《A Rutilated Fate (Tales Beneath the Dragoneye Moons)》
Part 1 - Cast Adrift
Part 1: Cast Adrift
Millionaire youth actress Elizabeth Fereday sat on a bench, tucked away in a corner of a park on her university campus, sketching in her workbook for an art class.
The pages of the book were nearly all filled with the random imaginings that seemed to spill from her absent minded thoughts ever since she was a young girl, even before she first showed up on a television set for her earliest commercial.
As long as she could remember, her dreams were full of wild alternate worlds full of magical charms and mortal perils.
Worlds of unimaginable precious wonders that sparkled and shone with dazzling sunlight.
Worlds of unknowable mysteries and complex plots.
Even as shed entered the legal drinking age, she couldnt be bothered to socialize in her free time, lest she lose that tenuous grasp of her wondrous imagination before she could put the pencil to paper.
Her latest drawing depicted a shining humanoid shape surrounded by the Major Arcana of her dreamscape. Shed been gifted a beautiful set of Tarot Cards when she turned eighteen, each drawn with gemstone ink made from some of the most expensive gems in the world.
She had to admit to her own fortunate upbringing, given the wealth of her family which led to her early career in the entertainment industry. She was even luckier to be born with a gift for writing the plots for hit new television series as well.
Indeed, her star seemed destined to continue to rise all through her life.
Therefore, when did it all go wrong?
She couldnt seem to identify when things had gone wrong, but her readings surely didnt seem to imply this unimaginable suffering.
Shed drawn the World card that morning; implying completeness and fulfillment. A total mystery, which was half the fun of card readings.
Oh, how wrong she was to feel excitement for that day.
While drawing in the park on campus, the air had begun to hum with energy and the sound of shattering glass came to her ears.
Before she could identify the cause of the noise, her hair began to stand on end, and the air nearby was torn asunder.
An inky blackness within the rippling waves of energy seemed to devour all in her line of sight, while glimmers of starlight shone from the tapestry of night.
Ahh, the smell of the air. At last, Ive made it back! This must be Earth! A demented older man began raving and then dropped to his knees, kissing the ground.
Ngh!
With a shrill cry of surprise, Elizabeth felt herself suddenly being tugged towards the portal.
Yes, the strange man had arrived through some sort of portal, which now seemed intent on devouring her in turn, all while the rambling old man seemed to have lost himself in rambling while tears streaked down his face.
Oh dear, the old man finally seemed to take notice of her as she fought the increasingly insistent pull of the portal hed opened.
Help me! Elizabeths cry seemed to be dragged into the gateway as she reached her hand for something to grasp, toppling sideways in the process.
Dear, oh dear. The idiot, officially nicknamed now, seemed to ponder over what to do as he stepped away from the portal, making no moves to help her. There is no system here. I have no skills or stats to fix this. Ah, well, surely some god or other will mend the rift. Good day, my dear, and do enjoy your world traveling adventure!
Her hands stretched out, desperate for anything to grasp, if only for the chance to claw her way over to the old man and wring the life out of him for abandoning her.
Honestly, what a load of nonsense! At least fix the problems you make for yourself instead of troubling others! And what was that about a system, or stats and skills?
Frankly, she wasnt sure what to make of the old man, but she was certainly not ready for any world traveling!
Her gaze flickered towards the portal, where her foot was just beginning to pass inside, as her fingers of her right hand snagged a strap of some sort her purse!
Not. Helpful!
Even so, she looped her wrist through the straps and felt around for anything to stop this slow but unavoidable pull on her body.
Oddly enough, nothing else seemed to be drawn into the swirling starlit doom doorway, only her. And it wanted her badly, apparently.
Her left hand caught a small gap between the concrete walkway segments, throwing her a lifeline of sorts.
Her slow sliding movement paused for a brief moment, eliciting a gasp from the old man who was now watching from much further away, Ohh, I would not do that were I you.
She understood what he meant immediately, as the portal continued to pull at her, where her right leg was already devoured up to the calf. Her brief halt in motion caused the part of her leg to be devoured, while her body remained still, severing her leg where it met the portal.
Pain.
A sudden, unfathomable pain assailed her as she cried out, surely drawing the attention of other students going about their mornings, but such thoughts didnt reach her anymore. Her grip slackened, and she found a sudden surge of power pull her free of the small handhold, devouring her whole body in an instant.
Earth was no longer her concern.
All she could feel was pain, though dimly aware that she was moving through space at a speed that made no sense to her fragile, pain-addled mind.
Pain became the constant companion of a journey that couldve been days, or likely years. Time made no sense in this transitional experience, and she became more lucid as the pain became a part of her existence, assuming she still existed.
The cosmic experience of everything around her was hard to put into words, but lucidity was definitely a problem the longer this went on.
There they were. The worlds of her dreams, just out of reach.
The jeweled mountains.
The vast fields of endless bounty.
The ecosystems of increasingly monstrous carnivores.
The bloodied battlefields of war torn lands.
The realms became less idyllic after the first few.
Then came the true nightmares.
Worlds devoid of all life, destroyed by the clashes of weapons of mass murder.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Worlds decayed by endless pestilence and decay.
Worlds scoured clean by intense rays of unbearable sunlight.
As she tried desperately to tear her eyes away from the horrors along the journey, she saw them.
In the gaps between the worlds, kept at bay by some force she couldnt identify, the universe was full of dangers of all kinds.
Pain seared through her anew as she was struck by stray stardust. Holes tore into her body as she was flung through a cloud of cosmic debris.
She desperately wanted to scream, but no voice was able to rise from her lips. No reprieve to be found, Elizabeth could only feel her mind begin to slip away into the vast everythingness all around her.
Someone save me! Please. Anything to make this stop.
Anything? Then perhaps would you be willing to help me with a little something?
A voice. A voice in the abyss of the universe! But so much pain.
She couldnt bring coherent thought to form a response.
Allow me to clear your mind a bit.
The pain disappeared.
Elizabeth felt like she breathed a sigh of relief, but that certainly couldnt have been true in this endless vacuum of space.
Thank you. Um, youmentioned a favor?
Indeed. I am Seira. In my world, I am the Goddess of Order. You are a curious case, to still be nearly whole of body. I can guide you to my world and grant you a haven, but I would ask you to put your recent experiences to work in preventing further harm for me. Specifically, I would ask that you repair damaged spatial reality in that world.
Is it impossible to return me to my own world?
It may have seemed selfish to ask for aid that would prevent her from aiding in the goddess request, but she had to know.
You darling little human. You know not how long you have been drifting through this space, between the gaps in worlds. Your world may have aged a hundred years in the time youve been cast adrift. [World Travelers] from my world may attain the power to traverse worlds, but they tend to form incomplete pathways that do not mend themselves. You were likely caught in one such pathway as it decayed naturally, leaving you adrift for unknown quantities of time. The world you know will not be the world that exists now.
I see. Your world? How different is it?
You will have to see for yourself. Your time in the rift should grant you some benefits to compensate for how much older you are without unlocking your system. Language will be a concern, I am sure. Then I shall grant you some few benefits to help you along. First, I must remake your body a little.
At last, the Goddess revealed her form. Clearly feminine, but hard to really describe beyond that. Black hair seemed like it wasnt the right word. There werent any strands of hair, so it was more like she had a curtain around her face, perfectly framed and ending at her jawline in an approximation of a bob cut. Her eyes remained closed as if in a state of slumber.
The rest of her body was equally unusual, though being the Goddess of Order, it all made some sense. The clothes on her body seemed to just be differently colored skin, or some sort of bodysuit, like the kind a surfer might wear. Alabaster face, hands and skin, all standing out from the shining silver of the bodysuit she might have been wearing in some meaning of the word.
Beautiful.
Elizabeth wasnt sure why that thought popped into her head, but she could feel the emotion of happiness wash into her mind at the clueless thought shed let slip away.
She really was. Elizabeth wasnt sure if this would forever change her tastes, but she couldnt see anything being this beautiful to her eyes ever again, meaning Elizabeth likely would never feel attracted to anyone who was anything less than truly striking in the future.
She had to offer her apologies to men in the future. The Goddess of Order was far too perfect to allow her mind to see any men as anything close to such flawless beauty.
Arent you such a flatterer? Id offer you even more boons for such a thoughtful perspective, but I dont play favorites. I can reward you for a job well done in the future, however. Lets get started, shall we? This will take you some time to get used to.
The next thing Elizabeth saw, a primordial liquid was enveloping her body. She had no clue what it was, but it felt cool to the touch.
A far cry from the pain shed been in before the goddess had alleviated the sensation.
Now, the materials for repairing your body wont be organic, per se, but its the best I can do out here with whats on hand. Clay too soft. Metals will be too heavy Ill just have to rearrange some atomic components.
That last comment seemed a little contradictory of her comment about using the materials on hand, but this was a goddess, and Elizabeth felt she could find some trust in her heart for this being that had surely shattered her thoughts of ever finding true love.
Really, if she could pull it off, she would find a way to become a god just to be with such divine perfection.
If she could blush while embraced by this liquid in the void between worlds while a beautiful goddess mashed together rocks like putty to fill in her missing body parts, Elizabeth was sure she wouldve.
The whole situation was so far beyond her imagination from that morning it couldnt have just been that morning, really.
Stupid World card. Youre not supposed to be so literal.
Card? Whatever do you mean? Also, Ill be waiting for your confession when you become a goddess yourself, so do try to reach me.
Ill keep that in mind! And cards I had them in my bag. Theyre Tarot Cards for reading your fate. I drew the World card on the day I got sucked into the weird portal that crazy old man came out of.
Elizabeth felt like she could strive for a goal now! But could she actually become a god herself? Shed have to wait and sort that issue out when she had the rest of things sorted out.
She glanced at the purse still wrapped around her intact right arm, then held it out to Seira.
The purse itself was made of fine leather, and when Seira glazed inside, she immediately withdrew a shining deck of artistically drawn and stylized cards.
The Major Arcana.
Each card was large and was shining from the starlight all around as the gemstones in the ink of each drawing caught and refracted the light. They seemed especially ethereal in that light.
Well now. Such high quality materials must not go to waste. Ill be giving you a divine mission, and these shall be a little advance payment for you, so dont ever lose them.
With that, Seira placed a chaste kiss on the cards, then gently pressed them into Elizabeths chest, where they vanished into her body with a pale silver glow.
I What did you do? And how would I lose them if theyre a part of me now?
Really, thats just for safekeeping. They wont be of any use to you now, but one day, theyll be your own divine instrument for the mission I grant you.
Im not sure I understand, but thank you.
It was all she could come up with after such a vague answer.
Elizabeth studied her body to see if there were any notable changes, but she couldnt see anything yet.
She was missing her left foot from the calf down since the portal incident, and the stardust shed passed through had shredded her left hand and parts of her torso. She didnt think shed still be alive if it werent for the odd timeless nature of this rift.
Seira seemed to have found the right material for her repairs at that point.
A stony looking material was shaped and molded to fill the gaps in her flesh, patching the holes in her lower stomach and fixing her hand.
She couldnt feel anything from those areas, however. It was as if theyd been replaced with stone, and she wasnt sure how her body could function without organic material.
Do not worry, my future paramour. Ive ensured that the human functions of your body work around the replacements. In my world, such things are the work of [Biomancers] but a goddess work wont lose to mortal hands.
Elizabeth couldnt believe it. Was that a coy smile on the goddess lips? Paramour?
And what was Biomancy?
What about all the organs she was undoubtedly missing?
Those will be the least of your worries. Youre going to have a long road to recovery, so try to hold tight to those feelings of yours. Good luck, my [Priestess].
Elizabeth opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
[*ding* Welcome to Pallos!]
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[*ding* Congratulations! Youve survived your early years, and the system is now fully unlocked for you!]
That was as far as she got through the odd notifications dinging and popping up in her field of view before the goddess pain nullification wore off, and she began to scream in both pain and complete horror.
Part 2 - Sorting Things Out
Part 2 - Sorting Things Out
Elizabeths dreams were haunted by the nightmares of the void.
She couldnt fully grasp the odd, squirming masses that existed within the gaps between worlds, but to her chaotic mind, it seemed as if they were discarded failures at creation that propagated infinitely in a place eyes werent meant to see. Some gods idle subjects of an infinite torture, or the limitless end of some other reality, never to bear civilization again.
And shed been faced with them for an immortal moment.
The memories gnawed at her like twisted teeth on her psyche, grinding through her mind like an unceasing maw of teeth making mincemeat of her very sanity.
Seared into the back of her mind, she knew she could never forget them, yet never really know them either.
She inwardly vowed never to reveal the details of those things to others for as long as she lived.
That thought paused her dreamscape for a moment. As if she wasnt dreaming, and was only wracked with these haunting memories.
That was when she realized she hadnt fallen asleep at all, and it was only her mind that strained ceaselessly against her hardest efforts to push it all away.
Somewhere in the din of her fraying nerves were a frustrating cacophony of dinging sounds that just never seemed to end. She desperately wanted to turn them off.
As if a gift from her new, beloved goddess, they literally stopped with that thought.
If theres a wish granting thing going around, Id love some way to stop reliving the awful void terrors!
She sent off that thought with a silent prayer, and felt she heard a chuckle in the background of her mind as she felt a sensation in her thoughts like a thick wall split her mind into two, carefully separating away the horrid memories to a corner of her mindscape.
Peace and quiet finally settled over her, only for the damn pain to return to the forefront.
She dimly realized shed been screaming in terror, without even realizing her mind had resumed functioning with her body now. That was bound to drive anyone nearby into placing more than a few noise complaints.
Now she just had to remember how to properly control her own body again. No biggie.
Thinking inward, around the pain assailing her missing body parts, she assessed the vocal areas of her throat, then forcibly stopped the instinctual need to expel her pain aloud. Her vocals finally came under her control as she fought through the pain in a silent agony.
She could still feel the sensations of losing herself to those injuries, and regardless of Seiras efforts, she knew that stone replacements wouldnt have the nerves to work as anything more than a basic prosthetic. A damn heavy prosthetic at that.
She would have to figure out how to live with stone prosthetics, but as she tried to partition the pain she was feeling alongside the nightmares occluding her mind in that remote corner, she found she couldnt do so, meaning that trick wouldnt work a second time.
She reached out again to that wish granting sensation, praying for a way to escape the pain, only to find little to no succor there.
Shed have to get used to it. But first, she needed to rest.
She finally invited the bone weary sensation that clung to her to overtake her pain-addled mind, then drifted into a fragile sleep.
~ ~ ~
When Elizabeth next awoke, the pain had reduced to a background throbbing that had her head pounding instead. Constant pain was very migraine inducing. One pain for another.
She glanced around, finally, her eyes squinting against the light streaming in from the wooden slats of the window shutters. Everything was built from sturdy stone except the building and the window, with no signs of glass being in frequent use. She got a middle ages vibe from everything, including the simplistic furniture.
An older gentleman was seated at a small table nearby, putting a bookmark in the volume he had been reading as he spoke to her in a language she couldnt quite fully process.
She felt she could grasp the meaning if her mind was working right, but it wasnt, so she only caught a rough idea without thinking about it properly.
Can I have some water, please? Elizabeth hoarsely croaked out the words, her first time speaking proper words since shed been on Earth. Goddess knew how long ago that had been.
Of course, the elderly man, who was wearing something akin to clerical vestments, took a cup and filled it from a pitcher from the nearby table and then handed her the small porcelain cup.
The cup looked basic, and she hoped it was clean despite her eagerness to take it in her right hand and drink the water with gusto.
She didnt think shed ever do something in her life with gusto just a day or however long ago it was.
Somehow her whole life had gone up in inky voidness.
That wasnt a line of thought she could entertain now, and so she shelved that introspection for later.
Are you ready to talk now? The older man seemed to be studying her, or rather something over her head, before flicking his gaze to her hand.
Im sorry about that. Im still getting a handle on things. She noticed something odd about how she and the man were each speaking. Namely, she understood his words that were decidedly not English or any other language she couldve recognized. And when she spoke English back to him, he seemed to fully understand her spoken English. Something was off, but shed investigate that later.
Well, given that you showed up in our church in a shower of golden light, then went on to start screaming like youd been through something terrifying, I am certainly finding patience in spades to allow you to recover. Pay it no mind. The man seemed to have eyes that would twinkle with some hidden amusement behind that demeanor of concern.
Ah, Im sorry about that. The Goddess offered to help me and bring me to her world, but I guess what she did to stop the pain and everything else I was in ended after she dropped me off. Elizabeth tried to sit upright, but her body felt bizarrely heavy from the stone areas Seira had patched over, so sitting upright was a struggle she barely overcame while waving off the old mans assistance. She didnt appreciate others touching her, though she felt the goddess was an intriguing exception in retrospect.
You met with a Goddess? And she delivered you to us? Lady Seira did? I can think of no other who would bring you to her temple in particular. The man seemed almost excited at that moment. There was a near fanaticism to his expression, and she felt slightly put off by it.
Umm, yes, it was her. She was the most beautiful person Id ever seen, even if she wasnt exactly human for the use of the word person.
Indeed, I have heard that descriptions of her do not even do her justice, nor can depictions compare to the experience. You are indeed a lucky soul!
Lucky, huh? Elizabeth reached for another cup of water as she glanced at her left hand.
The fingers were stone, as was most of the palm, leaving only her thumb to properly move the way she intended. Lucky to be alive, maybe, but everything before? Not at all.
Might I ask for the full extent of your story? The elderly priest seemed to slip into the pensive atmosphere shed taken on and pry gently at the circumstances.
Im not quite sure how to tackle some parts, but in essence, some crazy wizard showed up in my university park through a portal, and I got swallowed up in the process. I drifted through space for some time before Seira found me and filled in the holes in my body before sending me here, saying shed give me a divine mission at some point. She had some mixed thoughts about being cast away to some new place without much guidance, and therefore, social graces to the rescue. Id really appreciate some of the basics if you could bring me up to speed on where I am and whats going on with my body now.
So it seems you are indeed God-touched, or Goddess-touched, as it were. I will happily tell you things you need to know. The Goddess Seira has entrusted you to our care, after all.
The older man launched into a rough background of the world, then the country, then the System as the largest information heap to chew through. It took hours. Apparently all common knowledge shed have gotten properly if she were actually born in this world. By the time they were done, she felt a little dizzy, and the priest left her to her thoughts as he went to prepare some food. That would hopefully buy her a good while.
To sum things up, shed been sent to a theocracy called the Sovereign Justiciary, ruled and operated by the church which venerated Seira, the goddess whod saved her life, if she could actually die in the void between worlds.
The city she was in was near the border of the nation. According to the elderly priest, the country had been handling some major crises recently as they mediated between legal infractions between various countries at one anothers throats. The priest felt she was lucky to end up in such a remote church, rather than one of the larger cities where priests would be too busy to care for her in her current state. She felt happy that the goddess had been so thoughtful, and wondered if the recent crisis had anything to do with her upcoming divine mission.
Next up was the head spinning information about the system.
According to the old man, this world functioned around stats and skills offered by what she saw as a game-like system. Overall, the whole thing struck her as far too complex to be a game, though. Poor kids would give up understanding the nuances and tabletop players would hate the number crunching. Every eight points of certain stats would penalize a point from another statistic? The whole thing seemed to be exactly the sort of thing shed hate.
In the end, this was the world shed been tossed into, and it was finally time to go over her own details, which shed unwittingly turned off notifications for upon arrival. The excessive amount of notifications had been a huge distraction while she was busy suffering, after all.
Carefully, to avoid a deluge of dings flooding her rather frayed mind, she reached out for her current information page, which functioned like a character sheet in a video game.
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[Mana: 40/40]
[Mana Regeneration: 23]
Stats:
[Free Stats: 32]
[Strength: 15]
[Dexterity: 17]
[Vitality: 28]
[Mana: 4]
[Mana Regeneration: 4]
[Magic Power: 4]
[Magic Control: 12]
So far, simple enough. Apparently, if a person misaligned their mana regeneration values from their overall values in other stats, it was possible to die of mana drain. With that in mind, shed have to carefully select skills that wouldnt drain her mana faster than it could recover.
She could regenerate twenty-three mana per hour with her starter stats.
The immediate problem came from that racial line. She had been avoiding thinking about it before, but it seemed she was, in fact, partially made from stone. She was sure shed have to find ways to hide those aspects of her body, or else she knew from Earth history how others would view her as being different now. On the other hand, every piece was a gift from that beautiful goddess. A life bestowed back upon her by a goddess who, at least, seemed amused by her fledgling feelings based purely on appearance.
She really hoped she could speak with and get to know that goddess more in the future. She promised she would achieve godhood for herself to be with her savior, so shed have to knuckle down and sort her new life out.
Next item on the list, her name. New world, which she felt she was taking surprisingly well, meant that such a long name was in the past. Ellie was a fair option, but struck her as a little juvenile, for no real reason at all. Liz seemed like the right choice. She mentally reflected on the name and thought of herself as Liz.
Disappointment.
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
She had learned from the priest earlier that a person could modify their system displays and notifications quite a bit. Seemed she was stuck without being able to change her name, however. Liz would be fine for social interaction anyway. It was probably a very peculiar name here either way.
Skills were the next major item to consider.
Apparently, people here in this new world loved the number eight a lot. Eight points in Strength would devour a point in Dexterity, as mentioned before. Not only that, but everyone had eight skill slots per class and eight General Skills as well. Eight base elements in the classes, too. Classes would have to wait, though. Her skill choices and their levels would affect her future class options, after all.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
General Skills:
[Skill Slot 1: Mental Partitioning 8]
[Skill Slot 2: Pain Management 6]
[Skill Slot 3: Open]
[Skill Slot 4: Open]
[Skill Slot 5: Open]
[Skill Slot 6: Open]
[Skill Slot 7: Open]
[Skill Slot 8: Open]
Along with a dizzying array of skill options that seemed related to her previous life experiences. It wasnt a happy thought that the System was reading her mind. It felt like someone might be digging through her memories and the idea felt like such an invasion of her privacy, though she couldnt actually do anything about it.
Liz would be the first to admit she wasnt able to play games, but the options were a little exciting, though also slightly infuriating as well. Being an actress from her early years meant shed never had much free time, of course. Her gamer senses were nonexistent, so she always resented those who had more time to laze about in life.
She belatedly decided to let the full list of General Skill choices fly.
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Identify]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Awareness]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Prayer]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Acting]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Performance]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Dancing]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Singing]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Meditate]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Archery]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Drawing]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Sketching]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Painting]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Engraving]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Vigilant]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Learning]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Teaching]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Patience]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Handsome]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Princely]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Clean-cut]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Dashing]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Suave]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Adonis]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Stunning]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Adaptable]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Active]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Calm]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Running]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Walking]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Fires]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Gardening]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Imaginative]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the Passive skill [Flexible]!]
[*ding!* Youve unlocked the General skill [Riding]!]
She felt slightly attacked.
Sure, she had somewhat short hair, with a slightly tousled look that you might see on a stereotypical biker gal. And she was tall. Not quite six feet, but very close. And she had great posture from years of acting and sitting for promotional photos.
She was often called handsome back on Earth. But seriously?
She had not one, but six different largely male descriptive appearance skills.
If she was going to take one, it would be [Stunning] as the least offensive of the bunch to her own tastes.
Oddly enough, shed shot a bow once in her life. Being offered the [Archery] skill from such a pitiful experience told her the System was potentially teasing her on purpose.
Did she really need one, though? She was already plenty attractive. Maybe they affected the perceptions of others? Even that older priest had looked like he had some sort of effect staving off the effects of aging on his appearance. Something to research.
Currently, she had two skills she didnt think she could live without. That seemed like a rapidly approaching problem, given she only had eight slots for General Skills.
Most of the skills were self-explanatory, and ranged from the aforementioned appearance skills to skills for basic daily activities like [Walking].
Imagine needing a skill to walk? She was almost there, with the stone foot, but as it turns out, Skills could turn a basic activity into something that was both empowered by, and cost the expense of mana. [Running] to run faster and easier, until you ran out of mana and suddenly had to run on your own bodys ability until the resource recharged.
Game mechanics. This is part of why she felt apprehensive about them. Shed have to start making adjustments to her System interface sooner rather than later. The less game-y it all seemed, the better for her mental health.
Mental health is very important!
Glancing over the list, she saw a few standouts.
[Identify] apparently was a staple taken by nearly everyone. You could see the tags of people around you to see what level they were, And it would allow you to gauge the strength of monsters in the world.
She didnt know much about games, and she couldnt see much fun in only taking on challenges below your own level, but at the same time, this was about to be her own life, and challenging something with a massive level advantage over her could get her killed fast.
Shed be taking the skill.
Skills she was already adept at seemed like a poor choice for her limited skill slots, and she wasnt sure how well her acting would help her survive in a new, and likely less advanced world.
Something told her that a life on stage wasnt going to be guiding her to divinity before old age claimed her. Her most recent experiences had her moving towards a life of suffering and hardship, to speak nothing of the goddess plans to give her a divine quest.
With that in mind, she had to stay focused on what would help her in the future the most. That had things narrowed down to [Awareness], [Prayer], [Vigilant], [Learning], [Adaptable], [Imaginative] and [Flexible].
Between [Awareness] and [Vigilant], she felt that the two had a shocking amount of overlap. Thinking about why both would exist, she thought she might still be missing some pieces of the System puzzle, so to speak. Skills could be merged, so maybe there was something in that aspect to define a pathway from one skill to another.
Surely someone has compiled a book of skills and methods to obtain the best ones. It wouldnt take long for people on Earth to comb through the possibilities and find the best efficiencies.
Sadly, she was on her own for this, so she decided to go for [Awareness] and research the subject at the earliest opportunity. Problem was, the old priest had said that people tended to keep their skills and information to themselves as much as possible, so rather than disseminating information, things tended to stagnate. She might have a shot at leveraging her advanced knowledge of Earths concepts in this world, within reason.
[Prayer] was not negotiable for her ties to Seira. She would take up piety and pray for any opportunity to speak with the goddess. This was what she had chosen for her goal, if only to keep from thinking about what her life had become. She was adept at picking a goal and sticking to it. It would be her driving force in life from now on, she decided.
The problem with the skill was that it wasnt exactly a requirement in the truest sense. You could still pray to a deity and offer mana to them, but the skill allowed a passive flow of mana over time. The long term benefits were unparalleled, but she could see why many people might not take the Skill for their limited slots.
[Learning] was the best sort of passive she could think of. Passive experience boosts, based on the description. Given that her goals involved leveling quickly, she saw this as a great chance to jump start the process.
She bitterly realized she couldve snagged a ton of levels from the old mans lessons earlier if shed slotted the skill sooner. No sense crying over spilled milk, though.
Liz started to think over her last two slots with a more open mind to the future possibilities. Merging skills was a great conceptual idea, and she could see several of her short list options merging quite easily. [Awareness], [Adaptable] and [Imaginative] could easily merge into some sort of combat, crafty, rapid-response skill.
Assuming she was going to be in combat. Which seemed like the only option for leveling quickly with a human lifespan. She couldnt count on her stone golem aspect to give her some extra longevity.
[*ding* Congratulations! [Pain Management] has leveled up to level 7!]
That notification gave her food for thought. Skills didnt level up all too fast, given that her passive pain skill was taking hours between levels even at such a low level. Then she read the description properly.
[Pain Management: Youve endured a lot of painful injuries. This skill allows you to manage pain better, allowing you to set your pain levels with a thought. Increased efficiency per level for any kind of pain.]
Briefly setting aside her last two skill slots, she mentally fiddled with the skill. She took her migraine and mentally disabled it entirely. Immediate relief washed over her. Shed only mentally tried to push the pain to the back of her mind before, which seemed to be less burdensome than disabling it.
The old priest had said these were meta skills, or that was how her minds translation was processing the words. These abilities were the best!
She took the opportunity to disable her phantom pain, only to see her mana hit zero almost immediately.
[Pain Management] was complicated. Disabling her headaches wasnt enough to cost mana at all. Disabling her full body phantom pain was apparently a separate cost, and much more expensive. She fiddled with it more as her mana trickled back, twenty-three points per hour, since she hadnt slotted the new choices yet..
She reflected on her results after some trial and error.
The mana cost was based on the amount of her body she affected and how much she turned the pain down. Disabling it for the whole body was right out at the moment. It cost so much she couldnt even calculate the approximate cost with her current pool. Instead she ended up reducing her missing right foot to a dull throb, leaving the rest to their normal pain levels, though migraines were now permanently a thing of the past.
At first she wasnt really sure how it was much of a passive, but she decided that it was best she not have to focus on maintaining it constantly. It counts as a passive, for sure.
[*ding* Congratulations! [Pain Management] has capped at level 8!]
Perfect! Increasing the load on the skill made it much faster to level. And it wasnt the kind of skill that had a breakpoint. Shed hate to break a bone and lose all her mana trying to mitigate a large amount of overall damage.
Turning her mind back from her brief distraction to the General Skills issue, she decided to forget the larger list and hope to merge her ideas from before.
[*ding* Congratulations! Youve learned [Identify] level 1!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Youve learned [Awareness] level 1!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Youve learned [Prayer] level 1!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Youve learned [Learning] level 1!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Youve learned [Adaptable] level 1!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Youve learned [Imaginative] level 1!]
So, now for the descriptions! She felt a little excited about the future possibilities, despite the overwhelming turmoil her life shouldve been in. She did feel like she should be more upset over things, but she just didnt feel it, and couldnt really decide why.
[Identify: Youve looked around the world, and you want to know more. This skill will help you grasp basic information and identities from people and creatures around you. Increased range per level. Current Range .5 Meters]
Meters? She figured it wouldve been in feet if it was going to convert to measurement she was familiar with.
[Awareness: Youre cautious and aware of whats around you. Dont be caught unawares. Increased perception and vigilance per level. -3 Mana Regeneration]
Hold on
[Vigilant: Youre constantly on guard for trouble, aware of your surroundings at all times. Increased perception and awareness per level. -3 Mana Regeneration]
Stupid system is trolling me! The flavor text was different but their effects mirror each other. Thats what I get for not comparing them sooner.
[*ding* [Learning] leveled up! Level 2]
She somehow felt like these were going to be a pain. General Skills! Keep going, save notifications for later, System Voice thing!
[Prayer: Youre a devout believer in the gods. This skill will passively send mana to the target of your worship. Mana cost varies by users choice.]
[Learning: You have a passion, a drive for knowing more. You constantly seek out new knowledge, and have acquired considerable amounts of it. Easier to learn new ideas. Easier to learn new skills. Each level comes with a 1% increase in exp for all other skills and classes. -5 Mana Regeneration]
[Adaptable: Youre adapting to changing circumstances and need a bit of a boost to help you acquaint yourself faster. React to sudden events more quickly and overcome surprising situations faster. -2 Mana Regeneration]
[Imaginative: Youre creatively minded and come up with new ideas constantly. This skill will help you come up with new ideas faster and find solutions to problems that others might not come up with. -3 Mana Regeneration]
Liz blanched at the new problem. The mana costs were too high.
[Mental Partitioning] only cost mana while active, and as things stood, it was a mandatory drain of around five mana from her regeneration rate. And her current level of Pain Management was running at ten mana from her regeneration.
All her costs had her in the negatives and bleeding mana.
She desperately looked over her stats for a solution and landed on one line of her system display.
[Free Stats: 32]
She began allocating points to her Regeneration to balance the scales for now.
Stats:
[Free Stats: 30]
[Strength: 15]
[Dexterity: 17]
[Vitality: 27]
[Speed: 13]
[Mana: 4]
[Mana Regeneration: 6]
[Magic Power: 4]
[Magic Control: 12]
Every point of Mana Regeneration gave her ten points of mana per hour. Two points had her healthily into the positives.
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[Mana: 40/40]
[Mana Regeneration: 12]
Stats
[Free Stats: 30]
[Strength: 15]
[Dexterity: 17]
[Vitality: 27]
[Speed: 13]
[Mana: 4]
[Mana Regeneration: 6]
[Magic Power: 4]
[Magic Control: 12]
General Skills
[:Mental Partitioning 8]
[:Pain Management 8]
[:Identify 1]
[:Awareness 1]
[:Prayer 1]
[:Learning 2]
[:Adaptable 1]
[:Imaginative 1]
Liz nodded in satisfaction at her stat sheet before letting out a brief sigh. Her next subject was the icing on the cake.
Her class read [Child of Earth] and seemed to be the source of her wealth of Free Stats. She wondered how it compared to the base classes of other people in this world. She hoped it wasnt worse. Then again, the basic classes end at level eight, while the level max was at the lofty four thousand ninety-six. Class advancements at intervals of eight, thirty-two, one hundred twenty-eight, and so on meant that she would have frequent opportunities to improve on the stat values she could benefit from.
There was just one problem. She couldnt get out of bed on her own, since the stone prosthetics were too heavy, and she couldnt move around much. Classes were improved and more varied at each advancement when you had your skills leveled up. Thats why she hadnt considered any of the more active movement-based options in her general skills.
Everything she chose would allow her to increase her levels before her class advancement, and with any luck shed find some way around the limitations of the current state of her body.
[*ding* Congratulations! [Imaginative] leveled up! Level 2]
She was just thinking it ought to ding for her. She was fast coming up with ideas to raise the skill levels efficiently while being largely bedridden. It only made sense.
It was time to see if she could have a chat with a certain perfect goddess.
Part 3 - Skill Leveling and Classes!
Part 3 - Skill Leveling and Classes!
With her skills locked in for the time being, Liz made the effort to try and forcibly expand her senses while closing her eyes.
She could distantly hear movement elsewhere in the building, or church as it would seem, and she hoped the faint smells she could catch were something she might partake in eating.
Next, she took a deep breath and maintained that feeling of what she hoped would qualify as [Awareness] while composing her thoughts into a prayer.
Seira, its Liz. Id be dust in the cosmos if not for you, so I plan to wholeheartedly dedicate myself to repaying your generosity. I know you spoke of a divine mission you had planned for me, and I fully intend on completing whatever you assign to me, but I hope my feelings reach you as well. I fully intend to make sure our relationship is equitable in the end. I dont want to feel indebted to you, and the best way for me to convey my wishes to you is to ensure no ulterior motives can exist between us. As such, I know I must get stronger. Ill weather this storm and rise to be at your side someday. Ill find a way.
She tied the message off with a mental bow and post-marked it with eight points of mana, keeping with the metric of this world and the limits of her currently replenishing mana pool. She really needed to decide how to invest her free stats before she advanced her class to the next choice.
Liz, I love the choice of nickname. The divine mission isnt something you can help with now, but it will be a huge relief if you can get there. I hope my gift has been assisting you with settling in so far. Dont lose the cards when you can finally use them. Theyre storing all of your excess mana over time when youre maxed out and theyre helping with the translation adjustments, just as a treat from me. Theyre locked until you have the right skills, youll know when you see the class choice one day! By then, theyll have a lot of saved up mana! I look forward to where youre going in life. Its a shame you plan to be my equal someday, you seem like youd make a great angel. Best of luck, and keep in mind that appearance skills can evolve into other skills, so dont write them all off just because youre satisfied with how you are now. I have to go, talk more soon!
Liz felt a small shiver through her spine at the gentle voice in her mind.
She had someone watching over her, which meant she would have to stay strong. She then mentally adjusted [Prayer] to offer a passive eight points of her regeneration to the goddess.
[*ding* [Awareness] has leveled up! Level 2]
She turned her head towards the doorway and smiled as she heard someone approaching her room, which sounded like it was the last one along the hallway of an upper floor.
The elderly priest entered after a few footsteps, and she took the chance to use [Identify] on him. Which didnt activate until hed come close enough to lower a tray of food onto her lap. The range said it would grow with levels, and half a meter was quite close.
[Priest - 306]
[*ding* [Identify] leveled up! Level 2]
She couldnt tell without a frame of reference, but this older man seemed fairly high level.
Ah, you took Identify, did you? I can tell when people are looking just above my head at my level. He preempted her question with a full explanation right away.
Y-yes, I did. Ive chosen my first batch of skills, though Seira still recommended an appearance skill.
You truly are gifted if you have such an easy time speaking with her even at your low level! The fanatical look in his eyes returned. Now, I believe I never got your name earlier.
Its Liz. Sorry, I got in the habit of not sharing my name with people back home. I was just a little well-known. It would cause problems. She gave the man a faint smile, hiding her slight discomfort over the subject.
I am Sylvestre, [Head Priest] at this temple. Were you the daughter of a world leader or something? Impressive to be so well known as to have that problem at your age.
I was like a stage performer, I suppose. And in my world, we had methods of sharing performances with anyone anywhere at any time. So even if someone didnt see me themselves, they mightve heard the name from someone who did. That method of communication is why our society became so advanced in recent decades. Two people working on similar things could pass ideas back and forth.
That sounds marvelous. In this world, people only pass along information through [Courier] services. If you could afford to send a letter around the world, it would still take years. Most people only know folks in the next town over. Sylvestre offered her yet another nugget about the limited advancements of this world, despite the System.
The system here seems so advanced and powerful to me, I find it odd that things havent developed faster here. You said the year was 18,973 and yet, things are so limited.
The man sat down in a chair after setting her up with her meal.
My dear, matters between nations in this world involve those with the power to erase a city in moments. We experience periods of extreme upheaval so dire as to reset civilization regularly. The more stable society is, the easier it is for people to gain levels in classes that can cause problems, since fewer people are busy working as [Farmers]. It is the realm of Xaoc, the god of chaos, and our nation strives for peace and stability, even as that stability brings an era of further chaos. All things in balance, in an eternal cycle. Order is a goal, but also a force in equilibrium with its antithesis.
I understand. Thats a bit like my own world. They would often go into cycles of war and peace, each nation building up for the next big conflict. Humanity is the same no matter where they come from, I guess. My interest in Seira is largely personal, but I still plan to follow her purpose with passion.
Lady Seira offers her followers a goal in life to pursue. They are called [Tenets], and each devout of hers is given a singular one to fixate upon. I shall be most curious to see which [Tenet] you will be given. Now, I do find it interesting to hear of elvenoids in other worlds. Perhaps you could tell me more?
Elvenoids? The term caught her completely off guard, distracting her from the subject of Seiras [Tenets].
Yes, the elves are the gods most perfect creation, and we are all considered lesser by comparison, therefore: elvenoids.
Huh she frowned slightly as she suddenly had to check herself. New world, new vocabulary, translator or no. She mad e a mental note to avoid using the term humanoid, though she was dead curious if her translation trick would fix the misstep for her. She wouldnt risk it.
They settled into a lighter conversation about Earth and her version of modern society as she continued to hone her [Awareness], [Learning], [Imaginative] and [Prayer] skills.
Eventually, it grew dark outside and Sylvestre excused himself to take her emptied dishes back down to the lower level. She took the opportunity to level [Identify] as [Healers] and other temple staff filed in and out to check on her before the temples rigid curfew, which seemed like it was just a few hours after their evening mealtime. If she had to guess, it was around what shed consider nine in the evening.
The world was a mess, according to Sylvestres comments. The last Immortal War was over a thousand years ago, and the mortal countries were fraught with corruption. Immortal nations were supposedly in an arms race as well, and she couldnt help but feel like shed been brought to a particularly dangerous era.
The Immortal Wars topic left her somewhat terrified, and she had mixed thoughts about the subject. To her new understanding, the gods had created a system to print out new deities with regular frequency, and considered elves to be their best creation, as a race that naturally lived forever with high aptitude for all manner of skills. She figured there must be a reason the five main gods needed more deities, but Sylvestre didnt have the details. Still, a possibility for a war among people who could cross continents in seconds and erase countries in minutes or less did not sound like a fun time.
Seira hadnt seemed too worried, or perhaps she had simply come to terms with the cycles of order and chaos in the world long ago.
Still, it was not a comforting thought for her to know that any time some overly powerful maniac with a grudge might just end the whole city she was in at the drop of a hat. She shivered at the thought of being ended before she could even have a chance to achieve her goals.
She needed power as fast as possible, so she could carry out her mission as planned.
She focused her attention back on her [Awareness] training, stretching her senses out to the world around her, trying to comprehend what might be out there beyond the confines of the temple.
~ ~ ~
Two full weeks.
Two damn weeks of working with Sylvestre to boost her skill levels without telling anyone which skills shed taken. She was going to play it safe and embody the way this world worked. Clearly, it was dangerous to tell others what your abilities were, and it became common practice to hide the details for a reason. She could think of a few ways it could be problematic, so she healthily kept her mouth shut. She invented her own stories and told Sylvestre about them under the guise of retelling Earth stories to boost her [Imaginative] levels. Then she informed him of the game of chess to work on her [Adaptable] skill.
[Awareness] ended up being the slowpoke in the end. Skills leveled better off from new and unique uses or under stressful situations. The alternative was to be involved with important people. She had no chance of meeting anyone truly important to the system in this spare room, so she had to do things the long and slow way.
[Identify] ended up being the easiest. Just using it on a half dozen fairly high level people was more than enough to cap it.
Once all her skills were finally capped, in spite of horrible inefficiency with one of her hopefuls to merge, she finally felt ready to tackle the next two steps: her free stat allocations and her new class choice.
Stats:
[Free Stats: 30]
[Strength: 15]
[Dexterity: 17]
[Vitality: 27]
[Speed: 13]
[Mana: 4]
[Mana Regeneration: 6]
[Magic Power: 4]
[Magic Control: 12]
It seemed right to even her stats out as best she could, and the fortunate part of her circumstances was that shed built up decent baselines as an adult, rather than approaching things as an eight year old like children of Pallos did. Glass half empty perspective, however, meant shed lost thirteen years of skill and level boosting.
Second silver lining, the church viewed her as a special person of interest because of her background, and wouldnt try to restrict her choices. Apparently most families would dictate exactly what their child took and what they would grow up to be. She was lucky on both fronts, because if shed been born into this world, the families here wouldnt have given her a chance to become a [Priestess], as they didnt often wish to give away a possible source of family income to the church. Most members of the clergy would be orphans raised by the church staff themselves.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Her only hesitation about spending her free stats sooner was the off chance they might level off from her newfound usage of the magic stats. Her current totals in those statistics were from the baseline ability value of one, and three points shed ignored the notifications for when she arrived. Apparently, a grand total of three humans had achieved feats worthy of recognition by the system which thereby offered her a benefit purely by sharing a race with them. Half sharing a race with them, at least.
According to Sylvestre, many other races were more fortunate, like elves who often saw the years go by to achieve divinity and ascend to the realm of gods.
Must be nice to be an elf.
She decided rounding out her stats was smart. Shed gotten nowhere trying to raise her strength by moving her body so far, and she was ready for the wait to end.
Regardless, she began assigning her free stats to prepare for the class-up process, giving her an edge in the available options.
Stats:
[Free Stats: 0]
[Strength: 15]
[Dexterity: 17]
[Vitality: 27]
[Speed: 13]
[Mana: 14]
[Mana Regeneration: 14]
[Magic Power: 13]
[Magic Control: 13]
With her investments, she finally was ready. She called for Sylvestre to inform him she was ready, and with a [Nun] of the church standing guard outside, she took a deep breath. Frankly, a lot could happen to you while classing up, but she had no choice but to trust her unconscious body to the church, after all, shed been sleeping here for weeks anyway. The only difference was, now she wouldnt be able to wake up until she finished making her choice.
Enough dawdling, it was time.
Begin class-up of [Child of Earth] - Wood?
[ Y / N ]
Her first impression of the manifestation of her soul was utter chaos. She heard this place was a reflection of your inner self, but she hadnt expected such a nightmarish scene.
The room resembled a tent made up of deep violet, extremely heavy fabrics. The problem was the floors and gaps between the folds of the fabric.
The floor looked like it was a writhing mass of flesh beneath her completely non-stone feet, only barely separated from her like she was standing on a pane of glass. The tent itself looked like a mishmash of teeth were in the process of chewing through it.
She shuddered as she realized that it reflected the torturous things that had eaten away at her mind in the void.
Finally, Liz turned her attention to the table in the center of the tent. There, she could see a woman that couldve been her mirror reflection, except she was dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. She even had the same blonde tips shed had dyed before her mishap. This mustve been the manifestation that was intended to help her choose her class. How she missed the jeans and leather jacket shed worn so often on Earth. She felt the tunics and clerical robes of the church might just be a crime against fashion.
Problem was, the other version of herself looked pissed off more than Liz had ever felt in her entire life.
Youve finally arrived.
Uh, yeah, sorry? Liz frowned at the open hostility.
Ive got a bone to pick with you! What the hell are you being so dense about? Thought your first skill choice was some magic cure-all or something? You thoughtless idiot.
Yeah, I need you to explain.
The other her got up from her seat at the table and rounded on her like a maelstrom.
She immediately began to painfully jab her finger into Lizs chest repeatedly.
Think! You dumbass, when were you ever the sort of person to get hooked on a pretty face and forget yourself in such a crazy manner? Think back. What did you do with all that trauma when you first got to Pallos?
I had all that creepy writhing stuff on my mind again suddenly, so I prayed for something to alleviate it, and got the [Mental Partitioning] skill to split off those memories into a separate part of my brain, to clear my head. Her voice was soft and contemplative. What went wrong when I did that?
The other her let out a huff of frustration. You locked out about three-quarters of your whole personality in the process. Youve had a one track mind and clung to the only crap you had in your head that felt safe the whole time. I cant believe you didnt notice all your distress at being in a new world, and your unusual enthusiasm was swallowing up your entire personality for that long. Look at this place. You need to take things slow and process it all properly, or hope you evolve [Mental Partitioning] into a selective memory skill.
Liz was shocked. She thought about it, then thought some more. She hadnt had any dreams for the whole two weeks. She hadnt been in the mood to draw her ideas, either. She didnt even miss doing her own fortune readings. Shed been relaying things to Sylvestre, but none of her hobbies were showing through her recent life. Shed been oblivious.
No, I wasnt oblivious to it I was intentionally avoiding anything that might trigger an emotional breakdown. Ugh, how do I start to fix this? She gestured to the tent, then the floor below them.
You have a single class choice. Anything else is going to be a waste of time. One road to recovery.
The spirit version of her returned to the seat on the other side of the table and spread her hands over what seemed to be a crystal ball that appeared from nowhere. She took the seat opposite her other self.
This is your future. Not one I shall read for you, but one you shall make into reality. This world, while powerful, cannot glimpse the future. It can only grant you the power to make the future you seek a reality.
The crystal ball on the table glowed faintly with visions of her walking with the stone parts of her body moving like normal skin, only ashen in color. It showed her manipulating stone and walking up rocky walls and cliffs. It even showed her coating herself in stone to protect herself from a dagger in a dark alley.
This was totally unexpected. It almost felt like a joke class.
A gift from Seira to a hopeful young new [Priestess].
[Rehabilitation Patient of Seira]
The class promised to be a true test of her ability to overcome hurdles. Learning to move again, learning to cope with her fractured mind, and getting herself to the point where she could survive this world she was in.
She could see why it was the only option. It was her only chance at recovering without spending years of her life suffering in frustration.
Most of all, it was a damn Blue Class.
Different classes had tiers by color, and Blue was unusually high on that list of scalings. Low tiers were in the white to red spectrum. Those then advanced from orange towards yellow and then to green. Most mortals would dream of getting a Green Class. Shed basically found a loophole and been offered a rare Blue Class because of her connection to Seira. Most divine class options were blue, as far as shed heard. From there, the class qualities darkened to purple and eventually to black. Black being the most potent class quality came with such rarity that almost nobody was ever offered it without immensely daunting circumstances.
Blue, is it? How the hell did we ever qualify for this, Seer? She tested out her new nickname for her alter ego as she marveled at the luck shed hit.
You already know most divine options are blue, and this is the weakest tier of divine class. Sure its still lucky, but at the same time, your main class will never be anything better than blue either. Also, were twenty-one, when most children unlock at eight. Seira has you on the rails from here on out. Its not a bad deal, given we get to live because of it, but youll spend our whole lives as a pawn on the chessboard unless you make your position matter. This is the opportunity. If you die in an Immortal War, itll be a hell of a waste. Make. This. Count. Seer gave her a hard stare.
Liz could really feel the weight of things now. She needed to sort out her mental issues quickly.
Guess its time to take the dive. Ill fix things up for you by the next time I come back, I promise. Liz placed her hand on the crystal ball and willed it to become a part of her, watching the fleeting ghost of Earth flicker out of her hand into the ball as her old class faded in a sort of final goodbye to her old life.
~ ~ ~
When Liz awoke, she heard a ton of commotion coming from outside her room.
She kept her eyes closed, then let the notifications play out before her.
[*ding* Congratulations! Youve upgraded your first class - [Rehabilitation Patient of Seira] - Earth]
[*ding* Warning! The chosen class will apply forced skill(s) required by your goddess to maintain your faith. Required skills are core to the class, and therefore cannot be replaced.]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class has leveled up. [Rehabilitation Patient of Seira] Level 8 has increased to Level 32. +20 Strength, +50 Dexterity, +30 Vitality, +50 Speed, +45 Mana, +45 Mana Regeneration, +40 Magic Power, +40 Magic Control from your class, +1 Free Stat for being partially human, +2 Vitality for being partially stone golem, +1 Vitality from your element per level]
Great news! She went from level cap to level cap.
Bad news? Skill grinding. Again.
Also, holy stats! Though something about the stat balance seemed horribly out of alignment. She had a small sense of dread creeping over her.
[*ding* You have gained the skill [Earth Authority] due to your race [Stone Golem]! This skill may not be replaced.]
[*ding* You have gained the skill [Earth Conjuration]!]
[*ding* You have gained the skill [Earth Manipulation]! This skill may not be replaced.]
[*ding* For attaining level 20, your skills have been merged and become a class skill! [Pain Management] and [Adaptable] have become the class skill [Tenacity of Stone]. This skill has been set to the original preferences of [Pain Management]. -3010 Mana Regeneration]
She mentally blanched at the mana cost, then ran the numbers in her head. She had plenty of mana to spare now. She sighed in relief, then decided to splurge and see what the costs were to negate all of her current pain with the new skill. Currently, she could operate pain free at a cost of -3450 Mana Regeneration.
Fair trade. She kept the change. A completely painless full body was still well out of reach, but she could see a chance for it in the future.
[*ding* Warning! The Divine Skill [Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange] will be forcibly placed in Class Skill Slot 1. This skill cannot be replaced. [Prayer] has been removed from General Skills.]
[Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange: You have been saved by the Goddess of Order and expressed interest in not owing her a debt of gratitude. This skill acts as a balancing force between you and the goddess in your partnership. What is given must be reciprocated in kind. Variable mana cost until debt is repaid.]
Liz noticed the commotion outside the room was growing in intensity, but decided she would ignore it until she was done reviewing her current status.
First thing, she tried flexing her new skills. She needed an idea of the mana costs of using her new [Earth Manipulation] skill.
By flex, she meant it literally. She first tried to move her toes on her prosthetic foot. They moved a little, but hardly in a natural manner. Shed need a lot of practice, but for now, she might be capable of getting out of bed. The skill activation was fairly intuitive, and she approved of the new muscle.
Next step, she tested her new strength, raising her hand very slowly, she moderated the speed with the utmost care. As expected, her movements were drastically different. If shed put as much effort into lifting her hand as shed been using before the class change, shed have flailed right into the wall with a stone hand like a bludgeon. The stone of her prosthetics seemed to be incredibly dense, and she had to imagine concrete in her old world couldnt compare to them at all.
Slowly, carefully, she used her [Earth Manipulation] to move each finger in sequence. Index, middle, ring and pinky, each balled up into a fist. As a bonus, she had control of them without the connected reactions of each finger adjacent to the one she was moving.
[*ding* [Earth Manipulation] leveled up! Level 1-> 5!]
The leveling rate on this one was miraculous. Something about the fine control of something necessary to live her life properly mustve tickled the system in just the right way to pay out the experience bonus points!
There was just one side effect problem. Shed still have to rework how she used her body. Instead of moving around purely by her original instincts, shed have to wire her brain to supply [Earth Manipulation] in place of her muscle memory and train it over from scratch. She shuddered at the thought of relearning how to dance now.
Mana cost was a harsh -540 Mana Regeneration, which hurt her old sensibilities, but in reality she could afford it now.
Lifeline established, as well as short term goals, she glanced over the skill descriptions.
[Earth Authority: Youre partially made of stone. It is part of your everyday life and livelihood in a deeper way than anyone else alive. Efficiency skill. Increased mana efficiency for Earth skills per level.]
[Earth Conjuration: Create earth from mana. Increased effectiveness per level, Warning, only conjures material. Requires [Earth Manipulation] to control conjured material.]
[Earth Manipulation: Youre partially made from stone. This skill allows you to control the stone within you. Due to your nature, the load of this skill is only able to affect earth within or very close to you. The burden of self control has a high cost.]
[Tenacity of Stone: Defensive adaptation skill. Wield the power of the earth and stone and draw on its power to protect yourself from pain and physical harm all the same. Reinforce your body with stone, and negate the pain with a thought.]
She was happy with things for the most part, but the Divine Skill seemed like a personal touch from the goddess above and beyond the literal divine class shed been offered. She was happy with the favoritism she felt from the idea, but then wondered how heavy a burden shed be asked to bear in exchange for the special treatment. Her [Tenet] skill seemed to imply something more when she overcame the debt it mentioned as well.
These were not kind times for the world and nation shed been brought into. She needed to knuckle down and make every effort to prepare herself for the future.
Bracing herself, she considered what she was about to do. She grit her teeth and then mentally released the [Mental Partitioning] shed left in place for the past two weeks of her new life.
This would not be fun, but it would be necessary.
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[Mana: 10,940/10,940]
[Mana Regeneration: 3,441]
Stats
[Free Stats: 24]
[Strength: 345]
[Dexterity: 1,157]
[Vitality: 819]
[Speed: 1,213]
[Mana: 1,094]
[Mana Regeneration: 1,094]
[Magic Power: 853]
[Magic Control: 853]
Classes:
[Rehabilitation Patient of Seira] - Earth - Lvl 32
[:Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange 1]
[:Earth Authority 1]
[:Earth Conjuration 1]
[:Earth Manipulation 1]
[:Tenacity of Stone 32]
[: ]
[: ]
[: ]
[Class 2] - Locked
[Class 3] - Locked
General Skills
[:Mental Partitioning 28]
[: ]
[:Identify 12]
[:Awareness 8]
[: ]
[:Learning 20]
[: ]
[:Imaginative 15]
Part 4 - Fresh Air!
Part 4 - Fresh Air!
The first thing that washed over Liz as she removed the [Mental Partition] was utter terror. Shed forgotten the primal revulsion at things that by all rights shouldnt have existed.
She could swear that shed seen creatures that were inside out. The fleshy and toothy masses of humanitys nightmares. She wasnt sure about what cosmic horror'' might refer to based on the genre of novels on Earth, but these things seemed like the perfect fit for the term. When shed seen worlds like her youthful dreams, shed been amazed by the sheer majesty, but this other side of the coin was totally unwelcome.
Her only tool for this problem was a combination of facing her fears and [Mental Partitioning] to carefully wall away the nightmares without locking off huge chunks of her personality this time. She felt more than slightly embarrassed that shed devolved into a complete simp or something in the process of her transmigration to Pallos.
She ignored the background commotion in the church outside her room and grit her teeth as she fixated on what was her current most important task. Thankfully, she could be methodical now. Every ten levels in [Mental Partitioning] had allowed her to create another mental block. She started by gathering up familiar things from her life, splitting away various terrors and fears in her minds eye, then placing a wall to keep it out of her consciousness. Then she started doing a sort of mental airlocking by creating another barrier around the next set of memories she wanted to dispose of, and then removing the first wall.
[*ding* [Mental Partitioning] has leveled up! Level 29]
All in all, it was quick work for the amount of terror she was fighting down. If she had to handle this calmly, she felt she might be able to face off against the worst monsters of Pallos, right? Right?? Okay, maybe not.
She was aware that she was writhing on her bed, clutching her head and silently shuddering in the world beyond her current focus, but she couldnt afford to deal with the shouting outside until this very pressing task was finished.
After some time, she found something her mind had already been fending off with clearly faltering willpower.
Shed put it out of her mind, but it was what had happened right before Seira had appeared to save her. Shed gotten too close to the mass of things while drifting, and theyd begun to wriggle towards her, threatening to consume her. Shed felt the things groping at her body, seeking to make her a part of the collective mess they made up. Shed connected to them just for a moment, and thereby witnessed the civilization that had birthed these grotesque amalgamations in the first place. Shed been forced to witness the end of all proper life and cried out for salvation from the utter chaos.
That was how Seira had really found her.
That was how shed realized what order truly meant. It wasnt truly the absence of chaos, it was the balance of the cycles of all things. Seira only embodied one end of the cycle, and the cycle itself was a form of Order. That was why her [Tenet] was [Equivalent Exchange]. Her mission was to preserve the exchange of all forces in equal balance.
Of course she was the perfect [Priestess] for this concept.
Shed seen exactly what happened to a society that lost itself entirely to chaos. She could equally imagine a world of pure order in which no self determination existed.
Seira had chosen her for her unique perspective. Her order would not be law, but balance instead.
Her mind cleared as she used her skill to seal away the visions with the first feeling of complete clarity in some time. She wasnt sure she wanted a selective memory skill anymore. Certainly not when these memories were part of her mandate. She needed them, but couldn''t afford to be controlled by them.
She opened her eyes for the first time in a long few minutes, reaching out with [Awareness] to synergize with her newly upgraded vitality to get a read on the situation making all the noise outside her room.
At some point the door had been closed, but the thin wooden obstacle did little to stop her now. Stats were amazing for listening in on a conversation of such volume with perfect clarity from a completely different floor, at the opposite end of a hallway.
She got the idea pretty quickly.
First, she set her [Tenet] skill to draw a round thousand mana from her regeneration.
Then, she swung her legs off the side of the bed with careful control of her [Earth Manipulation] and her suddenly massive stat values. It was harder than she was expecting even with her thinking she was being careful.
Oddly enough, her surprising dexterity was what kept her foot from going through the floorboards. She wasnt expecting much out of dexterity or speed when shed seen the high values of those stats in her class. Seira mustve seen this coming, where shed thought strength would help to move the heavy appendages better.
Her foot wasnt moving naturally at all.
It was like she had a clubbed foot, and in hindsight, that seemed like an accurate description.
One step. A little progress.
Two steps. A full stride.
Three steps. She wasnt ready to run, but she could repeat this unsteady rhythm well enough to get out of her room.
She grasped the door handle with her stone hand.
So far, so good.
Then the metal handle crinkled a bit under the pressure as she tried to rotate it, applying too much force to her grip.
Yeah, that would need some work. She resolved to train this every day. After she sorted out the situation between the [Head Priest] and her new visitor.
The [Nun] whod been guarding the door was suspiciously missing when she opened the door and began to make her way down the hall. Very slowly make her way down the hall.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she could see the bizarre situation before her.
Sylvestre was there, of course, as were most of the church assistants shed met in the past few weeks. He was glaring coldly at a person with mottled black and brown fur across their body and vaguely dog-like features to their face. Frankly, their gender was impossible to identify, and her rough translation of the snarls, grunts and barks that made up the language didnt offer her any insight on that front.
There was a minor drawback to how the translations worked. She could identify the words, but not the tone, or nuances of the expressions. Shed only seen humans so far, and many of their expressions and gestures were entirely the same as her own, so she felt rather comfortable. This person, whom she had successfully realized was a gnoll, was a new and entirely foreign interaction for her.
Begone, traitor. You are not wanted here, and your desire to meddle with wards of the church is entirely beyond the terms of your expulsion from the Justiciary leadership. Sylvestre was speaking with a threatening hostility in his voice that Liz had never heard from the man. It was low and cold, as if the whole room was dropping in temperature alongside his quiet anger. Seems he could understand gnoll just fine, but couldnt formulate the sounds, and the gnoll was operating in kind, each speaking in their native tongues. As a side note, her favorability with the people of this world went up, as she could really get behind a society in which people were willing to meet each other halfway on language barriers like these.
The gnoll actually bowed in what Liz thought might be humility to the old priest, and she studied the new person closely. With [Identify], of course.
[Warrior - 418]
[*ding* [Identify] has leveled up! Level 12 -> 14]
Liz momentarily paled. This person was strong enough to slaughter the entire church, and the old man was being combative with them? She stayed half hidden around the corner of the wall at the top of the stairs. To see how things played out, not because she was scared.
I have been commanded to teach a new arrival here by our goddess. I am not here to cause a scene, Sylvestre. I had hoped to keep our unfortunate history out of this situation. The sounds that composed the gnoll language sounded really loud to Liz, and she now knew why such a crowd had gathered and caused such a commotion when shed awoken from her class-up.
Liz briefly frowned. She couldnt quite tell from the translation, but the gnoll seemed to be embarrassed. Their gaze flickered away from Sylvestres every time their geyes nearly met. She sensed drama and her [Awareness] decided that situational awareness counted in her skill description enough to confirm her suspicions.
[*ding* [Awareness] has leveled up! Level 9]
Liz sensed a broken heart in the air. This gnoll was a previous lover of Sylvestres. How did she really know? Love exists in all forms, and she considered herself an expert on romantic advice. Based on what experience? Okay, sure, none at all. But she was really good at reading the room and social skills. She had mended more couples dramas in her television career than some people twice her age.
She knew it. This was her chance to enter the stage and calm things down.
She stepped forward, down a single step of the stairs with her awkward stone foot and just barely remembered to be careful not to put her foot through the wooden steps.
Something going on here? I could barely focus on my new skills because of all the noise. Liz inserted herself with an expertly faked yawn.
Miss Liz, I apologize, this knight was just leaving. Sylvestre gave a pointed look at the gnoll.
In truth, Liz was slightly taken aback when shed first seen this new person. They were decked out in sturdy leathers with a shield on their back and a length of coiled flexible metal cable at their hip. The helmet was what had given her pause. A winged helmet was a distinct myth from Earth. All she could think was that someone from Earth mightve come to this world and started up a knightly order based on the old Norse mythology?
She was making too many assumptions. Shed need to investigate the subject more in the future.
I couldve sworn I heard the word traitor as well as the phrase teach a new arrival. I apologize for getting involved if this is something Im not part of, but if my guess is correct, Im the only new arrival here in recent times. Please, clue me in here. I think I need to hear this. Liz did her best diplomatic insertion and tried to redirect people in the right way to a calm resolution. Align goals and seek expanded information before making decisions or taking sides.
Sylvestre bit his lip in hesitation, which created an opportunity for the gnoll to speak up.
My name is Arlyen, names were crazy in translation mode, apparently, because the two sounded nothing alike! Im a member of the recently formed Order of the Valkyries, as well as a former [Paladin] of the Justiciary. He calls me a traitor because I am one. Ill be the first to admit Ive made mistakes in life, but I dont feel abandoning my mission to save Sylvestres life was one of them.
Liz knew she had sensed drama! She didnt let it show on her face, but she secretly felt very proud of her ability to have read the female gnolls emotions despite the racial barrier.
Also, Valkyries! Liz was either totally correct about the origins of this order, or her translation just made the name sound like what was familiar to her.
I see. And Sylvestre is the type to tell you to forget him and complete your duty? I can see where the issue would be. And the Justiciary cast you out for failing in your mission? Youve had a harsh life. Liz could sympathize, but the story felt a little too much like a storybook romance for her to put much emotion into her tone. She really hoped real life wasnt turning into a cheesy plot of some sort.
History aside, she has been removed from the church and banished from the capital for failing in her duty. Not only that, but our companions were lost as well. I cant forgive the selfishness that doomed even our leader, Nyx, to the fate she did. Never once has she shown any remorse. Sylvestre seemed particularly cold. It seemed really out of character from what she knew of him, so there had to be deeper feelings there. That said, she knew enough that it would be impolite to pry right now.
Alright, so weve established the first topic. Frankly, when put to a split decision, people tend to choose based on emotions more than logic, but Ive been here for a couple weeks at best, so what do I know? Now, the second topic? Why would you be sent to train this new arrival?
Regardless of how the Justiciary has decided to punish me as well as my recent affiliation with the newly founded Order of the Valkyries, I remain a paladin of Seira. The Valkyries are an organization of wandering knights building their reputations, so that makes us function as free agents most of the time. Our leader is already a great hero in the country she is from, so we Valkyries gain some rapport through our ties to her, and that opens many doors. As a member of multiple organizations, I do what I can for Seira while maintaining the image of the Valkyries. She recently sent me a mission to teach a woman at this temple how to fight. The gnoll was a bit long-winded. Liz actually was most surprised the language was able to convey so much information with it. She was happy to avoid needing to learn the full language.
I admit you are the strongest [Warrior] that I know. But in no way will I allow you to take her to such dangerous places as you have been diving into recently. At this point, Liz felt Sylvestre was putting a little too much drama into his mannerisms when speaking to a person he apparently owed his life to.
Liz narrowed her eyes, and then considered the political situation with a frown of contemplation. The Justiciary likely had many factions around the various [Tenets] that made up the faith, and it made sense they would form factions as all governments did, leading to powerful mortal classers like Arlyen being a thorn. If her guess was correct, the failure was used as grounds to remove that thorn, and Sylvestre was similarly also sent to this far-away citys temple along the same grounds.
Hes putting on an act to maintain the safety of both their positions! And doing it so well it took me this long to realize it. Impressive, old man.
She straightened her posture to her full height, looking down at both of the older faces before her from her position partially up the steps. I can see the merits to learning to fight, sure, but wouldnt an association with you cause problems in the future, Lady Arlyen?
It was an honest concern.
There is no time for hesitation. An Immortal War seems more likely every year now. I dont see peace lasting more than a decade longer now. If you dont quickly gain power and the ability to survive, youll die a hopeless death. I flew here this fast just for that purpose. Do you know how far away Khazad is?
She had only gotten a basic run-down of races like dwarves at this point, so geography was slightly beyond her. Liz shrugged, shaking her head.
Two weeks by air! I am not turning back now with something so urgent Seira instructed me to do it. Syl, I know you mean well, but now isnt the time for putting on airs. At this rate, the Justiciary might fall before the next war.
Liz had way too many questions. Arlyen had flown there? That sounded impossible for a mortal of that level. She also didnt miss the way nearly everyone started muttering about the Justiciary collapsing before the next Immortal War. Arlyen was a gnoll, a race who apparently held many of the higher positions in the countrys leadership. She definitely had some sort of information network set up in advance.
She made her choice.
Ill train with you, but Im not leaving this place yet. I need every advantage I can get. If the country falls, I wont have to worry about a bad reputation for associating with you anyway.
Sylvestre had the look of a defeated man. He suddenly showed his age in a way shed not seen of him before. The rest of the clergy all seemed taken aback by her decision as well. To some extent, she could understand their disbelief at the idea of her fighting after having been stuck in bed for the past two weeks.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I can make that work. Syl, is there room for me to stay at the church, or should I look elsewhere? Arlyen moved on like a whirlwind, and apparently there would be no negotiations of any sort.
It didnt take long for Arlyen to force herself upon the churchs hospitality after that. Then the gnoll turned on her heel and strode towards the door.
Well, are you coming, disciple? The lightly armored woman barely paused to glance over her shoulder.
Liz had regrets.
She very awkwardly tried to follow her new mentor, only to put her foot through the step. She squeezed her eyes shut, pulling her foot free.
Im sorry. Ill fix it! I have no idea how to, but I promise!
Just go, we will handle it. Sylvestre looked at her as if hed lost his only daughter somehow. You have more pressing concerns.
Liz very carefully made her way towards the doors of the church and headed outside for the first time in her new life on Pallos.
Liz sucked in a breath. She couldnt see the gnoll woman anymore, but it wasnt because shed gone far. Now she knew the real reason why the commotion outside her room had been so huge.
Before her was a floating monster as tall as the bell-tower of the church, floating by magic in the air.
A massive fish? Whale? With wings.
It finally truly hit Liz that she was in a fantasy world.
[Kun-Peng - 418]
[*ding* [Identify] has leveled up! Level 14 -> 16]
Disciple? Youre slow. Must not have much speed. This is Kuai Bao, and hes a Kun-Peng I met years ago. Raised him from youth. I need to find a place for him to stay while Im in town. Eats enough to feed a village on his own. Arlyen was buried amongst some saddle rigging that hung from the creatures opposite side from her. The creature wasnt quite a fish with wings, more like a serpent with a fish tail, but the scales of its body were sturdy and rugged, more like a reptile, and the wet sheen over them seemed to reflect the light in dazzling ways all around them.
Did you name him Clever Jewel? Lizs comment earned her a raised eyebrow.
That a divine blessing to understand languages? I can see that being handy.
Not quite. It also doesnt work quite the same on names. I only know it because I know Mandarin from my old world. Im more surprised to be hearing Chinese names here on Pallos. She mustve gravely underestimated how common it was for people from Earth to come to Pallos.
Just how many missing person cases were transmigrations? How many people mourned for the kidnapping of their loved ones and waited desperately for years to see someone who might never make it back? Were her parents mourning her right that moment? Or had they assumed shed been kidnapped and desperately sent out offers to pay for her safe return? She couldnt see that happening.
She shook off the brief emotional sinkhole of her old family and life. Shed been loved, but her family was too busy to have been considered a firm presence in her life. Shed have to focus on surviving this world first, and grieve later.
Chinese? Thats not a term Im familiar with. His kind are often raised by the Dynasty to the South, though not nearly as far as Khazad is. His name comes from the language of the Dynasty.
Liz could follow that much. The current region was fairly tropical. As far as she could tell, she was on a southern continent. The Dynasty in question was probably founded by a Chinese person from Earth, or maybe someone from that era of historical China.
She approached the giant creature with no small amount of trepidation. She could be killed by a stray swat of its tail, given the level.
Climb on, Liz. And tell me what your build plans are right now.
This might sound strange, but would you believe me if I told you Ive been stuck in bed until I came out of my room just a bit ago? For the whole two weeks Ive been here?
She sheepishly lifted the hem of the priests robes she had been given to show off her stone prosthetic and then held up her hand.
Heavens, what happened to you? The shock was evident, and Liz momentarily wondered if the woman had paid any attention to the hole shed put in the stairs earlier.
I got sucked through the void by a rift in space, had my body torn apart by cosmic forces, and finally was saved by Seira, who filled the pieces of my body with super dense stone, infused a family keepsake with magic and put it inside me, then dropped me off in the church. Im only moving right now because Im using my new [Earth Manipulation] skill to move my leg like its normal. Or rather, Im retraining myself to function with that as the missing piece of how I live my life. I literally just classed up to this. I have over a thousand in speed and dexterity. Moving around is quite the cost to my mana regeneration. Lucky I got a divine class right away, actually.
Arlyens mouth was aghast at the abbreviated story. Liz couldnt hide her determined smile.
I can see now why Seira put so much urgency on you. The things you must be dealing with, and yet so strong-willed. You have the potential to go far. Come, lets get started. You need to see this! Aryen looped one arm under Lizs shoulders, around her back, then hoisted her up like it was nothing. The woman was surprisingly strong, as she shouldve expected from a high level [Warrior].
The Valkyrie climbed the saddle of the Kun-Peng one-handed with practiced ease, then settled Liz into place and strapped her into the saddle on her belly across the spine of the massive creature. She could feel it swaying as it floated, as if it was swimming in the air.
Arlyen, on the other hand, held onto the right flank of the creatures saddle straps, then closed her eyes and focused on something else for a moment. As if by telepathy, the creature lurched upright, then began to flap its wings as it rose into the air at steady pace. She briefly realized that the creature wasnt that fast with its size, but she could sense the raw power with each rush of air around her.
She looked down at the receding town over the creatures back and saw just how small the town shed been in was. She estimated that if every home held a family of four to ten people, across as many as three generations, the population wouldnt be more than five hundred. It had to be even fewer than that. All the buildings were solid stone work, too.
The town was surrounded by forests for quite a distance in each direction, but she could see the signs of a desert to the East, and knew the ocean lay to the North. The Kun-Peng flew directly North, which made sense given the creature resembled a flying fish, but she couldnt imagine what sort of prey such a thing might hunt. She suddenly understood why a town couldnt support feeding him.
Finally, she cleared her thoughts of all subjects and allowed herself to simply enjoy the wonders of being so high in the sky. Flying was amazing. Shed been thinking of it for a while, but she had several ideas for how she might one day fly.
Ahem, so about your build? Arlen resumed speaking once theyd been flying for a brief while.
I dont have many plans. My first class was a divine option, and allowed me the skills to survive in this new world despite my circumstances. I imagine I wont have many choices of my own to make in the future for that class.
Bullshit. Your second class wont be divine, nor will it be an easy choice. What it will do is decide what advanced elements your Earth might eventually evolve into. My main class is Crucible, built from Metal and Fire. I fight with a whip made of Stygium, which uses the Decay element to wither away enemies. I then have a Lava utility class for survival. If your second class is fire, you could be offered a merged lava class in the future. I doubt that will work for you. You need to stick to earth merge options that wont leave your body completely immobile. Lava would just melt your human parts while you level a resistance skill. Dark could shift you towards gravity. It is functional for your needs, but the stone wont be flexible anymore. You could replace the stone of your body with Ooze?
Liz grimaced at the idea of a future slime body. No, thank you.
What about Metal, like the base class you chose to get Crucible? I have a feeling my divine mission will involve Spatial skills in the future, and Metal and Dark merge into Spatial.
Metal and your Earth make Gemstone. Its an option, if you replace the stone in your body. Itll hurt so much that nobody would ever try what youd have to do. But the theory is functional. A Metal [Mage] class could work as your second for now. Then you might be able to take a Dark class in the slot if, and I do mean IF, your Metal and Earth combine at 128. To maximize your odds, Id hold off on your first 128 until both classes reach the milestone, both for class quality and for skill potency. Youll need one hell of a pain resistance skill.
Liz grinned. I already have one in my [Priestess] class. It allows me to customize my pain thresholds in different parts of my body. I didnt mention how much these stone bits hurt all over, did I? My second General Skill was [Pain Management]. The only issue is the mana cost to my regeneration.
How much?
The skill costs 3,000 regeneration with no pain settings active. I think total body nullification would cost over 30,000 on top of that. For now, Im just disabling my normal pains from the areas that are stone.
The [Paladin] paled at the cost estimate. I have my own pain nullification skill, [Mind Over Matter] but it breaks when pain exceeds a certain threshold. Your version sounds like a big tradeoff, if you set it in advance of the injury. But the cost is prohibitive. A physical classer couldnt stomach that at average mortal levels. Just how much pain would be needed to qualify for that?
Its a merged skill now, so I think the base cost of 3,000 is some passive benefit I havent been able to test yet. Speaking of, I have a bunch of open slots now! I should think over my options there now.
How do you plan to fight? Youre a [Priestess] so do you plan to fight like a [Mage] or are you hoping for survival skills in this class?
Ive never fought before, but I think the [Mage] route is dead. My [Earth Manipulation] is restricted by my circumstances. Apparently it takes so much load to control my body that the range of the skill is limited to my body and the earth Im touching. The skills are definitely along the [Mage] route, and most of them are locked. I cant or shouldnt drop them. But I have three open General and Class Skills each.
I use whips, then switch to my metal skills to shape the whip into close range blades when I need to fight in confined spaces. Whips might work for you, but your body has some very dense natural weapons it would be a shame to not make use of.
[*ding* [Learning] has leveled up! Level 21!]
[*ding* [Imaginative] has leveled up! Level 15 -> 18!]
She let out a hysterical laugh that really felt unusual for herself.
I figured it out. Ill be a fist fighter. A stone hand and foot will absolutely be the best weapons to make use of. I just need to get a whole lot better at moving using [Earth Manipulation]. As for the second class, I think Gemstone in the future sounds right for me. I know a lot more than I probably should about Gemstones, and I can leverage that. Metal for my second class. Now to pick and work on my new general skills.
Kauai Bao settled into a descent towards a small lake several miles outside the town.
Once theyd landed, the huge fish creature immediately dove into the lake, and Liz and Arlyen got to work. First up, she started practicing moving with her current skills, then tried throwing a few light punches with her Earth skills. Conjuring earth and stone around her right hand as pseudo knuckle-dusters, then trying to move and keep balance turned out to be an immense task.
She mentally disabled the level up notifications for her skills for later. She remained laser focused on her new skill choices, hunting for the best choices.
Shed been forced by her family to take a course in her old world for her own self defense, so she thankfully knew how to at least throw a punch without shattering her finger bones, though that mattered a bit less now.
Arlyen stood at her side, barking out small corrections until the notification finally appeared.
[*ding* Youve unlocked the general skill [Martial Arts]!]
There was the first. She took it right away.
There we go. [Martial Arts] seems best for the basic functions of combat. Now I need something to help with defense, right?
Yes, but your ability to negate pain in the future leans me towards the idea of making you sturdier, rather than more nimble. Its at odds with your speed and dexterity though. Lets spar and train some levels and see what happens, yeah?
Liz frowned. Youre going to hit me, arent you?
Ayup!
Her expression darkened further.
She turned up her [Tenacity] skills pain thresholds enough to balance out her mana regen as she calculated the increased costs of her [Earth Manipulation] for the complexity of battle. She wanted her mana to trickle at a slight deficit, and ensure she put all her skills to work.
She was going to give herself a harsh wall to climb to make her [Earth Manipulation] as second nature as possible as fast as possible.
She did her best to settle into an awkward sort of combat stance, and subtly reached out her senses to the stone sections of her torso to ground her balance.
Suddenly, she was staring at the sky.
She urged herself back to her feet and resolved to focus on staying upright for now, and hopefully avoid a hit eventually.
Arlyen was a savage tutor. Every motion was meant as a brutal reminder that people and monsters would try to kill her in this world, and she mentally had to thank Seira for sending such a competent teacher to her. She never liked being coddled.
A punch to the gut felt awkward as she had nullified some of the pain there, but it did nothing to help losing all the air in her lungs. [Manipulation] tugged her diaphragm downwards, dragging air back into her lungs and preventing the loss of her focus.
A kick to her side felt like a log had impacted her as she finally managed to hold herself upright with her class skills, twisting her body in the air in ways that defied momentum and gravity. Then the follow-up swept her legs and she saw the clouds again.
For hours they tore through the forest clearing, launching Lizs vitality empowered body into huge oak trees over and over. She began to get better at matching the rhythm only for Arlyen to kick up the speed again and put her on the ground again.
Problem was, she wasnt getting tired, nor did she feel the soreness. She had bruises aplenty, but her skills just kept her going through all the torment.
Finally, she got something that sounded right to her.
[*ding* Youve unlocked the General Skill [Roll with the Punches]!]
[Roll with the Punches: You can take a beating, but should you really? This isnt recommended, so take this skill to help you redirect incoming blows and reduce their effectiveness. Increased effectiveness per level. -100 Mana Regeneration]
She called for a brief break as she thought about what else she might need and thought back to what Seira had said about appearance skills. She chuckled and started fixing up her robes, then brushed the dirt from her hair, tousling it back into the contained mess shed gotten so used to.
She picked out a single option from what her usual boyish appearance was offering her.
[*ding* Youve unlocked the General Skill [Stunning]!]
Shed passed up on this one before, but now she took it. A sly grin crossed her face as she read the description.
[Stunning: Youre a real catch! If only you were available on the dating circuit for anyone on mortal soil. Your looks might give suitors some pause. Are they really in your league? Appearance effects increase with level. -2 Mana Regeneration]
Guess that decides my skill slots for now. We just have to keep training them up. [Martial Arts] is going up really fast with the beatings, and I can handle this much, so lets try to push it as much as we can today. Im getting a better feel for the clumsiness of my current control stat with [Earth Manipulation] so Ill probably have to class up before that improves too much. Thats the bottleneck more than my speed and dexterity, I think.
It was true that shed been stagnating in maneuvering her body so far. The sort of control needed to move her body was insane, and she could feel the risk of her body tearing apart barely being suppressed by her high vitality. Were her current stats not balanced just right, she might throw a punch and tear the muscles of her body in the process. Rigid control would keep her out of the [Healer]s clinics.
Time to try out [Roll with the Punches] as a defensive skill.
She mentally sorted the priority of her stats for her next class as Arlyen commenced the duels (read: beatdowns) again.
Her highest priority stat was definitely going to be magic control. Then the next highest was her Mana Regeneration. The higher those two were, the more she could do for longer without becoming a sack of potatoes on the ground.
Next priority was both vitality and magic power. These would govern her output in a fight. She wasnt going for a high output in a single blow, so her mana pool could afford to suffer a bit. Shed dip into it when her opponents were faster or stronger, but otherwise, she needed raw power without killing herself and the time and regeneration to make it through an endurance battle.
Her dexterity and speed would govern her reaction times just as much as her vitality would for her perception. She already had the speed and dexterity to keep up and more, so she could afford to slack on those two, but in reality, she would need both to react in time to enemy movements, as well as react with her defensive skill.
Her goal was to dump strength and mana within certain limitations, and rely entirely on magic stats for her physical performance.
Shed already discovered that fashioning knuckle dusters out of stone would allow her to move her right fist just as well with her manipulation skill as her left, mostly stone hand could.
[Martial Arts] was a real versatile choice as well. It seemed to nudge her body into stances and forms that made it easier to keep her balance.
Even her [Roll with the Punches] mightve felt useless to her if she hadnt had the combat skill urging her body into the right stances to recover efficiently with her [Earth Manipulation].
She felt the combat improvements right away, even at low levels. Blows that used to hit her hard caused her body to naturally shift in direction with the blow, distributing the force and negating much of the impact.
One second! She called another pause. Try throwing a punch I can handle at my level, I want to test out what this skill can do in a balanced fight.
She moved her fists up in a guard, [Martial Arts] nudging her to slide her right foot backwards, then lower her hips slightly.
The fist came at her face with wonderfully controlled speed, and she could see it with vitality and [Awareness], then react with her speed as her body shifted, head dodging the path of the attack, and left hand catching the fist as it sailed by, her hips rotated as she pivoted in place, tugging the punch out of Arlyens balance, then [Martial Arts] compelled her to punch with her other hand beneath the gnolls outstretched arm, fluidly moving into what shouldve been a shoulder throw.
What she got instead were all the earlier steps, but when the final execution shouldve happened, she found she couldnt move the valkyrie from her position.
This will be a problem. If youre up against someone with more stats than your magic power can overwhelm, you wont be able to do something like a shoulder throw. Your strength is laughable, so you can only rely on magic power, and that risks harming your own body if it exceeds your vitality too much. Lets break for today, and see about working on maxing specific skills tomorrow. Ready to run back to the city? We have to make it before the gates are closed!
Liz fought the urge to curse. She would need to get back into her old workout rhythm and use that to bolster her ability to use her body fluidly. A run for two dozen miles back to the city would eat up so much time. And she was hungry, too.
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[Mana: 10,940/10,940]
[Mana Regeneration: 1,979/479 (increased cost during combat)]
Stats
[Free Stats: 24]
[Strength: 345]
[Dexterity: 1,157]
[Vitality: 819]
[Speed: 1,213]
[Mana: 1,094]
[Mana Regeneration: 1,094]
[Magic Power: 853]
[Magic Control: 853]
Classes:
[Rehabilitation Patient of Seira] - Earth - Lvl 32
[:Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange 12]
[:Earth Authority 21]
[:Earth Conjuration 9]
[:Earth Manipulation 32]
[:Tenacity of Stone 32]
[: ]
[: ]
[: ]
[Class 2] - Locked
[Class 3] - Locked
General Skills
[:Mental Partitioning 30]
[:Martial Arts 19]
[:Identify 16]
[:Awareness 14]
[:Roll with the Punches 11]
[:Learning 21]
[:Stunning 2]
[:Imaginative 18]
Part 5 - New Life Troubles
Part 5 - New Life Troubles
Arlyen took off ahead of her new disciple, thinking over what shed been faced with and how best to tackle this unusual youth. A fully grown adult, but a youth compared to her roughly two hundred years.
On one hand, Liz was a paragon of mental and emotional fortitude, but on the other, the childs reluctance to face her feelings properly might break her someday. Arlyen was no [Mind Healer] but she was certainly no stranger to mental distress or even those who tried to hide their problems and run from them.
Shed been the cause of a lot of pain and loss herself, so she really had no right to impose on the circumstances of others, at least in most cases. In this one, however, she might need the help of Sylvestre, regardless of how the man would refuse to listen to her. She somehow felt he might listen when it came to his young charge.
She shook her head, realizing shed really been seeing the girl as a child largely because of her tag. [Priestess - 32] was not something a person of Pallos often saw on a child below the age of ten.
And yet, Liz had the stats of someone pushing level two-hundred. She mustve received a divine class quality for those stat values at such a low level. Most people would need years of prayer and service to receive a custom class from any divine, and for those in service to Seira, that would set them on a path for their entire lives in service to a divine [Tenet] that had been chosen for them.
Most of the divine paths of the goddess were from a handful of categories that had long divided the ruling authorities of the Justiciary.
The first category could be summed up as the [Natural Order] faction, to which Arlyen herself was beholden. They were in favor of allowing the world to follow a natural course, moving with the natural ebb and flow of forces as they belonged in the world. They also specialized in hunting and eliminating oddities that threatened the even flow of those forces. Like a certain renegade Spatial [Mage] that had caused the incident resulting in their ally, a vampire from the dawn of Creation to be lost into a fissure in space. Shed chosen not to kill the [Mage] and had instead saved Sylvestres life, which had been a choice to betray their [Tenet] and had forever shattered their relationship.
The second was the more rigid [Structure and Stability] faction, which had a more neutral stance on the governance of the country. They were the former ruling faction, going back to when the country was in its infancy, and had established a powerful mediating presence on the global stage.
The third major faction of the Justiciary was the [Faith and Certainty] faction. They were apathetic fools who felt the world would be well shepherded by the gods and goddesses to continue on indefinitely. In reality, they espoused maintaining their own enjoyable lives of frivolity and often decided matters based on bribes and took no responsibility for the role of their country on the global stage. Their corruption made them powerful forces in the government, and they found the more active [Natural Order] members were thorns in their sides.
Arlyen looked back at her disciple and frowned at the slightly clumsy movements of the girl by using her vitality enhanced senses to see through the sparse woodlands. A level thirty-two [Priestess] with stone body parts moving through the woods with such speed with so little impact on the ground was certainly impressive. The longer the girl ran with her use of [Earth Manipulation], the less Arlyen could feel the thudding of heavy footsteps on the ground.
The youth was certainly aware of how such things could attract predators, it would seem.
~ ~ ~
Liz was having a bit of trouble. She finally didnt have to worry about her feet crashing through any floors out in the wilderness, but it was bothering her that the ground would quake with every step she took.
And so, she set to the work of getting a feel for her dexterity and magic control to soften her footsteps. It took a lot of her mental focus, but she could pull it off. At a running pace, she certainly couldnt eliminate the impact of her footsteps completely, but by manipulating the ground as she made contact, she felt she could move without a single sound or even vibration. She would just need a lot of practice. Or a skill specifically tailored to it.
In the end, it was a task she knew would give her mind some trouble to maintain it indefinitely.
She thought about that a bit and decided it was time to test other applications of her skills.
She mentally established the thought process of softening her footsteps in her minds eye and then used the new [Mental Partition] she had unlocked when the skill reached level thirty to wall the action away in her head, allowing her to focus on other things more clearly, effectively giving the activity a sort of autopilot.
It worked.
It actually worked.
She could use the partitioning skill to put repetitive tasks in a sort of automatic control. Now she could focus her mind on observing the surrounding woodlands, or testing other skills.
Shed found her more human body sections were at risk of coming apart if she overused her manipulation on herself and it exceeded her vitality. She needed to consider that and also whether she could find another solution besides carefully balancing her stats.
She had a few options. Sure, she could balance her stats to perfectly match her needs, but she likely would not be in control of the leveling rates of her skills or classes for that.
She could either get used to holding herself back, which shed been doing already, and had been offered a skill for, [Contained Fury].
It wasnt what she wanted. She had a lot of pent up emotions she wanted to vent, and containing herself was likely to make her into a sort of person she just didnt want to be.
The other option was to reinforce her body somehow. She hadnt been trying, so she hadnt been offered a skill for that route. She took some time as she ran towards the direction Arlyen had vanished towards to mentally spread her bodys unique stone composition across her skin in a sort of outer layer of somewhat rigid armor.
That wouldnt work. She actually could see the stone in some areas being depleted to spread outwards. Effectively, it was making holes in her body. She was more than slightly grossed out by seeing the palm of her left hand empty out to create an armored layer over her forearm.
That did give her ideas to try later, but she quickly found that doing things in such a method wasnt workable, and certainly not in combat.
[Earth Conjuration] was a candidate, and she was very familiar with the stone she was now made of, so shed been using it to make her knuckle duster in her right hand during the beatdown shed received earlier. She could simply conjure the material for her body armoring. The problem with that idea was that conjured material would vanish over time, though she could just conjure more. It wasnt very mana efficient, either. The stone of her body was dense and the mana cost to conjure it was a bit prohibitive. She also would have to walk around with it on, or else dump it when she wasnt using it.
No, instead she needed to reinforce her body without conjuring material. She would have to create a body mesh of the material to spread less of it over a larger area. If she was truly willing to step up the effectiveness, shed have to suffer the pain of rooting the stone tendrils into her own flesh. She decided if she ever needed to go for broke against a really tough opponent, shed save that as a last effort at self defense.
She mentally spread the stone across her body in a mesh pattern, creating a loose armor over herself before pushing her magic power and control to lend extra speed. She had a sinking feeling that if she didnt make it back to town before the churchs curfew, shed be unable to enter.
Thats when her [Awareness] skill cut through her internal musing with a warning sensation like a red alert blaring in her head.
She dove forward, guiding herself through a forward roll and pivoted to face what had just attacked her.
[Dire Wolf - 148]
She shivered at the sight of the level. She had a high class quality, but she was seriously doubting that her stats would compete with something that had a hundred levels on her.
And, it wasnt alone.
The oversized grey and black wolves were snarling as they moved to surround her, and she conjured her right hand knuckle duster with a long spike at the end, matching the point she turned her left fingers into, all while backing up and using [Identify] on the others.
[Dire Wolf - 134]
[Dire Wolf - 129]
[Dire Wolf - 113]
[Dire Wolf - 140]
She felt very close to panicking, wondering if her new mentor was even aware of her situation.
She was hardly combat ready. She was still level thirty-two, and that meant she only had her one class, as well.
She didnt have time for idle thoughts. She fixed her attention on the fight. The first canine leapt at her with a snarl, fangs bared, and she threw herself to the side again.
Only then did she realize how much slower they were than her.
The highest level one, some sort of alpha, could match her speed, but the others didnt have the stats to catch her.
She raised her makeshift patas, the blades on her fists, and let a smile spread on her face.
Sure, she only had a days worth of getting thrown around for combat training, but she could feel it in her blood. She would live for this thrill of excitement.
The next lunge came from her right and she stepped back, using her left hand to block the claws that tried to rake across her shoulder, and driving her right hand into the wolfs thickly furred neck as it sailed by her, trying to follow her movements in vain.
The spike of her pata didnt penetrate enough to dig through the fur.
She spread the stone into a longer, thinner blade to compensate as the lead wolf came at her legs while her vision had been briefly obscured.
She actually laughed when it sank sharp teeth into her stone right leg, or at least tried to.
She sharpened the front of her leg into a blade and manipulated her whole body in a backflip that sent her blade-leg into the jaws, slashing into the animals mouth.
She frowned as it yelped and retreated in time to not receive more than a shallow cut.
She just didnt have the reflexes to formulate a plan and execute it before the creatures could pull back. She was being harried from all sides by now, and had almost nothing to show for it.
She needed to react faster. What she needed was a combat sense she didnt have the time to train.
The next wolf lunged from behind and she rounded on it, twisting her body below the claws and hooking her right weapon into its belly as she spun around in a full rotation, driving her patas into the creature as it hit the ground heavily on its back.
[*ding* You have slain a [Dire Wolf - [Wood] level 113]!]
The rush of blood from the animal as she pulled her left hand free of its body told her shed struck it in the heart.
She couldnt take the time to enjoy the small victory. Two of the beasts lunged for her, one catching her left arm when she dodged the first.
Her stone mesh armor didnt stop the teeth that sunk into her skin, but she could tell the wound wasnt too deep. The real problem was that her vision went white with pain before her emotions shifted to a crimson anger.
She hefted her left arm, wolf and all, into the air as she repeatedly stabbed it with her right hand.
She was coated in blood before it finally stopped thrashing around while still gripping her arm in bloody jaws.
[*ding* You have slain a [Dire Wolf - [Earth] level 134]!]
She was seething with anger and hatred as she pried the jaws off her arm and threw the corpse at the remaining wolves, which now circled her at a more cautious distance.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Liz scowled at the creatures that had caused her so much nuisance and pain.
She lunged for the leader, patas covered in blood as she roared in anger, only to feel her blood-red rage falter as she realized her mistake.
The leader of the wolves dodged her shoddy attack with the same ease she had dodged the lower level animals, then snapped its jaws on her frail right forearm.
This pain was different. The creature bit deeper, and she could feel her bones fracture within her arm. She vocalized her pain in a cry of desperation as she hopped back. The beast had let her go, rather than clung to her.
It had learned from what she''d done to the other wolf.
The brief trance of rage had been broken and she sobered as she realized she could only use her left hand now.
No, that was wrong. She ate the mana cost to conjure stone around her arm and force her bones into roughly the right position, and spread the material to fill the gaps and solidify the whole area. Shed only just come up with the idea of rooting stone into her flesh and bones to protect her body from damage, and it was already being put to use.
She also now felt the bladed fist weapons were the wrong way to go. She used the material to create heavy gauntlets and assumed the defensive posture shed been using during the beatdowns earlier.
The wolves seemed to be waiting for an opening now, and she decided not to disappoint.
She lunged forward, then drew up short as one of the lower level wolves tried to mimic the leaders counterattack from earlier.
Lizs fist descended on its snout with a sickening crack, followed by a kick with her stone foot that snapped the beasts neck at an awkward angle.
[*ding* You have slain a [Dire Wolf - [Wood] level 129]!]
She immediately turned on her left foot, shoving her stone coated right fist into the jaws of the wolf that had lunged for her while she dealt with its companion. She pushed forward, even as it raked at her with its claws, and twisted the creature in the air, bringing it slamming down to the ground head first.
She knew it wouldnt kill the beast, but [Awareness] was alerting her to the alpha approaching from behind. It matched her speed, if only barely, so she had very little time to dodge.
She ducked low and rammed her left fist into the downed animals skull, praying the presence behind her was attacking from an aerial lunge.
[*ding* You have slain a [Dire Wolf - [Metal] level 140]!]
Not for the first time, the creature defied her expectations with a low bite at her legs, this time on her left leg.
She cried out in pain as teeth bore into her leg.
She modified her pain with her skill to allow only a dull sensation to get through to her, and then squared off with the wolf that had retreated again.
The beast was now alone, and part of her wondered if the creature really should stay and fight despite having lost its whole pack.
Regardless, the two faced each other now and both seemed to be waiting for the right time. Except for Liz, who was on a clock with how much blood shed lost. She frowned as she considered her options.
She probably couldnt run now, and she doubted shed be back in time for the church to close. The wolf could just wait her out and see if she bled to death first.
Out of options, she had to kill it and figure out her next move afterwards.
She approached the wolf and finally lunged with her right fist, watching as it dodged her with ease, apparently now exceeding her own speed. She glared as she bound her bleeding leg in conjured stone, then began a desperate rush of attacks at the wolf to no avail.
Finally, she began searching for other options and felt a tugging at her senses that shed been ignoring. She wanted to lay down and die of complete stupidity.
The tugging in her head was her somewhat low level [Martial Arts] trying to vaguely influence her combat senses and urge her to fight in a more efficient manner. She allowed the feeling of the skill to take over, and felt her movements sharpen, now forcing the wolf to dodge with more desperation.
After some time establishing a certain momentum and pace to their fight, Liz was beginning to feel the blood loss making her head a bit fuzzy. It was time to end things.
She led the wolf into the same rhythm that made it duck low from one of her strikes, only this time she drove her fist down on the animals skull, stone sharpened to a point again as she struck it like an ice pick from above.
It felt anticlimactic, really. Shed been a fool to ignore her combat skill in her fear and anger earlier in the fight.
[*ding* You have slain a [Dire Wolf - [Wind] level 150]!]
She let out a long sigh as she scowled. The damn thing had leveled off from fighting her. She guessed the system would hand out easy experience to things fighting her, given she was a chosen [Priestess] of one of the five major gods of the world, and a unique one at that. She mentally told herself she would have to become fast and efficient in combat to take out opponents before they gained too many levels from confronting her.
She looked over her body with a cringe. She was covered in blood from the wolf shed stabbed repeatedly. Things didnt gush blood like in the movies, but if you stabbed something repeatedly, the stuff got everywhere.
Liz suddenly realized the blood and killing didnt bother her much. She was good at setting her emotions aside for her acting career, but this was different. Shed been excited to fight and feel her blood rushing at the start. The pain had brought out a different kind of animal in her, but even that reflected a certain terrifying love for the fight.
She shuddered at how much had changed.
She knelt and clasped her hands before the lead wolf.
Seira,
Im not sure if my actions today were befitting one in your service, but I ask for your understanding. This world is succumbing to chaos and even I can feel it in the tension of the air. I need to be strong in order to survive. I wish to thank you for your guidance and the opportunities youve given me. If my fate is in my own hands, then I hope you will continue to watch over me.
With love,
Liz.
She felt a bit of emotion back from her connection to the goddess as some of her mana vanished. The goddess seemed distracted by something, and a sensation of sadness reached her through the feedback. She didnt know how she could tell, but it just seemed that the goddess was sad to see the world in such a state.
Dire wolves this far north usually means theres something driving the ecosystem into a whole mess, Arlyens voice came from nearby.
I thought youd be watching. Well, whats your sage advice, mentor? Liz opened her eyes and stood after her brief prayer.
You need to trust your combat skills more. They will help you more and more the higher level they get. You also need to keep your emotions in check. Your bloodlust is something else. Most things, I can help with if given time. The other thing Your will to survive is strong and will save you in more situations than what I can train you for. Youre a tenacious one with the right foundation to become a good fighter. A worthy student. Your class quality is excellent, which means youll be able to punch up above your level with a high certainty, though your second and potential third class wont be so lucky. Be careful of hubris from that powerful first class. Your skills in your second class will not compete well in a fight compared to the ones in the higher class quality.
A lot to work on and keep in mind. I want to cap all my current skills before I class up. Although if I keep fighting like that, Ill be unlocking my second class the moment I upgrade my current class. Liz frowned as she realized she wasnt even limping after her injuries. She studied her injured leg and withdrew the stone slowly. She was still bleeding badly, and her arm was likely worse.
Let me see your leg. Your arm can wait until we get back to town if you keep it covered. The gnoll woman approached with a small vial in hand, then poured the contents over Lizs wounds on her leg.
Is that a healing potion? Can this world get any more game-like? Liz scowled at the tropes she was surrounded by.
No, its an alchemical concoction that clots wounds.
The gnoll shut her down, and Liz almost sighed in relief that at least something in her new life actually made complete sense.
Then the gnoll scooped her up in a bridal carry and took off at a dead sprint towards town.
She was rather incensed. Only the goddess was supposed to be allowed to carry her like that! She stuffed down her thirst for a moment, then slightly wished the goddess might smite the gnoll in a moment of jealousy.
Her wish did not come true.
The run didnt last very long. After a while, the gnoll set her down and gave her a look.
Youre running the rest of the way. I only just made up for the lost time. Im off to grab dinner. Make it back before the town gates close.
Liz widened her eyes in terror at the statement. It wasnt just the church that closed at curfew, the damn town gates were sealed by then as well!
She immediately took off running and Arlyen shot right past her, surely at what mustve been far more than double Lizs own speed stat.
Her exhaustion had really caught up with her as she was being carried by the gnoll [Paladin] and Liz felt like her feet were made of lead. And yet, Liz would be damned if she had to give up a warm meal and bed that night because she was too slow to make it.
She pushed sleep from her mind and urged herself forward, removing the [Mental Partition] over her careful footsteps in order to put her exhaustion behind a new mental wall.
It hit her then that she could really go for endurance tests with her new skillset, though only when her life wasnt at risk of bodily harm.
If her math was right, her current goal was to cover roughly ten miles in half an hour. Shed never been that fast at running, but she ran to keep fit on a nearly daily basis before her incident, and she was well aware she could cover, at most, eight miles in an hour. Now she had to manage more than double that?
Sure thing, time for her to find out what a thousand speed meant.
The math was more complex than that for her, but she boiled it all down internally to that much.
Aware that the noise of her crashing through the forest was simply insane, she somehow didnt have any more encounters as she tore through the distance. When she saw the walls of the town, she groaned at the realization that the roads didnt run in her direction, and therefore the gates didnt face the woods she emerged from.
At some point shed gotten curious, and started throwing around some unusual maneuvers in her boredom. Like using her manipulation to rocket herself forward and slightly upwards at incredible speeds, then soften her landing by slowing the speed of her descent as she effectively leapt across any decently clear stretches of the forest. It was a bit fun, if she was honest, though she needed to increase the pain tolerance associated with the harsh landing of her stone foot, which sent a shock up through the bone of her leg. The air? Amazing. Landing? Predictably awful.
She used her new tactic to cross the fields around the town in a single bound, then skirted around the walls to the gate.
Which was closed.
She cursed as she approached, hoping they could make an exception, except this was the whole country founded around worship of the goddess of order. Laws were not so flagrantly set aside in a place that venerated laws.
The guard seemed sad to refuse her admittance, but it was exactly as shed expected. Not to mention, hed informed her of a five coin entry fee. And shed left town with no money. Or anything besides her extremely bloodsoaked robes.
With one final effort, she revealed her badly injured arm and leg and hoped he could at least fetch her a [Healer] only for him to cock an eyebrow at her.
He then gave her chastisement for thinking she could afford a healer when she couldnt afford the entry fee. No mentions of the church seemed to be getting her anywhere, despite multiple [Healers] having checked on her in her room while staying there, all of whom wore the churchs robes.
Liz casually decided it was time for plan B. She would commit a crime. On her first day out of her sick room.
She first tested to see if she could create an opening in the stone of the walls. It was an option, if an unwise one. As if the guards would miss her passing through, let alone the warped stone of her having melded it back together afterwards.
The place was called the Town of Heron Lake. It had natural waterways that passed through, as well as man-made waterways for boats to travel through. That meant she could find a place where she could use her skills to sneak inside.
Of course, when she arrived, she found a very obvious smuggling deal going on.
Very fun.
She was not in the mood at the time.
She settled for climbing over the walls, gaining hand-holds by melding her stone fingers into the gaps between the stonework, then pushing herself up with manipulation. Thankfully, taking some of the burden off her skills by hanging from her hand-holds.
She held back her grumbling as the efforts reminded her of why she couldnt use her manipulation to fly. In theory, a high leveled [Mage] could conjure a slab of stone and stand on it to float around. In her case, the stone she was partially made from was some sort of dense material from the void of time and space, which meant she was heavy. It cost so much mana to fly at the time shed tried it that her mana pool had bottomed out in less than ten seconds. She swore the stone had tripled her original weight. She was still sour about it.
Once shed made it to the other side of the wall, after dodging the guards, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Arlyen clapped a hand on her shoulder from the shady alleyway.
So glad you could make it, disciple. You need some rest. Tomorrow, youll have to do better. Im not giving you a break until youve maxed out all your skill levels and classed up. Her mentor had what looked like the gnoll equivalent of an evil grin on her face.
Liz groaned in dismay all the way back to her bed.
She saw a [Healer] waiting up for her past curfew, apparently requested by Arlyen, then grabbed some dried foods for a lackluster dinner. After which, she made her way to her bed.
She had to wonder just how rigid the curfew rules actually were. It was feeling more like an attempt at leading a regimented lifestyle to show appreciation to the goddess, rather than a strict rule structure.
Thoughts aside, she decided, after shucking her ruined robes and finding new ones, that she needed to check her notifications after the fight earlier, and peruse the new skill options. They wouldnt last long after being offered, since new skills were only offered for a limited time after unlocking them. Most general skills simply made themselves fairly easy to achieve again, like her appearance skill was by making an effort to look good.
[*ding* [Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange] has leveled up! 12 -> 13]
She vowed to increase the offering rate to the maximum while she slept to ensure it didnt take her months to level the skill.
[*ding* [Earth Authority] has leveled up! 21 -> 30]
[*ding* [Earth Conjuration] has leveled up! 9 -> 12]
[*ding* [Mental Partitioning] has leveled up! 30 -> 32]
[*ding* [Martial Arts] hsa leveled up! 19 -> 20]
She wanted to slap herself for ignoring the general combat skill shed been hoping to integrate into her class. The single level felt like the greatest shame of the experience.
[*ding* [Identify] has leveled up! 16 -> 21]
[*ding* [Awareness] hsa leveled up! 14 -> 26]
This was one to be proud of. She just hoped it would become more precise with a future evolution.
[*ding* [Roll with the Punches] has leveled up! 11 -> 20]
[*ding* [Learning] has leveled up! 21 -> 32]
She guessed the fight, followed by the gates, gate fees, smuggling operation and her fiddling with her skills had really helped with this skill. She was very happy with it.
[*ding* [Imaginative] has leveled up! 18 -> 21]
No levels for her appearance skill. Not a big surprise. She could live without looking [Stunning] for now.
New skills were all about brutality and rage-induced maiming of her enemies. She cursed her mistakes once more.
She was more excited to get her next class up than ever. She was looking forward to training again the next day. Shed gotten into a fight and won! The intensity had helped smooth over her precision a bit for her bodily manipulation.
She decided to reduce the costs of her passives and heavily invest the savings on her [Tenet] for the night. Only to lose all her excitement for the next days training as the exhaustion and pain hit her again. She was definitely going to need to get better at all of these new things soon, if only to reduce the soreness of her training sessions.
Part 6 - Training and Progress
Part 6 - Training and Progress
Liz rolled out of bed, literally, at the sound of harsh thumping on her door.
She was expecting to feel sore, so it wasnt the end of the world, but it was so much worse than her prior experiences staying in shape for her roles in film.
Truly, she felt like her head was a rubber band that had been stretched too far and finally snapped. With a thought that took entirely too long, she sealed away her fatigue and soreness behind a [Mental Partition] that felt entirely too much like a new crutch she would rely on forever. The skill did way too much to be a simple general option offered to most. She guessed there were hundreds of alternatives out there, but this skill kept her from even needing to focus on tedious tasks.
One more use of the skill to focus on not stepping through the floor, and she was ready to readjust her pain settings for a new day of training. Headaches, gone. Limbs, set to a dull throb maximum. Torso, pain set to zero.
She was ready to work until her body literally couldnt function anymore.
Then she found a new pair of sandals and finally opened her door.
Disciple Liz! Arlyen was quite literally barking at her right away. You are late for your training regimen! Youre lucky youre so damn frail, because I normally would deny a late trainee their morning meal! Get some jerky in you and get outside the town gates five minutes ago!
She was going to love this. She already had ideas, and the role she once played as a side character in a military fiction movie had her chuckling internally at the idea of actually experiencing basic training.
She hated her younger self.
This was clearly hell.
She was well aware theyd established the limits of her stats the first day, but during mana refreshes, she was being forced to complete a full set of physical exercises. Every day was a struggle against her will just to keep going. She simply was not interested in slacking off and dying from events she wasnt prepared for.
Push-ups and burpees were great for her [Mental Partitions], too. Autopilot away!
The worst of the exercises were wall-sits. Without her [Earth Manipulation] turned on. It was actually becoming second nature so quickly she wasnt sure how to not use the skill, meaning it took her full focus to not rely on the skills as a crutch for them. Problem was, Arlyen could somehow tell, and would add stone weights to her lap every time she unwittingly began to cheat.
Lizs stone body parts were so dense that not using the skill to hold herself up seemed impossible. Any weight beyond her natural body would cause her bones to creak in protest, and shed be forced to turn off that part of her mind to get the weights removed.
Apparently, these were for when she didnt have mana to move normally, like if a canceler skill was placed on her, like the famed [Guardsmans Buff] that turned mana regeneration into Vitality, used to prevent plucky classers causing trouble with skills in town.
The skill exercises that the physical exercises were operating around were the most interesting part of the sessions.
For conjuration, she was taught complex details about creating weapons.
Stone weapons suffer from similar flaws to other metal weapons out there. Most [Warriors] end up with skills to enhance their weapons and improve durability while theyre used. Your skill is focused on unarmed combat, but blunt strikes wont always work the best. You correctly deduced that the wolves yesterday would be susceptible to piercing attacks, but your range limitations on your [Earth Manipulation] kept you from forming a long enough blade to pierce those with higher level defensive skills.
The lesson shifted into a lengthy session of [Earth Conjuration] to create various weapons of stone she could keep within range and control with enough power to be useful in combat.
Surprisingly, her favorites ended up being sharp, dense claws for piercing and slashing enemies with, while her fists remained her strongest and most artful choice.
Shed practice her conjuration of stone weapons and tools until her mana was gone, then turn to physical exercises for a while until she had enough in her pool to move on to training her general skills.
Shed capped out [Mental Partitioning] and [Learning] already, but she had plenty of work to do in order to cap her other skills.
[Martial Arts], [Awareness] and [Roll with the Punches] came down to sparring sessions, which were now held on more equal footing rather than being pure beat downs by her teacher. The control it took to suppress your own abilities to match a lower level student mustve either been an impressive display of technique, or a teaching skill of some sort.
[Identify] was helped along by Kuai-Bao, who would bring along the latest catch of fish from the lake for her to use the skill on before the morsels were lost to the huge creatures terrifying maw. Apparently, Arlyen had some sort of remote connection like telepathy with her bonded companion, and could pass along instructions like that with ease, despite the many miles between their new and old training grounds.
The last two skills were [Stunning] and [Imaginative].
She had a sneaking suspicion that her appearance skill was going to be her own effort, in the end.
Her creativity skill was loving her efforts each day to hide things from her teacher. Liz had learned from the first day of training that she could create gaps in her stone by spreading it across her body for reinforcement. One application of that knowledge was obvious. Her new method to avoid being robbed by thieves. She could store things inside hollow parts of the stone.
Stored snacks.
Stored coins.
Or making herself lighter for her dreaded wall-sits by leaving a little bit of herself behind for a while.
Until she got caught.
Arlyen seemed to actually approve of the idea. Negating common risks like having your pouch of coins stolen was already useful, but being able to carry small goods around without risk of losing them was valuable for a number of jobs and tasks life would throw at her. Even keeping materials for starting a campfire out of the rain was immensely valuable in the long term.
Eventually, she got interested in testing how her stone would hold up to her mentors Stygium whip strikes.
Stygium was a magic metal infused with the element of Decay, of all things. The stuff was outright lethal to living creatures, and just normal metal against non-living things.
Her teacher had a sly grin on her face when she finally relented on the idea.
Liz, for her part, regretted her choices. Sure, the metal didnt hurt her stone by making it wither away, but her teacher was a high level [Paladin] with skills to boost herself while using whips. There was nothing to prepare Liz for losing her leg from the calf down.
It made sense in retrospect. Whips were incredibly dangerous things that usually didnt do well when they met armors like steel, but when the system came into play and started throwing skills to cover the flaws in the weapon, they became more than slightly game changing in their viability.
Arlyen had explained why all armies didnt tend to train soldiers to use them, and it generally came down to how hard it was to teach new recruits to use them and be effective, as well as the nature of the weapons being just inefficient in most wars.
Still, despite the overall strengths of the stone she had incorporated into her body, the whip had severed the foot from her body incredibly easily. Her mentor seemed satisfied with the horror inflicted upon Liz at how fragile she really was in this world.
Thankfully, the severed limb melded back together with the stump once the two were brought close enough that she could use her skills to merge them again.
Then she promptly began working on getting a true armor skill added to her repertoire.
More beatdown training. Yay.
It only took five days. Mostly due to the mana costs, she managed to finally raise [Earth Conjuration] to level 32. Her general skills had already capped, except for the straggler, [Stunning] which stubbornly refused to go up after it reached level eight.
She guessed she would need to work on that one with some quality time in the local bathhouse. Which shed yet to visit, and had been growing increasingly disgusted with the state of her body, likely the real culprit for her lack of levels in the skill.
Finally, she felt she could class up with peace of mind, [Stunning] be forgotten until a future investment.
~ ~ ~
She opened her eyes back in the Seers tent, with a noticeably improved aesthetic. The purple of the tent fabric was unmarred by the nasty teeth that had littered the folds before, and the ground felt much more solid, though the writhing mess beneath the stone floors could be felt like an endless tremor through the ground.
I knew youd come, Seer gave her a fun little performance of being a fortune teller waving her hands over the crystal ball before her.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
As if Id never return! Liz gave a small chuckle before sitting across from herself.
So, hows the new life? Seer started off with small talk, of all things.
Im actually really being put to the grindstone. It wasnt even this bad when I had to play that one teenage superhero role, abs and all.. Though I imagine you already know, since youre me.
Oh just relax. Let this be fun. Youre finally going to have some options for once. Great job getting used to the system and becoming a functional person again! Would you like to see some food for thought? Seer dramatically raised her hands over the ball on the table, waving her fingers back and forth as though the performance was a requirement, and for all Liz knew, maybe it was.
She gazed at the images and noted that there were three side-by-side different projections, each with different shades of blue light coming from them.
The first revealed her fully encased in stone armor, like some sort of rocky juggernaut, smashing through enemies like a titan. It was a lighter shade of blue. [Earthen Monolith to Seira] was the name that appeared in her mind.
The second image was another sort of defensive class, with swirling stones around her body that could intercept attacks and keep them from reaching her. She felt this one would be expanding her area of control over the earth around her, with an active defense system. [Seiras Satellites of Redirection] was the name, and was the darkest blue shade of the offerings, though the stat distribution of the build seemed to be much more difficult with the math on how she wanted her style to allow her to operate.
The final image seemed to be a more direct upgrade of her current class, only with a complete abandonment of the strength stat. In the image, she was moving fast, darting around the dire wolves she had fought before with immense speed and then crushing the wolves with axe kicks and roundhouses. [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] was a shade of blue right between the two other options and just spoke to her in a way the others didnt. She liked to be fast, nimble and accurate.
The [Monolith] class seemed to be aiming for the slower route that promised an incredible ability to power through enemy attacks. [Satellites] was a purely defensive mage choice with flexibility, but given how her second class wasnt locked in, she couldnt make a decision that might prevent her from fighting back with her strongest class.
[Acrobatic Templar of Seira] is the only real choice for me, isnt it? Liz asked.
Seer chuckled, Youd rather be given the choice than have me tell you like last time, right?
Liz placed her hand over the image in the ball, then watched as the light of her old class exited her hand and the new light was absorbed.
Agreed. I guess next time I see you, itll be for my second class?
That it will, though youll be here much sooner than you think.
Before Liz could ask about that, the world began to fade.
[*ding* Congratulations! You have upgraded your first class - [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] - Earth]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class has leveled up from level 32 to level 67!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +10 Free Stats, +60 Dexterity, +50 Vitality, +60 Speed, +20 Mana, +70 Mana Regeneration, +40 Magic Power, +40 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
[*ding* For reaching level 50 in your first class, you have unlocked the passive class skill [Rigid Body]!]
[Rigid Body: Your perseverance and adaptability are exceptional, and with this skill, your body will keep up, too. Increased durability of your body based on Vitality per level. -1000 Mana Regeneration]
She accepted the skill immediately. It sounded like the exact skill shed been working towards, hoping to help her body keep up with her combat style.
[*ding* [Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange] has leveled up! 32 -> 60]
[*ding* [Earth Authority] has leveled up! 32 -> 67]
[*ding* [Earth Manipulation] has leveled up! 32 -> 67]
[*ding* [Tenacity of Stone] has leveled up! 32 -> 67]
[*ding* [Mental Partitioning] has leveled up! 32 -> 67]
[*ding* [Martial Arts] has leveled up! 32 -> 46]
[*ding* [Identify] has leveled up! 32 -> 43]
[*ding* [Awareness] has leveled up! 32 -> 49]
[*ding* [Roll with the Punches] has leveled up! 32 -> 67]
[*ding* [Learning] has leveled up! 32 -> 50]
[*ding* [Imaginative] has leveled up! 32 -> 36]
[*ding* For attaining level 64 in your first class, you have unlocked your second class - [Beloved of Earth] - Earth - Lv1]
She chuckled at her new second class unlocking. Sooner than I think, huh?
Then she got up from her bed and nearly choked.
[*ding* Class 2 - [Beloved of the Earth] has gained a level! 1 -> 2]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +3 Vitality from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
Right even sooner than that. She decided to disable the notifications for her second class. It would probably cap at eight before she got to the bottom of the stairs.
She muttered under her breath as she opened her door and headed past the nun guarding her door and down the hall in search of water and food. She was parched and far more hungry than she was for her previous class-up. She wondered if the few words of small talk somehow amounted to a lot more time than shed thought. Even her muscle fatigue was dramatically reduced.
Arly, what the hell have you been doing to her out there? Sylvestres voice sounded angry when Liz got to the bottom of the stairs.
Huh, wrestling with wolves seems to be an effective leveling method for the girl. Straight to the upper sixties is a huge benefit for your-
Sylvestre literally picked Arlyen up off the ground by the front of her casual tunic. They mustve checked her level already.
Liz winced, but decided it wasnt her problem and made for the nearest pitcher of water she could find. The warm afternoon light streaming in from the windows reminded her that it was still the late dry season in the area, approaching the rains to come in the next months.
You couldve gotten her killed, you absolute numbskull! Sylvestre sounded beyond irate, which seemed to be the flavor of his character when Arlyen was around. He usually was more reserved when Liz spoke with him. Love sure changes people, she thought idly, with zero sense of irony.
Arlyen seemed amused, likely since she had a huge level advantage and the benefits of being a [Warrior]. She just shrugged. Honestly, the kid has some serious anger issues. She killed the wolves without breaking a sweat, I promise!
Liz poked her head out of the kitchen attached to the main church area where the two were arguing. Sure, no sweat. If you ignore having my bones in my right arm shattered and my left leg chomped on, you might even call the fight easy.
Arlyen glared her way, traitor.
Liz chuckled as she returned to her hunt for a glass of water, then hopefully some freshly cut pineapple. She was a little surprised to find a lot of foods from the area matched ones she could find on Earth. Their regional specialties were all about fruits, and pineapple just happened to be one of her favorites, when cut fresh. She was a Cali girl, anyway, so tropical was fine by her.
She was also lucky they were so cheap, since she didnt technically earn money for the church yet. All shed been doing was sleeping, eating and training. Although, she did qualify as a member of the elite in this country because of her tag and the new religious symbol she wore around her neck.
Sylvestre began a tirade at her teacher as Liz sated her newfound appetite, and then returned at last to break up their fight.
So, how long was I out?
The one sided argument ended there.
Three days. Arlyen studied her more closely.
Still [Priestess] tagged, Sylvestre commented.
Well, yeah. I made a promise and Ill stick to it. I may not be an entire idiot now that Ive fixed my head a bit, but Im still devoted to Seira. Why? Liz tilted her head slightly in a quizzical gesture.
Its because your class quality was high, and your level has doubled but youre not tripping over yourself despite your stats exploding by comparison, even with so many days of getting used to the old values. Her mentor was ever the helpful one, pointing that out.
She reviewed her skills and found the culprit with a chuckle.
Its because I have an evolution of the skill [Adaptable]. I think its why my ability to get used to these changes has been so quick. Its been pretty fast, frankly. Definitely not normal.
I was worried you hadnt gotten a divine class this time, and the gains would be small. Sylvestre gave a weary sigh as he sat back down, finally giving up on his lecture at Arlyen.
The gnoll took a seat nearby, looking at Liz. So? What did you end up with? Stat weight alright? Any risks or difficult new skills?
Liz gave a sly grin at the questions.
More or less the direct upgrade. Its nimble and quick, with a magic stat focus thats pure [Priestess] and not [Warrior]. Earth still, for both classes right now, in fact. Level fifty skill was a vitality enhancement for my body, which I took. Hasnt eaten my combat skills from the general list, so I am thinking this one is different from [Roll with the Punches] which is what I wanted. Hopefully those combine eventually.
She checked on her levels again, seeing the delightfully expected result of any Earth class on her current body.
[*ding* Class 2 - [Beloved of the Earth] has gained multiple levels! 2 -> 8]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +3 Vitality from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
She then turned towards the stairs.
Class two is ready for its jump at eight. Metal is the target, but Ill let you know what happens.
Wait! Your stats. You said that your class was nimble and quick but if thats the case, whats happened to your strength stat? It was already quite low. Arlyen actually sounded worried.
Oh right! It totally crashed. Almost forgot about that. Only a whopping 83 points. Liz had the good grace to be a little embarrassed at having forgotten and how shed begun acting tough to hide how tired she was feeling.
Free stats? Use them until your strength is at least two hundred if you can. Sylvestre chimed in helpfully.
Right, right. Liz had at some point begun seeing Sylvestre as a mentor in his own rights now. Hed been great company for games of chess before, but he seemed to be trying to be fatherly towards her the past several days. She wondered if he was trying to offset Arlyens influence a bit, but the last thing she wanted was a new father figure. She had a perfectly amazing father back on Earth, and had no interest in replacing him. The role was something special to her.
She fixed her stats, aiming for the two hundred mark.
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[Mana: 17,940/17,940]
[Mana Regeneration: 12,986]
Stats
[Free Stats: 300]
[Strength: 200]
[Dexterity: 3,243]
[Vitality: 2,680]
[Speed: 3,313]
[Mana: 1,794]
[Mana Regeneration: 3,544]
[Magic Power: 2,078]
[Magic Control: 2,078]
Classes:
[Acrobatic Templar of Seira] - Earth - Lvl 67
[:Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange 60]
[:Earth Authority 67]
[:Earth Conjuration 32]
[:Earth Manipulation 67]
[:Tenacity of Stone 67]
[: Rigid Body 1]
[: ]
[: ]
[Beloved of the Earth] - Earth - Lvl 8
[Class 3] - Locked
General Skills
[:Mental Partitioning 67]
[:Martial Arts 46]
[:Identify 43]
[:Awareness 49]
[:Roll with the Punches 67]
[:Learning 50]
[:Stunning 2]
[:Imaginative 36]
She nodded in satisfaction, then headed for her room to meet up with Seer again. She was only a little worried about depriving herself of proper sleep for another indeterminate amount of time after already going through the three days of her last visit to her soul.
Oh well, You only live twice, apparently. She did not want to go through what was necessary to get a third chance at life. She just knew she would live to regret that choice of words someday.
Part 7 - A Second Class
Part 7 - A Second Class
Liz was understandably excited.
Her second class. Having a new set of options available was going to open up a whole new set of possibilities.
Seer was right where Liz had left her. Probably in the same exact pose on purpose as a joke at her expense or something.
So, what was that, ten minutes at most? Liz chuckled as she sat down again.
Dunno what youre talking about, you never left! Seer had a shit eating grin on her face.
Liz returned the grin with her first feeling of real, true humor since her little jaunt through the gaps between universes.
So, whats good this time around?
Youre off the rails this time. Give me criteria and Ill give you a list. You could be anything. [Cunning Linguist] is exactly what it sounds like, [Toastmaster] is a baking class thats straight fire, [A Chilling Omen] is not a recommendation, but it sounds totally up our alley. Seer gave a very witch-y cackle before flourishing her hands over the crystal ball.
The images of the various classes flickered by, often too graphic for narration.
The most scandalous scenes came from a very promiscuous [Couriers Indiscretion] class. Delivering letters to noblewomen and then ruining their arranged marriages.
Seers eyes glittered with mischief, and Liz finally let her shoulders relax a little as she burst out laughing.
Naturally, once theyd had some fun looking through the joke classes, Liz offered her requests.
Im going to put dads knowledge to use on a future with the Gemstone element. I want things that will increase my chances with that, including body modifications with the element. I need something that will make my choices stronger with that idea when I reach 128 in the first class, and I plan to hold off on that option until I get to 128 in the second class, too. With that concept in mind, Im aiming for a metal class that works in concert with my earth one.
Hmm. Let me do some digging! Seer was still all smiles, but her eyes narrowed as they unfocused slightly, hands wandering around the orb.
After a few minutes, or what felt like minutes, Seer gave a surprised little noise, huh, thats unique.
What is? Lizs curiosity was officially piqued.
Its a Metal class, and its largely educational. Its got a skill for learning all about metals and how to forge things in different ways. The class is a foundation to replacing bones and body parts with metal. Based on the overall info, it can open up into inscribing magic runes into the metal for various improvements. The focus is very narrow, all self modifications only, like what you have now with Earth magic. The ability to modify others is a class you dont meet the requirements for.
What requirements? Liz wasnt new to the concept of class offerings having specific requirements, like [Meditate] being a core base skill for [Mages].
Biological knowledge. Your personal biology is totally rewritten, and youve been becoming intimately familiar with those changes, but the general biology of others? Sorry, but we missed High School Bio for that film job in New Zealand. There are books on advanced biology in this world called the Medical Manuscripts, but you cant leave here now, and reading them requires extensive background knowledge, and we dont have the time for that.
Yeah, I dont feel like our divine mission from Seira will involve metal body modifications in other people anyway. Self-modification is an option. What else do we have available in the category I laid out?
Well, theyre less accurate to what you asked for, but the quality is all over. [Apprentice Religious Warrior] is an option. Focused on learning the tools of the trade from Arlyen, and has room for mastering multiple weapons. You havent really been interested in the weapon master skill set, though. Next up, [Wolf-erine] is a knock-off superhero thing. Anti-hero? Pulls from fighting those wolves while a hundred levels below them. Also, you did take a liking to claws, though yours were more like sharpened nails on your fingers. If you take that one, Ill quit my job. Seer gave her a glare with that remark.
Dont worry, I would, too. Superhero roles were so cringe. Liz made a face at the memory of movie poses and the ensuing photo shoots.
Good choice. The last, but not least, is [Chain-bound] which is centered around creating chain armor to improve defense, and has a secondary affinity for binding your enemies with chains, slowing them down. Its an [Artisan] class, so it will rely on the magic stats of your first class. And given our income, its going to be pure conjuration-reliant, but doesnt come with [Metal Conjuration]. Sadly, it also doesnt come with the [Metallurgy] skill from the earlier metal body modification class, so it wont help with our lack of knowledge on creating metals. Ups and downs all around.
Liz thought about the options for a while, then came up with a question.
What if we take the modification class, grab that knowledge skill, and build from there, could it make a stronger [Chain-bound] option in the future? Chains work similarly to Arlyens whips, so the teacher is perfect for that route. And levels 8 to 32 cant take that long to get through.
Yes, but also no. A personal modification class will rely on you performing personal modifications to get the levels, and at a low level, that might not be doable. If youre unlucky, the class and skills stay level 8 until you go find a Khazad Dwarf to teach you about metal body modifications. We cant afford to pay a teacher like that, since our skills are not job-oriented. Unless you think you can hack it as an adventurer on just your first class?
Liz grumbled annoyedly under her breath. Her divine class offerings had been so easy by comparison.
Whats the best path forward, then? She bit her lip as she turned it over to Seer to lend insight.
Seer, for her part, seemed annoyed.
Frankly, it isnt my choice, its yours. I cant give you all the answers, only tell you how the system functions and warn you of hurdles to your path. However, could you not take the opposite route? Even the [Apprentice] option isnt too bad. Learn from Arlyen now, and then figure out your other options when you make it to the next class-up.
Liz sighed. If I do something, I want to be good at it. I want the fundamental knowledge for [Chain-bound] to be the best it could be, but youre right. It will be a low level new class, and I dont know much about metals beyond the golds and silvers for jewelry that dad would make. I need something to bolster my overall knowledge. Starting with [Chain-bound] might be the weaker, yet more accessible option, and will probably level the fastest.
If youre lucky, something new will be offered at the next upgrade that will combine the best aspects of the two.
The images for the class came to the forefront of the crystal ball.
The class was a reddish sort of orange quality, which was to be expected. Her divine class had excellent stats, while most low level offerings were meant to be around the reds. The similarity from Arlyens whips to how she could imagine using chains mightve already helped her to push past the red quality tier to begin with.
The scenes flowing across the orb before her were a wide variety of interesting applications of the skills she was looking forward to.
Even as she held her hand out to exchange the beginner class with the new choice, she suddenly realized where shed gotten the most familiar with chains.
The white starter classs light slipped from her fingertips, and the rust color of the new class entered as she choked down the memories.
Liz awoke to her usual ceiling in her room at the church, though the moonlit darkness of night visible through the window delivered an unbearable feeling of sleep deprivation.
She refused the urge to succumb to the fatigue, pushing it away with a [Mental Partition] on reflex.
She had to see the notifications, and then she could consider sleep.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
[*ding* You have upgraded your second class - [Chain-bound] - Metal]
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Chain Proficiency]!]
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Jeweled Chains]!]
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Chain Reinforcement]!]
It felt unusual to not have any stored experience for a class and have no level notifications for it. She needed to see the stat values for the class.
Her mental request displayed for her the details she wanted.
[*ding* Your second class will grant the following stats per level! +4 Free Stats, +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +6 Vitality, +2 Speed, +1 Mana, +1 Mana Regeneration, +1 Magic Power, +1 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Magic Power from your element!]
She was not surprised in the least, really. Just a bit disappointed.
The stats were far too low for her divine class tastes. Shed get over it. Eventually.
The skill choices all seemed interesting, and entirely too much of a reminder of her beloved father, a jeweler that ran a high end shop in Los Angeles. Hed taught her all about gemstones and jewelry when they had time together. She hadnt needed it since shed arrived in Pallos, but she should have some of his fine jewelry in her purse, which had been safely stored in a vault by Sylvestre on her behalf.
She missed her dad. Deep in her heart, in a way no skill could, or should, deny. Her dad had been the more present of her parents, and had taught her so much. Her mother was dear to her as well, but simply hadnt been around enough to mean quite the same things to her.
She fought the urge to sob, drew what strength she could from the wave of long-repressed emotions, and then refocused.
[Chain Proficiency: Control chains for all purposes that come to mind. Increased refinement and control per level. -25 Mana Regeneration while using chains for any complex tasks.]
[Elegant Chains: Chains made from precious metals near you are at your beck and call, and will gain durability based on your Vitality. Increased range per level.]
[Chain Reinforcement: Chains you use for various tasks gain improved durability. Increased effectiveness per level. -10 Mana Regeneration]
She had no reason not to take any of the skills she was offered, so she willed them each into her newly accessible second class skill slots. She had to admit based on the low mana costs that she was not expecting too much from the skills, however.
Unlocking a new class as an [Artisan] was fairly similar to how unlocking her [Priestess] class had been. The class granted just three core skills at the base level, and shed likely be offered a new skill at level twenty, just like [Tenacity] had been. [Tenet] didnt count in that equation, of course. The skill was part of what made her divine class special. She hoped.
Frankly, the new class was somehow a dose of normalcy, new world and magic notwithstanding. She took a deep breath and poked her head outside to see the nun waiting by her door.
How long?
Five days this time. A curt reply came as Liz slumped her shoulders.
Alright, I should load up on water and food before I sleep, then.
She was somewhat pleased to know she could manage five days on such a small amount of water now. Vitality was an amazing thing.
She paused at the top of the stairs, hearing familiar voices speaking in hushed tones that her high vitality caught with surprising ease.
Please, Syl. We need to leave. The Justiciary will fall.
You still wont explain what brought you to that conclusion, so until you share that information, the answer is no.
Liz recognized both Arlyen and Sylvestres voices, in a whispered argument well past the curfew time. She didnt dare to make a sound, lest they stop giving her some much needed information on the real state of the world.
Ugh, you know the walls have ears. Just trust me and pack up. Im bringing you and Liz away as soon as youre both packed.
Youve always been like this, Arly. You make decisions and damn the people around you to the path youve chosen for them. Heron Lake is nowhere near the capital, so well be fine even if something happens to the country. It takes over a month to get from the capital to this town, even longer with an army. Well have advance notice if something truly happens.
The gnolls voice suddenly shifted, taking on a different intonation completely, and Liz felt it mustve been some sort of other language. Perhaps a coded one. Not that it mattered to her ability.
Fine I wasnt in Khazad for Adventurers Guild work, Syl. There was a botched assassination. The [Mage] who performed the investigation was able to trace information on the assassin and identify an [Artisan] class and a [Priestess] class, which was later confirmed to be from the Temple to Seira. The only way an immortal war is delayed now is if the Justiciary takes the fall to extend a very tenuous peace. The other factions in play around us are already scrambling to throw this country under the wagon. Its the beginning of the end, and every [Priest] tag will be in the line of fire.
The words made Liz go pale, and she suddenly realized exactly why Arlyen had been so rushed in her training. She felt now, more than ever, that she was running out of time.
I see. Sylvestres voice sounded how Liz felt about the news. Take Liz, then. Get her new class above her divine one and take her into the Order of the Valkyries, then.
I dont want to leave you. I saved you back then so we could be together, and you denied that life. I could go on because you were alive out there, but I refuse to see you throw your life away and make my choice in vain. Arlyen sounded more emotional than Liz had seen before, and it all gave off the impression of a fragile dam breaking.
The child is what we always had wished for, even if it was impossible. Ive taught her what I can, though the time was short. You should take on the role of her mother. I can do the great service of giving myself up to cover your escape.
Bullshit! Liz swore as she stepped down into view. She did her best to never swear, but she felt a white-hot fury sweep over her.
I am not your daughter. Not to either of you. Weve been acquainted for a few weeks at best. You two have your own problems to work out, but leave me out of them. I have a father. One I love. Just because Seira left me in your care does not mean I am her gift of a child to you both. You made your choices, and youll just have to live with them. Teach me like Seira asked of you, sure, but dont go making me your last will or something.
The pair seemed struck speechless. Shed figured they would hear her regardless of how quiet she tried to be, since she had no experience or skills in being sneaky, and hadnt been offered any, but they seemed blindsided by her presence as much as they were by her words.
Finally, Arlyen gave her a glare. She spoke in her code language tone again.
Disciple, do not speak a word of what you heard. Your language ability is impressive, but keep in mind that everyone who hears what you say will comprehend your words. Or did you think Sylvestre was banished here without anyone to keep an eye on him?
Liz sucked in a breath, and then let it out slowly, stifling the anger shed let sweep over her. Shed nearly forgotten the flaws in her ability.
Let us pray nothing you said is enough to trigger any backlash from the factions in the capital. Arlyen, continue to train Liz. I will prepare an emergency escape option discreetly in the event we need one. Sylvestre got up from his usual seat, then made for his office in the side chamber off from the main churchs prayer room.
For what its worth, Im sorry. I never thought of replacing your parents. Im sure Syl just got ahead of himself. Hes always wished to have his own children. I hope you do not hold it against him. Arlyens apology felt genuine, and Liz realized that at some point shed improved at reading gnoll features and expressions.
Im going to get some water and food, then some sleep. Training tomorrow? What time? She changed the subject as abruptly as her headspace would allow.
Let me cook something appropriate for you. Going so long with no proper diet is very bad for your growth. We can start in the afternoon tomorrow.
Liz began to wonder exactly how orderly lives were in the Justiciary with everyone flouting the basic curfew so often.
Liz ran an errand the next morning before her training would start. First thing after waking up, she had Sylvestre allow her to collect her purse that shed neglected for so long.
Credit cards, business cards, and ID were all useless to her now. Shed keep hold of some mementos of her old life, but her options were limited. She had always kept two sets of jewelry in her purse in case of emergencies, one silver set and one gold set.
What she was first after was the gold bracelet, which was a chain that ended with a high purity ruby that hid the clasp.
In a similar reasoning, the gold and silver necklaces were both options when the pendant was removed and stored away inside a section of her stone body for safe keeping.
All told, she had a small pile of badly damaged clothes, a defunct cell phone, a bunch of useless plastic cards, some nail maintenance tools that got stored away as well, two gold chain lengths, one silver chain, and the jewels from each set, totalling four rubies of high purity and three emeralds she had cut in her fathers workshop while visiting with him.
She hesitated before dismissing the cards entirely. Her credit card was made from durable metal. She grabbed it from the sleeve and turned it over in her hands. If her memory was correct, it was likely made from engraved titanium. She could likely ignore the rest of the plastic cards, but shed nearly thrown away some valuable material. Shed find a use for it, eventually.
Everything shed dug through had brought back memories shed been suppressing and trying desperately to look away from. She couldnt do that anymore. She couldnt afford to push anything off for later when she had time now, and likely wouldnt have that time later.
And to some extent, she was still angry at the idea of anyone thinking they could replace her dad.
Shed been holding it all back and not facing it for entirely too long, and when she finally faced everything, it came over her like a hurricane.
The tears that never wanted to end.
The memories of her joyous acting career.
The life that had been ripped away from her.
It was all gone.
In the place of the life that had been, now there would only be Seira. The goddess who gave her a new life, new strength, and a path to set her feet upon once more.
Seira,
I know even gods dont see the future, and nothing is set in stone.
All the same, I hope you continue to watch over me, and guide me on my journey.
~Liz
She sent off a prayer to the goddess as her tears flowed.
A soothing whisper reached her mind, quelling all her newfound fears.
I chose you because nothing would break your spirit. I cannot shield you from the world, but I will be watching, always.
Liz smiled, passing along thoughts of thanks to her goddess. She was over the initial butterflies of her first meeting with the deity. Now, she was sure she couldnt trust anyone as much as she could trust herself and her goddess. That was worth devotion and dedication.
Liz strode out of the church vault.
She had to keep getting stronger.
Part 8 - All Follow This...
Part 8 - All Follow This
Liz met with Arlyen just outside the church grounds. That was the first difference to their usual cadence. They usually met outside the town in the dense woodlands.
Disciple, follow me.
Yes, maam.
They began to walk through the streets of the town toward the walls downstream of the artisanal areas. Liz narrowed her eyes, since her only experience with the area was seeing the smugglers nearby.
Your new class? Metal?
Yes maam. Chains, entirely. More [Artisan] than Id first thought Id take, but it makes sense. The air around her teacher was all business. This was like taking a few steps back, undoing any sort of opening up theyd done since they began their training sessions.
Does it? Your perception matters to these things a lot. What is a chain to you?
My father was a jeweler. I used to go to his workshop as a kid. Ive seen chains made of all kinds of things, mostly gold and silver, but also some titanium among others
Not exactly the best materials for fighting, and an [Artisan] class isnt very ideal. What kinds of skills?
All three are for using and strengthening chains. One durability skill is based on the skills level, but the other is for precious metal chains, and it runs on my Vitality.
She drew out the gold bracelet shed tucked away and displayed her skill, making it hover and then move in figure eights in the air in front of herself as she drew up alongside her teacher.
I just havent tested the range. Thats based on skill level.
Speaking of
[*ding* [Elegant Chains] has leveled up! 1 -> 2]
She held up her hand, looking for specific details on how her skills would level. She needed to know if [Elegant Chains] would work for [Chain Proficiency]. She had a sneaking suspicion based on the latters description that it would require more complex tasks to level.
The gold chain began to slide around her fingers and weave around and between them at an increasing speed, and she kept her eyes on the awaited notifications.
[*ding* [Elegant Chains] has leveled up! 2 -> 3]
Faster.
[*ding* [Elegant Chains] has leveled up! 3 -> 4]
Faster!
[*ding* [Elegant Chains] has leveled up! 4 -> 5]
[*ding* [Chain Proficiency] has leveled up! 1 -> 2]
Finally.
She stopped moving the chain around and let out a sigh.
Not very efficient to get both simultaneously. The [Chain Proficiency] skill requires complex tasks to gain efficient levels, while [Elegant Chains] is leveling rapidly.
How was the mana cost?
Liz checked it over, realized she was still at maximum, and then repeated the actions again, while studying her mana pool for changes.
She staggered as she realized why she hadnt noticed the change before.
Her mana pool was now above twenty thousand, while her mana regeneration was over sixteen thousand after subtracting all her expensive passive skills. Theyd both exploded from her primary class upgrades, and she could invest a huge pool to anything she needed now, with caveats around full body pain sense elimination in particular.
She increased the pain settings of her skill to tank her regeneration and checked the costs of her [Elegant Chains] skill. Her mana dropped by the hundreds, then thousands every minute, based on how fast the chains were moving.. She had her system reorganize her information to check the actual regeneration and skill costs and found that her mana usually regenerated by over two hundred fifty per minute, while her skill cost her three hundred at what shed consider a decent speed.
This skill would be unusable by a person who didnt have a high level [Mage] class or similar. Ill need levels across both classes to make this more useful in the long run. And this is with a small chain. She didnt want to think about using one that was any bigger. Shed never felt more relieved to have a regeneration class and build.
Lets focus on your levels. Local leatherworker got stiffed by a smuggler on some questionable goods, which began a fight, and that caused a few problems for the other [Artisans] in the area. Youre going to learn to fight people trying to kill you. And if were lucky, youll get over your aversion to killing other people quickly.
Liz paled. She knew it was an inevitability in this world, but it all felt too soon.
Whats wrong? These are realities of life you need to figure out now, while in a controlled environment, rather than on a battlefield with no safeguards.
The young woman closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe steadily. She understood the logic, and she understood her situation. She was walking a path that would eventually require her to take a life and most likely more than just a small number.
Several deep breaths later, she nodded.
Lets go.
The walk from then on was in silence.
They smelled the tanneries near the walls before they saw them, carefully planned at the most downriver locations to prevent tanning chemicals from tainting drinking water or laundry locales. The stench even meant the area wasnt visited by anyone who didnt live in the unfortunate place, or have business with any of the local shops.
The town didnt have extensive sewers to hide out in, but the local smugglers all seemed to bunk up in this area, and frequented a tavern not far from their largely open secret of an entrance.
The whole town was made from stone, because apparently many aerial predators could destroy a town made from wooden buildings. The tavern was no different.
Ill storm the front, you take anyone who tries to escape.
Mm. Lizs reply was a short, barely audible assent.
Then Arlyen entered the tavern. The resulting silence of her entrance was almost cliche. It just didnt last more than a few moments. The sound of the whip cracking through bodies and stone alike was sickening, and Liz could hear the cries of pain.
One man darted out the entrance after a few moments had passed, and Liz acted more on instinct from her training sessions than conscious thought.
Shed meant to simply neutralize him, knock the wind out of his lungs and finish him off after confirming his complicity in the smuggling crimes.
[*ding* You have slain a [Seedy Barman - [Water] Lvl 85], [Accomplice Smuggler - [Metal] Lvl 163]!]
It was too damn easy.
One knee driven into his stomach and he was done. The impact went through her mind over and over. The sensation of his organs giving way as the blow traveled through him and sent an instantaneous shock that simply ended his life.
Another person fled the building and Lizs body felt like it was on autopilot as her mind focused on her shock at how easily shed taken a life.
Wasnt she supposed to feel something more?
It was all wrong.
Her body twisted into a roundhouse and brought her stone foot down in a mid-air kick that landed squarely across the back of the fleeing persons neck.
She had so much mass and momentum in the attack, combined with her stats and [Martial Arts] skill that her foot turned the mans spine to a gory mush.
[*ding* You have slain a [Quick Thief - [Wind] Lvl 173, [Smuggling Connoisseur - [Wood] Lvl 198]!]
Wasnt it supposed to be hard?
Wasnt it supposed to be shocking?
She thought back on all her movies and acting.
All the times shed pretended to kill someone for a role on stage.
It was all a lie. It was easy for her, and shed been so prepared for this to eat at her. They were bad people, so she had no reason to even feel bad. She simply didnt feel anything that the notion should have comforted.
She felt somewhere, deep down, that she hadnt ever really valued lives that werent close to her to begin with.
All told, it was an important revelation.
She could kill without remorse, and shed be most concerned that shed gotten dead person on her sandals.
[*ding* You have slain a [Septic Cleaner - [Water] Lvl 43], [Amateur Go-fer - [Wind] Lvl 110]!]
Oh, buddy, your parents picked an awful career path for you, huh? She spoke emotionlessly. Still, a life of crime? Tough luck; play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
I could say the same to you, girlie. A woman with a few more piercings than Liz wanted to count was glowering at her with tangible venom.
[Laborer - 413]
Liz had to admit, she was a bit surprised to see someone close to Arlyens level, even if the tag implied a non-combatant.
I do have some class skills to try out. Youve got the right level to be worth a trial run, Miss Mad Max supporting character.
Liz felt awful. Shed gone past the thrill of realizing movies had gotten something so wrong and just started feeling like she mustve been broken somehow. Didnt she appreciate life? When did she stop caring about the lives of others?
She knew.
She just wouldnt admit it.
Somewhere along the lines, the list of things she cared about had simply shrunk.
So shed do what she had to. Even if that meant using a level eight class against a level four hundred.
Youre just a total ass-wipe, arent you?
Awww, Ive been killing people for the first time today. Im in a very fragile state of mind right now, thank you very much.
You religious types always make my skin crawl. That kid you just killed? He was only fourteen. His parents will have to bury him now. Youre a monster.
Yeah, Liz said, barely above a whisper, Im getting that now. Im more screwed up than I ever thought. Servant of the Goddess of Order, but Im not a good person, not even a decent one. But all I had is gone, so Im done pretending to care about the lives of those who get in my way.
Sorry, girlie, but todays the end of your line. Im not about to let the temples assassin chicks run around tearing up my business.
Well just have to see how this turns out, then. Liz drew out her gold and silver necklace chains and set them in motion in rapid circular motions, making abrasive makeshift saw blades from them.
She began to study her opponent, who was dressed in a tough leather vest over thick cloth gambison, and had striking deep blue eyes, far more vivid than was naturally possible. Shed rarely noticed the eyes of an advanced element in anyone, and even Arlyens were subtle in the metallic flecks within them.
Both of them burst into motion at the same time, with the woman sprinting for the water nearby in the channel while Liz kicked off from the ground with an explosive upheaval of the stone beneath her enhanced foot, shooting forward like a rocket with her chain blades picking up speed as she launched them forward, aimed for the exposed flesh of the woman.
Even with her initial acceleration, her opponent was closer to the water she was trying to get in range of, and get in range of it she did.
With a rush of nasty, tanning chemical polluted water, three spear-like jets erupted towards Liz, who chose to move her spinning chain-blades to intercept two of the projectiles while she struck the last with her enhanced hand.
The chains held up well to the test, and she was sure her final tally of levels would reflect nicely if she kept using the skills well in this fight.
She made sure to use [Chain Reinforcement] on the chains the entire time as well, enjoying the new complexity of simultaneously controlling her body and her chains, all like separate muscles she could work to make second nature now. She still had no idea what the range of [Elegant Chains] would be, but she was in no hurry to risk losing her chains just because she couldnt find them.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The water jets didnt remain active for more than a brief blast, but they possessed a shocking amount of force to them.
More jets streaked towards her, revealing that the woman had the skills of a [Mage] rather than her tag which showed [Laborer].
Liz was guessing the woman had an Ocean element for their first [Laborer] along the lines of sailing based on her eyes, and a second class of some manner of Water [Mage]. She was intimately familiar with the feeling of a low skill backed by a higher classs stats. Her chains were the same, after all. Her [Elegant Chains] got to profit from her high Vitality, as had all her other low level skills shed been training with Arlyen to improve since their first day.
She felt, more than knew, she could handle the mana pool of a [Laborer] classed individual.
She smiled as she closed in and lashed out with her chains, aiming again for the exposed neck and face of her opponent.
Her aim was fouled as a protective sphere of water encased the woman and stopped her blades from piercing through.
Liz could see a [Sailor] getting some kind of skill to prevent debris from hitting them in a storm. It made too much sense to her, and her momentum carried her straight into the bubble of noticeably nasty water.
Her foot lashed out in a powerful kick that shattered the barrier, drawing out a look of surprise from the smuggler.
Seiras bitch, through and through. Youve either reset already and gotten a huge quality upgrade, or youre a divine classer. The sneer was enough to make Lizs blood boil alone.
In her defense, that expression wouldve ticked off a saint.
Liz threw her left fist out in a jab as the chains swung in from her right, only to be met with obnoxious knock-off water-fist things.
It was enough to really piss her off. Unarmed combat was her thing, now she was being mimicked by some random pirate lady.
The smuggler threw out rapid punches that Liz dodged with a newly practiced ease. [Warriors] like her teacher were much faster and stronger, and dodging these wasnt even necessary. She could just ignore the pain, though she wasnt interested in getting that water on her skin. She was sure it would give her a rash.
Back and forth, she dodged each punch that seemed to mimic her [Martial Arts] skill from before shed gotten more realistic training from her teacher. She was guessing there was a minor mimicry aspect to the womans class, which seemed more like a Mirror function than the Water aspects shed been guessing about..
Her opponent seemed to rethink the idea of challenging her in hand-to-hand, though the shields had stymied every one of Lizs attempts to get her own attacks in. The stalemate was annoying.
Each time shed tried to break through, there was more disgusting water in the way. It mustve been clear that Liz hadnt wanted to touch the liquid with her skin, and the woman before her just coated her hands in the stuff and had been throwing out the basic array of attacks the combat skill would nudge Liz to do before she had much practical combat experience.
It just wouldnt work, though. Neither of them could get a hit in, and things dragged on for a frustratingly long time. Her chains were also useless. The skill was still new, and the chains werent being damaged, but they couldnt break through any better and Liz was slightly frustrated that she didnt have the skills down well enough yet to make any complex tactics work. All of her new moves simply ended up being predictable, and inevitably failed.
The fight wouldve been anticlimactic, if Liz hadnt let her guard down.
After throwing strikes and dodges for minutes, the woman finally held her hands up in surrender.
Alright, Im out of mana, I give up.
Liz was just happy she wouldnt have to kill another person. It bothered her how much killing didnt bother her, and she was feeling like she might need to put some sort of limitation on herself to keep her own actions in line. There was only a dark future ahead of her if violence began to root out all her problems.
Shed wanted fighting skills for self-assurance, to feel confident in her ability to survive, not to get in the habit of ending things permanently like she could tell would be all too easy.
Except, the woman had been lying.
As soon as Liz was about to figure out how to subdue and tie up her captive with whatever she could find around, she felt something pass into her abdomen, from below her ribcage.
If it werent for the patches of awkward stone that filled the gaps in her torso, she mightve taken the hit through her heart.
Confusion flooded her as she looked down at the chain made from that disgusting water that had pierced her.
Her panic turned to a sort of depressed acceptance faster than she could even process fully that the woman had copied something in her chain skills and had used them on a chain made from water.
The thoughts fell away as she put on a spur of the moment performance.
Her aggressor could easily believe the attack had mortally wounded her, as Liz reached out a trembling hand towards the woman with a stricken expression on her face. Lizs hand got within close proximity of the gloating woman before anything approaching realization dawned on her face.
The woman tried to dodge away too late as Lizs golden chain slipped into her ear canal with lethal force.
[*ding* You have slain a [Tidal Reflections - [Ocean] Lvl 413], [Hydromancer - [Water] Lvl 110]!]
Huh I was expecting Mirror. Liz spoke numbly, wondering how someone had gotten a method of mimicking skills from her opponent. Then she saw the parrot fly over to land on the womans shoulder.
Seriously? Her bonded companion gave her a parroting skill?
Liz just shook her head. That was not the time to think about how stupid that was.
The water lost form around them and formed puddles at her feet as the smuggler collapsed into a heap with blood running out of her ear.
Liz inspected the chain that returned to her side with a grimace. She wasnt sure quite how she would be cleaning that stuff off.
Then she remembered that shed been stabbed. With chemical runoff water.
She sighed as she inspected the hole in her robe, rapidly turning red with her blood.
All she knew was that she wanted to clean it before she staunched the bleeding, and to her luck, there was a tavern right next to her. She mentally focused her pain skill on removing the pain to her body in that area, then went on a hunt for the strongest whiskey she could find.
Arlyen was just coming to the door as Liz entered, and the gnoll gave her a look Liz couldnt quite identify. One day she would get gnoll expressions down completely.
You hesitated?
Got stabbed by one who surrendered. Level four hundred.
Arlyens expression soured.
The leader, then.
Liz rolled her eyes. She was bleeding, and she was eventually going to black out if they kept talking. She made for the bar, and Arlyen turned quizzical.
Dont you need a [Healer]?
After this. Liz grabbed bottles and started sniffing the contents of anything without a label, settling on whatever smelled the strongest. Then she leaned back against the counter and poured the alcohol directly onto the injury, which her pain skill actually nudged her for, mentally informing her she was hurtand should do something about it, urgently.
She sent her messy chain into the bottle after, swirling it around like some kind of washing machine to clean the gore off the delicate piece of jewelry-turned-weapon before storing it back inside her favoriteliterallypersonal storage via [Earth Manipulation].
She then tossed the bottle back onto the counter and encased the bleeding area in some excess stone to keep the blood loss from being too severe.
Now we see a healer.
They both left the tavern together and Arlyen gave her some side-eye over the bodies outside.
So you did it? Im surprised, really.
Why are you surprised? Liz returned the side-eye. It was comically easy and I felt nothing. The first one I just meant to knock the wind out of. Then I got the notification, and it felt like a mental shrug at most. The third one was just a kid! Still nothing. Back home, people who feel like that about killing are called sociopaths. I never thought that would be me.
I have some thoughts about that. First, being chosen by Lady Seira usually means youre unique in some way. I excise threats to society, and I am proud to do it. Does that make me a bad person when I kill people in pursuit of that? Second, you are clearly upset that you killed someone, are you not? You have a conscience.
That isnt it. I just know how easy it would be to go down that road, and I know plenty of stories about how that always ends. I have to keep myself in check or I wont like the person I become.
Her teacher gave her a pat on the shoulder, which felt a bit like being patted with sand bags, and then allowed silence to take over for a while.
After theyd nearly reached the church, the silence was broken again.
Thinking from your perspective, youve been placed in a tough position. Any of the rare times Ive heard of someone being reincarnated or brought here from somewhere else, theyve usually been reborn as a child. Lady Seira must be desperate to have thrown you back together and dropped you in our laps. That comes with side effects I didnt think through before now, and Im sorry about that. The things youve lost? It shouldnt have been a mystery why your emotional state is so volatile. You are at least trying to make yourself into a good person, and thats a good sign. Hold onto that.
Liz mulled those words over for the rest of their walk back, and then immediately sought out one of the churchs [Healers] to get patched up.
Then, she checked her level notifications.
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] has leveled up from level 67 to level 70!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +30 Free Stats, +60 Dexterity, +50 Vitality, +60 Speed, +30 Mana, +80 Mana Regeneration, +50 Magic Power, +50 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Chain-bound] has leveled up from level 8 to level 11!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +4 Free Stats, +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +6 Vitality, +2 Speed, +1 Mana, +1 Mana Regeneration, +1 Magic Power, +1 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Magic Power from your element!]
[*ding* [Earth Authority], [Earth Manipulation], [Tenacity of Stone], [Mental Partitioning] and [Roll with the Punches] have leveled up! 67 -> 70]
She was more than happy to condense her capped skills and keep those condensed.
[*ding* [Rigid Body] has leveled up! 1 -> 7]
She felt a bit disappointed at the poor gains for the disgusting attack shed taken, but she was mostly angry that she hadnt been rewarded extra for the revulsion she was forced to endure.
[*ding* [Chain Proficiency] has leveled up! 1 -> 11]
[*ding* [Elegant Chains] has leveled up! 1 -> 11]
[*ding* [Chain Reinforcement] has leveled up! 1 -> 11]
Those were surprisingly easy to cap, which made her more than a bit pleased. She hated grinding skill levels, since class levels just felt more rewarding to her Liz-ard brain.
She couldve died of shame at her own horrible internal pun.
[*ding* [Martial Arts] has leveled up! 46 -> 55]
That skill sure seemed to enjoy being used for real combat.
[*ding* [Identify] has leveled up! 43 -> 45]
[*ding* [Awareness] has leveled up! 49 -> 56]
Speaking of the skill, it hadnt warned her of that attack at all, though shed been fully aware of the presence of her attacker. Shed need to find a more useful version of the skill. It had been a somewhat untrustworthy companion to her fights thus far.
[*ding* [Learning] has leveled up! 50 -> 70]
Important life lessons about trusting others successfully rocketed the skill forward, and had a slightly darker undertone of exactly when those levels first began to roll in. She sure had learned a lot about herself throughout the morning.
[*ding* [Imaginative] has leveled up! 36 -> 42]
Realistically, she was still a low level person, so these levels made sense. Using her chain to kill the smuggler leader had been both an [Imaginative] choice, and a poor one. Shed learned from that, and now dimly recalled that dipping gold into alcohol and various cleaning chemicals was actually really bad for their luster. She hoped all her protective skills about chains had prevented her short-sightedness on that decision from coming back to bite her.
[*ding* For reaching level 10 in your second class, you have unlocked the skill [Chainmail]!]
[Chainmail: Conjure a mesh of chainmail armor over your body, preventing harm to your person. This could help with getting stabbed in the future when you make more bad decisions. This armor is made from mana and will vanish when the skill is not in use or the user is incapacitated. Efficiency and strength increase based on level and familiarity with the material envisioned]
She took the skill without a second of hesitation. It struck her as a core skill around which she could merge the concepts of her two classes better, creating a more perfect singular concept for her eventual [Priestess] evolution. She needed more personal fortification skills to center the class identity she desired upon, and the system seemed to help even divine classes do what the user invested effort and attention into.
She tested the skill right away.
With no success.
She tried again and simply felt an empty sensation, as if the skill was missing all the actors on the stage.
Reading over the skill again, she realized she needed to actively choose a metal for the skill to conjure the armor from.
Her knowledge of the periodic table and the chemical compositions of gems was one of her beloved hobbies right alongside her old tarot card readings, but she was at least smart enough to know that metals didnt function well as singular elements from the table. She just didnt have the knowledge she needed to choose a high strength material.
She chewed her lower lip in thought.
[Elegant Chains] would be the strongest source of improved immediate durability, and it would be the most useful to use a material that benefited from the support skill.
She needed a solid understanding of the rules and functions of her skills. She couldnt just leap to conclusions. That in mind, she began testing the limits. She mentally created as detailed a mental image of a golden chainmail as she could think of without any reference material.
Her mana took a massive hit as the chain appeared as more of a single string wrapped around her arm continuously, rather than a complete mesh of uniform protection.
Half of her twenty thousand mana was gone for the initial creation of a glittering masterpiece of utter failure. She let out a sigh, then dismissed the creation.
She next attempted to partially complete the image. Now that she knew what a completed skill execution felt like, she just needed to work up to success from the least complexity and find the details of what made the skill tick.
She envisioned just the material she wanteda sparkling silvery metaland then used the skill again.
Her jaw dropped. The skill used an image, sure, but it hadnt mentioned a complex image of the mail itself. That detail promised an incredible potential for variations and customization in the future, but even a simple mental image of a silver material was enough for the skill to compose a basic chainmail over her torso for a more reasonable quarter of her mana pool.
She shuddered at the realization that she now considered five thousand mana reasonable.
Thinking over the brief information she had, it meant she could allow the skill to do a lot of the work for her in a pinch, but would require more mana and knowledge for a customized protective suit.
Liz wasnt sure she wanted to go about testing the skills limits on her being incapacitated or how her pain skill would interact with something of that nature either. Blunt force trauma was one of the things she most worried about and counted on [Roll with the Punches] to handle.
She had one last thing to check, however.
Allowing her mana to recover only took less than half an hour when she turned her adjustable skills to a sort of efficiency mode.
She ensured her room was closed and the latch was secure before stripping off her clothes.
Then she burnt as much mana as she needed in order to coat herself in armor fully. It felt extremely thin when spread out, and she had noted the mana cost. Sylvestre and Arlyen had given her a rough idea that conjured materials would, at peak efficiency, cost one mana per unit she roughly identified as a gram (she didnt miss that much of high school science). And her entire mana pool had vanished with this new effort, meaning shed need another huge meal to replenish that energy afterwards.
The chain armor that was conjured was thin, but the theory that she could create over twenty-two thousand grams with her full pool was somewhat promising for the future. In live combat, shed likely never have a full mana pool to throw at the skill, though. She could focus on the area that was being hit, but that seemed inefficient as well. After all, she could conjure the armor and then wait out her mana pool.
She set the thought aside for now.
It was time for the real tests. She moved her left leg.
The metal horribly pinched her inner leg and chafed unbearably.
She grimaced. No more bare skin when using the skill. Shed had a feeling it would be like that. Now she would need a custom, form-fitting outfit beneath her new armor to be as efficient as possible. The armor was supremely noisy, too. She supposed there was a reason shed never seen a stealth skill turn up for herself.
With a sigh, she decided shed be off to hit the baths at long last, and then she would try to sleep with the armor on, just to test the bare minimum of that incapacitated wording.
Part 9 - … And Come to Dust.
Part 9 - And Come to Dust.
Lizs first trip to the baths in the weeks shed been on Pallos were beyond liberating.
All of her internal musings just faded from her consciousness for an all-too-brief time.
Public baths werent a concept shed been overly familiar with back on Earth, but shed known some places to have them as a cultural thing.
The Justiciary certainly did them right, though. The bathhouse was run by a man with a steam class that kept a layer of steam hovered at the midsections of the typical adult height for most Elvenoids, evenespeciallyin the changing rooms.
It was nice enough to have a measure of privacy. Liz had largely gotten over the changes to her body as they were, but she still felt uncomfortable about letting others see her body in public. It was why shed been wearing the long robes so much, and why she hadnt come to the baths sooner. Shed have to get over it someday, but that day was not before her just yet.
Her blonde-tipped hair was short enough that it hadnt gotten messy, and she was at a high enough Vitality that her bruises usually recovered within a few days. Shed used water and a towel on occasion to keep from feeling completely unlivable, but the baths were blissful relief.
She took some time to finally comb over the changes shed been through.
Her left hand and right foot were the most visible changes exposed daily. Then there were her legs, which were generally the same toned and athletic legs shed remembered, right one from the knee down aside. She had been tall, and that earned her a lot of movie roles, so her legs were a selling point, in her mind.
That rain of cosmic dust that had passed through her had torn holes in her torso despite being so small. She had a gaping section of her lower abdomen, slightly on the left side, that had been replaced with solid stone, and she didnt know how to feel about the implication that the goddess had likely removed the remains of her damaged reproductive organs during the extensive modifications shed performed. She hadnt gotten her time of the month since shed arrived, and Liz gave a mental good riddance at that.
Still, though, she had to admit she had no real urge to bed anyone anytime soon. The entire mental concept of such an act in what looked like ancient civilization gave her goosebumps over the stories of historical diseases involved. That was a huge no, thank you to that concept entirely, [Healers] or no.
The other areas of her abdomen were riddled with smaller damages, usually around the size of a ping-pong ball. They dotted her body all over, and shed wondered why her lungs seemed to function despite the perforations. Her diaphragm functioned with no issues, so shed assumed there was divine mischief at play.
Shed visited [Healers] many times since shed come to Pallos andsomehowthe stone was part of her body. Apparently all healing efficiency required a solid image of what was needed, but generally restored things to the persons stored state within their own system. When shed spoken with a [Healer] about the subject, her translation had phrased it as an eidos backup of a person, whatever that word meant. Healing on Liz had required an incredible amount of mana, and some healing had a risk of erasing foreign objects within her body, including the items she stored inside herself. The stone was simply so dense that it had made multiple healers burn out their entire mana reserves when theyd done work on her over the past few weeks.
The rest of her body was mostly fine, however.
The longer she had spent with her training in Arlyens supervision, the more shed actually come to wish she had more stone in her body than she did. It was an immensely useful tool for her to use to her advantage, and she had a feeling if she was more stone golem than human, her [Earth Manipulation] wouldve been an intrinsic ability to her race, instead of a crutch skill from a class she effectually couldnt live without.
Her queries had pointed out a budding field called Biomancy that was similar to how the Khazad dwarves would give themselves metal body parts for enhancements. Biomancy practitioners apparently got a skill called [Permanence] that enabled them to make the body modifications change the eidos backups of how healing worked. That meant she could make her own changes built from Seiras initial efforts and make those changes permanent. Or if her future goals worked out, she could replace the stone with gemstones and make those changes permanent.
The issue was that her plans involved some personal flexibility with what she was made from, once she had options she knew more about. If gemstone body parts were made into her eidos backup, shed lose any future changes she made. Shed just have to cross that bridge when she came to it.
After her bath, she moved on to the local library, such as it was.
The building was more of a place for storing records, but it had enough basic information to get a better idea on some of the topics shed been hoping to learn about.
She had to admit that shed been quite pleased with the maps recorded. Being so late in the Immortal War cycle meant that a lot of records and information were currently well documented.
Her first goal was getting an idea of where she was.
To the east lay a desert that was the majority of the Justiciarys lands. Just beyond the border, reaching across the rest of the desert, was recorded to be a tiny coastal civilization she could most closely call Egyptian to some extent, and the nation was called the Ankhelt Kingdom, though it was fairly small. Theyd created artificial spring towns with skills and planning that meant the society would likely thrive if given the chance.
South of the desert was a dizzying mess of tiny dynasties that, according to notes by the cartographer, were constantly in violent flux. Not a vacation destination.
Further south lay a broad range of nomadic lands that separated the dynasties from the Khazad dwarves.
The area to the west wasnt even her concern. She wasnt especially interested in the jungles that grew progressively dense the further one traveled. Allegedly, some vampire and human mixed community had been set up to keep watch over a ruin in the harshest of the jungles, waiting for something to return, according to Sylvestres conversations with Arlyen. Vampire movies were all awful, and she didnt want to be anywhere near such a mess.
With her immediate surroundings established, she mentally filed the information away for future use.
Next, she started to dig up information on various goings-on in the area around Heron Lake, only to find anything useful locked away for government purposes. She simply took note of the details she might need and kept whiling away her free evening.
The only interesting details she found were mysterious notes about robots called Pekari that would pop up, cause small-scale chaos and then end up vanishing back into the earth wherever they came from. She somewhat smelled a rat in the whole account of things. None of it made sense to her, since the things seemed to be a low level scourge nobody had dealt with. If being in Hollywood had taught Liz anything, it was how to spot a manipulative scheme. She decided to remain well away from any Pekari lairs when she could help it.
It wasnt long before Liz had analyzed the basics of methods used by any regular threats that cropped up in her corner of the world, and took mental notes of things she might need later.
She was even offered a basic [Mental Notes] skill she declined. She had an excellent memory, just no time to attend school. She still refused to take skills for things she felt she was already good at. With her luck, shed take an [Acting] skill and it would actually fight her own years of experience and make life miserable. She had long guessed some people could tell what skills might look like in action, and if she used her own experiences instead, she might be able to trip people from Pallos up. The people of this world were wholly reliant on the system and all their skills, after all.
She shuddered at the memory of watching someone molding copper jewelry on the street the other day. The man had blue stains on his hair and arms that just made her skin crawl. That would never be her life.
She returned to her training the next day with a refreshed feeling of having been scrubbed clean. Ready to be thrown across the dirt again.
Her new regimen revolved around training her skills and hoping to hit her level thirty-two class-up on her metal class. Arlyen actually gave lectures on metals during their mana breaks.
Liz had been wondering why her fight hadnt awarded many levels when shed killed the smuggler leader before, and rapidly found out it was simply not what her class wanted to do. Her skills had remained capped wonderfully since the fight, but the class itself wanted her to wield chains for binding enemies and defending herself. She simply didnt have enough gold or silver to use the former, and the latter hadnt been an option until she got [Chainmail] and started training the new skill up.
She was back to being Arlyens punching bag for skill levels.
Liz hit her next metal class-up as the town began to feel tense.
Merchant caravans hadnt arrived in the past week.
She couldnt help but feel something was wrong, but she couldnt do anything about it.
Her whole being felt restless as she made her next class-up trip in her room.
Seer had a small frown at her arrival.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Something was very wrong.
I can feel your nervousness. Its making me tense, same as how you feel deep inside. Come, let us make this next big choice. Seer gave her a wry smile.
Liz finally took in the slight differences around her.
The tent had more of a reddish tint to the fabric now, and glints of metallic armor peaked out around Seers sleeves on her fortune tellers robe.
She knew what it meant. Shed begun to get used to her new life on Pallos now. It had taken her a full month but shed begun to consider this place her new home.
The best we have right now for this class slotthat we have methods to levelare in the orange category or lower. Same deal as last time. Im going to assume you wont be resetting your path right now, so Ill just give you the metal options. Seer got down to business with a wave of magical hands over the crystal ball.
[Fates Shackles] was the first up, and it sounded amazing.
It carried much of the chains aspect from her current class, but gave her a bit of self boosting abilities that she could use to nudge her own fate in combat. It even had a weak self healing passive that was clearly offered due to all the minimal injuries the training had been causing her. It was the perfect upgrade to her current class, all defense and personal skills.
She was tempted to take it and run, but she held herself back and kept watching the images for the next class.
[Coils of Restriction] was a weak choice. The color was a deep red, but still had poor skill quality and the worst stats. She knew why. It was for binding her enemies, which she hadnt been able to do, so the class offering was barely unlocked at all.
[Preservations Constraints] was actually a class built on holding herself together after taking an injury, using chains bound within her flesh to keep her body going after taking devastating damage, right up until she passed out from blood loss. The unlock of the class option referenced her trip through the void of spatial travel gone wrong. Shed had her body knit back together on a genetic and atomic level by Seira, creating the basis for a class around pushing through incredible pain to keep going through nightmarish experiences. The class finally explained her oddly powerful pain skill, and a huge factor in her [Mental Partitioning] ability.
She chewed her lip as she realized Seiras domain wasnt anything to do with healing, and therefore making changes to her bodys makeup fell into the category of Order through her roundabout methods. She had so much more context after little details kept piling up and each one made her come to terms with Order not being the same as good. Her faith was set in stone by now, so she knew she wouldnt allow herself to waver, but coming to terms with complex things helped in a way.
She didnt have to worry whether she was worthy of Seira over the actions she took in life.
[Chained Lobotomizer] was just a morbid reminder of what shed done. She gave Seer a look of revulsion.
So thats the end of the useful ones?
There is the modification class from last time, but its only gotten worse. You just havent been using your skills quite in the way you needed to in order to chase the biomancy path. Maybe if you get the merged class, you can try to get a biomancy class temporarily to get your [Permanence] skill that way?
I wanted to get the skill as part of the Gemstone class to make changes when I need to.
Youre being very simple-minded, actually. Seer gave her a flat look.
What?
Easy. You are hoping for a future in which we use our deep knowledge of gemstones and their crystalline structures for rapid gemstone body enhancements. Jadeite fits the sturdy but not overly breakable concept we need perfectly. Make a body of jade instead of stone, and then save that with [Permanence] and if you ever need intense healing, youll go from whatever your custom makeup was back to jade. You can easily customize again from the jade version.
Liz was left with her mouth agape in realization and shock.
Seer reached across and closed her mouth gently.
I totally forgot because I only had the biomancy perspective, but I wont even need to keep that skill once the basic template works as a foundation. I am sooo not thinking clearly. It doesnt matter what I take now, does it?
Not even slightly. Pick what you find fun that merges into your future class.
[Fates Shackles] sounds so good right now. Is it still an [Artisan] class?
I doubt that, actually. Youve been creating armors, but all your work has been for combat, even your method of leveling [Chainmail] by having Arlyen hit you so hard it levels [Rigid Body]. Great work on trying to cap things, but your appearance skill is still dying in a basement with no windows. No, [Fates Shackles] seems to be a hybrid of defensive magic and physical reinforcement magic. My guess is that it would be a [Mage] archetype.
You know, you refer to me as we when its most things, but always use you when youre dissing me. Its kind of rude.
I dont know what youre talking about.
Liz shook her head and gave up.
So, before I make this decision, what are all the considerations?
The [Lobotomizer] class is definitely out. The mess that stunt made? Gross. And you put it inside you afterwards, with only a rinse in alcohol from a seedy bar. You are aware you have some really gross class options right now that I didnt share? Seer had that expression on her face that Liz knew she made when she ended up with soaking wet socks. Worst. Movie. Of. Her. Career.
Okay, I get it. It was uniquely gross. I wont do it again.
Oh no, youll do it again. Ill be really mad if we die because youre trying to keep your gear clean or something.
Liz rolled her eyes. She finally gave up and put her head in her hands.
Can we please continue now?
Mhmm. The Fate class is the only outright powerful class. Youve been laser-focused on your ideal future class and thats been building your skills upgrades directly into a synergy thatll help Seira put in the least effort when putting a class together for you. Which will likely mean a stronger actual class strength.
Then, easy as that?
You want the drawbacks? Alright, the class doesnt have incredible individual skills, though some could merge, maybe. The power is spread out across as many as a dozen smaller enhancement skills, which you cant take all of, especially without losing some of your current skills to make room. Your current class, and this one, all throw a lot of smaller skills at you.
Right, that level twenty [Coiled Reflexes] wouldve completely ruined [Roll with the Punches] if it ate all the levels to merge in, and then basically mirrored the effects of [Rigid Body]. The level thirty skill was even worse. [Awareness] is my weakest general skill for combat, and becoming a class skill that automatically reacts to incoming attacks isnt quite what Im after.
This class has the same difficulties, frankly. Youll get a lot of weaker skills to try to merge together, assuming your levels go slow enough that you can get the merge before the next skill is offered. Skill leveling while doing things your class doesnt want to do will ruin your future class options, though. Seer threw out a few solid pieces of advice that Liz enjoyed just hearing aloud.
Well, things considered and duly noted. I guess we should wrap things up and see how long its been outside, as well as if the tension in town has eased much.
Hey, Seer spoke with a surprising amount of gravitas, stay safe, and dont lose the lessons we learned all our lives. Were strong enough to handle what comes our way, yeah?
Liz chewed it over, taking time to mentally adjust.
Come what may, Ill survive. I swear I wont fail.
[*ding* You have upgraded your second class - [Fates Shackles] - Metal]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Fates Shackles] has leveled up from level 32 to level 34!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +4 Free Stats, +6 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +10 Vitality, +2 Speed, +5 Mana, +5 Mana Regeneration, +4 Magic Power, +4 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Magic Power from your element!]
[*ding* Youve unlocked the class skill [Fate-Linked Dexterity]!]
[*ding* Youve unlocked the class skill [Fate-Linked Vitality]!]
[*ding* Youve unlocked the class skill [Fate-Linked Speed]!]
[*ding* Youve unlocked the class skill [Fate-Linked Mana Regeneration]!]
[Fate-Linked Dexterity: Gain improved Dexterity through the chains you forge to shape your own destiny. Vastly improves Dexterity momentarily on use, does not stack with other Fate-Linked Physical Skills. Improved duration and efficiency per level]
[Fate-Linked Vitality: Gain improved Vitality through the chains you forge to shape your own destiny. Vastly improves Vitality momentarily on use, does not stack with other Fate-Linked Physical Skills. Improved duration and efficiency per level]
[Fate-Linked Speed: Gain improved Speed through the chains you forge to shape your own destiny. Vastly improves Speed momentarily on use, does not stack with other Fate-Linked Physical Skills. Improved duration and efficiency per level]
[Fate-Linked Mana Regeneration: Gain improved Mana Regeneration through the chains you forge to shape your own destiny. Slightly improves Mana Regeneration on use, does not stack with other Fate-Linked Skills for Magic Stats. Improved potency and efficiency per level]
She had four open slots. She took all of them in a heartbeat without even reading them fully.
Something was horribly wrong.
She couldnt move.
She cracked her eyes open and took in the room around her.
Except she wasnt in a room.
She was in a cage, trundling through the gates of a burning townHeron Lake.
She craned her head slightly, but the stone of her body was unresponsive as she tried to will it all to move. She just barely caught the sight of them as the caged wagon she was in.
Heads.
An unthinkable number of heads were mounted on spears outside the gates of the town.
The smell began to hit her then. The burnt corpses and ashen remains of the settlement seared her sinuses as she glanced at the other people in the wagon alongside her. All of them were the low level or still system-locked orphans of the church.
Liz paled as she saw an elderly face pass by her line of sight.
Sylvestre! She called out as she stretched her barely mobile human handout towards the face, only to be stopped short by chains around her wrists.
She only had a brief moment to make out the reality of what shed seen. It wasnt Sylvestrenot anymore.
It was his head mounted on the first pike before the ruin of the small town.
Liz felt a cloying fear turn her blood to ice.
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[Mana: 0/23,880]
[Mana Regeneration: 20,696]
Stats
[Free Stats: 1,347]
[Strength: 248]
[Dexterity: 3,705]
[Vitality: 3,309]
[Speed: 3,785]
[Mana: 2,388]
[Mana Regeneration: 4,488]
[Magic Power: 2,745]
[Magic Control: 2,715]
Classes:
[Acrobatic Templar of Seira] - Earth - Lvl 74
[:Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange 74]
[:Earth Authority 74]
[:Earth Conjuration 46]
[:Earth Manipulation 74]
[:Tenacity of Stone 74]
[: Rigid Body 36]
[: ]
[: ]
[Fates Shackles] - Metal - Lvl 34
[:Chain Proficiency 34]
[:Elegant Chains 34]
[:Chain Reinforcement 34]
[:Chainmail 32]
[:Fate-Linked Dexterity 1]
[:Fate-Linked Vitality 1]
[:Fate-Linked Speed 1]
[:Fate-Linked Mana Regeneration 1]
[Class 3] - Locked
General Skills
[:Mental Partitioning 74]
[:Martial Arts 74]
[:Identify 51]
[:Awareness 74]
[:Roll with the Punches 74]
[:Learning 74]
[:Stunning 14]
[:Imaginative 48]
Part 10 - The Strength of Order
Part 10 - The Strength of Order
Liz was by far the oldest person in the prisoner wagon. The tearful gazes of the children around her sobered her grief quickly, and she swiftly found her acting face.
She took a shaky breath, then began to assess her situation.
First, Heron Lake had been attacked, which did some of the work explaining the lack of merchant caravans before her class-up. She was completely unaware of how long shed been out, but based on her hunger, it was more than a day or two. Towns had walls for a reason, and even with a small guard garrison, one wouldnt reasonably fall in a short period of time, let alone give time to start mounting heads on pikes.
Her first major problem was her mobility, or lack thereof. She tested all her options, and found her mana completely depleted, along with most of her regeneration. She had quite a lot of regeneration, which meant a mass of canceler skills had been heaped on her. She realized briefly that her thoughts remained in order, as shed arranged them with her [Mental Partitioning] which meant her regeneration hadnt been completely negated, only penalized so heavily that her [Earth Manipulation] couldnt keep up anymore.
Conclusion: theyd likely placed all of their canceler skills on her, and had come up short.
Next observation was that the only prisoners with her seemed to be below level one hundred. It made sense that theyd only take a handful of prisoners they could control. Based on the suns position, they were traveling further east, deeper into the Justiciary. Unless they had plans to use the kids as hostages, she wasnt sure who would be taking them towards the desert regions of the country.
She watched around her, hoping for a glimpse of her captors.
None were within her limited scope of vision.
Hey, she quietly called out to the kids around her, hoping for one of the older ones to give her a clue of what had happened in greater detail.
Mm? A little boy glanced at her and tugged another childs sleeve. All of the kids looked dirty and many had clothes in ragged shape. Usually, even the orphans of Heron Lake were fairly similar to other kids, thanks to Sylvestres management of the church funds. Seeing them covered in ash and dirt was a harsh dose of reality.
Whats going on? She tried to keep her voice down to avoid anyone noticing she was awake.
Soldiers attacked, killed a lot of people, then took us kids, split up in different directions and hauled us off. Dunno where you were being kept but they put you with us right before we left. The older boy gave her a fairly basic rundown,
Liz let out a small sigh. I cant get up to see anything. Anyone here have solid Strength to help me sit up, at least? And what are they doing about food and water? Ive been out for my class-up since before any of this started.
We can ask for water, but food only comes at dawn and dusk, and it has only been bread for the past two days. We couldnt move you at all. Youre really heavy.
She chose to ignore the rudethough trueremark.So theyre keeping us alive, but only barely. My mana is completely out from some canceler skills. Cant feel any effects but its got me out of options for fighting back. What else happened?
They attacked anyone above their 128 class-up. Seemed scared of even the [Laborers] and [Artisans]. The Valkyrie lady told us all to run, and ol man Sylvestre was already gone when that happened. She said we had to get away, then ran up to the upper floor of the temple, grumbling about some layabout and we never saw her again. They caught us at the smuggler exit by the river. They havent been speaking our language, so we dunno what''s going to happen. Ive been trying to keep the kids calm.
The story of being scared of [Artisans] struck a chord in Liz, but it didnt make sense. If the attack was retaliation for the assassination in Khazad, then it would''ve taken much longer to mobilize an army and travel so far. Plus the kid didnt say they were dwarves, meaning the attackers had been a mix or had been races unworthy of specificity, likely humans.
Youre doing a good job at that. We dont want to provoke these soldiers into hurting any of us.
As if shed called for it, she was suddenly all too aware of the sound of the metal gate to the prison wagon screeching open.
Sir! The weird chick is awake! A male voice called out.
Next she heard the approach of horses hooves, followed by a series of barked orders calling for a halt to the caravans movements, followed by orders to drag her out of the prison wagon.
She felt searing pain of being harshly dragged from the wagon as the children shrank back in fear of what she soon found to be spears aimed at her from all sides where she lay on her back on the ground.
The man whod been shouting orders descended from his horse, then approached through the ring of spearheads.
Pretty old for a [Priestess] of your level. Weird stone body enhancements, too. A reset for solid religious class, Ive seen before. But stone limbs? That makes you unique. Youre going to tell me all your stats, levels and skillswith descriptionsbefore we decide if we take you as a slave or if we kill you now to spare ourselves the trouble.
Liz felt her mind turning over at rapid-speeds as she formulated her plan to approach this. Combat skills like hers almost certainly fell into the category of things that would get her killed to spare them the trouble.
She gritted her teeth from the real pain of being dragged around with canceler skills keeping her pain skill turned off. Her performance involved a mix of real tears, real fear and totally false information.
Liz Fereday. Human/Stone Golem Hybrid. Stats are low except for Vitality.
She felt a scream of pain tear from her mouth as the leader of the soldiers pushed one of the spears into her shoulder.
The exact numbers. He commanded her.
She pretended to relent, then fully slipped into the role of a scared young girl.
Okay! I will. Strength, 326. Dexterity, 1,224. Vitality, 3,446 She rattled off low numbers for her stats except for Vitality and Mana Regeneration while pretending to focus on her stat screen. Even the numbers that could easily be verified needed to be slightly incorrect to hide the false tells she was creating for her new temporary character.
Class 1 is [Rehabilitation Patient of Seira], she went with an old class that sounded distinctly non-combat focused. Skills are [Earth Conjuration] at 46, [Earth Manipulation] is a unique version that only works on my own body, which is capped. Then I have [Tenacity of Stone] for a pain reduction skill, also capped. Last skill is [Rigid Body] which unlocked recently and acts as a personal body enhancement, level 36.
Her tells established by her earlier mannerisms, she wore the character identity like a second skin. Her gift for acting and, as shed hoped, not having any of the Pallos systems lying or performance skills made the soldiers around her fall easily for her lies. Shed been ravaged by monsters in the woods while looking for medicinal herbs when a paladin of Seira had saved her, helped her back to the temple and had taken a class that gave her the stone replacements of areas the healers couldnt help with.
Her false identity spun further and further from there, creating a wole fake second class around managing the trauma of having her body torn apart in such a horrific way. By the time she was done, the hostility was gone from the eyes of the soldiers around her, mostly replaced with immense pity for what shed suffered through.
It also helped that her pain skill had been disabled, leading her to experience phantom pains periodically again. She even mentioned her [Mental Partitioning] to block out her trauma of the experience of receiving the injuries shed had, further cementing the men into a sort of discomfort at her cries of agony, which she only slightly played up.
She even had excuses for her lack of filling every skill slot of her classes. Low level people often had open skill slots or kept rotating basic everyday skills instead.
The leader became increasingly contemplative before having the menmore gentlyput her back into the prison wagon.
Liz felt more than slightly smug at having her reasonings validated. Shed been immensely worried about having her mana regeneration canceled and how shed be disabled if that ever happened, so shed been practicing and coming up with cover stories for the previous weeks. She knew it would all pay off eventually, and even if it didnt, she doubted she would have regretted the effort.
She also felt firm in her reasoning that the system could offer excellent gains to a person, but no amount of natural talent and skill would go to waste if one worked hard enough without the Skill given to them. The best benefit was that almost nobody knew her actual skill set. She hadnt even told Arlyen about the exact names and descriptions, only basic outlines. Shed been careful from her first eight skills onwards at Sylvestres suggestion. There was no way she would realistically give away her secrets to anyone in a world so clearly dangerous as this one.
Loaded back into the wagon, the convoy now proceeded onwards.
She consulted the new information shed gotten from the soldiers. Theyd been wearing random pieces of armor, rather than a specific uniform. That meant adventurers or mercenaries, usually. The final option was the worst, though. They could be soldiers operating under false identity. A cunning leader could start wars with ease by putting the right people in the wrong outfits and launching an attack on their own citizens. That exact idea had been a plot in the most recent movie shed been scouted for.
Why did that come to her mind?
Easy. These soldiers were now carrying their prisoners further into the country, rather than running away, or at least sending the prisoners to a slave market. And few were the mercenaries who would give up a potential profit by selling their captives for a quick bonus, she imagined.
Adventurers wouldve been the easiest to handle, as they usually fought monsters more than people. But adventurers wouldnt beat the likes of Arlyen or bother to put heads on pikes.
Mercenaries wouldnt bring prisoners deeper into a country theyd attacked.
She was becoming very certain these men were an advance force from the countries looking to unseat the Justiciary from its role on the global stage. And they were an unknown level with [Identify] requiring mana she didnt have. If she had lost [Mental Partitioning] then she wouldve likely struggled to even speak with the men at all. She couldn''t afford to lose that skill as well. She needed to maintain her cover story now as well. Meaning that on top of being immobile beyond her right arm, she also had to keep playing up her pain levels.
With a little luck, her captors would find it in their newfound pity to loosen up the canceler skill to give her the pain reduction skill back after they grew sick of hearing her agonizing cries once in a while. She just couldnt play it up too much.
The kids in the wagon were real champs for trying to care for her every time he cried out in phantom pain induced spells.
The next day, they carried on as they had the first.
Thankfully, she had validation on her pain levels now with the spear injury in her shoulder as well. Theyd eventually given the children bandages and told them to stop her bleeding. Which was done with the most basic of low level skills in the first aid direction.
She felt dumb a day later as she heard a pair of soldiers muttering nearby in their unusual language.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Whys the boss even keeping the bitch alive? Her classes are dead weight. Whos gonna buy a slave girl who cant take any useful servant classes?
Liz mentally cursed the man for pointing out something shed forgotten about in her hurry to not seem threatening.
Shes got high vitality. With her mana back, shed be fine at any brothel. And shes got the looks for it. Itll be-
The other soldier cut off suddenly as an arrow caught him in the throat.
Bliss washed over Liz as she felt the mana surging back to her passive skills and she aimed for her best efficiency options to turn back on as she hoped to restore her mana pool while the confusion was high.
The ambush struck Liz as being perfect. The canceler wasnt the only one to fall in the opening moments, and panic spread among the soldiers swiftly.
Liz didnt have the mana for [Chainmail] but she was far from defenseless, and the unwitting fools had restricted her with chains. She was literally [Chainbound] in that moment, so she felt like she wouldve gotten a prize had she not updated her class.
She made her first ever use of [Fate-Linked Mana Regeneration] and frowned at the miniscule increase it gave. If she had to guess, the benefit was one percent or less.
[*ding* [Fate-Linked Mana Regeneration] has leveled up! 1 -> 2]
She silenced her notifications and mentally wished for a reminder to shorten the notifications for those skill names in particular.
The chains around her wrists popped open without the need for a key, as did all the chains on the children she could get in reach of the instant she was free.
She gathered up all the chains around her arms and torso as supplemental material for a future use of [Chainmail] as she delivered a kick to the gate of the prison wagon.
The entire convoy of soldiers was in chaos. Mist had gathered among the trees around the road and dark figures could briefly be seen weaving in and out of view, bows and spears being used in both directions as Skills propelled a ranged engagement all around her.
The first of the captors she ran into after hopping from the wagon went down with a sharp axe kick as stone and gravity descended in a combined force.
[*ding* You have slain a [Triple Agent] - Mirage Lvl 287, [Gifted Swordsman] - Fire Lvl 253!]
Liz grimaced at the first class name, wondering who they were working for to get that class.
She made sure the immediate area was clear and then began to usher the children out of the wagon and towards the woods.
The older boy shed spoken to before led the way as Liz remained to undo the remaining iron chains as the dozen young humans and gnolls bolted.
As Liz turned to follow the kids, she felt a presence in her [Awareness] coming towards her rapidly, making her whip around.
Directly into a gauntleted first that hit her chest harder than even Arlyens brutal training strikes. She landed in the scrap metal of the prisoner wagon. The makeshift armor of chains shed wrapped around her body being all that kept the metal from tearing into her skin.
Forever grateful to have her regeneration back, she forced air into her lungs as she glared at the leader of her captors.
[Warrior - 509]
She grimaced. This was not at all the same as the smuggler leader.
A trained professional at killing would be above her few weeks of skill even if their levels and stats happened to be equal, whichbased on the impact shed takenthey were not.
She was in mortal peril, and the man had a fury in his eyes.
Gotta say, kid, youre a hell of a liar. Best I think Ive ever seen fore. Thought I knew what every low level conning skill looked like in action. His accent had shifted a bit since their prior talk, and now he spoke in a more rough manner that wouldnt befit his original soldier-ish persona.
I spent over a decade acting and that was all without skills from the system. Im quite confident in myself, really.
An arrow came towards the mans head from behind and immediately vanished into a tiny sphere of swirling darkness as it got close to him.
She noted the automatic defense skill that had to have been some sort of dark element. She inspected his eyes for signs of an advanced element but saw none.
Just Dark, then. A physical [Warrior] was fine by her, but the Dark element made getting close for her martial arts a risky move. He might well just delete her fist from existence if her Vitality wasnt enough.
She studied his stance with interest, noting the sword he hadnt chosen when hed struck her a brief moment before.
She settled into her stance for [Martial Arts] and covertly readied her [Elegant Chains] after slipping them out of storage behind her hack.
She darted forward, then activated [Fate-Linked Vitality] for the first time as she lashed out with her stone fist.
The man just stood there, expecting her attack to be swallowed by his automatic defensive skill.
That didnt happen.
In a flash, her fist reached his chest through the dark hole hed created, launching the leader back towards the mist where the ambushers waited.
Her eyes widened as she realized her hand hadnt taken any damage. She frowned and looked at her [Fate-Linked Vitality] skill. It had only been active or the second her fist had connected with the defensive skill, but it had protected her.
She turned and rushed in the direction the kids had all run in, this time activating the Vitality skill again and watching her stats like a hawk.
[Vitality: 6,618]
It had momentarily doubled the stat. If her timing had been off by much, she would have suffered as much damage as the arrow had. She felt supremely lucky.
The kids couldnt have gone far, but she had almost no visibility.
The sight of blood on the ground sent a shiver through her spine. She sped up in her rush to catch up with them.
She finally used [Chainmail] to mold the chains shed taken into a quick iron shirt of linked chains.
The Mist cleared suddenly as she emerged into a small clearing with a ring of odd mushrooms around it. The children all huddled together next to a large boulder in the center of the clearing.
[*ding* [Awareness] has been upgraded to [Combat Awareness]!]
She frowned at the notification that hadnt suppressed itself like shed set them to.
Her system seemed to bug out briefly as well, as the nagging feeling of her skill warning her went off in full force.
She rolled to the side and barely got out of the way when the leader shed sent flying away slammed his sword down on where shed been standing.
[Combat Awareness: Sense presences around you, and detect incoming attacks. -150 Mana Regeneration]
The description seemed a little fuzzy to her, like static.
Shed gotten lucky, mostly. The new skill had warned her of the direction of the danger and the approaching presence of the unusually fast man. She realized he was a speedster-type combattant.
She knew without a doubt that his stats were higher, and the hit from before had been his assumption that shed injure herself.
Really, you are full of surprises. Howd you even survive that attack you tried?
Liz studied the man before replying, I didnt just try. What, did I collapse a lung?
His expression soured. She could read the pain in his expression with ease.
This wasnt supposed to happen at all. If that pissant hadnt broken his word, Id be selling you to the highest bidder within the week.
Liz bristled at the idea of being sold off like property. She was no stranger to selling her skills, attaching monetary value to her time, or allowing her manager to make some of those decisions for her. But she would never belong to anyone but herself. The concept turned her veins to fire and her mind to a blazing fury.
Id like to see you try.
He moved.
She lost sight of him, only to catch [Combat Awareness] informing her of a presence to her left and an attack in motion as he rounded her to strike at her back.
Her silver chain wrapped around his sword as she pushed [Fate-Linked Vitality] to increase the stat [Elegant Chains] ran on.
She pivoted and lashed out with a blade formed from stone on her left hand.
The attack sailed through empty space as the speedster began to harry her from all directions, each time using her skills and [Combat Awareness] to repel him.
How long will your mana hold out?
The question prompted Liz to check.
[Mana: 6,597/23,880]
She felt a grin spread over her face that even her acting skills couldnt suppress. Her mana had been steadily going up since she got free of the canceler.
I can do this forever if you wanna try me.
He glowered at her, and then resumed their dance of death.
It wasnt long until Liz noticed the change. Her silver chain, though not the gold ones, began to bite into the metal of the captors sword, leaving small nicks in the blade, and she kept getting better at countering him. It wasnt just her stats, either. She could feel [Tenacity of Stone] urging her to adapt to his methods and speed as she drew upon the part of the skill that came from [Adaptable].
After some time of their deadlock, the man finally seemed to be unwilling to damage his sword any further.
Her fists had never reached him, nor her kicks, but her blocks were always there, ready for him at every turn. She could certainly feel that shed been leveling from their fight, and eventually [Combat Awareness] began to inform her of figures at the edge of the expanding range of the skill, and she briefly noted the audience she had. She hoped these would be friendly people, as her cover story wouldnt be so useful anymore.
The children all watched on with rapt attention, unwilling to run back into the Mist outside the clearing.
The leader of her captors finally pulled back to a distance, glaring at her.
One day, I will kill you.
Huh? But why? Whats even the point of targeting me? Im just defending myself here!
The man darted for the edge of the clearing in a pulse of dark energy, slipping into the Mist and blurring from sight before anyone could react.
Liz got one final glimpse with [Identify] before he reached the edge of the clearing.
[Warrior - 512]
She fought the urge to put her face in her palms as she realized hed gained the levels needed to get his third class from fighting her. She let out a sigh and prayed quickly to Seira.
Seira,
I dont have much time right now, but could you please ensure that man doesnt haunt me with some [Eternal Vengeance] skill or something?
-Liz
The prayer took a couple thousand mana, so she hoped it was a wish that could be granted.
She grumbled at not getting to finish him off as she approached the kids while the ambushers strode into the clearing, the Mist thinning as the skill that had created it was disabled.
How are you all doing? Anyone hurt?
One of the smaller kids was behind the cluster of the rest, lying injured on the ground with an arrow in his abdomen.
Hey! She yelled out at the ambushers and started tagging each with [Identify] to look for a medic. This kid needs healing!
Her shout prompted one of the hooded figures to bolt from the clearing in the direction she hoped help would be in. The kids were what was left of her memories of Heron Lake. She would protect them in Sylvestres memory.
Help only took a few brief moments to arrive as tearful children were shooed away by a tall, slim man carrying a woman at literal Lightning speeds.
The woman leapt from his arms immediately and inspected the child briefly before Liz could stop her. She got a bad feeling from the young woman, who didnt seem much younger than Liz herself was.
Im Elina. A [Priestess] of Seira. Ill help ensure this child makes it back to a [Healer].
Lizs feeling got worse when she saw the swirls of darkness in the [Priestess]s eyes.
[Priestess - 157]
Then, oddly, Ice began to form over the childs wound as Elina removed the arrow.
Im a Decay and Ice [Priestess] with the ability to temporarily numb pain and stop injuries from worsening before they can get help. As I said, Im Elina, and you are?
Liz. She felt dumb at giving such a brief response to an introduction, but she wasnt in a friendly mood.
You should join up with us! I heard your skills were amazing for your level! Were trying to restore the Justiciary after the attacks in all the cities. Elina seemed like a military recruiter to Lizs suspicious gaze.
Id rather not. Liz replied with a hesitant tone of voice that showed how far she was from anything resembling trust. Plus, there was a lot to unpack from that statement.
Oh but Id quite appreciate if you did. At least come see where we are based in this region, if only for the safety of the children. There was a slimy male voice that sent a shiver down Lizs spine directly behind her, totally missed by [Combat Awareness].
She turned to see nothing at all.
Im over here! The voice sounded amused, but still like a snake.
Liz whipped around to find a human with the stereotypical getup and build of a [Mage] at Elinas side. He had the cloudy eyes of a person with the Mist element, and based on the sound of his voice, he also had a Sound element. She was finding a lot of advanced element classers lately.
[Leader - 738]
Liz stifled her panic and nodded. Fine. I cant just wander the wilderness with a bunch of children. I hope youre not the sort of crowd that would mistreat kids. Hopes all I have in this situation anyway.
Oh no, not only them. Miss [Priestess], if you want revenge for what happened to Heron Lake, I can use someone of your talent and potential. Your body is quite remarkable. Id love the opportunity to see how your power grows. The slimy mans voice came from all around her, but at the same time, only she reacted to hearing it.
She didnt see much of a choice, but at least she could buy herself time. There was no way a decade of Hollywood experience wouldnt teach her how to placate this particular type of manipulative prick.
Lead the way.
Part 11 - Order in the Dark
Part 11 - Order in the Dark
Liz was having a bad few days. Shed been in her class-up straight through the destruction of Heron Lakes little town. Shed been abducted alongside many other low level children that had been taken, likely to be sold as slaves.
Shed been immobilised via canceler skills, which was one of her biggest fears ever since arriving and learning of their existence.
Shed been punched really hard by a classer way above her level, which was never fun, and her pain setting let her know just how badly that was going to bruise. Only her stacked defensive skills and Vitality had prevented her from breaking multiple bones.
Then shed been voluntold to join a very sketchy group of so-called freedom fighters who were trying to reclaim the Justiciary.
Really, how long could she have missed while classing up?
It sounded like something that would take weeks or months to happen, but when skills and stats got involved, apparently a military force could root out an entire country within days.
It was a nightmare. She was supposed to be protected while classing up, under complete security and entirely safe. But shed known that wasnt true. People were vulnerable while doing so, and that had been the reason for classing up in safe places while protected by those you could trust. Liz wouldnt trust anyone with that job again. She had no control over how long her class selections took, but from then on, shed find somewhere in complete obscurity to class up.
When theyd left the strange mushroom circle clearing, her system had returned to normal, which struck her as odd, but she had far too much on her mind to care very much about it.
Her mentors were gone. It didnt hurt like her real parents did, but she had pushed off the grief over Sylvestre for almost two days now, and she would have to pray for him while she could. She didnt have the liberty to give him the time he deserved, but she offered a small prayer and promised to offer a full memorial for the entire town at a later date.
Then she resumed focusing on the trek through the woods to the creepy guys home base.
The creepy guys name was Jayce the Faithsent.
He was apparently one of the [Tenet] faction leaders in the country, and hed been out on a trip to another region when the capital city had been attacked and all his political enemies were assassinated.
How very fortunate for him.
She recognized his name. Hed been in the records of Heron Lakes library as the leader of the [Faith and Certainty] faction that Arlyen and Sylvestre opposed. Yet another strike against the man.
The problem was that he was extremely high level and difficult to outright oppose. Regardless of how she felt, he was also a chosen of Seira with a unique class to show for it. Meaning he would also have the stats implied by that.
She also had to consider the children shed been with.
They trudged along, with Liz carrying the injured little boystill young enough to be system lockedalongside the other children. She was thankful theyd been able to keep the child asleep while they made for the nearest [Healer] at the soldiers secret base.
She was rather skeptical of the fact this faction had military secret bases to begin with, and even assuming theyd had them so widespread, it was all far too convenient that Jayce would be in this specific area. Coincidences didnt exist, in Lizs mind.
Even with her combat skills out in the open, she had decided to put on the facade of a trusting and innocent person, just thankful to be saved. Shed hide her earlier animosity behind her relief at being set free later.
She slid her character on like a second skin, then checked her gains from the fight shed had.
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] has leveled up from level 74 to level 80!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +30 Free Stats, +60 Dexterity, +50 Vitality, +60 Speed, +30 Mana, +80 Mana Regeneration, +50 Magic Power, +50 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Fates Shackles] has leveled up from level 34 to level 39!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +4 Free Stats, +6 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +10 Vitality, +2 Speed, +5 Mana, +5 Mana Regeneration, +4 Magic Power, +4 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Magic Power from your element!]
[*ding* [Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange], [Earth Authority], [Earth Manipulation], [Tenacity of Stone], [Mental Partitioning], [Martial Arts], [Combat Awareness], [Roll with the Punches] and [Learning] have remained capped! 74 -> 80]
[*ding* [Rigid Body] has leveled up! 36 -> 44]
[*ding* [Chain Proficiency], [Elegant Chains] and [Chain Reinforcement] have remained capped! 34 -> 39]
[*ding* [F-L Vitality] has leveled up! 1 -> 10]
[*ding* [F-L Mana Regeneration] has leveled up! 1 -> 6]
[*ding* [Identify] has leveled up! 51 -> 58]
[*ding* [Imaginative] has leveled up! 48 -> 53]
[*ding* For attaining level 80 as an [Acrobatic Templar of Seira], [Combat Awareness], [Martial Arts] and [Roll with the Punches] may be merged to create the class skill [Earth Shattering Arts]!]
[Earth Shattering Arts: Your unarmed attacks strike with the force of earthquakes, sundering the earth as your enemies fall around you. Take this skill and put your Earth magic martial arts to the most devastating use they can achieve, all while establishing a personal zone of control in which you, the martial artist, are the solitary peak. -10,000 mana regeneration]
She thought about the new skill, saw no downsides in it, and accepted it.
The changes were instantaneous. It wasnt as if she could see all around her, but she just knew of everything around her that moved.
Shed not been abducted with footwear, and had been using a sheet of stone for her left foot that clung to her sole instead. Both feet seemed to glide across the earth, ignoring all obstacles and feeding her information of the solidity of her footing upon the ground. She felt at one with the earth beneath her feet and assured by how it welcomed her like a soft carpet.
Every sharp stone or unstable foothold met her with the same softness and comfort. It was heavenly. She even felt sleeping on the floor would be her new choice. Shed gotten the class [Beloved of Earth] as her second base class, and now she could feel what that mustve meant.
This new skill wasnt just about a combat style, it had been an art formed in harmony with the fury of the Earth element. She couldnt wait to test out the combat applications.
She shook her head slightly and focused on any downsides.
And she found one right away. The range of the presence sensing effects within her zone of control was quite short before the sheer overflow of information became too much for her. She could feel the movement of every leaf of every small bush. She couldnt find a way to diminish the sensitivity, and she could tell the skill didnt want her to diminish her senses by force. It urged her to embrace the beautiful flow of nature. She could sense the order and chaos in balance, one giving way to another, and knew why it had been in her divine class.
Her [Tenet of Equivalent Exchange] embodied the balance of forces in their entirety.
A smile crossed her face as she kept her mind open, feeling shed eventually get used to the information overflow. She even had General Skill slots open again, so she could solve it with something that way if needed. She closed her eyes and allowed the skill to guide her as she walked briskly across the fair soil, slightly giving up on her theoretical future flight ability plans.
The skill was both a headache and a freeing sensation. Except she had disabled headaches through her pain skill, so all she had was that vague feeling of overflowing sensory input.
She put that out of her mind for the time being and smiled at the boy who was giving her a strange look as he walked beside her.
She could admit it was creepy that she could see him shiver and pull away when she smiled at him with her eyes still closed.
Back to the skill downsides.
This was clearly not her own invented style, but rather something shed attained through her skills and affinity for the element. Which meant the system driven moves involved in the skill would be new and entirely different from what shed been internalizing from [Martial Arts]. It was like switching from Karate to Judo without taking the time to learn how to actually use the moves in a fight.
She was already formulating a plan in her head for new exercises and kata.
Shed have to think about it more later. She was able to feel the texture of the earth beneath her feet shifting as cavities and rooms were hidden underground in the area.
Not even a minute later, their guides were drawing back a sheet of leafy camouflage from over a massive bunker door set into a hill and disguised as a boulder covered in moss and foliage.
She sucked in her breath as she felt the facilities beneath her feet and realized it was more like a full military base, housing at least two dozen different moving things inside. The group that escorted her and the children had numbered a dozen more, making the force somewhat formidable.
Welcome to the Shelter. Elina seemed happy to bring Liz to her new club of literal underground paramilitary forces. The girl was the lowest level of the squad that had saved her, and Liz mentally wrote it off as being excited to not be the runt of the litter anymore.
I would love to welcome you with open arms. The creepy man spoke through his sound magic as seemed to be his usual. But we need to ensure everyone who enters is not a spy or threat. We lost our agent inside that last group during the fight, so we are losing talented operatives that take years to train. Liz suppressed a flinch at the memory of the [Triple Agent] she had killed in the battle, whod been moving towards the wagon she and the kids were in.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Just get this kid a healer. Poor thing has been in enough pain. She wondered where her empathy was coming from, but stuffed the musing down, ignoring the emotion she couldnt allow herself to have.
The group slowly began to trickle into the base through the opened bunker door, where Liz could vaguely feel them lining up before entry.
Jayce slipped into the base and waved for her to enter, I will allow the child to skip the security verifications to see a healer. Let us make haste, young [Priestess].
Liz hadnt opened her eyes in a while. Keeping them closed was helping her process less information at once with her new skill. However, she almost tripped upon entering when her feet settled on the metal frame of the bunker doorway, she opened her eyes in a panic as her connection to the earth simply shut off.
She couldnt even suppress the small whimper she let out at the feeling of disconnection. Then the bliss returned when her feet landed upon the stonework within the bunker. She was not looking forward to a requirement to be walking while connected to the earth, but the feeling was worth it.
The kids all gave her awkward looks as they hesitated to enter, but she gestured inside with a tilt of her head. I know how this all seems, but I like our odds better within reach of food than the odds out in the wilderness. And this kid definitely needs a [Healer] before any of us will need food. Ill do my best to protect you all, for what it''s worth.
The children each shyly made their ways inside and into the security checkup lines as Liz strode forth, following after Jayce and skipping the line to enter.
The child in her arms hadnt stirred at all since theyd begun their march, and the chill of Elinas Ice skill had made it hard to tell if the boy was even alive. Shed been able to feel his breathing, but someone being that cold while system-locked didnt seem safe to her. She had to put faith in Elinas skills that she simply didnt feel at the time.
~ ~ ~
Liz handed off the boy to a [Healer] without any fuss, then followed Jayce into what looked like an office after passing at least fifty private living spaces and half that many training halls.
The office was a feminine affair, full of flowers illuminated by some skill from one of the Light elements, as well as lavish displays of jewelry and gemstones. Liz had to admit, she liked the overall impression for an underground lair, and she guessed the humidity of the air was good for the plants.
Welcome. A distinctly female voice spoke.
Uh Hello? Liz was surprised as she turned in circles to look around her.
Indeed. I am Faythe. Many call me the Yamanobori in my homeland.
Liz finally turned to look at the creepy guy who was the rooms only other occupant.
Youre just what is going on here? She was truly stumped and had to carefully keep a grip on her character role.
Faythe the Faithsent wouldve been a terrible moniker, no? I am the true face of Jayce.
Then the creepy mans appearance changed, revealing a pale skinned woman with fox ears in a distinctly Japanese style of clothing, covered in the depictions of beautiful plum blossoms.
I have many reasons for the facade I wear. Misdirection. Protection. Manipulation. Leadership. My skill allows me to place Mirages over my subordinates and allows me to see through their eyes when they will it. A careful selection of those with the correct physique and the Sound element allows me to be in many places at once with only a high mana cost. In truth, all of these military sites are places my subordinates allow me to control directly. However
Liz turned to face the sensation of the footsteps behind one of the walls, and then the stone of the wall appeared to split apart as a fox-eared woman almost identical to the one over the man whod been Jayce entered.
Again, she was a beauty to behold, with auburn hair and rainbow rings around her piercing red eyes. The only difference to the image over the mans body was that this Faythe was under five feet tall.
[Leader - 738]
For your case, I am here in the flesh. Now, I would like to negotiate with you, Miss Liz of [Equivalent Exchange]. Your [Tenet] is that of the hero of Lady Seiras chosen. Every time one has been given that bestowal, theyve gone on to do great things. My mother was one, and she is why I follow the goddess myself.
Liz frowned inwardly. The woman was a master of manipulation. Her appearance here may not even be real, and all her skill told her was that there was a person there. The feeling wasnt defined enough to get exact features. And yet, everything was being calculated to establish a foundation of trust in this fox girl, and Liz had seen these styles of manipulation more than once in Hollywood.
What would you like to negotiate? I do hope youll care for the children regardless of my choices. That shouldnt affect your willingness to care for innocent kids. She resigned herself to a dodgy conversation in which shed have to make no snap decisions. The least she could do was remove the kids as a bargaining chip in their parlay. Liz also had to get information out of the fox girl as well, hopefully about what her [Tenet] would do if she finally repaid the debt the skill mentioned.
About an alliance. You see, my faction was always a paper tiger. I built these bases and had no means to properly staff them until now. Careful political choices were made to push back the Immortal War that was close to beginning. By giving the nations a target, I have created a situation in which Order may reign for a bit longer. Now the Justiciary no longer needs to maintain diplomacy, and our agents may foster stability around the globe without the messy ordeals of politics. For this, I wish to create an elite force of unique servants of the goddess.
Involving what sort of actions on the global scale? Liz felt her eyes narrowing slightly, a crack in her character. She smoothed her expression back into a contemplative one, but she had a feeling her reaction was caught.
Of course youre suspicious of me. Lady Seira put you in the care of two from the [Natural Order] faction. They are willing to wait out the impending war and aid in the rise of Order anew. It is true that the wars are inevitable, and offer chances for explosive level gains. But they need not be so chaotic and destructive.
She placed me in their care for a reason, Id imagine. She is boundlessly wise, after all.
Of that there is no doubt. Heron Lake is a peaceful place with accepting values. The capital of the Justiciary is still run by men, mostly, and gnolls above all others. It is the reason I used a male visage for my proxies. You would have been killed before you could be a danger had I not suppressed news of you from reaching the heads of the other factions.
How would you even figure out when a new [Tenet] bestowal happened? Liz phrased the question without an admission.
When my agent in Heron Lake informed me of your arrival, I was already suspicious, but in the capital there is an old obelisk inscribed with the words of the goddess faithful. Every active [Tenet] glows upon the obelisk. The very reason I have so many body doubles. One can simply check at any time to see if I have been successfully assassinated. I have lived for centuries and have no interest in meeting my end anytime soon. Now, I would beg your assistance.
Liz was having trouble reading the woman. She appeared to be a young girl, and yet her expressions were those of a mature, confident manipulator. No person would mistake her for a child after seeing that expression.
Order is seeing its wane at long last. By carefully controlling the movements of key figures around the world, an immortal war can be held back for some years yet. For this, elite individuals will be needed. Elina is a volunteer with a unique skill set, but her dual advanced elements at such a young age, likely a gift from Lady Seira, make her an excellent candidate. I would ask you to be another.
Liz chewed her lip in actual thought, mulling over the idea as she started pacing back and forth.
On one hand, she could receive elite training and all the military facilities shed seen on her way to the office.
On the other, this was the leader of the opposing faction of her mentors. Based on circumstantial evidence, Liz was somewhat certain this woman had at least sparked the conflict that had gotten Sylvestre killed, and possibly Arlyen as well.
Arlyen wouldnt have lost to those random soldiers, though. Even she had gone toe to toe with the leader of the attackers. Arlyens divine class was in the four hundreds.
Liz could sense it. Shed been abandoned. Regardless of the reason, the gnoll had left her behind and now she was at the mercy of a very high level person who was a master of manipulation.
She didnt see a way out if she declined. Best case, theyd keep her in the bunker under supervision with the kids and not risk her letting the location of the bunker slip. Worst case, theyd kill her to be absolutely sure.
May I ask what makes my [Tenet] so powerful or unique? Why do you want me so badly that youd come here in person?
Of course. Every person bestowed with the [Tenet of Equivalent Exchange] has achieved divinity. Well, allow me to amend that. Every person that anyone has heard of with that [Tenet] has achieved divinity. There could be others who simply died before they were acknowledged.
Not exactly reassuring to hear that. Liz had very few choices in the circumstance shed found herself in, and she got the feeling her goal should be to bargain for the highest rewards rather than roll over in defeat.
I have conditions. The first of those is that I refuse to have anyone dictate what my choices of skills and classes will be. Liz hedged her bets that starting reasonable might be the right move, to reciprocate the idea of building trust.
I agree. Your unique constitution makes your path highly unorthodox, but well worth allowing you to make your own choices. I, however, will make myself available to give advice on anything you do need to deliberate upon in the future, of course. The woman almost sounded grandmotherly, of all things.
Second, resources. I need access to a wide range of both facilities and materials for my goals as well as training. I may even need specific teachers for certain fields. Modifying my body may require me to learn the arts of biomancy. My unique constitution, as you put it, is included in the healing I receive, meaning I may need that [Permanence] skill I have heard about.
Hmm. Earth and Metal, with a focus on self enhancement. Gemstone body modifications? That will be expensive, but well within reason for one with your potential. Making yourself literally one with your element is a fast track to [Gemstone Spirit]. A future I would find very intriguing to witness.
Something tells me I wont be given full information on what youd be sending me to do. If possible, Id rather be kept informed of as much information as you can manage. Ive never been offered a stealth related skill, likely because of my unique constitution, so I want you to be aware Ill make a terrible assassin if that was what you had in mind. Liz let a bit of an edge drip into her voice at the last part, feeling it would be a troublesome direction for her life.
The woman laughed at her. Uproariously.
Dear girl, an assassin hardly needs many levels in most circumstances. They are a dime a dozen. What we need are people who can halt an army for weeks on end, delay combat for long periods of time while clearer heads prevail. The worst assassination you might do is of soldiers set to raid a town of innocents, as youve just experienced. To halt a war you need time. I plan for you to buy me that time.
Liz let out a sigh. She somehow felt like she was getting a less than complete picture of things. Final condition. Youre not going to like it, but Seira has already promised me a divine mission in the future. It should be obvious that nobody should impede my completion of it.
Many a [Paladin] or [Priestess] has been tasked with slaying dragons over the years. I know of none who have succeeded. Be careful of leaping into a divine mission. They often will be the end of your mortal life, and should be saved until you are ready to meet your end. And know this. If you ever come to face one of those winged terrors, you should run. The apex creatures end countries in hours. Even the Guardians fall before their might. Be careful of those divine missions. I may require your services until the war becomes reality. I do not intend on occupying your life beyond these years of strife.
I see. Ill keep that in mind. Last thing. Why are you really here, in this region in particular, as the country falls around you? Liz stopped pacing and stared at the short fox girl.
I am a member of Nyxs line of vampires. I remain here most times, keeping vigil over the distorted portal my mentor and master disappeared into, thanks to Arlyens mistake. The venom in the womans words was palpable.
Liz was nearly bowled over. Vampires had their teeth in the leadership of the Justiciary. She had brief flashes of different vampire stories and movies throughout her time as an actress. She bit back her mounting fear. Suddenly the underground bunker made a lot more sense.
Ill be adding another condition to my list. Id like to not be assaulted in any way while in your care.
The fox vampire gave a cute little giggle. Humans are so very adorable at times. Do not worry, my master owed a great debt to humanity for the earliest years after Creation. I have taken up his goal to protect humanity in his absence. My needs for sustenance are more than satisfied already by willing subordinates.
She reached into a wooden cabinet hidden beneath one of the rows of raised flower beds, taking out two bottles and a pair of glasses.
Join me for a toast? Yours wont be blood wine, of course.
Part 12 - Manipulation
Part 12 - Manipulation
Elizabeth found herself in a new home in the blink of an eye.
Not the warm stonework of the church shed grown steadily more accustomed to, nor the damp tropical air of her recent training grounds.
Being underground, the military facility was cool and remained that way. The change was frigid at first, and even as she thought shed grow used to it, her body didnt give up the shivering reaction as she left her new bed each day.
Shed been given no training by the personnel of the facility for the week shed been there, and groups of eight to a dozen would leave periodically, leaving the facility strangely oversized for the occupants. The only population to remain in the base constantly were the families of a few of the team members. They were part of why the maximum occupancy was so high, in theory.
In practice, the entire base was meant to be a bunker for an Immortal War and could house nearly a thousand people if packed like sardines. Feeding the people? The complex could reasonably accommodate a few hundred, not counting all the other things that could, and would, go wrong. Air quality stuck out to Liz, being fully aware of what could happen in an enclosed space when people started using up the air. The complex would be a nightmare to keep running if too many people found out and flocked to the bunker when things got particularly bad.
Something else had stuck out to her during her stay, though. Her new [Martial Arts] variant was allowing her to feel through the stone around her, and she could sense some areas that felt slightly wrong in some of the walls. They were signs that matched with Faythes ability to move through stone like water. If Liz was getting the distances right on how widespread they were, then it meant the fox woman had something like a personal mansion deep below the actual military base itself. Funny how the powerful could live in luxury through the end times like that.
By her eighth day, shed long given up on staying alone each night. The children were scared, mournful and lost. The least she could do was allow them to stay with her for the night. When the first girlinterestingly the oldest of the bunch at fifteen, Jessicahad come to her door in the night, shed been hesitant, but caved after a few tearful expressions were cast her way.
Within the week, shed simply given up and brought multiple of the facilitys cots into one of the larger vacant dorms and pushed them all together to create one massive sleeping space for the group.
From then on, she slept in a stiflingly warm bed, buried under sleeping little kids.
With few exceptions.
Most notably, the older boy whod spoken to her in the cart, named Mason, had somehow been recruited when she wasnt looking. Hed ended up in his own rotation of the coming and going soldiers, having started training the day after theyd arrived.
Liz had to admit she was going a little stir-crazy, and with none of the personnel of the facility interested in taking her on after the first incident while pursuing a training partner, shed been relegated to solo physical exercise, which was not helping her levels.
Faythe had been around periodically, simply walking through solid stonework like it was water, and shed told Liz to be patient about things. Liz had never appreciated the horror genre, and therefore, the vampire lady terrified her. Vampire movies did not instill a sense of the possibility for friendship with the undead creatures. She did have to admit, however, that Faythe didnt seem to actually be undead. She also knew vanishingly little about immortals in Pallos, other than that they existed and always had a curse, with the noted exception of phoenixes, which was a fascinating side comment from Sylvestre in their earliest conversations.
Patience wasnt on Lizs personality bingo card since arriving on Pallos, though.
Shed taken to helping the children learn languages with her universal translation ability.
Half of them were literate to begin with, thanks to Heron Lake having excellent educational systems in place. It made things easier when she could simply convey the meaning of things verbally regardless of how she phrased it. Shed been an awful teacher on Earth, but suddenly if she said something, even in a convoluted way, her ability simply conveyed the idea in the least confusing manner, and Liz couldve sworn she got the oddly internal impression of annoyance when shed been testing the limits of the skill. A feeling distinctly different from herself.
On that eighth day, however, Mason had gone with the soldiers on their outing. The boy was around fourteen, but was far too young for going off to wage war, in her eyes.
Each of the kids had their own little quirks, and she quickly got to know them over little bedtime stories from her own creative imagination.
Jessica, the oldest of the girls, was one of four siblings. Jared and Jenna had both been in the prisoner wagon together and remained close and comforting for one anotherthough Jenna seemed distraught most of the time. The tiny girl was only five years old, so it was understandable, but when Liz learned the poor girl had a twin brother that had been separated from them, she filed the information away and vowed to search for their missing sibling when she had the chance, and decided she would pressure Faythe into the search the next time the monster turned up.
Selenia was barely eight years old, and was from a family of moon goddess worshippers. She was extremely close with Lydia, nicknamed Luna, who was eleven years old. The pair were inseparable, and Liz could swear the two seemed closer than usual friends. She later found out they had an insanely rare companion bond. Arlyen had one with her mount, the massive kun-peng, and those bonds were hard enough to foster with pets. Selenia had barely even unlocked, but something about their special bond gave a sliver of happiness back to Lizs frayed heart.
Esran was nine and was friends with the boy whod been hit by a stray arrow during their escape. Hed been staying by Redixs side ever since the injury to the six year old, trying to help him get his liveliness back after the shock of the severe injury. Poor thing hadnt been himself ever since he woke back up, and had been the second notable exception to the group who joined her each night for bedtime stories.
The last three were no less enigmas of their own.
Ivara was only five, but smarter than their entire group combined. She picked up languages with a frightening efficiency, spotting patterns and creating her own study lessons like they were all that was left of her life, which was not an inaccurate perspective. The other kids had no idea a system locked child could be so gifted without skills, and a few thought she mightve been a changelingsome sort of fey creaturesince theyd not seen her out to play in town before. In truth, she was apparently shy and hadnt left home much.
Coryn was so shockingly normal that it was abnormal. At nine years old, Liz could tell he had some sort of skill that shifted his appearance and overall vibe into one of complete mundanity. He was sneaky and easy to overlook. Also, always the first one out of bed in the morning to go stealing food from the facility kitchens.
Lastly was poor Bromwyn. The boy was eleven, and completely in childhood crush mode for Lydia, or rather Luna. He refused to use her nickname, and was an awkward kid. Problem was, there was no room for anyone in Lunas eyes except for Selenia. A doomed first love would either break the kids spirit or turn him into a champion. Liz secretly couldnt wait to see where the slice of childhood drama would go.
For Elizabeths part, she began filing away different false identities in her head, slipping into the character and, with an [Imaginative] use of [Mental Partitioning], she split those tiny personas of herself into characters for future use.
[*ding* [Imaginative] has leveled up! 53 -> 55]
After about two weeks since theyd arrived, Liz had her first argument of real importance with Faythe.
Mason had come back from an outing missing an arm.
She couldnt hold back her fury, and the argument had resulted in a mild physical confrontation in which Liz had received her first taste of powerful mirages used as hallucinations.
[Identify] could be used to see through mirages in most cases, but Faythes divine class and bestowal from Seira had fixed that flaw. Liz had only succeeded in destroying the office space where shed finally found the little fox-girl vampire before she finally got herself under control.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Shed finally broken the sleep schedule the church had put her into, and used her skills to tunnel out of the facility to cool her head. The children would have to do without her that night, it seemed.
The area outside was warm and humid, so no cooling off was going to actually happen.
After a while of staring up at the baleful twin slit-eye moons, she finally heard footsteps approaching.
Im sorry. Faythe began.
Oh, are you? Lizs temper flared as if no time had passed.
It was at his own insistence. My agents have been searching for the rest of the children from Heron Lake, and Mason insisted he could help find Jax for Jessicas family. Those children are from the Eladria family, so theyre related to some nobles in the west. The soldiers who took Jax found out, and are ransoming the boy. My men attempted a rescue of the child, but were ambushed. Im sorry. Faythe actually had an expression of guilt on her face.
You knew it would be dangerous, and you still sent a kid to a warzone. You want me to trust you, but how can I? It shouldve been me out there, but instead youve been trying to keep me locked up here, shackled to the kids. Liz knew master level manipulation when she saw it. Faythe had calculated that if Liz spent more time with the kids, shed take on guardianship over them. That shed start to feel responsible for their safety.
You need to start finding safe homes for them. At least give them a choice of their own. Im not willing to keep playing your games with them in the middle. At a minimum, return Jessica, Jared and Jenna to their actual family. The rest are orphans, so if they sign up for this life, I can only try to protect them, but I wont let innocent children get hurt because you''re trying to play me like a fiddle.
Whats a fiddle? Faythes question almost brought Liz back to anger. Sorry, not important. The boy is fourteen. Militaries begin training their recruits at that age. I honestly felt he had the right to make his own choice. Hes the one who came to us.
Send me out instead. If he really wants to fight, hell need to train more and until hes ready, Ill take his place. Liz knew she was walking into the baited trap, but she wasnt about to watch a kid go to war if she could do something to stop it.
You seem to think the worst of me. Im not sure exactly where your animosity stems from, but if you wish for me to be the calculating person you think I am, how do you think I should consider your choice a fair exchange? Your life is infinitely more valuable to me than that of an orphan. Why should I agree to risk your life over someone far more expendable?
Because nobody you trust can train me right now, so the only way to make me stronger is to put me into real, live fights. Liz started to grind her teeth as she glowered at the vampire who turned and stalked away, tail swishing through the undergrowth as she stalked away without another word.
The operation to save Jax previously had been spoiled by a soldier whod gotten drunk before the operation began.
Rather, that was the official story.
In truth, Faythe had informed Liz about the possibility of a spy among the facilitys teams.
She thought back to the [Triple Agent] shed killed when she and the children had been freed. It made sense that no organization tended to exist without moles getting in.
Her first meeting with the group she was being attached to began the very next morning, on a very limited amount of sleep.
The meeting room featured maps in all directions, most of them in greater detail than anything Liz had seen on Pallos. Various countries of note in the region were carefully detailed with cities and military targets pinned on every wall. At the center of it all, spread across the table in the room, was a map of incredible detail depicting the Justiciary.
Jayce was heading the small meeting, or rather Faythe in her disguise, assuming that they both werent imposter identities. Alongside the creepy Sound magic user was a slim man with rippling lean muscles in a tight-fitting black suit that looked like athletic wear.
Operatyf Aegis, head of Operatyf Team Iota, meet your newest trial member, Lizha. Jayce started with introductions without a single real name. Clearly, secrets were secrets in this organization.
The odd part in verbal communications using Lizs skill was that she somehow intrinsically knew how things were spelled out as well, even when hearing them verbally. Faythe had an unusual love for the letter Y in things, and Liz was beginning to feel it was some sort of calling card or something.
Weird divine gift quirks aside, Liz had always wanted to be in a spy movie. She just couldnt find the excitement when she knew she was largely there because of Faythes mind games.
Nice to be working with you, Aegis. I hope you dont find me to be a burden.
Hmph. The mans response was both dismissive and rude.
Aegis, she will be a combat asset regardless of how low level she seems. She has the stats to keep up just fine.
Then howd she get captured by those mercs? Respectfully, Commander, I dont need another variable I cant rely on. Aegis was actually being practical given the information he had, and Liz had to relent on that front, given her track record had been spotty at best.
I was classing up when the attack on Heron Lake happened. It was unlucky, but by the time I woke up, I was in a wagon with enough canceler skills on me to almost completely negate my passive skills. Liz decided she should at least be prepared for a long effort to correct the Operatyf Organizations impression of her.
We dont have time for proving everyones abilities to one another right now. We need to figure out how we are going to free Jax Eladria before anything else goes wrong. Jayce was definitely not the right man for calming down a situation. His entire vibe was all different shades of wrong. His voice coming from everywhere and nowhere at once didnt help.
Liz turned her attention to the map, ignoring the calculating looks from Aegis and the blank look of indifference from Jayce. The whole interaction put her on edge and no amount of weird interactions on Earth made her ready for the weirdness of magically weird people. She could think of a few very socially awkward Hollywood personalities, and then if she were to add magic stuff like Sound, Mirage or Mirror elements, everything relatable just broke in her mind.
She quickly studied Aegis again, taking in his fitness vibe, then moving to his blonde hair and eyes shining with the light of a Brilliance element user. The guy looked like a Navy Seal.
[Mage - 458]
Based on the name, the element, and the fact he was a team leader, she could tell he was some kind of support magic user with excellent defensive abilities.
Then all eyes finally fixed on the map.
The child has been moved from a mercenary company into the possession of the Vajra elite force. Jayces words turned Aegis expression even more sour.
That complicates things. How big is this group and where have they holed up?
Who are the Vajra?
Her honest question was met with a sigh from Aegis.
The Vajra are the main forces of the joint army that took over the Justiciary and were left as the occupying force. Theyre a mix of low level forces backed by incredibly high level classers with mountains of combat experience. The elite ones are level five or six hundred, all triple classed. The standard infantry are usually around level three hundred and they outnumber the elites by thirty-two to one. Usually in squads of that many infantry to a single commanding Elite. Jayce gave a brief rundown that made Lizs eyes widen.
How many elites in this mission? Aegis cut in with a look of exasperation at her, before turning to Jayce.
My spies have counted at least three are normally stationed at the site we tracked the boy to.
I dont like where this is going. Why the roundabout phrasing? Aegis seemed to know Jayce surprisingly well.
This will be a two-front operation. There will be a ball held at the operation site. Expecting a lot of foreign dignitaries and even more Vajra Elites to be involved. My fastest spies have sent word from the Dynasties to the east and the Aristocracies to the west. Both regions have multiple countries delegations coming here to try to claim a piece of the pie left behind. At the same time, Jax will be sold off. But not to his family. Hes being negotiated for by a half dozen other nobles who want him as a bargaining chip in their political games. These things happen all the time, so something like this is the perfect opportunity to cut our teeth on some real work to bring order to the mortal countries from behind the scenes.
Aegis shuddered and gave Jayce a cold look. I hate politics. I hate politicians. Why do we have to do this?
Liz finally cut in, with a small grin. Actually, were stopping one of the things that makes politics gross and ugly. We arent getting caught up in political matters, were ruining some political figures days. Also, everything is political in some way. Its unavoidable. Lastly, you work for a politician. She gestured emphatically at the leader of the meeting.
Jayce gave her a hard stare, expression still creepy, but she somehow got the impression that it was Faythe laughing at her, and it manifested as the body double staring at her with an unsettling intensity.
The question is, Lizha can you dance?
Liz rapidly felt the blood drain from her face.
Can I what?
Youll be attending the ball of course. It is in a couple of weeks. You dont have to be flawless, but youll be the distraction while my Operatyf team kidnaps the child and returns the siblings to the Eladria family in secret. Jayce didnt bat an eye as he stared her down.
Aegis shoulders were quivering with repressed laughter as Liz fully considered the idea.
Shed danced. Once.
It was for a scene in a moviewhich had her practicing for monthsand shed done well enough. Or so she thought. Until they replaced the scene with a body double that had professional dancing skills.
She mentally began to panic. The issue wasnt as simple as physical coordination. She had no sense of rhythm! Shed always loved music in her past life, and her voice was something shed trained to a wide range of pitches for a variety of roles, so shed been a bit despondent when her singing just didnt line up with a song right.
Music was something she missed so much she refused to think about it after coming to Pallos. The idea of trying to dance, however, was terrifying. She thought back on the skill offerings shed had when she first chose her General Skill slots.
[Dancing: You have a hopeless inability to keep time and flow alongside the musical arts. If you have any intention of taking up the art of dance, please take this skill before you make an embarrassment of yourself.]
She turned her eyes to the ceiling and sent off a prayer to Seira to ease her seemingly inevitable future suffering.
Part 13 - The Operatyf Organization
Part 13 - The Operatyf Organization
Liz received instruction in a two-fold manner.
The first day, she was informed that she would receive morning training with the members of Team Iota.
That training would begin with a variety of physical exercises, then be followed by one-on-one sparring and mock combat sessions focused on teamwork.
The facility had a long tunnel that Liz had assumed to be an escape passageway based on the density of the stone and the level of reinforcement, but shed been wrong. The tunnel led to a cavernous area the size of a sports field, built to serve as a training field. There, they would use their full capabilities to keep their skillsand Skillshoned to perfection.
Aegis hadnt even bothered with introductions, and Liz barely noticed given her habitual reluctance to give anyone her name. It probably played well with how she wasnt supposed to use her real name anymore. Rather, she was being forced to abandon the nickname shed chosen for herself. Lizha was a random choice by Jayce on the spot, and it wouldnt last long either, once she had her codename for future operations. She just hoped she would get something simple and likeable. There were many awful monikers she could be stuck with. If she got to pick her own, shed pick something like Justice or Judgement, from the Major Arcana.
As their exercises finally began, Liz was placed at the start line of a track that lined the perimeter of the training grounds.
Alright, Lizha, time to get started showing us how much well have to make up for your low levels. Even if you do have a divine class, its only one class, and high stats wont mean much if your actual Skills are shoddy. Run a lap, and well judge it by eye. None of us have a slot to waste on timekeeping skills for teaching recruits. Aegis gave her the most frustrating dose of condescension shed received on Pallos to date.
Right Any limitations? Rules on what I can or cant do to cover the distance? Liz eyed the material of the track with a keen eye. It was made of stone, a perfect chance for her to make him eat crow.
Are you stupid? Just run a damn lap.
That was all the instruction she got.
She just happened to have had a physical training coach in her past life, so her form was scientifically honed to be as aerodynamic as she could be, and shed finally gotten her hands on one of the Operatyf-style tight-fitting outfits like what Aegis had been wearing. Skills even made it form-fit to her body shape.
She got down onto her hands and entered the form a sprinter would use in the olympics.
The hell kinda pose is that? One of the members of Team Iotaholding a bow with a quiver on his backmuttered loudly with a scoff.
The crazy thing about having high Vitality, Speed and Dexterity was that they each compensated for one another. Speed allowed for superhuman performance, while Dexterity allowed your feet to remain firm and deft upon the ground, rather than tripping over yourself. Vitality came in afterwards and modified perception to compensate for the incredible feats of the other two until it would feel like time was matching with your speed to keep a person from crashing into obstacles.
Liz was, effectively, using her magic stats to amplify everything else with explosive bursts of power as her feet hit the stone.
She was beyond shocked when [Earth Shattering Arts] jumped into play like it had always been part of her. Her initial kick off the ground left a small crater in the reinforced stone of the training grounds, and she began tearing down the track with a grin on her face.
The room wasnt quite rectangular in shape, as the corners were slightly rounded, but the issue was that she wasnt a traditional speedster. She didnt have normal skills made for amplifying her speed while running, but she did have the element on her side, and it all worked together to make her a force of nature that risked ruining the grounds if she didnt try to find some way to navigate the corners without hitting the wall or reducing her speed.
She barely even thought about it. She used her momentum to run on the wall as she approached the corner, using all her Skillsnow second nature to herto keep her footing secure as she did so.
After the initial crater, shed started making sure to reinforce the stone beneath her steps to sustain the impact, counteracting [Earth Shattering Arts] as she went. If only her skills hadnt capped, she was sure shed be hearing the dings softly intoning her gains with each carefully explosive footfall.
She even ended her lap with a spinning flip that diverted her momentum into the floor and had her sink waist deep into the stone before she fished herself back out of her earlier crater and fixed the whole area with [Earth Manipulation].
Apparently her class enjoyed her finishing stunt.
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] has leveled up from level 80 to level 81!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +30 Free Stats, +60 Dexterity, +50 Vitality, +60 Speed, +30 Mana, +80 Mana Regeneration, +50 Magic Power, +50 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
Level eighty with that much Speed and Strength? And the Vitality and Dexterity to match? Elina, the only female member of Team Iota, sounded impressed.
Enough stats to leave behind a mess you have to clean up. Aegis groused as the rest of the team all stared at her in abject confusion.
Strength is actually my dump stat. I dont tell people my specific details, but my ability in combat is all a side effect of the stone that makes up a good portion of my body. If were talking mass alone, Im probably more than sixty percent made of stone. Lizs unique circumstances made her almost too well suited to tests of physical power, all thanks to applications of her magical strength.
She decided not to mention that her actual stats were most heavily invested into her Mana Regeneration. If anyone actually saw her stats, theyd likely be deeply confused. It was fun being built like a [Mage] but having the style of a physical combattant.
She drank in the reactions to her performance, though Aegis still seemed to be probing her for flaws. She had them, of course. She just wasnt about to offer up any of them unless they were secretly ones she could navigate around. Her low Strength barely mattered, since she could just use magic skills instead.
How low is your strength stat? Aegis took the bait.
Only two hundred twenty-three right now. Liz gave the exact number. No reason for her to lie about it.
Youre a fool. If you killed anything strong enough to gain a dozen or so levels at once, youd be reduced to almost nothing in an instant.
Ive been investing my Free Stats to shore it up as I go. She had a ton of them, and she hadnt felt like she needed them yet. Shed gotten close to needing them to keep up with the leader of the mercenaries that had abducted her, but [Combat Awareness] had felt like an extremely valuable skill to have at the time, and it had allowed her to punchor rather, defendup in a ridiculous way.
So the crater you made was from a skill? Elina slid into her personal space without a moment of hesitation and began poking and prodding her all over. The Decay [Priestess] didnt give Liz the bad vibes anymore, and she was cute enough, but Liz really didnt like allowing anyone to be that physically close to her. The only being to ever get so close and not make her skin feel like it was crawling was Seira, who just felt right to her. The children didnt countshed been coerced into most of those interactions with puppy-dog eyes.
Liz stepped away from the invasive girl and held up a hand to stop her.
Ill show you. Youll need to know this much at least. Anyone up for being my punching bag?
The entirety of Team Iota looked at her, then at where the crater had been, and failed to volunteer.
Aegis shook his head. We dont go full contact with unknowns in training. Here, Ill make a barrier.
A glittering barrier appeared in the air in front of her, between where she stood and the team watched.
Elina seemed to be about to protest for some reason, but Liz nodded and took up a stance before a word could be uttered.
Liz felt [Earth Shattering Arts] come over her again like she was made for it and it was made for her. The martial forms she had no training with and no real battle experience to use all felt like a flawless piece of her soul as she performed a straight punch at the shimmering wall. Her left footwith its sole coated in a layer of stonekicked down into the ground as her body shifted forward, all muscles from her leg, up her back and into her arm focusing the power into her left fist as it met the sheet of Brilliance.
The world around her exploded, completely enveloping her sight in blinding, burning light.
Her senses that merged with the earth around her told her shed successfully struck the barrier, and that it had definitely shattered on contact.Stolen story; please report.
None of that feedback explained why shed been sent flying and her body had been blasted with white-hot light.
When her vision recovered slightly, she could see Elina over her prone body, using ice magic to soothe what mustve been quite painful burns. Liz had reflexively dialed up her pain skill to ignore the sensations while shed been in the air, so she didnt feel it at all anymore.
She willed herself to stand with her puppet-like magic skills and looked down at herself. The exercise outfit had been seared to nothingness in record time, and she immediately protected her modesty by moving the stone nearby to cover anything scandalous. The action did leave rather gruesome holes behind in the areas the stone had left, which drew a grimace from Elina at the sight.
The training area was a mess, however. From the spot the barrier had been, there was now a cone of scorched stone across the floor covering a good fifty feet, and shed landed some hundred feet away.
Elina stopped trying to keep her from getting up and turned furiously on Aegis.
You know better than to use [Retributive Barrier] on a newbie who has no idea what will happen! What if shed died? The other [Priestess] seemed genuinely angry, and Liz had to admit she felt a bit pleased that someone would stand up for her.
What even was that? Liz cut in before Aegis could come up with his excuses.
Elina obliged her. Aegis isnt just a shielder, he hides Radiance inside his Brilliance barrier skills, and when they get broken, they explode in the direction of the attacker, using the energy applied to the barrier as part of the mana that triggers the skill. High damage single attacks get the worst of it.
Liz tapped a finger to her chin in thought.
She needed a dose of reality. Her overconfidence will get her killed. She should know enough to be careful. Fighting someone who lives for battle isnt something for a low level rookie. Aegis finally got out his excuse with a glare at Elina, likely for spilling secrets about his Skills.
Liz chuckled, drawing all eyes to herself.
My mistake was not having used a defensive skill, I suppose. That said, no pain, despite the burns. She dumped a chunk of mana into [Chainmail] to create a skin-tight mesh of metal chains over her body composed of rhodium-plated gold that glittered under the light of the crystals dotting the ceiling.
She kept the stone shed moved from her body in place around the areas that the chain armor would often pinch, then shrugged.
Elina gave her a look that couldve been exasperation or resignation, then strode towards the tunnel. Ill go get a healer and a new set of clothes.
Thanks. Liz turned towards Aegis. Youre taking things a bit too far, dont you think? Your boss sent you out with a child of fourteen on a dangerous mission, yet youre itching for ways to reject my involvement? Why?
[Priestesses] are always self-important and quick to let their power go to their heads. It gets them killed. I see it in you. Youre strong, Ill grant you that, but youre bound to stumble on a bad match in a fight one day and end up dead because of it. The kid made his choice and signed up for this life with a full acceptance of his place in the hierarchy of the world. People with a lot of power at a low level tend to think theyre invincible and lose their heads. Like I said, a dose of reality. Aegis made a lot more sense than Liz wanted to admit.
Thats what training is for. One way or another, Ill have a divine mission one day and when that time comes, Ill be putting my life at risk no matter how prepared I am. You think Ill die? Im sure I already shouldve. Ever had your entire body feel like it was unmade one atom at a time and then stitched back together? I am well aware of my own mortality, but I have goals to accomplish in my life and promises made before the goddess to keep. I wont reach those achievements without taking risks when I have to. Liz met Aegis eyes with a look of cold determination.
He simply nodded. Fine. If youre going to work with us, youll need to learn how we operate and youll need to know your own weaknesses.
[*ding* Youve unlocked the passive class skill [Templars Conviction]!]
Hell ensued after that, and Liz was run through dozens of exercises meant to train her to function like the organization would. Even without acting skills, her talents continued to shine through and trip up the teams best spy. She could lie flawlessly without any of the common tells that various skills for conning people would ingrain on a person. In effect, her ability to infiltrate a group or community might be one of the best the organization had ever seen, all without a Skill.
She was, of course, both proud and extremely smug about that fact. That led to Aegis putting her into an intense physical training loop of navigating his barriers at their weaker setting, in which bumping into them would detonate them with blinding flashes of light. She would have to carefully navigate the maze of walls, occasionally interspersed with tinier discs of Brilliance that werent touching the ground, and therefore didnt turn up in the sensing area of [Earth Shattering Arts].
The first time shed tried, she hadnt made it more than a few steps in. Her continued attempts had her pirouetting and ducking obstacles until she was too maintain her focus. She was starting to see why fighting Aegis might be a nightmare for anyone who had to get close. There was even a skilled Mirage user in the team that would make the man invisible to hide his position.
On the topic of the team, Elina was back to terrifying Liz to her core. The girl used disgusting strips of decaying and diseased flesh encased in ice to slash at her enemies from a range, with some of the tiny fragments so small they could be inhaled. They spread a flesh eating plague that infected those she cut. She could slip into an enemy location, discreetly infect a group with inhaled ice fragments and slip away, allowing anywhere without access to healers to simply wither away.
Her childhood was surely even more gruesome, not that she shared details on it, but Liz could tell there was a lot to unpack there. Her two classes were so close to one another in level, sometimes shed appear as a [Priestess] with dark, swirling eyes, and other times shed show up as an [Artisan] with snowflakes falling in her irises. The disturbing part to Liz was that she didnt have any class or skills for handling diseases. She needed a source of diseased flesh to work with at the start, then could repurpose her victims as ammunition.
The girl was a macabre piece of work, but her personality was sunny and radiant. It made Elizabeth shudder at the thought.
The rest of the team, still not introduced, were very normal by Pallos standards.
The teams were composed of eight members, and formed into regional strike teams to handle a variety of problems that could crop up in the country. The teams were intended to handle political instability, monster attacks, corruption, drug trafficking, and extensive threats due to their own skills. Elina, in particular, warranted a [Healer] being on the team to contain the spread of her rather nasty skillset, but the organization simply didnt have the manpower to spare for that assignment. Ironically, Iota had a dedicated pair to assassinate [Healers] to prevent Elinas skills being countered.
In all, the members seemed to be two assassinsone physical and one magicalone physical classer dedicated to a defensive set of skills, one speedster aimed at long range sniping with skill-empowered arrows, and two support specialists that could repair and craft new gear for the team, each with their own specialty of engraving runes and weaving, respectively.
The whole team screamed to Liz of the story of the assassination attempt in Khazad. Every member had a special value to the team as a whole, whether it was runes on arrows, fresh woven camouflaged clothing, or the defensive frontliners skills at repairing his own armor. Any member of the team with a non-combat skill kept that class as high level as they could, making more than half the team read as [Artisan] instead of something that would put townspeople on edge.
She realized by that point that the vampire had been more than a little responsible for the way things had panned out, and all of it seemed very intentional. She felt a burning anger over how Sylvestre had been killed, and for the extra manipulation if the little monster was responsible for the way the children had been treated as well.
And yet, she couldnt do anything about it. Faythe was a slippery opponent with skills aimed at being hard to effectively kill. Liz would have to bide her time if she ever wished to avenge the old man for the schemes of that monster in elvenoid skin.
Training with Team Iota had lasted until lunch time that day, making up a solid six hours of exhausting drills. Liz had literally been subjected to every skill the team had except for Elinas diseases, all to probe for weaknesses to her skills.
Fire had been the first major hurdle, and regardless of her defensive skills, she was very susceptible to being cooked in her skin. It wouldnt stop her from charging straight through to eliminate the attacker with prejudice, but she wouldnt manage so well afterwards without someone on standby to heal her back up.
Drowning hadnt been an issue, since she was hard to restrict, and too heavy to suspend in the air with water, not that she got to show that off, since the team had no Water or Ocean users. On the subject, even Arlyens companion Kun-Peng hadnt been able to suspend Liz in a ball of water for long enough to drown her. Liz wasnt willing to jump in a lake and find out how hard it would be to swim out, even if her magic stats allowed for it. She was never a fan of going into deep bodies of water to begin with. Massive fear of horror movies involving sharks.
Flighty, fast-moving archers were a bit of a problem. It had come down to a contest of stats. Expensively rune-engraved arrows could likely cause all sorts of problems, but the team wasnt willing to waste resources testing them out before the mission. She could feel the arrows coming as they displaced air and the air sent a ripple over the stone beneath her feet. She just couldnt pin the speedster down, either. A very annoying fight.
Elinas skills required a long time to do their work, but otherwise she was a nasty guerilla combattant with high stats and ice projectiles. She wasnt fast enough to be a threat to Liz without the decay aspect running.
The two assassins had reminded her of Faythes ability to use Mirages to hide themselves, but they didnt quite have the vampires skills to hide from [Identify] and they didnt expect her to have the sensing range of [Earth Shattering Arts] to sense incoming movement across the ground. The pair of assassins were no threat to her at all, and she wondered if theyd have better luck if she were asleep, but shed become a very light sleeper since getting her new combat skill, and that meant every oddity around her couldand woulddisturb her sleep.
Aegis had given her an assessment at the end of the session of beating her up.
Youre fast, and tough. But thats all. Youre weak to the same things everyone usually is, especially the efficient killer elements like Radiance, Lightning or Void. Void is probably the least effective of the bunch, though. Your Vitality would make it hard to erase you, and you fight with your actual body, so you dont have to worry about losing your weapons.
Unless someone cuts off my limbs, right? Liz gave him a deadpan stare.
She wasnt an idiot. Lighting strikes were terrifying. His Radiance bursts were really bad for her skin. She had zero interest in fighting any of the more potent disease or poison based elements, which meant Spore, Miasma, and Poison. She didnt see Acid going well either.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized she wasnt especially well equipped to handle any of the especially dangerous combat elements. Shed have to begin devising ways to solve those problems with some real effort from [Imaginative].
She had to admit, the whole session was a great eye-opener for her, even if Aegis was a total jerk.
On the plus side, your senses dont seem to be fooled by anyone. Youre nearly immune to things like Mist, Mirage and probably Mirror. Ill find someone off-duty to try out Steam and Sand in the future.
Liz let out a rare curse at that.
Her sleep schedule was devastated in quick fashion as she was dragged off by Faythe the moment she was caught alone that evening. One would think there should be some privacy in the restroom, but alas, she shouldve expected the vampire to keep a nocturnal sleep pattern, meaning shed be getting the other half of her training during the night.
That was how dance lessons began, much to Lizs despair.
Part 14 - In Service to Divinity
Part 14 - In Service to Divinity
Liz rapidly found herself very familiar with what it was like to walk through stone. It wasnt anything like swimming. Instead it felt like being dragged along through a thick syrup.
It was not a pleasant thing.
Elizabeth was partially made from stone, so gliding through the earth was like a new fear for her. How would the prosthetic parts of her remain separate from the earth and stone she passed through while detained by Faythe? How did the skill function for her to breathe? Did the dirt and stone move around her as she passed, or did she simply phase through it?
The entire experience raised a number of internal philosophical questions that really shouldve felt more terrifying to her. Truly, her emotional state was seeming more and more noticeably wrong lately. She wished shed spent some of her boredom in the prior weeks reflecting on herself a bit, but she was still largely avoiding the entire introspective topic of losing her whole life before her accident. She was scared of even thinking about what were still very open wounds.
Faythe dropped them off on the other side of the literal stone corridor, then looked at Liz with amused eyes as she struggled to get her bearings again.
You couldnt have made a normal secret passage? Liz tried to settle the queasy feeling in her gut as she complained.
This place has been maintained as a bunker for thousands of years, and it will remain that way for a reason. Nobody enters without my approval, and it remains a secret. And let me make myself perfectly clear: it will remain a secret. This is a threat, I am threatening you, and if I find out the location was leaked, I will find out who is responsible. Faythe had never had so much gravitas behind her before that moment.
U-understood. Although I find myself wondering, didnt you say youre here because of the vampire who turned you? And yet there is a place like this mysteriously close to where he vanished? Liz gestured to the strange space she found herself in.
The area was a bit like a massive cavernthough smaller than the training groundsonly it had to have been created by the work of dozens of skills by the most high level individuals Liz could imagine.
The cavern was like a simulated clearing in the wilderness. The area had a fake sun suspended above, appearing to have been made from an orb of engraved arcanite, the stone that filled over time with mana like a sort of self-charging battery.
There was no sky, at least, but the grassy lawn she stood on had to be done with Skills and likely a dedicated class. The full sized mansion in the center was a work of art, however. If Liz had to make a wager, then Faythe had a Mirage Divine class, an Earth class, and finally a Forest class. The mansion was made from sculpted wood and the grain of each section wove into a beautiful mural of animals in various poses in the wild.
This land is not far from where Nyx first protected human civilization over ten thousand years ago. To hear him tell it, humans and vampires protected each other at the dawn of creation, vampires to watch the night, and humans to watch the day. Those days created a bond between him and humanity, and he spent his many thousands of years protecting and guiding humans at their side. The first Immortal War was something of a shock to mortal races, and many places like this were created over the millennia. When I discover places like this one, I put down some roots. I personally sealed all the entrances to many areas, such that only I could reach them. Faythe looked fondly at the occasional wildflowers growing in the grass, but had a deep sadness behind her expression.
Why did you bring me here? Liz decided not to pry.
Let us not rush for now. Do you know the curse of vampirism?
Liz paused. She knew Earth stories, but Pallos had thrown everything she knew out of perspective.
Assume I dont.
Curious. I dont know your history, but most from Pallos would know at least a bit. The short woman cast a curious glance in her direction. Vampires are cursed to lose System access during the day. We naturally dont gain experience quickly, so our levels increase at a snails pace. The curse is quite the burden to bear, but at the time when it was offered to me, I wanted nothing more than to live forever. Being born a chosen of the major gods of Pallos meant I became influential at a young age, and received my offer after showing a talent for political manipulations. Eternal youth, yes? How could I refuse? The melancholy seemed to drown the [Priestess]. She certainly didnt seem like her usual self, and Liz had long realized the girls [Leader] tag was also a disguise.
Thats not quite like the stories of vampires where I come from. The curious glance turned into a stare. Liz continued, in those tales, vampires are monsters in the horror genre. They prey upon people in the night, drinking their blood until there is only a desiccated husk left behind. My mother loved horror stuff. All my memories of her are of things that terrify me, except one gift she gave me. A gift I want to get back, eventually.
Now I am even more curious where you come from, shame it will have to wait for another conversation. Vampires from Nyxs line have been protectors, and kept well in line under his guidance. With him gone, it has fallen to his wife to stabilize things. Susan is a cunning woman, so I dont feel that has changed in his absence. The vampire had a thoughtful expression after those words.
I guess youre implying I should be leaving my biases behind? The edge to Lizs tone was fairly obvious.
The worst part of being a vampire is that I can no longer walk among the creatures of the forests. I have become a creature of the night, and lost something I did not realize was precious to me.
Liz wasnt on board with feeling pity for the person who had manipulated her into joining an organization of assassins and spies.
Look, can we get on with why Im here?
Ive changed one of my skills recently for you.
Elizabeth felt herself tensing up in a cautious gut reaction at the non-sequitur.
My third class is related to plants. I can maintain them much easier than other things, even down in this fabricated wilderness. It was originally a class for making new and unique types of plants, but I reset a Skill to grab [Biological Diagnostics] to help with your future changes you mentioned. When you are ready, I will also acquire [Permanence] for you to complete your work. So please, try to get past your bigotry towards me. Losing a skill over level seven hundred is not a pleasant thing.
Elizabeth hadnt experienced what losing a high level skill felt like, but shed heard it was like having violent bouts of sea sickness. She shuddered at the thought.
Why go so far?
I made a promise to help you. Ive been training the skill for these weeks to assist you. Tonight, we shall also begin your dance lessons for your undercover work, and prepare your identity. Faythe gave her a firm look and then turned and strode towards the mansion, where two deer inlaid on the wood pranced apart, dragging the wood behind them to reveal a doorway.
Im really bad at dancing, Im warning you in advance.
~ ~ ~
Liz had flatly refused to dance for an hour as Faythe instead went over her false identity for the mission.
With her [Priestess] tag, as well as a low level for her age, Liz had the benefits of being able to masquerade as the daughter of a wealthy family, though the only issue would be which family shed be a member of and how people wouldnt recognize her. Simply being shy wasnt going to be good enough.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
And so it was decided that she would hide as a member of the foreign dignitaries from the distant Exterreri Empire, where vampires were most common. Faythe had excellent contacts there, and a community of vampires had cropped up not far away, either. Lizs mind began to spiral off into character details for the role when Faythe shut her down by telling her shed basically be pretending to be traveling food for the vampires. That sent plenty of shivers down her spine.
Now, enough, time for dance lessons to begin. We havent got all day. Faythe stood from the tea table theyd been sitting at and held out her hand. May I have this dance?
Liz shook her head again, reflexively recalling her horribly failed attempts in her movie career.
What has you so hesitant?
Ive tried dancing before, and I was awful at it.
Liz, a stern look was cast at her, you are god-touched. By the Goddess of Order. How can you possibly not be capable of dancing?
Meeting a Goddess cant possibly fix all my problems!
Why couldnt you dance before?
Even when I was offered the [Dancing] skill, it said I was hopelessly bad at keeping time and rhythm when dancing.
Meaning, Faythe gave her an imperious smile, eyes glinting with a sense of victory, you are now quite capable of dancing. If you werent youd never be offered the skill.
Lizs face twisted into a grimace.
She stood and dragged herself towards Faythe in the center of the room.
The fox womanapparently a Kitsune, Liz learned during their talkpulled a short twig of wood inlaid with a few gemstones from her sleeve, activating a spell of some kind, which triggered a song to begin playing, mimicking a full classical orchestra through some unusual workings.
Liz gave the wand and the song some strong side-eye, prompting Faythe to explain.
Jaycemy body-doublesare always those gifted with Sound skills. Gemstones can be filled with Skills of the requisite element, so my doubles can store music with theirs. The gemstone that flawed on the wand appeared to be an agate. Liz couldnt help but feel a tugging at her soul from seeing her first Skill-infused gemstone.
More magic stuff in the magic world. Liz found she was well beyond surprise by that late date.
As soon as they drew together into their first dancing position, where Liz would be learning to both lead and follow going forward, the [Dancing] skill popped up and she slotted it into one of the empty slots [Earth Shattering Arts] had created for her.
~ ~ ~
Liz was surprised.
She wasnt awful.
She could dance. Ballroom dancing, at least. Her old tutor wouldve been proud!
Even with the skill so low level, Liz never had issues with the rhythm at all. It felt like she could harmonize and keep pace with the song without any real concentration at all. The entire lesson had gone fairly well, and served to power level the skill. She was beginning to see why the people of Pallos treated the system like it was a core part of living their lives.
[*ding* [Dancing] has leveled up! 1 -> 14]
Of course the skill leveled faster off from being taught by a vampire who apparently had the skill at her personal cap. Faythe seemed to leave her work to her Divine class and used everything else she had for hobbies and personal amusement.
After dancing until Lizs mana was spentshe was still keeping her habit of turning up her [Tenet] skills mana allotment, even if she wasnt sleeping that nightFaythe brought up their last item for the night.
Id like to use my body visualization skill on you. I assume you arent completely aware of how your body functions after the changes? Most healerslike those youve seen alreadydont get biomancy-oriented visualization skills, and your body is effectively heavily modified.
What are the risks?
There are none, Im just going to take a peek and see what youre working with. It wont change anything. My other skills are all meant for plants.
Liz sighed, then nodded.
Faythe laid a hand on Lizs forehead and closed her eyes.
The immediate gasp was enough to make her worried out of her mind.
The vampire had a look of intense concentration on her face as she remained silent for a while.
Your body is completely rewired. Many things are simplified, or streamlined. Blood vessels that have been moved around the stone replacements, organs completely moved elsewhere, and even some removed entirely. I believe you were aware already, but you wont be able to ever have children, my condolences. As for the stone, I can visualize it with the skill, but its just a solid mass of an unusual rock I havent seen before.
Liz wasnt sure how to take the news right away. In many ways, shed known about all of it already. A hole the size of a golf ball going through a place where an artery should be would be fatal, and she couldnt just live without that. Instead, Seira had routed things around those areas.
If she had to describe her reaction, it was mostly relief.
Honestly, Im not sure if I should be feeling more distressed about this or not. Ive known my body is really weird for a while now. I just try to revel in the power and forget the tradeoffs.
You mean like how you have a dozen coins stashed in your stomach?
Liz turned a tomato shade of red, stiffening.
Faythe gave a little chuckle, but moved on. Look, being god-touched is a little different for everyone, but some theorize that, in Seiras case, her influence seems to make us a bit more orderly and composed. Less chaotic emotions included. Though, you were never going to have a full panic attack over shocking news.
Liz looked at the vampire with an expression of abject horror.
You mean the reason I feel nothing about killing people, the reason I barely grieved for Sylvestres death, or the reason I but that doesnt make sense, since I still got really angry in some of the fights Ive been in. Her mind flashed back to the impulsive reaction to being stabbed by the smuggler, and how shed lobotomized the criminal.
Oh no, you should still feel remorse for taking a life. If you dont, then thats on you. I wasnt aware Sylvestre had died, though. He was a devoted man, and I respected that. As for anger, its just not a disorderly emotion. Panic, desperation and fear lead to chaos, but anger leads to fixation and a targeted goal. Your being inclined towards those particular emotional responses can be part of what draws you and Lady Seira towards one another. You pick a goal and fixate on it with a single-minded focus. Its the same for me.
Is that really all there is to it?
Youve been through a lot, but havent broken down, which speaks to a very strong will.
I just havent thought about any of it. I stick to whats in front of me to keep from letting anything distract me.
Like I said, a strong will. You will have to think about things eventually, but it isnt a bad thing to remain focused on the kids for now.
So does that mean that following a god or goddess influences the emotions of the person?
In my experience, of course not. No system skills allow one to directly attack the mind of another person, and even gods cannot change your emotional state. But youve received a divine class from Seira. It means youre compatible. Young Elina? She covers up her emotions with a focus on the memory of her father. She works for my organization because she sees that what we do is a benefit to the world, even if she has to do cruel things. Youd be unwilling to do what she does for us, so I have no intention to force you to do so. What she does is efficient for leveling quickly, though. She may surpass my level one day, despite her mortal lifespan.
Liz considered the bubbly Decay [Priestess] for a minute, and felt her skin crawl at the thought of the infectious flesh she used.
What about you? [Equivalent Exchange] has always gone to those who seek and achieve divinity. Your odds of accomplishing that in a human lifespan are slim, and I can personally confirm youll age and die like one despite your unique situation, so are you aiming for immortality? Have you considered the curses involved?
Liz nodded. This was one topic shed found fascinating since shed heard of it from Sylvestre.
Ive done some asking around. Certain details have caught my eye. For example, why dont phoenixes get a curse? It speaks to me of a loophole in the curse subject somewhere. Biomancy can change your race, right? And give you the curse of the immortal race you become? I had wondered how it would work if there was a way to convert more of my body to stone, or my hopeful future in Gemstone. I dont see how I can avoid the fact that Ill need a heart and functional body to keep my brain working.
Faythe gave her a smile as she gushed over the subject.
Phoenixes dont have a curse, as far as I understand, because they still die. They are simply reborn each time. Good luck dying but coming back without returning to samsara.
Samsara is actually partially the realm of Order though. I can understand why White Dove/Black Crow curses immortals for breaking the cycle. Theyre in defiance of the [Equivalent Exchange] of life for death. My own [Tenet] resonates with the same anger White Dove must feel, though not for the same reasons. Were I to find my own immortality, it would have to be an offering of my death for a new life. Ive sworn to shape my own fate with the second life Seira has given me, so Ill figure out a way to achieve that, too. I wont feel like Ive accomplished enough with this life until I stand as a goddess at her side myself.
In that case, Faythe stood from the tea table again, lets get you back to dancing. The skill can help you a lot, but you should train to dance without the skill anyway, so well practice again even if youre out of mana.
Liz let out a groan of exhaustion. She clearly wouldnt be getting any sleep that night.
Part 15 - The System and a Blessing
Part 15 - The System and a Blessing
Liz had been in training for five days straight before Aegis finally got fed up with her antics.
In his defense, shed been stumbling through training already, and she didnt have much experience with going for days on end without sleep. Shed been actively pushing herself as much as possible in the limited time available before theyd have to leave for the operation to rescue Jax.
Her Metal class, [Fates Shackles] had become shockingly easy to level. Team Iota was willing to grind her into dust to boost her proficiency before the mission, and the facility alchemist had a nasty concoction of horrible mint-based eye dropsyes, they went into the damn eyes!that could force a person to stay awake for hours after each exposure, with some effectiveness reduction from repeated use.
The facility blacksmith also provided her with a nearless endless supply of gold and silver chains to use as a fuel for her abilities.
She continued to haul herself through Aegiss obstacle course of barriers on repeat until Elina was available for her skill training each day. Then shed be using her classes in tandem to avoid barrages of sharpened ice blades and arrows. Her Metal class loved the act of using chains to tie up ice blades, while her divine class had her nimbly dodging the arrows. All of this also served to boost Elinas levels, since she was the next lowest level of the team.
The status boosting skills were the most tricky to incorporate. Her mental capacity was the largest hurdle to trying to use every one of the skills in rapid rotation during a battle. That accounted for almost all of her exhaustion each day. Mentally forming images of how some of the skills worked while shackling projectiles and managing the rest of her evasion training was pure hell, but valuable experience.
Each of the [Fate-linked] buffs were, at the same time, both low enough level to gain experience quickly, as well as tricky enough to need a specified image or precise timing to grant the best effects. If she failed to formulate an image of the result, then the effects were spread out to be so minimal that theyd barely be noticeable.
The Dexterity boost was best used as a flicker skill, which she could activate for a sudden burst of flexibility to perform dodges that would make action movies look realistic. The skill was a mana hog like the others, and the efficiency boost mentioned for leveling the skill was negligible. She had to focus on investing the stat enhancement with a specific use, or else it would give her a fraction of the effects to her entire body. That meant a tradeoff of being able to dodge like a freak of natureby her standardsor instead move like an olympic gymnast for a few seconds. The latter was more than acceptable by Earth viewpoints, while the former was actually useful at the speeds of Pallos combat.
The Vitality boost was a simpler story, with a flat doubling of the stat for an instant. It could be abused to make her body impossibly tough for her level, and extended to her [Elegant Chains] to halt the worst of attacks in their tracks. The real problem became her fraying mind as she operated on little to no sleep. She simply wasnt making enough use of her reaction speed to properly put the skills to use. The added intensityself-inflicted, admittedlykept the levels rolling in.
Of particular note was the speed boosting skill. A sudden burst of speed was excellent in theory, but since it couldnt be used with the other skills, the ability wasnt to be taken lightly. Suddenly doubling her speed was an insane thing, if only she had the ability to match her perception to the speed change. She had the numerical stats to pull it off, but the shift was too jarring to get used to without insane bouts of repetitive use.
The skill to boost her mana regeneration had become a constant passive. It granted her a tenth of a percent boost per level, at the cost of what felt like her sanity in her training circumstances. The skill made her beyond tired. She tried to seal it away with [Mental Partitioning] but that had backfired. Her mana costs while training often meant her expenses on things like her mental walls often couldnt be maintained. If she realized she was about to be hit with a powerful attack during training, shed have to rearrange her skills to boost her durability to soak the blow, and for some reason the first things her sleep-deprived brain dropped when she needed intellectual resources were recently applied partitions.
The training had become exhausting, and that was added on top of having not slept in nearly a week.
On a tangential note, Liz had completely avoided drinking anything besides water and the rare fruit juice since arriving on Pallos. Almost everyone in the region drank some form of alcohol on a regular basis. Liz had declined the stuff at every turn, even when it had gotten her a solid round of hazing from those around her.
There was, in fact, a perfectly good reason.
And the same thing happened when she was dead tired.
Lizha! Take this shit seriously! Aegis voice shouted at her as she lay crumpled in a heap after having taken the full force of another of his annoying barriers.
Ah she choked back a response.
Nope, she couldnt hold it back anymore.
PffftAhahaha! Holy fucking damn did that hurt! Oh right no pain. It didnt hurt. Ugh, Seira, my heads spinning. She half muttered, half giggled out a hystericaland vulgarresponse.
She had blood running from her mouth, bruises all over her body, and her training outfit was regularly reduced to tatters. She just kept slipping up. She wasnt really used to the way Vitality could allow her to go days without sleep, but the issue wasnt her body being able to pull it off, it was the mental strain.
In an effort to manage the changes, shed been putting herself through the efforts, even giving herself the hateful eye drops to keep awake.
Aegis gave her a look of complete disgust and contempt.
This chick is insane. One of the other team members was piping in as he took a break from his own routine.
Shes completely drained. Hasnt slept in days, all by her own choice. Maybe I went too far with my warning to her. How the hell does someone end up at her age without any emotional maturity at all? Aegis had his palm against his forehead, seemingly fending off a migraine.
Elina cocked her head to the side. You did say her levels were too low, so now shes doing her best to raise them fast. I used to think about things the same way, but I never had to go this far, and for so few levels in her divine class, too.
Leaving aside emotional maturity, Im convinced shes never been given a proper education about the system. She doesnt even tell anyone about her classes or skill details, so its hard to actually teach her what shes doing wrong. Her skills cap out pretty fast, but her classes Aegis frowned before striding over to the hysterical bundle of crazy on the ground.
Oh, hey, Aegie! I think I broke something just now. Should the world be spinning?
You dumbass. Get some damn sleep. He promptly knocked her out.
~ ~ ~
Liz woke up next with a pounding migraine. The only good thing was that she wasnt still stuck wearing tatters.
There was something to be said about hangovers being similar to being knocked out, but in her new circumstances, she wouldve taken being blackout drunk over the pain she was suddenly feeling.
As if to add insult to injury, she remembered her sleep-deprived ramblings with flawless clarity. She found herself wishing she could use [Mental Partitioning] on other people to lock away anyone whod seen her like that.
She groaned as she rolled over, head feeling like itd been kicked by a horse. That might not have been far off.
You feeling clearer now? Aegis was next to her, and the team was still sparring nearby in their pairs.
Sorry. That was all she could bring herself to say.
He offered her a cup of water, which she accepted as she adjusted her passive skills to her normal choices, though she added an extra boost to pain reduction for her mildly concussed head. Bless Vitality making injuries that were nearly fatal that much easier to walk away from.
Youre trying really hard, but youre taking it too far. It isnt necessary for anyone to run themselves ragged for strength. Youre just baking in bad habits.
Im pushing myself to get levels faster. You were right. Ill die without them.
He hit her over the head, making her feel that hed be a seriously abusive father.
Youre unbelievably hard headed. Was the only thing anyone ever told you just to never trust anyone with your class and skill details? Nobody levels as slow as you do. I have never met someone who knows so little about the system as you seem to.
Liz rubbed her head and gave him an annoyed look.
You work for a paramilitary organization that has a team member who kills with flesh eating infections. Not only was I told not to share my classes and skills with people, but sharing them with all of you seems like a uniquely bad idea. Although how long was I out? I feel really rested now.
Mission got delayed. Meeting with Lord Faithsent later. Youve been out a full day.
Delayed how long? Seems sudden.
To be fair, your cover story involves getting an Exterreri envoy involved. I completely understand some waves being created. Do you really not trust us? I get that we dont do things in an honorable fashion, but the Justiciary never had knights and chivalry like the western aristocracies. Order isnt always maintained through righteous means.
Believe me, I get that chivalry and honor will get you in a grave fast. Its not you, its Jayce. Ive been surrounded by master manipulators my whole life. Trying to do things to get in my good graces, for one thing. She held up the barbed golden and silver chains the facility blacksmith had made for her. Then theres the way I was left with the kids for weeks after arrival, trying to foster a bond with them to tie me to them, keep me from being able to abandon them. Im not a good person myself already, so its not about morality, it is entirely because I hate feeling like someone is trying to control me.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Aegis nodded, staying quiet for some time.
Finally, he spoke. I understand now. I wasnt aware of most of that. I cant help you there, but Im sure youll sort it out. My job is to get you ready for the mission. You want class levels? Ill teach you a few things.
Liz downed the rest of the cup of water, then folded her legs and sat up straight, giving him a nod.
You are correct that the system rewards achievements while under difficult circumstances. My suspicion in your case is that youre not doing what your class wants you to do.
Liz frowned as she thought that over.
If you have a class for working with copper, but then always work with iron instead, your class wont reward you for doing things that the class isnt meant to cover. Its the same with combat classes. If your class wants you to be a swordsman, then you only use an axe, youll get great experience for near death experiences, but not as much as youd get for the same situation while using a sword. And, youd be more likely to be offered an axe class at your next advancement. Aegis gave her a small shrug.
I think I get it. My classes have fairly odd names. But my first one actually mentions fighting in an acrobatic fashion. I thought it was mostly flavor. Liz looked at the dirt at her feet in deep thought until she received a reply.
Finally, we have some progress here. I need to get you practicing some unique moves, and then incorporating them into the shield weaving lessons. Your second class? He didnt have the gruff atmosphere anymore, which made Liz finally relent a little.
[Fates Shackles] is the name. It has enhancement skills and other ones for using chains. Liz didnt really have much to keep secret in her second class, since it had been on display a lot already.
Ah, that one should be easy enough. The weaponized chains in it are bound to give you some interesting future options, but it sounds like youre not operating quite in the niche of the class so far. Thats what you have to balance. What does your class want you to do, and what do you want the class and skills to become? If you know what your goal is, and use your skills to achieve those goals, building in the direction you desire, then youll get the outcome you seek. If you do so by completely denying the class you already have, youll never level up.
Liz needed a few minutes to gather all that information up.
First, what did her classes and skills want her to do?
[Templar] was a religious combat class. Shed been using the class to fight, but she hadnt been using it to fight in the way that was core to the class. The handful of levels after fighting multiple opponents at a much higher level than her was a huge red flag. She needed to pursue a style that embodied gymnastics. She could do that. And maybe offer prayers while doing so.
Even just thinking about doing that earned the faint impression of a smile from her connection to the goddess. On top of that, she could swear the feeling gave off a sensation of focused attention on her as well.
[Fates Shackles] was a class with ties to her love of reading the future, even though that was impossible. The class was about envisioning her goals and forcing fate to end up how she desired it. She had just been training the skills as tools, but the truth was that she needed to envision the skills guiding the world to bring her future to her grasp.
Shed already found the list of [Fate-Linked] skills she was offered to be more than a little suspicious. The only things the four skills had in common was that they were for the stats she had above three thousand three hundred thirty-three. Three was an auspicious number in Earths folklore, and she could see a class that embodied her own interests having unique details that broke from Pallos love for base eight systems. She could easily see the other stat boosting skills being offered once the stats reached that mark, though she had to admit she might never be offered one for Strength.
She needed to make a concerted effort to merge or drop the skills in favor of other choices before the other skills were offered.
Then there were her divine class skills. She was quite satisfied with them, though [Earth Conjuration] was being abandoned and left behind again. Shed be needing [Gemstone Conjuration] fairly soon, so shed need to put the skill to work in the interests of her future upgrades.
She began putting together a new training program in her head as Aegis patiently waited for her to ruminate on things. It turned out to be perfect for her to have the mission delayed the way it was. She just had to hope Jax could hold out for a bit longer before theyd save him and send him to his family.
~ ~ ~
As it turned out, shed been left to sleep in the training grounds while shed passed out, as none of the available personnel at the facility were strong enough to carry her when she had conjured the stone she used for her combat training. Shed gotten into the habit of increasing her own weight to further amplify her skill level gains.
Shed still slept quite well despite her lack of bedding, likely because her first class loved being immersed in contact with the ground so much.
Shed been a bit in the way when another team came to practice for the evening, but theyd managed. She still knew she wouldnt be the most liked person in the underground base for a while.
Going to the meeting with Jayce required some serious self-management.
She first visited the facility''s public baths.
The baths were the first sign she got that shed been in much worse condition than shed thought. Her muscles were sore, and her joints screamed in protest as she sank into the hottest end of the large bathing area.
Hygiene on Pallos was a mixed bag. Basic shampoos did exist, as did simpler cleaning options like soaps, but there wasnt much in the way of added pampering products shed gotten used to for maintaining her appearance in her old life. She had to assume that was why [Stunning] hadnt liked her very much. The appearance skill was languishing as she had no way to come close to how shed kept herself in the past. It was like the system could tell she wasnt at her best.
She slid down until her head was submerged and cast her mind back, finally willing to reflect on her new life.
She recalled her happiest memories filled with familial love. Sitting with her father as he helped her to design her own jewelry, then taught her how to use the equipment to cut the gems for each piece. Shed even learned the science behind how the lab made diamonds were grown from diamond seeds. She briefly wondered if the process could be replicated onPallos with the right skills and knowledge.
Her old world was full of lifes pleasures, but those moments of affection and happiness were so few and far between. Shed quickly be off to another role in another country for months at a time. Her mother was a caring person, but shed never had any free time for the family after shed taken over her fathers company.
Elizabeth had very few memories left from her time as a little girl, and so shed grown up with very little in the way of parental guidance. Most of her social interaction had been with people who waited on her hand and foot, or those with ulterior motives. She reflected on how that had likely led to lack of trust and other negative personality traits.
She had to ask herself what she enjoyed about Pallos now.
Top of that list was magic, the power she could enjoy thanks to Seiras intervention. Magic was amazing and exciting, and it held limitless potential. Part of what drew her to Gemstone was how the element opened doors to every variety of magic out there. Every element had their own gemstone, and then skills of the matching element could be stored into processed gemstones, allowing for varied uses by anyone who acquired the gem.
It was perfect for her. She loved gemstones and jewelry, and she had already asked around about how advanced Pallos was on the topic of crystalline structures and gemstone hardness. The weird looks shed gotten were enough to stop her from giving out molecular compositions. She had decided her fathers passions would live on in her and become her ultimate strength in this new world. Her mothers passions? The world had enough sea monsters, murderous killers, and terrifying beasts that could hunt people like cattle. Her mothers obsession with the horror genre could stay on Earth.
She had an endless list of things she didnt like about Pallos. Everyone shed met had been secretive on some level. It reminded her of hidden motives and machinations that created so many of her trust issues. That was added on top of how violent the world seemed to be. The idea of an apocalypse occurring with regularity was terrifying, and shed been brought to a time when one was bound to happen any day.
Liz finally surfaced from the water. She wanted fruit juices back. She missed peaches.
A cough nearby finally caught her attention.
She turned to see a worried expression on a tall woman with raven black, shoulder length hair and a towel wrapped around her body.
Lizs jaw dropped as a familiar person sank into the water nearby.
Her expression elicited a small chuckle from the goddess in human form.
Seira? You can just show up? Liz glanced around the baths to realize they were empty, and the doorway to enter was obscured by a curtain of light.
On rare occasions, given how much turmoil is in the world now. Ive come to check on you. The goddess sank all the way down to her shoulders, and Liz noticed the appearance of the Goddess of Order was different from what shed seen in the void between worlds. How keen of you. Gazing upon the form of a goddess can be damaging to mortals. Reducing myself to a more human appearance prevents psychological harm.
Liz shivered despite the heat of the bath as she realized the goddess was quite capable of reading her expression.
Im honored youd come to see me. You havent responded to my prayers beyond a vague sense I feel for some time before today. How are things?
Seiras expression softened. How kind of you to care for me. Times of turbulence come and go. Violence leads back to peace in this unending cycle, so that is how life must continue. Youve been struggling, so how could I not spare a moment for the mortal who gave such a blind confession to me?
Liz blushed, closing her eyes and letting out a slow sigh as she pondered, not for the first time, on the [Tenet] she had been given. Just to distract from her own embarrassment. She looked back up at the goddess and nodded. I understand. Does it affect you when the world strays away from Order?
To some extent, yes, but in other ways, no. Divine worship changes slightly over the millennia. Where once, Order represented rigidity, it has now come to represent unbreakable cycles, like Samsara for souls and their reincarnation. These changes cause a slight shift in what each deity represents, and have brought my faithful closer to Thanatos, god of death, over the many years. Some believe Order is good, and Chaos to be evil. You know life is not so simple, and little Elina represents a form of Order you yourself may find it hard to agree with.
I had hoped for you to explain the system to me a little. Liz had been nodding along, but felt she was missing some crucial information, and who better to ask than the most likely person to have created it?
The system is not a creation unique to Pallos. Even the gods do not have, or cannot share much insight on it. Instead, Im here for other reasons. Seiras expression shifted to business as she moved closer to Elizabeth.
Liz gulped and felt an oppressive presence reaching out to her, forcing her to close her eyes as the might of divinity shook her to her core.
My dear paramour, the gentle, yet playful words felt so heavy that they might carve into her soul, Pallos is at risk of crumbling from spatial fractures left behind by the very man responsible for your presence here. The dangers of his experimentation are a threat to the fabric of this world. I task you with the mending of these fractures. In order to achieve this task, I will gift you my divine blessing.
The goddess then embraced her, and placed a delicate kiss upon her closed eyelids, first one, then the other.
Liz felt like the entire world stood still until a new line appeared below her status screen, and a system prompt appeared.
[*ding* You have been granted [Seiras Blessing]!]
[Seiras Blessing: Vision of Clarity. Even when the world around you descends into chaos, your mind and all in your perception shall unravel into perfect focus and clarity before your mind. The Goddess gift of sight shall even reveal the flow of mana to your eyes only, that you may save this world from destruction.]
Liz felt like she might pass out as she opened her eyes, facing the kaleidoscope of miniscule waves of energy all around her. Mana faintly flowed like the water of the baths, the flow of the air as the heat caused it to rise, and the shining star that was Seiras divine form, all as if she was seeing the world for the first time in her life.
The goddess smiled at her warmly as the blessing etched into her and seemed to gracefully merge into her perception. It felt unusually similar to gaining the effects of her [Earth Shattering Arts] that granted her a feeling of the earth around her.
Thank you. Liz willed the blessing to focus on Seira, who reached out to close her eyes.
If you wish to see me, I am here. But do not use the blessing to focus on me too intently. It would be harmful to you, and I may become embarrassed if you go so far to undress me with your eyes. Liz felt her heart lurch at the playful and sultry tone of the goddess. She knew she hadnt been wrong to express her feelings when theyd first met. Shed gotten a goddess to flirt with her! Score one for awkward, unfiltered comments from brain to mouth.
She knew the goddess was teasing her, and probably saw her as a cute pet to toy with, but she really enjoyed it.
You really are perfection incarnate. Liz smirked at the womans visage that held a hand over her eyes.
Arent you the little flatterer as usual? Seira remained long enough for them to enjoy a blissful back-and-forth together.
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 14 -> 43]
Turns out, bathing with a goddess is a great way to have your appearance validated.
Part 16 - Gearing Up
Part 16 - Gearing Up
Elizabeths time with the goddess was like a revelation for her. Her divine blessing was an immediate improvement to her focus, as well as a complete overhaul of her understanding of Pallos.
She could draw in information that would normally create a chaotic mess, and then process it all in an organized fashion that outright shocked her. It made the information overload of seeing mana around her a complete treat to categorize and decipher.
Shed begun identifying each strand of mana and listing in her head what elements each color corresponded to. Then she could scan over people to decipher elements and a rough idea of the levels of each elemental mana within that person, giving her a tool to add to her [Identify] with and view extra details on the people around her.
Fully refreshed after a long soak, she was eager to run a few errands before the planned big meeting to update their mission details.
Her most important stop was with the [Weaver] that ran the bases armor production.
Elizabeth knocked on the open doorway and headed inside without waiting for a reply.
Sorana was deep in her work, weaving intricate patterns into the latest batch of armor for the facility operatives. Her fingers danced in the air, not touching anything as a pair of needles tipped with tiny gems hovered back and forth in the air, tracing arcane runes in the air as the fabrics stitched into matching shapes.
Elizabeth quietly stalked by, poking her head into the room containing their joint project with the [Blacksmith] that handled weaponry in the lab a few rooms down.
A line of solid metal boxes were arrayed across the counter as the sound of hammering metals resounded from the next room over, nearly shaking the room that separated the two [Artisan]s workshops. Each box was responsive to Elizabeths touch as she grazed her hand across each one in sequence. The first contained her nascent idea of growing diamonds through a simulation of Earths CVD process. The next was a process to grow rubies, then emeralds and finally her attempt to observe conjured gemstones that couldnt hold skills.
Each attempt was really a mock-up of the process, using the closest approximation of various substances like methane gas for the diamonds, or aluminum oxide for the rubies. Every box was divided into chambers with differing conditions, each stabilized by runes etched into the surfaces to prevent problems.
Conjured material made by [Mages] and other classers would break down slightly over time, causing structural flaws when used to make stone for buildings, or when used to make metal for weapons, and any classer with [Gemstone Conjuration] couldnt make a huge fortune by simply conjuring the gemstones on repeat for thousands of potent skills to be stored away.
The problems were stacking inefficiencies as well.
A typical person of Pallos wouldnt have any knowledge of the periodic table or the chemical structures involved in the atomic makeup of a gemstone. According to her recent soak with the goddess, Liz was a special case in which some exceptions were made about what knowledge she could bring from Earth. Most individuals would have harmful knowledge pruned from their memories before being reincarnated. Not only was she not reincarnated, but shed been allowed to keep her memories due to the lack of damaging information she had, and that Seira would personally be keeping tabs on her.
The only advanced knowledge Liz had to bring from Earth was the deep level of familiarity she had with the process of making and cutting jewels from her father. As soon as shed been introduced to the facility [Artisans] she had come up with the idea to round out their gemstone reserves, given several months of time.
The next issue for natives of Pallos was the crystalline structure involved. Liz hadnt heard of anyone inventing a microscope, and therefore, most knowledge was the result of skills or the intensive research of high level immortals.
Even with her advanced knowledge, she had no idea if the process of growing gemstones would have the same issues as [Gemstone Conjuration] or not. Her knowledge would be extremely helpful in creating her own rough stones for non-magical use, but if she could create a process to mimic the natural growth of a gemstonewith a massive assumption that there wasnt something unique about Pallos that made natural gemstones attain their elemental properties for holding skillsthen she could have the foundations for a massive wealth.
The [Blacksmith]by the name of Anderswas a man with flaming red hair and a tall, muscular build showing his career was most likely a family trade, and he was using Metal and Lava elements to create the chambers and moderate the heat levels.
Sorana was the mastermind behind the delicate process of restricting the components that Liz had described in detail to prevent from ruining the processes she was hoping to recreate. The [Weaver] had the mind of a genius with a comprehensive education from some school on a flying island. The woman claimed to be a wizard with knowledge of multiple styles of runic language mastered to a Gold proficiency, whatever that meant.
Liz trusted them both to handle their own crafts, and to contribute to her new project.
However, now one thing had changed for her.
She could now see mana with her Seiras divine blessing. Meaning that she could watch for changes in the gems as they progressed. The mission timing was rather unfortunate, given she would lose out.
Each of the projects involved a small seed of the gemstone they desired. Even at the early phases, she could identify the nascent lights of the various elements of the seed metals by the colored pinpricks of light within each. Careful observation couldve allowed her to study the growth of the mana attributes within each gem, but shed have to settle for waiting until she returned to check again. She even found herself wishing she had a method of recording the value into some identifiable quantity to reflect upon later.
[*ding* [Identify] has evolved to the General Skill [An Eye for Detail]!]
With a start, she almost jumped out of her skin at the sudden notification. There was a reason shed turned down the notification sound when she received them. Even with the reduced intrusiveness, she was used to her thoughts being quiet, and she couldnt stand how loud theyd been when she first arrived.
She shook her head as she read over the description of the upgraded skill.
[An Eye for Detail: You have both an intense desire for detailed information, as well as the ability to perceive details not available to most. With this skill, quantify those details and define the data into useful measurements!]
Liz actually didnt know how to take that information. It was what sounded like a fantastic upgrade and also vague enough to be hard to get a read on.
[60% Fantastic Upgrade, 40% Vagueness]
She let out a small groan as she realized the system was going to troll her endlessly with the new skill.
She turned her eyes to Sorana, who was stretching like a housecat in her chair just on the other side of the workshop doorway. She narrowed her eyes as she studied the woman with the new skill.
[Artisan - Wood (Lv389), Arcanite (Lv217)]
To her eyesight alone, the woman had two orbs within her body, one that had a perfect woody texture to it that had a nascent light within and then another with a white faceted appearance that glinted with a smaller amount of energy.
She finally could put together what the lights were. Shed guessed early on that the blessing was telling her the elements an individual had, but the different brightness levels of the orbs within each person hadnt told her much, though shed been guessing it was the amount of magic the class contained. She couldve smacked herself in the forehead at her own stupidity. The light was representative of the level of the class.
She strode over to Sorana and smiled at the middle-aged woman. In truth, depending on the amount of Vitality involved, the woman couldve been decades older than she looked. Her hair still had the full and lustrous black color of a young woman, and her face had no real signs of age, but her aura was like that of a learned woman, and Liz knew one of the womans children was one of the younger Operatives out on mission at the time.
Hey Sorana! How are things? Liz cast her gaze to the completed Runic Fabric outfit sitting on the desk.
Lizha, thanks for keeping quiet. You know how I get when Im focused. Everything is great! I just finished a new sequence in this section, and itll purify sweat actively while the wearer is at full mana. It should reduce issues with the heat putting burdens on the cleaning sequence! Sorana was fairly animated about her new work, and held up the fabric for her to study.
Liz narrowed her eyes as she inspected the cloth, then glanced in the [Weaver]s direction, an unspoken question on her face.
Go ahead.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
She reached out and sent a trickle of mana into the fabric, gasping as her new blessing allowed her to study the intricacies of the runes across the fabric bodysuit. Instead of heavy plates of metal, the fabric had strengthening runes and shield sequences woven in all over the most critical areas of the body. The sum total of the armor on the users mana was quite high when fully active, but for those who valued dexterity, it was an unparalleled work of functional art.
Actually, Lizha, this suit should be your backup, if Im not mistaken. Thats why it has a sequence across the spine here. Sorana pointed to the arcanite laden runes down the spine of the suit. Try willing the runes to pull from the stored arcanite!
Liz did as requested, watching as the suit jumped in the air and folded itself up, condensed down to a fraction of the size shed ever expect to see something that thick reduced to. It was like seeing the fabric vacuum sealed back on Earth.
Go ahead and keep that stored with your things, Im glad I got it ready in time. Your main suit is fully customized already, and I have it on the shelf over there! Sorana pointed at a similar black suit with red stitching all over it.
Liz could tell from the mana sight of her blessing that the suit had far more arcanite stones woven into the actual fabric, and was studded with tiny spaces for skill gemstones all over the body, though the pockets were empty. The red stitching was some special thread meant to cover up the arcanite threads that made up the runes of the entire primary suit.
She scooped up the outfit and was stunned by how heavy it was, though the fabric was softer than any microfiber shed felt back on Earth.
Try it on! Sorana ushered her behind a changing screen and quickly revealed the hidden straps to tighten down each part of the body.
Compared to the backup, which is minimalist and meant for repairing itself and keeping all of you looking presentable, this outfit is absolutely no nonsense. Every limb has strengthening runes and various utility runes. The neckline can be pulled up and unrolled to create a facemask with a sequence to provide air if youre caught underwater or some shitter is trying to suffocate you. The feet have sticky enchantments to let you walk on walls or ceilings. Invisibility is inscribed into some part of the suit to disguise it as normal clothing. As I explained to you before, each piece is woven from Arcanite thread. The rune on the back of the neck is the mending rune, and most of the enchantments will recharge when the arcanite does, but any excess stress on the enchantments will cause them to be spent faster.
Sorana gave a lengthy rundown as Liz did her best to reach every strap and seam without assistance. Once she had the suit on, she tried out a few of the enchantments for a brief test. The incognito mode shed requested was meant to help her when she had to attend the ball in a party dress. The upper sleeves turned translucent to leave the appearance of long black gloves, inscribed with beautiful patterns while the torso and bottoms turned into lace-trimmed undergarments that Liz had requested, with long matte black leggings to match the gloves.
She was quite pleased with the look, and it would fit well under her traveling clothes and any other outfit she needed. With the cleaning and mending runes, she could count on the outfit to hold up for her first foray into the wider Pallos.
Im really amazed by this! I thought my requests would be a bit too difficult, but you delivered on it all. She tested out a few brief moves, nothing that would cause damage, then changed subject. So, how about our other project? Anything of note so far?
Well, its your brainchild. We can''t see the insides of the cases to check without ruining the internal compositions. Your ability to feel through tremors in the ground are all we have for progress. As far as things are from my perspective, no, no issues at all. Ive replaced every rune as needed. Anders has been handling temperatures as you requested as well.
Liz nodded along. Just be careful not to open them early. The process takes months to begin with, and thats assuming Ive not forgotten anything since my father taught me.
He mustve been an amazing man! This entire idea is so well researched, I cant believe Ive not heard of him before. He could teach classes at the School for sure! Assuming this works. Sorana chuckled slightly at the last part.
Liz could only frown, a sigh passing her lips as she let her feelings sort themselves out rapidly before she smiled. The conditions here are a little different from back home. So long as the mana saturation doesnt change anything, then it should work. Half of what she said was complete bluster.
The issue was that she might not have conveyed the information on the substances to omit from their chambers properly. If the wrong substances were exposed to the gems during growth, then theyd be full of inclusions that could ruin the stones purity.
That wouldnt necessarily be a failure, but if they could conduct skills the way they should, theyd have to be processed by a Gemstone classer before use anyway, so some inclusions might not prove catastrophic.
The issue she foresaw were minute details like the difference between sapphires and rubies. Shed wanted to tear her hair out when she first started learning about gemstones for each element. She just didnt have a good reason for why different colorations of corundum would produce similar gemstones in almost every way and yet rubies would hold Fire skills and sapphires would hold the advanced Ocean element skills. It made no sense. She suspected someone had gone through and played some number of tricks on her just to frustrate her.
It still bothers me. Some gemstones are extremely common, and therefore you can find skill gems for all sorts of things, right? But then some elements get exceedingly rare stones like hauyne for Poison? Not every element is created equal, obviously, but isn''t it a little strange at times? Liz groused a bit about her continued problems.
Sure, but isnt that the point of your project? If you could grow gems like you described, then youd have an incredible source of wealth and power. Just take what you can get. Sorana patted her shoulder in a consoling gesture.
Right Lis let out another sigh. Back to this custom Runic Weave. Thank you for leaving out the parts I asked you to. Liz held up her left hand, which had miniscule perforations at the knuckles for her to conjure weapons of stone from without tearing the fabric. Her feet also had exposed spaces on the balls of her feet, allowing her to keep in contact with the ground to maintain her Earth element-related perception skills.
Of course! Im just happy to provide a unique piece of handiwork. I always felt so stifled working on everyday clothing back in the city, so working on unique things suits me better. Now, about your ball gown
Liz allowed herself to be dragged along to the blacksmithing workshop beyond her gemstone test area, where a floating metal teapot was pouring into three glasses before theyd even crossed the threshold.
Just a moment, ladies! Anders could be heard shouting from the force nearby over the ringing sound that wasnt dampened enough by the runes at each doorway.
Before long, the ringing stopped and the man stepped out, rolling his shoulders and bowing gently as they all took seats at the table with the tea. His head of red hair was the same shade as his Lava element eyes. His smile was radiant as he beamed at Liz.
Lizha, Ive got the final accessories for your dress ready as of two days ago. You said youd provide your own jewelry, but I decided to take the chance to make some extra options.
Multiple display cases flew out from the storage shelves as they all sipped at their tea, and Liz paused as she winced over the jewelry being mentioned. She could admit she was still sore about the things shed made with her fathers help.
She began to look over the small pieces of jewelry, noting the arcanite woven into the chains of some of the pieces, seeing a small wink from Sorana at the same time.
I know, the jewelry doesnt hold a candle to the quality and purity of the pieces you brought with you. But I must advise you to bring as much arcanite as you can carry. Itll save your life. Youre the one in the most direct danger during this mission, and we dont do things by halves. Plus, if you die, I wont know how this experiment of yours will end up!
Liz gave him a wry grin. I know, but you are the ones who told me not to store extra arcanite inside my body.
The both of them paled the same as they had the first time shed mentioned it.
What, seriously, why is this such a problem?
Sorana laid a hand on her arm. Arcanite with enough quantity to be useful is expensive. My threads can make a large amount stretch out for a long while! But if its inside of you, healing skills like the ones in the gemstones youll be taking with you will erase the foreign matter from inside your body. Permanently erasing that much arcanite from existence is a very expensive loss.
Alright, I get it. She shrugged as she realized she had almost no sense for the money system in Pallos. She carried some emergency coins in her bodily storage, but she had no intention to carry a huge amount of wealth within her own body. Technically, any passive healing aura with enough Magic Power could instantly restore her body to the healing eidos image she had. Technically, for her, that meant the state shed first arrived in, stone and all.
So, when can I finally see this dress?
At the Ball on the day of the mission, of course. Ill not have anyone spoil my grand designs early! I guarantee itll fit, so dont worry so much! Anders reached over to give her a slap on the back, which only had her slightly annoyed by the amount of dirt on his hands. She wasnt a fan of physical contact, and while she could bear it most days, she was not interested in suffering a dirty hand stain on her back while wearing her new outfit from Sorana.
She immediately activated the cleansing runes in the suit to test them out. Sadly, she couldnt see her back to know if it worked.
She could only sit and enjoy the tea with the two [Artisans] for the remainder of her free time before she had to attend the meeting.
Suddenly, as if to serve as an alarm for the meeting time, the entire facility shook with the power of a small earthquake.
~ ~ ~
Aegis and Jayce were waiting near the entrance to the facility when she arrived, fully geared up and ready for a fight.
Instead, there were strangers in black and red armor and clothing coming through the entrance to the facility escorted by a pair of the higher level guards.
[Leader - Sound (Lv428), Crucible (Lv256)]
The oldest of the newcomers was a greying man who wore a flowing toga and sandals like he was from Rome, except instead of white, he wore vibrant reds over blacks.
He had the clear signs of being a vampire, and she was almost pitying him for being turned so late in his lifespan as to be an eternal elderly person.
[Mage - Mirage (Lv768), Sound (Lv760), Spatial (Lv706)]
Immediately over the old mans shoulder was the projected image of a plain man, while a trail of mana led from the image to a hidden invisible person bearing the [An Eye for Detail] reading shed just gotten by piercing the invisibility with her blessing.
The image was wearing red and black armor of incredible quality, with an arsenal of little mana signatures inside his armor denoting a massive quantity of gemstones, all layered with armor packing more Arcanite than shed ever seen in one place before.
She barely had time to think over the sheer incredible nature of such a high level individual before the moment had swept her by.
Senator Ignatius. It has been so long, Jayce spoke first, showing deference to a person who was clearly a foreign dignitary with a foreign salute.
Lord Jayce, it has been roughly ten years? I wish we had the time to catch up longer, but given the circumstances we just experienced, we will need to leave soon on foot.
I understand. These spatial tremors are worse than Id heard.
Liz felt her heart nearly stop.
Shed thought an attack was coming, but instead it was a spatial tremor?
It began to hit her how dire the worlds situation was at that point.
Eight more individuals entered the facility wearing similar armor to the extremely high level man, all of them armed to the teeth and fully prepared for a fight. Liz tensed as she didnt have time to assess each person before the conversation swept on.
These are the Ranger team members accompanying me on this trip. And this is-
He didnt get to finish.
Greetings. I''m Sentinel Magic.
Part 17 - A Return
Part 17 - A Return
Elizabeth badly wanted to needle her way into the following meeting with the Exterreri envoy about the spatial tremors but the entire process swept along unnervingly fast.
The gist of the meeting covered the delay of the Gala and the change of location as well. In essence, Exterreri involvement had caused the Vajra invasion force to shift the Ball to a northern coastal town with a beautiful church on a cliff overlooking the ocean from the highest elevation in the former Justiciary, a city named Mourningloft.
It meant one thing for certain. The event itself was a trap, and with high level people from immortal lands visiting, they needed a more solid strategy to do whatever the trap was meant for. Rapid changes to the plan had been hashed out before Team Iota gathered their gear and hit the road alongside the Senators entourage.
Liz was still in the same role as she had originally been meant for, serving as a tag-along for the team escorting the vampire Senator and his group, thanks to her being a [Priestess] of Seira.
She still couldnt figure out the sudden haste of the group, so she decided to ask about it as the group swiftly made their way through the forest, traveling at the limited speed of the noncombatant politician, the vampires of the group surrounded by a bubble of ash woven together by one of the Rangers, who was not actually a [Ranger] which was still confusing to her.
The spatial tremor caused by my [Gate] skill to bring the Senator to this country changes things. I cannot use a powerful skill to take us all directly to the city without making the regional stability worse. Therefore, we have to travel a lengthy distance on foot, largely restricted by the daylight, since we do not have the mana needed to travel far with this [Sphere of Ash] skill. Sentinel Magic was still an enigma, having not revealed his true appearance a single time, maintaining the facade of a very forgettable human man. She could feel roughly where his invisible body was, but the footsteps on the ground felt somehow wrong. A mystery for the ages.
She grunted briefly in reply, though the comment was made to the group, not her specifically, and the group continued on, moving at superhuman speeds under the effects of some sort of passive aura skill.
Even the politician had amazed her. He was grinning at the idea of having his own little adventure, and his demeanor told her he mightve been a human military [Leader] before hed moved on to being a Senator. Her read on people was feeling better and better the more she met the individuals of Pallos and got used to how unique the system-granted abilities made them all.
The group was full of unique people all around, and one of the Rangers Earth [Mages] had Aegis and the Ranger team leader gliding on a rolling mound as they discussed team strategy for any possible wilderness encounters. Liz was rather impressed at the Operatyf Commanders willingness to share some secrets with his counterpart. She wondered how much communication there really was between Exterreri and the supposed dedicated country of the Goddess of Order.
For her own part, she was traveling while wearing a simple tunic that had a similar vibe to the Exterreri style, with her fancy suit made fully invisible by a skill from the Sentinel.
It wasnt quite nightfall when theyd traveled far enough north through the forest to reach Heron Lake, or what was left of it.
Heads remained on pikes at the gates, though the stench of death and decay had clearly invited a number of carrion beasts to the ripe corpses. She felt her eyes begin to water as she cautiously approached the pike she remembered seeing her first mentors head on.
She clasped her hands and briefly wished them all a peaceful next through Seiras care.
Sylvestres remains were nearly unrecognizable now, flesh largely picked clean.
This is awful, was all the response that was heard as a female Ranger broke the silence.
We dont have time to bury them. Though, I am curious, what happened here? The Senator inquired before he offered a brief prayer beside her as she had her head bowed.
The Vajra. Aegis spat the word before giving a signal to the teams scout, followed immediately by similar orders from the Ranger leader. Some of the companies of their mercenaries were brutal conquerors who only had a taste for blood. They slaughtered anyone of high level, then abducted anyone below their 128 class advancement to sell as slaves.
Liz didnt miss the glance the gruff man cast her way before he carried on.
Well rest in the town briefly until sundown. I assume thats the best choice? Aegis looked to the Ranger who was maintaining the ash globe around the core members of the foreign envoy.
A nod was all he received in reply, and the scouts from both teams returned.
The town has been trashed, some places burned, but there are solid enough stone structures to rest in. There are some occupants, though. Theyve been burying the bodies, but also looting a lot of valuables, by the look of it.
Liz bristled a bit about the idea of looting corpses, though she checked herself as she considered the new way of life on which Pallos operated.
Aegis turned to her, leaning in to whisper, youre from here, right? If you need some time, well give it to you while the vamps take their time hiding from the sunlight. Stick with us until the looters are dealt with.
She nodded in thanks, then followed the group into the small town.
She hadnt spent much time in the streets or markets, but shed known a few of the people around the church. Even as they passed the street the church had been built on, she could only see what appeared to be a blast zone around the square where the building had been. Shed take a closer look later, she vowed to herself that shed bury the people she knew, at least.
Halt! Who goes there? The voice was raspy and sounded like the tone of an over-confident weasel.
Liz scoffed, wondering if the person who sounded like a small-time criminal was capable of using [Identify] to see how high level almost every person in the group was.
None of your business. Aegis took point, and none of the Rangers seemed too happy to be outside of whatever borders gave them their authority in such situations.
That aint how this goes, prick. The man stepped out of a building down the street and Liz wanted to burst out laughing.
[Warrior - Wood (Lvl 384), Steam (Lvl 285)]
She couldnt believe how out of his depth he had to be.
Were the Vapor Blades, A-rank adventurers! Name yourselves and why youre out here in the sticks like this. The man had an entire criminal look going on, from his ragged beard and hair to his patchwork armor, half of which looked like it had been stripped off some of the Heron Lake town guards.
Aegis visibly rolled his eyes as he glared at the man. Adventurers dont have a presence in the Justiciary, last I heard.
You must be behind the times, then. There aint no Justiciary no more. The Guild has sent a buncha parties in recently.
Liz was already counting the number of adventurers she could feel moving around in the buildings closer to their group, though shed lost track of some of Team Iota and the Rangers as they fanned out in the area, creating too many targets for her to recognize which was which.
She could feel her blood pumping faster and faster as she sensed both the Ranger leader and Aegis getting ready to give a strike order. She did briefly wonder why theyd not bothered with a verbal solution, but she didnt care much for adventurers based on the first impression.
Youre not too bright, are you? Aegis provoked the slovenly stranger, and with teeth bared, the man began to shout, mouth opening a bit wider, so close to calling to his allies before
Thud!
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Filigreed Philanderer - [Wood] lvl 384], [Vapor Trails - [Steam] lvl 285]!]
She frowned, figuring he loved women and treasure. Or men, she wouldnt discriminate.
The man lost his entire head in an instant as one of the Rangers released a searing beam of Radiance, clearly with an imbalance of power and control, given the size of the attack. Liz burst into action regardless, darting forward and delivering a strike straight down into the ground with a full force axe kick that collapsed the hidden tunnel an adventurer had been trying to lay an ambush within.
The lack of notification on the strike told her the person inside wasnt finished, so she plunged her hand into the ground, elbow-deep, to fish the woman out, eying the row of holy symbols tucked into her belt like trophies.
She let her anger wash over her mind as her blessing processed the battle around her into reasonable flows of information.
A half dozen of the enemiesthere were roughly twenty within her field of tremor-based perceptionhad been assassinated by the sneakier members of the team, and the Rangers held closely to their duties to protect the Senator, remaining in a closed formation.
Team Iota had split into pairs, where Elina and Aegis remained in the center of the main formation, blocking incoming projectiles. Everyone else was off handling their fights in a one-sided battle that had the adventurers soundly trumped by stats and experience.
Liz focused on her slightly delirious [Mage] opponent who was struggling to break free of her grip.
[Mage - Earth (Lvl 186), Earth (Lvl 159)]
Boss, do we need any prisoners to interrogate? She didnt cast a glance his way, keeping her focus on the woman who tried to struggle against her for control of the stone around them, locked in a battle between the [Mage]s higher level and her own superior [Earth Authority].
Not a single one. Aegis gave her the green light, so she tugged on the womans hair, eliciting a cry of pain from her prey.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Let me go! Ill do anything, just dont kill me!
Liz had no pity for a woman whod pilfered the religious symbol of the five gods from the bodies of the people shed known at the church.
Sometimes you make bad decisions in life, and then you have to face the consequences.
Liz was about to finish the woman off, but her ability to move her body started going haywire.
It wasnt that the woman was suddenly stronger than her at controlling her own stone, but the slight tugging at the material made it awkward to control, and the [Mage] was desperate and trying to lash out with everything in her immediate vicinity.
It turned out to be extremely annoying, and forced Liz to try other methods that didnt require her [Earth Manipulation].
Her expression turned sour as she realized she didnt carry many weapons beyond her chains and resigned herself to how things would end.
She lashed out with her bladed chains, trying to make a quick slash at the throat, but the woman finally managed to screw with her enough that her grip loosened. A shriek of pain was let out as Liz accidentally slashed across the womans cheek, up across her nose and forehead.
Elizabeth finally let out a long sigh as Aegis gave her a twisted look of disgust.
You couldnt make this easy? She didnt want to make others think she was interested in torture, and the entire concept burned at her.
She took a step back to fully regain control of her own body, distance making her ability fully superior to the dedicated double-classed Earth [Mage]. She realized she might be vulnerable to more than a handful of different classes, and being unable to fully resist one of the most common [Mage] elements was a pretty grim thought.
She studied her opponent, who was trying to desperately scramble away, blood running across her face in an expression that couldve made slasher film stars jealous. Liz kicked off the ground as she flipped over a projectile that cracked through the air, followed by a flip and spin around several more.
S-stay back!
As she got closer, the woman created uneven terrain that barely slowed Liz down, leading to more and more desperate attacks and even some grizzly spikes of stone launched up from below.
What did I ever do to deserve this! Damn worthless idiots had to pick a fight with high level monsters!
Every attack was solidly inside of Lizs [Earth Shattering Arts] field, and her new mana perception could even see the mana being converged, giving her a much better method to practice her skills with, and [An Eye for Detail] got a subtle workout feeding her information on the amount of mana charged into each spell aimed her way.
With a now fully trained sense for her boosting skills and plenty of practice dodging under pressure, Liz began using [Earth Conjuration] to create tiny shields to block the incoming attacks, even when they werent going to hit her.
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Active Guard]!]
She ignored the option, and disabled further notifications. Her slots had good enough skills already.
Elizabeth made full use of the opportunity as she watched the mana within the woman steadily dwindle to nothing, then she studied the mess left behind by the frantic mage who just looked defeated. Liz strode over to the woman and shook her head.
Sorry it had to be this way. I had wanted to make it quick. The street was a mess of discarded stone, both conjured and manipulated into projectiles and spears. She swept her hand in a completely unnecessary motion as the bladed chain finally slit the womans throat, adding to the notifications shed been receiving from the battle all around her.
[*ding* You have slain a [Earth Mage - [Earth] lvl 186], [Stone Slinger - [Earth] lvl 159]!]
She didnt feel very good about the slaughter, really. Part of it was her gut reaction to being back in Heron Lake, but the other part was how much shed been ignoring how many different counters there were to her skills. Shed practiced with Iotas [Earth Mage] and not done much beyond practice dodging a storm of projectiles. Shed not even realized how another higher level person with [Earth Manipulation] could wreak havoc on her skills so badly. She had plenty of options to make herself more resilient, and even had the right tools to fight higher level [Warriors] but she still found herself struggling with the vast creativity of [Mages] and how many counters there were to directly oppose her skills specifically.
She grabbed the dangling religious symbols of the five gods before taking off into the alleys to assist in the rest of the battles and skirmishes between the remaining adventurers and her allies, determined to get as much out of a combat opportunity as she could, grimly determined to raise her level and outgrow her limitations by force.
It didnt take long. The Rangers were exceptional at teamwork and Team Iota was clearly well trained even by comparison to them. Still, Liz used the opportunity well, and even hunted for any stragglers, which hadnt taken long with the village being so small.
After the battle, she realized the rest of the Rangers and Team Iota were dragging the adventurersread, lootersout of the alleyways and houses to create a heap to burn.
Damn adventurers. I swear, theyre just organized criminals. If they were respectable, theyd be in the Hunters Guild or theyd be Rangers. The other members of the Exterreri envoy all seemed to agree with the comment from one of their teammates.
She sidled up to Aegis who gave her a calculating look.
Sorry, she was screwing with my skills, like we were fighting for control over the stone in my body. She shook her head in frustration with a sigh.
That is a glaring flaw in your skills. You need to pay attention and avoid opponents who have Earth magic in the future, if you can, and especially never get too close to them.
She nodded in response, then checked over how the fight had turned out for her levels.
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] has leveled up from level 83 to level 94!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +30 Free Stats, +60 Dexterity, +50 Vitality, +60 Speed, +30 Mana, +80 Mana Regeneration, +50 Magic Power, +50 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Fates Shackles] has leveled up from level 61 to level 75!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +4 Free Stats, +6 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +10 Vitality, +2 Speed, +5 Mana, +5 Mana Regeneration, +4 Magic Power, +4 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Magic Power from your element!]
[*ding* [Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange], [Earth Authority], [Earth Manipulation], [Tenacity of Stone], [Rigid Body], [Earth Shattering Arts], [Mental Partitioning], [Learning] and [Imaginative] have remained capped! 83 -> 94]
[*ding* [Earth Conjuration] has leveled up! 62 -> 66]
[*ding* [Templars Conviction] has leveled up! 34 -> 48]
[*ding* [Chain Proficiency], [Elegant Chains], [Chain Reinforcement], [Chainmail], [F-L Dexterity], [F-L Vitality] and [F-L Mana Regeneration] have remained capped! 61 -> 75]
[*ding* [F-L Speed] has leveled up! 53 -> 58]
[*ding* [An Eye for Detail] has leveled up! 58 -> 76]
[*ding* [Fate-Linked Dexterity], [Fate-Linked Vitality] and [Fate-Linked Mana Regeneration] may be merged to create the skill [Fates Bonds]. Would you like to merge the skills? Y/N]
Shed paused at that notification. Shed never been asked about a merge before. Something about it implied a loss involved with gaining the open skill slots. Shed been hoping to merge the skills anyway, and after checking the description, she decided to take the new skill in a heartbeat.
[Fates Bonds: Your life is chained to fate itself, and Fate is bound as you wish by your own hands. This skill will make your fate a bit more malleable. Passively improves Dexterity, Vitality and Mana Regeneration when facing opponents at least 100 levels higher than yourself. +1% per level]
Reflecting on the level gains, the skill wouldve barely been active against the [Mage] at the start of the skirmish. Boosting skills were at the top of her bingo card, restrictions or not.
[*ding* You have unlocked the Class Skill [Fate-Linked Magic Power]!]
[*ding* You have unlocked the Class Skill [Fate-Linked Magic Control]!]
She was only slightly annoyed at having to grind skills from level one to the maximum again. They were similar to the prior ones that had merged, meaning they had their standard limits on duration, and couldnt be used simultaneously. She could see a future of explosive bursts of power with almost no control at all, and weak moments of extremely delicate precision in her future.
[*ding* You have unlocked the General Skill [Merciless]!]
[Merciless: You will give no quarter, even to those who beg for mercy. Gain increased experience for slaying those who beg for mercy in their final moments. Each level comes with a 3% increase in exp for all other skills and classes. -8 Mana Regeneration]
The new skill option made her realize something. Shed actually never truly done that before. It didnt make her regret her actions, nor did she feel bad for taking another life again, but something about killing someone who begged for mercy seemed like it shouldve worn away at her even more. And yet, she only felt annoyed that the system was calling her out on it.
She took the skill. In no world was she going to spare the life of someone looting the holy symbols off corpses, and turning down bonus experience was a terrible idea. She had her own will and could make her own choices about who deserved to be killed. She refused to allow the skill to tempt her into becoming a mass murderer in the future, regardless.
Whyd we even start this fight?
Aegis gave her another look, full of concern this time at her quiet, whispered question.
Many reasons. I still serve the Justiciary, and follow the laws, even if the country has fallen. Adventurers are not allowed within the borders, since theyre lawless criminals who rob graves and break into places they dont belong. The second reason is that anyone we run into this early in the journey could track our path backwards to the base. I couldve aimed for peaceful resolution and chose not to. Does that bother you?
Not at all. I just want to understand these things. Life has changed pretty rapidly for me. Rationale and reasoning are widely varied for many people across different circumstances. She then began to think over his given reasons.
Adventurers meant little to her. The idea was common enough in fantasy stories, but she could understand that real adventurers wouldnt have any of the heroic traits that show up so often in the genre on Earth. Of course theyd do whatever it took to get by, and rather than being a lawful organization, the members would be loosely defined ruffians who took odd jobs and lived hand to mouth. They were effectively the opposite of what Seiras faith would seek. She wrote off the overall organization as people to avoid and ignore in the future, and individuals would be on a complete case-by-case basis going forward.
The group steadily split into groups to gather and burn the bodies of the villagers and adventurers while the vampires in the group took cover inside a large mostly intact building to await sundown.
Elizabeth recruited Aegis and Elina to help her gather up the bodies of all the church workers and hold a small funeral in the short time they had.
On Pallos, it seemed good people were fated to die, and only the [Merciless] would survive.
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[Mana: 28,586/31,930]
[Mana Regeneration: 20,105 (67,295)]
Stats
[Free Stats: 2,172]
[Strength: 324]
[Dexterity: 5,039 (8,818)]
[Vitality: 4,861 (8,506)]
[Speed: 5,067]
[Mana: 3,193]
[Mana Regeneration: 6,293 (11,012)]
[Magic Power: 3,804]
[Magic Control: 3,729]
Classes:
[Acrobatic Templar of Seira] - Earth - Lvl 94
[:Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange 94]
[:Earth Authority 94]
[:Earth Conjuration 66]
[:Earth Manipulation 94]
[:Tenacity of Stone 94]
[:Rigid Body 94]
[:Earth Shattering Arts 94]
[:Templars Conviction 48]
[Fates Shackles] - Metal - Lvl 75
[:Chain Proficiency 75]
[:Elegant Chains 75]
[:Chain Reinforcement 75]
[:Chainmail 75]
[:Fates Bonds 75]
[:Fate-Linked Magic Power 1]
[:Fate-Linked Speed 58]
[:Fate-Linked Magic Control 1]
[Class 3] - Locked
General Skills
[:Mental Partitioning 94]
[:Dancing 30]
[:An Eye for Detail 76]
[:Merciless 1]
[: ]
[:Learning 94]
[:Stunning 43]
[:Imaginative 94]
Part 18 - Memorial and a Mystery
Part 18 - Memorial and a Mystery
Liz quickly set to work piecing together mutilated bodies, finding the severed heads and doing her best to allow them to be cremated with the benefits of being whole.
The only one she became sure of was Sylvestre, however.
As his body was ignited in nascent flames, she clasped her hands in prayer.
Sylvestre, you were a dedicated man who gave up everything for your faith and your beliefs. Forced to cast away your love and your position for the whims of those around you, you remained steadfast, and guided the followers of Seira both as a teacher and as an example.
For you, I will offer to you the words of a poet from my home. Thou thy worldly task hast done, Home art gone, and taen thy wages Fear no more the frown o the great; Thou art past the tyrants stroke; Care no more to clothe and eat; To thee the reed is as the oak: The sceptre, learning, physic must All follow this, and come to dust Nothing ill come near thee, Quiet consummation have; And renowned be thy grave.
Those standing near to her all bowed their heads in respect. If any saw the tear that rolled down her cheek as she recited some excerpts from Shakespeare, none made mention of it.
Elina came to her as she continued to gather the corpses she could with the time they had left.
Those words, what were they? Ive never heard a language like that before.
Liz gave her a frown. It was the same language I always speak, but just older.
Elina tilted her head to the side in a cute, clueless expression.
I never noticed you speak a different language than the rest of us.
Elizabeth couldve buried her face in her hands if it werent for the mess of the tasks she was in the middle of.
You never noticed I have the ability to comprehend and be comprehended by any person or written language? If I write a message, even in coded letters, the meaning of the words I put down are always understood by the person who sees it. By the same token, I can understand any script put in front of me as clearly as if it was directly explained to me by the original writer. What was different about the prayer I offered to Sylvestre for his funeral?
Thats really weird. For the prayer, I understood roughly what you were saying, but it seemed a hair off somehow. Like some of the words were twisting around my ears slightly.
Liz gave that description some thought, realizing that the point of poetry is usually a flowing prose. If the effects of the translation were trying to copy over the flow of the poetry, then it would turn out sounding odd when words didnt have a direct correlation.
Well, its a form of art from my home. That excerpt is from the most famous writer in history, I think. The poem is about death, the freedom from the burdens of life and peace of passing on. I didnt know Sylvestre for long, but his life never sounded like it was easy. He gave everything for the struggles of his life, and in the end, as everyone from my previous life has, he met his end as dust.
Elina looked away for a time as she chewed over Lizs words.
Thank you, Lizha. Ive known death as a constant companion for much of my life, and your words are somewhat touching, strangely. Youre right, the poem does speak well to the equality of all in the final embrace of death, doesnt it? In this line of work, we deliver death so much that it can be difficult at times. Its important to keep in mind why we do what we do.
Elina took a deep breath, seeming to center herself before trying to put her cheerful mask back on again, as Liz had long come to see the facade the girl wore.
Hey now, dont go lumping me in with you all. Im no member of your club. Im here to keep those kids safe, and thats all.
And yet, I think youre somehow the most fit for this role of any of us. Your eyes, and your ability to not lose yourself to the horrors Youre not like the rest of us.
Liz raised her stone hand and raised an eyebrow at the young woman.
Yeah, I got the being different part. Dont go rubbing it in. She dodged the implications swiftly and turned back to her work.
Thats not so different after all. You just hide it better, dont you?
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust. Liz didnt say another word.
~ ~ ~
Elizabeths brief memorial for the people of Heron Lake was cut short as the group swiftly packed up and headed out the moment the sun had set and the baleful twin glaring moons rose into the tropical night sky
The church shed lived in for so long was nothing but rubble after the attack, and surprisingly, only the residential wing of the building hadnt been totally ruined, including her room at the furthest end of the upstairs hallway. Shed gotten lucky. That wasnt a pleasant thought, and she swiftly reminded herself that even the gods and goddesses of Pallos couldnt see the future.
Surprisingly, the Exterreri diplomat wasnt the slowest member of their group once they returned to their journey and the [Ash Mage]s skill wasnt needed. A combination of movement skills and the aura boosting their speed meant they could cover ground with surprising efficiency compared to caravans and non-combat classers.
Seasonal shifts in the daytime/nighttime ratio on Pallos were similar to Earth in that they werent nearly as pronounced when so close to the worlds equator, and the destination was a town along the coast to the northeast, meaning a significant portion of the journey would be across the desert. Rather than risk having no cover at sunrise, theyd planned a route to travel north through the forest and jungle, in the direction Liz had been training in with Arlyen so many weeks prior.
When they reached the familiar small body of water the Kun-Peng had been using as a resting point nearby, she found herself searching all over for signs of her former instructor.
The signs of a large monster residing nearby were fairly obvious, though somewhat faded by time. Every Ranger was on edge at the signs of excrement and bones left behind, but nothing emerged to harass them.
Each member of the group was refilling water into canteens or waterskins from the stream that fed the pool while the ever-vigilant Sentinel seemed to be both nowhere and everywhere at once. It spooked her a bit less than it did the others, but she felt Faythe had beaten some of the reaction out of her when it came to powerful illusionists. It wasnt long before the group was moving again, and Liz felt she had no reason to warn them about the gnoll [Paladin]s companion, especially when it seemed the creature was no longer around.
The group kept pushing their speed until they reached the coast in a single night, then turned eastward to reach a town at the edge of the desert before dawn broke.
The town was bigger than Heron Lake by a large margin, with sandstone colored walls and buildings, with a veritable forest of masts that betrayed the location as a clearly thriving port town.
There was only one issue.
Dawn was close at hand, and the people around her were muttering about the yellow and black flag flying over the town walls.
Fucking plague town. One of the members of Team Iota muttered.
She caught on quickly. Not the best place to enter and try to stay the night. Not that they had many options.
A laugh caught her and Team Iota off guard as one of the Rangers stepped out with a smirk on his face.
Ive got a Dark [Healer] class. Were good. Lets get in and get out of the sun.
She briefly breathed a sigh of relief, hopeful they wouldnt have to pay for the healing. Shed heard plenty of stories of the nightmare that was the healthcare system in some places back on Earth. She had a feeling that the level of advancement of Pallos would imply more of a Black Plague experience than a shining beacon of advanced healthcare, even when a cure was only a touch and some mana away. People with an eye for profit just loved the easy money of a low cost, high income business opportunity.
Names, business in town and identification? A yawning, sleepy guard inquired as they approached. The gates had barely been opened yet, apparently theyd open before dawn each day.
Envoy from Exterreri. Passing through for a journey to an international event. Sentinel Magic took the lead with an authoritative tone that had the guard looking thoroughly nonplussed.
Right, entry fee is 8 coins per person. All incoming individuals will be searched for contraband, and all people looking to leave the town must pay the fee for a [Healer] to ensure the plague isnt spread to other towns.
The group entered the town without any issues, with some members showing the distinct amount of hurry involved in the debilitating hazard that came with the arrival of the sun. They rented three rooms for the day, one for the vampires to remain inside of with complete darkness, and two others for men and women to rotate their own rest cycles, Vitality allowing everyone to operate on at least half the sleep they normally would.
The city wasnt in a critical bring out your dead state yet, but the smell of rancid blood was heavy on the air, with some citizens seemingly out of their minds staring off at nothing in darkened corners. The bodies werent all around, but they seemed numerous and even some young children seemed delirious and on the verge of collapse. The sight was truly horrid.
For Lizs part, she once again pulled Elina and Aegis both away from the group and into the alleyway next to the inn.
Im stumped. Justiciary fell roughly a month ago, right?
Aegis nodded, and Elina shrugged, giving her a questioning look.
Sylvestre told me during our conversations that infectious outbreaks had a specific set of responses outlined in this country. Government funding of the baths to allow everyone to keep clean, and a rapid response to get the townsfolk healed and keep business running as usual. A month is a very short time for an ingrained procedure to be lost so fast that a plague flag is actually needed.
Aegis rubbed his stubbly chin as he took on a thousand-yard stare briefly, Liz realized she was able to tell he hadnt shaved before they left the base and mentally reminded herself to actually think over the effects of her high Vitality in the future.
Youre somewhat right. Government funding has likely run out, but the toll to enter town was slightly higher than usual to make up the difference, or so Id thought. No reason to change the procedure thats ingrained after centuries of culture has been built up. Plagues dont usually get so bad that people die here, but I only assumed it was another sign of the fall of the nation. Elina nodded in agreement with what Aegis said, and seemed to focus intently on Liz.
What are the great motivators in life? Money and power. Higher taxes on entrance fees could be a sign of the first, and with the Vajra in charge now, I doubt someone would be looking for political power and risking sticking their necks out. People just dont operate like that unless theyre stupid, and it would be unwise to assume stupidity when malevolence could be at play. Im thinking we have a level-hungry person at the center of this, and only one day to figure out who it is. Investigation time?
Agreed. Elina, take Lynx and go scout the healing efforts. Maybe see if you can get the Ranger with the Dark [Healer] class involved and see what he can dig up when he tries to cure this plague. High mana costs might imply a magic plague or something. Meet back at the inn after youve finished.
Magic plague? Sounds nasty. Miasma element, then? Liz made doubly sure to expand her mind to encompass all of the nasty things that could be going around that an Earth mentality might miss. She felt a little excitedshe always wanted to be in a detective show.
Aegis, lets scout out the water supply and check the baths.
With nods all around, they split off in different directions.
Well reasoned. I didnt take you for that type. Aegis paid her a compliment as they began to walk out into the streets.
Ive had my eye on every person Ive met in my life. Call it a survival requirement where I come from. Watch, analyze, and figure out how people tick. Im not the best expert at controlling others, but just understanding is enough of a good head start. Liz gave him a hard stare.
Aegis didnt hold her sidelong gaze for long. Really? What do you have on me, then?
You sure you wanna go there? He nodded after a slight hesitation. Where to start? Youre terse, blunt and dont generally convey yourself well. You say what you want to say, but the intent doesnt come through as much. I can tell you do care about the people around you, but you simultaneously dont show it well, nor do you hide it half as much as you think you do. My guess is that you lost someone really close to you, or you lost a lot of people that left a big impact on your life. You care specifically about how much young [Priests] can get a poor grasp on their own limits because of their class quality, so I would bet whoever you lost was a cocky [Priest] or [Priestess].
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
His silence spoke volumes, and he didnt seem to want to speak with her again after that. She knew shed be opening up old wounds, but hed been the one to ask.
Her analysis wasnt exactly hard, if she was being honest. The guy was a lot less adept at hiding his scars than anyone she met in Hollywood. Elina was the one she was still trying to wrap her head around. The young woman was bubbly most of the time, and that was certainly a facade of some kind. The idea of being an assassin who could kill an enemy base full of soldiers using a highly potent flesh-rotting plague was not a method that many people could stomach, but that didnt seem to scar her much. Then there were the innocent casualties involved when non-combatants got caught up in her skills, which had Liz frowning. The other oddity Liz had seen about Elina was that the girl was the only member of Team Iota that didnt have a codename.
Sorry. Shouldnt have brought that up like that. Im curious why Elina doesnt have a codename like the rest of the team? She changed the subject fast enough she couldve given herself whiplash.
Aegis expression darkened further, and Liz felt she shouldnt have asked.
Elina doesnt have one because she doesnt need one. Members get codenames to protect the people theyre close to. To keep their families safe. He didnt need to elaborate.
Liz could put those pieces together, and realized she probably didnt need the explanation if shed thought about it more. Elina didnt have anyone an enemy could use against her. It spoke to a dark past, and Liz decided to avoid the subject around the little psychopathic killer in the future.
They finally arrived at the river that fed out from the border between the desert and the forest, where it entered the city and split into canals before feeding out into the ocean nearby.
To Lizs eyes, the water looked clean and pure, owing to the glowing runes on the grates beneath the walls. No contamination where the water enters the city.
Im not an expert, but youre right. Lets follow it downstream and check there?
I dont think we need to. The channels split up and get too numerous to check them all. Were better off checking the ocean outlets, and following those back if they seem especially problematic.
Aegis nodded in agreement, clearly adept at following his orders for his missions, but not at thinking over complex investigations.
Actually, if runes are used to clean the water entering the city, then wont they be used to clean refuse and waste? The water exiting the city should be as clean as it is when it enters?
Ah. And if the city still employs [Sewer Sweepers], then the sewers should be clean as well. Checking the outlets should tell us if water is a problem at all. Aegis nodded at her. Yet another reason to reject adventurers. The fools only do things when the pay is right, and often feel theyve outgrown sewer cleaning, so most cities in the world end up with horribly messy waste management systems.
Thankfully the tension had eased since shed more than a little too accurately pincushioned his entire character.
~ ~ ~
After some speed-enabled rapid investigations, they managed to rule out the water source as a source of mass infection, and then ruled out the baths for both men and women as those also appeared to be clean and had functioning runes as well. They were lovely, with a pleasant incense burning with the scent of tropical fruits, and Liz wouldve loved to stay for an hour or so, but having one day to solve a disease outbreak wasnt the time to indulge in a good soak. The atmosphere was great, and it felt good to spend some time there, even if she wasnt soaking.
Sickness usually spreads via the air, water or direct contact. Weve ruled out water. Im doubting the direct contact route given how spread out the plague is, too. Elina and the Ranger [Healer] should have more concrete information by now, right? We should meet back up with them.
Aegis agreed with her assessment and they bolted back to the inn near the West gate theyd entered from.
The moment they returned to the inn, Elina waved them over to a well-lit table with stacked books Liz didnt recognize nearly burying the Ranger [Healer].
We have a shock for you both!
Liz gave the bubbly girl a sharp look, then caved. Okay, so what do you have?
Not a plague. Our boy [Healer] here didnt get any purchase from a combined skill to eliminate all the common causes of disease in a sick person we encountered that shared the signs of the condition thats killing people. Not a single one of the city [Healers] was available to see us. Convenient, but we also dont exactly have authority to throw around and make ourselves heard.
Liz couldnt help but frown as Aegis took over the discussion.
We ruled out water as an issue, but that doesnt seem like a concern anymore. So what are the possibilities now?
Magical conditions, of course. The Ranger poked his head out of his stacked tomes, and Liz saw the title on the top of the closest stack read Medical Manuscripts Vol. 7 before tuning fully in to the full run-down by the resident expert. Not Miasma, of course, since that controls all sorts of diseases that Dark can erase. Its truly a mystery! It kills like an infection, but it isnt considered one by the system. Ill be able to contribute to the Manuscripts on the subject of magical maladies if we figure it out.
Liz hated to shut the excitement down, but she had a broader analysis to offer.
Anyone with a healing skill that works on disease should notice the skills not working, right? So why does the town have a policy of ensuring everyone is checked before they leave? The [Healers] would notice theres no disease the moment someone came to their clinics, right? Meaning the [Healers] are in on the plot, if not the center of it.
Aegis bounced his own idea off her. Without the government enforcement in effect, all a city can do is negotiate the price with the [Healers] in the city on the price to cure the plague. The issue when this happens is that the medical professionals can hold the town hostage and demand whatever price they wish.
Sure, but the city [Healers] are members of the community. Who wants their neighbors to despise them over a payout when [Healers] already make so much money? Elina seemed skeptical.
Liz shook her head. Never underestimate greed. Some people can never have too much money, but with people out there dying, someone is getting a ton of levels from killing them, and the [Healers] arent getting them because of the lack of an actual plague to cure. Id imagine theyve been bought off, or threatened.
We first need to figure out how theyre killing people, then we can try to work backwards from that, right? Elina was a bit of an expert on infectious disease in her own way, Liz had to admit.
We can rule out both Miasma, Spore and Poison, right? Decay?
Elina shook her head. The conditions include deliriousness, and unless the effect is literally rotting the brain, I dont think thats it. Hallucinations, euphoria, and then the rest is coughing and difficulty breathing. Doesnt smell like rot, to me.
Thats the big group of common killing choices. Fair to say were looking for someone quite high level to be killing people across a wide area without it being eradicated by a [Healer]. Aegis was frowning and muttering such things as Liz quietly ran through elements in her head.
Not likely to be any of the Fire elements. No Light ones, either. Wind to distribute the cause is possible. Metal? Maybe. Water Maybe an inhaled Acid?
What about something that isnt considered harmful by the System? The Ranger [Healer] slid a book out from behind the stacks.
An oddity in skills offered by the system as a [Healer] is any substance considered a stimulant or buff from another classer. Some substances amplify the user with minor downsides, similar to the famous [Guardsmans Buff] that improves a persons Vitality while eating some of their Mana Regeneration. The most common affliction seen among these substances is a potent addictive quality. The System does not allow manipulation of the mind, and therefore healing a mind of addiction is impossible, making the common substances for testing theories invalid for research. Aegis read aloud as Liz felt her head start to hurt slightly. The entire situation had even more annoying possibilities with this new potential risk included.
Adding this to the pile of options, that means any element using drugs could be involved. Wood, Verdant or Forest? I had a thought about an inhaled Acid affecting the breathing and potentially damaging the brain, too.
We need to interrogate the [Alchemists], I think. Aegis gave her a nod before assigning teams. Lynx, join Lizha. Fate, whatever. When she is interacting with the owner of the shops, you sneak around and look for clues. Ill join Elina and well have Our Ranger friend keep looking up possibilities. Everyone try to question the people you meet on the street that seem affected and discreetly see if they have any substance abuse issues. Well start at the residential area here in the South, and then work our way to the wealthy district in the East. You two start in the lower class area nearby and work your ways around the North through the docks and markets.
Liz didnt want to know how the everything is a nail mentality of combat classers would discreetly ask about someones drug use history.
~ ~ ~
Questioning people on the street varied from some outright admissions of drug use by people in the slums with absolutely no signs of disease, to people in the market districts looking blatantly sick and denying anything that came close to the use of even a prescribed medication for a genetic problem theyd almost certainly had since birth. Forcing them to confess verbally took entirely too long, but she did her best to gather information as she went.
Liz was rapidly crossing off possibilities in her head by the time she and her silent, sneaky companion arrived at an alchemy shop at the border between the markets and the noble district. The shop was lavish, and she could feel the movements of multiple employees both in the shop and the basement, alongside a huge furnace that fed a chimney much larger than she expected from an [Alchemist].
The reason was obvious the moment she entered.
Myriad shelves filled with various small pouches with different labels for different scents of soaps, scrubs, hair products and lotions lined every wall to one side. The other side was delicately lined up with glass and porcelain objects ranging from storage containers to all shapes and sizes of incense burners. The furnace was apparently for a glassworks in the basement.
The man running the shop wasnt very much to speak of, and his classes all remained too low level to be the result of a mass casualty event. All the same, she approached.
Hey there. Ive been dying for something to keep my hair smooth while traveling on the road. Is there anything you have that lasts a few days after use?
Welcome! My father has a few secret recipes that should do the trick. What scents do you fancy? The man behind the counter was pleasant and cheerful, though apparently not the highest level person in the shop.
Anything like peaches? She hoped her ability to convey the meaning of words instead of the literal phrases would work in her favor.
Hmm, Im not sure Ive heard of those. Describe them?
She complied, looking around the shop for anything that caught her eye as similar.
Ah, like this, I suppose! She grabbed a soap that, to her eyes, read as being persimmon scented. It was close enough, really.
Let me ask if we have a hair product like that. He took the pouch shed grabbed and turned away, then poked his head into the back curtains and called for his father. Bless Vitality for allowing her to hear things spoken amongst the mild buzz of market noise outside the shop.
The moment the older man stepped out of the curtains, Liz found herself somewhat frozen in place.
[Artisan - Wood (Lvl 521), Steam (Lvl 742), Acid (Lvl 598)]
The man looked decrepit. Based on his stable footing and overall physical state conveyed by his feet hitting the ground, it was only his appearance that was fooling anyone.
The old man faintly whispered into the sons ear after rubbing his fingers over the embossed letters of the label on the pouch.
She didnt stick around long after making her small purchase and stowing away the product. She solemnly vowed not to use it until after shed tested it thoroughly somehow.
Case closed, she whispered to Lynx, who gazed at her quizzically, having never said a word to her ever since shed met him.
She shook her head, not wanting to explain things over again after they met Aegis and Elina.
The entire group was gathered back together again in the inn within another half hour, and theyd all been bustling around town since the early morning, having missed lunch already.
The group was back together minus one Ranger [Healer] that theyd left buried in his medical texts while they ran around investigating. They exchanged information first.
Wood, clearly the base for being an [Alchemist] followed by an extremely high level Steam and finally Acid. Man acts old enough to be more than a little senile, but I could tell hes got a lot more Vitality than it looks like. Based on the scents in the shop, they also make and sell the incense burned in the baths. Some Acid gets into some of the incense, and people get slowly exposed whenever the baths are burning the wrong scent. Someone gets too much exposure to the substance, they start dying from the acid. Still figuring out how the [Healers] fit into the picture, but they have to know theyre not healing anything when they tag people with a skill to cleanse the illness.
She gave the rundown to Aegis who mulled the idea over.
Sure, the highest level person in town. [Healers] could simply be corruption? And if the Steam skills are right, all the incense he makes might have a buffing effect like our missing Ranger friend mentioned earlier. All a [Healer] would see is healing the damage, not the substance ravaging the patients lungs, right? And miserly ones might not even bother healing a patient, only using their cleansing skills to attack pathogens instead. Might not be a conspiracy, just incompetence. Take it to the town [Mayor]?
I have a different idea, actually. The old [Alchemist] is a shrewd one. Acts like hes all gone upstairs, but has clearly been growing his skills for years. Settles down in the perfect town with a [Leader] who can give his products perfect positioning inside the public baths. Figures out the perfect time and opportunity to set to work for real after the government is weak, and the [Healers] have been slowly brought on board by the [Leader] behind the scenes.
Thats a ton of conjecture. How would we prove if thats true?
Wait Liz pumped the brakes as her mind whirled. If the [Leader] in the theory is bringing the [Healers] on board, and a certain envoy brings a conspicuous Dark [Healer] in town one morning and starts investigating What would they do to the [Healer]?
We need a tracker. Get the rest of the Rangers! Aegis began issuing more commands to Lynx and Elina in rapid sequence.
Liz felt like a fool for not seeing it all sooner.
It only took the group minutes to mobilize as Rangers formed into pairs and headed to all the targets of note around the town, pairs bound for healing clinics, some for the guards, and some for the [Mayor] at his office in the town hall. Elizabeth made her way with Elina and Aegis for the [Alchemist] theyd realized was their mark.
They werent in passive, resting mode anymore. Every member of both groups was in full force, armed and dangerous, emanating as much righteous fury as possible. Some guards seemed to want to restrict them, preventing a disturbance, only to back down after getting in range of [Identify], in Liz and Elinas case, a show of trust still placed by the country in anyone with a [Priestess] tag, while the rest of the team members showed the levels and confidence of exactly the sort of person that made townspeople think twice before crossing them.
Liz had been enjoying her opportunity to play at being a detective, but shed since sobered, and the fact that children had died from the classer responsible was now in full focus, the Ranger [Healer]s disappearance pushing all of naive thoughts from her mind.
She was seething with rage.
Part 19 - Running Out of Time
Part 19 - Running Out of Time
Liz wouldve loved to have said they had a plan.
The truth was, they didnt. Somehow, she, Aegis and Elina had to handle a high level murderer that was stealthily killing citizens by the dozens and had the mentality that came with being willing to murder children.
Plan? Liz glanced at Aegis as she hoped they had a method for taking out a high level murderer without a casualty. The three of them were the types whod stand out the least in a crowd, so unless they wanted to look threatening, they werent even armed, and two of them would show up as non-combat classers regardless.
You said he had Wood, Steam and Acid? We can go over how you know them later. Its a fair bet by levels alone that the killings are a combination of Steam and Acid, right? But thats the slow, stealthy method. With so many levels, Im willing to bet that if he dumps a big burst of mana on an Acid skill, he can be a very real threat to any of us. This is still a fairly low severity situation, so Im assuming hes only begun killing recently. Thankfully, that should mean he has low class qualities from working as a normal citizen for most of his life.
Sure, so we try to overpower him with higher quality skills and stats, and take him out that way? Elina offered, but Aegis seemed hesitant.
Of course not. We dont have the proof to say beyond doubt that hes responsible. We need to find our missing man, and then set a team that is trustworthy on the matter. Every person out scouring the city is currently looking for evidence and trying to find a missing member of an important delegation. I appreciate your candor and insight on this issue, and youve likely saved many lives simply putting usand the authoritieson to this problem.
Liz just closed her eyes. Her heart sank as she realized shed been overeager. Thinking herself to be a genius had somewhat blinded her, making her jump to a conclusion and panic when things began to go wrong. Aegis had over a decade of experience operating as a member of a team of elite soldiers handling a variety of problems. He may have allowed her to take the lead on an issue he wasnt familiar with, but in the end, handling a threat from a high level classer was beyond her ability and the only person around who had the ability to contain a threat of such magnitude was Sentinel Magic, who had no reason to stray from his job protecting the Senator.
In the end, if we find the [Healer] is dead, thats going to go without being resolved?
By us, thats correct. By the guards? Well see if the locals are so involved that the guard is in their pocket, too. Aegis gave her a small knowing smirk.
Ill keep an eye on the exits, boss. Ill send you a present if anything weird happens. Elina gave Liz a wink before she slipped into the crowds in the direction of a small eatery nearby.
Youre going to have to do the same, Fate. First up, wander around and get a rough idea of that basement you found. Anywhere that the walls are close to the sewers, map them out. See if you can sense anyone bound inside. I doubt theyd hide our missing man here, but find out just in case. Act natural, grab some street food. Then we stake the place out until we hear back about which places in town have ties to the killings. Aegis then melted into the crowds.
Liz set to work as well, first visiting a stall to buy some skewers that smelled tantalizing. The meat was similar to ground pork, then wrapped in a noodle-like shell that was steamed, then grilled to make a crisp outer layer and juicy interior. The sauce was a bit salty, but complemented the meat perfectly. She realized she hadnt eaten during their prior break when she was laying Heron Lakes residents to rest, and it reflected in her appetite.
Mapping out the building didnt take her long, but it did result in her finding multiple exits into the sewers, and two separate storerooms hidden in said sewers made her more than slightly convinced shed been right in her assumptions.
[Earth Shattering Arts] was a certified cheat-skill. The fact that it allowed her to sense things through the ground was immensely helpful, though the amount of disturbances involved in being in a city wouldve normally overwhelmed her. Her new divine blessing helped organize and reduce the chaos in the information storm, removing the biggest flaw in the skills function.
She linked back up with Aegis quickly and slipped him a note about what shed seen, and then tailed him discreetly towards the nearest sewer access they could slip into without being seen.
Lets say we find evidence in these storerooms? Then do we hit this guy and leave the investigations to the guards? Liz hated the idea of leaving a killer free to keep murdering people, especially children. The idea of someone killing the kids shed been taking care of was finding some small amount of empathy in her heart that shed long suppressed.
I dont like our odds, and we have another mission and are running out of time. I say we find the evidence, hand it off to someone who can sort the issue out, and then move on. Aegis gave her a stern look, and Liz had to back down. She just didnt have the power to take down someone with that big an advantage on her own.
Aegis lit their path with a subtle Radiance glow as the trio headed into the sewers, and Liz marveled at how clean they were. It was as if the people who handled the areas were properly funded, had the right skills and plenty of levels for the task. A true marvel of what could be achieved when the right cultural values lined up.
Once they arrived at the first hidden passageway between the shop and the sewer, Liz used her skills to meld the stone door back into the adjacent wall, ruining the passageway to prevent anyone coming up behind them as they investigated the first storeroom.
By all appearances, the first storeroom held an unbelievable amount of ingredients. It wasnt much to consider evidence, but she also doubted anyone had obtained a permit to be using the space. Still, it wasnt the right kind of criminality for their suspicions.
The second hidden room was a little different. It was better hidden, and Elina didnt even notice it with her Ice aura skill to sense shifts in heat. There were no seams, and the chamber actually seemed to only be accessible using Earth skills.
Interesting. I can get us inside, but itll be almost impossible for me to hide the fact weve been snooping. I cant perfectly recall this pattern in the stonework and put it all back like this. Liz was a little deflated, but Aegis gave her the green light anyway.
The stone melted away like butter being parted by a hot knife, and the room beyond became fully exposed to their eyes.
More distressingly, acid flooded out of the room and into the sewer, just thick enough to make breathing difficult, but not bad enough to burn their skin.
They all managed to narrowly back away, but entering the room was a different question. The acid was not what Liz expected. The room was full of things that shouldve burned away from the exposure, but it all looked fine at a distance. Desks with stacks of paper, shelves with varieties of pouches similar to the ones sold in the shop above, and a whole workshop in one far corner where the old man mustve been creating his essences.
They all moved further away and hatched their game plan.
The old man must have [Acid Resistance] and other skills to keep people away from his work, meaning the acid is entirely created using his skills. We still dont have proper evidence without going inside. Taking suggestions for how to continue. Aegis laid out his observations succinctly, then gave the two of them a chance to contribute, one of his best qualities at times.
Can you cover someone with a barrier while they move inside? Liz posed the first question, implying her suggestion.
No mobile shields yet. Aegis denied.
Then if the acid applies to human flesh, as we assume, then could Elina do anything with her [Ice Manipulation]?
Liz nodded, somewhat slowly, and then tried to move an arrow of ice through the acid.
No issues there, but with my power and the distances involved, I cant grab anything very heavy. Im all about lacerations, not bulky objects or attacks. Elina saluted them before tapping her chin.
Focus on the paperwork. Maybe theres evidence of a deal, and who the deals were with. Once we have that, we know who to not put in charge when we leave.
Liz nodded, then glanced at the rest of the sewers. Ill go block off the rest of the secret exits from the shop, yeah?
At Aegis nod, she slipped off into the tunnels around the shop, annoyed at needing to go up a handful of streets, then cut back to reach the other secret doorway shed sensed from the street above, thanking her [Arts] for the ability to find her way without any light.
She wound her way through the tunnels before she finally made it to the thin layer of bricks that separated the furnace room from the sewer, and the slight glow of the heat beyond betrayed the seams between the bricks. Some light sabotage had her work complete in no time.
Sadly, thats when things went awry.
She turned away from her work and heard distant voices headed in her direction. They were too faint to make out, and the sound didnt echo very well, leading to a garbled mess of noise reaching her Vitality-enhanced ears.
Even without knowing what was being said, she knew shed have to hide. Making too many turns in the maze of the sewersobviously not planned by worshippers of Seirawould have her completely lost, and worse, if the voices were headed to the door shed just sealed off, then it would cause further issues.
If things were even worse than that, if the voices were headed towards Aegis and Elina, then the problems would multiply.
What do we tell the old codger? The foreign bastard refuses to keep quiet. Itll ruin us all if we release him. The voice of a man reached her ears more clearly as they came closer, and the light of a lantern cast light her way as she ducked down a side passage to remain out of sight.
I dont want to kill him, and neither does the old man. We tried to keep this in-house, but its beyond what we can do anything about on our own. We just have to come clean and tell him we screwed up. A second voice replied and gave Liz some confusing thoughts.
They dont want to kill the Ranger [Healer]? Then that makes it sound like they arent to blame for the killings. It makes no sense at all.
She began rewriting the story of events in her head again as she slunk back to the hidden workshop, wincing as she heard the men find the sealed off secret doorway shed just created. She hoped they didnt have any Earth or Mountain element users that could undo her work, but Earth was an unnervingly common element.
She focused on the clues they had.
She was almost certain the killings came from the public bathhouses and their aromatic incenses. Some of the incense was toxic and overexposure could kill people, especially children.
The creator of the killing substance was almost certainly the [Alchemist] from the shop.
The towns [Healers] were also involved, as theyd know if a plague was being erased by their skills or not.
By what shed heard just before, the people shed passed were probably [Healers] concerned for their own reputations over the incident, which made some sense to her, though theyd also said they didnt want to kill anyone, but thinking of reputation while children died was pretty foul.
She reached Aegis before she could fully piece together the puzzle.
Got a problem. Sealed the doorway, then heard voices. They found the sealed doorway I made, but theyd been talking about our missing [Healer] and mentioned not wanting anyone to get killed.
Lucky for you, Lynx just left from giving an update, and Elina and I went through some of these notes.
Elina then piped in excitedly. The acidic incense was a mistaken creation meant to have been disposed of from the [Alchemist]s research. The old guy and several unnamed assistants have been helping him research a wide array of fields, including the field of magical conditions caused by various buffs and how healing interacts with them!
My working theory so far is that someone stole the substances being disposed of and found a great method to kill people and make investigators think it was the [Alchemist], while the thief got away with killing people for the levels and potentially for profits.
So the question is: who is our mystery murderer? Liz filled in the final question.
They have to have access to the substance and know which recipe makes what. They also have to have access to set up the incense in the public baths without anyone knowing.
Liz held up a hand to stop Aegis.
What are the odds this person is wealthy enough to not have to use the public bath houses themselves? Why risk using the same baths where people are getting sick, right?
Aegis gave her an uncertain look. I wouldnt count on that. If this person is leveling off killing people this way, then they might just be cunning enough to use the public baths just to avoid suspicion. And if they have an Acid class, they probably have [Acid Resistance] themselves. Then they could just act with total immunity to it all.
Liz cursed mentally before shrugging.
The person in question will have a higher level than youd expect anyway, right? Wait and see which team reports having lain eyes on an unusually high level person of interest? After that, I can take a look with my blessing and see if they have an Acid class.
Blessing, huh? Of course you have one. Its hard to trust something I cant verify with my own eyes, but Ill roll with it for now. The alternative is to kill the person responsible and check the notification, which gets messy when youre wrong.
Right why do I feel like we keep running back around to square one? Liz frowned in considerable frustration.
We just need to find the [Healer]. Nothing more, nothing less. Take me to the people you heard, then well interrogate them.
Liz complied, and Elina remained to guard the acidic research chamber.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Upon their return to the secret entrance, the pair found nothing.
They already left. What now? Liz grumbled in annoyance, then filed through the information theyd compiled. Of course it wasnt something simple, was it?
We dont have the means to track anyone, so we just wait for reports from the others. If the pair you heard needed to speak with the [Alchemist] right away, then they probably went to try from street level. Meaning theyll find the sealed secret exits soon. Aegis began to jog back to Elina.
Liz followed, still lost in thought. What if we negotiate? If the truth is that these people arent the real killers, they might want to help take down whoever is the real killer.
A calculating silence fell over them as Aegis mulled over the suggestion.
They didnt reach a conclusion before they rounded a corner to find Lynx, Elina and an impassive Sentinel Magic in mirage form before them.
Boss, we have a bit of a diplomatic problem. Elina didnt have her usual cheer around her as she winced in the direction of Magics mirage, subtle pressure rolling off the man who seemed to not be used to overt displays of authority.
Aegis cursed colorfully.
~ ~ ~
Apparently, foreign dignitaries didnt appreciate having their entourage kidnapped from them. Who couldve guessed?
Aegis hadnt wanted to inform the vampires until theyd already settled the matter, hoping to avoid the Senator and Sentinels ire. Instead, theyd obviously been informed by the Ranger team.
And that was how Aegis, Liz and Elina had been brought to the local [Mayor]s mansion an hour before sundown. Every human member of the Ranger team was lined up like a firing squad outside the large, ostentatious home. In the shadow of the doorway stood one of the Exterreri envoys vampires. The trio entered and found the entire staff of the home lined up in the entryway, all tied up and gagged.
The entire display put everything into perspective.
The Exterreri members were pissed, and they werent from that town. They didnt care who lived or died. Theyd take down the whole city to find their man.
They finally entered the open doorway into a large drawing room where the Sentinel, Senator and town leader all sat. Senator Ignatius was sitting silently, while the [Mayor] seemed to be shaking in his seat, cold sweat rolling down his brow despite the tropical heat.
[Leader - Wind (Lvl 270), Fire (Lvl 225)]
Liz silently crossed him off their suspect list.
Im glad were all here now. Ignatius voice was a low hiss that conveyed his stature as an apex predator in the world, a noise that had Elizabeth stiffening in an instinctual reaction to feeling hunted. She could also tell she wasnt the only one, and the town [Mayor] paled visibly.
Lord Mayor, it has come to my attention that one of my entourage has been abducted within your fair city. Id like to ask what you know about that. It was clear there was no question. The demand was absolute.
Y-your lordship, I-I dont know anything! I swear! The city was clearly run by a sniveling coward, not that Liz could disparage him much, given the pressure, but she at least wouldnt have stuttered, and she wasnt even level one hundred.
You claim you have no idea what happens in the city you oversee? Triarchus Aegis, please report, if you would? Liz watched with eagle eyes as the leader of team Iota sucked in a sharp breath. She had to admit, she knew nothing about the Legions of Exterreri, but given their cover story while traveling, it was a bit of an oversight on her part.
Senator, upon entering the town, we realized something was unusual about the plague going on. The [Healer] from your entourage confirmed there was no plague cleansed by his skills. Some questioning and poking around led to the discovery that someone has been using a skill-infused acid incense to slowly poison and kill off civilians. I believe that because your [Healer] discovered the lack of a plague, he was targeted and abducted by those responsible.
The [Mayor] opened his mouth to speak, but froze solid when the Senator glared at him.
Lord Mayor, you want me to believe you had no knowledge and conducted no investigations to learn there was a murderer in your own city?
Liz smartly remained silent as the inquiryor verbal floggingcontinued. Instead she began to look over the servants outside the room.
[Laborer - Water (Lvl 175), Wind (Lvl 163)]
[Laborer - Fire (Lvl 214), Fire (Lvl 149)]
[Artisan - Wood (Lvl 386), Wind (Lvl 308)]
Her eyes skimmed over each of them, boring into the mana senses within each person with her blessing to read their mana signature and class elements.
The dozen servants each seemed fine, though she had to admit the one who looked like an office worker was oddly much higher level than the [Mayor].
Finally, she reached the elderly head servant at the end of the hall, and had to bore into him especially hard to read his mana. Shed become familiar with Mirage as an elemental aura enough to know it played tricks on her eyes in subtle ways, like it was laughing at her while blowing raspberries.
The mana of the head servant was muddled, but once she finally got past the trickery, she realized it was disguising the mans [Identify].
[Laborer - Mirage (Lvl 4~5~7), Water (Lvl 697), Acid (Lvl 114)]
Her blood ran cold as she poked Aegis, then pointed out the man, who then seemed to notice her gesture and narrowed his eyes at her.
What? Hes probably a [Butler] and only level 457? Aegis questioned her, causing her to lean her head toward him and mutter back quietly.
I can see his mana. His Second class looks like 697, and he has Acid-type mana in a third class. He must have a skill to hide his second classs level.
Ahem. Triarchus Aegis, Miss Fate, do you have something to add?
Liz cleared her throat and stepped forward. She wouldnt allow Aegis to take blame for anything shed sidetracked them into.
Senator, I apologize. It was my observation that sidetracked the delegation. However, as [Priestess] and support for your entourage, I must inform you that we found evidence the incense was stolen research waste material stolen by someone and then mixed into the incense rotation used by the public baths. Given the dangerous nature of Acid, the research was contained in a sealed chamber in the sewers. The only people who have the knowledge, access and ability to deflect blame on the [Alchemist] in question would be someone involved in the management of the town. Multiple [Healers] seemed to be involved, so I believe the killer, or thief, also has some sort of leverage to keep them from reporting the lack of plague in the city.
Silence filled the room for a long moment, then the Mayor cut in.
Thats right! The guards reported a few youths with early [Healer] classes had reported not having any luck curing the plague! Ive only been in my position for a month. You cant expect me to be able to handle the whole situation so soon!
Actually, based on the levels of some of your servants, theyre the ones handling the real administrative work in the city, arent they? Liz drove a bus over the man without a hint of hesitation.
We are nearly out of time. [Mayor], I do hope youll get this situation well in hand before I mention this unpleasant incident to the new Vajra leaders at the event tomorrow night.
Of course, summon the guard commander immediately! The mayor dove for his lifeline with pathetic eagerness.
All the same, Liz was ready the moment she heard the sizzling burn of acid from down the hall. She was off like a shot after the man who bolted the moment he heard the pronouncement.
She could trust Elina and Aegis to help her out, using skills built over multiple days of team training exercises.
Elina had her cold aura spreading across the exits of the estate by the time Liz reached the first intersection of corridors in the house. The Ice user then called out the direction she felt heat passing through as the killer ran away.
For someone to look elderly on Pallos either meant they were decades into their life as a fairly normal civilian, or they had over a hundred years and massive Vitality to prolong their lifespan. This elderly worker seemed to be the latter, moving quickly with the stats to show for being a high level classer in his own right.
Liz had buffs and combat training, as well as a team on her side as she tailed the fleeing murderer into the streets of the city, able to trust her companions with tightening the noose around the criminals neck. Every alleyway was blocked by another member of the team as they converged on his escape routes, forcing him to flee towards the docks facing the ocean.
When she caught himworking her Speed, Magic Power and Control boosting skills to their limitshe was trying to use small gouts of acid to burn his way through a lock to get into the sewers.
She conjured [Chainmail] as she dove toward him, twisting in the air to bring a roundhouse kick at his shoulders, only to sail through the vacant space as his appearance shimmered, still obfuscating her mana sight with the confusing distortions that made up the Mirage mana itself.
Still, the sight of Acid mana lashing out towards her was clear as day, and she narrowly dodged to the side as she recovered from her kick.
More acid came from different directions as Mirage mana spread across the dead-end.
Liz briefly thought of closing her eyes, but losing sight of the acid attacks would be a major problem. She had to manage both her [Arts] senses and the mana sight at the same time and bank on the blessing to help her to organize the information and process everything in real time during combat. She hadnt had a chance to test her blessing in training with Aegis yet, but she would have to live with the trial by acid instead.
Liz had the clear advantage of training and focused boosting skills all directed into her chosen combat style. Her opponent was a lifelong worker, having been a civilian that became a killer.
Her stat advantage was naturally a disadvantage at the huge level difference. Her month of training with Arlyen and week of training with Iota had honed her battle sense with reckless disregard for her own sanity, though. She''d put herself through hell and it had paid off. She even had her Metal class skills taking the lead in parrying what they could, since she needed her second class to catch up fast.
She had two options as she dodged combined sprays of Acid and blades of Water, each being mixed together to get her to make a mistake. One option was to take down her opponent, but risk injury to herself. The second was to wait out the mans mana until he was spent.
Shed win either way, but they were on a short timeframe, and the patience of Team Iota waiting just beyond the alleyway was likely to wear thin. Aegis having held them back in order to allow Liz a chance to handle a threat he considered low risk to her.
The truth was, each attack sent her way was a very low risk to her. With her armor and her stone body, shed be unlikely to actually die from liquid acid attacks. The key difference between the Steam-Acid combination of the [Alchemist] and the Water-Acid combination of the killer being the lethality of an inhaled acidic attack against her particular skills.
As she continued to dodge and parry the acid spray and test out the slow method, she reflected on her fights since shed come to Pallos. The dire wolves, the smugglers, the mercenaries whod sacked Heron Lake and the adventurers whod robbed the village afterwards. Every fight shed had was in some manner unfulfilling. Shed come to a revelation about her skills and end the fight without any fanfare.
She grinned. It was time to change that.
She ducked under a blade of water and forced her right foot into the stone floor hard.
The stone cracked at her mercy and a small crater formed as she flexed her will over the broken fragments near her body, launching the projectiles forward in a shower of dust to obscure her movements.
One step to the left, a twist of her abdomen, and she swept away some droplets of acid with her armored right hand before lashing out with her left hand with a hook, transferred into a left straight as her fist didnt meet flesh right away.
The stone dust shed scattered parted from the force of her strike, the air shuddering from the localized quake of her skill-empowered fury.
She still didn''t have a view of the killer, but she could sense the air temperature plummeting as Elina set the stage for Iota to engage as a unit.
Liz couldnt allow them to steal her prey.
She stomped again, emanating a wave of magic that cleared the dust in the air completely, leaving her face to face with the ball of acid being gathered by her target. She brought her [Elegant Chains] to the fore as they spun and cut the orb of acid to ribbons, her fist right behind the glinting metal as her fingers grasped the man by his sleeve, chains joining in to drag him through his own acid face-first.
Sadly, she didnt get to witness any poetic justice as his [Acid Resistance] skill negated the effects. She briefly wanted to pout, but a dangerous classer wasnt something to be handled with carelessness.
She plunged her fist into his stomach. You killed kids. He coughed up blood.
She kicked him in the groin. You power-hungry monster! She watched his vision falter as he faded at the edge of consciousness from the sudden pain.
He still fought to get the words out all the same. Tough bastard.
For the Justiciary, and the Lord Magister, I would kill every traitor submitting to the Vajra. Liz sneered in his face as she watched him try to gather his mana into another attack.
Monster. She wrapped her hand around his throat, tightening her grip while staring at him with cold, dead eyes.
She hadnt gotten what she wanted from him yet.
But he was close.
She eased her grip only slightly as she batted away the forming acid with little care.
Please! Spare me. I Never meant to kill any children.
She snapped his neck with utter ruthlessness as the team approached her from behind.
[*ding* You have slain a [Magisters Agent - [Mirage] lvl 518], [Hard-Working Host - [Water] lvl 397], [The Butler Did It - [Acid] lvl 114]!]
Liz breathed out a sigh of relief as her levels rolled in, added bonus from [Merciless] working as a slight excuse for tormenting the criminal at the very end.
You killed him and now we can''t interrogate him. Aegis seemed worn out. It had been a long day without rest and it showed on his face. Others seemed pretty green at her method. Elina seemed to be appraising her work thoughtfully.
He confessed in his final moments, and he literally has a class dedicated to the murders. Only level 114 in that, so we can assume we caught him early on. Liz replied.
That, and most of the people who died were low level without much Vitality.
The sun dipped below the city walls, and Liz realized they were definitely going to be late.
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] has leveled up from level 94 to level 103!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +30 Free Stats, +60 Dexterity, +50 Vitality, +60 Speed, +30 Mana, +80 Mana Regeneration, +50 Magic Power, +50 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Fates Shackles] has leveled up from level 75 to level 91!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +4 Free Stats, +6 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +10 Vitality, +2 Speed, +5 Mana, +5 Mana Regeneration, +4 Magic Power, +4 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Magic Power from your element!]
[*ding* [Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange], [Earth Authority], [Earth Manipulation], [Tenacity of Stone], [Rigid Body], [Earth Shattering Arts], [Mental Partitioning], [Learning] and [Imaginative] have remained capped! 94 -> 103]
[*ding* [Templars Conviction] has leveled up! 48 -> 53]
She was happy to see the levels really rolling in for the new skill, though she continued to keep the details of the enhancements under wraps. She didnt trust the team enough with the methods to circumvent her strongest ability to punch above her level.
[*ding* [Chain Proficiency], [Elegant Chains], [Chain Reinforcement], [Chainmail] and [Fates Bonds] have remained capped! 75 -> 91]
[*ding* [F-L Magic Power] has leveled up! 1 -> 24]
[*ding* [F-L Speed] has leveled up! 58 -> 72]
[*ding* [F-L Magic Control] has leveled up! 1 -> 24]
[*ding* [An Eye for Detail] has leveled up! 76 -> 90]
[*ding* [Merciless] has leveled up! 1 -> 10]
[*ding* [F-L Speed] may now be merged with Fates Bonds]. Would you like to merge these skills? Y/N]
She barely hesitated. Shed been using the skill quite a bit to navigate the city that day. Also, she could somewhat confirm her skills were shifting from functioning on Base 10 values towards the Pallos standard of Base 8.
[*ding* You have unlocked the Class Skill [Fate-Linked Mana]!]
She had to admit Strength wasnt likely to ever happen. The pitiful stat was at barely 300 while her other boosted stats were as high as 12,000. Shed been growing in an explosive way with the stacking of her two classes on one another. Even the 1% per level from [Fates Bonds] was doubling her divine blue class stats to incredible levels. Barely past level 100with no skill offering, she notedand already reaching such high values felt like it was cheating.
Technically, if she invested her Free Stats into Strength, she wouldve gotten close, but she was saving them for right before she reached her big 128 class-up.
Finally, as she was catching her breath and the team was covering the body, the vampires and Rangers caught up to them, finally free to move as the sun swiftly set.
All done, then? We are out of time. I understand your sense of duty to this country, and so I will not berate you for doing what you could with the time made available to you all. In the future, do not involve my entourage, however. Our missing Ranger will be found soon, and the town leadership will handle the final investigation in our place. Senator Ignatius gave a soft rebuke of what had happened, and Liz felt bad that Aegis had taken the brunt of that when she felt at fault.
Regardless, they would need to be on the road very soon and still had a [Healer] to track down.
Part 20 - Countdown
Part 20 - Countdown
Case closed.
Theyd successfully solved the plague in Port Oronis. Shed finally learned the name of the place as they were leaving.
Elizabeth also finally got the full rundown on the situation from the Ranger once the town [Healers] released him after they were no longer under blackmail threats from the anonymous killer.
Allegedly, the town medical community had begun working on a topic of interest to add to the Medical Manuscripts, hoping to immortalize themselves in history with their contributions. Then theyd suddenly started seeing people dying of conditions similar to the materials of their research and realized theyd be in trouble if anyone found out they were working with illegal substances.
Enter the anonymous killer, threatening to throw them to the wolves by exposing them if they spoke about the plague not being a plague. The first [Healer] to wind up dead after someone tried to tell the town leadership had led to a mad scramble to pressure every [Healer] into joining their pseudo vow of silence on the topic. Which was why theyd kidnapped the Ranger with the help of some random adventurers whod been poking around after the Justiciary fell.
Surprise, surprise. Scumbags every time Liz had met them so far.
Twice didnt make a pattern but if she counted every member separately
Moving along, Liz had a wild theory. The [Butler] had been a faithful servant for his entire life. Suddenly winds up in service to some newly appointed lazybones while staring down an immortal war. Best way to survive when you lose your best shield in life? Bulk up your stats with some levels.
It was a wild theory with a few holes shed sadly never get to fill in. Regardless, she couldve dreamt up a good detective show if it werent for the very real, very dead, very innocent children involved.
It put her in a sour mood even before Elina drew up alongside her during their new night of travels across the desert. Annoyingly, the sand was interfering with her sensing abilities, but she had to grant that Sand wasnt the same domain as Earth. She was in a very sour mood indeed.
Look, Fate, I want to talk about what you did back there.
Liz gave her a hard look, then sighed.
I know Im one to talk, but what you did back there to that man was effectively torture, and you looked like you enjoyed it. I just dont want you to do things youll regret. Liz had to admit she knew what Elina had meant. She had taken [Merciless] to get an experience boost when things happened to go that way anyway.
Liz had told herself she wouldnt intentionally try to go out of her way just to get the bonus, but somehow she found herself delighting in making him squirm, even considering him prey.
I know. I shouldve knocked him out or just killed him. I dont regret his death, though.
Oh, no, the man was a complete monster. He totally deserved it. Just keep in mind that Im the slow, painful death gal around here. Leave the emotional trauma to me. I even have skills to help with it, like [Hopeless Optimist]. Most people arent cut out for the no conscience killing lifestyle, though. Its what makes me unique, right? Elina was practically gushing. The younger woman had a serious side, but she just rarely showed it.
I appreciate your concerns, I think? Ill give this [Merciless] skill some more thought. Either Ill learn how to keep the urge in check, or Ill drop it. Killing doesnt seem to bother me, but when I think of kids being killed without them having a chance to do all the great things life can offer? It bothers me. How dare the choices of someone else take away the lives of the innocent? Liz did her best to put her feelings into words. The people shed killed had made their decisions, fallen into a bad situation and what happened as a consequence wasnt her problem to feel bad about. But those kids hadnt had a chance to make bad decisions before meeting their ends. It was the same for the orphans of Heron Lake, and for Jax.
Mason, the young boy whod lost his arm, had made his choice, too. Liz just wasnt of the Pallos mindset that said a fourteen year old boy could join a military group and risk his life yet. In the end, it had just eaten at her that hed gotten hurt while she did nothing.
And so shed changed that.
She was operating on very little sleep again, and as she made that realization, a sound came to her mind again.
[*ding* You have unlocked the general skill [Tireless]!]
She decided to take the skill. It had been offered before, but she had simply assumed it would be better to build up her own ability to ignore sleep naturally. In a mission circumstance, she would profit from the skill because declining it could be a problem for her. She could drop it if she had to later.
The skill did exactly what it sounded like. It made her build fatigue less quickly, and stacked with her Vitality, she was back to full operating power in no time at all.
The group ended up late to their destination the next morning, using the skill that created the sphere of ashes around their daylight-sensitive members as they finished the leg of the journey with the desert heat building all around them.
Despite the coastal region, theyd still been steadily increasing in altitude over time, and now the grand city rose above the dunes they strode upon.
The Old Capital, Mourningloft.
It was a grand city built on a high cliff overlooking the ocean, at a point with the highest elevation in the entire Justiciary. Allegedly, the stone monument that displayed all of Seiras [Tenets] was erected within the massive cathedral that stood at the edge of the cliff, and the site was host to a festival to send off the dead every year, giving the town its name.
Sadly, despite the historical importance of the massive sandstone city, trade was important, and such a journey to a city like Mourningloft was a poor investment of time. The new capital was further south, where caravans would be more common.
Entry to the city while part of a foreign delegation right before a major event was fairly easy for them all, and the group entered without incident.
Elizabeth was amazed as she marveled at the displays of skills and ingenuity.
The city itself was far above water sources, but for the religious site, deep tunnels had been created and allowed skills to pull water from deep below. They passed through many districts of the city on their way to their accommodations near the cathedral, and every district had a fountain surrounded by a massive ring dug deep into the earth, each staffed with powerful classers that made their jobs both a vital piece of infrastructure and a tourism display.
The city operated in ways that wouldve taken a massive amount of engineering and resources back on Earth. She was astounded, but she kept her face clear of any signs of it. She was an actress, and she wouldnt allow anyone to catch her gawking at everything.
When do we start? She whispered to Aegis quietly as they began to sort out rooms for their stay at a palatial building near the cathedral.
We already have. We traveled fast, and got here early enough to have some downtime before the party preparations. Thats what we want to make use of. Well split into pairs and have everyone explore, get to know the city, and subtly gather information. We have suspicions that this event will be used to kill off a large number of foreign dignitaries so the Vajra can try to cut ties with their original employers and become their own state. Its stupid with an immortal war coming, but thirst for power often supersedes good sense.
Right, and who am I paired with?
Me. A new, slightly familiar female voice echoed behind her. The inflection was the same as someone shed recently gotten to know, even when the actual voice was different.
Liz turned around to see a female version of the bases blacksmith, Anders, standing behind her.
Im Anvers. Anders is my twin. [Clothier] and [Jeweler]. Pleasure to meet you. The lava element of the womans eyes made her evoke the word [Smoldering] in Lizs mind, and she was nearly impressed, or would have been if anyone compared to the peerless beauty of Seira. Liz wouldve bet Anvers had an appearance skill named the exact word shed been thinking without a doubt in her mind.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Huh Im guessing youre the reason Anders wouldnt let me see my dress before?
Yes, indeed. Red and black for Exterreri colors and matched with Soranas infamous Runeweave. Ill have you ready for a party in record time. Hair, makeup, everything else, I have assistants for. Normally, I have a wait list going back months, but for a special project of my brothers? I can make time. Anvers began to gush about fashion and Liz gave a wry smile, feeling like she was back home, getting ready for the next set. Aegis gave a small wave as she descended back into the city alongside her new chaperone.
Liz officially loved being on Pallos.
Her mentors before hadnt had any interest in the topic, but apparently, with how much high mana consumption burned energy, most [Mages] and similar had no problems with their weight or figure. Liz could even eat while she was being fitted for the final touches on her dresswhile blindfolded to prevent surprises.
Shed been keeping close to a diet of her usual healthy foods for the weeks shed been on Pallos for (apparently) no reason. In reality, she could eat whatever she wanted without regrets. It was amazing.
The fitting was nice enough. Stats and skills made adjustments an effort of thought and mana instead of an effort of time and energy.
The same went for her hair, which was already longer than shed liked on Earth, but the rapid levels in [Stunning] were unbelievable as the stylist changed her look from something adjacent to a rockstar and into something fitting of a cool beauty. She loved it, and it fit in with other Pallos styles much more than it had in the months prior.
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 44 -> 50]
She liked the new look and glossy sheen of her hair so much that she even passed along some mental images to Seira, hoping for some appreciation from the goddess as well. She got back a sensation that the deity was busy, but appreciated that Liz had thought of her first when sharing the new look.
Liz smiled at the closeness she was feeling from between her and the goddess the more they interacted. It had started faint, but shed sensed the distance between them closing ever since shed awoken from her last class-up. Sharing the connection that they had brought Liz a lot of comfort and the goddess had helped her so much that she wasnt sure shed ever repay the debt she felt she owed.
As she was musing, Anvers finally returned with her completed dress, still somehow keeping it from her sight as the accursed blindfold went back on.
Now, Soranas amazing work allows the Runeweave to take on a skin tone, right? For sure keep the gloves look, but with legs like yours, your figure stands out more with bare legs. Liz let the mana flow into the arcanite-woven runes in her bodysuit, letting the mental upkeep of the effect slide into a compartment of her mind with [Mental Partitioning] while she let herself be turned and adjusted to fit the dress onto her body. The Arcanite could sustain the effect alone for a while, but she preferred to fuel such minor effects with her own mana when possible.
Once she was finished, Anvers pulled the blindfold away, and Elizabeth gasped slightly at the reveal.
The dress was somewhat similar to a toga from Exterreri, to match her cover story, except the hemline of the dress swept from high on her thigh at her right hip down to a long skirt at her left ankle. The skirt was solid black, while the golden chains and decorations hung in a sash-like pattern from her shoulder to another chain around her waist, cinched to her figure in an alluring curve. One shoulder was exposed and the fabric hanging from her body was layered between blacks and reds with some white layers to offset the design.
Anvers chewed her lip slightly as she looked over the end product. Liz was satisfied with the dress, but the [Designer] was clearly unhappy with something. The woman hefted a sketchpad from nowhere and wiggled her fingers around in front of her eye while looking at Liz, then seemed to gesture like doing a drag and drop on a computer, and the details of the dress appeared on the page instantly.
Liz stared in amazement as the woman twirled the loose strands of hair that served as her bangs, then began sketching on the pad in movements faster than Liz could follow, all emanating Wind mana as the feather quill danced on the page.
After she sketched for a few minutes, Anvers disappeared into the back rooms for exactly twenty seconds. When she returned, she held ornate white and red lace that gleamed with a mana tether to the sketchpad, then with a grand gesture, the lace zipped to the skirt of Lizs dress, swiftly adhering to the fabric in beautiful floral patterns along the high-low hem of the skirt.
And Liz would know those flowers anywhere. Hibiscus blossoms decorated her dress in a stark contrast to the black of the skirt.
Red shoes. Was all Anvers said as she poked into the back rooms for exactly thirty seconds, returning with some high heeled shoes.
I know theyll look great, but Liz began to eye the shoes with wariness, I hate when my feet arent touching stone. Even the Runeweave has holes around the balls of my feet to keep in contact with the ground.
I can work with that. Anvers slipped into the back again, and returned only ten seconds later with black sandals with red straps, except the balls of the feet of the shoes were open holes. Easy enough to just remove some material with a quick adjustment. Wear these and then fill in the hole with conjured stone so it sits flat. If you get good enough, you can even have the stuff flex with your steps so it isnt uncomfortable.
Liz slipped the sandals on and did as was recommended. She was definitely going to be working on making them comfortable the whole way back across town.
Quick question. How do I get back to the cathedral without ending up ruining any of this? Liz gave a worried look to Anvers who simply smirked.
Ill escort you back and protect you. Just count on me! The fashion excitement was somewhat infectious as Liz breathed a sigh of relief. Nobody is allowed to travel alone anyway, remember?
Liz then felt like an idiot at having forgotten. Right. Youre my hero. She pretended to swoon like a frail noblewoman, then slipped fully into her character for the evening. Shall we head out? This ate up almost the whole day, and I need to meet with the envoy before the party starts.
Of course, my lady. Anvers took her hand and surrounded them in a bubble of air currents to deflect the random mud and refuse of average Pallos cities that remained constant hazards to remaining clean. We shouldve brought you a cloak. Youll be getting a lot of attention wearing this.
Elizabeth nearly received more courtship advances during that walk than shed gotten in a whole day out back on Earth. She couldnt believe how many people took an interest in her apparent wealth when they saw her. Or rather, she totally could believe the attention she was getting. She quietly prayed to Seira to avoid marriage proposals, but every person who began to approach her to try their luck seemed to suddenly hesitate, as if stunned into uncertainty.
Every time it happened, she got a similar notification, too.
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 50 -> 51]
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 51 -> 52]
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 52 -> 53]
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 53 -> 54]
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 54 -> 55]
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 56 -> 57]
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 57 -> 58]
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 58 -> 59]
She couldnt have been more happy with the skill. It subtly boosted her looks, but it also circled back and kept unwanted advances at a safe distance.
The expression it conveyed for her was Im out of your league instead of beautiful woman over here!
It was wonderful.
They finally made it back to the envoys quarters, and her return was the cue for the strategy meeting to begin.
As it turned out, the Rangers whod been on the escort detail were all selected for the specific skills that would assist. The [Senator] would have three escorts who never left his side. One was the [Healer] from the prior incident, the second was a Poison classer who had a complete skill set for sensing and neutralizing poisons of various forms for high ranking officials. And all of that wasnt even the womans combat class. The third bodyguard would be the Sentinel, though his real body would undoubtedly be elsewhere, looking over the attache from a distance.
The other Rangers would be on general guard duties, prepared to cover hallways and resting rooms before the Senator even thought about retiring to them. Team Iota would use that cover for their efforts to investigate and prevent the assassination attempts on the foreign dignitaries attending the event.
If the Vajra managed to start a war on Justiciary soil, then it would rapidly become impossible to hide the bases Jayce had all over the country.
Theoretically, Elizabeth was a high ranking human [Priestess] of Seira that had been invited to join the envoy as an interested party after the fall of the nation, and had offered up her blood to the vampires as compensation. In an ideal world, if her Metal class had exceeded her Earth one, she couldve hidden that she was a [Priestess] to begin with. Things hadnt panned out that way, but it wasnt a major consequence.
Liz would poke around the human nobility at the party and hope for a lead on the young boy, then pass along the information for Team Iota to get the child to safety.
Minor complicating factor, Fate. A member of the Eladria family is present. Lynx spotted the boys eldest cousin nearby, despite the family having declined the deal wed been preparing to get the kids all back home safely. Its possible they are trying to get the child back on their own, so I want you to keep your eyes on the situation, just in case the cousin does something stupid and gets the Vajra to kill the kid. Aegis gave her updated instructions, and Liz nodded, filing away details and sketched pictures of people she would be looking for into her mind.
They were all prepared to commence the operation, and Elina finally got a chance to squeeze over next to Liz in their cramped room, practically with sparkles in her eyes, right beside the Ice element that twinkled, showing she was in full [Artisan] mode that night.
Oh, by the grace of the Goddess! Fate, you look so unbelievably [Stunning]! I wish I was in your position. I dont care about the kid, so I get it, but I would prefer a gorgeous dress over filling in a food prep role.
Liz had no idea what the woman would be doing, but she swiftly resolved herself to eat nothing at the gala. Nothing Elina had come near could be safely considered edible food.
Thanks. Time to go, its almost time to start.
Part 21 - Zero Hour
Part 21 - Zero Hour
The gala at the cathedral was an ostentatious affair.
Historically, on Earth, certain dyes were rare and expensive to make, and Pallos had some similar problems. The Cathedral was decorated in massive drapes of expensive taste that even Liz could only marvel at. Rich purples and matching floral arrangements were placed around the marble building, the most expensive material one could imagine in a place renowned for sandstone from the desert. Import costs mustve been unbelievable for such a huge amount of marble.
The entry was planned with timed arrivals for each dignitary party, all with a variety of private and public meetings before the event began.
However, this gala began just outside the front entrance of the cathedral, where the massive black stone pillar rose before the steps, engraved with shining letters. At the very top, Liz had confirmation of something Faythe had mentioned to her in the past.
[First Tenet - Equivalent Exchange: Give as you receive.]
[Second Tenet - Structure and Stability: Order comes from Civilization. Laws. Justice.]
[Third Tenet - Natural Order: Life to Death to Rebirth. The natural Samsara of mortal life.]
[Fourth Tenet - Faith and Certainty: ]
The oddity that was the stone monument had only two glowing lines among the first [Tenets] that shed heard of. The list numbered in the dozens, and yet only a handful were illuminated. The Fourth caught Lizs eye, however. It was lit, but the description had been gouged out until it no longer was legible. Someone didnt want others to know what the faction truly stood for. Liz had a short list for the people who could be responsible for such a thing.
Right at the top was the shining script of Lizs own skill. The simplest of the entire list, but the shining engraved letters meant something different to Liz.
You are chosen. Do not fail.
She joined the gathering crowd for the initial party in the shaded pavilion, watching as the rays of sunset gave way to a gathering dusk. Even as the natural light faded, braziers were lit that painted every face with the flickering light of the flames.
She took her time to scout out the faces gathered around her for various people on her list, and simultaneously made pleasantries with some of the other guests. Names were announced, groups arrived, and security and servants began to line up in front of the cathedral in orderly rows, all dressed in high classfor Pallosservant attire.
Finally, a grand trumpeting resounded as four figures emerged from the front doors of the cathedral.
Pleased to greet you all as your hosts this fine evening are Grand Judge Magistrates Lorrigan, Sayella, Andulf and Arlyen!
All of the color drained from Lizs face as she stared in shock at the two humans and two gnolls who emerged, and the final figure staring directly at her.
~ ~ ~
As the guests followed the hosts into the cathedral, Liz wanted nothing more than to run away. She couldnt maintain her cover if one of the hosts was her own mentor.
Then again, Liz supposed that wasnt true. She didnt need to hide her identity anymore if the only person whod know her was working for the Vajra. And that was when it all made sense. The reason shed been abandoned by Arlyen at the attack on Heron Lake. Shed been one of the rebel leaders in the first place.
A small bundle of fury began to build within her stomach as she came to the realization slowly. It all finally made sense. In exchange for helping with the attack, shed been elevated to the position of Grand Judge Magistrate, as if the Justiciary still existed and mattered somehow.
Furthermore, after all her pleading with Sylvestre, shed abandoned him and hed died. Of course Liz wouldnt trust a word from her anymore.
The interior of the grand hall was just as richly decorated as the exterior had been, and the food arrangements were all impressive in their own ways, not that Liz would be trying any of them. The floors were polished to a mirror sheen with murals across the ceiling similar to Notre Dame Cathedral back on Earth.
Liz began studiously avoiding Arlyen and making her rounds, introducing herself as a member of the Exterreri Envoy, then also offering the divine blessing of universal translation for many conversations going around. The power of the present the goddess had gifted her served as a wonderful diversion from her true blessing, at least.
Eventually, she ran into him.
Erick Eladria.
Well heeeello there, cupcake. Liz had to work her acting abilities double-time to keep from vomiting from the first words out of his mouth.
Diplomatic smile on her face, Liz gave a customaryrecently learnedExterreri greeting. But then she studied him with her mana sight and [Earth Shattering Arts] and had to work her acting skills triple-time to keep from pulling a face.
[Warrior - Pyronox (Lvl 414), Mirage (Lvl 401)]
The issue wasnt just the mana and classes. Erick was, according to his file, a privileged snot who was only eighteen, and had never needed to hold a combat role in his life. The second issue was his eyes. Rather than the dark flames of a Pyronox user, his eyes showed the starry appearance of Celestial.
The third issue was the weapons. Erick was covered in hidden needles, and not the sort for sewing. They were long and made from some metal Liz couldnt identify. If it were simple steel or similar, then they wouldnt be glowing in her mana sight with the appearance of what she assumed was a type of Magic Metal.
Im sorry, but Im no cupcake, mister?
Lord, actually. I am Lord Erick Eladria of the Aureus Kingdom to the West. I suppose that must be the East for you, since youre from Exterreri. Interesting things Ive heard about the new Exterreri Empire.
New? The Empire was founded hundreds of years ago.
Ah, but it is only a fledgling Empire born from just this era. Our glorious Aureus kingdom has a history going back to before the past two immortal wars. One day, Exterreri will become as esteemed as our great Kingdom, Im certain. What did you say your name was?
I didnt. But you may call me Anallaya. Liz was beginning to reach the end of her nerves with the creep. Shed thought Hollywood stars had a penchant for being self-absorbed, but this guy might just beat them all, and he was incredibly armed and dangerous.
So whats your real name, then? He leaned forward conspiratorially, and Liz nearly drowned before he cracked a laugh and tried to pat her on the shoulder, which she thankfully dodged. Im just joking, since you only said I could call you that. Anallaya, eh? Ill be sure to look you up if Im ever over in Exterreri, if it matters by then.
The bizarre man waved as he wandered away, snagging a wine glass from a passing servants platter.
Elizabeth felt like her lifespan had shrunk by several years in the interaction. She also felt like she was slipping back into detective mode again as she continued to make subtle inroads with various people of status within the crowds gathered.
Erick Eladria was not only hiding his element, but also had a full arsenal of weapons on his person, and had come when the Eladria family had refused Jayces help with recovering Jax. She supposed theyd sent someone to protect the boy after they recovered him, since that was the most likely.
Unless the Eladria family were the ones plotting to murder a large number of foreign dignitaries at the event.
Liz carried on her way, rubbing elbows with various dignitaries and occasionally getting immersed back into the Exterreri team for some quick updates. Even so, after hours, shed heard nothing about Jax, nor had she picked up on any coded language about the child with her ability. She wasnt getting desperate, but shed begun considering other options.
Nothing reported from Iota. Theyve searched the areas around the cathedral without any luck. That narrows it down to the private chambers of the cathedral for each dignitary group. Rangers reporting no signs of poisoned food or drink yet. Sentinel Magic conveyed a report to her from somewhere, wherever he happened to be keeping watch on the situation.
She wanted to curse under her breath, but she couldnt risk anything with the number of possible high Vitalities nearby that might hear her.
Every group attending the event had their own separate room near to the main hall that could be used for private discussions or even to simply rest their legs.
It had been nearly two hours since the event began, and Liz had made nearly two full rounds of the various people at the event before a number of people entered the back of the hall and filed into seats to one side, and the amount of Sound mana filling the air rose considerably as the band began to play music, and the center of the hall parted like the Red Sea for the first groups of dancers.
It was exactly what Liz had prepared for, and she, being a beautiful young woman, was immediately requested and escorted to the floor for the first song alongside many other dance partners gathered. Her first companion was an older dwarf, and she found it slightly hilarious that she had no trouble with his height after learning to dance from Faythe, the immortal child-vampire.
The dance went well, no toes were stepped on, and she got through it without making a fool of herself or her cover story companions.
She moved on to leading a human woman next, and then a Dullahan, not that she could tell gender, but the other person was the lead for that dance.
Then as she left the dance floor, she was met with a familiar greying gnolls face who bowed slightly.
Lady Anallaya, I presume? I truly must have some of your time. Arlyen offered her hand and a diplomatically cornered Liz had no choice but to follow her to the dance floor.
What do you want, Master? Liz spoke in a sneering tone that she didnt allow to show on her face. Or is it Grand Judge Magistrate now?
The dance pace faltered as Liz took over the lead from the gnoll who seemed slightly tripped up by her words, or her tone.
I we should catch up when theres more time. But for now, why are you here? I thought you died in that blast. Arlyen seemed to struggle with a language that could be spoken in hushed tones.
You never looked for me, so why should it matter to you? Youre what? The figurehead for the Vajra now? What did it cost for you to sell out your country, or get your supposed lover killed? Liz struggled, and likely failed, to keep her fury off her face at that point.
Youre right. When the skill hit the temple, I fled the village and headed towards the capital, assuming youd died. Defenseless during a class-up, right? So why are you here? And why in Exterreri colors?
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
I dont owe you any explanation. The song ended then, and Liz turned on her heel, thankful that it had been the shortest song so far.
She headed for the Exterreri reserved resting room and took slow, deep breaths to quell her own anger.
She heard from one of the other nearby resting chambers the last words she wanted to hear.
Well heeeello there, cupcake.
Liz looked around and briefly glanced outside the heavy drapes, not seeing the annoying noble. Hed actually been using the same line on every girl he met?
She poured some mana into the privacy inscription at the entrance before leaning her head against the wall in exhaustion.
Now that were alone and wont be overheard, allow me to congratulate you on reaching level one hundred. You get a good skill? Arlyen was impossibly sitting on the sofa opposite her as she spun around.
She sighed and shook her head. Not sharing. Why are you here?
Always cautious. You have good sense. If youd showed up a little sooner and gotten a lot higher level, I couldve made you the queen of the reformed Justiciary. Now, tell me about your little adventure. Arlyen unsubtly pulled her Stygium whip from the hook at her waist.
The threat was shockingly overt, and Liz couldnt help but gulp. Of the people attending the event, the only person she thought might be able to assist her with someone as dangerous as a level four hundred divine [Paladin] was Sentinel Magic, and the Sentinel would only go wherever Senator Ignatius went.
With a deep breathmore like a sighshe relented.
The mercenaries who sacked the town gathered up every person under level 128. Split up the kids and me into groups and sent them to different slave markets. Only I never made it far. An ambush slaughtered the mercenaries, and the kids and I went with the ambushers. The ambushers had ties to Exterreri, and apparently there was a camp of vampires nearby. I tagged along with the envoy to look for the sibling of some of the orphans I was caged up with.
Arlyen had been her mentor and knew Liz the longest. She was somewhat aware of her ability to lie and play roles well enough to not be caught lying easily. That was why Liz shared a mostly truthful story. Showing fear would be a mistake, as shed stopped showing fear to Arlyen in their first week of training together anyway.
She briefly wondered why she was keeping Faythe''s secret safe, but in the end, she was infinitely more afraid of the high level vampire and her entire race of vampires behind her when compared to someone like Arlyen.
I see. The older gnoll closed her eyes briefly. Im sorry you had to go through any of that.
Whyd you really leave me there?
I saw Sylvestre die. I was one of the planners for the attacks. Only, when I took my detour to Heron Lake, they moved up the plans. I tried to get Sylvestre to leave and bring you along, but it just didnt happen.
It didnt make Elizabeth feel any better.
She turned to the doorway to leave.
Any luck finding the sibling youre looking for?
No, not yet. Ill keep looking, though.
With that, she left the private room.
Returning to the main hall, she continued with her work, dancing with foreign diplomats and sharing information she heard with Sentinel Magic who seemed to be running communication for all sixteen members of their two teams.
[*ding* [Dancing] may be changed to [Ballroom Dancing]. Would you like to side-grade this skill? Y/N]
[*ding* [Ballroom Dancing] has leveled up! 38 -> 60]
It was only another half an hour before the screaming began.
Murder! Someone was murdered here!
The clamor came from the private rooms, and there were already guards and onlookers converging on the scene.
Liz drifted over alongside the other guests, pouring into the adjacent hallway where the guards had begun restricting access to the scene and body.
Liz felt a flood of true despair reach her as she realized which room the guards were keeping the onlookers out of.
The Exterreri Envoy resting room.
Seal all the exits. Question every member of the Exterreri Envoy. We have a murdered child here.
When Liz turned around, there was a swarm of guards in the Vajra colors coming straight for her and the other Exterreri members.
The guards of the Exterreri Envoy included both the Rangers and Team Iota undercover. It was soon to be a massive problem, and when the Vajra drew their weapons and began to approach anyone wearing red and black, commotion and chaos broke out.
The Rangers in the hall all converged on their [Senator] and took up ready stances with their weapons drawn, while the rest of the hall tried to split away from the armed people before they could be caught up in anything.
A hand seized Liz by the arm in the commotion and tugged at her, pushing her towards a guard violently, having an unusual Strength to move her by force despite her heavy body..
She saw the Rangers take up defensive positions as their charge frowned and gave the order to withdraw from the cathedral. Liz didnt blame him, as theyd suspected the event to devolve into a justification for the slaughter of foreign diplomats.
Then Liz felt the blood drain from her face as the body was carried out of the private room. The hair color matched, as did the age.
It was Jax. The body was the young child shed been looking for.
And in her mana sight, as if in slow motion as she stumbled forward, she saw the faint traces of mana around the body, where the wounds had been burned with purifying flames, and the puncture wounds made by needles were obvious to the sense of her [Earth Shattering Arts]. It all clicked instantly.
Erick had been sent to kill his own system-locked cousin. She could only guess it was preferable to the boy being used in a political scheme against them.
Everything was happening in slow motion.
One of the Rangers lashed out with a projectile of conjured metal while another began to draw a conjured bow made of twisting vines and nocked an arrow tipped with shining Brilliance. Another still began to gather Wind around them in a defensive skill.
The entire team huddled around as Sentinel Magicthe real one, possiblylanded in the center of their formation.
Liz collided with a guard who pulled her to the ground and tried to stab her with a sword, cutting into the beautiful dress and skating off the skin-tone Runeweave she wore beneath.
She recovered, then tried to stand up, only to find the Vajra member had his knee on her back and was using a Skill to restrain her by pinning her down. She fought the Skill with her own [Arts] and managed to crack the marble beneath her as the localized quake staggered the man pinning her.
She activated the defensive effects of the Runeweave armor and stood in time for a club or mace to connect with her shoulder and bounce off the barrier rune and strike her head, rattling her as the barrier extended to protect the rest of her body.
She stumbled and looked up at her assailant in time to see more skills flying around the room. Stone and metal was slung around as sonic attacks met barriers and swords met shields.
One Vajra Elite was clubbing the foreign dignitaries en masse, seeming to simply enjoy the killing.
She failed to stand upright as a massive shuddering of the ground beneath the cathedral bucked and heaved. Even the air seemed to twist and warp as Liz caught a glimpse of Sentinel Magic weaving his spell. A Spatial portal shimmered into existence, warping at the edges as a purple energy radiated through her mana sight and through the entire area around them all.
In a flash, the entire cathedral''s occupancy fell to their hands and feet as the Exterreri Rangers, Senator and Sentinel all vanished through the portal.
Even after they disappeared, the purple energy continued to writhe and warp the area, the shuddering of the earth continuing to toss people around like they were in a ball pit.
Then, the marble spiderwebbed into splits and cracks as a horrible sound of screams reached her ears. A whole town of voices rose as the gravity left her.
No, it wasnt gravity that had left her, it was that they, and the whole building, began to fall.
She lost track of which direction was up as the cathedral crumbled from the cliff it was built upon as the spatial tremor destabilized the whole city.
That was when the notifications began.
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Baron - [Poison] Lvl 238], [Slave Owner - [Wood] Lvl 157]!]
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Mountain Delver - [Mountain] Lvl 326], [Metal Shaper - [Metal] Lvl 274]!]
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Stable Hand - [Verdant] Lvl 222], [Snuggle All the Fuzzies - [Light] Lvl 63]!]
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Margrave of the Hawks - [Gale] Lvl 495], [Canny Commander - [Sound] Lvl 389]!]
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Trademaster - [Light] Lvl 213], [Dealmaker - [Water] Lvl 128]!]
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Apprentice Chef - [Fire] Lvl 128], [Aspirant Baker - [Fire] Lvl 128]!]
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Duke of Aureus - [Radiance] Lvl 760], [Champion of the People - [Brilliance] Lvl 724], [Future King - [Light] Lvl 128]!]
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Artillery Mage - [Earth] Lvl 256], [Magic Instructor - [Wind] Lvl 256]!]
She watched in horror as rubble split from columns and archways, battering people around as they slung spells and weapons at one another. It was horrific, and Liz was nearly killed by a buckshot of debris, which only was stopped from reaching her due to her Runeweave defenses.
She finally stopped all notifications when she saw the first one that read true horror to her.
[*ding* Your party has slain a [Child]!]
The worst part of allso farwas the other set of notifications.
[*ding* [Merciless] has leveled up! 10 -> 11]
And on and on the skill went, making her want to gag. Before she and the rest of the cathedral fell into the ocean below, her soul had suffered innumerable damages.
[*ding* [Merciless] has leveled up! 11 -> 84]
She nearly blacked out as she fell into the ocean below.
The cathedral had broken up into huge chunks, but the masses sank slowly compared to her. She sank like she had a ball and chain weighing her down, which all of her stone body parts were effectively serving as.
The ocean floor welcomed her quickly and she tried to move clear of all the incoming marble as survivors tried to swim away.
She felt cold as fear overtook her suddenly. In the water, she could see a shape moving amongst the currents, and there was a distinctive massive maw full of teeth like swords.
Liz forced her body to move, pulling the neck of her Runeweave up over her mouth as she activated the breathing runes there, taking a deep breath of fresh air.
Even still the fear tried to claim her.
Flashes of her mother making her watch shark movies as a small child surfacing unbidden to her mind. The cold sensation creeping through her body came with sudden agonizing pain in her mind and body as the first of the marble building thudded into the ocean floor behind her.
Her feet failed her as she curled up amongst the sand and seaweed around her.
[*Error* [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] has been penalized one level.]
[Reminder: You must not stray from your sworn convictions.]
[Templars Conviction: No fear. No hesitation. A Templar faces their enemies with unwavering conviction. When a Templars mind does not bend, neither will their body. Massive increase to Vitality Defense per level.]
Her [Conviction] skill had triggered a penalty, but it didnt matter to her.
Shed managed to get credit for a collateral kill on a whole city as it fell into the ocean as a result of Sentinel Magics [Gate] causing a massive spatial tremor to dump the city into the sea. Shed imagined herself becoming a protector of children in this new life, but with the number of innocent people in her kill notifications, she just wanted to curl up and wither away.
She laid there, hugging her knees as the pain of the penalty ran through her.
She had no idea when the breathing skill of her Runeweave would wear off, but a part of her didnt even want to try to find a way to survive.
The pain bled into unconsciousness as the penalty wore off and she recovered her senses enough to succumb to the mental and emotional exhaustion she felt.
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Acrobatic Templar of Seira] has leveled up from level 103 to level 128!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +30 Free Stats, +60 Dexterity, +50 Vitality, +60 Speed, +30 Mana, +80 Mana Regeneration, +50 Magic Power, +50 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Vitality from your element!]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Fates Shackles] has leveled up from level 91 to level 128!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +4 Free Stats, +6 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +10 Vitality, +2 Speed, +5 Mana, +5 Mana Regeneration, +4 Magic Power, +4 Magic Control from your class! +4 Free Stats for being Partially Human, +2 Vitality for being Partially Stone Golem! +1 Magic Power from your element!]
[*ding* [Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange], [Earth Authority], [Earth Manipulation], [Tenacity of Stone], [Rigid Body], [Earth Shattering Arts], [Mental Partitioning], [Learning] and [Imaginative] have remained capped! 103 -> 128]
[*ding* [Templars Conviction] has leveled down. 53 -> 52]
[*ding* [Chain Proficiency], [Elegant Chains], [Chain Reinforcement], [Chainmail] and [Fates Bonds] have remained capped! 91 -> 128]
[Name: Elizabeth Fereday]
[Race: Stone Golem/Human Hybrid]
[Age: 21]
[Mana: 42,286/44,780]
[Mana Regeneration: 43,123 (161,873)]
Stats
[Free Stats: 3,491]
[Strength: 360]
[Dexterity: 7,251 (16,532)]
[Vitality: 7,299 (16,641)]
[Speed: 7,213 (16,445)]
[Mana: 4,478]
[Mana Regeneration: 9,278 (21,153)]
[Magic Power: 5,530]
[Magic Control: 5,395]
Classes:
[Acrobatic Templar of Seira] - Earth - Lvl 128
[Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange: 128]
[Earth Authority: 128]
[Earth Conjuration: 66]
[Earth Manipulation: 128]
[Tenacity of Stone: 128]
[Rigid Body: 128]
[Earth Shattering Arts: 128]
[Templars Conviction: 52]
[Fates Shackles] - Metal - Lvl 128
[Chain Proficiency: 128]
[Elegant Chains: 128]
[Chain Reinforcement: 128]
[Chainmail: 128]
[Fates Bonds: 128]
[Fate-Linked Magic Power: 21]
[Fate-Linked Mana: 1]
[Fate-Linked Magic Control: 21]
[Class 3] - Locked
General Skills
[Mental Partitioning: 128]
[Ballroom Dancing: 60]
[An Eye for Detail: 128]
[Merciless: 84]
[Tireless: 8]
[Learning: 128]
[Stunning: 59]
[Imaginative: 128]
Part 22 - Interlude - Faythe, the “Mountain Climber”
Part 22 - Interlude - Faythe, the Mountain Climber
Faithyes, Faith, not Faythe, yetwas a somewhat fortunate child.
On Pallos, nothing was certain when all things became malleable before the hands of immortal, high level classers. The pale hermit who often visited her farming village before shed unlocked would always share tales of heroes and leaders with noble intentions.
However, those blessed by the System with unfair powers and less than noble intentions had stripped her of her home and led her to wander the wilderness alone.
By the kindness and grace of the Goddess Seira, a [Priest] had saved her from a life of misery, surviving only by the Kitsune natural affinity for the Mirage element.
Shed found a home with the kindly [Priest]s temple, and survived the loss of her village as an orphan in a major city shrouded by ash. Moving up from small farm girl to be a city orphan was somewhat of an improvement, in reality.
The Shadow Monarch had created a nation founded on merits and had been seeking talents from all walks of life from any part of the new nation, large or small.
The moment Faith had reached level thirty-two in her first class, shed been granted a boon by the Goddess with her first major class choice of her life.
Shed been offered a yellow class that had nearly made her heart stop.
[History Student of the Progenitor]
She hadnt taken that class, but the big words like Progenitor that she didnt understand had seemed important.
Instead, the stone on the jagged peak within her soul that she chose was the refracting hazy light of the deep blue option.
[Orders Oracle Shrouded in the Veil] - Mirage
She had been chosen as the next [Oracle] of the Goddess. At just eight years old.
The class wasnt just something to make her the mouthpiece of the Goddess. No, Seira didnt operate like that. The deific representation of the concept of Order was a master of the long, slow method of control.
With the Goddess careful teaching and assistance, Faith wasnt doomed to be a puppet of the temple for her lifetime. Instead, within a year, she held the information to manipulate and control the entire group of faithful with ease. Faith was a careful student, and with the blessing shed been granted, she became the de facto ruler of an international religious organization.
Then shed seen him.
The Shadow Monarch often wasnt seen, but with her newfound position and the blessing [Perfect Visage] from the Goddess, she caught a glimpse of the man during an audience.
The Shadow Monarch, a name used by the public, had the same face as the pale hermit who would visit her village all those months ago.
She began to secretly research the first ruler of the newfound Exterreri Empire with all the skill and tact of an overconfident child, all to the satisfaction of Seira, her constant companion. It had gone well at first. Night, or sometimes known as Nyx, lived in an underground complex shed yet to infiltrate, and had been forced to sever ties with so many spies over.
The Shadow Monarch was a careful man, and his Sentinels and Rangers were legendary in their skill and efficiency. Just investigating the man had skyrocketed her level to almost three hundred by the time her tenth birthday had arrived.
That birthday was the day hed been waiting for her when she returned to her private quarters. The hiss of his voice had frozen her with terror, and Seiras presence had vanished from her mind for the first time in nearly two years.
[Warrior - 1,967]
You are a clever one. Very competent and efficient. To never use your true face in public, and thus never feel the gaze of the masses directly upon you. After all, who would expect the [Oracle] of one of the major deities to be a mere child? Youve learned a lot about me, and nosed around the details I left for you and your agents quite thoroughly. And despite falling for the ploy, your skills and decisions show that you will likely grow to have more value than even you realize. The man spoke in a slow, dramatic fashion that ended with a long pause.
Faith mulled over the words while she stood, paralyzed and unable to see a method of escape. Her second class was a [Thinker] class that sent alarm bells with every potential choice she made. Hed gotten her completely. Led her by the nose and entrapped her with the careful moves of a master at playing the game shed only begun to play.
Your skills are quite interesting, as is your blessing. To begin with so much offered to you, and then choose the right class to make appropriate use of the gifts you receive displays excellent judgement. Rather than as enemies, I see an opportunity in you, if you could bring yourself to accept my guidance?
She felt her mind screech to a halt for a split second as she took in his words.
He was offering her a place as his ally? The offer had so many implications. Shed slid into the role of a spy master since shed taken up her post as [Oracle] and used her connections to weed out corruption within the temples of a half dozen countries, and she never had to take the ire, or be the target of the [Knife in the Dark]. With the guidance of a powerful, dangerous man like Night, the Shadow Ruler? She could become so much more.
Best of all, she might survive the encounter with the man in the first place.
Her voice felt hoarse as she contented herself with simply nodding.
And that was how shed become an apprentice to the immortal vampire progenitor.
Vampires had afor lack of a better termbloody history on Pallos. Their first public appearance had led to hunting parties and murders of any overly pale-skinned person across the whole globe. Her first lessons had been to adapt or die.
Then hed imparted to her more of his wisdom.
Grace, decorum, manners and foresight. Shed been taught the things many of his earlier failed progeny had lacked.
Shed engrained in herself the skills to watch, ask questions and learn from everything she saw.
Nights favorite words were his three Cs. Control, Competency and Care.
All of his words became a part of her being. A code she lived by in his image.
That was why she was chosen to be the successor of the Shadow Ruler.
At just thirteen, before the full onset of puberty, Faith had become Faythe. One letter becoming a hidden code symbol between her and her master. And as the second Emperor of Exterreri, she thrived. Nights resources allowed her to collect and train farmboys into talented Sound classers as her new body-doubles, and she adapted her skills to remotely manipulate her [Perfect Visage] blessing as she built herself into a true [Shadow Monarch] who puppeteered Nights nation.
Stability wasnt easy to create, but for someone whod been personally trained by both Seira and Night, Faythe found it to be an exciting puzzle to solve.
On her fourteenth birthday, Faythe was offered the immortal gift of her second mentor.
She could live with being a child her entire life, as it was the greatest tool in her arsenal. Few would expect someone of her age to be the mastermind of political games felt around the whole world. At over level five hundred with a blue divine class and a black class from all her efforts, she was Nights greatest student in many centuries, perhaps millennia.
However, despite living among shadows for six years, she found she missed the suns rays. A quiet meadow in the sunlight with nature all around.
Immortality wore on her as she slowly leveled and became the third Emperor of Exterreri, then the fourth as she neared her first hundred years of life.
At last, it was time for her to find excitement again. She went to her second mentor with a new proposal.
Night. She bowed her head reverentially, as her [Priestess] mother had taught her so many years beforehand. I wish to try a new role in this fine play youve written. Would you listen to my proposal?
The old vampire only smiled, as if hed known all along that she would tire of the constant political maneuvers of the nobility within the Empire.
Speak.
There are now many candidates for your future leadership in Exterreri. I have watched as you create the building blocks of a Republic, even as simply another option. I would move forward with that choice. People tire of their monarchs, and I would expand my vision over the world to Mortal nations. Faythe had become bored with the slow, decades-long plots of the immortal lands around them. Mortal countries rose and fell so quickly. In her absence as [Oracle] of Seiras church, a mortal Theocracy had built power and sway amongst the nations of those lands. She wished to conquer those lands with the skills shed learned over that century.
I see. Night almost seemed somehow sullen at her choice.
Had she made the wrong decision to leave him and cease to be his piece on the board? Or was he saddened at the loss of another disciple amongst his relentless war on time itself? Faythe may have had six hundred levels in her [Thinker] class, but those levels did not help her read Nights unfathomable expressions.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
She filled the brief silence.
I will continue to aid you from my new position of power. I will grow your influence in mortal lands and continue to function as your informant from afar. Anytime you need my services, I will provide them. You need only ask.
A low chuckle reached her ears. I appreciate your offer. I will do so, if the need should ever arise. Please continue to keep me apprised of any issues that could require attention directly from myself or one of my Sentinels. You have been as gifted a student as your mother could have been, had she taken me up on my offers instead of choosing ascension. I will give you some maps of mortal lands with some potential hideaways marked.
Night rarely mentioned Faiths mother, but it had always been rather obvious, given that he was the pale hermit of her childhood village. Faith had even been aware of her mothers ascension during the destruction of their home. After all, shed been notified that her mothers name became the Goddess of Diligence.
Faythe bowed again. Night had been her male teacher since she was a small child. If Seira had become the mother in her memory more than her biological one, then Night had become her father. Her heart ached, but she still went through with her decision. Night had lived for nearly eighteen thousand years. He would live for thousands more, and they would certainly see one another again.
~ ~ ~
Faythe quickly crafted new suitable body-doubles for herself, and within the decade, she was the leader of her own [Tenet] faction within the theocratic Sovereign Justiciary.
Technically, the faction leader was always meant to be her. As the core [Tenet] of her divine class, she was entitled to the position. The issue was proving such a thing without showing her identity in public. As a vampire and the proud [Veiled Monarch of Order], she had no choice but to play the long game, rig the rules and twist the proper arms to take control of the nation.
Once again, as the [Oracle] she was entitled to leadership of the whole country. However, she had no interest in the role. Far better, in her eyes, to leave the existing leadership intact and manipulate the nation from the background.
Conquering all the mortal lands in secret was Faythes lifes work. It took hundreds of years of uprooting power structures and rigging elections, but she finally was close. Sadly, it was all for nothing as immortal lands began to build up their arsenals for another great reset of the game board.
Faythe could admit she was jaded about the inevitable ruination of her efforts, but she knew all too well that as soon as she completed her work, life would become boring again. A reset would do her good, and she could restart in a world born anew.
However, that was when a major problem began to gather in the depths of the earth beneath the city of Mourningloft and several areas around the world, mostly around mortal lands. The occasional minor quakes spoke of an unusual threat she didnt have information on.
She immediately began to set her spies to their work.
The only thing she knew of that was unusual beneath Mourningloft was the laboratory of a man who called himself a Biologist who spoke a weird language shed never encountered before. He would gather supplies or order strange things from [Artisans] in the city above before vanishing for months again.
She had a shocking lack of information on the man, but his lab was part of her list of leads. She began to gather details, but the holes in the lists were frighteningly expansive. She had no details on what he ate, nor how he entered his lab. That led to a question of how he gathered air for the place with no entrances, but she had her own sealed secret hideaways and she grew plants in abundance to replace the air she breathed.
Shed been gathering information on a wide range of high level classers who might be capable of causing earthquakes, but had no luck.
It was infuriating to her, but she had no proper leads.
You seem perplexed, my wayward pupil.
She whirled around to find Night sitting in a chair made from vines, her third element having advanced to Forest over time.
I was wondering when youd show up, Night. She moved to hug her father-figure in a cold embrace. Then she opened the blood wine cabinet and grew a pair of wooden goblets for them to drink from.
The issue was certainly something Night would show up to ask her for some added information about.
I have three suspects for responsibility.
You have not heard from the goddess for a direct answer?
Faythes face fell at the mention of the goddess.
Seira had begun to turn her gaze elsewhere, seeking out a new [Oracle] and it had caused the goddess voice to fade somewhat.
She has started her search for a new toy to interest herself with, then? Night reached out to comfortingly pat her shoulder. Faythe had long known that Seira was kind and had truly treated her like a daughter, but the goddess was not wholly benevolent. At times, the goddess would directly manipulate her followers by giving them what they wanted. For Faythe, it had been a mother figure after shed been abandoned as a child.
She has not given me an answer to the question.
I have asked some other connections to inquire with the gods. All have come back with one answer. Otherworlder. I have taken a long look at the records of my own history and pondered the various instances of intruders from other worlds over millennia. Some of these instances have centered around people with vast knowledge that has propelled Pallos forward by many eras of knowledge and experimentation. A long pause, one of Nights customary ones, stretched long enough for Faythe to consider it before he continued.
The largest influence from one of these Otherworlders was one of my very own Sentinels, in an age long past. She was the original creator of the Medical Manuscripts. I have made all knowledge available to me for this investigation. If you would allow me to look over your notes, I will try to identify some clues that match. Faythe readily directed Night to her massive wall of pinned-up clues.
After some time, Night frowned.
Why have you ruled this one out?
Faythe looked at the crossed out name and then at the notes below.
Henry White, that biologist nutcase. Odd name, but his elements were confirmed to not be possibilities. The magnitude of the effects would require boosting skills and a focus on Earth or Mountain, maybe Lava or something similar. An Ooze and Sand user wouldnt be likely to cause these tiny tremors across such a broad area.
Perhaps it was remiss of me to train you to hide yourself away. You dont conduct investigations in person at all anymore. I must surmise youve not felt one of these tremors for yourself, meaning you are as yet unaware. A short pause this time to reflect upon her mistake, then he continued.
These tremors are not only of the earth. The waves impact and distort the air as well. It would imply the elements of Void, Sound, Spatial or perhaps Steam deep below the surface.
Faythe nodded, but still had a frown on her face.
He gave her a look as she continued to turn it over in her head, slightly slow to catch up as she considered his words but still found the man in question to have no ties to the newly listed elements.
Ah. It finally clicked. But isnt he too low level to be triggering such reactions with mandalas? The efficiency of that method is too poor for this outcome.
She was right, and she knew it. Methods of casting spells that could expand beyond your System-granted abilities ate an efficiency penalty that made the broad ability level more reasonable as a tradeoff. Mandalas were runes created using skills to enact effects not restricted to the casters element. A person able to trace mandalas with Radiance could perform feats restricted to Mirage users, like invisibility skills. However, unlike Faythes ability to make herself invisible with a skill, the mana cost of the mandala would be prohibitive for normal civilians at their lower levels.
Even if the man had a way to use a mandala to create a sound spell that would cause tremors in various parts of the world, it would cost too much. Her conclusion led Night to give her a small smile.
You do not have the understanding that comes from direct experience to know what these Otherworlders are capable of. The author of the Medical Manuscripts was able to craft a restriction skill that enabled her to use her advanced knowledge to heal herself even through decapitation while at a relatively low level. With the correct restriction skill to grant the stats, a driven individual can accomplish many things, as I taught you. However, with knowledge beyond our understanding, many things become more possible.
Faythe drank in Nights long explanation and nodded quickly.
If you would lend me some of your talented associates, I would very much like to share some words with our Otherworlder friend.
A long investigation after the events had ensued, but in the end, theyd failed to kill the man theyd been tracking even as the tremors got so bad that nations began slaughtering their Spatial casters to prevent them.
In the process, Night had been let down by one of her recommended [Paladins], resulting in his being lost through the portal the man had made.
Faythe knew better, but with Seira no longer watching her so closely, losing Night hit her especially hard and she had blamed herself. She migrated to a new bunker and settled there, promising Nights wife that she would keep constant vigil on the area.
She had a plan for the immortal war fast approaching. The Justiciary would need to fall to increase the odds of her own survival, reducing the value of the area as both a source of experience for others and a source of money and resources.
She would instigate a conflict to bleed the land dry, reduce the population and plunder the nations wealth. The portal Night had disappeared into and the bunker she hid herself within would remain untouched by the ensuing chaos.
She took a decade to nearly complete her controlled demolition of the nation shed built as the base of her power.
That was when Seira had left her completely.
The goddess had found her new toy, and a new [Tenet] became illuminated on the monument of Mourningloft Cathedral.
It wasnt hard for the [Veiled Monarch] to find Seiras new [Oracle].
Liz, a young woman who suddenly appeared in Heron Lake, a tiny village shed used as a disposal site for some of those involved in Nights disappearance. Petty vengeance, but it had worked out.
Arlyen was all-too quick to jump to a new mission during the preparations to remove the corrupt roots of the Justiciary and go play teacher to get her reputation back. In the end, her playing as a Valkyrie was just a flight of fancy.
Arlyen would be perfect for containing this new Otherworlder and in time, Faythe would make a powerful new pawn from the naive girl. Any useful knowledge would eventually be well contained by her guiding hands before it could cause more troublesome issues.
Faythe had grown some reservations about Liz.
Her knowledge wasn''t terribly harmful, unlike the biologists wormhole theory he used to get home. Gemstones were a source of wealth, and rarely a source of lasting power. The research of the subject was useless to her, since she had more time and wealth at her fingertips than shed ever find a use for.
In the end, a pawn was all she would be, regardless of how much Seira doted on her new champion.
Faythe sent the girl on a mission, and eventually, the girl would become powerful in her own way. The most dangerous people in the world were controllers. Competent and careful control of others led to grand results. Liz was unique, but so very broken. Her emotions ran wild and pushed her every decision to ever increasing trauma and emotional outburst.
As if the girls vain attempts to act composed would hide her fraying mental state from someone like Faythe.
Liz would choose the path of personal brutish power, and she would aim for ascension just as Faythes own mother had. In the end, the girl would end up used every day of her mortal life.
Faythes musing was interrupted as a commotion reached the eyes of Jayce, her body-double in the main compound of the bunker shed redesigned.
One of the members of Team Gamma stumbled into her office and coughed out blood, clutching his stomach to keep his organs inside as he struggled to report.
C-... he spluttered over more blood.
Yes? Jayce stood and strode over to the man.
Change more blood was splattered onto the floor.
Report, even if it is your last act. Jayce commanded without her sending any instructions. This incarnation of her body doubles was competent on his own, even if he had an completely emotionless expression.
Changeling! The wounded man gasped his last breath as he released all the tension in his body, having completed his task.
Faythe cursed the Fae in her mind repeatedly, but she was too smart to verbally do so.
How did one ever get inside the facility without being detected at the entrance examinations?
She prepared herself to have to manage a complete mess.
Part 23 - Interlude - Arlyen, The Shattered Valkyrie
Part 23 - Interlude - Arlyen, The Shattered Valkyrie
For gnolls born of lesser blood, the Sovereign Justiciary was a safe haven. A place for the many caravan traders of their race to call home in a world of constant conflict. A country that guaranteed sanctuary for any of their race.
For gnolls of the ancientancient meant in the mortal sense of the wordnoble house of the Andalucia Family, there was nothing but the struggle for power.
The family prized their males so much that they would have the young pups compete for the honor of being the next family head through their achievements. Unlike other families, their reverence for Seira made them commit many heinous acts in order to remain in control of the law and order of the country.
The strongest pillar of the defenders of Stability! Many would laud their family name with cheer.
Andalucia shall keep us safe! The soldiers would cry as they enjoyed another celebration of a peaceful year under Andalucia command.
Indeed, the great house of the Andalucias held the roles of military command, city governance, and even the high post of the Grand Judge Magistrate.
Of course, no one family would be permitted to hold too many of the positions, so branch families were created. The head of the house was all too willing to have as many pups with as many wives as possible. Purity of their cherished bloodline meant the only true heirs were those born of the head of the house and his own sisters.
Arlyen Andalucia was born to take the role of a mere harem member for the next [Great Lord] of the Andalucia family.
No expenses were too high for the family to secretly cure the rampant birth defects brought about by the incestuous relations. It was just part of life in a high born family.
Arlyens mother thought she was so very clever when she passed off her child as a member of the main family line, rather than the child of a servant. Instead, Arlyen had been a healthy child, which roused suspicions quickly, as she was the only child of the age group to be born without the defects. Her mother was, of course, sniffed out and cast from the house.
Arlyen the orphan, raised in the Andalucia home in Mourningloft.
She was truly a daughter of the former [Lord] of the family, but she was not offered any attention from her father. Just one of the many, many children born and bred to be a servant like her mother. If she was lucky, she could be married into one of the branch families, but it was the best she could hope for.
She was raised in the house like she was a ghost. First, as a servant, and briefly taught what she would need to know in the event the new [Great Lord] came to her for the evening.
Its the job of every housekeeper in Andalucia, and the pride of our tenure to be of such service. That was what the maids had told a young girl whod barely even unlocked her system.
They gave her a list of skills to take for the potential of a special night in her future.
After her unlock, she began to visit the temple on her days off, just as a method of escapism. After all, what was an eight year old to do with sexual education at such an age?
That was how shed first met the older boy who took her hand.
Sylvestre Novem. A young [Priest] of the temple, born from a less storied human house, but still from a family with political sway. He was nearly twenty, but he was so kind and gentle, as well as understanding.
Every week, she prayed to Seirathe only goddess she knew anything aboutfor salvation from the confusing life she was forced into.
Nobles in the Justiciary never performed their level eight class-up right away.
The nation once had held an old belief called the [Three Baptisms] that held their roots in ancient tales of Seiras faithful. Theories abound over the original purpose, be they skill or some sort of blessing long past. Still, few families performed the ritualistic services after so many centuries.
Texts about the ritual spoke of how a childs first baptism was performed during the first class-up at level eight, then the second at thirty-two, and the third at one hundred twenty-eight in the first class.
Each baptism was said to grant a higher chance at receiving Seiras divine grace with their first class. Despite the ritual no longer being used, Sylvestre had secretly performed the baptism on her.
And it worked.
Arlyen became a [Nascent Paladin of Order] at level eight and then used her newfound strength as leverage to improve her standing. She continued to pray with every free day she had, and once she reached level thirty-two, she rose again in the goddess favor.
She would never have the prestige afforded to the noble sons of the house, but the moment she had the levels and age to join the military of the Justiciary, she chose to escape the noble household. She slew monsters and bandits as her fellow [Warriors] applauded her estranged family for keeping the threat of war away from their borders.
Andalucia was a noble house at the core of the faction of [Structure and Stability] that had long been losing power and had been steadily overtaken by their peers. Arlyen joined the stronger team. Monster slaying knights would often fit the same category as those of the [Natural Order] faction. It fit like a glove, and her star continued to rise. Before she knew it, she was the commander of an order of knights and taught many younger gnolls and humans about how to fight the terrors of the wilderness.
Every day she could, she would go see Sylvestre, the man whod cut her strings for her.
Arlyen credited him with all of the good things in her life. He meant more to her than anything in life, but he was a [Priest] through and through. She never couldve asked him to abandon his faith for her.
Around that time, a charismatic man named Jayce arose to power within the [Faith and Certainty] faction, which had no core ideology to speak of. The Monument that described Seiras [Tenets] had been damaged several hundred years prior, and thus, the faction had no true direction. Most of the adherents simply had faith in the goddess and didnt think beyond that.
Jayce was different. He was a man who espoused the idea of the [Tenet] representing faith that the gods and goddesses would preserve and protect life, and that the nation didnt need to take such strong international stances to maintain peace. It was an ideology of laziness and short-sightedness.
Arlyen believed the faction to be a trivial, unimportant farce, but shed been wrong.
Jayce had somehow managed to rally the nation to his cause, and the cracks began to form. When Arlyen had begun an investigation into Jayces unusual success and charisma, shed found assassinations and espionage secretly coercing events to unfold as if divine intervention had solved problems just as Jayce predicted. A clever game of spies revealed itself before her, only for Arlyen to become entangled in the conspiracies.
Threats arrived implicating her in the murder of a foreign official shed been investigating, and she knew the game was over before the demands began.
Sylvestre came to her with a mission hed been tasked with, files marked by the same people whod threatened her. She had no right to refuse. Natural disasters had struck some areasespecially the gnome forestsaround that time, and Sylvestre was joining a team of specialists to investigate and deliver aid to the people suffering from the strange quakes that had begun.
The team was a band of unusual characters, led by a man with a driven mindset who went by the name Nyx. The man was deathly pale, owing to a restriction skill that required him to avoid sunlight. The rest of the team followed his every word, and Sylvestre and Arlyen had followed their example.
When theyd found the first trace of the source of the disasters, the culprit was long gone. What they did find was some sort of warped gate covered in complex runes. Regardless of the mission, she continued to suspect Jayces daggers to find her in the night. And yet, none came.
Over time, the team began to grow closer, learning more about one another and expanding their arsenals of materials and skills as they traveled, repelling monsters and searching old ruins full of traps.
Their target mustve been extremely well traveled and become an even more prolific collector. Each abandoned lab they found held different research materials and samples of monsters and even chunks of jewels and magic metals. That was how Arlyen had come to possess her Stygium whips and modified her second class to use them.
Amongst the many creatures the culprit had been investigating was an unusual egg. The sort that amphibians came from, except it was much larger. Under proper care, it had hatched into a tiny winged fish.
If that had been the largest it grew to be, it wouldve been no problem at all. But the creature grew to be massive within months, and somehow Arlyen had found herself mothering the huge fish creature. That was the birth of her bonded companion, a legendary Kun-Peng.
Shed gained the ability to breathe underwater from the companion bond, and it had capped her leveling in the process, eating her experience as it eventually became powerful enough to hunt for itself. It had to, as every dungeon or ruin they delved into was far too small for the creature to fit inside of.
The man they were after took extensive notes. Too many to carry, and often about random creatures and plants hed found. All too often, theyd simply leave the research materials be and focus their attention on the gates.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
There was a lot to learn from Nyxs example. The man was a genius in every field anyone could ask him about, but he was also so very dark and brooding. She was glad she never took a complex restriction skill like Nyxs, but she learned a ton from her time with his team.
She had traveled to a lot of mortal lands as a [Paladin], and with that in mind, she and Sylvestre would visit the disaster zones by day to gather information and help whoever they could, then Nyx would collect their data and narrow their search area down dramatically every evening. He was frighteningly efficient.
After years of travel and investigation, searching for clues about the next lab or the next experiment, they finally caught the person they were after. An elderly human with grey hair and sunken eyes.
Nyx had a plan in place for the event they ever found their target. He would slip into the darkness and, being very cagey about his own skills, handle the situation if anything went wrong.
Meanwhile the rest of the team had their own instructions for handling a powerful classer, and that required them to fan out and prepare synchronized uses of skills at range. Arlyens role was to cover the team normally, but she also had instructions to prioritize the targets death before anything else.
The man, Henry, was a raving lunatic. A powerful lunatic with unfathomable runic knowledge and disgusting tastes for research of plants and animals that Arlyen thought were unspeakable.
Likely because their mission was so close to being over, someone made a mistake. One wrong move tripped an alarm, then a trap had begun to pour a hazardous slime from the ceiling onto them all.
She was close enough. She had the chance to end the mission. To stop the most complex gate theyd seen from being activated, and tearing a rift in the space of their world.
And yet she thought of Sylvestre first. She leapt towards the man she loved, and the look in his eyes in that moment as he watched her choose him over the mission told her everything. He had been willing to fulfill the mission at the cost of his life, and she hadnt.
She got him out of the Ooze trap and saved his life.
When she turned around, several members of their team were less fortunate, flesh burning as they clutched their throats, then began to be fully devoured by the slime creature gathering in the hallway. The smell of melting flesh assaulted her senses in a way shed never experienced before then.
Beyond the hall and through the door, the gate had roared to life, twisting and devouring everything nearby. The image in the gateway seemed to stretch and contract, and the old man seemed to be waiting for the right moment to enter.
Nyx blurred out of the darkness the moment the man threw himself through the portal, somehow at the exact time a grassy park could be seen with impossibly towering buildings in the background. Nyxs strike was a hair too late, and the gateway wasted no time in devouring him as well, as the image in the portal swung beyond the grassy hillside view.
A battle began after that.
The slime was an artificially created amalgam of a slimefrom the dangerous Below Levels of the Pallos underground cavernswith some other elements, showing itself to have remarkable durability and intelligence.
The only reason why any of the remaining members of the team survived was because the suction of the gate continued, and after theyd damaged the creature somewhat, the portal devoured the slime, and had tried to devour the rest of them as well.
Sylvestre refused to speak to her again after the incident, and the team silently sealed off the portal behind barriers and their own runes, then layered more durable metal and stone layers after that.
Theyd failed, and lost their leader.
A return to the Justiciary ended in her banishment and Sylvestre being sent to a far-flung temple in a small village.
The rest of the team mustve continued without her help, but it was no longer her problem anymore.
More spatial magic-induced nightmares occurred. She heard about them constantly in her banished wanderings, and took it upon herself to help out each disaster region she could get to.
During an effort to aid some human city caught up in another spatial tremor, shed met a powerful woman with an unyielding conviction to help others. She was the embodiment of everything a [Paladin] shouldve been. The shining wings on her helmet caught the eye of anyone who saw the woman, and her pegasus mount cut a fine image.
Upon meeting Arlyen while aiding the people, the woman had offered to allow her to join her knightly order: the Valkyries.
Homeless and wandering, the offer seemed like a chance to do better things with her life. A chance to make amends. She''d taken the deal, sworn the oath of the Valkyrie, and then continued doing the same work, only she was finally a part of something greater again. She rode on her companion to seek out traces of Nyx and Henry White, the old man that had gotten away.
Her search was fruitless, but she saved lives.
She hunted monsters plaguing villages, used her companion bond to slay sea monsters, and used her skills to solve problems with lethal force.
She saved lives.
Every day, week and month, stretching into years, she kept hearing muttering about the Justiciary, about some group out in the world assassinating leaders in various mortal lands. The mutterings grew, and she recognized Jayces handiwork.
The man had his Alpha Team composed of [Priestesses] with [Artisan] second classes high enough to cover up their [Identify] tags. These [Artisans] could slip into a country amongst a caravan, slaughter leaders and move on without a trace.
By coincidence, shed been in Khazad when she caught wind of a group of beautiful [Artisans] that had arrived in a caravan, exactly how the team operated. Arlyen tracked them down and managed to kill one of them before they could disappear after assassinating their target.
The dwarves had the ability to investigate the corpse of the one shed gotten, and shed swiftly been brought into the ranks of the coalition to dispose of the Justiciarys rotten core. She wanted Jayce gone, wanted revenge, and had all the knowledge and skills to feed all the information the coalition would need to dismantle the entire country within days.
She prepared the coalition with everything she had, and when she received Seiras guidance to teach a specific disciple, shed realized it was the first shed heard the voice of the goddess in years. When the town in question turned out to be where Sylvestre had been sent, shed thanked the goddess.
The girl Seira had sent her to was strong. Shed clearly been through a lot of agony to have received the best pain skill Arlyen had ever seen. Never once did Liz seem to falter in her training. She was receptive to lessons and picked up skills and suggestions rapidly. Even small mistakes in posture were never made again after being pointed out.
Liz had mentioned she was an actress before her incident and had needed to make rapid adjustments to small details frequently in her prior life. Arlyen could see the markings of the skill [Adaptable] all over the way the girl drank in the lessons.
In the end, it was all a mistake.
The timeline of the attack shed planned with the coalition was advanced by months, and many factions of attackers were replaced by mercenary companies.
Rather than ignoring the small towns of no consequence, those mercenary companies slaughtered the towns of all the people over level one hundred twenty-eight.
None of the coalition members trusted tags with [Identify]. Scared to death of the assassins showing up as non-combatants, the mercenaries performed atrocities, and then sent the left over kids to be sold into slavery, a small bonus on top of the compensation for their work.
Heron Lake was no different. Fearing the precious disciple of Seira would be killed, shed gone to Lizs side to protect her. Instead, an artillery spell had demolished the majority of the temple, shattering the walls, tossing Arlyen clear of the building.
Upon opening her eyes, she saw Sylvestres final moments. Hed fought bravely against monsters for years at her side, but against ten classers with practiced teamwork, she didnt reach him in time before his head was rolling on the cobblestones.
Curse her Vitality being so high that she saw it all in such vivid detail.
Shed fled.
She escaped to the north, joined with her bonded companion, and went to confront the coalition leaders in the capital city.
The coalition greeted her as a hero.
By all the gods and goddesses, she hadnt known what to do.
Everything shed ever grown to care about was gone. Shed always thanked Sylvestre for bringing her out of the darkness her life had begun in. Shed prayed to Seira, received her divine class, and she did have reverence for the goddess, but shed never considered Seira her savior.
With him gone, she became a husk. She went along with the coalition, her fury like ash in her heart as she turned the blame inwards. Shed been the one to share the information that created the plan in the first place, after all.
The Victory Gala was just another function in her new role as a Grand Judge Magister. The role her family, the Andalucias, had always used as the mark of the next family head. Somehow, her life had led her to the role her stupid family had coveted so much.
The irony wasnt lost on her.
Then, at the Gala, Liz had appeared, using the name Anallaya.
Arlyen had truly thought the girl dead in the blast that destroyed the temple in Heron Lake. She needed to revise that assumption.
How the girl had talked her way into an Exterreri Envoy was beyond her, but the young woman had changed. It was there, in her eyes.
A haunted look sometimes reached the girls expression when she thought nobody was watching. Arlyen remembered the girl as an inquisitive, excitable sort. But at that moment, Arlyen could tell her wayward apprentice had been through so much more. It was different from her first time taking a life. That version of Liz had been somewhat bewildered by feeling nothing about killing people. The version Arlyen witnessed that night was a person whod killed, enjoyed killing, and been revolted at the realization afterwards.
She tried to reach out, but Liz had been avoiding her.
When dances began, Arlyen cautiously maneuvered herself into an opportunity to dance with her former pupil. It hadnt been hard, and she knew Liz had a tendency to prefer women when choosing partners.
Their dance had been tense and Arlyen had no idea exactly when the girl had taken over leading in their dance. Nothing could be openly shared on the dance floor, but Arlyen made sure to follow Liz to the private room after.
She truly hadnt intended to scare her into talking, but finding out the girl was there to save a child had warmed Arlyens heart a little. Of course, she knew Liz was half lying. Liz was a cunning person who knew better than to tell outright lies to someone who knew her well. Shed omitted some details. That part wounded her a little.
The trust and teacher-student relationship was all gone.
Arlyen never expected the murder of the child. Shed been carefully dodging Andalucia assassination attempts all night, but had never expected a random child to be killed and planted in the Exterreri resting room.
Everything had gone wrong, and even with Arlyen trying to stop the expanding clash, shed seen the imminent disaster as the highest level bodyguard of the Exterreri diplomat began to channel a powerful Spatial spell.
Somehow, it all made sense.
How does one best kill off the foreign dignitaries at a gathering without being incriminated? Someone had planned for all the right pieces to be on the board. And then theyd inserted a Spatial classer into the equation, and waited for the tinders to ignite.
The synergy of a Spatial spell being cast near any one of Henry Whites bunkers would cause a distortion in the area near the spell, and the resulting tremors would reflect the strength of the spell used. A [Gate] skill used to jump from the Justiciary to Exterreri would be an unparalleled disaster.
And a disaster it was.
The entirety of Mourningloft, with the exception of the outermost city walls, had collapsed into the ocean.
Arlyen had fallen into the ocean, but she was in the least danger out of anyone involved. Kuai Bao, her companion, had been patrolling the ocean water near the city for food, and she swiftly called him back to her and the pair began trying to save lives.
One woman and her legendary flying fish werent nearly enough.
So many would lose their lives, as so many already had.
After all the years of her life, shed remained an utter failure.
She tore the symbol of the Grand Judge Magistrate from her tattered formal jacket and cast it into the ocean.
The most good shed done in her life was as a Valkyrie. A Valkyrie she would be once more. Her life had shattered into pieces she could no longer put back together.
From that day on, Arlyen Andalucia would be dead. Instead, she would be Arlyen, the Shattered Valkyrie.
Part 24 - Drowning
Part 24 - Drowning
Elizabeth began to awaken with a sensation of tiny teeth all over her body, and a weird sense of gravity having left her, somewhat.
Teeth?
She snapped her eyes open as she realized she was being gently munched on by a dozen or so eels, slightly seaweed colored and then obscured by the disturbed seabed sand that the falling city had kicked up.
[Basilosaurus - 83]
She had no ability to gauge mana types of creatures while the water mana was flowing so thickly around her, somehow much more dense than air was with Wind mana on the surface.
She only caught one creature name before fight or flight kicked in as she rapidly snatched eels and tore them into halves, watching their low level kill notifications roll in. They were inconsequential things, really. All of them had the Wood element and were under level one hundred. Not even strong enough to damage her Runeweave, though her dress was very obviously unsalvageable.
Eel blood further obscured her vision, which didnt really change much for her. She put that out of her mind, though filed a mental note to clean the Runeweave thoroughly later.
She needed to assess her situation, remembering what had happened before she lost consciousness. The bottom of the ocean was a significantly dangerous place, even by Pallos standards. The stories of creatures in bodies of water started at dangerous and rapidly moved to the territory of national disaster.
In fact, if she hadnt known a bit about the Spatial woes of the world already, she mightve assumed some massive crab had yoinked the whole city off into the water for a midday snack. Liz didnt like her odds of becoming that midday snack if she didnt find shelter and fresh air quickly.
Shed also have to pay closer attention to her [Conviction] skill in the future. Shed been subjected to her mother watching shark week when she was very young, and it had developed into a crippling fear of swimming and anything generally related to marine life.
She couldnt swim even before her body weight had tripled thanks to her incident, and if it werent for the adrenaline rush attached to being munched gently by the eels, shed be in full panic mode, which might trigger another spiral from the no fear clause of her skill.
It was actually great training, if she had been in a more controlled environment. That would have to come when she had a better grasp of what she had gotten herself into.
With that in mind, she also mentally had the system bookmark every. Last. Kill notification. They were all something she would have to revisit in the future. She wasnt responsible directly for their deaths, but she was culpable enough as a member of the group whod done it for the system, and shed known in advance what the risks were. Spatial tremors were her mission and shed failed the people of Mourningloft. Shed sit through all of the people whod died as a result of her group, internalize it and put that energy into her mission. She owed it to them all.
She slapped her cheeks and looked around. She needed cover before anything massive came by with an appetite for Partial Humans.
Shed sunk deep enough that her visibility from the light above was also reduced, even without the collapsing city having disturbed the seabed into a haze. The city fragments were the closest thing to cover she could think of, so she made her way in the direction that seemed vaguely upwards.
First issue to arise coral reefs were rather cumbersome to navigate. Also, they were home to various critters of levels that she considered reasonable for herself. Sadly, she had a limited air supply, and she regretted having not asked how long the effect would last. No time to be farming the low level things that were too scared to venture into the open waters.
The dress was beautiful, and she loved it, but it had to go. Too many tears made the fabric nothing more than a hindrance, and her Runeweave had survived in great shape, so she was fine wearing the suit. She discarded the dress but did her best to keep the precious metal portions.
She had no idea which direction to travel in, but after ascending for a short while, she realized she likely hadnt been going in the right direction. After all, shed been moving a very short distance when shed first spotted the massive toothy beast and lost her head to fear and terror on top of a mountain of kill notifications.
A small wave of despair hit her each time she remembered the people shed seen in the city. All of them simply going about their days without any knowledge theyd be swept up in a disaster that evening. She was tempted to stop and go over the notifications sooner rather than later.
She shook her head, pushing away her recurring thoughts as her foot finally landed on smooth stone. It was even slightly warm to the touch.
[Earth Shattering Arts] came back online the moment she settled her foot on the surface, making her realize there was a man-made structure somewhere below her, an unknown size, but somehow runes kept the massive dome of the structure from being buried in the sand.
She needed to shape stone to create a way inside without flooding the place, which meant she needed to form a small tunnel and then enter from below.
Not knowing how much longer air would hold out from her Runeweave, she began to pour mana into her skills, conjuring and manipulating the area.
Increased effort used more air, and suddenly, she found herself gasping. The runes were losing their ability to keep up with her consumption, and she had to mentally force herself to not panic or succumb to her fears.
That made sense. Her low consumption had been fueled enough by the arcanite the runes were woven from, and the moment she used more than the runes could provide, shed run out.
No fear.
She could dump some of her own mana into the runes, if she didnt lose focus. She molded stone downwards into a hole, careful not to disturb the runes or the dome as she conjured shapes and swept the sand away around the edges.
No fear.
Her mantra continued as she held on to her breaths, continually delving deeper.
A shadow passed by, darkening the faint rays of light reaching her work space.
No fear.
She nearly dropped her mantra as her mind betrayed her, wondering what had just swam by above her.
She, stupidly, took time to look up from her digging operation, only to see a sea creature that made whales look small. Also, it was wrapped in the seaweed that was thick in some areas nearby.
No Fear!
It had found her, that much was certain, and as soon as it came in range, she got a solid look with [An Eye for Detail] which did not brighten her day.
[Basilosaurus - 587]
Shed taken a brief dip in the blood of the creatures babies, she supposed. Midday snack status achieved-
[*ding* Youve unlocked the general skill [Mid-Morning Snack]!]
She wrinkled her nose, then adjusted her assessment of the time of day.
She was swept away from her work as the sand and water pulled towards the eel-shaped, robust creature when it used some mix of skills for drawing in groups of prey in the relatively shallow seawater.
She was fully aware that shark week was a very tame thing compared to Pallos, and her mantra was long gone. She assessed her skills at breakneck speed as she re-entered fight or flight mode, solidly centered on flight. She felt indignation at the system overruling fear, thankfully.
That snarky skill option from the system mightve actually saved her life, really.
She needed a plan of action. Her combat skills were beyond useless. On the other hand, she found a remarkable option available to her that made her want to laugh.
Her lower level skills would be just the ticket.
She pushed mana into [Chainmail] first, creating the heaviest metal she could still empower with her Vitality through [Elegant Chains] and then dumped the rest of her mana pool into [Earth Conjuration] to increase her weight, boosted by her Magic Power buff on her Metal class.
Seira, please let this work!
She felt gravity reassert itself on her as she shaped the stone shed conjured into rough tools she could use, sinking to the bottom of the ocean floor again as the teeth snapped shut not far above her.
On the bright side, the creature had sucked away a large portion of the sand she needed to dig through.
She shivered unintentionally as she recalled the teeth snapping shut with enough force to snap an oak. She thankfully found the underside of the massive dome afterwards.
She flicked her eyes upward, looking for the aquatic dinosaur as she turned her stone weight into a stone ceiling above herself, Her air hadnt been an issue as she held her breath in anticipation while the stone slowly moved into position, only to catch sight of the Basilosaurus rocketing past her back towards the seaweed beds.
She saw why immediately afterwards. A much larger oceanic predator had appeared in the neighborhood, blotting out the faint light from the surface completely.
Barely within her maximum range, she stiffened at the name.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
[Megalodon - 1,846]
The highest level thing shed ever seen on Pallos. And of course it was a damn sea monster. One that had appeared in movies her mother had simply adored.
What was the line? Always a bigger fish? On Pallos, she imagined the creature shed just seen was nowhere near the top of the food chain.
That was when she sucked in a mouthful of saltwater as the runes for her air were finally spent.
She cursedmentally, since she couldnt do so aloudas she finally completed her ceiling, separating herself from the larger body of water, and then dug her fingers into the stone of the domed complex shed sensed, burrowing a hole to push her way into.
As soon as she broke through, even with a hole only large enough for her head, she forced her lungs to expel as much seawater as possible before spending time coughing and spluttering to get the rest out.
That was when adrenaline and everything else finally ran out, and she froze up in agony as another penalty hit her. She still kept her capped levels, but the pain was like being subjected to the teeth shed just seen a thousand times over, all while being drowned and having her body torn apart by mysterious fleshy masses in the void all over again.
Literally every bit of pain shed ever felt before was reapplied to her in waves for a minimum of minutes. It mightve even been an hour, for all she knew. She just laid there, head out of water and lucky enough to still be receiving fresh air.
It took her half an hour to carefully expand the hole to get her entire body out of the water, then assess what stone was conjured or not before molding her entrance back together. It wouldve been unfortunate to flood the place that saved her life because her conjured material had vanished with time.
At last, she could finally take in the place she was in.
It was dark.
The still air was heavy with moisture, which made some sense, only it was very warm.
Liz couldnt see anything, but her senses were giving some feedback. Mostly that there were roughly box-shaped things around the room made from something that wasnt stone.
She began to follow the edge of the huge dome, cautiously ensuring she never left the edge of the space so she could escape if things turned out for the worse. Every step squelched as fabric met stone, which was making Liz feel so much worse about her lack of any stealth skill choices.
Then she finally found a doorway, which connected to a tunnel that stretched beyond her perception range from her skill. Shed reached an impasse. She was in no position to be letting her guard down, but she also needed the power of her class-up.
There was no way, with her experiences, that she was classing up before having fully explored the area she was in.
She took the hallway, keeping herself oriented as she felt the walkway descend slightly, going deeper underground. Blessedly, anything to get further from nearly level two thousand death was appreciated.
She reached an intersection with paths going to the right and left, both at a curve that matched the rough curvature of the dome before, meaning the halls wrapped the first chamber in a ring shape.
First thing, she turned back the way she came from and in the middle of the first hall, she stripped out of her soaked Runeweave suit. She was beyond thankful for the tightly folded spare suit Sorana had given her. It wasnt as well-equipped, but it had enough woven runes to be useful, even without Arcanite. Shed be getting real comfortable with activating the enchantments manually and maintaining them if she ran into trouble.
She pondered what to do with the soaked suit, then decided to conjure a drying rack from stone and suspended the suit on it.
Now, to explore what this place is. Any information you can offer me, Seira?
She waited a few minutes for a response, but the Goddess felt preoccupied in her subconscious connection.
She was on her own.
First, she took the path to the right, taking the circular hallway in clockwise fashion.
There were doors along the way made from metal and sealed closed by some sort of enchantment, but eventually, she found another hallway back towards the center. She followed it, hugging the right hand wall and ending up at a suspiciously wet area with smooth stone around the lower part of the wall.
Shed gone in a loop.
She continued to expand her exploration, hoping for a room she could enter, or some form of lighting. When she did find a room with a stone door she could force open, she was greeted by the smell of chemicals and some stacked books.
Nothing terribly helpful, until she found a familiar spot on the wall.
It had seemed like more runes like what was crackling with energy all over the ceiling of the place, except these were among the inert ones to her mana sight.
By carefully fueling the runes with a trickle of mana, they seemed to create a connection with the ceiling runes, and the room brightened instantly.
She actually had to shield her eyes, as she wasnt used to the sudden whiteness of everything. Even the stone she was sensing through was stark white in color, and the hallway outside the room was lit up in normal grey tones as the light spilled out of the room.
She cast her gaze around the room as she blinked spots from her eyes, taking in the shelves and work tables full of books and test samples.
She reached for one of the books, but hesitated as she recalled the damage time could do to paper over long periods. Fortunately, she realized the paper was intact, despite the high humidity of the complex.
She cracked the first book open and frowned.
Biological Testing Logbook #83
The covers of the books were unmarked, but the interiors were filled with copious notes.
In English.
She leafed through the book and found the notes to be documenting complex details of various aquatic plants.
Other books were logging aquatic animals as well, and the details were unbelievably dry. It was as if the author was a professor of biology, and had offered no suppositions beyond the smaller pieces of paper tucked into a handful of pages, which all seemed to be unproven data points.
Since shed solved the lighting issue, she returned to the huge innermost chamber, with the domed ceiling.
She found the nearest array of inactive runes and fueled mana into each one, turning on the lights for each region of the room piece by piece. The entire chamber was the size of a sports arena, more or less. She didnt know enough about sports to have given an example of which was closest in size.
Her eyes were drawn in by the contained boxes she hadnt been able to see into previously.
Every one of the boxes held plants. Wild varieties of different flora could be seen within contained spaces by what appeared to be flawless glass sheets. It actually made her wonder what glass was classified as. Glass came from sand, to her knowledge, so maybe a Sand mage could control glass? Regardless, she had no ability to sense inside the boxes, which also blocked her ability to sense below the boxes as well.
Each tiny ecosystem of plants was surrounded by runes to maintain the conditions of the interior, but also appeared to be keeping the plants from overgrowing the space.
As she wandered the inner chamber with a complex expression on her face, she reached the center of the room and paused, sucking in a sharp breath.
The center of the room was hollowed out deep into the ground by a massive pillar of Arcanite.
Arcanite that appeared to feed the entire research facility she was inside of.
She didnt have any money sense for Pallos, and frankly, she also hadnt had any for Earth before that. Even so, such a quantity of Arcanite was surely an incredible amount of wealth.
She decided that the storage boxes for each specimen must also be drawing from the pillar, so she elected to disable the lights in any room she wasnt using.
Next up, she began peeking inside the rooms all around the outer ring.
Most of the chambers held dedicated research projects into a different field. Some held bizarre metals that she could see mana flowing from, which meant they were tiny samples of magic metals. Those research journals made no mention of the source of such rare materials, but the whole lab was a treasure trove.
Eventually, she found a room full of dissected creatures that reeked of blood, which she chose to leave sealed shut without reading the journals.
She began to hesitate and cover her nose before entering rooms after that, focusing her senses before even opening the doors. Anything that had killed those specimens so recently as to leave the bodies bereft of signs of decay was likely still present.
That was until she found a room full of gemstones.
She spent a long while just staring at them all. She was in love.
Pallos had a wealth of gemstones, even with some cultures using them in their coins. Shed thought they were likely to be less expensive than they would be on Earth, but shed never been in a position to simply request them in great quantities.
She finally left the room to finish exploring. She did leave a mark on the door to remember it for later. She had so many burning questions about gemstones and magic that she was hopeful shed find answers.
Elizabeth finally entered the last quadrant of the circle.
It was effectively a huge living quarters and general laboratory with equipment she defined as distinctly Earth-style in design.
Microscopes, fume-hoods and even various ovens and the like were arrayed in a large room like a science classroom.
Right next-door was a private living space that had been cleaned up and left neatly in order. She sighed as she spotted a very fluffy looking comforter on a queen sized bed. There were no feminine fixtures, so she assumed a man had been residing in the place.
Overall, the living area was quite functional, except she was getting hungry and had not seen a kitchen yet.
The bathroom was opposite the bedroom. Very helpful, except a slime was living in the toilet. It seemed content there and was sealed behind a set of runes, so she assumed waste disposal was slime-powered.
She finally found the kitchen, but it was wrong.
There was no fridge or stockpile of stored goods.
There was no sign of normal cutlery, either.
A single recipe book was left on the counter next to a mixing bowl and a door that led to a room full of moss and barrels of slime.
She cracked open the recipe book and blinked, stupefied.
Oozemancers Guide to Self-Sufficient Living!
By Henry White
She immediately buried her face in her hands.
Then she began reading.
It detailed skills and how to mix various ingredients from labeled sample boxes in the main chamber into edible, fully healthy pudding meals. It was like the superfood nonsense from back on Earth, only the recipes seemed documented to an extent that seemed very plausible. One could take ingredients from any climate region and turn them into a local pudding variety with every nutrient needed not only to survive, but thrive.
A diet of mostly flavorless pudding.
Liz had done worse to stay in shape, so she began to study intently.
Liz was entirely unaware of how long shed remained in the small kitchen studying the guidebook. She finished the entire book and hadnt felt any exhaustion reach her yet, so she began working on her skills.
She copied the entire book onto conjured stone tablets to help her memorization, then closed her eyes, testing her own knowledge.
Right Page thirty-five was about tropical fruit pudding.
Page ninety-eight was about frost-berry pudding in the deep southern climates.
Page one hundred eighty-six was about the ashroot growths unique to volcanic areas that can be added to recipes of any given region in different ways to add spicy flavor to puddings for variety.
She nodded to herself, then took a scoop of pudding from the first barrel in the storage room, and then slurped at it experimentally.
It tasted earthy, but the rest of the flavors were quite savory, if one ignored the smooth and slimy texture.
She took what the book had described as a standard portion size, finished it, and then had three more as her mana consumption caught up with her, and stacked on her newfound lack of restrictions.
How shed been holding herself back for such a long time when mana expenses made a person ravenous was beyond her.
All hail Pallos for preventing mages from gaining weight!
That little mental prayer earned her a chuckle from Seira, whod returned at that exact moment.
You should be safe for a while. Classing up would be a wise choice. Losing an entire city of my faithful has stirred up serious problems, so I wont have much time to watch over you for a while. Enjoy the new class!
Liz nearly choked on her slime-meal.
Then she offered up a prayer before marching to the bedroom nearby, sealing the doors shut and laying on top of the covers of the delightfully soft queen bed.
Shed acquired food, some semblance of water, and shelter.
She had all the assurances she needed to get her class-up done right away and think about everything else after.
Part 25 - Merged Class
Part 25 - Merged Class
Within the world of her soul, Liz opened her eyes to find the fortune telling tent still the same as usual. Vibrant purple fabric, a small table in the middle of the space with a crystal ball, and the ever-present Seer seated on the opposite side of said table.
Shall we have a chat, first? About everything? Seer offered a small smile that didnt match the pity in her eyes.
I Yeah, I need that. Liz sank into the chair with a sigh of relief as tension finally bled from her body.
First, current circumstances. We are, seemingly, safe. Food and shelter are secure, though pudding isnt quite water. Well get there. We have a chance to relax and figure things out, and really sort through what it means to be on Pallos now. Seer spoke in a low tone, one with a patience and gentle expression of tender care.
Right. Every time I feel like I can wrap my head around what this world is like, something new flips the entire board. First the killer in that port town, and then Mourningloft. All those people dying was just a shock, I suppose.
Its important to come to terms with it all. In this world, people die, and they die often. Theres not much most countries can do when high level people turn to crime. We are not a hero in this world. At best, we can save a few lives in some circumstances. What we do have is a mission that will have far greater effects on this world than wed have trying to handle the issue at the root. Seer folded her hands and rested her chin on them thoughtfully.
Youre right. We need to keep in mind what our goals need to be. We need to learn how to repair these spatial rifts and get them handled. I need to become self-sufficient. I dont want to need the help of any organization to travel around and live my life.
Thats partially correct. But keep in mind the safety of towns, and then theres how spread out the problems are. Theyre all over. Well need to spend decades on this mission, and thats if we make it out of the ocean alive. Seer grounded the conversation with realism before Liz could go off on that tangent.
Liz took a deep breath. She centered herself, then looked Seer in the eyes.
Are we going to talk about what happened?
Receiving credit for several thousand deaths, or the fact you have come to fully unravel what we were subjected to in the void before coming to Pallos? Yes to both. Right now, actually. Faythe is unlikely to have seen so far ahead as to know that the Exterreri Envoy would trigger the loss of the whole city. Frankly, it means she also lost any way of telling if were dead or alive, since the Monument was lost with the church. She wanted us for a reason, and losing us as an asset is a waste for her. Youll see why soon, but there was a reason she wanted us in her camp.
Right. Its just How in the world did the system think we were responsible enough to be given even partial credit?
I have some theories. Top of the list we considered ourselves part of their group. Wearing the right colors, being in contact with them, being targeted alongside them, all of the factors added up to both sides believing we were part of that same team, and therefore the system granted things that way. Though, if you come out of this class-up with the experience gains to match killing thousands of people personally, then somehow you were the center of the actual disaster. Im doubting that will happen, though. It didnt say you have slain, it said your party has slain. Make sense? Seer reached a hand out and took one of Lizs, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Well, as depressing as it was, no matter how I think about it, there was nothing I couldve done to change much. I havent found a reason to blame myself at all, but just being party to it was harrowing. I didnt know any of that could happen.
Glad youre not beating yourself up too much. The shock was rough, and being on the ocean floor was completely horrifying. On the second topic, weve finally finished that side project. After splitting off a solid portion of your mind to process the experiences of the void, we can now fully understand the gravitas of our mission.
Liz turned it over in her head and nodded, putting the conclusion into words. The things out in the void are real, they are expanding, and they are horrifying. A true representation of the worst things Lovecraft ever dreamt of. And if the issues on Pallos continue, theres no telling whether or not that creature comes through to this world as well. So we fight because we know just how bad everything can become if we dont.
Hit the nail on the head. Fair to say the gods are keeping other influences out of Pallos for the time being. But we have the direct experience to draw upon, so were the best to champion this cause. Now, on to me beating you into next week. Seer cracked her knuckles and then karate chopped Liz over the head faster than shouldve been possible without stats.
You absolute, empty-headed dolt! Seer cracked her over the head again. You didnt spend your free stats before you entered!
Ouch I will admit, I forgot. Sorry. However, it doesnt matter, does it? This class is whatever Seira offers me, and we just choose the rough direction the class goes in. Liz rubbed at her somehow swollen forehead.
Seer let out a sigh before replying. Yes, thats correct. Sort of. Seira is giving you something special this time around. A truly a one-of-a-kind class. There are a few elements to consider, but the merged one is Ill just show you the choices!
Seer spread her hands over the crystal ball and moved her fingers in incomprehensible ways until the images appeared.
Liz reached out and got a feel for each class.
[Mending Oracle of Order] - Spatial
She was becoming the Oracle of Seira? As in, the sole representative of Seiras divine will on Pallos? That was a lot.
Before you ask, yes, a given deity only has one [Oracle] at a time, and it becomes a close link between the two, meaning Seira can come visit you more easily, and it requires less of her attention to do so. Seer nodded imperiously, as if she was queen of the world suddenly.
The class seemed to be entirely devoted to mending the spatial rifts around Pallos, but it had none of the self defense options. It did have great magic stats and powerful dedicated skills, but shed be reliant on the entire Temple of Order to prepare her protection and itinerary. The class involved politics and settling international affairs with all of the disgruntled mortal nations, especially after the loss of so many nobles and diplomats at the event.
Her thoughts on the class were predictably negative. She didnt see herself ever giving up her own self-determination.
[Fathomless Oracle of Order] - Ocean
The next option was a [Leader] style of class that offered a core skill to baptise followers and grant them a boost to classes and skills that would mend the rifts in space. Shed be the hands in the background moving pieces around to have her underlings solve the problems. It was how Faythe had decided to spend her time running her organization within the church.
Horrible stats, but the skills were
Liz paused and mentally commanded the display to rewind.
The image of the baptism was incredibly similar to the primordial water that Seira had wrapped Liz in while repairing her body. It was strange to see a divine class centered around an ability the goddess had used herself.
Liz still wasnt very interested in the class. She wanted to go on her own adventures, if possible.
[Champion Oracle of Order] - Gravity
The class was pure stats. Incredible power and control with the mana pool to back it up.
The issue was that she would lose her existing leveled skills, including her [Earth Manipulation] and rely on Gravity magic to lighten her body enough to move. A complete rewiring of how she thought about how she moved. Then with base level skills, shed be starting fresh. Doable, but Liz got the feeling there was only one right option.
Its so weird that all of these seem to be different paths but none of them after the first has a skill built for actually fixing the rifts. Lets see the merged one, maybe find an answer there. She looked up at Seer, who grinned at her like the cat that got the canary.
The image in the orb flashed, emitting the most vivid blue that Elizabeth had ever seen.
[Crystalline Oracle of Order] - Gemstone
Liz studied the image intently.
Seer briefly paused the images and stole Elizabeths attention. Do keep in mind, there is a divine relic waiting for eventual use. Just so youre aware.
Then the class displayed itself.
Somehow, it had the most stats out of all the options. Then nearly all the skills had improved versions, with a handful of losses she attributed to simply not having leveled the skills enough for them to merge.
Her divine class had always centered around the huge question mark of her [Tenet] skill and what it would become once she repaid her debt to Seira.
This class would keep the same dynamic, but would also gain a new one. A skill that would make or break her, from the appearances alone. Shed learn the name once she awoke from having advanced her class.
I have to, really. Its the best one in every way.
To be fair, your second class is starting back at level eight in the process. A new secondary path. To tread from square one. Combining the two classes makes this option soak in the best options of both classes, so of course it beats having this class go in one direction while the Metal class does something else. It is your choice, but functionally, this one will work out the best. I doubt you could lead Seiras temple if Faythe was still out there, anyway.
Alright. [Crystalline Oracle of Order] it is.
Liz absorbed the light and watched the less vivid blue fade from her, followed by the orange shade of [Fates Shackles].
Alright. Now for the level eight choice of class number two, then. Seer gave an air drum roll before spreading her hands. Got nothing.
What? How can there be nothing?
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Oh, no. Theres plenty of options. Thousands, really. Acting classes, dance classes, and criminal classes are the highest choices we could take. Honestly, you should take a few minutes to rethink the lifestyle youre living. [Merciless] is a skill designed to make a person behave in that way. You need to replace that skill. You want to feel good about who you are when you reach the end of this journey, right? You need to think through the skills you take.
Right. Ill keep that in mind. Suggestions for skills to replace that one with?
My suggestion? Take a meta skill that improves your style or helps you with things youre bad at. Not a bad time to try picking up [Swimming], right?
Speaking of, howd we ever get offered that skill in the first place?
You used to love swimming before the shark week debacle. You just forgot about it.
Liz looked up at the ceiling of the tent, trying to cast her mind back to her youngest memories, but drew up a blank. That was how some memories were, unfortunately.
Heres my suggestion, actually. The place you find yourself in is a treasure trove of knowledge. If youre a good study, you can pick up skills from this Henry guy, and put them to good use. Study the runes of your Runeweave, even. Learn everything you can while you stay in this place, and pick up skills around whatever you can make use of. When the time comes to leave, either try to not get eaten by that sea creature, or find a way to burrow down, leaving through the Below Levels. If you take that route, make sure you get absolutely everything out of this place while you can. Youll never find your way back again.
All good points. Ive got a few ideas already, then. Liz gave a curt nod.
Now, narrow down the specifics a little. What do we need right now? What will help us survive?
Liz gave that some thought and ended up at one particular choice.
That recipe book is for [Oozemancers]. Anything thatll help there?
Yeah, not quite. We dont exactly have culinary experience in our background. Weve definitely never made pudding before. We dont have the experience to get a decent class. Plus, the Ooze element is Water and Earth. We have a bit of a thing about bodies of water, right? Thats a fair number of barriers. Though, making our own pudding on the road anywhere we go for food sounds totally freaky and I am so game for it. Imagine inviting strangers in the wilderness and sharing some fresh local slime for dinner, right? Hilarious.
They both broke out in mutual laughter at the mental imagery for a few long moments before getting serious again.
Okay, so we start with a water class? Work on some cooking skills. Anything thatll help out with that? Liz chewed her lower lip, not sure if she could get a class to thirty-two before the pudding supplies in the storage room ran out.
Hmmm. First, find a way to get over our hiccup of being terrified of sea monsters. In a world full of ridiculous dinosaurs ten times our level. Also, most cooking classes lean towards fire. Though a quick search isnt helping with much besides soup related classes. Ah, wait a second!
Seer straightened up, narrowing her eyes, and Liz leaned in to peek at the flashing images in the crystal ball.
[Survivalist] - Water
Liz loved the idea of surviving.
Surviving was ideal.
The class was red.
It wasnt powerful, but it was literally a class for basic survival.
The main skill was [Purify Water]. That was the most useful thing Liz could hope for in a place where she was always worried about the cleanliness of what she was drinking.
It does work. It isnt flashy, but if it helps with surviving today, I can always reset the class later and grab something more enticing later. Itll be best to know what weaknesses the first class has beforehand.
Are you sure? Seer seemed to be questioning Liz, but at the same time, she could tell her guide didnt actually think it was a bad decision.
Yes. This is a decent enough starting point. To make it to tomorrow.
Alright. See you again soon. Seer bowed her head cordially as Liz absorbed the red light of [Survivalist].
Liz opened her eyes, then rolled out of bed and fell to the floor..
Something felt wrong.
[Earth Shattering Arts] didnt activate on contact with the stone. There was no welcoming sensation of being in contact with the ground.
In fact, she felt a little light headed.
She looked herself over and realized her Runeweave garb was loose at her lower right leg, and found her left hand was missing, feeling incredibly breezy as the flesh of her insides was exposed to the cool underground air where the stone of her hand was suddenly absent.
That was when the notifications rolled in.
[*ding* You have merged your first and second classes - [Crystalline Oracle of Order] - Gemstone]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Crystalline Oracle of Order] has leveled up from level 128 to level 168!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +56 Free Stats, +24 Strength, +80 Dexterity, +96 Vitality, +96 Speed, +80 Mana, +256 Mana Regeneration, +128 Magic Power, +128 Magic Control from your class! +1 Free Stat for being Partially Human! +1 Vitality, +1 Magic Power from your element!]
It felt even more bizarre to no longer be Partially Stone Golem, but the Partially Human was still there, implying that her body wasnt exactly human even without the stone aspects.
Really, it wasnt the time to be considering her existence.
[*ding* You have upgraded your second class - [Survivalist] - Water]
[*ding* Your second class will grant the following stats per level! +1 Free Stats, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 Vitality, +1 Speed, +1 Mana, +1 Mana Regeneration, +2 Magic Power, +2 Magic Control from your class! +1 Free Stat for being Partially Human! +1 Dexterity from your element!]
Every notification came with a small taste of desperation. She needed to get through her skills and parse them all for a solution before she passed out.
She didnt have long, as her missing leg and chunks of her torso felt deeply unnerving. Each missing part of her felt wrong, and in no small part disgusting. It couldnt be sanitary to have her insides exposed to the air in such a way.
[*ding* [Seiras Tenet of Equivalent Exchange] has leveled up! 128->146]
She wasnt capped on the skill anymore. Worth noting, but not worth wasting time in an emergency over.
[*ding* [Earth Authority] has evolved into [Gemstone Mastery]!]
[Gemstone Mastery: You are the foremost expert on Gemstones on Pallos, with even deeper knowledge than the God of Gemstones themselves. This is a singular passion and infatuation for you. Efficiency Skill. Improved mana efficiency for Gemstone skills per level.]
[*ding* [Gemstone Mastery] has leveled up! 128 -> 168]
[*ding* [Earth Manipulation] has evolved into [Gemstone Manipulation]!]
[Gemstone Manipulation: Your will forces gemstones within your reach submit to you. Shape and control crystalline structures of gemstones of all varieties. Embrace your nature, Oracle.]
She wanted to pause at that description and think it over intensely, but she was very close to vomiting over the unease she felt. She read on.
[*ding* [Gemstone Manipulation] has leveled up! 128 -> 168]
[*ding* [Earth Conjuration], [Tenacity of Stone] and [Rigid Body] have merged and evolved into [Crystallize]!]
[Crystallize: Conjure Gemstones. In addition, your wounds may also be Crystallized, preventing blood loss and protecting your body. Crystallized areas function as scars, becoming part of the body. Customize your pain tolerances! Recommend seeing a [Healer] as soon as possible, or replacing conjured tissue with naturally occurring material.]
This was the one! She began to pour mana into the skill, focusing on each missing part of her body as she went, settling for a thin layer to cap off each region for the short term.
Then, she kept reading, though the hurry was finally gone.
[*ding* [Earth Shattering Arts] and [Chain Proficiency] have merged and evolved into [Cleavage]!]
She was going to hate this one. Good thing nobody could read her skills.
[Cleavage: Your fate lies in your own hands, at your own feet. And in other places. Your martial arts cleave a path towards the fate you desire. Martial proficiency improves per level and extends to any weapon you are touching and have merged a combat skill into this one for. Currently: Unarmed and Chains]
[*ding* [Cleavage] has leveled up! 128 -> 153]
[*ding* [Elegant Chains], [Chain Reinforcement] and [Chainmail] have merged and evolved into [Gemstone Binding]!]
[Gemstone Binding: Infusing mana into gemstones, even conjured ones, binds them to you, and even to one another. Bound gemstones will become armor grafted to your body and will become more durable based on your Vitality. Conjured gemstones bound by this skill will take longer to degrade.]
[*ding* [Fates Bonds] has evolved into the class skill [Fates Luster]!]
[Fates Luster: Your life shines upon Fate itself. This skill will make your fate a bit more malleable. Passively improves Dexterity, Vitality, Speed and Mana Regeneration when facing an opponent at least 100 levels higher than yourself. +1% per level]
[*ding* [Fates Luster] has leveled up! 128 -> 137]
The movement of the skill told her two things. First, she was unable to add more skills into the combined one in the way she had combined the prior ones. It was unfortunate, but she wouldnt be able to train the other stat skills on her own anyway. The second lesson to be learned was that the skill was the last notification from the merged class. Meaning [Templars Conviction] wasnt going anywhere, and would remain in the last skill slot.
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Purify Water]!]
[Purify Water: Does what it says. Makes water clean and drinkable.]
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Detect Water]!]
[Detect Water: Sense water around you. Increased accuracy and range per level.]
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Blending]!]
[Blending: Mix things into water. Food, ingredients, whatever you need to blend together, this skill can get the job done. Improved control and speed per level.]
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Washing]!]
[Washing: Wash things with water. Do you really need these descriptions?]
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Minor Adjustment]!]
[Minor Adjustment: Make small adjustments to the state of water. Be creative, it might do more than you think. Improved adjustment speed and impactfulness per level.]
[*ding* You have unlocked the class skill [Water Resistance]!]
[Water Resistance: Just in case you make a mistake, this skill will keep you from becoming a danger to yourself. Increased resistance to water related effects per level.]
There was a lot to think about with the new class, but the system wasnt quite done yet.
[*ding* For reaching level 160 in your first class, you have unlocked the class skill [Hardness]!]
[Hardness: Make gemstones harder. What did you think this skill was going to do? We both know youre not into that.]
Liz buried her face in her palms, only to harshly scratch her face with her crystallized stump of a left hand. She considered it, but elected not to heal the scratch with [Crystallize]. She didnt want to turn her whole body into a massive chunk of crystal. Small things could heal on their own.
Regardless, the new skill offering was silly. She already imbued [Gemstone Binding] with her mana to reinforce it with Vitality. Shed been offered a mass of impressive upgrades that she was satisfied with. Until some of her existing skills merged, shed be happy with what she had already.
Elizabeth next turned her attention to the [Survivalist] skills.
She took [Purify Water], [Blending] and [Minor Adjustment] without a second thought. Then, she had to admit she was hesitant to take [Water Resistance] just out of spite, since the description made her out to be a fool. In the end, she took the skill. It was too useful to be ignored.
[Washing] made sense, though she had to admit she didnt see much difference from [Blending]. If she tossed her dishes or clothes into water and used [Blending] with some soap of some kind, it seemed to her that the two skills would do the same thing.
[Detect Water] seemed useless. She was literally underneath an ocean. But then she recalled the expanse of the desert shed crossed with the Envoy and Team Iota. Liz hoped the team had survived, but she hadnt gone digging through the kill notifications to look for classes that sounded like them yet.
Turning her attention back to the skills, she figured it couldnt hurt to have it while her skill slots werent full. She could get creative with them and find their weaknesses and strengths all she wanted. In that way, all the skills for [Survivalist] were much better than [Hardness] was. Even if the Gemstone skill was fantastic, she didnt have room in her slots to test it and find out.
It was time for Elizabeth to get to work.
Part 26 - Trial and Error
Part 26 - Trial and Error
New skills!
Predictably, not so fast.
As usual, the fun police were on the beat. Liz had more bodily issues to sort out first.
She carefully removed the backup suit of Runeweave, dumping all her formerly stored small items that had fallen loose out onto the ground.
Losing [Earth Manipulation] had come with a bevy of problems and weirdness. Foremost, the stone of her former racial modifier was gone without a trace. Not even a speck of dust remained. She quirked an eyebrow and mentally cast some words vaguely heavensward.
Literally heavensward, actually.
Hey, Seira, did you take away some body parts while I was out? I couldve used some forewarning about that.
She paused a few moments as she sensed the goddess turned away at that exact time, then felt the reassuring presence over her shoulder, so to speak.
Love! Er-
Liz! Ahem. Yes, that stone didnt actually belong on Pallos, and I was getting some complaints from a few of the others about it. I kindly put it back where I got it from when you stopped using it. Sorry, it was a whole thing, and I realized I had a moment there.
On the other hand, it also wouldve been an incredibly nasty experience for you to carve it out and replace it with your skill. Saved you the added mental trauma. For now, at least.
Liz chewed her lip, wondering what the slip-up had been about at the start of the message. The ending was ominous as well.
I appreciate it, then. The new class seems really perfect, so thanks. Do you control the names of the skills, though? [Hardness] and [Cleavage] in particular. Why?
Seira failed to stifle a laugh, somehow.
Yes and no. My [Tenets] are my own handiwork to start with, then the system adds weight and carries them forward. I have some control over the contents of the skills in the class, but its easier to allow the system to have a lot of authority in the process, and it takes less investment on my part. Anyway, I have some things to work on. Talk more later.
Elizabeth let out a long breath, then started planning.
Her first order of business was to get some food and water handled. She could tell shed been out for a while during the class-up.
She got a better look at her stump below the knee of her right leg. The scar line from the gateway that had split her leg was impossibly straight, without any wrinkling or signs of having had the flesh mended. It was like the skin ended and the thin layer of simple quartz began. Quartz had been the first thing shed thought of when using the skill, but she badly needed to choose a better material.
She knew just where to start.
Comparatively, conjuration of gemstones was extremely expensive on Pallos. At peak efficiency, a person got about one gram of material for every point of mana spent, but this broke down fast as image quality went down. A renowned example hearkened back to the ancient Medical Manuscripts which were rumored to improve healing efficiency by leaps and bounds.
When it came to gemstones, the system hadnt been lying when it credited her with the most advanced knowledge on the subject out of everyone on the planet. Diamonds were an option she knew quite well, but if her estimations were correct, shed fall short by a wide margin if she tried to conjure a diamond replacement calf and foot. Corundumoften known as ruby or sapphire based largely on colorationwas the next step down. Even at a weight of about three grams per cubic centimeter, corundum was simply too heavy to conjure the material needed.
She had a substance in mind for a sturdy material she knew well enough to get close.
Pooling all of her mana into the skill, she used [Crystallize] for the first big effort of the new class. The substance she had in mind was a bit complicated, however.
Originally two different minerals grouped into one by history, she had a choice to make. If she cared about appearances, she would choose the more vibrant of the two, but instead, she chose the duller, more hardy option of the two. A fibrous matrix of crystals composed from calcium, magnesium and iron heavy amphibole. Uncommonly known as Nephrite, the mineral was once grouped in with jadeite for what the Chinese had called Jade.
Nephrite was the tougher, more durable of the two, and Liz wanted that tough material for the core of her new, somewhat temporary prosthetic leg. Part of the complication was keeping similar substances out of her mind with [Mental Partitioning]. Actinolite was similar, and was a form of asbestos. Not something she wanted in her leg.
Thankfully, [Gemstone Manipulation] worked the same way in her mind as the older version of the skill had, allowing her to peel back the quartz layer before the new crystalline structure formed and grew before her eyes. It was beautiful to see, and much faster than staring at the gemstones being grown with heat and pressure over the course of months back on Earth.
Jade was the ideal category for her to be making body parts from within the limits of her mana pool. It was strong and durable without being too easy to fracture. On the other hand, it was also getting the full effects of her Vitality, which would make the prosthetic into a similar quality of tool as her leg had been before the class-up.
[*ding* [Crystallize] has leveled up! 128 -> 129]
[*ding* [Crystallize] has leveled up! 129 -> ]
Problem was, Nephrites heavy stuff. Her mana pool, if at a perfect image of the material, could generate roughly seventy-five thousand grams of the stuff. That was a surprising amount of material, and her efficiency was apparently slightly lacking. She hadnt worked with jades much in her previous life, and Jadeite was a much more valuable stone for the vivid coloration it had.
[*ding* [Crystallize] has leveled up! 134 -> 135]
Sweet, sweet, easy levels. Much easier to level than the Earth counterpart had been. Complex and novel work was such a treat for the system.
She had enough mana to generate down to her ankle, then to her heel, then to the balls of her feet, and finally her Nope, missing the tips of her toes. It was enough to walk on.
She guessed, based on a weight estimate and her handy [An Eye for Detail] to attach a measurement to things she could see, that shed gotten to about ninety percent efficiency. Shed not studied the exact crystalline form of the substance, which made the right amount of sense. By her estimation, her new leg would weigh close to two hundred pounds. Nearly a full seventy or so kilograms when complete.
She didnt have any intention to make her whole set of prosthetics from Nephrite, but shed instead wait and see what she could liberate from the samples in the lab eventually.
Ideally, a majority of her body would be corundum in the end, but she needed the mana or the raw material for it. Sturdy, almost as much as diamond, but not so clear and flashy as to be seen as anything more than a skill to thieving eyes.
It was time for destination number one. Food. Or so she hoped.
She poked her head out of the doorway, hopeful nothing had randomly been missed while she was exploring earlier, then grabbed her Runeweave and darted across the hallway and into the kitchen area. Not a speck of dust was anywhere to be found in the entire complex, which made the effort of cleaning up a total breeze.
She did not trust the water in the sinks, though. Not with moss growing in the closet nearby.
She put a few of her skills to newfound work, feeling slightly like a lonely housewife or something.
[*ding* [Purify Water] has leveled up! 1 -> 2]
[*ding* [Washing] has leveled up! 1 -> 2]
The new skills worked out wonderfully. They did exactly what was written on the tin. She purified the water from the faucetunsure how the faucet actually workedand then tossed her clothing in. The second skill was perfect, and the Runeweave looked brand new.
She then quietly made her way back to the drying rack shed made before, collecting her more heavy-duty suit and doing the same thing to the blood-soaked outfit. The young Basilosauruses had gotten blood caked into the whole thing. It was gross, even when it had been dry.
Liz then wondered if she could use [Washing] on herself somehow. Then she recalled the bathroom with the slime-toilet in the room shed classed up in. There had been a shower there.
She prioritized clean over fed. Bonus, hydration was an option in the shower.
[*ding* [Purify Water] has leveled up! 2 -> 8]
[*ding* [Washing] has leveled up! 2 -> 5]
[*ding* Congratulations! Your class [Survivalist] has leveled up from level 8 to level 9!]
[*ding* You have gained the following stats per level! +1 Free Stats, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 Vitality, +1 Speed, +1 Mana, +1 Mana Regeneration, +2 Magic Power, +2 Magic Control from your class! +1 Free Stat for being Partially Human! +1 Dexterity from your element!]
A shower did her soul a lot of good, and allowed her to tentatively try out the shampoo shed been stashing away since the not-plague disaster. Fortunately, it wasnt deathly acidic, and Liz got her hair washed thoroughly for the first time in months.
It had been growing longer on its own and the work of the stylist for the big diplomatic party had extended that slightly, but it hadnt made her feel as clean as a shower did. The Pallos-style cut, she decided, could stay. Still, another piece of her old life was gone. Another wave of memories stifled.
She got out of the shower, realizing that she officially had no clothes to wear while both suits hung up to dry. [Survivalist] wasnt a [Mage] classit was most likely [Laborer]so it hadnt come with a fancy skill to suck the water back out of her clothes.
Nudity was on the menu.
Liz finally caved and labeled the whole place as most likely uninhabited.
She had a huge explosion in stats to worry about, slime to consume, and a room full of test sample gemstones to inventory.
She pushed her Speed and Dexterity to the limit and bounded to the kitchen again, ready for her next meal of savory pudding. The trip was barely worth mentioning, and soon after, she was headed back to the lab room shed mentally dubbed Treasury.
The room was split into two sections, as most of the labs had been. The first area was a storage room, and the inner room was full of work tables and heavy tomes. She decided the books could come first, after some organizational effort was put in.
The more she swept through the storage room like a human tornado born of stats, the more she tried to absently identify the various gemstones on the shelves and recall information from her previous life about each one. After a whilereally just a few minutes experienced in high Speed modeshe received a notification.
Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
[*ding* You have unlocked the general skill [Enhanced Recall]!]
It seemed that the system had deemed it time.
Time for her to fix herself little by little.
She dropped [Merciless] for the new skill. The nausea of losing a skill almost at level one hundred was brutal. It was actually her first ever dropped skill, and losing her slime lunch was somehow so much worse than losing solid food. Shed have to bring a bucket and use [Washing] liberally.
The irony was not lost on her that she was rapidly leveling a skill she didnt think shed need in the first place, though.
[Enhanced Recall: Your memory isnt perfect, but youre getting there. Remember it all a little more clearly with this skill. Just dont remember anything youre not supposed to. No spoilers, Oracle.]
So many questions, and yet a warning not to look for the answers. Moving on.
The shelves of the gemstone storage room were soon immaculate, and every stone was organized carefully by element. Some samples were tiny, while others were numerous, likely based on the commonality of the stone itself.
A frankly shocking amount of unprocessed quartz was making Liz a little too excited, so she finally made for the books shed organized and shelved near the entrance to the lab itself.
She cracked open the first volume and began with the introduction of Book 1. Elements and Materials, by Professor Henry White. It was entirely in English.
Introduction. This study of the elements and materials on Pallos will require many volumes of notes. My field of expertise is Biology, so I warn you not to expect a perfect account of variables outside my speciality.
When studying the elements of the system, I prefer to start with Water. A primordial element on Earth. One which births life. Not so, on Pallos. Life on Pallos was precisely fabricated with intelligent intent. The issue becomes the chicken and egg conundrum. Which came first? The world, or the gods? The answer here is, functionally, the gods. But just as the thing that laid the egg wasnt originally a chicken, the gods of Pallos likely came from somewhere else. My best guess is they split from another pantheon elsewhere, and made Pallos their own.
These suppositions come from parsing the basic theology of Creation from a number of races, largely the Dwarves and Elves. The Khazad Dwarves in particularwho keep records deep beneath their mountainshave extensive systems of records dating back to the original Remus, a nascent empire that gets as close to the year zero as any record Ive encountered.
Evidence aside, back to Elements. The core ones, Water and Fire, Earth and Wind, Metal and Wood, Light and Dark. Their numbering eight is yet another fascination of the system. Base eight being another recurring question without an answer, so far.
Listed:
Water: Dexterity
Fire: Strength
Earth: Vitality
Wind: Speed
Metal: Magic Power
Wood: Magic Control
Light: Mana Regeneration
Dark: Mana (Reserves)
Each core element is fundamental. A prime example tied to one of the eight stats of the system. Water, tied to Dexterity, is the fundamental on which Ocean expands. Then it blends out with the other elements to create the likes of Steam, Ooze, Mist, Acid, Sylvan, Mirage and Ice.
The book went on to list all the elements and how they were related back into the system, then devolved into rants.
Rants about gemstones not making scientific sense.
Rants about the locals not having any inquisitive nature towards the questions he had.
Rants about how little information he could dig up on things that shouldve been easily proveable.
Liz went hunting for a notebook of her own, then began taking down her own bullet points to keep in mind.
She did find some common ground with Professor White on one major topic, though.
Ruby and sapphire were both the same gemstone. Corundum was somehow the gemstone used for storing skills of Fire when it was a ruby and Ocean when it was a sapphire. She began to feel her eye twitching slightly as she read the notes on that subject in depth.
The only notable difference to Whites eyes between the two was color, and yet one covered a fundamental element, while the other covered an advanced element.
She was very tempted to take up his same pitchfork ideology about the subject before she sighed and continued reading.
Scientifically, as best as the professor could test things on Pallos, all gemstones retained the exact properties they had from Earth with a handful of oddities that just made the man rant further.
Huayne was another interesting tangent. The gemstone was attached to the element of Poison. Professor White had labeled samples from a total of nearly a dozen countries around Pallos, and all of them were the same composition.
That particular gemstone, like many others on Earth, was unique because of where it came from. Regional differences made the gemstone only available when they formed naturally within that region. And yet, Pallos had equal access to them from anywhere.
Like the professor, Liz felt close to convinced there was a grand conspiracy.
She gave up on the good professors notes and tapped her chin thoughtfully.
Another person from Earth. How very intriguing. She was inclined to like the man, if not for his nearly insane rants.
Liz strode out into the storage room and began to count through the samples.
The largest quantities of gemstones in the room were quartz, corundum, topaz and emerald.
A separate shelf had held a large supply of three types of stones, some clearly charged with skills.
Turquoise, Olivine, and Jasper.
Liz felt her eye twitch again at the sight of Jasper. Again with Olivine, too.
Can I file a complaint? She muttered dark thoughts under her breath.
Regardless, the elements on the shelf were Ooze, Lava and Sand. A revision of her earlier count had Olivine being nearly as common in the room as quartz was.
Shed have to do some tests on the skill-infused stones later, but she wagered those were Professor Whites chosen elements, making him at least level five hundred twelve to get three classes.
Liz began arranging the gemstones into a rough outline, mapping out details in her notebook of how she would use each stone.
Then she laughed to herself as she squatted in front of the quartz pile. It was truly a huge haul from all different colors and varieties around the world. Common, rapid to form and very valuable for her.
Quartz had a lot of inclusions inside of it that made Liz very excited. One of the inclusions was a gemstone formation that looked like black or red needles inside the crystal. These needles were commonly known as rutile. Quartz with rutile inside was referred to as rutilated quartz, and what made rutile so very useful to Earth was that it was titanium oxide.
A literal titanium gemstone. The perfect gemstone for her own purposes.
She set [Gemstone Manipulation] to work right away, stripping the rutile from the unprocessed quartz and melding it together into a long, flexible thread using her skills.
She had planned to try and use the material for her armor in the past, but with so much made available to her, she decided to steal from the missing occupants of the lab and take her sweet time replicating her Runeweave outfit with the more interesting material forming a second skin, then layering the wealth of corundum, emerald and topaz into plates over the woven rutile.
She planned to make herself a bit of a tank. If she could learn to sew first.
Liz had spent the next couple of hours spending mana to use [Gemstone Binding] to patch the rest of her body back together with the natural gemstones. They all readily accepted her mana and the process was surprisingly efficient. She kept her leg as conjured material, though. She wanted to test how it felt and how it would degrade over time.
She marched back to the residential area while flexing her new ruby fingers on her fixed left hand, having given up on her crusade over the word corundum early.
She rounded the bend of the hall to notice the lights were on in the kitchen.
She bit her lip as she realized she was both not wearing clothes and had never been offered a [Stealth] skill. She was heavy and loud, even with her high Dexterity, so she winced as she realized there was no way she was finding out who was there without them hearing her coming.
It was the voice that caught her by surprise, despite knowing the jig was up before it had even started.
Go get dressed, dear. As great as you look, Im not just here to stare.
Liz sighed, then popped into the bedroom to grab one of her suits, both of which were miraculously totally dry after only a couple of hours. She was already counting her blessings, so why not add another?
She returned to the kitchen and saw Seira warming a teapot over the rune-powered stove.
Welcome, dear. Arent you glad to see me? With you being my [Oracle], I can visit and have tea a lot more often.
[*ding* [Stunning] has leveled up! 59 -> 60]
Liz smiled as she took in the sight of divine perfection given form once again.
I am glad to see you. Just how much did you have to rig the game to get me down here? Couldve done with less sea monsters, though. Just for future reference.
Seira winked at her, then took the pot off the heat and brought it to a table that had been decorated with flowers and a tablecloth that hadnt been there before.
I know you prefer your tea just slightly below a boil, otherwise it takes forever to cool enough for you to drink it.
Liz frowned. Seira wasnt omniscient. She shouldnt have known that, really. Liz hadnt been drinking things like tea often on Pallos, and shed never mentioned it.
How do you? Actually, on that subject, why me in the first place? The real reason, I mean.
Seira gave a sly smile and closed her eyes. Then the smile blossomed into a full, authentic laugh.
You really do get people sometimes, dont you? Even me, even now. It is one of your best qualities. That said, a certain someone decreed No spoilers and that decree is something I try to adhere to. Seira opened her eyes and they seemed to sparkle with light that wasnt in the room.
Liz sucked in a sharp breath as she couldnt help but stare. She quickly distracted herself by pouring the tea for them both.
Ill leave it at that, then. What is the tea today?
I brought one of your favorites. Peach rooibos tea. This is all to celebrate your new class and progress. Have you noticed yet? Seira gestured towards her own face, saw Liz shake her head while tipping her head inquisitively, then waved her hand in the air, causing a small mirror to appear in her hand.
Liz caught on and looked into the mirror, only to suck in a sharp breath.
Her eyes glittered like dazzling emeralds, still the green of her normal eye color, but faceted and beautiful. Then, within the depths of her eyes, the slight subtle hints of her blessing were now visible, appearing as needle-like slits in the emeralds.
Her eyes were truly unique. No other green-eyed person would have the same effect in their eyes just for having Gemstone as their element. Her eyes looked like rutilated emeralds.
I cant believe I hadnt been more excited for this. What do you think of them? Liz turned the question to the goddess and found herself unusually hopeful about the response.
I was waiting for you to ask! Theyre beautiful. The most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen. Seira was beaming at her with so much passion in her eyes. It was hard to imagine theyd only recently gotten to know one another.
Thank you. Liz sipped at her tea, though it was still a bit hot. Warm tea didnt steep well, after all. So, to what do I owe this visit?
Seira seemed to deflate a little.
Nothing, truly. Im checking in, seeing how youre doing and making sure youre not in this place alone too much. Plans? Tell me what youre going for next.
Liz blew on her tea a bit before setting it down.
I want to make armor from the gems here. I think Ill also take the time to learn these runes that are all over the place. Theyre different from the ones Sorana used in her clothing so it would be good to pick up what I can while Im here. Professor Henry White seems-
Liz trailed off when Seira made a sour face at the name.
That man is part of why youre here now. You need to know. Hes the man I brought you here to fix the messes from. He left holes in space all over the world. Hes even responsible for that ugly city falling in the ocean. Hes the worst thing to happen to Pallos since Well, that one dragon incident was nasty, but this might actually take the cake for world ending cataclysms since Creation. Seira seemed to be biting back her anger.
Liz stood and moved to rub Seiras back reassuringly. It felt like the right thing to do, and Seira seemed to relax quickly from the strokes of her hand.
Their relationship felt so much less tense during this visit. Liz felt at home by Seiras side and it felt like fate. The mystique and reverence shed felt in the baths when shed received her blessing was suddenly long gone.
Sorry. Just keep in mind that hes not someone to take knowledge from lightly. Ask me if youre in doubt, any time, and Ill tell you if something is safe or not. Now, tell me about your armor.
Liz nodded, returning to her seat across the table.
Actually, first. Can I file a complaint? The system. I just cant make sense of these gemstones. This is really unbelievable. Surface level knowledge, right? Ruby and sapphire are for Fire and Ocean. But both stones are corundum, and it just makes no sense. But then I noticed jasper being the stone for Sand, which is just a type of chalcedony, but then chalcedony isnt even used at all. The one that irks me most is olivine! Olivine is a stone found in space, and a mineral at best, and peridots are made from it. It all makes no sense and its horribly inconsistent. It chafes my soul!
Ferie Liz. Seira had a wistful smile on her lips, like she was reliving old memories. Im sorry, but theres no complaint system. If changes could be made so easily, I doubt wed be having this discussion at all. The system has a lot of quirks, and these are a few of them. You might just know more about gemstones than whoever made those choices in the first place. Take comfort in that thought.
Liz sipped at her tea again, realizing it had already grown a bit too cold. Then, she suddenly felt like an idiot.
[*ding* [Minor Adjustment] has leveled up! 1 -> 2]
She took a sipskill having warmed the tea just enoughthen moved to sit beside Seira again.
Thank you. For always listening. Im not doing the greatest here on Pallos so far, and I know it has been a bit of a disappointment. Youve been patient with me, and I want you to know that I appreciate that. Liz put her left arm around Seiras shoulders and gave her a hug from beside her.
Seira made a face like she had bit down on a peppercorn. Then she replied.
Youve been through a lot, and I wish I couldve helped more, but one day youll know there are rules about these things. Just know, Ill never be disappointed in you. Thats just one thing that isnt possible.
Liz felt something in her chest loosen up as she experienced relief she hadnt expected.
The tea cups sat side by side on the table as both of them stared into one another''s'' eyes, rutilated irises meeting ones shining with divinity.
Their shared time remained like that for a while, until Seira had to return to her work.