amused at the prospect of Tilly hurtling through the air attached to a rock by a magic string. That realization, plus Shuji¡¯s huge grin of encouragement, elicited a warm chuckle from Tilly in response. He mentally shot a quick request to Kindle as the magic sealed around him, and Erash began waving her staff over herself, activating a ready version of the same spell. Thankfully, Kindle complied without complaint and burrowed into the back of his jacket collar as the spell around his torso became palpable. She sent him an image of a chick in a warm nest, and then as if it had been included in the conversation the whole time, his armor shifted. The thick leather lining his back and shoulders loosened slightly, creating a warm, hump-back-looking compartment for the phoenix, just outside of the bounds of the spell. Once he realized how stupid he probably looked his chuckle returned with force, as a fool¡¯s nervous grime plastered itself on his face. Then, in between exhalations, his chuckle was cut off as he felt his torso lock in place, suddenly unable to move. He shifted uncomfortably, not in any pain, but not liking the restraining nature of the enchantment. ¡°Great One, we are ready to serve. Take us where you will!¡± Erash announced, tilting her eyes down to her feet in a servile manner. Tilly tried not to scowl at her obvious performance. That paired with her almost cold attitude toward him was starting to get under his skin. ¡°Finally!¡± The dragon all but yelled, taking a leaping step forward, and snatching the boulder, which sat like a ping pong ball in its huge claws. Then with a strong beating of his wings and a powerful push upward from his legs, the dragon shot off into the air. Tilly was barely able to register any of this as he was suddenly jerked up and backward at an incredible speed, his torso pulling hard enough to maintain its relative position to the enchanted rock. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The movement knocked the breath out of Tilly and if it wasn¡¯t for his extraordinary Endurance, he probably would have sustained several injuries from whiplash. The ground rapidly fell away beneath them and Tilly had to fight off the urge to puke at the unexpected movement paired with the downward Gs pressing on his body. He squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to reposition his extremities, so that they were tensing at the right times to sink with the dragon¡¯s wing beats. When he finally had the hang of it, Tilly opened his eyes and turned to glare at Erash, who seemed to be sitting comfortably in an invisible armchair of some sort. The scene was made even more bizarre by the blurring of the landscape that slowly became a vague smudge as they ascended into the clouds. The noise of the wind was almost deafening, and instead of making a fool of himself trying to say something, he tried to shove as much of his frustration and disapproval into his stare as possible, glaring daggers at the fey. After a moment, she seemed to feel his gaze and turned away from watching the dragon. She winced at his expression and moved her mouth wordlessly. A slight thrum preceded a pop and the sound of the wind suddenly died. Her servile expression was gone, replaced by one of slight concern and chagrin. In the face of such a dramatic change, Tilly felt the lines of his face slacken. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that¡­ah, Tilly¡­ It was Shuji¡¯s idea to display some animosity between us before the dragon. Our prevailing worry was that a united front would weaken our chance to obtain a working agreement. However, if we appeared fractured and ambitious, perhaps the dragon would be quicker to agree to a plan motivated by things it could more readily understand.¡± Her explanation issued forth in a rush, and Tilly could almost feel her desire to be understood. A mix of feelings met her words; a brief ping of frustration at once again being thrown into one of Shuji¡¯s schemes without warning, and a sudden hollowness at the abruptness of his departure. But none of these were as prominent as the warmth he felt at hearing her use his preferred name. Then her words registered more deeply, and he shot a concerned look at the dragon flying thirty feet in front of them, ¡°Should you-¡± ¡°Worry not,¡± She said, catching his look, ¡°this is a simple wind-dampening charm, and it will do nothing to help his hearing. I am confident that we will be able to converse temporarily without tipping him off.¡± ¡°Why only temporarily?¡± ¡°I know not when he will slow or stop, so I fear we must keep this brief. Thank you for your kindness yesterday¡­ It meant a lot to me. The last weeks have not been easy as certain revelations have been made available to me, and I am afraid I have not been the kindest of companions.¡± Tilly slowly nodded, ¡°Kind or not, a lot of people are depending on us. It''s going to take more than that to distract me from our mission. Now how are you going to stay hidden during the raids? I have a plan for healing and hope to avoid needing your intervention until we confront your father. Erash blinked slowly a few times, clearly having trouble processing how quickly Tilly let the matter drop. Then as if coming to her senses, she caught up with his question, ¡°Oh, well as to that,¡± she said, lifting her offhand before them, ¡°You have yet to see the true specialty of my people. I am tied to the elements more than most, but that has not weakened my ability to weave a glamor in the slightest,¡± then she snapped her fingers and disappeared completely. Tilly blinked owlishly and lifted his hand hesitantly to wave through the air where she had just been sitting. The jerking rock of the dragon¡¯s ascension began to ease as his hand passed through empty space. However, the howling wind had not returned, ¡°Are you still there?¡± He asked, whispering for some reason. ¡°Yes Tilly,¡± she answered from nearby, her voice taking on a somewhat disembodied quality, ¡°But to maintain two spatial enchantments, and keep myself hidden will take much of my concentration, and if I am not careful, I will use up all of my mana before we arrive. Take this,¡± she said, and out of nowhere a small twig with a single bud floated over to him. ¡°It will attach itself to your armor wherever you press it. Snap it if you need me to break the enchantment without revealing my presence. I will be monitoring you from a distance from now on and will only intercede to save your life. For anything short of that, I will limit myself to observation until we encounter my father¡­ Good luck, Tilly,¡± she finished, her words trailing off as if there was more she wanted to say, but did not know how to say it. ¡°Hey Erash, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here¡­ and between you and me, we are going to kick some Corrupt fey ass.¡± he finished with a fierce smile, as their ascent slowed further, and the sound of the wind returned. Tilly thought he barely caught a girlish-sounding giggle before the howling built back to its full roaring. He turned back toward the dragon and watched as the creature¡¯s flight leveled off above the clouds. The air was much colder up here, and unconsciously Tilly manifested flames on his body to ward off the chill. They flickered in the wind but continued burning undaunted in a micro version of Flames Wrath. He peeked up at his mana bar once he noticed and found that it was barely being drained by the smaller version of the Ability. Kindle was happily absorbing much of what he was putting off his back, leaving it prickly with cold. Tilly didn¡¯t begrudge her the snack though, figuring he would be cutting off the technique soon enough. The council had estimated flight time to the first Faction at between 3 and 5 sticks, so he had time to let his stores build back up, even after some use. And he always had his emergency Wisdom booster item if he needed it. He wanted to save it for a true emergency because he had no idea how long it would take to reform as a Legendary Quality item. But he wouldn¡¯t hesitate if it meant saving his life or accomplishing one of their main objectives. Brokenridge¡¯s angled ascent slowed to a complete stop and he hovered there, flapping his great wings in a steady cadence. This high up, Tilly thought he could detect a slight curve in the horizon¡­ For some reason, Tilly had always pictured Nephesh as flat¡­ but now- ¡°You are truly blessed this day.¡± The dragon spoke, his voice carrying easily to Tilly¡¯s position, ¡°For you will witness what few on this plane have; A dragon entering true flight.¡± Tilly could almost hear the emphasis on those last two words but the dragon continued, sending forth mental images to Kindle along with his words, ¡°Pay attention little one, for your kind are some of the few to share this Ability with our noble race.¡± Kindle sent back the impression of a hawk¡¯s piercing vision, and up ahead Brokenridged bobbed his serpentine head, ¡°Good, we will be arriving in the midst of our first prey¡¯s den soon, prepare yourself, chaff, I don¡¯t want you dying before you collect what is mine.¡± He finished ominously. Tilly was about to quip something back when Brokenridge¡¯s body began to glow a purplish color, and his gut warned him to shut up and buckle down. The glow intensified and Tilly grabbed the back of his head and tucked it down, pulling his legs up into fetal position and wrapping his other arm around his knees, tensing as much as he was able. B3. Ch. 47 Next Stop- Nope. Tilly was not sure if he would have survived the sudden acceleration if he had not prepared the way he did. Even curling his whole form into a tight ball and tensing against the incredible application of force that his body experienced did not completely mitigate the tearing that he experienced along his hip flexors, shoulder sockets, and neck. Each of these points took the majority of the force as they clutched around his torso, fighting the immense application of G¡¯s on his body. After a few eternal seconds, the acceleration died down, and they leveled out at a speed Tilly couldn¡¯t comprehend. The roaring of the wind had become a scream that strained even Tilly¡¯s tough eardrums, and he was suddenly immensely thankful that Kindle had already curled into such a protected position behind his body. Sharp pain stabbed into his joints and he growled in pain, opening his eyes briefly to find that he had lost 15% of his health in that maneuver. He had probably just dislocated or even torn something in each of his extremities. Whatever their estimations of Brokenridge¡¯s airspeed had just been proven wrong. At this pace, there was no way he would be flying for hours if the dragon was truly going to make a play for the arachnid Supremacy Faction. In fear of a much shorter window of time, Tilly immediately cut off his small expenditure of Mana keeping the bitter cold away and added a stinging numbness to the sensations attempting to rip through his body, as he held on for dear life while being hurled through the air at what might have been supersonic speeds. ¡®Kindle! Are you ok girl?¡¯ he sent desperately, gritting his teeth as he felt his health slowly start to tick up as the strain of acceleration died off, and his Constitution started to kick in. She sent back a serious affirmative, mingled with a small amount of ambition at witnessing the speed of such an elder creature in flight. ¡®Ha, well If you ever do figure out how to do this, leave me on the ground.¡¯ Tilly replied as he tentatively tried to lift a few of the fingers holding down his head. The wind resistance instantly snatched at them, attempting to pull his hand away from its position, and he cried out in effort as he forced them back down. His arms burned as he continued to strain against the pressure of the wind. His concern about arriving too early all but vanished and he began to wonder how long it would take to get there at this speed. and he was suddenly concerned that the dragon would not be arriving at their destination fast enough. Tilly had no idea how long he had to hold the position, his methods of marking the passing of time having been reduced to a fight against the growing pain in his extremities, and a deep ache at the points of initial damage that were having trouble healing under constant use. It might have been minutes, or even as much as an hour, but eventually, the piercing shriek of the wind quieted to a howl, and he slowly attempted to straighten out. Eyes wincing in pain, he noted that they were still above the clouds and that his Mana had time to completely refill. He was in no mood to do the math, but he figured the Dragon would only be slowing for one reason, and he eyed his Health, which still hovered around 95%. His regen had fought a running battle against the strain of continued use, and it had slowed his healing considerably. But he decided that a little discomfort wasn¡¯t worth the risk of using his potion to get back up to full health while he had the chance, even if it would probably regenerate on the belt in a matter of minutes. a risk he would take if it meant saving his potion. The purplish glow was still present around the dragon, but it slowly faded as Tilly watched. Feeling time grow short, he began attempting to roll his neck and extremities, working out the painful cramps before he needed to use them. Even with the pace of their flight drastically slowed, he felt a little like a plastic bag rolling through the parking lot, as the wind caught his motions at odd angles and yanked on his arms and legs, attempting to move him off of his magically enforced trajectory. He looked around briefly during his flailing and found no sign of Erash. After a moment, he focused back on the dragon. Somehow he doubted the creature would give them any warning before arriving and starting the attack, and in a bout of nervous energy, he reviewed what little information they had given him at the meeting last night as they developed the plan. Aside from the centrality of the Temple in their lands, and the general spider-themed nature of their classes, very little hard information had been collected by the Church. They traded in many venoms and cursed items on the open market, but had almost zero non-faction presence in their lands. In fact, Tilly was pretty sure the church¡¯s knowledge of the temple had more to do with divine revelation than anyone having actually visited this Faction in person, so he was more or less going in blind. However, with his extreme Endurance, and his [Hostile Environment] title, it was thought that he had a good chance of surviving such a raid, and its potential upside for the Alliance was huge. They would take their nearest enemy off the board in the near term, and for Tilly specifically, it gave him a chance to rebalance his stats and gain back his biggest trump card¡­ He just had to live through the encounter. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Tilly pulled up the title description one more time, more to reassure himself than for lack of any information, [Hostile Environment]: Due to the unique nature of your build, foreign substances have a hard time persisting within your physical body. Poisons, Viruses, and Physical Curses will be 50% less effective against you. This Title scales with Endurance. The council, and Shuji especially, had insisted that his build and this title made him a hard counter to many of the Abilities the Arachnid Supremacy was known for. While they had no direct evidence for this due to the Faction¡¯s reclusive nature, it was postulated that Origin¡¯s Flame with its purifying nature would be especially effective against a poison and curse-oriented build. Especially since it seemed that they had decided to augment their power with Corruption. Brokenridge¡¯s speed had slowed considerably and Tilly thought he was going to start descending soon, giving them a better look at the ground below. The layer of clouds they had been flying above had gotten thicker and to Tilly¡¯s eye, they had gained a slight mustardish hue that made the hair on his neck stand on end. He had no clue how the dragon was navigating with so little information and worried that the glance it had taken of their map had not nearly been enough to give the Brokenridge the information he needed to locate these other factions. Tilly was jerked away from that line of thought as his momentum was suddenly arrested. He whipped his head off from the clouds below to see that Brokenridge had fanned out his wings harshly, eating up all his momentum with powerful backbeats.. After only a few physics-defying motions, the dragon had completely arrested his forward progress to hover in place, breathing deeply through his nostrils, and releasing a fiery sneeze into the air. ¡°Disgusting bugs!¡± He growled. Tilly looked around to see what he was missing, as Brokenridge reared back his head, breathing in even deeper than before, and released a huge gout of smoke. The substance was expelled from his nostrils, billowing out before the dragon in an immense cone that covered an area far greater than should have been possible. As the smoke roiled out over the open air, a network of almost invisible strands, glowing a sickly green flashed into being. They reached up from the cloud cover, high into the stratosphere, and covered almost every foot of available air space before him. Tilly was about to ask the dragon what they were looking at, but he beat him to the punch, ¡°Two legs, gird your loins. My wrath has long smoldered, and it is time for the world to remember my fury.¡± The dragon declared loudly as if he was addressing a crowd, his eyes however stayed focused on the construct before him. ¡°Are we ther-AAHHHGGG¡± Tilly shouted back, his question interrupted as the dragon tucked his wings and dropped from the sky like a stone. Tilly¡¯s stomach tried to climb out of his throat and he swallowed down his scream, and he once again had to fight to pull his arms and legs in, attempting to mirror the dragon¡¯s dive. They plunged into the clouds, and Tilly almost immediately started to feel tingling on his lips and in his eyes. He did his best to ignore it, and hoped his natural resistance would be enough. He lost sight of the dragon through the impressively thick clouds, but he felt the pace of their fall increase past terminal velocity. Then, the clouds were gone and Tilly found himself following in the wake of Brokenridge, who was eagerly pumping his wings through the dive, adding speed to their terrifying approach. Looking past the dragon, Tilly saw that the landscape was grayish-brown in color. The angle of their dive became slightly less acute with each beat of the dragon''s wings, without losing any of its speed. Ahead of them, rising through the canopy of what Tilly could now make out was a sea of dead trees, choked with webbing, was a huge ziggurat, rivaling the size of the temple mountain back in the Alliance. Just as Tilly realized their angle of approach would bring them somewhere near the top of the structure, Brokenridge roared in challenge. They had passed well into whatever magic that invisible webbing had represented, and the canopy below them began to shudder with movement. Tilly hoped that they were still too high to be attacked physically, but even as he formed that thought, as one, the trees below lit up with green and yellow lights, like sickly beacons, and a barrage of magic reminiscent of anti-aircraft artillery was launched in the air. Huge constructs of poisonous-looking Mana rose up into the air. They did not move nearly fast enough to catch the dragon by surprise, but they choked the air ahead of them, and Tilly doubted Brokenridge had enough maneuverability to dodge through the thick screen of magic at this speed. But the dragon had already committed to his dive and was going to have to break it off or endure whatever sort of attack these spells represented. Tilly tensed his body for another jerking stop, but it never came. Instead, the Dragon reared back his head without slowing and thrust his open jaws forward, releasing a gout of flame that barely had enough strength to move ahead of him. Instead, the fire rolled back over his body and trailed behind him like a comet, reaching so far as to wash Tilly in its thankfully harmless flame. Brokenridge continued to slowly release his breath attack, becoming a flaming projectile, and crashing into the anti-air barrage. The fire incinerated the techniques before they could have any effect, effectively neutralizing the defense altogether. Tilly couldn¡¯t tell if the move was born of pure battle lust or unbelievable instincts, but in a matter of moments, they had cleared the vast majority of the aerial defenses around the central structure of the Faction¡¯s lands and were almost to the structure. Once through, Brokenridge¡¯s flame died out, and he took another huge inhale, this time blanketing the area in his aura, ¡°You have been marked, insects. Time to burn.¡± He roared, his words falling like a physical weight, pressing down on Tilly¡¯s chest and stirring a deeply instinctual fear. Till had to fight not to look away from the Dragon in his fury, as his bodily urge demanded he somehow flee the apex predator. Then in a completely unexpected move, his wings shot out right before they arrived at the ziggurat, and he took another immense inhalation, beginning to glow a silvery white. ¡°How dare you, Snake.¡± A raspy voice exploded from the top of the pyramid even as countless many-legged creatures fled before the dragon¡¯s wrath. The voice however was coming from the top of the ancient building, and a tarantula the size of a city block exploded from its roof in a shower of shattered sandstone. Before landing above the newly made hole. Level 134 Teranchulic Broodmother ¡°I will feed you to my kin, impudent one, and you will strengthen our kind!¡± She spat. Tilly could almost feel the smile on the dragon¡¯s face as he replied with an exhalation unlike any Tilly had seen. The silvery glow concentrated around his slowly opening jaws, and the air around them warped with concentrated heat. ¡°Die!¡± She shouted, planting her legs and jumping at their position in an almost instantaneous movement Ability. B3. Ch. 48 Face Huggers Brokenridge released his beam of superheated energy just in time to arrest the giant spider¡¯s insanely fast jump attack. For the millisecond that it had been frozen before them, Tilly was shocked by its size, which he had to re-estimate to something closer to a football field. The supercharged breath attack hit it square in the abdomen, stopping the bus-sized fangs from reaching the dragon by a few feet, and launching it back toward the stone structure. ¡°AAAHHSSSS!¡± she hissed as the Brokenridge¡¯s attack slammed her into the side of the artificial mountain, and buried her in melting stone. The attack cut off after another few seconds in an incredible display of power. Screams and hisses rose in a collective wail from the surrounding forest, seeking to assault Tilly¡¯s senses, but his amulet grew frosty on his chest, absorbing the psychic attack. Completely unbothered, the dragon turned his head, sparing Tilly a glance, ¡°I will crush the bugs, you go and fetch me my spoils.¡± He growled in a low voice, pulling back his draconic arm. ¡°How-Ahhhh!¡± Tilly screamed in reply as the dragon launched the stone in his hand toward the top of the ziggurat. This not being the first time he had been thrown, Tilly managed to choke down his scream and tense his body as it whipped through the air at speeds only possible due to the dragon¡¯s legendary Strength. The several-hundred-pound stone ripped through the air in a beeline for the shattered opening left by the Broodmother. To his relief, the projectile rushed perfectly through the opening, and Tilly followed, his shallow vector of pursuit allowing him to run the same path as the stone like a train on its rails. He passed through the gaping opening and the darkness of the space robbed him of his vision as he plunged through the air, now traveling through what seemed to be the hollow inside of the mountain. He desperately snapped Erash¡¯s twig, and almost immediately felt the magic¡¯s hold begin to loosen, right as the stone ahead of him crashed into the ground. The timing was almost impossibly perfect, as the link around him was ripped free, taking on much of the shearing force of the sudden stop, and allowing Tilly to continue forward at a much-reduced speed, with only a few bruised ribs. Moving on instinct, he brought his arms ahead of him just before he crashed into the ground somewhere near the rock¡¯s impact zone. His incredibly sturdy bones cracked as he impacted at an angle sliding through dozens of strange protruding rocks that jutted from the ground of his impact site. The protrusions significantly softened his landing, shattering upon impact and releasing a gushing warm liquid. Tilly groaned as he finally slid to a stop against one of the protrusions. He had crashed head first, sliding on his stomach in the hopes of protecting Kindle from any of the kinetic destruction his body had just undergone. ¡®Are you alright?¡¯ He sent along with his groan. His hands clutched along his belt to find the clasp holding the health potion. Once he found it, he hesitated, checking his health. Health: 65% Kindle let out a squawk of surprise, but he could feel her pulling free from his jacket, and he decided to wait on the potion until he knew what he was facing. Tilly got to his feet gingerly, as Kindle finished pulling free of his collar, her soft glow illuminating his immediate environment. Before him, arranged in seemingly random clusters were the stony ovular protrusions he had felt along his crash vector. They continued down the interior slope of the mountain as far as he could see. Tilly¡¯s heart sank and his bile rose as he turned back to look at the path of destruction his crash landing had left. Shattered protrusions reached back into the darkness along the line of his landing, and his eyes focused in on the nearest one¡­ almost reluctantly investigating its contents. At this point, the potion at his belt, and even the distant pain of his injuries were forgotten. Amid the shattered stone-like shell and the splattered viscous liquid was a pale creature made up almost entirely of broken legs and a long vertebrate tail. A shiver of terror ran up Tilly¡¯s spine, as he spun around, trying to keep all of his surroundings within his field of vision¡­ ¡°Kindle, we need light. Now!¡± He whispered harshly, his voice tinged with a slight edge of panic. He had seen way too many movies where some hapless fool discovered a field of eggs. It never worked out well for him. She trilled in an affirmative, fire blazing to life along her plumage as she leaped into the air, gaining altitude with every flap of her wings. As she rose, more and more of the interior of the structure was illuminated, revealing a chamber many times the size of an NFL football stadium. As her light reached further to illuminate the whole of the interior, Tilly saw the egg clusters covering every available surface of the interior of the structure, including the walls and ceiling, with the exception of the very center of the basin. ¡°Nope, nope, nope, nope.¡± He immediately began muttering to himself as he oriented toward the bottom of the interior and started to jog downward as fast as he could without touching any more of the eggs. Kindle dove back down and hovered about twenty feet above him, giving him better light for his flight to the center of the structure. He could just barely make out a huge statue standing in the open space made noticeable by its absence of eggs. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The closer he got, the more the layout of the center became clear. Tilly leaned fully into his Dexterity to keep his pace supernaturally quick, without touching any of the nightmarish protrusions. Kindle¡¯s light began to sparkle and shine as it hit the area around the statue, illuminating huge piles of treasure¡­ ¡®Ok, don¡¯t panic¡­ Steal the treasure and get out¡­ Fight a few bigger spiders on the way out¡­¡¯ Tilly formed his plan in half-panicked thoughts as he rushed down the last few hundred feet of slope. As he approached, he slowed and pulled up his notification log, needing to confirm what he already feared. He scrolled it back sixty seconds and found what he was looking for, the moment of impact. You have sustained environmental damage. - 13% Health -1.2% Health -2% Health You have encountered a hostile entity. Level 1 Arachnid Parasite. You have destroyed an Arachnid Parasite. +.002 % to your next level. You have destroyed an Arachnid Parasite. +.002 % to your next level. You have destroyed an Arachnid Parasite. +.002 % to your next level. You have destroyed an Arachnid Parasite. +.002 % to your next level. Tilly barely dodged around another cluster as his speed increased. He was in a chamber the size of a super stadium chock-full of face huggers... He didn¡¯t care if they were only level one¡­ he couldn¡¯t stand the thought of any of them even touching him, let alone getting any more of their goop on him. His eyes flicked up to his HUD and the new experience readout he had added next to his name came into view. He had made some changes after his talk with Ichiro and Hiro about the Level 50 bottleneck, and the way most higher-level beings handled it. Level: 37 (17/100% Experience until next level.) Getting rid of the frankly unwieldy experience numbers had been a relief, but that dismally small percentage next to his level depressed him as he realized he would have to kill¡­ God, he hated math. The answer was too many. He would have to kill too many of these things to get to his next level, and he wasn¡¯t sure he had anything in his arsenal to get the job done. He didn¡¯t have the Wisdom to sustain any sort of damage output over that period of time, even if he swapped stats, and without his superlative Titles in effect, any sort of ace with an empowered intelligence was out as well. That left his normal moves only, and he couldn¡¯t think of a synergy that would be enough to handle these things if they all woke up. His dislocated shoulder snapped back into place as he leaped the last of the clusters and arrived at the piles of treasure, further illuminating the statue of this Faction¡¯s Patron. It was thirty feet tall and unsurprisingly had a spider¡¯s abdomen, which seemed to be stabbed into the ground in some way. The rest of its body, however, was more unexpected. The spider''s thorax only had six legs, and its thorax shrunk down into a petite waist of an incredibly attractive woman wearing a corset and holding a staff with a huge malformed emerald at its tip. His approach slowed as moved forward in a crouch as quietly as possible until he was within arms reach of the treasure piles. Mounds of gold and silver, taller than Tilly, and interspersed with jewels had been dumped all around the statue, whose womanly top half had her arms open wide in a posture of acceptance. The statue¡¯s eyes were blindfolded, but her mouth displayed a small, almost playful smile. Her lower lip was dimpled by a pair of wicked-looking fangs, somewhat dispelling the allure of her form. A roar sounded above, shaking the entire structure before the whole thing shook with another huge impact against its side. Rocks rained on from the ceiling, crushing a few more clusters, and Tilly winced, looking around. Thankfully, the eggs remained dormant. Whatever was supposed to trigger their hatching had not been activated. Tilly allowed himself the slightest sigh of relief, and stepped up to the nearest treasure pile, reaching out his hand with the world ring, and sending a tiny pulse of Mana to activate it. Nothing happened, and his worried wince turned into a deep frown of concern as he once again pulled up his notification log. Warning, you have attempted to loot claimed objects of value from another entity. The owner of these objects has been notified of your attempted deposit. Just as he had finished reading the last line of the notification, a sound like a grating stone broke the silence of the room in front of him, and he looked up to find the statue had turned its head in his direction. ¡°Oh sh-¡± ¡°EEEEEEEEE¡± The statue opened its mouth emitting a strangely siren-like wail before a disembodied voice resounded through the structure. ¡°Arise, Little ones. Feast on the profaner of our domain!¡± Tilly tore his gaze from the moving statue to sweep over the sea of eggs, instantly calling his hatchets to his hands and covering himself in Wrath¡¯s Shroud. The eggs, as far as his eyes could see, started to shiver and crack, and Kindle let out a battle cry, swooping down and laying a stream of fire at the nearest clusters. Mind racing, Tilly ran through his options. Doom Duckie was out, he had no clue what it would do and he refused to find out at close range. His shroud would only last another 98 seconds at best before he ran out of Mana. A Flame¡¯s Expulsion, even if he went all out and swapped his Endurance for Intelligence while using his title [All or Nothing] would still result in a limited-range explosion, leaving him empty before even half of these things were done. That left burning one of his items, or giving up some experience¡­ Spindly legs started to burst forth from the nearest eggs, and Tilly¡¯s face fell as he realized what he had to do. A quick mental command to his armor caused it to shift from its base form to the slick black leather and chitin of the Nullspider set, embedded with a network of strange patterns and chiplike pathways. The eggs nearest to him burst open, and several dozen, face-sized, multi-legged forms shot through the air at him. Tilly boosted his passive Shroud and watched with some satisfaction as they were almost instantly incinerated as they touched his flames. The floor, wall, and even ceiling of the structure seemed to be moving, as the entire creepy infant spider population came to give his face a nice warm hug. He didn¡¯t know how these parasites worked, but he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to find out today. They continued to throw themselves against his Shroud, which was rapidly depleting his Mana, he briefly pulled up the Mana Overdrive description one last time, to make sure he was ready to set himself even further back. -Mana Overdrive: You may perform abilities without paying the Mana cost in exchange for unused Experience stored in the subspace of your soul at a rate of 100:1 while wearing the Null Spider Set. B3. Ch. 49 Eight-Legged-Freaks The press of bodies flinging themselves at him was increasing rapidly and the defense of his shroud was about to be overwhelmed. The sheer weight of their numbers resulted in the uptick of another few percentage points of experience, but it wouldn''t be nearly enough¡­ Tilly sighed deeply and activated Mana Overdrive. The armor-linked Ability locked into place, overlaying his Pathways with a new meta-network of reality-bending patterns, that reached into whatever space the System banked his experience and began to convert it. Unfortunately, the change in energy sources was not seamless. His shroud flickered briefly as the mechanism for its output shifted. In that brief moment, the nightmarish creatures pressed in, actually landing on him and immediately attempting to dig into his flesh. All over his body, the creatures tried and failed to shove their proboscis-like tails into his extremely tough skin. Tilly roared in disgust, reigniting his shroud, and then seamlessly shifting it into a full Flame Expulsion. In that moment of desperation, Tilly realized just how closely linked each of his abilities was. Each one was just an extension of the other, and in a brief moment of insight, he felt the potential for the empowered pattern in his pathways to build in complexity. The force of the expulsion flung the creatures back, incinerating every living thing within fifty feet of his position and the moment was gone. His flames even rolled over the statue, causing hissing sparks to fly as his purifying flames met with the caustic magic empowering the thing and began to react. He felt the rest of his Mana bottom out accompanied by the eerie sensation of the patterns embedded in his armor whirling to life. Experience was pulled in and converted to Mana before rushing to fill the pattern being empowered by his will within his pathway network. He shoved more of his newly gained energy into his Ability forcing the normally explosive technique to put out flames in all directions continuously. Arachnid Parasites started to form living waves of mindless fury as their numbers built up all around him, crashing against his sphere of flame and attempting to press in and destroy its source. The statue leered at him, mouth held agape in a silent scream. Tilly¡¯s flames danced and sparked all around form and he could see the aura of energy, especially around her staff, warping and sparking as it struggled to deal with the power of his flames which were so perfectly suited to counter her own. Tilly grit his teeth as something reminiscent of a cramp started to form in his metaphysical network of pathways. The strain he was putting on them was unique, like holding your leg in an unfamiliar position for too long, forcing them to endure magical pressure from vectors that were novel to his system. Even with thousands of the creatures dying pointlessly by the second, they continued to leap into the furnace that was his Ability. However even with their deaths adding to his experience bank, the conversion was too wasteful, and he watched in growing concern as the percentage on his HUD slowly dropped. It had only been half a minute, but he had already lost the experience he had gained before activating Mana Overdrive and now it was dropping below ten percent. Most of his focus was on maintaining the pattern for his Expulsion, but he distractedly reached down and found his Wisdom-boosting solution. His hand froze on the vial, hesitant to use it even in the midst of this nightmare, for fear of even more dire situations in the near future. It was another Legendary Quality item, and if he spent it now, the belt might not be able to reconstitute it in time for their next raid¡­ or hell, at Brokenridge¡¯s insane speed, anything he used above Epic quality, might not even be available when they arrived at the Contested Lands. Further crashing sounded from above, emphasizing that this was not the only battle occurring at the heart of this Faction. Tilly¡¯s eyes shot up to the gaping hole in the ceiling, before falling back to the masses churning at the edge of his Ability. Thankfully, they were clearly not very intelligent and continued to fling themselves against what had essentially become a huge version of Wrath¡¯s Shroud. Yet even with all of their deaths extending the life of his Ability, the 100:1 conversion was just too steep, and his stored experience continued to slowly fall. The statue''s silent scream suddenly shrieked back to life, its form blazing with caustic green energy, temporarily pushing back the flames. It raised its staff in an offensive gesture and a spellwork formed over the huge emerald embedded in its top. A sickly-looking sphere shot forward through the curtain of flames and exploded only a few feet from Tilly. Several tons of webbing erupted in all directions, temporarily blanketing the flames in that direction and providing a cover for the mindless charging creatures beyond. Tilly pushed out the ability for all it was worth, maybe increasing its intensity slightly, but the experience readout on his HUD ticked down to 4% in response. Something like a shearing tear ripped through his Pathways and he swallowed back and screamed, staring down the tendril of enemies pushing through the eroding webbing network to reach him. The Ability held, but he could tell that even with more experience he would not be able to keep this up much longer. The intensity of his flame output began to die down and thousands of the creatures pressed in eagerly. No matter how hard he pushed, he could not break the funnel of parasites burrowing into the center of his defense. His Experience dropped to 3% as the press of creatures reached him.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Kindle shrieked in defiance above him, swooping in and shooting a stream of liquid plasma right through the center of the protective web spell, cutting through it like butter. Tilly had never seen her use something so powerfully offensive, but it broke the path the parasites were using to press into him, eradicating hundreds of the creatures in one attack. His Ability rushed to fill in the gap, erasing the crack in his sphere of flames in a moment. She wheeled through the sky drunkenly, barely staying within the protection of his flames before landing at his feet exhausted. Through it all the arachnid parasites kept coming, pressing their way through his flowing barrier of flames, using the sacrifice of those before them to gain inches at a time. Their pressure was almost a physical weight on him as his Expulsion was pushed closer and closer to his body and his stored experience ticked down to 1%. Realizing he was out of options, Tilly pulled the small vial free and lifted it to his face. He had hoped to save it, but it was either this or boost his wisdom stat with his celestial bracelets and he didn¡¯t want to drop his Endurance with these things trying to crawl all over him. Just as he was about to pull the vial free, the pressure let up and his flames exploded forth unimpeded, washing over the surrounding area unopposed before dying out along with the last of his stored Experience. Tilly was left gasping for breath in the oxygen-poor chamber, with an exhausted Kindle at his feet, surrounded by a fifty-foot circle of blackened metal and melted stone. As the flames around him died down, his eyes found the statue, through the settling cloud of ash. Its life-like artistry had become waxy and unformed. The once blazing crystal at the top of its staff was now cracked and dark. Still wary, Tilly held one hatchet at the ready as he took another scan of his surroundings. Staying alert for any parasitic stragglers, he carefully scooped up Kindle, tucking her protectively in the crook of his arm, and moved closer to the treasure piles. The immense chamber had darkened considerably along with his flames, but he had no trouble moving forward carefully, even though his body was leaden with fatigue. Tilly stepped up to the nearest glowing mound of treasure and moved to lay his hand on it hoping the stupid, snitch ring would work this time. His armor shifted to its sun salamander form seamlessly as his hand reached the still-hot metal, something he hadn¡¯t thought to do himself. The familiar pounding headache of mana exhaustion was becoming distracting, and his notification icon was blinking urgently. But after a quick look to confirm that he definitely had not somehow gained a level, he decided the rest could wait. He reached deep into his well and found a tiny spark of mana at the bottom, already reforming. He sent it to the ring with another mental demand to loot. He still had a job to do if he didn¡¯t want to get eaten. Something like a funnel formed over his hand, sucking in the nearest coins and reaching out further and further into the pile to pull in more of the treasure. Tilly had expected to have to run around laying his hands on everything, but with the chamber emptied of combatants and the statue ruined, the ring seemed capable of absorbing every continuous piece of treasure as long as it was touching the pile he was already depositing. The dim light above him suddenly darkened, and Tilly¡¯s head whipped up to see a shadow filling the new skylight, before something crashed to the ground near him, just outside the treasure space. ¡°Two-leg, you perform your duties with the barest hint of adequacy¡­ you have had minutes to claim my treasure and you are still not done?¡± Tilly¡¯s eyes adjusted to the light¡¯s return and Brokenridge¡¯s figure resolved a few yards away. Many of his previously perfect scales were pockmarked and corroded and there was a tear along the membrane of one of his wings. Thankfully, the treasure was almost completely absorbed by the ring, and Tilly took the criticism with a tired scowl. He couldn''t even imagine the amount of income he had just deposited. ¡°It looks like we both had a harder time than we thought¡­ But I¡¯m sure this will serve both of our purposes well enough¡± He answered, gesturing tiredly at the disappearing treasure. It was the dragon¡¯s turn to snarl at Tilly¡¯s implication of his underestimation of the enemy but said nothing as some sort of energy began to gather around his body. Tilly watched as the scales began to fix themselves, and the tear reknit before his eyes. The last of the treasure disappeared into the world ring leaving a large open area at the center of a sea of shattered eggs and ash. Fully returned to his smug superiority, Brokenridge lowered his head to Tilly¡¯s level, ¡°You know nothing, ape. Yet despite your ignorance, I am pleased with this arrangement, I can feel the depth of my hoard increasing even as we speak. My destiny is at hand.¡± He finished with a smile that was all teeth and hunger, before tilting his head to the side, ¡°Gnat, come out of hiding, there are none here to see you, and magic another rock. That one is broken.¡± He continued, following his statement with a disdainful sniff. ¡°As you wish,¡± Erash said, popping into being before the melted statue, ¡°This stone is actually a very high-grade material and would hold the enchantment quite well if you do not mind carrying it¡­ as a trophy, Great One.¡± She added bowing her head submissively. The still smoldering fires around the chamber dimmed, and then winked out, as Kindle stirred back to consciousness, growing heavier in Tilly¡¯s arms. He was surprised to feel the lingering heat rush past him in invisible streams, as the phoenix somehow absorbed all of it. ¡®I am beginning to remember again, Bonded¡¯ She sent him, looking up to meet his concerned gaze. Her eyes suddenly held a new depth, and her use of language marked her passage from the adolescent stage of her evolution before his eyes. Seeing her change in his arms, brought a feeling of pride mingled with an illogical amount of sorrow. ¡°Yes, that will do nicely, Gnat. Do not leave me waiting, get it done. The smell of this place is disgusting, and I will dirty my claws in this filth no longer.¡± Erash began her spellwork, and Tilly¡¯s armor returned to its basic state, with the exception of a new back pouch that reminded him of a sling or backpack. Tilly was once again surprised by how much initiative the armor could show when it came to little things like Kindle¡¯s increase in size. Seeing the change, she bobbed her head in thanks and he tucked her behind his back, ¡®I will soon have no need for such a thing, but for now, my speed cannot hope to match my elder¡¯s.¡¯ she sent as she curled up to continue to rest after her impressive attack. Maintaining a cold demeanor before the dragon, Erash wordlessly gestured at Tilly to move to a correctly aligned position before she started laying the same enchantment, linking him to the statue without looking up from her work. Knowing the game, he made sure to huff back at her gruff manner, before ignoring her entirely and pulling up his notifications. He spent a few seconds filtering the information until he was left with two lines of interest that almost made up for the fact that he had just blown his chance to rebalance his stats. B3. Ch. 50 Charmin鈥檚 Nemesis Congratulations! You have completely eliminated a new evolution of creatures (Arachnid Parasites) from the face of Nephesh. You have earned the title: [Peerless Annihilation] [Peerless Annihilation] - You are one of a select few who have completely destroyed an entire racial evolution. The greatness of your accomplishments hangs on your soul like a banner, impressing your might on those around you. Aural Abilities boosted by 300%. Honestly, he was pretty happy with this one. He would have preferred something that offered utility in direct combat, but if the title had gone in that direction, he probably would have been stuck with something spider-specific. Or with another bonus to killing large groups of weak opponents. Two things he probably didn¡¯t need. [Peerless Annihilation] on the other hand, would give him one more tool to use against the heavy hitters, whom he was being thrown against more and more often. As interesting as the implications of the new title were, the second notification took the cake. Commerce Guild, System Sanctioned Notification - You have successfully deposited the equivalent of twenty five million Guild-standard Gold. This has been credited to your account and can be withdrawn in numerous forms of currency. No one had explained to Tilly the worth of a piece of platinum but going by the other conversions, he was pretty sure it would be another 100:1, gold to platinum. The spiders had been sitting on a truly immense fortune which they had chosen to squirrel away from the Commerce Guild. It had probably served some magical function of worship, but Tilly wouldn¡¯t ever get the chance to know. Besides, seeing such a large amount of wealth go undeposited in the banking monopoly of the plane made Tilly rethink the source of their information regarding the location and contents of this temple¡­ had it been divine? Or had someone much more mundane tipped them off? ¡°We are ready, Great One,¡± Erash stated, with a final wave of her staff over her own body causing a series of enchantments to blaze into being all over her clothing before fading into invisibility. The dragon took a moment to stretch his fully recovered wings, but Tilly wasn¡¯t fooled. He just knew Brokenridge would shoot off as fast as possible when he thought Tilly wasn''t paying attention. ¡®Not this time¡­¡¯ Tilly thought, gritting his teeth as he tensed his body forward and breathed in short bursts. He kept his eyes locked on the dragon, and his careful scrutiny revealed a tiny burning script crawling over the dragon¡¯s scales, almost like the nonsensical falling green code from the matrix. He didn¡¯t know the significance, but Brokenridge was now practically oozing smugness, as he casually moved up to the ruined statue and ripped its upper half from the arachnid base. Clearly the effects of such a large infusion of wealth were doing more for the dragon than was immediately obvious. Tilly was tugged forward as the statue was ripped from its base. He almost didn¡¯t notice as another twig hit him in the face and he bobbled it in his hands as the dragon made to take off. Judging by the strategy the dragon had employed during this raid, Tilly probably wouldn¡¯t be working with ample decision-making time when they attacked the next Faction. He sighed in repeat as he narrowly missed dropping the enchanted piece of foliage. Without a word of warning, Brokenridge took off into the air, surging a couple dozen feet with every beat of his wings. Each surge pulled the unenchanted parts of Tilly downward violently before being given a brief instant of relief from the force before starting the process all over again. It was maddeningly difficult to time his breathing and tensing along with the pull of the dragon''s ascent. Despite that, thanks to his Endurance, and slight preparations, he was no longer in danger of any damage from the whiplash. The whole situation was complicated by his still recovering body, which strained and groaned at the unusual pressures being put on it. The recent crash landing had caused damage to a few muscles and micro-fractures in many of his bones. Then they were through the opening, with the dragon making a clever twisting turn so that Tilly, and a now invisible Erash, moved through the opening without striking its edge. As soon as he emerged into the open, Tilly was assaulted by a thick smoky haze, through which he caught glimpses of multiple roaring forest fires and the charred husks of thousands of different combatants, not to mention a charcoal-like imitation of the Faction¡¯s guardian curled in on itself halfway down the ziggurat. The enormous tarantula-like creature had been reduced to a charred husk, lying on its back with its legs folded inward in the classic dead spider pose. ¡®Holy Shit¡¯ Tilly thought as he attempted to wipe tears from his eyes due to the caustic nature of the smoke. Brokenridge had absolutely wrecked this Faction. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. As if he could hear Tilly¡¯s thoughts, the dragon broke off his ascent to wheel in a lazy circle high above the ruined Faction, roaring in triumph, before beginning to glow with a purple haze. As the magic built, Tilly registered a sound in the distance. Something that sounded like a distant shriek, layered with bass undertones. Before he could register the sound, the haze around Brokenridge firmed into a bright purple light and Tilly sent an urgent warning to Kindle, before pulling his body into the same pose he had used before. He tensed his muscles and curled into a makeshift fetal position just in time to resist the force that slammed into his body. Once again attempting to rip everything not linked to the statue. Once committed, he couldn¡¯t look up from his knees to try and keep a watch on their location or relative speed. But that didn''t stop him from squinting through the wind vortex assaulting his eyes to check as his Mana and Health slowly ticked up. Tilly¡¯s body became one giant cramp as he continued to hold the position and the only positive to the dragon¡¯s True Flight empowered speed was that once the maximum acceleration was achieved, there was no change in direction or velocity, allowing Tilly a space of time where he knew what the next moments would bring. Despite the discomfort, Tilly managed to ease into something resembling rest, and after an unknown amount of time blasting through the air, both his status bars had returned to full. Eventually, Kindle awoke from her nap, having finished digesting the gains from their most recent fight. The wind provided no barrier to their mental communication and Tilly was happy to hear her now able to converse in full sentences. This regained ability did not stop her from sending complex sensory packets to flavor her language, but it was nice to have someone to process recent events with. While he had not been able to gain any experience from the battle, Kindle had reaped significant benefits. She had been able to absorb large amounts of excess heat from the conflict allowing her to rapidly evolve into an evolutionary stage similar to what she had achieved before she sacrificed herself against the Prime Dirge. Now that she was more cognizant, she explained that she could remember her past lives up to whatever point in her growth she currently held. This was often not very useful in its early stages but would become much more helpful as she continued to grow. She also shared that she had never gained the Starlight addendum to her race at this stage in her past lives and did not know its significance. Although she suspected its implications were more spiritual than physical. As they talked, Tilly found himself getting hungry and even with the wind tearing at his every motion, he managed to slowly reach around to his back pocket and grab something within. He didn¡¯t know how it was supposed to work, but as soon as his hand entered the stitched fold of fabric, he found something to pull out. Tilly had no clue what it was, its texture feeling rough and dry, but it didn''t come completely free from the pocket until his hand had pulled almost a foot away, and when it did, the wind caught it and pulled it right out of his grip. Growling in frustration, he reached over again, his legs slowly uncurling from lack of support, and fished back into the pocket. This time he squeezed what he had tightly as he pulled it free, and quickly brought it around to the front of his body, finding that he held a slightly squashed plum. He took a greedy bite and was happy to find that it tasted extraordinary, despite being bruised from his grip. As he struggled through his snack break while holding his awkward posture, Kindle continued to outline her abilities and her best guesses at what would develop as she evolved further. She could currently store one-tenth of the heat she absorbed and could release it in all manner of forms, but would need to refill it once used. She also had the ability to almost completely disperse her form in a fiery final attack achieving a huge bonus to output damage, but as Tilly had experienced, this attack risked ending her cycle of rebirth. Registering what she could do, he asked her to stay out of the direct conflict and save her intervention for attacks of opportunity and spotting unseen attackers. She seemed pretty confident that despite the fey¡¯s glamor ability, her heat vision could see through most illusions. He then took time to fully explain what he had gained at the auction and what he hoped to get out of each item, as well as his need to defeat enough enemies to gain a level before arriving at the Contested Lands. The screeching of the wind stopped, bringing a pause to their mental conversation, and the force pulling at Tilly¡¯s extremity lessened for the first time in what might have been an hour or two. He had no real way to tell now that his Health and Mana were back to full, but as he painfully craned his neck, he was faced with a completely different landscape than the one they had left behind in the Arachnid Supremacy Faction. Here the land was cracked and disjointed with plateaus rising and falling in unnatural patterns. Clockwork buildings covered the horizon as far as the eye could see, interconnected but huge moving gears and levers, constantly in grinding motion. Some of the plateaus were rising and falling, releasing huge jets of steam and smoke along with the movement. Even from their vantage thousands of feet up, the only change in the landscape was the single spire piercing the sky in the distance. The whole thing would have been very steampunk if not for the sickeningly familiar fleshy roots plunging in and out of all of the many factory-like buildings. They fanned out in a network centered on the distant spire, which sported an enormous tumorous growth at its base. Tilly¡¯s mind raced through the intel they had on the Perfected Golem Faction. They had once been active in plane-wide economics but had fallen out of contact with others in the last few months. Church sources stated that the Faction¡¯s stated goal had always been to create the perfect clockwork form, but its methods of pursuit had radically changed recently, and they had cannibalized much of their resources to shift focus. Investigations had revealed high-level experiments using Corruption as a catalyst for mechanical evolution. This spawned power breakthroughs that caused an internal coup resulting in very few dissidents escaping the new regime. That information had done little to prepare Tilly for what he saw playing out before him. He struggled to wrap his brain around what a fully grown Corruption Seed was capable of as its insane size dwarfed Tilly¡¯s imagination. Brokenridge slowed his approach, gaining altitude as he spent some of his velocity to climb. The endless city of interconnected metallic buildings continued its whirling mechanical movements, seemingly unconcerned with their flight over the Faction¡¯s air space. ¡°Do they know we are here?¡± Tilly called over the wind. B3. Ch. 51 Get Doomed Brokenridge pulled up, arresting his remaining speed and taking a deep breath through his nostrils. He almost seemed hesitant as his gaze swung over the Corrupted mechanical landscape like its makeup was something he had not been expecting. ¡°I smell nothing but decay and hatred. No magic guards these lands, and nothing stirs at our approach. There is only grinding metal, burning oil, and endless, futile striving.¡± The Dragon growled, shaking his head in disapproval. Aside from the slow-moving progress of whatever mechanical processes were at work below them, the entire landscape was devoid of life, with the exception of the gargantuan version of the Corrupted Tree that Tilly had faced once before. ¡°We had to deal with one of these while you slept. It will wait until you are close, maybe even allow you to attack, and then once you are too close to escape, it will make its move.¡± ¡°I am no fool, Human. I know it waits. Just like I can smell the riches stored at the top of the spire. But my claws itch at the thought of taking the obvious bait and moving straight for the top. This race is new to the plane, but I am familiar with the metals used in many of the structures below¡­ They will not burn as the spiders did,¡± He breathed, cunning eyes scanning the approach to the center of the Faction with a surprising amount of restraint. Tilly eyed the huge, twisted growth at the base of the spire, his hand drifting to an item on his belt in consideration, ¡°I have something that would, at the very least, serve as a distraction, and possibly even force them to show hidden defenses early.¡± At his words, Brokenridge¡¯s eyes slid over him as if he wasn¡¯t there, but Tilly had spent enough time with the dragon to know that it was his version of an invitation to continue, ¡°Instead of making a move for the top of the tower first, we can start at this creature''s center, near its base. If their integration is as complete as it seems, then any successful attack on the root will damage and distract the whole system. Also, depending on how much Corruption these beings carry, your flames should be more effective than normal, even if they are made of metal.¡± The dragon took a deep sniff of the air and sneezed, ¡°The bugs smelled of this substance as well, it sullies the air, and I will take great pleasure in burning its stench from the Land.¡± ¡°Great, get me close enough to drop the payload, and then drop me off to pick up the treasure¡­ but for God¡¯s sake, don¡¯t just throw me at the building again. I won''t be much good to you if I die because you broke both of my arms before I could even start fighting the enemy.¡± The dragon bore all of his teeth, his gaze settling in on Tilly for the first time in their conversation as something akin to hunger glowed behind his eyes, ¡°And what happened to the defenses you showed me at the entrance to my chambers?¡± ¡°Got them ready to go,¡± Tilly lied in a growl, attempting to use anger to cover over his sudden discomfort, ¡°It¡¯s just a limited use ability that I want to save for when it matters¡­. Now are we going to talk all day, or are we going to pillage these idiots and take back the dragon throne?¡± Whatever temptations Brokenridge had been considering faded from his serpentine face at Tilly¡¯s reminder of their purpose. The smoke lazily curling from his nostrils caught fire and the dragon turned back toward their target, face set in renewed focus. ¡°It is time to crush these sullied constructs. My destiny awaits.¡± He growled, before tucking into a sudden dive. Tilly swallowed down his stomach as the sudden weightlessness hit him, ¡®Kindle, break away and join back in when you see an opening.¡¯ He sent, mentally preparing himself for another wild battle. The phoenix sent a mental affirmative, pulling herself free of the pouch sewed into the back of his jacket. Then with a small push, she was away. ¡®I will watch, and remain ready. Fight well, Bonded¡¯ she sent back climbing through the air as they continued to free fall. Once they had picked up enough speed, Brokenridge whipped out his wings and started beating them powerfully, adding velocity to his dive even as he slowly leveled it off until they were moving rapidly in a line directed pointed at the base of the skyscraper-sized spire that made up the center of the Perfected Golem Faction. Tilly pulled free the message twig in one hand, and the Doom Ducky in the other, ready to finally test the experimental item. He felt a thrill of excitement from Kindle as she sensed his intention and Brokenridge roared in challenge as they dived toward the bulbous body of the gigantic Corrupted Tree. He didn¡¯t know what would happen when the item activated, or how the Corrupted Faction would react, but whatever happened, he was going to be ready to break the link this time. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Some of the roots they sped over were as big around as city buses, and this time, Tilly didn¡¯t trust any of them to stay still when the shit really hit the fan. But if its behavior followed previous patterns, it would wait until they were fully committed. This time, that was going to be a huge mistake. Their dive had probably reached over a hundred miles per hour and they would be within striking distance in seconds. Tilly pulled back his arm, taking aim, belatedly realizing that thing was so huge that the quality of his throw would not matter at all. Wincing with anticipation, Tilly focused on the item in his hand and inflamed its contents. He allowed only the barest hint of his mana to release from his palm, before lobbing the glass duckie into the air just below their dive. Once free, the small glass projectile immediately began to fall behind them as the wind resistance, which seemed to have no effect on Brokenridge, caught it and pulled it back. ¡°That''s it! Pull up!¡± Tilly shouted ahead, as the dragon reared its head back to unleash some sort of breath attack. By some miracle, the plunder-crazed monster reacted immediately to Tilly¡¯s voice, fanning out his wings and ripping them out of the dive. Doom Duckie zipped below them, continuing along the path of their dive. The thing had begun flashing like a strobe light, as Tillys Mana stirred up the reactionary substances contained within the vessel. As the force of Brokenridge pulling up from the dive shoved Tilly''s chin into his chest, he watched the item¡¯s flight in fascination. It soared through the air like a tiny space probe sent to a distant planet for a few more beats of Brokenridge¡¯s wings before crashing against the side of the giant root growth. The wind rushing by Tilly¡¯s ears robbed him of the sound of the initial impact, but he felt the reaction that followed deep in his chest. The item shattered against the thick protective bark, allowing the Phoenix-empowered primordial flame access to the surrounding atmosphere for the first time since the item¡¯s inception. The flame vaporized all of the oxygen surrounding it in a 30-yard sphere before flashing back to its original size in an instant. This produced a vacuum the size of a building, which collapsed in on itself with a thunderous crash, sending high-pressure air rushing back toward the flame at unimaginable speeds. The resulting secondary explosion produced a shock wave that almost snapped Tilly¡¯s neck in the other direction as it knocked Brokenrigdge from his flight path and sent the dragon tumbling through the air. Ears ringing and eyes dry from the heat that suddenly suffused the atmosphere, Tilly attempted to blink away the spots clouding his vision. His body was jerked from side to side as his senses came back to him one by one. First, pain bloomed across his body as if he had been slapped from the air by a giant hand. Then the sound of roaring of rushing wind returned, followed by the grinding of tearing metal and a multi-octave shriek that arose from across the Faction. Finally, as their frenetic flight stabilized, Tilly''s vision cleared and he found Brokenridge having regained control of their flight with powerful beats of his wings. A few hundred feet beyond the dragon, the Spire stood, now tilted a few degrees to the right. Tilly¡¯s eyes trailed down the damaged structure until he found its base and the havoc his attack had just caused. The massive root ball of the Corrupted Tree was missing a chunk the size of a city block in a perfect burning circle. Blue flames spread from the epicenter of the blast, eating through the giant growth like acid. The growth¡¯s road-sized roots shivered in pain as whatever passed for the creature''s intelligence attempted to understand what had just happened. Brokenridge pulled his serpentine eyes away from the aftermath of the blast and zeroed in on Tilly, who responded with a heroically calm smirk, ¡°Plenty more where that came from.¡± He declared in a scratchy voice, throat dry from the intense heat radiating through the air. The dragon looked back at the base of the leaning spire with a snarl, obviously hating the display of power from his inferior. Before he could come up with an appropriate response, a wailing siren rose above the screeching of the Corrupted Tree, and hundreds of previously invisible doors slid open up the side of the clockwork spire. ¡°INITIATE ANTI-AIR DEFENSES.¡± A tinny voice announced. Every opening running up the spire was suddenly choked with a diverse range of clockwork figures. The only bodily feature shared by all of them seemed to be their ability to fly as they launched from the openings as one, forming a dense cloud of air combatants. They seemed to achieve flight through many forms of power and held many different shapes, some of which Tilly could tie to creatures existing in nature, others of which looked more alien. They blasted through the air toward their attackers, propelled by steam, combustion, or in some cases, actual turbines. Brokenridge roared, accepting the challenge and shooting toward the cloud, intent on taking the threat head-on. Whipping through the air a few dozen yards behind him, Tilly put the twig between his teeth and pulled free both his hatchets. He had no clue how he was going to participate in the aerial battle, especially while his location was fixed behind the dragon, but he wanted to keep his options open. He needed experience and he was going to level¡­ no matter what. Brokenridge unleashed a geyser of liquid flame just before he crashed into the formation of clockwork combatants. He immediately curled his body over itself, whipping his tail in a long arc behind him. The combination of his plasma hot stream of fire and the bludgeoning follow-up of his tail softened up the aerial formation considerably. Tilly had half a second before the melee rolled over the collision and found him. Taking a page from the dragon''s book, he unleashed a full-force Flame¡¯s Expulsion, concealing his exact location and bathing the oncoming combatants in fire. He crossed his arms over his face in anticipation of impact, holding his hatchets at the ready as flames flowed out of him in every direction. Brokenridge¡¯s entrance into battle had hardly slowed his speed, and Tilly was as much whipped into the enemy as they charged into him, half melted through his curtain of flames. Tilly screamed in what he hoped was a battle cry as the metal constructs hit him, crashing into his body and shattering against his Endurance-enhanced frame. Most were too structurally damaged to get off an attack before the impact. But that did little to reassure him as he was pounded almost nonstop by projectiles and metal constructs that should have knocked him from the sky. However, due to his spatial link, each of them met an unstoppable force instead, and if there was one thing Tilly could do¡­ it was take a hit. B3. Ch. 52 Smash and Grab Tilly careened through the air, whipping one way, then another as he followed the erratic flight of the dragon¡¯s aerial combat. After only seconds, the disorientation his flames had caused was gone, leaving him as a clear target. Thankfully, he was largely ignored in favor of the much more obvious danger before him. But even with only a tenth of the combatants zeroing in on him, the flight quickly became an incredible test of his system-enhanced body as the dragon¡¯s erratic movements made it all but impossible for him to attack or anticipate enemy hits. This also made him extremely hard to pin down only allowing a few direct attacks to land on him cleanly as he shifted his focus toward survival instead of adding damage to the melee. From behind, an incredibly sharp lance pierced his shoulder from the thorax of an insect-shaped attacker, even as a sudden turn in velocity ripped its body in half, leaving the stinger within him. The sharp jerk to the side, had his leg colliding unexpectedly with an incredibly dense floating cube that had been preparing an attack. His knee shattered as he knocked the thing from its place in the collapsing aerial formation. Adrenaline rushed through Tilly¡¯s system as his body endured one unexpected blow after another and his Health was shaved off one chunk at a time. What felt like minutes were revealed to be seconds as Brokenridge pulled free of the mid-air scrum. The automatons seemed sluggish next to the vicious grace of the aerial predator and Brokenridge flung off several unwanted riders with a coordinated whip-like extension of both wings before shooting up above the formation, climbing through the air faster than most of the aerial defense constructs could follow. Tilly¡¯s numerous injuries screamed at the abuse as the cleared the cloud of combatants. But that didn¡¯t dampen the feral grin cutting through the blood and oil staining his face. Whatever else this nightmare rollercoaster ride had been¡­ It had netted him a significant amount of experience. As he soared up in the air following the dragon while taking fire from a few stray small-arm projectiles, he pulled up his notification log, reveling at finally being able to reset his stat spread. The thing was filled with kill-assisted notifications from his unwilling part in Brokenridge¡¯s rampage, with a precious few enemies credited solely to him. You have helped defeat a level 56 Hunter Seeker automaton¡­ You have helped defeat a level 31 Aerial Crusher automaton¡­ You have helped defeat a level 37 Orbital Scout automaton¡­ You have defeated a level 28 Wasp type A automaton¡­ You have defeated a level 40 Enigma Cube automaton¡­ He rushed through the experience notifications until he found sweet confirmation of the end of one of his biggest headaches of the last week. Congratulations! You are now Level 38. Seven percent of experience is stored for the next level. You have earned 5 stat points to distribute plus 2 points in Endurance and 1 in Dexterity from the class Son of Flame. Brokenridge continued to ascend in a physics-defying display of speed leaving behind the decimated defenders as he raced up the side of the spire. Tilly mentally assigned all of his free points into Endurance, promising himself to keep a cushion from now on, and saw the long-awaited notification return to his log. Congratulations! You have re-acquired the title [Resolute] [Resolute]: Your Endurance stat is higher than all of your other stats combined. As long as this remains true, you may completely negate one fatal blow per day. Then the tinny voice returned, overlaying the wailing siren that had been playing non-stop since the Faction began responding to their presence. ¡°INITIATING BOMBARDMENT¡± The voice announced in a monotone. This time, hundreds of different openings appeared on the metallic face of the spire, releasing numerous explosive projectiles that suddenly crowded their path upward with a dizzying array of exploding flak. Still exultant from his regained superlative title cheat, Tilly barely had time to process the increased danger as Brokenridge entered the minefield of aerial explosions. The dragon¡¯s body flashed with a silvery glow as he tucked his wings and began slithering around the worst of the impacts mid-air. Being jerked through impossible evasive maneuvers further exacerbated Tilly¡¯s recently earned injuries, but the dragon was somehow managing to keep them away from the worst of the bombardment with the use of another of his mysterious Abilities. Despite the explosive obstacles, they continued to gain more altitude. Still, like the melee below, dodging most of the enemy¡¯s damage output did not mean moving through the defenses unscathed. Superheated shards of metal lodged themselves in the surface of Tilly¡¯s super tough skin, shaving off more of his already depleted Health. A particularly close explosion ripped along his back, and he felt some of the muscles in his shoulders sever at the close impact. Tilly lost the ability to shield his face and was unable to lift his right arm. He continued to be rag-dolled by Brokenridge¡¯s extreme maneuvers, and his health dropped to below twenty percent. He finally released a scream, as he felt his damaged shoulder pop free after a particular vicious horizontal jerk. Tilly didn¡¯t know if it was frustration at having to use his only health potion before he even had the chance to fight or a release of his pent-up terror at taking damage from all directions. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. But he fought through the pull of the extreme aerial maneuvers and reached down with his still-functioning arm to pull his Epic health potion free, gripping it for all he was worth as he brought it to his lips. With a mental thanks to Amelia, he popped the top and gulped the contents down. More explosions ripped at his armor and flesh underneath as they rose, but despite the continued damage, the potion did its work, reknitting most of the damage even as his primitive leathers stitched themselves back together under the same onslaught. His mana had just ticked back up to fifty percent and his Health ticked back up to full, even allowing him to soak up a little of the damage and instantly re-heal. Despite that, Tilly couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this was all just to soften them up before the real battle. As if to emphasize his suspicion, they suddenly broke free of the flak storm finally reaching the top of the spire. Brokenridge roared in defiance, immediately bathing the top of the building in flames. The Spire¡¯s tip finished in a chamber that was about seventy-five feet in diameter. The front of the structure seemed completely unaffected by Brokenridge¡¯s flame attack, and a large set of hanger doors began to open under the onslaught of the river of flames. Tilly¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he redrew both his hatchets. ¡°Analysis Complete.¡± the tinny voice concluded, in a monotone that now sounded smug, despite the lack of inflection. Brokenridge¡¯s dark blue flames rushed into the new opening, before a thunderous explosion of air blew them back, completely clearing the open hanger door. This eruption of pressurized air was followed by several more as the doors finished opening revealing a humanoid made up of dark ropy flesh and chromed mechanical parts. It clapped its hands once more, releasing a final thunderous crack of displaced air. ¡®Holy shit¡­ a slow clap?¡¯ Tilly thought erratically as Brokenridge cut off his breath attack and took in the new foe. ¡°Welcome, interlopers. You have the great honor to be the first to see the crowning achievement of our-¡± ¡°ROOOAAAARRR¡± Brokenridge interrupted explosively, cutting off a classic villain monologue. Just behind the figure, Tilly spotted something that looked like a futuristic sarcophagus, surrounded by wires and components glowing with power. Interspersed through the components were the familiar dark root-like growths, shoving their ends into the machinery and pumping the now empty pod with dark, viscous liquid. ¡°Pity I have only a mindless beast to witness my grand entrance into the world.¡± Fantasy Terminator complained in that same emotionless tone. The Faction-wide disembodied quality of the voice had changed. While the tone and timber were the same, it was now coming directly from the figure in front of them. Level 175 Corrupted Golem Prefect Brokenridge¡¯s eyes darted to the opening beyond the figure, and he slightly repositioned, fully blocking the Golem¡¯s view of Tilly. Then in a voice that was much more animalistic than Tilly was used to, the dragon answered, ¡°You. Die. Now!¡± before opening his mouth and beginning to gather the threads of a new Ability between his jaws. The automaton let out a robotic sigh, something Tilly found oddly dramatic for a machine. But before he could think any further on the irony, the back of the Prefect¡¯s body erupted in fiery propulsion, launching it into Brokenridge¡¯s chest almost instantaneously, successfully interrupting the dragon¡¯s Ability. Tilly barely had time to register the attack, tensing his whole body for another set of extreme aerial maneuvers, when instead he was flung forward, opposite Brokenridges direction. To Tilly¡¯s complete shock, he found himself soaring through the air in an easy arc toward the open hanger door. The statue-turned-trophy landed just inside of the opening, sliding to a stop. Tilly immediately snapped the twig in his mouth, trying to lose as little momentum as possible before the statue rolled to a stop. The spatial link tying him to the statue kept him about thirty feet back, and it was abundantly clear that the stone bust was not going to make it all thirty feet into the chamber. He felt the link break immediately allowing him to continue moving forward at a decent pace as the statue''s momentum was arrested. Unfortunately, the link¡¯s sudden disappearance also caused him to drop faster than he anticipated. Instead of soaring through the opening, he barely caught the bottom lip of the doorway with the head of one of his hatchets. A hiss announced the rapid closing of the hanger doors, as the crash of clashing titans thundered behind him, followed by a roar and a flurry of explosions. Buffeted by the shockwaves of the battle unfolding in the sky, Tilly quickly got his bearings, hauling himself over the side of the spire and rolling into the chamber just in time for the door to finish slamming shut. Tilly came to his feet, looking around at the highest chamber in the Perfected Golem Faction¡¯s center of power,¡®That sneaky bastard¡­he played them¡­¡¯ Tilly thought ruefully. The large room glowed with an assortment of high-grade components, setting up an orderly blend of technological logic and nightmarish appendages. One look at the roots told him that while the Corrupted Tree had certainly imparted something to the process of creating the Golem Prefect, many of the roots had also burrowed into the streams of valuable resources that the whole Faction seemed to have been built to refine, and were actively stealing them to fuel its own growth. Huge glass tubes rose up from the ground glowing with all sorts of arcane power, and much of the root growth in the room had twisted itself within those lines of power, siphoning off a significant amount. Tilly spun one of his hatchets in his hands eagerly as he scanned the room, attempting to identify the main lines of growth that were pulling resources back down to the tree below, ¡°It ain¡¯t much¡­ but it¡¯s honest work.¡± He quipped to himself with a smile, excited at the chance to finally wreak a little havoc of his own on the thing that had lived rent-free in his nightmares for months. He was at full health and had half a tank of mana ready to go. He enflamed both of his weapons and threw them with deadly accuracy at the two biggest roots littering the chamber. Empowered with Origin¡¯s Flame, whose effects were multiplied by the Dragons Glass head upgrade, his weapons were practically spitting destructive energy and it showed as they sheared through their targets. Tilly had no clue how the System would classify the entity choking the life out of this Faction, but whatever its levels and stats were, when Tilly¡¯s ax heads hit the thing¡¯s bark-like outer skin, they easily cut through, cleanly severing the large roots, and cauterizing both halves of the cut. The otherworldly screaming that had become a distant background noise to Tilly after the Doom Duckie had removed a healthy chuck of the main body, suddenly increased by several octaves, tearing through the chamber. Roots began to pull themselves free from their gluttonous work, but Tilly was already in action, running forward with recalled hatchets and cutting through more of the organic lattice before the creature could zero in on its new source of damage. Time for a little cathartic payback. B3. Ch. 53 Fantasy Terminator Leaning into the full capabilities of his supernatural Dexterity, Tilly tore through the room, slicing through anything that moved. The Corrupted growth attempted to pull itself free of the intricate system that had empowered the Golem Prefect¡¯s creation and several roots even attempted to spear him from behind, but he had come a long way since his first week on Nephesh and the spear-like attacks met the same end as the rest of the writhing appendages in the chamber. A handful of breaths later, Tilly found himself standing before the now empty fantasy-sci-fi sarcophagus, the room around him smoked and hissed as severed root nubs shivered on the ground in pain. Every tangle of growth that had been siphoning off power had been ruined in a whirlwind of slash-and-burn agriculture. The eerie screaming continued, but none of the more technological components in the room seemed too disturbed by the destruction. In fact, some of the lines of power leading to the center of the chamber flickered and began to glow brighter. Fighting down a smile at how deliciously satisfying it had been to decimate his old nemesis, Tilly took another careful scan of the room, attempting to Identify anything that might be valuable. Epic Quality Enchantment Array Legendary Quality Refinement foci Epic Quality Mythril Vacuum Tubes As Identify slowly added tags to things in the room, Tilly found himself more and more disappointed. It was all really cool, but he doubted the Commerce Guide recognized any of it as currency¡­ Then his gaze fell to the sarcophagus, whose base was lined with glowing gems the size of Tilly¡¯s head. Each one was set in its own complicated nests of wires, and they practically throbbed with power. Mythic Quality Mana Condenser Crystals. ¡°That seems promising,¡± He muttered to himself, wedging the edge of the ax head into the nearest nest and popping free one of the crystals. ¡°Error! Error! Genesis Chamber malfunction alert!¡± Another tinny voice whined, before repeating the phrase over and over in a sort of alarm. Tilly¡¯s triumphant smile fell as he remembered just how deep in the shit he was. Thankfully, as soon as he sent a sliver of his will into the world ring, the Crystal vanished¡­ so his guess had been right. He tried to reach out to the next crystal, but the ring refused to work unless the object was completely free of the wires. To make matters worse, the hanger doors leading to the open air began to hiss open. Tilly urgently started hacking at the rest of the wire nests, attempting to free as many of the crystals as possible. The hanger door opened enough for the aerial defense automatons to come into view. They froze there momentarily, processing the sight of the chamber in smoking ruins and a figure at its center hacking away at the base of the Genesis Pod. ¡°Intruder Alert, all able defenders to the Genesis Chamber.¡±?? The tinny alarm voice shifted, changing its tone to something deeper and more foreboding. More of the automatons glided through the yawning opening while Tilly pulled the last of the crystals free. The final one disappeared with a tiny pop and Tilly turned to face the various models of flight-capable automatons, now completely cutting off his exit. Tilly nervously spun his hatchets in his hands as he watched more crowd into the chamber. Now that he wasn¡¯t being yanked through the air like a three-year-old¡¯s favorite toy, Tilly was able to examine the golem automatons more closely. They moved forward in formation, an almost solid wall of metal. Tilly would have expected a cookie-cutter design, iterated thousands of times from the Faction, but no one of these was alike, instead, they formed a cloud of diverse shapes and sizes. Identify started to populate all kinds of name variations, their levels ranging from twenty to sixty-five. But, despite their diversity, they all had two things in common. First, all of them were infested with tangles of Corrupted growth which twisted in and out of their clockwork bodies. Counterintuitively, its presence gave Tilly hope. He doubted his attacks would normally be very effective against metal enemies, but with his huge bonus against Corruption and its clear integration with their systems, he hoped to get out of there without having to use his recently regained title abilities. The second was the presence of a glowing gem set prominently in the features of each automaton, which Tilly now recognized as personal Condenser Crystals. Most likely these served as the power source for the creatures. They seemed content to continue to choke the only exit to the chamber, slowly filing in, making space for more golems to arrive behind them. There were already over fifty of the things filling the first third of the chamber, and Tilly was rapidly losing count as more shapes blotted out the light from outside, pushing in behind the rest of the formation. A pained roar sounded in the distance, followed by a meaty thud that shook the whole spire. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. His Mana was down below twenty percent after tearing through the room¡­ it was time to pull out one of his contingencies. Tilly reached down to grab his low mana solution from his belt, its description running through his head in a flash as he slowly drew it up to his face, avoiding any sudden motions in an attempt to maintain the balance of the moment. Saga¡¯s Smelling Salts Legendary Quality item. Mined from the mineral deposits of Saga¡¯s holy mount and refined over a ten thousand-year distillation process, these salts provide the user access to their full potential connection to the living threads of power woven around and through them. +200% to Mana Regen for 5 min. Unfortunately, the variable this new item represented was too much for the automatons, and with his movement, the front-rank automatons lifted or charged a projectile weapon of every kind. Tilly winced as he popped the top and took a deep sniff of the vial¡¯s contents. Whatever was contained in the opaque container instantly vaporized as it touched the air, and followed the pathway of least resistance up Tilly¡¯s nasal passageway. The Legendary substance set his senses ablaze as he felt every blood vessel in his nose, and then head expand. His Mana Pathways mirrored his physical vessels, relaxing then expanding to an incredible degree as a flood of energy crashed into his system, refilling his Mana bar at a prodigious rate. He took a deep breath in, feeling as if he was absorbing the very fabric of reality around him. His pupils dilated to dark orbs and the hair all over his body stood on end, as if taking on an electrical charge. Whatever he had been expecting, the heady rush of the sensation was too overwhelming and he completely missed it as the front ranks of automatons began to fire upon him. A cloud of energy blasts and projectiles smashed into him all at once, knocking him back to reality with a vengeance. His Endurance reduced the damage by an incredible amount but that didn¡¯t stop the sheer weight of the attacks from knocking him back against the sarcophagus and expelling the breath from his lungs. Bullets and bolts lodged shallowly all throughout his body, and searing energy burns covered him in an instant. In a bleary moment of inspiration, he rolled and dived behind it, now bleeding from countless burns and wounds. In that instant, his Health had gone from one hundred to forty-five percent. Tilly allowed himself another bloody, painful grin, as his Mana reversed that trend, ticking back up into the thirties. Projectile weapons hammered the barrier as the formation advanced on his position. ¡®This seems like one of those opportunities you spoke of!¡¯ Kindle sent to Tilly along with a flash of an image of her diving at the opening choked with automatons from above. A moment later he heard the roar of a huge amount of flame being released. Hundreds of aerial defense constructs were suddenly ablaze as the whole front half of the chamber was flooded with a river of blue fire. Tilly jumped up from behind the barrier, rushing for the center of the formation, trying to take full advantage of the distraction. Many of the automatons closest to Tilly had only endured superficial fire damage and they zeroed in on his charge, a second too late. He crashed into their line, unleashing Wrath¡¯s Shroud just before impact, causing maximum damage as he dove into the midst of their formation, shooting for an almost nonexistent gap, between the two automatons at the center. His paltry Strength struggled to make any progress as piston-empowered strikes landed on him from every angle and the blue flames pouring from his center did their best to consume the Corruption twisting throughout the combatants. Tilly wriggled and shoved through the front of the group, taking all kinds of damage as the automatons attempted to pin him down. Ironically, blood from a dozen fresh wounds made him even harder to grapple, as an emphasis on flight made most of the golems unable to grapple with the slippery human. Then their numbers began to work against them as many of their attacks and projectiles aimed at him from more distant fighters instead hit the golems closest to him, causing them to crumble under the same onslaught that was whittling percentage points off his Health every second. Finally, he made it through the majority of the front ranks, entering into the epicenter of Kindle¡¯s awesome attack. The flames themselves did no damage to Tilly, essentially being extensions of his own Mana. But the cherry red melting metal and superheated air was another thing entirely, and most of Tilly¡¯s wounds were seared shut by the oven-like environment in seconds. Then thankfully, his armor shifted, gliding over his form in layers of yellow leather and assuming its fully insulated sun salamander form. Like metallic zombies on the surface of the sun, many of the collapsing clockwork constructs reached for him drunkenly, attempting to bog him down, but he forged on, holding his breath and screwing his eyes shut as he pushed through their scattered ranks until, finally, his foot met empty air. Tilly experienced a brief moment of vertigo, as the cool wind buffeted his face, and his body tipped out into the open air. He could feel Kindle''s presence as she attempted to evade a group of automatons giving her chase, and he even had time to notice that the area immediately surrounding the spire was a pockmarked ruin of smoking craters and demolished buildings. Then gravity interrupted his out-of-body observations and he began falling. He didn¡¯t know what he had been expecting to happen when he made it through the barricade of attackers, and he shoved down a childish fantasy of jumping on one of the automatons mid-flight and riding it like a bull. Instead, he fought down panic as one second grew to two then three, and the ground raced toward him with terrifying speed. There was a good chance that if he had been at full health this fall would not have been fatal, but after his most recent stunt, he was down to 15 percent. So instead he gritted his teeth and mentally readied [Resolute]. Then a split second before he could activate the protection the Title ability offered, he was slammed into the side of the spire so hard that he lost consciousness for a second. When he came to, he was hanging by a vice-like grip around his neck, back against the wall as the Golem Prefect scanned his body with some sort of ability. ¡°Where have you put them, Meat bag?¡± It asked emotionless as it effortlessly pinned him against the base of the spire, just above where the main body of the smoking Corrupted tree had grown. Some part of Tilly was gratified to see that the Golem Prefect had lost an arm and half a leg in its fight with Brokenridge, but the damage did not seem to be impeding the Prefect at all. Tilly¡¯s diaphragm spasmed ineffectually as he tried to take in a breath past the closure enforced on his throat by the Prefect¡¯s impossibly strong hand. B3. Ch. 54 Pillaged AF Tilly spasming was finally noticed by the machine''s cold, glowing eyes, and its grip loosened minimally to allow him a gasping breath. Knives shot through his ribs as previously unfelt fractures communicated their presence in a sharp symphony of pain and his Health blinked, dropping a percentage point with each breath as several debuffs hung like dark neon signs under his name. Despite the pain, the moment Tilly¡¯s lungs filled with oxygen, he whipped his hands forward, recalling his lost hatchets in an instant, hoping to bury them in the Golem Prefect¡¯s side. Unfortunately for Tilly, this thing''s speed was on another level, and almost as soon as he had begun moving, the apex automaton reacted in a flash of movement. It didn¡¯t seem to matter that Tilly had attacked from two different sides, or that the automaton only had one arm left and it was engaged in throttling Tilly¡¯s neck. The moment he initiated his attack, his left arm broke with a resounding snap, and several fingers on his right hand were dislocated as they attempted to hold on to the weapon the Golem prefect so easily deflected. Tilly hadn¡¯t even seen the thing move¡­ He tried not to groan as another injury stacked itself on his already overloaded body and his hatchet hung loose in his hand, despite his broken forearm screaming at him to drop it. Health: 13% Tilly smiled, revealing bloody teeth as his mind raced. It was great to have his Titles back, but [Resolute] would only delay the inevitable. If he went offensive and managed to eliminate the Golem, he would still be left with dropping health and no way to heal besides Erash. He hated to risk revealing her, but with Brokenridge out of the fight, he might have to play all his cards if they wanted to make it out of here alive¡­ Then somewhere in the distance between the sound of the still screaming Corrupted Tree and the fires raging all around the base of the spire, he heard an otherworldly shriek mixed with deeper undertones that faded at the edges. The invisible mark on his chest began to burn again, and Tilly¡¯s eyes narrowed. The Perfected Golem seemed unable to hear anything out of place and watched Tilly for a moment with a tilted head. The pose reminded Tilly of a four-year-old examining a bug, as the Golem Prefect¡¯s optic devices continued scanning its captive. ¡°I need more time¡­¡± Tilly thought desperately, trying to come up with another plan. ¡°Can¡¯t *cough* blame a guy for trying, right?¡± He wheezed, stalling. The Golem Prefect¡¯s flat expression didn¡¯t change at Tilly¡¯s quip, but his hand began to tighten again, ¡°The Crystals will be extracted from you, willingly or not.¡± It said as its eyes finished whatever scanning they had been doing, and the machine¡¯s programming came to a conclusion. A needle rose from its forearm and shot forward, attempting to jab Tilly in the neck. The tip bruised his skin but did not break it, and the Automaton¡¯s eyes focused in on the spot, ¡°Analysis error¡­ Adjusting¡­¡± It droned as the needle pulled back like a snake ready for another strike before shooting forward with much more force. The skin overlying Tilly¡¯s jugular put up an admirable resistance, but the pressure was far too great, and the needle broke through, almost bisecting Tilly¡¯s artery in the process as his natural defenses crumbled. Tilly would have screamed, except there was a large needle shoved in his neck, and he figured the last thing we wanted to do was shift his neck in any direction. Instead, he dry swallowed several times, his eyes watching in morbid fascination as the syringe cavity filled with glowing red liquid before injecting it into his bloodstream. Epic Quality Organic Growth and Repair Accelerator. Warning! You have been injected with Nanites. These micro automatons are each equipped with programming specific to their tasks, and not always for the benefit of the host. Your Title [Hostile Environment] has been activated. Your body is actively working to expel foreign entities. Shock ran through Tilly¡¯s system as the familiar warmth of healing began to spread from the injection site as the needle withdrew. At the same time, his title stimulated his Mana Pathways, raising the temperature in his cells to supernatural levels. Unaware of Tilly¡¯s Title, the Golem Prefect pulled him away from the side of the building, rising through the air at a sedate pace as Tilly continued to hang from its grip on his neck, ¡°You are slotted for dissection, Meatbag. We will locate the condenser crystals, and discover the source of your irregular mana signature.¡± ¡®Yep¡­ out of time,¡¯ he thought to himself as he sent his Will into the Celestial Bracelets. It looked like they wouldn¡¯t be making it to the Contested Lands after all, but he would be damned if he was going to let some Terminator wannabe dissect him. He was willing to bet everything on an Intelligence-empowered Flame¡¯s Expulsion if it meant buying a little time to prepare before the Wild Hunt caught up to them. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Then, like an avenging angel, he saw Brokenridge¡¯s beautiful scally form rise up from the ruins below, shedding ash and smoke in billowing waves with every beat of his wings. A small proximity alarm sounded from the Golem Prefect¡¯s chest, and it turned to look down, watching in confusion as Brokenridge rose from the fires still raging all around the base of the Faction¡¯s central tower. ¡°The probability of this is untenable,¡± It droned out, turning to face the recovered dragon. Tilly¡¯s view wasn¡¯t great from his angle, hanging from the golem''s one arm, and was forced to squint out of his peripherals to see Brokenridge rising into the air. In addition to whatever wounds he had received in combat being healed, seven points of light now hovered over his head like a crown. One at each of his horns, shining brightly over the broken and undamaged one alike. The remaining five motes of light circled his head in a seven-pointed diadem that radiated magical potential. It looks like the most recent deposit had held a lot more than just monetary value¡­ Something of their magical charge had clearly been transferred over to the dragon through the Scorch-linked connection to his Horde. ¡°You have met your end, Sullied One,¡± Brokenridge growled as he finished rising in the air, to take up a position opposite of the Golem Prefect, in what Tilly had to admit was an awesome re-entrance to the battlefield. In response, the Golem¡¯s body started to hiss and whirl as several mechanical processes spun within. A black, anti-light started to radiate off its form as power thrummed through its Corrupted flesh. ¡°Your tricks will not be enough to suspend your termination, Beast.¡± It declared, tossing Tilly to the side, like a piece of discarded trash. The throw was much more powerful than the motion suggested, and it was lucky that Tilly had been ready for something like the casual dismissal. He shot toward the spire at breakneck speeds, shifting in the air to take the impact on his arms and legs. His health had climbed back into the eighties after the chance healing from the Golem Prefect and his body had regained its full capability, allowing him to jackknife mid-air along with the throw, recalling his hatchets, and jabbing one into an almost imperceptible crack in the metalwork as his body slammed into the structure. Behind him, a deafening crash resounded, followed by a shock wave that slammed him against the wall, giving his grip on the handle of his weapon a run for its money. Tilly planted his feet against the wall and braced himself turning to try and see if he could help. He quickly reassessed his usefulness as the battle unfolded before him in flashes of concussive impacts that buffeted him over and over on his unstable perch. For the most part, their movements were too fast for Tilly to follow, with the exception of the brief glimpses he got of them impacting each other in titanic clashes of strength and fury. The battle moved hundreds of feet per second as the entire surrounding area became the arena for this supercharged contest of wills. Then as quickly as it began, it was over. Brokenridge appeared in the distance, whipping his tail around as it glowed with a fierce brown light. A fraction of a second later the Perfected Golem appeared right in front of the dragon, like a T-ball ready for its batter. Brokenridge¡¯s tail impacted with so much force that buildings directly underneath the collision were flattened as the chief automaton was Launched with unbelievable momentum back toward the spire. It blasted into the side of the tower somewhere above Tilly with a thunderous clang, quickly followed by a deafening screech of metal as the already leaning tower began to collapse under its own weight. ¡°Emergency Defense Protocol Omega¡± The tinny voice announced, once again coming from all directions at once in reaction to the decisive hit. The spire leaned dangerously, releasing a cacophony of shearing metal and the gunshot-like cracks of shattering supports. Tilly craned his neck to look up as the top of the tower flared into a blazing light that funneled into a glowing orb of anti-light at its tip, gathering what felt like a Fourth-Tier energy attack. Then several explosions resounded from the chamber that Tilly¡¯s had so recently vacated, and the coalescing energy sputtered out. ¡°Insufficient Power. System Deviations Detected. Catastrophic Failure Probable.¡± The tinny voice declared ominously as the vertical surface Tilly was hanging off slowly became a steep incline. ¡®Stupid dreams of men¡­ and their stupid self-destruct obsessions.¡¯ Tilly thought grimly as the full implications of the announcement sunk like dead weight into his awareness. He looked around wildly for some sort of way out as he cursed every sci-fi movie he had ever seen. Brokenridge, however, seemed unconcerned with the announcement and had taken the time offered by the announcement to charge his breath weapon to a truly catastrophic degree. The dragon released a bar of liquid heat so intense that the flash blinded Tilly for a second as it sheared through the spire with almost no resistance. The spots cleared from Tilly''s eyes just in time to see the Golem¡¯s impact site explode in a riot of flames and thick black smoke, ending the dragon¡¯s battle with a proverbial double tap. Something that the Golem probably should have done earlier in the fight. Unfortunately for Tilly, this proved more than the spire could take and the top half ripped free from its base as the energy that had flickered out at its top blazed back to frenetic life, flashing in an erratic pattern as the potential energies there slipped free of their guiding systems and began to catalyze. As if to confirm Tilly¡¯s suspicions, the tinny voice emotionlessly announced the horrendous cliche ending to this conflict in its characteristic metallic monotone, ¡°Weave Dissolution Warning, Uncontested Chain Reaction in Effect. Full Neutrino/Mana-Drive Failure in 5¡­¡± Tilly turned to watch the reaction build, once again cueing up [Resolute], hoping the others would survive what sounded like some sort of fantasy nuclear meltdown. Knowing Kindle, she would be fine, but Erash was still hidden somewhere nearby, and he doubted her defenses were robust enough to survive being so close to the epicenter of whatever this was. Then the breath was knocked out of him as he was yanked off his feet and pulled into the air in a far-from-gentle rescue from his erstwhile ally. ¡°4¡­¡± the voice continued cooly. A set of clawed fingers as long as Tilly¡¯s body curled around him, almost too tightly for him to breathe, as a purple glow surrounded them both. ¡°3¡­¡± ¡°Gnat!¡± Brokenridge roared. ¡°2¡­¡± ¡°You better be linked!¡± He finished as their rapid ascent wrenched into truly impossible speeds as Brokenridge activated True Flight. Tilly¡¯s vision of his surroundings blurred into nonsense as all of his senses were once again overwhelmed by the acceleration into supersonic flight. ¡°1.¡± The voice sounded a few moments later, the speed of its announcement barely fast enough to catch them as they passed Mach 1 and the force of their continued acceleration attempted to crush Tilly against the rigid bones of Brokenridges clawed feet. Then there was a bright flash, so intense that it cut through Tilly¡¯s overwhelmed senses, followed by a blastwave colored with intense magical potential. Tilly¡¯s eyes were still struggling to process the light that had pierced his retinas, but he didn''t need to see to feel it when the blast wave hit them, snapping back his head and overwhelming the force of Brokenridge¡¯s ability, knocking the dragon from the sky. The last thing Tilly remembered before blackness overtook him was a tumbling corkscrew descent through a hellish, acrid, sky.