《Stormborn Sorceress: A Fantasy Isekai LitRPG Adventure》 Ch.1: An Unexpected Encounter Cass rolled over on her cot, again. It was hard and narrow and as difficult to sleep on as it had been the last three nights. Even the deep-seated exhaustion of multiple days of long hikes around the extended campgrounds wasn¡¯t enough for her to pass out into the oblivion of sleep. Around her, the quiet snores of Kaye and Robin, her siblings, were drowned out by the rush of wind through the valley and around the tent. It shook in the whipping winds, disingenuously threatening to fly off into the night as if it wasn¡¯t staked down in every corner and weighed down by three grown adults and their (frankly) excessive camping gear. She burrowed deeper in her sleeping bag, trying to convince her toes they weren¡¯t actually cold in the two layers of socks she¡¯d wrapped them in. Trying to convince herself she did not need to get up again to pee. It had been a futile effort for the last hour at least. An effort she was losing. As much as she didn¡¯t want to trek across the dark, cold, damp campground to the spider-infested outhouses, she could feel there was little chance of sleeping with her bladder as it was. She grit her teeth and cursed under her breath, there was no avoiding it, and putting it off would only make the walk colder as the night settled more surely over the woods. She shimmied out of her sleeping bag wincing as the cold of the tent seeped through her PJs. She rummaged under the cot for another sweater and her windbreaker. A shiver shook her as she put them on. She glanced back at the cot, briefly considering trying to sleep again anyway, but shook her head. She¡¯d already gotten this far. Bracing herself, she unzipped the tent flap just enough for her bundled form to slip out and zipped it closed behind her. The cold seized her, laughing at her paltry layers of attempted warmth. The wind whipped around her, rebuffed from her raincoat but ripping gleefully through her fleece PJ bottoms. She shivered but trudged toward the distant outhouse. She pulled her flashlight out as she walked, pointing the light at the ground before her feet. It was a fairly bright flashlight and she could probably illuminate more of the dark if she really wanted to, but she hadn¡¯t bothered to put on her glasses and without them, light or no light, her sight started getting blurry after a certain point. She was no Velma, stumbling around on her hands and knees looking for her glasses without them, but making out faces or reading signs got progressively more difficult as the distance increased. But that wasn¡¯t important here. She knew where the bathroom was, she¡¯d made this walk several times already this trip. There were no signs involved. She just needed to make sure her clumsy feet didn¡¯t catch on a log or rock. The wind gusted around her again, chilling her face and freezing her nose. Her breath formed clouds of billowing vapor around her face. If she had worn her glasses they would be fogged over entirely by now. She wasn¡¯t likely to run into anyone on her way either. It was the off-season for camping. Early January. Too cold for fair-weather campers to consider a trip. This site too dry and too low elevation for the snow enthusiasts to dream of coming. It was just her, her siblings, and one elderly camp host on the grounds. And the camp host had been asleep by eight pm every night, his camper van dark as the surrounding woods. They¡¯d enjoyed the exclusivity of the grounds. It¡¯d given them free rein of the trails. Allowed them to enjoy the isolation of nature, without a bunch of other casual campers clamoring around them. But now, alone in the middle of the empty campground, the dark hanging heavy and cold over the night, she shivered. It went deeper than the cold of the night. An unsettling air hung over her, leaching the little warmth she¡¯d gained from her very bones. She glanced around, peering through the dark with her flashlight, her eyes squinting to see just a touch more. The light of her flashlight skittered over trees and bushes, over the empty places for tents and the cold fire pits. The shadows danced around it, sharp and fractured through the trees. There was no one and nothing there. Yet, imaginings of monsters lurked just out of sight. Something told her to turn around. To go back to the tent and try to sleep. It was as irrational as it was insistent. She breathed in deeply and breathed out slowly. She gripped that thought, to flee back to the tent, and methodically pulled it apart. There was nothing in these woods that could hurt her. They were only an hour away from her home, less from the nearest town. These woods were an island of nature in a pool of rural land. There were no bears or wolves or mountain lions. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. She breathed in. She breathed out. The fear still rattled around in her chest and leached the warmth from her skin. Her mind presented a parade of monsters from every game she¡¯d ever played and every story she¡¯d read. Beasts in the dark. Men-like monsters ready to carry her off. Living shadows. Ghosts and ghouls and goblins. They didn¡¯t exist. She stamped the fear down hard. None of that existed. What other dangers could be out here? Axe murders? Psycho killers? Sure. Okay. It was possible. But what were the chances? Such a monster would hardly target a campground like this. If not for her and her siblings there wouldn¡¯t even be victims for such killers to murder here. Besides, in the end, if such a monster lurked around the outhouses, the fabric walls of her tent wouldn¡¯t provide any protection. Better to find them here than let them creep up on her while she tried to sleep. She let the logical reasons wash over her, pushing back the irrational fear that slunk around her. That feeling in the pit of her stomach that she should return to her tent and go to sleep was no less than it had been a moment ago, but the fear that had propped it up in her mind hung by slender threads. She wouldn¡¯t let it control her. She took another step into the night and crossed some unseen threshold. Her foot planted on the uneven asphalt. A terrible keening erupted from everywhere and nowhere at once. The world shook. It rang in her head and echoed through her body. Lights flashed before her eyes, blue and red and white. Words too fast to read. She screamed, pain lacing every cell of her body. She dropped to her knees and clenched her chest. Her breath was ragged between her screams. She didn¡¯t understand what was happening. The rational part of her brain struggled to stay afloat over the chaos ripping through her. Was this a seizure? Pain and illusioned flashes of color? An aneurysm? Had she been shot? It hurt more than she thought getting shot would. She was detached from the pain now. Detached from her body, as if her physical form was a separate entity, something wrapped around her but wholly separate. Like it was no more a part of her than her rain jacket. Was she dying? Whatever that pain had been, it felt like it was enough to kill her. Her body was still screaming. She hadn¡¯t known she could scream like that. Hadn¡¯t known her lungs held that kind of capacity. She writhed, her hands grasping over the unnaturally smooth floor beneath her. It was inky black, as black as the empty night sky above. Even the stars had abandoned her. Someone else was shouting. Not the same screams of her distant pain, but of panicked concern. Maybe the camp host. She hadn¡¯t been far from his camper. Her screaming must have woken him. Good. He had to have a way to call 911. He would get her an ambulance. Maybe they would even be able to get out here in time to make a difference. They weren¡¯t that far from the nearest town. How far away was the nearest hospital? She wanted to turn to see for sure, but she couldn¡¯t direct her thrashing body. That same disconnect that protected this rational core of self from the rampaging pain also cut off control of her body. All she could do was look back toward their tent. The light went on. The tent door burst open. Kaye and Robin shot out into the night in their PJs. They ran toward her, too dark and too far to see their faces. But they were shouting now too. Oh, god, they must be so panicked. What were they thinking? They must be even more confused than she was. Even more helpless. This had to stop soon, didn¡¯t it? How long had it gone on for? The pain was only increasing, bleeding through her numb disconnect from her body. That couldn¡¯t be a good sign. Her siblings stopped short. A wall of shadows pulsed up from the ground, less than a foot in front of them. They took a step back. Horror was etched into their faces. It was blurry and dark, but she could see it. Their eyes wide, their mouths open in screams of terror, their faces lit from below by a ghastly purple light. Oh, god. What was she forcing them to watch? How bad did she look? Did it look like she was in as much pain as her body actually was? Did it look worse? Oh, she hoped the ambulance was on its way. Something writhed at the edge of her vision. Something dark and tentacle-like. Something, that same something perhaps, grabbed her ankle. Then her other. More grabbed at her. Her screaming rose to a fevered pitch. How it wasn¡¯t hoarse¡ªhow there was still air in her lungs to fuel that scream¡ªshe didn¡¯t know. It held her down, grasping arms and legs and torso. Wrapping around her neck, pulling down. She wrenched her arms away. Thrashed her head up. Twisted. Pulled. Kicked. Screamed. And screamed. And screamed. It changed nothing. She sank into the blackness, the glassy surface giving way like water beneath her. The last thing she saw before her head was pulled beneath what should have been solid ground was the horror-filled eyes of her siblings and a single blue panel, hovering in the center of her vision. It read: Initial Synchronization Complete Welcome Initiate. Your Journey Begins. Ch. 2: Insanity Either Way Something snapped as her body slipped beneath the inky darkness. One moment she had been on her back, terror and pain racing through every fiber of her being, the next she was standing in an empty nothingness, feeling just as empty. It felt less like her body had moved and more like gravity had reoriented itself around her. The pain was gone. She squatted down and clenched her head in her hands, trying to catch her breath. That was harder than it should have been. Not because she was having a hard time breathing, but because there was no breath to catch. She should be gasping for air, her throat on fire from what must have been minutes of screaming without stop. But she breathed at a steady pace. Her heart beat steady and regular. What had happened to her? What was still happening? Where was she? Her heart beat loud in her ears. It was the only sound. Its beat increased in frequency. Panic leaked back into her body. Ghosts of tentacles grasped at her skin. Not there but like ice all the same. Pulling and pulling. Down and backward. Cass curled up tighter, her fingers weaving into the hair along her scalp. They were gone. Nothing was touching her. The space she found herself in was dead empty. But she could feel them. What did they want from her? She forced herself to take a deep breath. Her lungs struggled with the task. Almost like they weren¡¯t sure how breathing was supposed to work. She forced another anyway. In. Then out. Then another. The tentacles weren¡¯t real. Not now, at least. She was alone. Cass stood up, her hands clenched in terrified fists at her sides. She needed to know what was going on, and panicking in a ball on the floor wasn¡¯t going to make that happen. She was alone in an empty, black space. There was no floor, though she was definitely standing on something. There was nothing but her in sight. Nothing but her and a strange panel floating in front of her face. It followed her gaze, remaining in the center of her vision no matter where she looked. She didn¡¯t know what it was or what any of the text meant for her, but it looked uncomfortably like a menu in a VR game. Had she passed out? Was she unconscious? Did people dream when they were unconscious? That would make this some sort of fever dream. Eventually, she¡¯d wake up in the hospital. Her family would be waiting around her, tears in their eyes, relief in their hearts. A nice doctor would tell her what had happened. Everything would probably change. A seizure like that¡ªand that had to be what the pain and the thrashing was¡ªcouldn¡¯t possibly be a minor thing. But it would be okay. She would get through it. Or, she wouldn¡¯t. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t wake up and this dream would just end. But at least, she wouldn¡¯t be worrying about anything anymore. She shoved aside any and all thoughts about what would happen to her family if she didn¡¯t wake up and suppressed the growing terror at the thought of dying. There was nothing she could do about any of that. Better to focus on the other option: What if she hadn¡¯t passed out? What if all this wasn¡¯t some strange hallucination or dream state? What was it then? Was she trying to tell herself she¡¯d been pulled into an empty void with nothing but a VR game notification for company? Said notification chose that moment to disappear. It was replaced a moment later with a glaring red panel. Error: Initiate Incompatible with selected Role. Continuing search for Compatible Initiate¡­ Redirecting¡­ Cass had barely enough time to read it before it too was replaced. The next one was the same soft blue as the first. Searching for Entry Zone¡­ Beginning final Initialization Confirm Avatar Settings: [Name: Cassandra Yuan Race: Human Lvl: 1 Str - 4 Dex - 3 End - 4 Wll - 16 Ala - 9 Res - 12 Frt - 3 Per - 5Vit - 7 Free Points: 3 Concepts: - None] Cass stared at the window before her. There was a lot of text here and most of it she could only guess at. But that last section looked uncomfortably like a video game character creation screen. She took another measured breath. This was all completely impossible. Her heart pounded in her chest. Just take it one line at a time. That was all she could do. Searching for Entry Zone¡­ The ellipsis at the end was animated like a loading message, one of the three periods disappearing and reappearing in series, before starting again at the beginning, implying the search was ongoing. There was no indication of how long it would take or what the progress was. As for what ¡°Entry Zone¡± meant? She could only guess it was where she¡¯d be spat out when she eventually left this void. If nothing else, it implied she wouldn¡¯t end up back at the campsite with her siblings. It seemed unlikely much searching would be needed if whatever had brought her here was going to put her right back. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Her eyes dropped to the next line. Beginning final Initialization No ellipses here. No sign something was happening behind the scenes. Was this in front of her the final initialization? Or had it completed instantaneously? But in that case, why say ¡°beginning¡±? Why not report it was complete? And initialization of what exactly? Confirm Avatar Settings: She frowned at the next line. Did that imply she could deny the current screen? What did that mean? Did she dare experiment? Would refusing to confirm whatever this was signify she did not consent to this kidnapping and she¡¯d be dropped back where she¡¯d come from? Would it mean that she was denying her existence and she¡¯d blink into nothing? Would it mean she¡¯d be stuck here forever? For that matter, what would confirming it mean? She pushed the worries aside and read the next line. Name: Cassandra Yuan That was her name. Interestingly, neither her full legal name (it was missing her middle name) nor the name she was called from day to day (everyone called her Cass, never Cassandra). Nothing to object to here. The next line as well was unobjectionable. Race: Human ¡°What other races are there?¡± she muttered to herself. She would have understood the line¡¯s purpose if it had said ¡°European¡± or ¡°Chinese¡± or ¡°Mixed-Race¡± or ¡°American¡±. It would have made her uncomfortable if it had, but she would have understood what kind of information it was trying to convey. To just say ¡°Human¡± implied the race signified here was different than the geographic or ethnic races of Earth. Before she could speculate further, another window popped up adjacent to the first. Available Races: Human Elf Dwarf ¡­ The list continued, however, the window was only big enough to display 3 entries at a time. Based on the scroll bar beside the visible options, the list was quite extensive. She lifted her hand, intending to attempt to drag the scroll bar with a finger, but at the thought, the list scrolled up revealing the next three options. Slyphid Corvin Lycan The heading said ¡°available¡±. Did that mean she could change her listed race at will? Did she dare experiment? She looked away from that section. There was too much she didn¡¯t know. Next line. Lvl: 1 Simple enough, but man did that have implications. As if the rest of what was happening wasn¡¯t clue enough already. She set that aside for the moment too, in favor of the block of what she could only assume were stats. Str - 4 Dex - 3 End - 4 Wll - 16 Ala - 9 Res - 12 Frt - 3 Per - 5Vit - 7 She recognized some of the abbreviations from video games she¡¯d played in the past. ¡°Str¡± was short for strength. ¡°Dex¡± for dexterity. ¡°End¡± was probably endurance. ¡°Wll¡± she was willing to bet was Will. ¡°Res¡±, resistance? ¡°Per¡±, perception? ¡°Vit¡±, vitality. For ¡°Ala¡± she could think of only one word that started with those three letters: alarm. And for ¡°Frt¡±, she could only think of two, neither of which seemed likely: ¡°Fort¡± or ¡°Fart¡±. They weren¡¯t exactly possible video game stat like the others though. She supposed it was possible none of them were video game stats and they all made sense together in some other way, but she had even fewer theories in that case. Regardless, even if she wasn¡¯t sure what each specific stat was or what it governed, it was pretty clear that this was meant to represent her current abilities. The sharp divide between what she assumed was Will and Strength made that pretty clear. Cass was not an ¡°active¡± person. The yearly camping trip with her siblings was the most strenuous physical activity she did, and that amounted to little more than light hiking. Add a day job at a desk and overwhelmingly stationary hobbies, the only way she could be any frailer was if she had some debilitating disease. On the other hand, she was confident in her willpower, if nothing else. It had carried her through her higher education and then again through that job she¡¯d hated. Too stubborn for her own good was how Robin described her. All this to say, a strength of 4 and a will of 16 made sense to her. How that compared to other people, she hadn¡¯t a clue. 16 was likely high, but was 4 low? Very low? Without anyone else to compare to it was impossible to say for sure. And maybe she was entirely wrong. Maybe none of these represented her right now and were completely random. Either way, that brought her to Free Points: 3 Which, if this was a video game, would mean she could distribute those to any of her stats as she pleased. Which, if her previous guesses were correct and these stats represented her very real capabilities, meant altering those capabilities. Would putting a point in strength really increase her strength? What about increasing her will? Would that make her more stubborn? And would that change who she was? If she was defined by her actions, and her actions were chosen by her choices, and her choices predicated by her decision-making abilities, did artificially increasing her willfulness change who she was at a fundamental level? She slammed the breaks on that line of thinking. It was far too soon to start careening down that line of thought. She hadn¡¯t done it yet. There was no evidence these numbers floating in front of her face meant anything, much less were inherently tied to her state of being. Sure, her gut was certain they were, but gut instincts were just that, instinct. It was the same voice that whispered something was lurking in the dark down the hall. The same voice that promised the next roll of the dice would be a win. It didn¡¯t know anything and it wasn¡¯t nearly as good at pattern recognition as it thought. She¡¯d circle back to the ¡°free points¡± and the nature of self later and read the next couple of lines again. Concepts: - None She pursed her lips. She had no clue what that was supposed to mean but found herself a touch insulted. It was like the screen was saying she had no concept of what was happening. It was right, of course. But still! She liked knowing things. She liked having a handle on the situation. There was a comfort in building an ever-deepening mental model of her surroundings. And right now that model was being built on old RPGs and too much sword and sorcery fiction of questionable quality. It wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong, but until it was proven, it was shaky foundation to be standing on. And that was it. That was all she had to work with to figure out what the hell was happening. She still didn¡¯t want to start touching any of this. But the bit about searching for an entry was still animated like a loading screen and there was nothing else in this weird void space besides herself and the system windows floating in front of her. Though¡­ She poked the screen. Or tried to. Her hand went right through it, not affecting it in the slightest. So maybe it wasn¡¯t really here either and was being projected onto her vision through magic or nonsense. Which would make her entirely alone. Standing in an endless emptiness. Waiting for something to decide where to put her. She was suddenly cold again. She hugged her shoulders, glancing around. She didn¡¯t know the void stretched in every direction. She didn¡¯t know she was truly alone. It looked like it did. It felt like it did. Her gut certainly was convinced that it did. She dropped down, lying down in the nothing, her hands on her face. It was too soon to just give up, wasn¡¯t it? Too soon to curl up in a terrified ball and cry into her arms. But she was terrified. And crying sure felt like it might be a useful outlet for the rising terror. The memory of her siblings'' terrified faces as they¡¯d run toward her bubbled over her vision. They were scared of what had happened to her. At the very least, scared she¡¯d been screaming like a banshee. What did they see now? Was she passed out on the ground in the middle of the campgrounds? Were they anxiously waiting for emergency services to arrive and do something? Was Robin cradling her head in his lap, while Kaye was pacing with a slowly rising, fear-driven rage? Or had something really and physically pull her through the world? Had she been abducted by forces outside human comprehension? Had they been forced to watch as dark tentacles grabbed her and pulled her out of existence as they knew it? Were they standing in the campground in muted shock? What did they do if she had been kidnapped? There was nothing human authorities could do about inter-dimensional kidnappings. No authority would believe their story. Oh, god, that was so much worse. She had never in her life imagined she could wish brain damage on herself so badly. At least, if it was just a brain thing, there would be something they could understand. Something someone else knew more about. Experts to address the problem and explain next steps. An end to the tunnel, maybe long and twisting, but at least mapped. If she really was in this void¡­ If they¡¯d watched her get yanked from their world¡­ There was only insanity. What options these were. She grit her teeth and rubbed the tears from her face. In the end, there were only two options: she was insane or her kidnapping would leave her siblings crazy. If she was insane¡ªif all this was just the hallucinations of a damaged mind¡ªshe just had to trust Robin and Kaye were going to do their best to make sure she got the help she needed as quickly as possible. But if she had been kidnapped¡ªif her siblings had been left dumbstruck behind¡ªit was up to her to survive whatever this was and get back to them, as quickly as possible. And crying in the void could only do so much toward that goal. Slowly, she pushed herself back up to a sitting position. She needed to get back, and the first step had to be to get out of this void. She looked over the window in front of her. No way to know when an Entry Zone was found. No way to know if that was the only requirement to get out. Confirming her Avatar was likely also a requirement. Did that mean applying her free points? Maybe. Did she have the confidence to spend them well? No, not even a little. She took a deep breath. Time to try something. Ch. 3: Choices Cass started with the simplest something. ¡°Accept Avatar,¡± she said to the window floating before her. She wanted to save the points for later when she had at least the smallest idea of what was going on. She was banking on her experience with video games. She expected either they would be saved or the system would give her an error message that the screen couldn¡¯t be closed until all points were distributed. Losing the points when the window closed seemed unlikely. Nothing happened. Anti-climactic after all the worry she¡¯d put into those two words. ¡°I accept my avatar?¡± No change. ¡°Confirm avatar?¡± Nothing. ¡°I, Cassandra Yuan, accept this avatar.¡± Nahdah. ¡°I, Cass, accept this avatar.¡± The screen flicked out of existence before flicking back a moment later. She scanned it, but the only difference was the name field had changed. Name: Cass So, whatever was happening, it was listening to her. ¡°Confirm Avatar.¡± She tried one more time. Again, nothing happened. The free points then, she supposed. Biting her lip she looked over the fields again. [Str - 4 Dex - 3 End - 4 Wll - 16 Ala - 9 Res - 12 Frt - 3 Per - 5Vit - 7] 3 points to distribute over 9 stats. This hardly seemed advisable, given she didn¡¯t know what challenges she¡¯d run into, or what a third of these did. What if she was dumped out in front of a monster right away? Slimes or zombies or wolves or something. Then you should run away, she told herself. No amount of supernatural stats was going to change the fact she had never been in a fight. Doubling her current physical strength was not going to help. Even if she was pitted against the weakest of monsters she¡¯d seen on TV or in video games it was going to end poorly for her. Escape should be the goal. That meant speed. Except, there wasn¡¯t a ¡°speed¡± or a ¡°Spd¡± stat. There was a ¡°Dex¡± which was probably dexterity, which was frequently tied to speed, but not always. And if it had more to do with throwing daggers than sprinting as fast as possible away from the vicious jaws of a hungry wolf, she wasn¡¯t interested in it. Maybe End then? That was almost certainly endurance, which had to be related to how long she could sprint. Assuming she was going to be dropped in immediate (and escapable at her current speed) danger, that was the way to go. Except, if the danger was faster than her current speed, it didn¡¯t matter how long she could run away. Which brought the question back to which stat would make her faster? Dexterity was the stat favored by speedster or assassin classes in most games, but in reality, it was leg muscle (ie strength) which powered the sprinter¡¯s flight. Which would be more useful in this context for her goal? There was another wrinkle in her Endurance plans. It assumed the danger was immediate. But what if it wasn¡¯t? What if the danger was lurking? What if it was waiting in ambush? Then avoiding it was more important than running away. Which meant stealth to avoid being seen and the awareness to see it. Stealth had to be governed by Dexterity if it was governed by anything on this list. There was no guarantee that it was, but nothing she could do in that case. Awareness obviously meant Perception. That brought her to two votes for Dex, one for Str, one for End, and one for Per. She hated that she had no context. Everything so far assumed she¡¯d end up in a fantasy land and need to fight (or run from) monsters. And, based on the races on the list she¡¯d seen, that seemed like a good guess. But there were stories of space elves and space dwarves. What would happen if she was in a sci-fi world? Would there be crazy augmentations that made any physical stats obsolete? Would she need strength if it was ray guns and plasma rifles rather than swords and spears? Would there even be that kind of conflict? And maybe she¡¯d land in a perfectly civilized place. She had certainly never needed any particular strength or endurance on Earth. How could she be so sure she would need it wherever she ended up? Maybe specializing in what she was already strong at was the better option. She was spinning her wheels. There was no right answer here. Or if there was, there was no way for her to divine it from the information she had available. She needed to just pick something. She was level one. If this was like a video game, she¡¯d get more points at level 2, and more again at level 3, and so on. This was likely permanent, but not in a critical way. She took a deep breath. Endurance and Dexterity. That seemed like the most likely stats to get her out of immediate danger and keep her alive to make another move. She¡¯d start with that. She was about to verbalize her choices when, unprompted, the values changed before her eyes. Dex 3 -> 5 End 4 -> 5 It had known what she¡¯d decided without her saying it out loud. It could read her mind. She inhaled sharply and boxed that thought up and shoved it to the corner. She breathed out and focused back on her body. She didn¡¯t feel any different. Sitting on the ground, she didn¡¯t feel any more dexterous or any more enduring. Maybe she was overthinking everything. Maybe these were abstract and not tied to her physical body in any way. Maybe the points spread out across two stats were too small of a difference to notice. Maybe it was because she was sitting still in a place with nothing in it. She shook her head, not sure if she was glad that she didn¡¯t seem any different or disappointed. She willed her acceptance of her current stats screen into the void. Nothing happened. ¡°Accept Avatar,¡± she said. Maybe some of these needed verbal prompting? Again, nothing happened. She clicked her tongue. Really? Still? It wasn¡¯t the free points then? Maybe she could have saved them for later then. No way to know. No point in dwelling on it. But it frustrated her. How did she get out of here? Did she need to make a change to every field? Every field that was available to change? She was pretty sure that there was no way to level up in the void. Leveling up usually required some sort of experience in video games. And while being stuck in an unnatural void was definitely an experience, it wasn¡¯t the death-fueled experience gained by killing monsters which was the usual video game level-up currency. And frankly, that was a good thing as far as she was concerned. She did not like the idea of fighting anything that might naturally live in an empty void world. Especially not when it had been eldritch tentacles that had brought her here. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Especially when she was unarmed and there was nowhere to run. Besides leveling up, there was Race and Concept. Race she already knew could be changed, though she really would rather not go touching that willy-nilly if she could avoid it. Becoming a graceful elf princess had a certain appeal but not more than the idea of her body changing at that level freaked her out. Also, the goal was to get home. And there were no elves at home. So that left Concept. Which was still aptly ¡°None¡±. ¡°What is Concept?¡± she asked. Her Race options had popped up when she¡¯d asked after all. Nothing happened. She frowned. How had she phrased the race question? ¡°What Concepts are there?¡± Resounding silence. ¡°How do I get a Concept?¡± Oh boy, was this not an effective verbal interface. ¡°Help?¡± Not a thing changed. She groaned. Was that it then? She had to change race? Why even pre-populate these fields if you were going to fill them with invalid data? Elf princess it was then? She looked over the box of options and her eyes bugged out. Her list of options had dropped precipitously. From the uncountably many options she¡¯d had a moment ago, she was down to 4: Human Slyphid Eldryn Demizar Where had all her choices gone? The System did not deign to answer. She had a suspicion though. She glared at the Human entry on the window and to her surprise and relief, additional information displayed itself beneath the scroll window of options. Human - a prolific but short-lived race with a great degree of variation brought on by unbound desire and varying nature. +3 free points per level +2 Frt, +1 Vit Base She wasted no time, focusing on the rest one after another. Slyphid - born of Aether and Storms, a race not yet set in their path, still beholden to the potential of Mana and not the certainties of Flesh. +1 Dex, +1 Ala, +1 End, +4 free points per level +2 Dex, +1 End Base Eldryn - a race acclimated to the order and finality of the void, beyond the keen of Flesh, forever bound to ########. +1 Frt, +5 Wll, +2 Str, +12 free points per level +12 Wll, -5 Res, -4 End, -4 Vit Base Demizar - born of Flame and Shadow, a race not yet set in their path but dreaming of force unending. +2 Str, +1 Wll, +1 Frt, +3 free points per level +1 Str, +1 Wll, +1 Frt Base She nodded. Her suspicion, though far from confirmed, was supported by what she saw here. All the races listed had at least 3 free points to spend. She was doubtful in the entire list there were only four with 3 or more, but the fact that one of her options also had significant negatives attached to the base stats, and none of those changes would put any of those values below 1 suggested a number of those 3-free-point or greater races had other downsides which would have put a stat in an out of bound value. Add that Human had only free points, no specific points per level up, and a description suggesting they were unusually versatile, she was willing to bet that 3 free points per level was actually quite high and usually accompanied by several pre-set points as well. At the end of the day though, it didn¡¯t matter. These were her choices. She looked over them again, surprised by how much worse Human looked compared to the other three. Was there no concept of balance or fairness and humans had a short straw? Or were there advantages to being human that weren¡¯t obvious from a numbers perspective? Likely, it was a little bit of both. But again, it didn¡¯t matter. It looked like she needed to change her race if she wanted to get out of here, so there was no point in worrying about the hidden benefits Human might grant. That left the other three: Slyphid, Eldryn, and Demizar. Three options she¡¯d never heard of in any media she¡¯d ever consumed. She started with Eldryn. The description called them ¡°acclimated to the ¡­ void¡± which was where she was now. Probably. Unless some other big, empty, dark place more void-ish than this void existed and this was some other temporary holding space. Cass stared out at the emptiness around her. There wasn¡¯t a single sound. No light. No nothing. This was probably the void. Becoming an Eldryn might give her a clue on how to get out. The stats attached to it were also exceptional. 20 stat points per level? Most of them free to do with as she pleased? Sure there were a lot of negatives in the Base stats, but she already had plenty of Wll, it was her highest stat by far and she could probably stand to lower it initially. She was less jazzed at the lower End. Run-away-with-high-endurance was still her primary strategy. Then again, she would get another 9 free points to distribute as she wanted, which meant she could put it right back. The ¡°forever bound to #######¡± bit at the end of the flavor text made her hesitate. Bound to what, exactly? Their sterling morals? A particular place? A crazed god? Were gods real where she was going? More to the point, were they active participants in the world? Either way, it seemed like being bound to something would be an obstacle to going home. She moved on. Slyphid and Demizar had equal stats, +7 per level, +3 base. Their descriptions were similar too, one associated with storms and the other with fire, both saying something about their path being unset, whatever that meant. She wished she knew what that meant. Wished it didn¡¯t sound kind of ominous. The biggest difference was one favored Dex and the other Str. Maybe that shouldn¡¯t be the deciding factor, but she had no idea what else would be. This was probably a critical choice. It was unlikely she¡¯d get another chance to change her mind. She had no idea how she¡¯d change back before going home. Maybe she¡¯d get a chance to confirm her Avatar on the return trip too. She hoped so as she selected Slyphid and her body exploded around her. The pain was unimaginable, but instantaneous. It ended as soon as it had begun. One moment, fractures of pain ran over every inch of her skin, lacing through every muscle, diving through her bone. The next, she had no skin, no muscle, no bone. She was nothing but a ball of energy exploding out into the void. She could feel herself dispersing, being spread evenly across infinity until there was nothing left. Was this how she died? Not even knowing what had happened to her. No, there was a core in the center where her consciousness was tethered. The rest of her rippled out, flying off in every direction. Even if she did nothing, she would survive this. But would she still be herself? Who would she be when she reformed if parts of her were gone? She was certain now she would reform. It was a gut feeling. Unfounded. Instinctual. But then, so was breathing. She had to stop the explosion. Had to draw every bit of herself back to that core. But how did one will an explosion into stopping? She had no hands, but she grabbed after the expelled energy anyway. She had no arms, but she reached after it. No mouth, but she swallowed it back into herself. The pain was back. Crushing now. Self-inflicted. It wouldn¡¯t hurt if she just let go. She was certain. Her instinct screamed the pain would be over if she let the energy spread as it had. But she couldn¡¯t let it go. Refused to let it go. The energy compressed in and in and in. On itself and itself. It crushed her. Like she couldn¡¯t breathe. Like the world pressed in on her from every direction. Like a star collapsing in on itself. But something was forming. It was braided from the energy she¡¯d pulled in. Built from the energy siphoned off her core. A torso. A head. Arms. Legs. It hurt, and finally, she had a mouth to scream. The air of the void expelled from newly formed lungs in a cry of desperation and pain. And then there was nothing. She lay in the void, panting, a dull pain ringing through every inch of her body. Her new body. A weight pressed against her chest. An almost bloated feeling filled the pit of her stomach. But it was over. She stared down at her hands. To her eyes, they looked the same as before. Gingerly, she stood. There was no point of reference in the void, but she didn¡¯t seem any taller or shorter. Her stomach looked no slimmer. She grimaced, noticing her clothes were scattered around her. But walking was no more painful or difficult than it had been before. In a few minutes, she¡¯d dressed herself again. All fit as she had expected it to. Except the already fading pain and her clothes scattered a moment ago she could have almost believed she¡¯d imagined herself exploding. Almost. Could she leave yet? As if summoned at the thought, a window popped up before her eyes. Trait Gained: Bloated Soul [You managed to hold onto all the mana making up your original body and incorporated it into your Slyphid core. Triple mana core storage.] The window disappeared before she had a chance to process what any of that meant, replaced with a familiar screen. Searching for Entry Zone¡­ [Confirm Avatar Settings: Name: Cass Race: Slyphid Lvl: 1 Str - 4 Dex - 7 End - 6 Wll - 16 Ala - 9 Res - 12 Frt - 1 Per - 5 Vit - 6 Free Points: 1 Concepts: - None] ¡°I confirm these settings,¡± she said, verbally and mentally insisting to the system that she was happy with them. Again nothing. Did she need to finish applying the free points now that she had more of them? Then she should probably¡ª The window blinked out, replaced with another. Nearest Entry Zone now valid. [Entry Zone Selected. Avatar Settings Confirmed. Beginning Avatar Transfer. ] ¡°What?¡± A wall appeared in the void ahead of her, sliding toward her at an even speed. She tried to turn away from it, but even as she turned, it remained before her. Was she truly moving at all? It slid into her. Sliding past her. Like an opaque soap bubble, it enveloped her. The last thing she saw before it slid past her and popped was another system message, this one simply saying: Good Luck! Ch. 4: Gathering Storm Cass found herself standing in wilderness. In front of her, trees reached into dark, grey skies. The underbrush was dense and twisting, glowing with strange lights. Behind her, shear cliffs stretched in either direction as far as she could see, all red-brown earth and fractured stone. She stood in the center of a square of quarried stone. A circle of sigils were carved into the stone face. A black liquid oozed from them. It pooled on the stone before dripping up into the air, defying every law of nature Cass thought she understood. The air thrummed with energy. With magic. She shook her head. With magic? An hour ago that would have been a laughable thought. The kind of thing she dreamed about in the dark of night. The kind of thing she wished was real without ever really imagining it could be. It was impossible. There wasn¡¯t anything beyond the reality she knew and understood. Other worlds were the realm of sci-fi. Magic the domain of fantasy. Portal fantasy an excellent distraction from the mundanity of modern life. None of it was supposed to be real. But what else could she believe now? She stood in the middle of a summoning circle, oozing with magic. The trees in front of her looked like redwoods in all but color, trading red-tinted bark for something almost blue. Lichen glowing the gamut of color clung to their trunks. She¡¯d been pulled through a weird void world, exploded, and then put back together again! How else was she supposed to explain the things before her eyes? How else was she supposed to explain the otherwise nameless energy in the air prickling against her skin? The magic subsided as the seconds passed, the black liquid sinking back into the stone beneath her. Hell. She dropped to her knees. This was too much, too fast. And she hadn¡¯t even been here for more than a minute. Where was here, anyway? How the hell was she supposed to get home again? Welcome to Uvana Valley! [Initializing Beginner Quest: Conquer Uvana Valley Beginner Quest (1): Find a Weapon] It said something else too, but she was too shaken to read it before it flitted away. This wasn¡¯t happening. None of this should be possible. She took a deep breath. The air was moist and earthy. She could not collapse now. Possible or impossible, she was here. It was too early to panic. This was just a forest. A magic, glowing forest, but a forest. Why did she need to panic? Deep breath. Focus on what was known. Did she know it was magic? Bioluminescence was an observed natural phenomenon. Nothing otherworldly or supernatural about it. Spontaneously appearing in such a forest, on the other hand? She shoved that thought down into the dark corner of her mind. The point was even if it was magic, there wasn¡¯t a reason to panic yet. Panicking wasn¡¯t going to get her answers. Panicking wasn¡¯t going to get her home. She took another deep breath, forcing the turning in her stomach to settle and her hands at her sides to unclench. Step one, figure out how she¡¯d ended up here. She looked over her surroundings again. There was no sign of the void space. The forest loomed before her, the sounds of life rumbling in the dark shadows and the unnatural glow. The cliffside was devoid of life. Nothing but short weeds, thin wild grasses, and sporadic stones stood within four yards of the cliffs, separating them from the dense forest. That too was unnatural, but not necessarily in a ¡°there is magic at foot¡± kind of way. She set that aside for another moment, crouching to look closer at the stone beneath her. It was ash grey; a sharp contrast to the red-brown of the cliffs and the rich brown of the forest floor. And it was flat. Not a natural structure. Someone had brought these stones here, possibly from very far away. There was also the inscription carved into the faces. The work of intentional design. They were barely visible now that the oozing, black oil had dispersed, but she could feel them as she ran her fingertips over the surface. It was a pattern. Maybe even a language. But she couldn¡¯t read it. She traced them anyway. Willing the portal to open back up. Willing it to take her home. The stone cared not. She sighed and shook her head. She wasn¡¯t going to convince inanimate stone to send her home. People though? Maybe people could help her. She turned her eyes back to the divide between forest and cliffs. Someone or something kept this area traversable. To maintain the circle she stood in now? That seemed as likely as any other theory. If she followed this divide between forest and cliffs, she should eventually find where those people came from or see wherever else they went. Decision made, she started walking, keeping the cliffs to her right. Decision made, she banished the bubbling fear that the people who maintained this might want nothing to do with her. As she walked she took stock of her assets. She was dressed. It was her PJs, pink fleece with blue and purple hearts. Not her first choice of dress on an otherworldly adventure, but a fair bit better than if she had been kidnapped from her bedroom instead of the campground. Hell, most nights she slept in little more than her underwear. It was a minor miracle she¡¯d been kidnapped with her pants. Better than that, she had a sweater and rain jacket over the PJs. Which was good, judging by the deep grey of the sky above, quietly threatening rain. Her feet were nice and comfy in her hiking boots and warm socks. She¡¯d have no trouble scrambling over rough terrain in them. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. There was even a flashlight in her jacket pocket. She wasn¡¯t sure how she hadn¡¯t dropped it when she¡¯d been kidnapped, but she wasn¡¯t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her long hair was even still braided out of her face and tied back in her favorite scrunchy. All in all, it was no Survivor Man starter kit, but it was significantly better than it could be. An image of her torn from her bed at home, baggy t-shirt and underwear, no shoes, no pants, no jacket, shivered in the cold of an unknown world in her imagination. That poor imagination of Cass died horribly to the elements, freezing to death the first night. Now, if only she¡¯d put her glasses on before leaving the tent. She ignored the twist in her stomach as she squinted into the distance. She could see well enough. Well enough to tell there was no one ahead and nothing lurking in the forest to her left. She powered forward. That was just the shadow of a tree, not a wild animal. That one, just a rock. Out there in the distance, definitely just a bush. The movement out the corner of her eyes, just the wind ripping through the weeds. She didn¡¯t need her glasses. She was fine. It was completely reasonable that she hadn¡¯t stumbled out of the tent prepared to be kidnapped. They were just for distance vision anyway. This was the wilderness. General shapes for anything over a couple of yards away were more than enough to get by. She shoved her worries aside again, scanning the forest to her left. The trees were familiar shapes and textures, if not color. Most were tall and straight, branches extending in every direction perpendicular to the trunk, their bark rough and craggy like the firs and hemlocks of home. A few were twisting, their branches stretching up and out in every direction, bushing into proud oaks. All of it, awash in the glow of bioluminescent lichen. What if people here couldn¡¯t help her? The thought whispered in the back of Cass¡¯s mind. She ignored it and the way her heart pounded in her chest. She focused on the trees instead. Was it convergent evolution? Did they fill similar ecological niches? Did this area have a similar climate? Was the blue tint an unusual phenomenon, or was it common the way a red tint was common among Earth''s ecology? What if the people here tried to hurt her? The thought froze her in place. There was no ignoring it. It was a wholly illogical thought. There was no evidence. No reason to believe it was true. The reverse was just as likely. But that thought didn¡¯t stick the same way. One felt like an oracle from the gods, one felt like wishful thinking. There was that pit in her stomach, suggesting things with all the authority it didn¡¯t have. A nervous laugh escaped her lips. She clamped down hard on her thoughts, forcing them into rigid, logical patterns. What would people of Earth do if they met a stranger? No, more specifically, what would she have done if she met a stranger in the woods? Nod politely and let them go on their way. And if they tried to engage in conversation? Reply. Short. Simple. Aware of stranger danger, but not rude. And if they told her they were lost and from another world? She wasn¡¯t sure about that. Probably assume they were not well. Hopefully, point them in the direction of civilization. She breathed out. That was the reasonable thing to do. She shook her head and started walking again. There was no reason to start worrying. She¡¯d¡ª There was something ahead. Another square of ash-grey stone stood ahead of her. In its center, a storm of black and red sparked thick and ominous over it. The energies swirled, condensing into a point. Ebbing and building. A wave of energy exploded out, too thin to push even the thinnest blade of grass, but enough that she could feel the malice over her skin. At its center, a figure materialized. It was canine in form. Thick coarse fur covered its body, colored a slate grey, almost purple. Too small to be a wolf. Too feral to be a dog. Too heavy set to be a fox. Its eyes shone in the dim daylight, piercing purple. They glowed. Possessed. Overflowing with that energy. Just as cruel as the energy that had erupted from it a moment ago. She took a step back. What was that? A window popped up in the upper left of her vision, still fully in sight but not obstructing her view of the creature before her. Kylten Hound Pup Lvl 5 [From the Kylten Realm, this pup is still a juvenile of its species. The adults of its species are six feet tall at the shoulder and capable of splitting space with their claws. They are known for the way they toy with their victims before killing them. They kill for pleasure and experience more often than they kill for subsistence. ] Cass¡¯s heart stopped as she read the window. None of that sounded good. Should she be thankful this was just a pup? Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be as vicious¡­ That thought died immediately. A malice emanated from the thing. It was an unnaturally natural sensation. Knowing without a doubt, deeper than the irrational instincts she was constantly reigning back. She knew it the same way she knew the thing¡¯s color. The same way she smelt a corrosive metal in the air. The same way she felt the cold, wet air on her face. She felt the things desire to destroy and kill and maim. It had spotted her already. It took a step toward her, mouth hanging open just enough to see the rows of glistening teeth. It padded toward her. Slow. Fully confident in what was going to happen next. Cass couldn¡¯t move. Her mind was running a mile a minute, but she couldn¡¯t actualize a single, half-formalized thought into action. She should run. It would catch her. She should hide. Too late. She should fight? With what? Kick it. Her leg would be bitten off. Just run. How far would she get? Fight. Run. Fight. Run. Was this what was to be a deer in the headlights? It had closed half the distance. It was doggish in shape. Like a pitbull, disproportionately buff in the front, leaner in the back. That was if a pitbull had jaws like an alligator and fur like a boar. If any animal on earth could look at another living thing with such merciless eyes. Run. She decided. She had to run. That was the plan she¡¯d decided on before. There was no time to think about alternatives. She just had to run. Her body didn¡¯t move. Time slowed as the hound took another step toward her. It took its time. Like it knew she couldn¡¯t move. Like it was enjoying the fear coursing through her blood. She had to move. Her body didn¡¯t. A foot. Just one. She couldn¡¯t let this creature kill her without any objection. She focused all her will on her right foot. It was already a little behind her left. To push it a little further back and turn her body away from the hound before her. To put her in a position to sprint away from its unnatural eyes. From its¡ª She cut off that thought as it took another step toward her. Her foot. That¡¯s all that existed. Her foot and an intense need to move it. The why was unimportant. The consequences were unimportant. She just needed to¡ª It was like the world around her cracked. Something had been holding her tight, and it broke under her focus. A window popped up at the edge of her vision. There wasn¡¯t time to worry about it. She tore away down the divide between the forest and the cliffs. She ran like she¡¯d never run before. Behind her, she heard a frustrated howl and the heavy footfalls of pursuit. She didn¡¯t look back. She just sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her. It was approaching. Even as she rocketed away. It was gaining. Oh god, it was gaining. She needed to be faster. Around her, the storm built. A pressure above her. A wind rising around her. There was a promise in the air. A potential for rain and lightning and tearing gusts. The hound was at her heels. The wind picked up. It blew the thing¡¯s breath, heavy with corrosive metal and malice, over her. If only she could ride that wild wind too. If only it could take her far from here. She kept running, even as her heart reached after the wind. Even as she grabbed after it in desperation. But you couldn¡¯t catch the wind. That was the point. At that moment the hound leapt forward. A claw raked across her back, tearing through fabric. She tumbled forward. Another system window popped up at the edges of her vision. The wind gusted, running along the base of the cliff walls. Without knowing how, without knowing why, she faded into it. Somehow she caught the wind and was pulled far along with it. Ch. 5: Skills and Stats She didn¡¯t know how far away she was when she fell out of the wind again. Far enough that she didn¡¯t hear the hound¡¯s baying anymore. Far enough she no longer smelt its breath on the wind. She knelt on the ground, shaking. Her back screamed in pain. She wanted to crumple into a ball in the grass. For oblivion to take her and the pain. To faint and be done with it. But she couldn¡¯t. There was no way to know if she was safe. If it was still chasing her. If she had actually escaped. How had she escaped? More to distract herself from the pain lacing her back, she turned her attention to the system messages she¡¯d been too busy a moment ago to read. The first was from when she had finally found the will to run from the hound. Status Effect (Paralysis) Broken A status effect? Like, from a video game? It hadn¡¯t just been her overwhelming fear that had immobilized her. No wonder it had been so casual about approaching her. It hadn¡¯t expected her to be able to flee. How exactly had she broken it? Was it something she did or just a result of her stats? How many other status effects were there? How many could leave her vulnerable like that? If she hadn¡¯t been able to break that effect in time it wouldn¡¯t have mattered how fast she was, there wouldn¡¯t have even been a chance to run. That said, she hadn¡¯t been fast enough once it was broken. God, her back hurt. She tried to reach around to touch the wound. It felt like it dug right through her, though the fact she was still panting on the ground and hadn¡¯t bled out yet suggested it wasn¡¯t quite that bad. It hurt like hell, though. She had only been in more pain twice: her spasms while she''d been dragged into the void and the whole race-changing, exploding nonsense. Even breaking her arm back in undergrad hadn¡¯t been this bad. Distractions. Distractions. She read the next message she missed, this one from just after the injury. Racial Skill Awakened: Wind Step (Lvl 1) [The Slyphid are as much beings of the wind as they are corporeal creatures and can transmute their body and immediate personal effects into wind, making them immune to physical damage and allowing heightened speed in the direction the wind is blowing. You are no exception.] She blinked. And read it again. She tried to be excited about it. It was cool. She could already see several uses for it. But the last four words were freaking her out more than it really should. You are no exception. She had known that something had happened when she¡¯d picked a new race in the void. She¡¯d exploded! But she¡¯d also reformed no different than she had been before. Or, so she¡¯d thought. She closed her eyes. It only meant something if she let it mean something. This was good. This gave her the tools she needed to survive. And she didn¡¯t look any different now, did she? Her body was still the same proportions. Her shoes still fit. Her hands didn¡¯t look any different. She could turn into wind now. That was just a cool magic power. It didn¡¯t mean anything about who or what she was. It was all together much too early to be letting this kind of existential crisis start. She took a deep breath. She would use this. And she would get home. It was that simple. She would use everything the system gave her. Speaking of, she¡¯d gotten a pop-up for that hound monster when she¡¯d seen it. What was up with that? She¡¯d asked what it was and the system had answered? Just like that? Could she do that on command? Did it work on anything else? She focused on a blade of grass in her face. Short Kelmgrass [A common grass in the Uvana Valley and further.] She blinked. It did? And it worked on more than just animals. How much easier would that have made plant identification back home if she could just look at a plant and ask the universe what it was? She could know the names of all the flowers, no more riffling through field guides and guessing. Though, that had a kind of charm too. She shook her head. She wanted to be distracted, but not this distracted. What else could she identify this way? Rocks? Strange sigils carved into rocks? Was it safe to approach those rock squares? She¡¯d come from one, but so had the hound. Did they spawn monsters? And if they did, what did that make¡ª Nope. She cut that thought off right there. No existential crises. Not until she was somewhere she could curl up and ignore the rest of the world. And here, bleeding out where the hound and god knew what else could get her was not it. What else did she have to work with? What else did the system give her? If this worked on video game logic there should be a menu? Or an inventory? Nothing? She knew there were stats. The stats page appeared in front of her. Name: Cass [Race: Slyphid Lvl: 1 Stamina: 7/18 Focus: 62/108 Health: 17/18 Str - 4 Dex - 7 End - 6 Wll - 16 Ala - 9 Res - 12 Frt - 1 Per - 5 Vit - 6 Free Points: 1 Concepts: - Wind (Unapplied)] Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Right, she had another free point she could distribute. She never did get around to it earlier. She held off another minute. There should be skills here somewhere too. She willed the system to show her her skills. To her surprise, that worked. Wind Step (Lvl 1) (Racial) [The Slyphid are as much beings of the wind as they are corporeal creatures and can transmute their body and immediate personal effects into wind, making them immune to physical damage and allowing heightened speed in the direction the wind is blowing. You are no exception. Cost: 50 Focus Cool Down: 30 sec] Identify (Lvl 1) [An inquisitive mind is always asking questions. A perceptive mind is always finding answers. Focus on an object or entity for a short description and level.] It wasn¡¯t an overly long list. And it didn¡¯t look like she had anything more to work with than she had initially thought. Was there anything else? Map? Options? Settings? Was that really it? No, she¡¯d gotten something for exploding, what was it? A trait? Contrary Will (Inborn) [You have a contrary nature. It''s fine, we won¡¯t hold it against you. But may the gods help any who try to make you do something you do not want to do. You may apply Will defensively when resisting any Social, Coercive, or Manipulation related actions. Additionally, it counts for 10 times its listed value when used this way. Additional resistance provided proportional to the difference in level between you and source.] Bloated Soul [You managed to hold onto all the Potential making up your original body and incorporated it into your Slyphid core. Triple core size.] Was Contrary Will how she¡¯d freed herself from that paralysis earlier? Probably. Where had that trait even come from? It said ¡°Inborn¡± next to it, so was she just special? Maybe everyone had an inborn trait and this was hardly unusual. Maybe most people had several. Both traits seemed a little rude, but what could she do about it? She flipped back to the Stats Menu. There were a couple of new fields here as well: Stamina, Focus, and Health. Stamina was at a third and rising. She took a deep breath. How low had that gotten? At least it was already recovering. Every second it was a little easier to breathe than the one before. She watched the value increase, each point seemed to take longer to recover. Focus was also well below max, but with its much larger pool and at the speed it was recovering she wasn¡¯t concerned. Wind Step used some Focus, but either her Focus pool and recovery was ridiculous or the cost wasn¡¯t particularly high. It was a utility skill, so maybe that wasn¡¯t surprising. Health was basically full. The pain in her back broke her attention as if yelling in contradiction of the value the system was showing her. The pain suggested she was dying. The stat screen said she was barely injured. She grit her teeth. Was she overreacting? Was her pain tolerance just that low? Or did Health mean something different from what she expected? It hurt and it was getting harder to pretend otherwise. She needed to do something about her injury. If she was home, she¡¯d have gone to the hospital. It was at least that bad, regardless of what the system had to say. There was the concern it was infected too, since a wild animal had done it. But she wasn¡¯t going to a hospital here. So what was her second choice? Clean and bandage it, she supposed. But again, that wasn¡¯t an option. She didn¡¯t have the supplies for that. So what did that leave? What could she do about the still bleeding wound on her back? What did she own? Was that it? Was she going to die out here? No. None of that now. It was too early for that. Besides, the system said it was barely a scratch. It was painful, but she would live. She took a deep breath. Nothing here would help her if she was home, but one of these things was not like the others. That unspent Free Point, there had to be something she could do with it. Her original plan was to put her additional free points in Dex or End to boost her plan Run-Away-From-All-Danger. But she¡¯d forgotten all about the additional Free Point she¡¯d gotten for becoming a Slyphid when she¡¯d been dropped in this forest. And now, with Wind Step, maybe that wasn¡¯t needed. After all, she couldn¡¯t die if they couldn¡¯t hit her. And they couldn¡¯t hit her if she wasn¡¯t corporeal. The words ¡°physical damage¡± echoed at the back of her mind. But she pushed it aside. The skill also made her fast, so even if there was non-physical damage to avoid it would probably be fine. So, maybe using that point to make her back hurt less was the best use. If she could figure out which stat that would be. She looked over the stats, weighing the chances each had any effect on pain. Vit (vitality) likely had some control over how quickly she healed, which should have something to do with how hurt she was. But, would that do anything for the pain right now or dramatically change how long she was injured? She was doubtful. End (endurance) or Wll (will) might affect how easily she could push through the pain. Res (resistance) might do something similar assuming she was right about what it stood for. None of those stood out as pain mitigation though. All were more along the lines of gritting her teeth and baring it. What did that leave? Str? Dex? Unlikely. Ala? She still had no idea what that might be. Frt? Per? Per (perception) was likely the opposite of what she needed. She didn¡¯t need even sharper senses. She needed to dull them somehow. She shook her head. She didn¡¯t know. She could only guess and she only had one chance. Her hands clenched around the Kelmgrass. She had only one chance. She needed her choice to be right. At the end of the day, Wll and Res were her two highest stat. If 1 point was added, then even if they were effective, that would be a 5% to 10% increase in effectiveness. Not the sweeping relief she was looking for right now. End or Vit would see a bigger effect if they were right, but was enduring or healing the injury what she was looking for? By that logic, Frt¡ªwith its current value of 1¡ªmade the most sense to increase. One additional point would double it. Doubling its effect. Was it worth the risk? Maybe it did stand for Fort. Or Fortification. Fortitude? Cass blinked. It couldn¡¯t, could it? Frt 1 -> 2 The relief was immediate. Oh, her back still hurt like hell. But it had dropped from 3rd most painful thing to ever happen to¡­ 5th? Probably less painful than breaking her arm, but more painful than everything else. Fortitude. She decided. Frt must stand for Fortitude and it almost certainly governed how much pain she felt from her wounds. It still hurt. But it no longer felt like it was on fire. Definitely wasn¡¯t all-encompassing anymore. She sat up, wincing a little with the movement. But it was manageable. Gingerly, she reached around to touch the wound. It wasn¡¯t very deep and despite her earlier fears, it had already stopped bleeding. She was about to close the window when she noticed the bottom line. Concepts: - Wind (Unapplied) Previously, it had said ¡°None¡±. She still had no idea what that meant. But now she had a Concept of Wind? What did Unapplied mean? It likely had something to do with her life-or-death flight from the hound. What exactly her wild thoughts about the wind and her stats screen had to do with one another she could only guess. On a whim, she tried Identify on Concept. Nothing happened. She supposed the status screen wasn¡¯t an object or an entity, and neither were any of the entries on it. Well, fine. She¡¯d figure it out herself. She sighed, there was another notification she¡¯d skipped earlier, wasn¡¯t there? Something about a quest? The Stats window was replaced with another. Beginner Quest: Conquer Uvana Valley Beginner Quest (1): Find a Weapon [Uvana is a dangerous place full of monsters and worse. Arm yourself before you run into something beyond your capabilities to handle barehanded.] Reward: Bonus Skill Growth, Quest (2) She frowned. That wasn¡¯t overly helpful. It wasn¡¯t like she was going to find a weapon out in the middle of a forest. Even if she found a good-sized stick or something to use as a weapon, it wasn¡¯t like that would have helped against that hound. Then again, the hound was four levels above her. Maybe she¡¯d gotten unlucky in running into something so much more powerful than her. Anything that might close the gap between her and the next awful creature she encountered would be welcome. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to keep an eye open for a weapon. Hell, maybe they even grew on trees here. Ch. 6: The Better Part of Valor In any case, she couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. The sky rumbled with distant thunder, threatening again to pour its contents down on her. The hound might still be on her trail. Who knew what else was out there? But where should she go? She could continue following the cliffs, perhaps in the opposite direction than previously. However, there was a good chance she¡¯d stumble past another summoning circle like the ones she or the hound appeared from. And there was a good chance that they¡¯d summon another monster. She¡¯d barely survived her previous encounter and wasn¡¯t excited to try again so soon. But if not along the cliffs, then into the forest? The sky had only grown darker above her since she¡¯d been here. Was it the dying day or the burgeoning storm? She didn¡¯t want to be in a foreign forest after dark, even if that dark was interspersed with the glow of lichen. Besides, was there any guarantee that there were no monsters in the forest before her? If anything, the quest she¡¯d received all but guaranteed there would be more creatures out there. And if she was caught between running from monsters in the open space between cliff and forest or in the underbrush of the forest, she¡¯d pick the open space. She¡¯d try the other direction for a little bit, she decided. Cass followed the wind, keeping the cliff to her left and the forest to her right. She didn¡¯t let herself fall too far into her thoughts, instead keeping a close eye on the forest and the way ahead. There was something else at the edge of her senses, beyond ordinary sight and natural hearing. An additional sense she hadn¡¯t had on Earth. Hadn¡¯t had as a human? Hadn¡¯t had without the magic powers of the system? It was like something layered on top of her existing senses. The way sound and sight didn¡¯t overlap yet could still be pinpointed to the same place in physical space. Like being tired and hungry at the same time. One didn¡¯t detract from the other. She tried to focus on it. Tried to divine what it was trying to tell her about the world around her. But it was indistinct. Like a layer of static on a radio not quite attuned to the right station. It was frustrating. Like a ringing in her ears or squinting into the sun. Cass set the feeling aside for the moment, letting it drift back into the background, the same way scent slips to the back of thought in the absence of strong smells. Still keeping an eye on the way ahead and the forest beside her, she tried activating Wind Step again. Her body instinctively melded into the wind with barely a thought. Like deciding to take a step. Like deciding to walk across the room. Surprisingly effortless. But then, she was slyphid now, wasn¡¯t she? The world slipped around her while she was wind. It was disorienting, twisting around her in every direction like it was the world moving beneath her, not she dancing with the wind over the world. She fell out of the wind in moments, tumbling into a bruised pile yards from where she¡¯d started. She shook her failure off, glancing again into the darkening woods. Still nothing of note. Still nothing ahead. She took a few steps forward, waiting for the cooldown of the skill to end. In honesty, she was glad for the breather before leaping back into it. One more glance ahead and into the forest. She stepped into the wind. The twists made more sense to her this time. They were the result of riding the eddies rolling off the cliffs, places where the wind buffeted off the unyielding walls, twirling in place before gusting on. She rode them much further this time. Daring even to race along with them. She could only hold on so long before tumbling out again in a disorderly heap. Still, she could not see where she started this time, and it must have been a full five minutes. Better yet, her stamina was untouched and the skill was already off cool down. Cool down seemed to count from transitioning into the wind, not from transitioning out. Good to know. Her Focus, however, had not been recovered over the trip. In fact, it looked like it recovered more slowly in wind form than while she was fully corporeal. Also good to know. She could feel the strain of low Focus already. It was a mounting headache. An exhaustion that only her mind felt. A strain around her eyes. A dizziness like she hadn¡¯t eaten. Probably was best not to bottom out her Focus below the 50 needed to activate Wind Step too, now that she thought about it. As eager as she was to understand how it worked, it would be ill-advised to expend her escape move if she didn¡¯t need to. Properly self-chastised, she settled into a casual walk while her focus recovered. Speaking of energy reserves, why wasn¡¯t she dead tired? It had been the middle of the night when she¡¯d been kidnapped. She had been trying (poorly) to sleep. The day had been a long one, full of hiking and goofing around the campsite. Getting kidnapped was no small thing either, what with the two excruciatingly painful events and the mind-numbing stress of the whole ordeal. And now it was¡­ Well, she had no idea what time of day it was now. The clouds above were pretty heavy, blocking out a lot of light. How much exactly? She hadn¡¯t the foggiest idea. All she could say for certain was it wasn¡¯t night. So either this part of this world wasn¡¯t aligned the same with the part of Earth she had been pulled from, or she had spent significantly more time in the void than she thought. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. She pursed her lips. Neither option explained the whole not tired, not hungry thing though. Or the no longer needing to pee thing, now that she thought of it. She hadn¡¯t gotten to the outhouse before being kidnapped. Her pants were mercifully dry. She didn¡¯t need to pee. Did this body just not need those things? Or was it that it was technically a new body? She shook the question away and focused again on the forest around her. None of this would be useful speculation if she was ambushed. She walked on, little changing. Her eye to the forest eventually paid off. What had seemed like an impassible knot of undergrowth proved to be laced with winding paths. Too wide to be game trails. Too overgrown to be called hiking trails. She had passed three entrances and spotted the meandering paths through the trees several more times. It might have been the natural flow of water that disincentivized dense plants, heavy flow during storms ripping roots from loose soil. It might have been natural outcroppings of stone, preventing all but the hardiest of roots from taking hold. Or it might have been people who maintained those paths, just as they maintained the wide space between cliff and forest. Something ahead cut off that line of thought. She spotted it much further out this time and quickly dropped to a crouch. It wasn¡¯t much of a hiding place. Her blue raincoat was hardly effective camo. But it was better than standing and waving at it. The ¡®it¡¯ in question was a heavy-set, rodent creature at least as tall as Cass¡¯s waist. She focused on it, willing Identify to activate. Terborn Wombat Lvl 3 [A territorial marsupial. As adept at burrowing as it is at bowling over intruders. Known for its paralyzing shriek and the venom in its back legs.] She scowled at the message. She had hoped, based on its size and proportions, it would be slow and lumbering, but its description suggested even if it was, it would have no difficulty catching her, either by ramming her or by paralyzing her in place. Was every creature in this world this dangerous? Or were only dangerous creatures summoned into this area? And why? She appraised her state. Her back still hurt. Her focus was barely at half. Only her stamina had largely recovered. Could she afford to risk another encounter with another monster she knew next to nothing about? But what were her other options? The hound was presumably still behind her somewhere. The wombat ahead. Mysterious woods to her right. She couldn¡¯t just stay here forever, but it was certain danger no matter the direction she went next. She clicked her tongue. No, not certain. The hound was certain danger. The wombat was certain danger. The woods were only highly probable danger. She hated it. She didn¡¯t want to go into mysterious woods. But she also did not want to face up against either monster she¡¯d encountered. Slowly, she slunk away from the wombat, backtracking to the last entrance to the woods she had seen. The boughs of the trees formed an arch over the entrance, their bark dressed in iridescent lichen. The path was lined with twisting bushes and moss-covered stone. The moss glowed pale green. She took a tentative step in. There was a tension in the air. Like electricity through a wire. It buzzed at the back of her head. That burgeoning sixth sense or just baseless instincts objecting to the unknown again? Slowly, watching every creeping shadow, she padded forward through the glowing forest. A long stick lay over the path, the perfect thickness to use as a walking stick. Perhaps a little too narrow to be an effective staff. Her quest flashed in her mind. She picked it up anyway, casting Inspect. It had to be better than nothing, right? Zerden Madrone Branch Class: Staff (Unrefined) [A fallen branch from a nearby Zerden Madrone tree. Naturally hardened by the passage of time, the nature of this wood, and a quirk of this forest, this branch can take more of a beating than its thickness would suggest. A far cry from a polished weapon, but good enough for hitting opponents out of reach of your bare hands.] Her eyes widened a little at the description. She hadn¡¯t expected anything from the branch. It was an almost white wood, with a soft blue undertone, the bark long since stripped from the majority of it. It twisted into knots at one end while tapered narrower at the other. Beginner Quest (1): Find a Weapon Complete! Reward: Bonus Skill growth with chosen weapon type (staff), Beginner Quest (2) Beginner Quest (2): Defeat an Opponent [Now armed, it''s time to begin your training. Find a suitable opponent for your chosen weapon and defeat them.] Reward: Beginner Quest (3), Additional Bonus based on classification of Opponent She frowned. That might have been the obvious next step based on the first quest but it was still unwelcome. She didn¡¯t want to fight anything, much less seek out a fight. She¡¯d much rather find some nice people who could point her to the nearest portal home. Still, if her time here so far was anything to go by, she¡¯d run into an opponent soon. Though, would she choose to stand and fight instead of running? New walking stick/staff in hand, she continued down the forest path. She inspected the trees and brush as she went, learning most were common plants she had heard of before, though not these exact varieties. Pines and firs and oaks, ferns and wild berries. Two caught her eye among them. First, the giant trees she had been calling blue-redwoods in her head. Lightningwoods [The tallest tree in the world, resistant to fire, thriving off lightning. These trees capture clouds in their tall spires, concentrating the wrath of the heavens over their domains.] And second, the tree from which her new staff had come from. Zerden Madrone [Also called Lightning Madrone. Most trees of this family have wood that twists and cracks as it dries, making it a poor choice in structural construction. Zerden Madrone is largely the same unless cured in an environment high in the energy of lightning, where it will instead harden straight and without fracturing. The more lightning the harder and more stable the wood becomes.] It looked like the madrone from the forests of home, twisting branches forming sparse crowns. Peeling bark revealing smooth almost white flesh. However, where every madrone she had seen on Earth had crimson bark, these were a deep navy blue. Just as beautiful and no less striking. These trees alone repelled the ever-present lichens that gripped the bark of the other trees, yet the living wood glowed with a blue-white light. It seemed no matter where she looked, the forest was alight with glowing plants. But, she had yet to spot an animal. Perhaps they all cowered in fear of the impending storm. Perhaps there wasn¡¯t much in the way of natural fauna with all the summoned monsters wandering about. She eyed the sky again. It was difficult to see through the thick canopy above, but she could just make out the dark clouds. They continued their rumbling threats but held their contents tight. The uneasy quiet before the storm continued. Ch. 7: Stealth As Cass strode deeper into the forest, the path widened and the underbrush thinned. Above the canopy thickened, with less and less of the storm-ready skies visible, until the only light was the glowing mosses and lichens. What plants remained at the ground level were few and far between. Here and there, grew enormous bushes beneath open shafts in the canopy. Each leaf was wider than dinner plates to catch every sliver of dappled light that dripped to the forest floor. Vines were more common, twisting up tall trunks, chasing distant lights far above. Mushrooms were common across the forest floor. Most were no bigger than her pinky, a few larger than her torso. They came in every shape, from wide caps to slender trumpets to formless masses. She was glad for her flashlight again. She kept it on its lowest setting, the light at her feet, using it to avoid tripping over gnarled roots or exposed stone. With any luck, it would be one more dim light in a sea of bioluminescence. Behind her, she heard a rustling. She spun, her feet heavy as lead. Her eyes scanned the sparse undergrowth and the pillars of trees. The rustling continued. Drawing closer. Her heart thumped in her chest. Slowly, she pocketed her flashlight and moved her hands to the base of her staff. She didn¡¯t know the first thing about staff fighting, she could only hope it wasn¡¯t too different from swinging a baseball bat. She didn¡¯t know what was coming. She could only hope that it would be manageable. No magic, she hoped. No crazy status effects. No claws. She could still run, she realized. Just because she had a quest to fight something didn¡¯t mean she had to listen. Running had worked out just fine for her so far. But what if it was faster than her? The air was slow between the trees. The wind whipped along the cliffs losing most of its power on the outer trees and undergrowth long before reaching these dark depths. She could probably still Wind Step, but she couldn¡¯t be sure how far it would take her or where she would end up. A twig snapped. Her breath caught in her throat. There was a silhouette through the trees. It was big. Bigger than the hound. Taller than her. A crown of antlers sparked blue and white on its head. Blue-tail Deer Lordling Lvl 15 She didn¡¯t read the rest, her eyes freezing on the level. This was not something she could fight. The only saving grace was the deer wasn¡¯t moving directly toward her, but almost parallel. If she could just hide¡­ There was a wide tree between her and it, barely a foot to her left. She moved slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. No sudden movement. Soft steps across the forest floor. Not a sound as she moved. Quiet as a draft through an old house. It was the longest foot of her life. She held her breath even as she pressed her back against the rough bark of the lightningwood. Her ears strained for the sound of its approach through the sparse undergrowth. As she did, she let herself finish reading the description Identify had provided her. [A young male blue-tail deer of the West Forest. Too young to have females of his own but too old to attend an older lord. A lordling like this will search the forest for other young males and challenge them to duels fought with their antlers and their potent magic to win or impress mates.] This was an adolescent? Oh lord, what had she gotten herself into? Clearly, the forest was even more dangerous than the cliffs. She couldn¡¯t¡ª This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Skill Earned: Stealth (lvl 1) (Wind) [Slink through the shadows through places you should not be or do not wish to be found. Unseen as the wind. As quiet as a breath. Passively reduces one¡¯s presence to others to a small degree. Active use greatly reduces one¡¯s presence to others and advises on how best to move one¡¯s body to mitigate detection. Association with the Concept of Wind increases the effect of these bonuses while user is in motion. Modified by Dex.] The system window appeared before her eyes and with it came a warmth in her chest. A calm. A certainty that she was not about to be found just yet. She was lighter on her feet like they barely touched the forest floor. All at once, she knew that she could do better than this. If she shifted slightly, she would blend better with the irregular shadows cast by the lichen. Was this the effect of this skill? How did that work? How did she know more about Stealth than she had thirty seconds ago? She hadn¡¯t been taught. She just knew. Her heart thumped in her chest despite her held breath. How did she just know? What else could she just know? Where did the system draw the line between knowledge and opinion? Between opinion and personality? The lordling brushed up against the opposite side of her tree, yanking her back to the real and immediate crisis. Its antlers rubbed against the bark. Cass held her breath. She didn¡¯t dare to move. She didn¡¯t dare to breathe. Why didn¡¯t it go away? Why was it still there? There was a crunch. The snap of a branch from a tree. The grind of leaves between teeth. The slow shuffle of the lordling through the underbrush. It was rounding the tree. Cass¡¯s heart pounded in her chest. It was going to see her. Would it attack? Herbivores could be even more vicious than carnivores on Earth. Male deer could be highly territorial. It didn¡¯t need big teeth and a killer appetite to decide she needed to die for trespassing. She needed to move. To run. To hide. But if she moved, it would hear her. She needed to remain still. Stealth has increased to level 2. No. That was wrong. She was certain of it. She could move without attracting its attention. More than could, she had to if she wanted to remain undetected. Cass sidled around the tree¡¯s trunk, Stealth guiding her feet over the dry forest floor. She could see the patches of crinkly leaves. Could feel how the skill wanted her to shift her weight. The lordling nosed the ground where Cass had been hiding, munching on a low-lying plant. Stealth pointed out another tree on the opposite side of the lordling. Cass would be safer there. She needed to only make it. Her heart pounded in her ears. That might all be true, but it would take only a single mistake for the lordling to see her in between the trees. It needed only look up and over its shoulder. But she could do it. Stealth whispered its encouragement. Its certainty. She took the first step. Then the next. Stealth directed the third. She brushed against a shrub on the fourth, the hissing rustle of branches as loud as lightning in her ears. Stealth told her to keep moving. It was just another sound among many. The wind in the trees. Just another noise of the forest. The lordling didn¡¯t look up. She took the fifth and then the sixth. Like a ghost, she slipped behind the next tree, safe for another minute. Stealth has increased to level 3 It was, objectively, a strange feeling. It felt more like she had always known how to move like this. It felt good. Like she was more complete now than she had been without it. It felt as natural as breathing. As alien as the glowing forest around her. Behind her, she heard the lordling moving off. Slowly, too slowly, the shuffle of its body through the undergrowth disappeared among the other quiet noises of the forest. She let out a relieved sigh. This was good. Stealth was what she needed most in this world. She could choose her fights. They didn¡¯t all need to devolve to a mad dash away. And that was good, no matter where that knowledge had come from. She shifted her hands back up her walking stick and ducked out from the tree she had been cowering behind. Neither her stick nor her feet made a sound in the loose detritus of the forest floor. A small grin slipped across her lips as she continued deeper into the forest, actively using stealth to move from the shadow of one large tree to the next, like a ghost on the wind. As she skulked deeper into the forest, she inspected the skill¡¯s description again. Most of it was self-explanatory except for the ¡°Concept of the Wind¡± bit. It seemed like it empowered her skill somehow. Why though, she did not know. Her other two skills¨CWind Step and Identify¨Cdidn¡¯t have the ¡°(Wind)¡± tag after their level, suggesting they weren¡¯t being boosted by the Concept the way Stealth was. But why not? If any skill was to get a boost from Wind, wouldn¡¯t it be Wind Step? If the system had answers to her questions, it kept them to itself. Ch. 8: The Clearing Cass skirted through the forest, keeping to the dark pools of shadow cast by the glowing foliage, every step aided by Stealth. She hadn¡¯t spotted any other monsters, but she didn¡¯t let her guard down all the same. Ahead, the forest underbrush was thickening again, the trees above thinning. She slowed as passing through the thicker brush was much harder to do silently. Still, she wove her way through until she spotted a narrow trail winding its way forward. Cass followed it from the deep woods into a clearing. A shallow pond stood in the center, surrounded by sandy beaches and green stone. Tall reeds filled the far edge. Ferns and grasses thrived in the remaining free space. It seemed empty of fauna, to which she breathed a sigh of relief. She strode out into the clearing, sparing a glance up to the storm brewing sky. She would have liked a little sunshine to relieve the stress of the last couple of hours or so. In truth, she had no idea how long she¡¯d been wandering. She had never been a very good judge of time. Add the stress of being found by monsters, she could have been wandering those woods for half an hour or six, she would have believed either claim. She sat by the pond¡¯s edge, plopping onto one of the green stones with a sigh. What was she doing? She wanted to go home, so she was looking for people to direct her to the nearest trans-dimensional portal. She¡¯d been banking on finding people today. More than that, she had been hoping to find them soon. But what if she didn¡¯t find them today? She shuddered at the thought of sleeping in the open tonight. She might have a rain jacket and hiking boots, but she did not enjoy the prospect of sleeping on bare ground without even a blanket. And what if she didn¡¯t find any people tomorrow either? Or the day after? What should she do? Switch from looking for people to finding shelter for tonight? She glanced up, that storm was still threatening to drench her any moment now. It would be easier to find or construct somewhere covered before it started pouring. But that meant giving up on finding people today. That confirmed she would be sleeping on the ground tonight. She rubbed her temples. But what other choice did she have? If she was still walking along the cliff side she might have pushed on. But here, in the middle of this forest, she couldn¡¯t imagine she would stumble into someone friendly in the next couple of hours wandering the woods. Which meant it was time to start thinking about survival. Long-term survival. Question One: Was this a safe place to set up base camp? The clearing was a relief on her nerves. Something about the open sky above her relieved the pressure on her chest. But objectively, was it safer than the glowing forest on every side of her? Her eyes fixed on the pond in front of her. The pond meant water, which would be one less thing for her to worry about. Though, if at all possible she wanted to filter and boil that. The stagnant pond did not look fit for human consumption. But more to the point, that also made it desirable to the local (or imported?) wildlife. How many dangerous things passed through here for a cool drink? It might be too shallow to be of interest to anything bigger than her, but that seemed awfully optimistic, didn¡¯t it? Demerit number two: that same open sky above. She might feel more at ease under it, but it would be a problem as she tried to not be rained on. The dense forest canopy would provide better shelter from the elements. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. No, she shook her head. She couldn¡¯t stay here. She didn¡¯t know if the forest would be safer but¡ª The crack of a broken twig behind her was all the warning she got. She spun, her eyes meeting the feline intruder¡¯s. Terrorcat Lvl 7 [A powerful feline, native to the shadowed planes of Azorth but with a thriving population in the West Forest. Its night vision is unparalleled. Its claws, sharp. It is a poor climber if that helps.] It did not. She stood slowly, her hands sliding down the length of her walking staff. The cat slunk forward, its gold eyes locked on her. It was about the size of a bobcat. Its fur was black with swirls of grey. She took a hesitant step away from the pond. Maybe, it would decide she wasn¡¯t worth the effort, drink its fill of dirty pond water, and be on its way. Its eyes remained fixed on her as it crouched, its lips curling back in a snarl. Her hands clenched at the base of her staff. Her heart pounded. Her mouth was dry. The cat lunged at her. She screamed and swung down on the animal. She missed completely. It barreled into her, knocking her to the ground, its claws sinking into her chest. It tore down, raking across her body. She thrashed, trying to throw it off. If it had been any bigger, she would have stood no chance, as it was, she managed to roll over, throwing it off. She scrambled to her feet, swinging her staff wildly as she backed away from the terrorcat. It dodged around her wild swings, faster than she was by a wide margin. Cass couldn¡¯t breathe. She could barely see through the panic. Blood dripped down her chest. Blood dripped down her back. The creature lunged again, leaping for her face. Some instinct told her to step out of the way. She followed it blindly but a claw still caught her side. Pain ran rampant over every inch of her body. The bloody fleece of her PJs pressed into her wounds. The cat ran circles around her, slicing at her legs and her arms. Launching at her chest. She swung at it with her staff, hoping for the best. Hoping she wouldn¡¯t pass out from the pain or the blood loss. Hoping she¡¯d get lucky. She did. The staff connected with its head, throwing it out of its forward lunge. The terrorcat barely noticed, continuing its dash toward her. It clawed at her ankles. She backpedaled, blinking through the pain, her leather hiking boots deflecting the thing¡¯s claws this time. There was a System notification at the edge of her vision. She didn¡¯t have time for it. Vaguely she could feel her grip on her staff was wrong, that her dominant hand should be lower, her non-dominant hand higher. The cat didn¡¯t give her time to reposition them. It sprinted past her before turning at leaping again. Its claws sunk into her shoulder. She screamed again, the pain lacing up her body from the incisions. Her vision blacked out for a fraction of a second. The creature howled in her ear, jerking her back to alertness, its mouth uncomfortably close to her neck. Unthinking, her hand slipped up the staff. She twisted and using her forward dominant hand jerked the staff backward into the hell cat¡¯s body. Somehow that was enough for her to knock it off her. Somehow she¡¯d done it before her throat had been ripped out. Her body followed the fallen terrorcat, her hands repositioned for maximum force. She slammed it down before it had a chance to speed off again. It struck a leg with a crack. Bone splintered under the impact. The creature yelped in pain, sprinting forward on the mangled leg anyway. But that sprint was struggling and slow. A confidence bloomed in her. Her staff felt right in her hands. She swung her staff down, leading the target just barely. There was a resounding crack as the long staff multiplied the force of her arms into violent impact with the cat¡¯s skull. There was a squelch and blood splattered around her. And then there was silence. The only movement was Cass¡¯s ragged breathing as she stood over the corpse. Blood oozed from the crack in the terrorcat¡¯s skull. Her staff slipped from her fingers, falling to the bloody dirt with a soft thud. Cass¡¯s body crumpled to the ground after it, her knees giving out. Notifications pinged into existence. She collapsed, dead to the world, before she had a chance to so much as glance at them. Ch. 8.5: Alyx: Plans Alyx Veldor slammed her fist into the reinforced stone of the wall by her bed, her teeth clenched in fury. ¡°It went that bad then?¡± her personal guard, Marco, asked. He scratched his stubbly chin with a wince. ¡°It could have been worse,¡± Telis, her maid, said as she followed Alyx into the room. Alyx spun on her. ¡°He¡¯s sending me to Uvana to die. How could it be worse?¡± Telis didn¡¯t quite roll her eyes. She was quite good at encapsulating that look without the overt disrespect the action itself entailed. ¡°As if this the first time he has sent you somewhere to die.¡± Alyx deflated, dropping to the end of the bed. ¡°You say that like it should make me feel better about my father trying to kill me again.¡± ¡°What does not kill you, and all that.¡± Telis shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re going to the Uvana training Range?¡± Marco asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Alyx shook her head. Normally, her guard would be correct. Uvana was an exclusive training ground, only accessible to the rich and the favored. Her family easily qualified, and most of her older cousins had attempted to conquer the training ground already. Even several of her younger ones for that matter. ¡°It is less a problem that we get to go,¡± Telis explained, choosing her words carefully, ¡°And more an issue as to when we have been offered the honor.¡± Marco raised an eyebrow but waited for Telis to finish the explanation. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°We are to leave tomorrow.¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Tomorrow? Did the family already gather the supplies for a conquest run?¡± ¡°Doubtful,¡± Telis waved the suggestion away. ¡°We will likely have to pick up what we need on our way out. I am confident that will not be an issue.¡± Alyx almost snorted at the blase attitude, but she knew that if Telis said the logistics would be taken care of then the logistics would be more than taken care of. ¡°Then what is the problem?¡± Marco asked. ¡°What month is it, Marco?¡± Telis asked. He pursed his lips. ¡°It''s Janua¡ª¡± He stopped mid-word, understanding dawning on him. ¡°But if we leave now we¡¯ll have barely any time before the Storm starts!¡± ¡°That did seem to be the idea my father had in mind,¡± Alyx said with a sigh. ¡°And we can¡¯t just get ¡®lost¡¯ on the way to arrive after the storm?¡± Marco groaned. ¡°Not if we want to be back in time for the Festival.¡± ¡°We do not need to be back in time for the Festival,¡± Telis said. It was a half-hearted suggestion, but probably the most reasonable solution. Alyx hated it all the more for it. ¡°And I don¡¯t have to go to Uvana,¡± Alyx said, sarcasm staining the words. ¡°Why are we going then?¡± Marco asked. ¡°Because if I refuse my father¡¯s oh-so-gracious offer now, it will be interpreted as I don¡¯t want to go at all. He will have a perfectly legitimate excuse to refuse my requests to go in the future. And I need the power even a partial conquer of Uvana can give me.¡± Her words hung heavy in the air, frustratingly ugly and true. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I suspect this was your grandmother¡¯s idea,¡± Telis said, breaking the tension. Alyx groaned. ¡°She thinks I can pull this off?¡± Telis shrugged. ¡°She thinks you are not worth her attention if you cannot, more likely.¡± Alyx¡¯s groan deepened as she flopped back on her bed. Ch. 9: A Rude Awakening The beep of an alarm woke Cass. She sat up in a panic. She was late to work! Her head swam with the sudden movement, her vision blurring what must have been her bedroom into what looked like a smear of plants. Her confusion compounded as she searched for her blanket to toss from her body and the mattress to roll off of, only to find neither. Only empty air and muddy dirt. There was a frustrated caw of a crow and the flap of wings. Only then did Cass remember she wasn¡¯t home. She lay in a bloody clearing, surrounded by trees wreathed in a glowing understudy and the frustrated cawing of crows. The terrorcat lay in a gory pile beside her, the crows happily pecking at its cold flesh. The pond had taken a sickening, rust-brown color, from the blood running into it. The air smelled of iron. Her staff lay beside her, one end coated in blood. A reminder of her role in the scene before her. The weight of everything crashed over her. There was no denying any of it anymore. She¡¯d almost died. She¡¯d been dragged to a fantasy world. She was alone in this godforsaken place. The wildlife was trying to kill her. She hadn¡¯t a single clue on how to go home. Kaye and Robin didn¡¯t know what had happened to her. She was crying again. Everything hurt. Her shoulder, her legs, her back, her arms. Her soul. The air smelled of death and blood. Her clothing crackled from the dried blood as she moved. She wasn¡¯t cut out for this. She was a modern woman. She was made for desk jobs and paperwork. For ignoring office gossip and keeping her head down until she could go home. There was always the promise of going home that got her through the day. Home to her chair and a book and hot tea. Home to a soft bed and cozy PJs. Home to Robin and Kaye and a cathartic rant about the nonsense a customer or coworker had said to her that day. Her hands were soft. The consequences of failure there little more than social embarrassment. She wasn¡¯t cut out for this. What did she know about fighting? What did she know about survival? What did she know about extradimensional fantasy worlds? She sobbed, clutching her arms close to her chest, barely aware of the world beyond herself. She was shaking. She needed to stop. This was more than she could handle. She needed it to stop. She was cold. The tears had to stop eventually. There was a pinging in the back of her head. It wouldn¡¯t stop. She was hysterical. She had almost died. Everything that had happened to her flashed through her head on loop. The tentacles. The hound. The wombat. The deer. The terrorcat. The tentacles, grabbing. The hound, snapping and slashing. The deer, searching. The terrorcat, clawing and biting. Pulled under. Running. Hiding. Dying. Cass curled tighter, her head in her hands. Tentacles grabbed her, pulled her apart. Her chest exploded, her body disintegrating into nothing. Claws raked her back, her legs, her shoulders. There was only pain and memory and nothing. *** Something pecked her head. Cass had no idea how long she¡¯d laid there like that. An eternity. An eon. Barely a second. But something pecking at her head brought her back to the present. She took a deep breath, walled off everything, and looked up. A crow consumed the entirety of her vision. Its beak was in her face, its intelligent eyes watching her as it tilted its head one way and then the other. It pecked her forehead again then cawed in her face. Plague Crow Lvl 2 [A lowly scavenger bird, common to battlefields across the Continent. These birds are immune to the effects of all but the worst diseases but easily contract and spread them, making them a pestilence unto themselves. Few willingly approach these birds on the chance they are incubating a deadly disease.] Cass sat up and it fluttered back cawing its avian curse loudly. There were a dozen of them. They looked just like the crows she was familiar with, except the tips of their wings were crimson, like drying blood. Most pecked around at the corpse lying beside her. The terrorcat. It was strange to see it lifeless beside her, its skin pulled open by the crows. Cass had seen roadkill before. This was different. She¡¯d done this. In self-defense. To live. But she¡¯d done this. This was a living creature that lived no longer. Because of her actions. A crow pecked at the cat¡¯s eye, pulling the orb out with a spurt of blood. It carried it off with a flap of its wings. Two of its fellows gave chase, cawing loudly after it. Cass took a deep breath. It was kill or be killed. She hadn¡¯t started that fight, she¡¯d survived it. The clearing was covered in blood, the pond had taken a gross red-brown tinge. She couldn¡¯t stay here. Cass pushed herself to her feet, surprised to find she wasn¡¯t in pain. Just minor aches. The kind of thing she¡¯d have expected after a long workout, not a near-death experience. An image of the terrorcat latched onto her shoulder, its teeth sinking through her clothes to her soft flesh beneath flashed through her mind. Her hand flew to her shoulder. There should be a sizable hole. She shouldn¡¯t be able to move that arm. The skin was scabbed and raw, but not gruesomely disfigured. She poked it, her frown deepening. The fabric of her PJs was completely gone, the sweatshirt and rain jacket above it were hanging in tatters. All of it was soaked in crispy, dry blood. How long had she been unconscious? Would any amount of time make a difference? Only then did Cass notice the beeping that had woken her again. System messages. There were a lot of them. This was going to take a minute. She grimaced, looking over the clearing. This wasn¡¯t exactly where she wanted to do this, but it would be foolish to push on without taking stock of her condition. She settled for moving to the far end of the clearing and pulling herself into the lowest branches of what she Identified as a Stormwell Oak. Terrorcats couldn¡¯t climb after all, and she wasn¡¯t interested in repeating that fight. As settled as she could be between the branch and the trunk, she started reading through the notifications she¡¯d gotten from the fight. Skill Earned: Staff Mastery (Lvl 1) [Some call the staff the grandfather of all weapons. At home in the hands of enlightened monks, forgotten gods, and maybe now you? Passively increases one¡¯s familiarity with the staff as a weapon and tool. Follow its guidance to reach further mastery.] Staff Mastery has increased to level 2. Staff Mastery has increased to level 3. Was this where her confidence with the staff had come from mid-fight? She remembered the moment when the staff had suddenly felt right in her hands. She hadn¡¯t questioned it at the time, but thinking about it now, that was the only explanation. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Had she really tried to use it like a baseball bat? That was ridiculous. That¡¯s not¡ª She shivered. She knew for a fact that wasn¡¯t how one used a staff effectively in combat. And she knew there was a better way to hold it to leverage its advantages. And that she should stand in a couple of different stances. Just as she knew she had not known any of that before the fight. Where had this knowledge come from? The system? The skill? Cass climbed back down the tree, picking her staff back up from where she¡¯d leaned it against the trunk. She spread her feet and took a stance. It was easy. It was natural. It was right. She moved through a few strikes and blocks. She could see how the movement conserved energy and maximized her momentum. And she had never been taught any of this. Cass took a deep breath as she set the staff down again and climbed up the tree. Her hands weren¡¯t shaking. She was fine. She was calm. So the system could put information directly into her head? So what? That didn¡¯t mean anything. So she couldn¡¯t feel the difference between something she¡¯d learned to do naturally (like climbing the tree) and the system-taught skill? What did it matter? She was just not going to think about how much control over her it had. Deep breaths, Cass. Deep breaths. When she¡¯d calmed down she looked at the next system message waiting for her. Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! + 3 Dex + 3 End + 3 Ala + 12 Free Points She¡¯d leveled up three times for killing the terrorcat! That was a 21 point increase in stats and about a 30% increase to her current total. Her eyes strayed back to the corpse in the clearing below her and any excitement she¡¯d been building was instantly cooled. The crows were still happily tearing strips of flesh from the carcass. That was the value of the monster¡¯s life? Three levels and one avian feast. What would the terrorcat have gotten for killing her? Cass shook the macabre thought aside. She was alive. She had survived a vicious and unprompted attack. She had come out stronger for it. Additional Dexterity and Endurance would only help her plans for avoiding future fights. Ala, whatever it was, had to be useful too. As for the free points, she¡¯d apply them at the end, after she¡¯d read everything. She turned her attention to the next message. Trait Earned - For defeating a monster from an antagonistic realm as your first kill: Extradimensional Damage [You don¡¯t want to be here and now, neither do they. Bonus damage to all entities not from your home realm. Bonus damage to all entities not from your current realm.] What exactly did it mean by ¡°home realm¡±? Did it mean Earth? Or was it referring to wherever slyphids were from? Were there normally slyphids here, wherever here was? Making generous assumptions about ¡°home realm¡± implied she¡¯d do more damage against anything she ran into here. Even more if they had been summoned to this world as she had. She wasn¡¯t sure how much of a difference it would make or even how ¡°more damage¡± realistically manifested, but she wasn¡¯t about to look a gift a horse in the mouth. Then again, maybe she should be cautious of this too. How many other people in this world had this bonus or a similar one? She¡¯d be in trouble if most people were also doing extra damage to her. Beginner Quest (2): Defeat an Opponent Complete [Reward: Beginner Quest (3), Additional Bonus based on classification of Opponent Opponent unclassified. Using level differential and intent to assign classification. Opponent classified as (S) for purposes of quest. Additional Reward (S): 1 Choice of 3 options.
  1. Bonus Str-based skill growth
  2. Bonus Wll-based skill growth
  3. Bonus Frt-based skill growth]
Beginner Quest (3): Slay a Monster [Some practice with your new weapon under your belt, it''s time to put those skills to work. Kill a monster currently living in the Uvana Valley.] ¡­ Beginner Quest (3): Slay a Monster Complete [Reward: Beginner Quests (4-6), Additional Bonus based on level differential of slain monster Level differential: 6 Flat, 7 Multiplicative Additional Reward (7x): 1 Choice of 3 options.
  1. Skill, Str based, empowered by Stamina
  2. Skill, Wll based, empowered by Focus
  3. Skill, Frt based, passive]
Beginner Quest (4): Slay the Lord of the Pass Beginner Quest (5): Slay the Lord of the Forest Beginner Quest (6): Slay the Lord of the Deep Cass frowned. She¡¯d completed two quests simultaneously? For killing one monster? That seemed odd. Why have two quests that could be achieved with the same requirements? She looked at their descriptions more closely. One used the verb ¡°defeat¡± whereas the other said ¡°slay¡±. Were there other ways to ¡°defeat¡± enemies that didn¡¯t involve killing them? Maybe she could force enemies to yield or flee and that would count for level-up experience? Something to think about later. Either way, she had some rewards to choose: an enhanced growth and a skill. It would probably be best to pick them in pairs to maximize her benefit. But there was one more thing to check before she jumped to any decisions. She pulled up her current stats. Name: Cass [Race: Slyphid Lvl: 4 Stamina: 27/27 Focus: 59/108 Health: 5/21 Str - 4 Dex - 10 End - 9 Wll - 16 Ala - 12 Res - 12 Frt - 2 Per - 5 Vit - 6 Free Points: 12] Concepts: [- Wind (Unapplied)] Status Effects: [- Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth] Cass frowned again at her status screen. Specifically, that her HP was listed as 5/21. Her health being so low was both understandable¡ªshe had almost died¡ªand completely incomprehensible¡ªCass didn¡¯t feel that injured. What was the disconnect? She had been more badly injured by the terrorcat than she had from the hound, and her health reflected that, but the pain she felt and the final state of her injuries did not. She reached around to her back. The wounds the hound had given her had shrunk to thin scabs. She searched the rest of her body for cuts, tracing the places where her clothing had been torn through. Invariably, she found lightly scarred skin or mostly healed scabs. Her shoulder was the worst, but even that looked like it had been healing for a month not a few hours. She could only think of two options: Either she¡¯d been passed out a long time or she had super healing. The terrorcat¡¯s corpse seemed to deny the first option, which left only super healing. Except, that still didn¡¯t explain 5/21 Health. She was barely injured anymore. Surely, her still bleeding state after fleeing the hound was worse than this scabbed shoulder? It didn¡¯t make sense to her, but she had run out of angles to try to make the pieces she had fit. She¡¯d just have to think about it later or find someone else and ask them what was going on. In the meantime, she was just going to have to make the most of what she understood. And that was that she had a choice to make and 12 stat points to allocate. Skill and bonus growth first, Cass decided. A new skill might change how she approached this world, which would change how she wanted to apply the stat points. Moreover, the skill might provide some hint at what the different stats did from its description. She looked over her options again: [1. Skill, Str-based, empowered by Stamina
  1. Skill, Wll-based, empowered by Focus
  2. Skill, Frt-based, passive]
There wasn¡¯t a lot of information available to narrow down her pick, but Cass had two considerations in mind: first, which stats she already had an advantage in, and second, which resources she could more freely spend. For the first, it was no contest, Wll led by a wide margin, 16 points compared to Str¡¯s 4 and Frt¡¯s 2. If she wanted a skill to maximize her current stats, option 2, the Will-based skill, was the way to go. That being said, she had 12 free points. If she wanted to switch directions, now was the moment to do it. If she applied all of them to Str, it would be equal to Wll, and she could start increasing that difference with every level after that. The second consideration was less cut and dry. She had a total of 108 maximum Focus and only a max of 30 Stamina. That seemed like a clear win for Focus, but Cass already had a skill that consumed Focus, Wind Step. It gobbled up 50 Focus with every cast. Which meant she only had 2 uses without resting and recovering her Focus. Throwing another skill in to consume more would only reduce that further. Stamina on the other hand didn¡¯t have any skills using it explicitly, so far it was only consumed by general physical exertion. Additionally, increasing either Dex, End, or Ala had increased her max Stamina, because that had only been 18 before her fight. (It was probably Endurance, Cass guessed). That meant her Stamina would only increase further as she leveled up. It was also an open question if the two were scaled the same. Maybe most Stamina skills only used one or two points per use, while Focus skills used tens at a time. That would be an explanation as to why her Focus was so much higher than Stamina. However, Cass¡¯s general lack of physical activity before her kidnapping and her lengthy study sessions in college also would go a long way to explaining the discrepancy. Cass pursed her lips as she watched the crows going about their macabre business. She wasn¡¯t any closer to making a decision. Would it be easier if she knew the skills specifically she was being offered, rather than some general characteristics? Would she even have the context to compare them if she had? She chased the questions away. It wasn¡¯t helpful. That wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d been offered. She had three options: Str, Wll, or Frt. It was almost as if she was being asked a different question: How did she want to solve her problems going forward? With the Strength of her arms? With the force of her mind¡¯s Will? Or with a Fortified body? Put like that, there wasn¡¯t a lot to think about was there? Present trial aside, she had no interest in solving her future problems with violence if she could help it. If she could think her way out of a situation or, even better, plan a path around the situation in the first place, that was what she wanted. She hesitated all the same. This would mean committing to focusing on Will, wouldn¡¯t it? What would increasing that stat look like? Would it change who she was, fundamentally? What did a more Willful person look like? Should she rethink her choice? And choose what? She selected the Wll option for both of her rewards before she could spiral into an endless loop of indecision. Reward Selected: Bonus Skill growth with all Wll-based skills Reward Selected: Skill, Wll based, empowered by Focus Skill Earned: Elemental Manipulation (lvl 1) [Your understanding of magic is colored by its interaction with the elemental forces of the natural world. Through practice or divine intervention, you have learned to manipulate these forces at will. Attune your focus to an elemental force to summon and/or control that element. Modified by Wll. Focus Cost: 20 Focus (summoning), additional Focus per second based on commands given] Ch. 10: The Badger Cass¡¯s eyes widened as she read her reward. Magic! She¡¯d been given magic! She almost laughed. Here was the fantasy nonsense finally working in her favor! She tried it immediately. Or, she tried to. She focused on the skill the same way she focused on Stealth or Identify, but she could feel something was missing. Elemental Manipulation! she thought with force. Nothing happened. Her Focus didn¡¯t fluctuate. Instinctively, she could feel that this could be used as a combat spell, just as she knew she was definitely doing it wrong. She ignored the system-granted intuition and compared the feeling to activating Stealth. Stealth just required her to focus on it and it modified her movements just enough to hide her presence as she moved. There was no empty feeling. Maybe it was more similar to Identify? Had Identify ever felt empty like this? She focused on Identify for comparison, only to find it empty too. She panicked before realizing that wasn¡¯t how she usually activated Identify. She did laugh this time. It was obvious. She locked her eyes on one of the crows and focused on Identify again. Effortless, the information on the crow popped up in her vision. Some skills required a target. She skimmed through Elemental Manipulation¡¯s description again, ¡°Attune your focus to an elemental force¡±. She needed to pick a force to summon it. With her mistake in mind, she tried again. She focused on her hand and activated the spell again, this time willing water into existence. Before her eyes, a ball of water appeared from nothing. It floated just above her palm, barely bigger than a ping-pong ball. She willed it to float higher. A couple of seconds later, the ball had floated maybe a foot up before it lost cohesion and water rained down over her. A headache descended immediately and a pressure on her eyes popped into full force. She winced and flipped open her stats to see how much Focus she had consumed. 10/108 Cass hissed in a breath, surprised. 49 points! For summoning the water and then floating it up a foot over maybe four seconds? That was almost half of her Focus pool. She sighed. Well, it was only level one and she hadn¡¯t applied her new stat points yet. Still, she had a feeling she was a long way off giving up her staff in favor of magic alone. Speaking of stat points¡­ Str - 4 Dex - 10 End - 9 Wll - 16 Ala - 12 Res - 12 Frt - 2 Per - 5 Vit - 6 Free Points: 12 How was she going to distribute her free points now? Frt needed to go up, she knew that much. She wasn¡¯t in too much pain now, but the next time she wandered into something dangerous she couldn¡¯t be incapacitated after the first attack. Add that it was her lowest stat and she could easily envision problems. Str, Dex, and End would all probably help her deal more damage with her staff, which was important at least in the short term. On the other hand, she had managed to deal enough damage against a significantly stronger opponent with the stats she had. Which meant she needed to put at least a little bit in those stats if she wanted to maintain that difference. She might be able to kill a level 7 monster with level 1 Str, and she might be able to kill a level 10 monster with level 4 Str, but she thought it was unlikely she¡¯d be able to kill that level 10 monster with level 1 Str. So she should probably put at least a few in those stats so they didn¡¯t fall too far behind. Obviously, she should dedicate some of her new stats to Wll, since her new skill depended on it. How she wasn¡¯t sure yet, but the skill description said it did. Maybe she¡¯d be able to summon and control more material if her Wll was higher. Vit could probably go up too. Vitality usually governed Health or healing in video games. She may not understand why her current Health was so low, but increasing Vit would probably help. And, she was pretty sure she didn¡¯t want Health to hit 0. Stolen story; please report. Res, resilience or resistance, probably affected her max Focus. That was just a guess based on the arrangement of Stats. Endurance seemed to increase Stamina and Vitality almost certainly affected Health. So, assuming there was some symmetry between the rows (a bit of a jump in logic, Cass was willing to admit), Res should affect Focus. More Focus would mean more Wind Steps and more magic. Which left mysterious Ala and lonely Per. So far neither had been important to her survival as far as she knew. Did that mean she was going to ignore them for now? She wasn¡¯t sure. She disliked the idea of ignoring perception. That seemed important. But more important than hitting stuff hard with her staff or tanking another enemy attack? She sighed. Once again, she wished she knew more about what exactly each stat did. It was entirely possible, she was making a mistake because she didn¡¯t know better. But, she was still low level, so (assuming she didn¡¯t die) there would be time to even out her stats later if it turned out she was doing it wrong now. Or so she hoped. Now the question was how to split 12 across 7 stats? Dex and End were okay. Maybe she¡¯d put points into Str to bring it up to the same range. Frt too. Str 4 -> 7 Frt 2 -> 7 That was 8 of her 12 accounted for. What to do with the last 4? As an experiment, Cass put one point in Res. Res 12 -> 13 And, as she¡¯d hoped, her total focus increased too. Max Focus 108 -> 117 She nodded to herself. Good. Her guesses weren¡¯t wrong then. That was nine points of Focus for each point of Res. That meant she¡¯d need to increase Res to 17 to have over 150 Focus, which would let her use Wind Step 3 times in quick succession. Something to keep in mind for the future, since she didn¡¯t have the points to do that in one go. She experimented with Vit too, dropping on point there to see if it affected her Health as she expected. Vit 6 ->7 Max Health 21 -> 24 Hmm, only 3 Health for one point of Vit. Was that evidence these resources were scaled differently then? She had no way to know until she got a skill that directly consumed Health. She had two free points left, so she put them in Wll, to boost her new skill. Wll 16 -> 18 She¡¯d have to see how that affected Elemental Manipulation later when her Focus had recovered. Cass sat in her tree for a while longer, waiting for her Focus to regenerate. Either she was impatient to get out of the bloody, corpse-filled clearing or it was taking much longer to regenerate than it had when she¡¯d been walking through the forest earlier. It crawled up, one point at a time. Cass tried controlling her breathing or meditating or something, hoping a calmer mind would Focus better, but either that wasn¡¯t how it worked or she was doing it wrong. She tried not to let it bother her. She wanted to get away from this place though. As soon as possible. The corpse had already attracted birds, how long would it take for other scavengers to find it and her? She didn¡¯t want to fight anything else. She¡¯d pushed her luck enough as it was. That said, besides ¡®away¡¯ where exactly was she going to go from here? Further into the forest? Back the way she¡¯d come? The level of the enemies there had certainly been lower than anything she¡¯d seen since entering the forest. Should she try to go back and follow the cliffs again? Could she even find her way back to those cliffs? Cass sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing her eyes. She didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t know anything. Her headache was only getting worse. If this was the effect of running low on Focus, she was going to have to religiously keep it from falling this low in the future. She shook her head. She wouldn¡¯t backtrack. She already knew there were no people there. Finding people was the only goal. A cacophony of cawing and a flurry of fluttering crows pulled Cass''s attention back to the clearing below her. Something was approaching, their enormous body rustling through the underbrush. Cass held her breath, unsure if she should run or hide or hold still. What new monstrosity had wandered into her now? It stepped into view, massive but low to the ground. A badger, if badgers were midnight blue instead of black, and if badgers were the size of a truck bed. Hissoran Badger Lvl 9 [A giant badger from the Hissora Realm. An incorrigible glutton, happily devouring carrion and the raw energies of the realm alike. This beast is known for its prodigious size and powerful claws it uses for digging and hunting with equal ease.] Cass¡¯s heart hammered in her chest. Could it reach her in the tree? Could it climb? Would it need to? It was so big. It didn¡¯t so much as glance in Cass¡¯s direction as it lumbered directly to the body of the terrorcat. It stuck its snout into the bloody corpse and tore off a chunk, chewing messily with decidedly happy badger noises. It turned Cass¡¯s stomach. She checked her stats again. Stamina: 27/27 Focus: 48/117 Health: 5/21 Not quite 50 Focus, but was it close enough? The badger seemed distracted but for how much longer? The terrorcat wasn¡¯t that big compared to the behemoth below her. The crows had joined her in the trees. They watched the badger tear at the body impatiently, hopping back and forth, cawing ceaselessly. They all stayed out of its way. Did that mean the badger would lumber off again when it had eaten its fill and the crows were just waiting to get back to their corpse buffet? Could Cass just wait here with them? Or were they only brave because they were too small for the badger to bother chasing them up here when it was done? Would Cass have the same immunity? Cass¡¯s nerve broke. She had to take this chance to escape, while it was distracted. She hopped down from the tree, grabbed her staff, and activated Stealth. The badger didn¡¯t so much as flinch in her direction. But Cass didn¡¯t stay to find out if her luck would hold. She raced into the underbrush as quickly and as quietly as Stealth allowed her to move. If the badger noticed her, it made no indication. Stealth has increased to level 4. Ch. 11: Foraging It was only when Cass was a good distance away that she relaxed again, though she kept Stealth active. Was every animal in this world enormous and bloodthirsty? She just wanted to go home. She shook her head. She wasn¡¯t any closer to that than she¡¯d been when she¡¯d gotten here. She was alone with no idea where she was or where she should go. Would she even find people today? What about tomorrow? Should she reprioritize to surviving the night? What time was it anyway? Cass ran a frustrated hand through her hair. She didn¡¯t know anything. She couldn¡¯t even tell where the sun was through the thick forest canopy and thicker cloud layer. How long had she been passed out after her fight with the terrorcat? What time had she even arrived here? No answers. She wasn¡¯t hungry, so maybe not that long? That was as good of an answer as she was going to get. She sighed. She might not be hungry now, but it was only a matter of time. If she waited until she was hungry to start looking for food, it would already be too late. What was edible in this forest? The corpse of the terrorcat flashed in her mind¡¯s eye, raw and bloody and torn apart by scavengers. Cass chased it off. Even if she was willing to try to eat it, that option was gone. She wasn¡¯t going to go try to take it back from the badger, no thank you. But there had to be plants or berries or something she could eat. She didn¡¯t know anything about the plants here, but maybe Identify could help her. Cass started Identifying every plant she passed, no matter how small or large. Everything from the lichen on the trees (Evermore Lichen, not actually a plant, but rather a symbiotic relationship between algae and fungus) to the low-lying ferns (Scertious and Elbian varieties primarily) to the climbing vines (Mors Creeper, noted as being an irritant to the skin by Identify, Cass gave it wide berth from then on) to the towering trees (Lightningwood, Stormwell Oak, Hapspatch Firs), she identified and identified. Identify has increased to level 2 Cass was looking for some note on any of the plants mentioning some part being edible, or tasty, or a traditional staple of such-or-such peoples. Any indication that she wouldn¡¯t make herself sick eating it. So far, she¡¯d had no such luck. She had found a stream in her wandering. It was a wide, shallow thing, not even deep enough to touch the leather sides of her hiking boots when she stood in the center. It flowed slowly over muddy rocks. A slender strip of grey sky could be seen through the canopy above. Cass knelt beside it, running her hands through the cool water. It felt good running between her fingers, but she didn¡¯t dare drink it like this. Who knew what parasites or diseases were running through it. She was going to have to come up with some plan for boiling water at some point, or she was going to die of thirst before she died of starvation. Cass paused. Actually, could she just summon water with Elemental Manipulation? That had to be clean right? It hadn¡¯t existed before it was summoned to be contaminated with things. Focus 65/117 Hmm, still not enough to test it right now. Something to try later then. Lacking a better plan, Cass followed the creek downstream. People congregated around water, and although this creek wasn¡¯t big enough to warrant a town, it might feed into a bigger river which was. It was better than wandering aimlessly. Cass kept identifying plants as she walked. Palis Typha - a tall cattail-like plant. Forg Water Lilies - a white flower with wide heart-shaped leaves. Very poisonous. Long Kelmgrass - a tall, semi-aquatic grass common to the Uvana Valley and further. Thunder Sorrel - a low-lying, three-leaved plant. Common to the understory of Lightningwood. This variety is semi-aquatic. Cass paused. She recognized the species of that last one. She bent down to get a closer look. It grew around the base of a Lightningwood tree, between the creek and the trunk. It was a dense bunch of clover-like plants, with small, blue, strawberry-flower-like flowers poking up between the leaves. Sorrel on Earth was also common in redwood forests. It was also a plant she happened to know was edible. Or at least, the kind on Earth she was familiar with was. Was that still true here? Not every variety of every edible plant was still edible. Nightshade, tomato, and tobacco were all closely related plants with wildly different toxin levels after all. Cass bit her lip. This was the first thing she¡¯d found that was probably edible. And Identify hadn¡¯t marked it as poisonous, like it had the lilies. So it was probably fine, right? She plucked a clover, sniffing it and twirling it between her fingers. It didn¡¯t smell like anything in particular. Her fingers weren¡¯t tingling from the touch. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Hesitantly, she bit off a leaf. It was sour, like lemons or the sour grass she and the neighborhood kids chewed on as children. Encouraged, she put the rest of the plant she¡¯d plucked in her mouth. All together, she liked it. It would take a lot of the stuff to fill her up, but it was definitely better than nothing. She ripped it up by the handful, shoving it in her pockets for later. Skill Earned: Foraging (lvl 1) [Live off the land! No matter where you are, you¡¯ll be able to scrounge up something to eat. Adds nutritional information to plant or fungus Identification. Heightens perception of edible entities.] Well, that had to be helpful. She identified the Sorrel again. Thunder Sorrel [A low-lying, three-leaved plant. Common to the understory of Lightningwood. This variety is semi-aquatic. It does not contain much nutritional value but possesses strong toxin-neutralizing properties.] What kind of toxins, Cass wondered, nibbling on another bunch of sorrel. Surely not all toxins? That wasn¡¯t how medicine worked. That was how video games worked though. Cass chuckled at the thought. No way. She probably just didn¡¯t have a high enough Foraging level to know what kind specifically. Either way, hopefully, Identify would be able to point out better things to eat now. What was the other thing the skill said it did? ¡°Heightens perception of edible entities¡±? What did that mean? Cass focused on the skill, activating it the same way she activated Stealth. A fog descended over her. The world became fuzzy. Sound faded to nothing. Her body felt far away and heavy. She stopped the skill and that fog immediately cleared up. She was standing in the forest by the river again. That couldn¡¯t be the effect of the skill. What was the point? It was discombobulating and didn¡¯t seem to do anything. Cass tried again anyway. Again, the details of the world faded out. She took a tentative step forward, relying more heavily on her staff to check that the ground was still level in front of her. A burst of color pierced the fog, just behind a tree to her left. She deactivated the skill and carefully made her way over. A viney plant was creeping up the back side of the tree. It looked unremarkable to her ordinary sight. She activated Foraging again. Again the world faded out. Everything but the plant before her. It alone remained sharp and clear. She used Identify on it. Vineroot [Technically a distant relative of the humble sweet potato, this plant is known to climb the trunks of trees, choking them of light and life if left untouched. The tubers it produces among its roots can be eaten uncooked and are quite nutritious, if unappetizing.] Well, not the meal of kings for sure, but she could work with this. It took her a few minutes to dig deep enough for the potatoes. They were more irregularly shaped than any sweet potato she¡¯d ever seen and colored more blue than purple. Cass pulled up the whole plant, tearing the vines from the tree¡¯s trunk. A long clump came away in her hands. She checked it with Foraging again. The whole thing was in focus, not just the potatoes amid the roots. Did that mean the whole thing could be eaten, despite Identify only mentioning part of it? Cass experimentally poked a fingernail into one of the potatoes. It was hard, her nail barely penetrating. The insides were pale blue, like a sunny sky. Identify said it could be eaten raw. She hesitated another minute before taking a tentative bite. It took some work to gnaw a piece off. She chewed down on it and had to restrain herself from spitting it out again. The taste almost made it more effort than it was worth. Maybe cooking it would help. She wasn¡¯t hopeful. Cass threw the whole thing over one shoulder. Hopefully, she¡¯d find something better before she had to find out. Cass activated Foraging again, looking around for another flash of color. There was none and Cass found herself alone in a wash of white. She took a step forward and tripped over a root. She deactivated Foraging as she tipped forward, the world snapping back into full color. She caught herself with her staff, though that did nothing for her heart hammering in her chest. She could not walk with it activated. She didn¡¯t need to find out how much falling on her face would take from her Health. No, thank you. She settled for walking beside the river, flaring Foraging every couple of feet, Identifying every plant she could see along the way. Stealth continued to guide her steps, the subtle swirl of air around her from the skill becoming a familiar companion. She¡¯d been avoiding thinking about her skills, but with Staff Mastery, and the knowledge dropped in her head, it was hard to keep ignoring them and what they meant. At face value, they were very cool. Magic powers. Instant competence. It was the stuff of wish fulfillment fantasy for a reason. She¡¯d rather not admit how much she¡¯d daydreamed about it herself before all this. Moreover, she didn¡¯t know how she would survive this world without the aid these skills gave her. But it scared her. How had it put information in her mind? She had no memory of learning to use the staff or of training on how to move unseen and unheard. But she could certainly demonstrate specific staff stances now and her feet rolled silently through the loose underbrush. If this System could put these kinds of skills in her head, what else could it do? Could it make her believe things she hadn¡¯t before? Could it rewrite her existing knowledge? Was she just a puppet before it? How much of what she believed to be her past was even real, if that was the case? Cass inhaled sharply, recoiling from that thought. No, no, no, nope! This was not a line of reasoning she could go down. She needed to believe her memories weren¡¯t fabricated or she really would be insane. She needed Kaye and Robin to be real, and waiting for her. She took a deep breath and activated Foraging again. Anything to distract from that thought. The world drained of color and texture and sound. Cass pushed her fears aside with them. Something remained in focus at her feet, half in the creek, half growing up the shallow bank. Its blue-green leaves lay vibrantly against the washed-out world. Marble-sized berries, bubblegum pink, and just as smooth and round decorated the stems. Cass dropped Foraging again and identified it. Dreamweed [A sweet-smelling herb crowned with white flowers in the wet season. The leaves can be brewed to extract a soporific tea that calms the effect of most diseases. Honey made with the pollen of these flowers is a popular sleeping aid.] Cass pulled up a handful. The leaves were soft like velvet. She didn¡¯t think she was sick--though her headache hadn¡¯t lessened, despite her Focus having gone back up to 86/117¡ªbut the soporific effect might be useful for sleeping on the ground tonight. Or maybe magically drugging herself was a bad idea when there were monsters around? Either way, Foraging identified it as edible, so she¡¯d hold onto them for now. The berries had to taste better than the potatoes if nothing else. In case the berries also made her sleepy, she elected to wait to try them until she stopped for the evening. Ch. 12: Slyphid Instincts The creek wound through the forest. In the distance, the sky rumbled with thunder. Cass continued to flare Foraging as she walked, finding more sorrel and vineroots at every turn. Eventually, the trees thinned, the tall lightningwood giving way to the madrones and scraggly brush. Moist forest soil was replaced with rocky gravel, the incline of the ground sloping down before her. Sorrel became less and less common until it was replaced entirely by a weedy-looking plant with fuzzy leaves and spent flowers. Verid¡¯s Aster [This flowering shrub produces bright yellow flowers in the wet season. These flowers are popular components of healing compounds by Alchemists and Herbalists for their powerful health regeneration effects and pain-dampening properties. The leaves possess a fraction of the flower¡¯s efficacy.] Cass didn¡¯t know if the dried flower buds would still be any good, but she collected up as many of them and their leaves as she could fit in her pockets. Health regeneration was exactly what she wanted. The wide shallow creek at her side narrowed, picking up speed and cutting a gash in the earth. It continued all the way up to a rocky cliff, before spilling over the edge in a narrow stream into a larger river below. Cass stood at the top, beside her creek-turned waterfall and stared out over the landscape below. She was in a bowl, the sides made up of tall, tree-covered mountains in every direction. Just forest and forest and more forest, as far as she could see. It rose up, touching the cloud-covered sky. She groaned. She hadn¡¯t known what she had been hoping to see exactly. A town maybe? Fortified walls? Some sort of outpost? Even a road? Not more forest. A flash of light arched through the air in the distance. A twisted tongue of lightning. It struck the woods in the distance. Thunder rumbled past her. Cass¡¯s eyes widened as she realized where she was standing in the open. Above thunder roared regularly, lightning snapping at the distant mountaintops. Why was she standing on top of a hill as a thunderstorm was brewing around her? And yet, she wasn¡¯t the least bit scared. Most fear existed at an instinctual level. It was something that ran underneath logic or conscious thought. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. She knew she should be at least concerned standing there under the storm-filled skies as thunder rumbled in the air. Yet, she could barely summon the will to be even concerned. Why should she, when she knew that the lightning wasn¡¯t going to strike anywhere near here any time soon? It was a weird thought. She traced her thoughts, trying to find where that confidence had come from. It wasn¡¯t that the lightning couldn¡¯t strike here. The conditions were right. There was lightning in the area. The storm extended above her. It could strike from on high at any time. But it wouldn¡¯t. Her inability to explain how she knew was more distressing than anything else. She could feel it in the air. On the wind. She pointed out over the edge of her cliff, to the right. Her eyes alighted on a patch of trees in the middle distance, over a dozen miles away. Less than thirty seconds later, lighting arched from the sky to the area she¡¯d been pointing at. Thirteen seconds later she heard the thunder. She frowned. She had no earthly explanation for how she had known that lightning would strike there next. She stood there for another five minutes, pointing to points in the distance and watching as lighting struck unerringly before her. It had to be a coincidence. Another 5 minutes passed. Then another. She was right every time. She squinted up at the clouds. They were the same uniform grey they¡¯d been since she¡¯d arrived. There were no clues among them as to how she was doing this. She wished they¡¯d just disperse if they weren¡¯t going to rain any time soon. But she knew they were not going anywhere just as she knew they weren¡¯t going to start raining. Cass groaned and slipped into a frustrated squat atop the hill. She should just give in and accept it. She knew what was going on, and not liking it wasn¡¯t going to make it stop. Racial Skill Awakened: Atmospheric Sense (Lvl 1) (Racial) [The Slyphid are as much beings of the aether as they are corporeal creatures and intuitively sense and understand atmospheric conditions the way most creatures can sense light or sound. You are no exception.] She nodded grimly at the notification. That was what she¡¯d thought. Now that she officially had the skill, the sensation of knowing what was going on above her was even clearer. It was no longer a vague instinct, but a sharpened one. If forced to explain what it felt like to someone else, Cass would have been tempted to say it was like an overlay placed over her normal vision. This would have been incorrect. She stood under the tumultuous skies, thinking about it. It was more like walking through a familiar room with her eyes closed. She knew where the furniture was from a few points of touch without needing to see the entire space. Atmospheric Sense has increased to Lvl 2! Was that all it took? Or had she retroactively been awarded the experience from her fifteen minutes of identifying where the lightning would strike? She decided she didn¡¯t care, and flopped back onto the ground. Her head hurt. Her feet were tired. Her capacity for system nonsense had been exceeded hours ago. She decided she didn¡¯t care that it felt this good to be under open sky. And that she didn¡¯t care that the wind rippling over the cliff¡¯s edge felt so cleansing on her battered skin. And she didn¡¯t care that she was absolutely certain that lightning wasn¡¯t going to strike within three miles of her for the next week. She was tired. She was very far from home. And she wasn¡¯t even human anymore. Ch. 13: Camping Cass didn¡¯t know how long she lay there, listening to the distant thunder and the creek spilling over the cliff¡¯s edge. She didn¡¯t know what she was going to do next. There was no sign of civilization on the horizon. No obvious short-term goal to work toward. The sky was only getting darker. Was it time to give up for the day? Try again tomorrow? Maybe an obvious city would spring up from the forest in the morning? Cass wasn¡¯t hopeful, but she could fantasize about it regardless. With a groan, she rolled over and pushed herself back to her feet. She looked around the ridge. She could see the wind with Atmospheric Sense. Not the way she could see the trees and bushes around her, but she understood where it was strongest and how it traversed the hillside. There, to her left was a sheltered point, just below the lip of the ridge between a boulder and wide oak. It was a far cry from her tent back on Earth, much less a building, but it was sheltered from the worst of the wind without returning to the dark of the forest behind her. Now just add a cot and an all-weather sleeping bag and she¡¯d be ready to sleep out under the stars. Cass sighed. She¡¯d have to settle for hard ground and maybe a fire. Cass paused at that thought. Could she make a fire without matches? She¡¯d never tried before. Not since she was a child in scouts. And then, the adults had already prepped the string and stick and wood base. Also, it hadn¡¯t worked. It''s actually quite difficult to start a fire that way, and ten-year-old Cass had not had the patience or motivation to succeed. Now, although Cass certainly had the motivation, she didn¡¯t have any of the supplies for that either. How else did one start a fire? Flint and steel? She didn¡¯t have either, but maybe flint and hard rock was good enough? And maybe she could find flint? She tried identifying a rock at her feet experimentally. Rock [A rock.] Cass scowled at the popup. Why so little information? Plants and animals gave her so much more. She had no idea, but clearly, using Identify to pick out flint, if there even was any, wasn¡¯t going to work. She rubbed her face, exhaling deeply. Would she survive the night without a fire? Or would she just die of exposure? The image of her freezing, huddled under the tree in the dark of night, her teeth chattering, her hands frostbitten, loomed unbidden accompanied by the thump of her heart in her chest. Cass took another deep breath, settling the racing pulse and ignoring her pounding head. Step one for fire, Cass: collect wood for it. Easy enough. There was no shortage of dead wood, more than she expected to find, but perhaps that was the difference between untouched wilderness and the closely managed National Parks she was used to. She gathered several long fallen branches of varying sizes and dragged them back to her chosen camping spot. Step 2: clear a spot for the fire. Again, simple enough. The cliffside was dry and rocky. She shifted a few of the stones beside her boulder into a circle and kicked any loose detritus out of her makeshift pit. Step 3: Fire. Cass stared at the pit and her wood. She had not come up with a plan for this step in between realizing this was a problem and confronting it. For the only time in her life, Cass wished she smoked. If she¡¯d just had a lighter in her pocket, like Robin usually did, she¡¯d be set. She sighed and shook her head. It still hurt. She flipped up her current Focus and growled. Focus 109/117 It was almost full! Why did it still feel like crap? If anything it had only gotten worse. The pressure behind her eyes had expanded to include the space between them, her temples, and her forehead. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She leaned against the boulder behind her, closing her eyes. If only glaring at the wood would cause it to spontaneously combust. Something twinged at the back of her mind. A quiet reminder of something. What was it? Elemental Manipulation (lvl 1) [Your understanding of magic is colored by its interaction with the elemental forces of the natural world. Through practice or divine intervention, you have learned to manipulate these forces at will. Attune your Focus to an elemental force to summon and/or control that element.] Cass squinted at the skill description, not sure why she¡¯d pulled it up or why she was sure this was what she¡¯d been looking for. This was her reward for killing the terrorcat. Her one attempt to try it had been underwhelming. But if she could summon water with it, wouldn¡¯t fire make just as much sense? She piled a few of her branches in the center of her fire pit and held a hand over it, feeling just a little silly. She took a deep breath and willed fire to light beneath her palm. The fire sprang to life an inch below her hand, floating freely between it and the wood. It flickered calmly, seemingly unperturbed to be floating in mid-air. It was hot, yet the flames licking her palm didn¡¯t burn her skin. It was almost pleasant instead. Like a warm caress. Cass shook herself, her Focus was dropping as she held it there. She needed to light the wood so she could release the skill again. She willed the fire to lower, but it didn¡¯t move. Cass scowled. She¡¯d moved the water without too much trouble (beyond the Focus cost). What was different about fire? Something to experiment with later. She moved her hand and found the fire followed the movement. She could work with that and pressed the flame down into the mass of wood. It caught quickly, flames bursting up around her hand as her fire took root in the logs. Cass pulled her hand away with a yelp. Real fire stilled burned! Cass shook her hand, wincing. It wasn¡¯t actually burned yet, but the sudden pain had surprised her. It seemed she wasn¡¯t fireproof, despite her Elemental Manipulation summoned flames barely touching her. Was it that her flames weren¡¯t actually hot? But then how had the wood caught fire? Cass stared into her campfire. It burned happily, gnawing hungrily at the branches at its base. She¡¯d wanted it to catch fire, was it as simple as that? She wanted the wood to burn, but not her hand? More experiments were needed. She checked her Focus again. Focus: 63/117 Cass winced. 40 something Focus for that. Experiments were expensive. She needed more Focus if she was going to get anywhere with them. She shook her head. And how was she going to make that happen? Was she going to go hunt some monsters for another level? She snorted. Unlikely. She¡¯d be good and wait patiently for it to recover. In the meantime, she put her sweet potatoes just inside the fire ring to cook. She didn¡¯t know how long it would take, or if they were close enough, but it was better to get that started sooner than later. In the meantime, she should see what she could do about shelter. A distant memory about lashing vines and sticks to make furniture sprang up from an all but forgotten depths of her scouting days. She frowned down at the vines she¡¯d left attached to her vineroot potatoes. They were fairly sturdy. It was an option. She took a pair of sticks and the vine and started tying the one around the other two. It took all of five minutes for Cass to confirm she had no idea what she was doing. What else could she do? How did animals survive outside at night? Thick fur? No standards? Nests or dens. Could she build herself a little nest of fallen leaves? Just something to keep her off the bare ground? The ground was a major heat sink at night. That was the actual, important reason a sleeping mat was important when camping. That it was more comfortable was just an added bonus. Cass spent the next half an hour or so collecting and piling up loose leaves beside her chosen boulder. She¡¯d just pretend she was seven and playing with her siblings and it¡¯d be fine. No need to think about any bugs that might be lurking in the leaf piles. With a sigh, she settled into the pile, her back pressed against the boulder. The light was fading, the ash-grey sky darkening to charcoal, with only the occasional fork of lightning breaking the black. Skill Earned: Setting Camp (lvl 1) [The worst part of traveling is that you can¡¯t sleep in your own bed. This skill will make that slightly less painful. Curate the comforts of home wherever you go! Increased efficiency at setting up camps in wilderness settings. Increased bonuses to staying at camps you set up or helped set up: Cass sat up at the notification. She¡¯d gotten a skill? Why now and not earlier when she¡¯d made the fire? Was her leaf nest good enough that the system noticed it? Once again, she didn¡¯t know. And, maybe, she didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t want any more weird skills sticking information in her head. She wasn¡¯t looking to go find more of them. Still, this one didn¡¯t seem to have given her any knowledge. Nothing concrete enough that she could verbalize, at least. Not at level one. She shook aside the thoughts. This was good. The effects included ¡°increased rest regeneration¡± whatever that meant. She could only speculate on the specifics, but surely this had to do something for her less than full Health. She checked it again: Health: 6/24 It had finally gone up a point. Was that from sitting here at her camp, the effect of this new skill already at work, or something else entirely? Again¨Cstill¨CCass didn¡¯t know. Ch. 14: Experiments in Survival Cass poked at her fire, already glad for the barrier against the encroaching night. Her head hurt. A glance at her Focus showed it wasn¡¯t magic-related. Was it just good old-fashioned dehydration? Had she drunk anything since arriving? Cass cupped her hands and summoned a ball of water in them. Her hands were stained with dirt and worse, but so were the clothes she would have wiped them on. The water was cold. Like from the fridge at home. Was that because it was summoned from some world of ice and snow or was it because that was what she had wanted? Was this cleaner than the creek? She could still hear it burbling over the cliffside. Waterfalls were supposed to be clean, weren¡¯t they? She thought she¡¯d heard that somewhere, though she couldn¡¯t imagine why the process of falling any distance would make a difference. Then again, was summoning from an alien dimension better? Was that even how it worked? Was she manifesting it from nothing? Would it disperse on its own given enough time? She licked her parched lips. This wasn¡¯t the time to worry about it. She brought her cupped hands to her lips and sipped it cautiously. It was barely a thimble full, but it was like divinity dripping down her throat. It was gone before she knew it and she summoned a second handful. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 2! Her headache didn¡¯t immediately lessen, but this had to be the issue. It was only a matter of time until that got better. She summoned a third handful for good measure. This handful was fuller. Had she gotten more for her effort because she¡¯d gotten a level up in the skill? She¡¯d take it. How many more would she need before it would be an effective attack? Right now, unless her opponent was a lit candle it wasn¡¯t going to be much use. In the meantime, she should eat. She finagled the nearest potato out of the fire ring with the help of a spare stick and poked it experimentally with a finger. It was soft, if molten hot. With some juggling between her hands as it cooled she managed to take a bite. It was just as bitter as it had been before but somehow managed to turn what had been an acrid forefront into just a prominent background note. That is to say, it was still awful, but at least it no longer required her to chew it for several minutes before she could swallow the thing. She turned out her pockets. There had to be something easier to eat. A couple of handfuls of sorrel, several more of the aster, a dozen dreamweed berries and another clump of leaves, and a winding loop of vineroot stem and leaves met her. Not exactly a filling-looking bounty from a day of foraging the wilds. Cass activated Foraging again, to double-check that they really were edible. All of her haul remained in color and focus as the rest of the world phased out. Everything seemed in order. Cass started with the aster leaves and dried flower buds. While she¡¯d collected them, she had intended to boil them and make them into a tea. There was just one problem with that. She had no vessel to heat water to make tea in. She munched on a potato, ignoring the flavor to the best of her ability, while she thought. She couldn¡¯t just float a ball of water over the fire with Elemental Manipulation. Not for the amount of time it would take for the water to boil and then steep. And even if she could, then what? Let it pool in her hands and drink the scalding liquid like she had been drinking her summoned water? No, thank you. She was not about to burn her hands in an entirely avoidable way. If only she had a pot. But pots were made of metal and needed significant equipment to forge. Her skill set wasn¡¯t going to make her a pot any time soon. If she had Metal Manipulation instead of Elemental¡­ She stopped chewing. Wait. Was metal an element? It wasn¡¯t in classical Greek philosophy. But it was in the Chinese one, wasn¡¯t it? And if it was, couldn¡¯t she summon and shape it? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. It was worth a try. She held her hand out and focused on what she wanted. An orb of metal. Metal. Metal! Nothing happened. It was not the empty feeling of the skill missing a target, like she¡¯d felt the first time she¡¯d attempted Elemental Manipulation or when she had attempted to Identify elements of the System windows. Rather it felt like she was pressing against a wall. If she had the strength, perhaps she could push through it, one day, in the future. But right now, summoning metal was beyond her. But, did her pot need to be made out of metal? It just needed to be made out of something fire-resistant, right? What about a stone pot? She tapped a stone sitting at the edge of her campsite. Could she use Elemental Manipulation on stone? She held a hand over the stone and engaged Elemental Manipulation. She could feel her control settling over the rock. She willed it to change shape, pushing down on the center and pulling up around the edges. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 3 She exhaled as she lost control of the spell a moment later. It fizzled out, having consumed 42 MP, leaving an uneven bowl where the irregularly shaped stone had been sitting. Cass grinned and picked up the bowl. It was maybe four inches tall, with a depression in the center barely 2 inches deep. It was roughly the same irregular rock shape rather than round and the walls varied in thickness anywhere from half an inch thick to three inches thick in one spot. It was a very ugly bowl. It had consumed nearly a quarter of her Focus. But it was a start, and she had time to make it better. Cass spent the next hour working on her cooking pot. By the time she was done, she had effectively gone through her Focus twice and she had a mildly ugly pot to show for it. It was finally mostly round with a fairly even lip and roughly even wall thickness. It had grown to six inches tall and five inches deep, though it had lost some radius in return. It was now sitting on a bed of coals in her fire ring, a handful of aster and dreamweed steeping in the magically filled water. Cass was watching it boil again gnawing on a potato. While she waited for her tea, she started working on a teacup. It was just as ugly by the time she was done, with no real handle, just a knob on one side she could hold onto while she scooped the body of the cup through the boiling tea. Still, it was infinitely better than drinking out of her hands. Cass settled up next to her fire, magic tea in one hand, gross potato in the other. The tea was sweet, the sweetness of the dreamweed covering the bitter of the aster, but earthy. She liked it. She liked that it was hot. She liked the floaty feeling that rose in her chest as she took another sip. It even made her potato taste better. Maybe, things would be okay? Cass nodded to herself. The night was dark and cold, but she had magic and tea, and really what else did a person need? She chuckled to herself. Foraging has increased to level 2! Cass raised an eyebrow at that. Why had she gotten that now? Was it because she had finally eaten what she¡¯d foraged? Did it not count if she only collected it? That made a kind of sense, she supposed. It was just picking wildflowers if she didn¡¯t eat them. Should she try to level this skill further? She was hesitant. All her concerns floated uselessly around the back of her head. She didn¡¯t want to become something or someone else because of them. But, her very survival depended on these System-granted skills. She¡¯d be starving tonight without Foraging, after all. Cass took a deep breath. She didn¡¯t have to think about this now. Either way, she should try everything she¡¯d collected and if that leveled up Foraging, so be it. Resolved, she lifted one of the pink dreamweed berries to her nose. It smelled faintly of sugar. Like someone had carried freshly baked sugar cookies through the room an hour or two ago. She popped it in her mouth. The skin broke and sweet juices spilled across her tongue. It was sickeningly sweet. Sweeter than any dessert Cass had ever had. There was a tingling across her tongue, like a numbing spice, like Szechuan peppers, but without the heat. But mostly, it was just unbearably sweet. Sweeter than those pure sugar lollipops on the plastic sticks they sold at amusement parks. Sweeter than straight sugar. Cass could feel her eyelids drooping as she swallowed the berry. Oh, right. The leaves could be made into a sleeping drug. The berry must have similar chemicals. She could feel herself swaying, her exhaustion and the berry mixing into an irresistible urge to sleep. She leaned back into the bolder behind her, away from the fire, her eyes flickering closed as she tried to resist anyway. The flavor coated her tongue. It covered every surface of her mouth. Sticky on her teeth. Like drowning in taffy. Like suffocating in cotton candy. Like she really couldn¡¯t breathe. Cass gasped, clutching her throat. She could barely keep her eyes open. Her thoughts had slowed to a crawl. But she couldn¡¯t breathe. She was going to die. Adrenaline and drug-enforced lethargy warred in her heart. It pounded loudly in her ears. Her lungs weren¡¯t moving. How did one inhale again? She couldn¡¯t breathe. This must be a poison. A paralytic toxin? She had to do something. The Thunder Sorrel. It was supposed to have toxin-neutralizing properties or something right? Would it counter this poison? There wasn¡¯t time to debate. She shoved the leaves in her mouth. Was it enough? Their sour flavor cut through the sticky sweetness in her mouth. It sliced through the numbness. She shoved another handful down her throat. She was losing her grip on consciousness. Would she wake up again? Would the poison freeze her lungs, leaving her to suffocate? Would some monster wander past her camp and devour her whole while she lay passed out? Would she just fall face-first into the fire and burn to death? But there wasn¡¯t anything else Cass could do. A moment later, she was asleep, collapsed in her nest of leaves, but again breathing shallowly. Ch. 15: The Elements Cass¡¯s pounding head woke her in the night. That and the freezing cold of the dark and the insistent beeping of the System. Thunder roared in the distance, adding to the ringing in her ears. The fire had gone out. The stone had cooled around her and was now doing its best to sap the little heat left in her body out instead. She shivered, chilled to the bone. The trembling wouldn¡¯t stop as she inched closer to her fire pit. Not an ember still burned. Her hands shaking, she clumsily piled the remains of her gathered wood over the cold coals. Clenching her teeth to attempt to control the chattering, she willed fire into existence with Elemental Manipulation. Nothing happened. She stared at her empty hands. She tried again. There was the briefest flicker of fire before it sputtered out again. She balled herself up, wrapping her arms around her shoulder, trying not to panic. She opened her status screen. Stamina: 5/8 (27) Focus: 43/59 (117) Health: 4/24 Status Effects: [- Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Bonus Wll Skill Growth - Disease: -75% max Stamina, -50% max Focus, -75% effective Wll, -50% effective Ala - Hypothermia: -1 Health/20 minutes] Cass squinted at the information in front of her. It hurt to focus on it. It hurt to keep a coherent thought. She just wanted to be warm. But through the fog, she was sure that the last two statuses were new. And bad. The system was beeping at her, the sound ringing in her ears and splitting her brain. The only thing she was sure of was that she needed a fire. She needed to be warm. And to do that, she needed Elemental Manipulation to work. She leaned over the fire pit, grimacing at the effort it took to move her aching body. On her knees, she put a hand at the base of her wood pile. Elemental Manipulation. A puff of flame burst from her palm with an outpouring of will. Her eyes blinked shut and she felt the world around her spin. She shook herself. Squinting at her firewood, she saw nothing had changed except the pounding in her head had gotten worse and her Focus had dropped again. Stamina: 5/8 (27) Focus: 23/59 (117) Health: 3/24 She could barely see straight. The pounding was overpowering her slipping thoughts. She knew only two things: she had one more chance to light it and she needed that fire. She needed more than the little puffs she¡¯d been casting. She needed the amount of fire she¡¯d made last night. Last night when she hadn¡¯t felt this sick. Last night when¡­ Blearily she looked over the disease¡¯s debuff. The numbers made her head spin. She knew they weren¡¯t that complicated. If she could hold more than one of them in her head at once it would probably be easy enough to figure out how much of what each debuff was doing. Yet, her pounding mind could barely handle playing spot the difference. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -75% to effective Wll That had to be it though. She vaguely remembered thinking Wll had something to do with the size of the fire she could summon. It was¡­ her eyes crossed as she briefly tried to calculate how much less she had. It wasn¡¯t important, she decided after a moment. She had much less now. She could figure that much out. But she didn¡¯t need that much fire to get the fire going. Just a match stick into a properly built pile of kindling. Cass usually left that to Kaye, her younger sister. Kaye was the pyro. Kaye was the outdoorsy one. It was Kaye who planned and organized the sibling camping trip every year. Kaye could build a fire with wet logs, a newspaper, and a good knife. Cass had seen her do it. Cass didn¡¯t like fire. Not near her body anyway. She liked it from afar. The glow at night. The warmth against the chill. The flicker in the wind. But she was more than happy to let others build it and maintain it. She blinked blearily over her cold fire pit. Kaye would have been able to start this fire without magic. She wanted to curl up and cry again. Kaye¡¯s face, awash with terror as Cass had fallen into the void, filled her mind. There wasn¡¯t time for speculation, but the questions echoed around uselessly in her head. What did they see? What did they do when she disappeared? What did they tell their parents? Were they okay? She was crying. Tears poured down her face. Her trembling shoulders heaved as her sobs wracked her body. Her head hurt. Her eyes hurt. Her chest hurt. Her wounds hurt. The cold soaked into her bones, robbing her of the comfort of even her body heat. She was going to die and no one she loved would ever know. She didn¡¯t know how long she cried over her fire pit. The cold kept sapping away her health and her will to move. Her throat grew hoarse from the sobbing. Eventually, she was too tired to keep it up. Her hopelessness transmuted into an empty numbness. Stamina: 5/8 (27) Focus: 29/59 (117) Health: 2/24 She barely had any health left. Hypothermia was going to be her undoing, the cold stripping her of everything she had left. She¡¯d woken in pain, but it was a faint whisper now, its force stolen by the cold. It would be so easy to collapse here. She wouldn¡¯t have to worry about monsters or food or sickness if she just let herself go now. But they would never know. Cass pushed herself up. Her body protested, but she ignored it. They had to know. She rummaged through the detritus around her fire pit. Her hands barely felt the ground beneath them, but she forced them to gather up a small collection of dried leaves and twigs. They had to know. She piled them slowly in the center of her fire pit, restacking her wood progressively bigger around them. It wasn¡¯t as tidy as Kaye¡¯s firewood back at the camp, but it had to be enough. She had to get back to them. She kept a single twig back from the pile. She held it in her left hand, one end up. Her right palm, she pressed up to the raised end. This had to work. She imagined what she needed the fire to do again and again in her mind. She had one chance. She didn¡¯t know if her Focus would recover enough for another shot before she passed out. This had to work. Elemental Manipulation! A single flame puffed into existence in her right palm. She caught it, wrapping her will around it, keeping it from puffing out immediately this time. She guided it the centimeters to the end of her narrow twig, willing it to catch. She barely breathed. It had to catch. All too quickly, her spell ran out. She held her breath as she felt the control slip from the flame. As she saw it flicker at the end of her twig. As it burned weakly in front of her like the world''s least impressive candle. It was too early to relax. Slowly, she leaned toward her firewood. She knew there¡¯d be no gust of wind to steal her fire, her Atmospheric Senses promised it. Yet, she still held her breath praying to the universe nothing would blow out her tiny flame. Slowly, carefully, she lowered it to her pile of kindling. Relief washed over her as the kindling caught and the flames spread. She watched her little fire grow, licking at the larger sticks before biting into them. Slowly, carefully, she fed it more, until the fire pit was again filled with flames. She let the heat soak into her. It did nothing for her headache or the pressure in her chest, but it was heaven on her freezing skin. There was still tea in the pot. Cass scooped a cup and cradled the homemade mug in her shaking hands. She sipped it carefully. It was only warm, not yet back to boiling. All the while, she watched her status, waiting with dread for the Health to drop again. Waiting with hope for the Hypothermia status to drop from the list. It happened simultaneously. Stamina: 5/8 (27) Focus: 14/59 (117) Health: 1/24 Status Effects: [- Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Bonus Wll Skill Growth - Disease: -75% max Stamina, -50% max Focus, -75% effective Wll, -50% effective Ala] Cass breathed out a sigh of relief and, with the released tension, passed out again, the exhaustion too much for her to handle. Ch. 16: Recovery Yet again, Cass woke with a killer headache and the ringing of system notifications. Was this going to be a common occurrence? She hoped not. This time at least, her fire was still burning low beside her and the sky was bright. Cass added another log to the fire and poked it until it was burning happily again before turning her attention back to the pinging notifications. Dreamberry poison Resisted Oh, this must have been from yesterday evening. She¡¯d poisoned herself. Good going, Cass. Skill Earned: Poison Resistance (lvl 1) [Poison, the assassin¡¯s weapon of choice. You¡¯ve survived an attempt on your life by man or nature, and have come out stronger for it. Passively increases your resistance to poisons and venoms.] At least she¡¯d survived and even gotten something out of it. But, maybe she needed to be more careful about what she put in her mouth. It just went to show, the System and its skills weren¡¯t all powerful. Foraging had said that Dreamweed was edible. And the leaves were. They were a great tea. The berries, on the other hand, were far too potent to eat like that. Maybe, they were edible if prepared properly. Cass didn¡¯t know. But she was going to have to use her own judgment in addition to the skill if she was going to survive. Speaking of the skill: Foraging has increased to level 3. It looked like trying poisonous berries was good experience as far as the skill was concerned. An experience she was going to do her best to avoid in the future, but experience all the same. She shook her head and opened her status. Stamina: 14/14 (27) Focus: 88/88 (117) Health: 11/24 Status Effects: [- Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Bonus Wll Skill Growth - Disease: -50% max Stamina, -25% max Focus, -25% effective Wll, -15% effective Ala] Still sick it seemed, but not nearly as bad as last night. Had the worst passed or had hypothermia exacerbated the symptoms? Either way, avoiding hypothermia was the goal. Now the question was how? First, her shelter. Or, perhaps, lack of shelter. The boulder behind her was better than nothing, but she was sure she could do better still. She wanted to be able to keep the heat around her, even if the fire went out again. That meant a roof. Maybe some more walls. Cass started with the roof. She put her hand on top of the boulder beside her and pulled on the stone with Elemental Manipulation. The stone resisted her influence, some inertia holding it in place. It felt exactly like dragging stone of this size through sand. Every inch was a staggering step in shifting sand. Cass refused to be daunted, pushing harder with all her Will. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 5. Five minutes later, Cass dropped to her knees, her head swimming and body sweating bullets from the exertion. She ran her hand over her work. She¡¯d managed a shallow outcrop, maybe as wide as her shoulders and as deep as her palm¡¯s width. Focus: 41/88 (117) 47 Focus for the smallest ledge? Cass sighed, she had her work cut out for herself, huh? This was going to take a while. While Cass waited for her Focus to recover, she placed the vineroot potatoes she had remaining in her fire pit to cook. She had no desire to eat them, and her lack of appetite wasn¡¯t helping, but she didn¡¯t have the luxury to be picky. Speaking of which, she was almost out of the things she¡¯d gathered yesterday. There was still plenty of Dreamweed, but she¡¯d eaten all the Thunder Sorrel in a panic trying to counter the Dreamberry poison. Would she risk wandering back up the river to find more? She hadn¡¯t seen a monster along the river on her way down, but there was no guarantee her luck would hold. On the other hand, did she want to risk eating anything she foraged without Sorrel on hand? Things would have gone very differently if she hadn¡¯t had any last night. Moreover, there was no guarantee no monster would show up on the cliffside here. Her chances of running into a monster were the same whether she moved or not, weren¡¯t they? Cass bit her lip. Put like that, there was no reason not to go back to foraging, huh? She grabbed her staff and set off under stealth toward the river. She had only gone a few yards from the campfire when a wave of exhaustion swept over her. She staggered, only staying standing with the help of her staff. A fog settled over her brain and a pressure built behind her eyes. Something pressed in on her chest and every muscle protested in sore strain. She put a hand to her forehead. What was this? Stamina: 13/14 (27) Focus: 44/88 (117) Health: 12/24 Status Effects: [- Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Bonus Wll Skill Growth - Disease: -75% max Stamina, -50% max Focus, -50% effective Wll, -25% effective Ala] Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Why had the disease status effect spiked suddenly? Cass staggered back toward her campfire again. A single step was all it took. The effects lessened again instantaneously. [- Disease: -50% max Stamina, -25% max Focus, -25% effective Wll, -15% effective Ala] Cass took an experimental step forward again. [- Disease: -75% max Stamina, -50% max Focus, -50% effective Wll, -25% effective Ala] Cass stumbled back again and took a deep breath in the immediate and unexplained relief. Something was making her illness worse when she walked that way. Why? How? New questions, Cass slowly made her way around her campsite, looking for the borders of this new effect. It was an unpleasant process, taking a couple of steps in a direction, being bludgeoned by the brain fog and fatigue, stepping back toward her campfire, then repeating the process again. It took a couple of minutes, but it was clear her respite was centered around her campfire. If she left the area immediately around it, her disease spiked. Cass sat beside the fire, her staff over her lap, nibbling a vineroot in thought. So it was an effect of her camp that was reducing her illness¡¯s symptoms then, rather than something in the area increasing them when she left. It also probably meant that the spike in symptoms last night had more to do with her fire going out than from Hypothermia specifically. But why did a campfire make such a difference? Cass nibbled the bitter potato another minute, turning over different options and theories. She snapped and brought up a skill. Setting Camp (lvl 1) [The worst part of traveling is that you can¡¯t sleep in your own bed. This skill will make that slightly less painful. Curate the comforts of home wherever you go! Increased efficiency at setting up camps in wilderness settings. Increased bonuses to staying at camps you set up or helped set up: This had to be it. Either ¡°increased rest regeneration¡± or ¡°increased campfire efficiency¡± was the answer. Now the question was what did she do about it? There were only two options: stay put or set out anyway. The smart thing was probably to stay put until her illness passed. But how long would that take, exactly? She had no medicine. She had only a little bit of food. If her food ran out before the disease, she would die. But if she ran into trouble outside her camp, that was also the end, wasn¡¯t it? She ran a hand through her hair, scowling. There was no right answer. Just two gambles with unknown odds. Eventually, she stood again. She¡¯d split the difference. She¡¯d leave the camp, but she¡¯d stay within sight of it. There had to be things to eat up here. More wood for her campfire if nothing else. Only after she¡¯d gotten a better lay of the nearby land would she reevaluate wandering further off. Nodding to herself she stepped out of her camp, bracing herself for the awful increase in her symptoms. Dizzy but determined, Cass made slow staggering loops around the camp. She activated Foraging every couple of feet. The fog Foraging placed over her vision was worse while paired with the brain fog over her mind. Cass pushed through it anyway, following the sparks of color in her spinning vision to a tall, woody weed with white flowers. Queen Fallhel¡¯s Collar [In the same family as Fennel, this is a hearty perennial herb that prefers dry and sunny hillsides, but which can withstand extended periods of flooding if already well established. The bulb and shoots are popular vegetables in certain cuisines. The flowers and seeds have a strong licorice flavor and contain many vital nutrients.] With some effort, Cass dug it up and dragged it back to her campsite. Stepping back over the threshold of her camp she breathed a sigh of relief and looked closer at her find. She had a non-potato staple food now! Here¡¯s hoping it tasted even a little bit better. Cass glanced back out at the wilderness beyond her campsite. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry to get back to exploring. Maybe she¡¯d make herself some tea? She readjusted her pot in her fire pit so the coals surrounded the stone basin on every side then summoned water into it with Elemental Manipulation. She dumped the last of her aster into it with a couple of leaves of the dreamweed and a floret of the Fallhel¡¯s Collar that she just found. It was a risk to include the new foraged plant, but between being related to fennel (something she knew on Earth was eaten in its entirety) and the description calling the flowers out as specifically nutritious, it seemed a safe bet. While she waited for that to boil, she looked over her shelter again. She¡¯d pulled the top of the boulder out earlier, not paying attention to where that stone had been moved from. But could she make more from her effort if she was smarter about this? She put her hand on the boulder, right where her back usually rested against. She ran her Focus through the stone, grabbed a shallow sheet of the surface, and pulled it up and along the boulder¡¯s surface. The material resisted her manipulation again, but it was less this time. She kept at it, moving one sheet after another, taking material from the base where she sat and pulling it to the gradually extending ceiling. A few minutes later, Cass had doubled the width of her ceiling and tripled the amount it extended, all with the same amount of Focus. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 6. Setting Camp has increased to level 2. Cass grinned to herself. She was getting it now. It looked like improving her campground would count as experience for Setting Camp. Hopefully, that would increase the area and strength of the illness-suppressing effect of the skill. It was something to work toward. Her tea had begun boiling while she¡¯d been focused on her roof. She took a minute to scoop up a mug full. Staying hydrated was important. Boiling the water was good practice, even if she was pretty sure summoned water was safe to drink as is. None of this was an excuse to hide the fact that Cass just really liked tea and really needed something small to look forward to right now. While she waited for it to cool to consumable temperatures she Identified it, more on a whim than expecting it to come back with anything interesting. Cass¡¯s Medicinal Tea [Although brewed by an amateur with no experience mixing their own tisanes, this combination of herbs is a potent brew with a delightfully earthy flavor. Minor increased resistance to illness Increased resistance to symptoms of diseases Increased Health, Stamina, and Focus regeneration] Cass¡¯s eyes went wide. What? Had she actually stumbled onto something good? She took a hesitant sip, her concerns about Fallhel¡¯s Collar completely forgotten. Like the system had said, it was a rich earthy flavor, the licorice flavor of the Collar blending beautifully with the Aster and sweetened by the Dreamweed. A warmth spread in her chest and Cass felt lighter than she had in a long while. Skill Earned: Herbal Concocting (lvl 1) [Mix plants into medicine or poison according to your whims and your luck. Increased information on plants with concocting potential. Slightly increases the information on concocted entities. Passively increases one¡¯s understanding of how to make the most of concocting ingredients and basic techniques.] Of course, Fallehel¡¯s Collar would have synergizing effects with Verid¡¯s Aster, boosting fairly minor and general Health recovery to¡ªCass interrupted her own thought. What was that? There was an entire theory about the effects of Queen Fallhel¡¯s Collar spinning in the back of her mind, turning over the effects of combining it with any and all of the other plants she¡¯d run into since arriving. It all made perfect sense to her, but also, she had not known any of that literately thirty seconds ago. She sipped her tea¡ªtisane, there were no tea leaves in it, so it couldn¡¯t actually be tea, now could it? She shook that thought aside, she wasn¡¯t calling it tisane, that was a stupid word, even if it was more accurate. Oh, hell, had she known that before either?¡ªand tried and failed to calm down. This was good, she reminded herself again. This was going to reduce the chances she ate something poisonous again. This was exactly what she needed to treat the illness she¡¯d picked up. This was not an existential crisis tearing at the very concept of her self and autonomy and personhood. This was good. She drank the rest of her tisane¡ªtea, damn it¡ªtrying to enjoy the warmth in her chest and the wind on her face. Trying not to think. When she¡¯d finished the mug, she opened her status again. Stamina: 16/20 (27) Focus: 76/99 (117) Health: 13/24 Status Effects: [- Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Bonus Wll Skill Growth - Disease: -25% max Stamina, -15% max Focus, -15% effective Wll, -5% effective Ala] See, good. Her Health was steadily recovering. Her max and effective stats were much less negatively impacted. Her head already felt clearer. Things were looking up. How many times did she need to say that before her heart believed it? Ch. 17: Next Not thinking about it was easier than trying to convince herself of something, so she threw herself into her next task. Armed with her tea, she braved the creek again, walking quietly under Stealth to collect more plants. Thunder Sorrel, Vineroot, and Dreamweed lined her pockets along with handfuls of other interesting plants her higher level Forage reinforced by her new Herbal Concocting identified. There was no time to worry about how the skill could affect her if she was busy keeping her eyes out for monsters and searching for the plants which would be the difference between dying of starvation or disease and survival. When she brought them back, she threw herself into further camp improvements. She dumped another round of Focus into creating her stone roof, then used Elemental Manipulation to make herself a crude axe. She scurried back to the creek bed and chopped down the reedy Palis Typha she¡¯d found growing in the shallow water. They were soft and springy. She laid them over the floor of her shelter for better cushioning and insulation from the cold ground. Set Camp has increased to level 3. It would be a better mat if she lashed them together, wouldn¡¯t it? Maybe it would be a good idea to give that another try? Something complicated like a chair was too much for her to figure out on her own, but she understood the concepts of weaving well enough to apply it to this, didn¡¯t she? Her hands moved with precision and confidence she didn¡¯t possess, easily weaving the reeds into a narrow mat. An effect of Set Camp, she supposed? Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it. She needed this. She did not want to wake up with hypothermia again. She wanted to wake up tomorrow morning. She didn¡¯t loiter on her new bed. There was more she could do. There had to be something more she could do. A wall, maybe? Atmospheric Sense promised that the boulder kept most of the wind off of her and between that and her roof, that would do a lot to keep the heat of her fire around her even as night fell around her, but if she had a wall opposite her or to either side, wouldn¡¯t that be better? She¡¯d need to leave space immediately around the fire so the smoke could still escape, but... She was already up again, her axe in hand. There was a copse of young trees she¡¯d seen on the far side of the creek with straight and narrow trunks. If she cut them down, she could tie them together and lean them against her roof to create a wall. It was both harder and easier than she¡¯d expected. She¡¯d imagined cutting them down with ease and then dragging them back one at a time with some difficulty. That¡¯s how it would have gone for Earth Cass with a real axe. However, her stone axe was not a particularly effective tool. It took a lot of tries to get the stone blade to cut and a few modifications to the cutting edge with Elemental Manipulation. But once down, Cass was surprised at how easily she lifted and carried them. It was her nearly doubled Strength stat, she realized. She was almost twice as strong as Earth Cass had been. She shook the thought aside. She could reflect later. Right now there was work to do. She carried them back and stripped them of their branches before lashing them together with her vines into wide pallets. She leaned it against her boulder roof and moved some of the loose stone to the base to brace it in place. She sat down and got another mug of tea. The sky was darkening above her. Either the day was ending or the storm was about to worsen. Atmospheric Sense promised it was the first. She was as prepared for the elements as she could hope to be. Her shelter was like night and day from last night. She had plenty of firewood. She had shelter. She had a sleeping mat. She would be fine. She sipped her tea, watching the forest over her fire. The dark woods grew darker still as the light faded, even the bioluminescence of the magic plants fading with day until it was a dark and formless mass. Her hands gripped a little tighter around the teacup. There was nothing out there that could hurt her. How often had she said as much back on Earth while staring into the dark? It had been true as a child scurrying from her bedroom to the bathroom in the dark of night, long after her parents had already gone to bed. It had been true as a college freshman, walking out from her eight p.m. class to the bus after lecture, the eerie quiet of campus after dark pressing in on all sides. It had been true on Earth. She knew it wasn¡¯t true here. She¡¯d seen the things lurking in the forest. She couldn¡¯t make herself arrogant enough to think she was safe here. She took another sip of her tea, letting the warmth wash over her. Embracing the calm the dreamweed instilled in her. Choosing not to think about the monsters certainly lurking just out of sight. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. After all, she had been in the area for more than 24 hours now. If there was something that wanted to eat her, it could have easily done so last night while she was ravaged by the poison and hypothermia. Maybe there was something out there, but maybe there wasn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t have anything she could do about it, so it was best to let it go. She added ¡°the potential of giant, Cass-eating monster¡± to the pile of things to not think about. She broke a shoot off of her Queen Fallhel¡¯s Collar and bit off a chunk. It tasted unpleasantly like celery and root beer had been fused, but it was still better than the potato so she kept eating it. Night had fallen properly over the valley. The sky darkened to an inky black. Cass couldn¡¯t see an inch beyond the light of her fire. The world beyond her camp could have dissolved into the aether and she wouldn¡¯t know. She looked away from the dark, focusing on the fire before her. The flames danced happily, unaware they were all that separated Cass from complete despair. They crackled, feeding on the wood. A calming sound. She closed her eyes and she was back with her siblings. If she opened them, she¡¯d find herself in her camp chair, a book in her lap, Robin walking over with a pair of marshmallows on a skewer for each of them. Kaye¡¯d be prodding the fire with a big stick, fussing over air flows and hot spots and whether there were enough logs on the pile. Cass would ask what the plan for tomorrow was. Robin would name a trailhead. Kaye would ask if they could actually hike it tomorrow or if Cass planned on bringing her flower identification guide again and stopping every three feet to consult it on another plant. Cass would indignantly protest that characterization, but wouldn¡¯t have any intention of removing the book from her day pack. Cass would take a marshmallow skewer from Robin, and he¡¯d push another into Kaye¡¯s hands. The three of them would eat their way through an entire bag of marshmallows before letting the fire burn low and turning in for the evening. Her hands would be sticky and sweet from the marshmallow oozing over them. She would not have a chance to read her book, she¡¯d be too busy laughing with the other two. The night would be cold, but it was so warm there beside them. She opened her eyes, her heart aching. Of course, she wasn¡¯t back. She was still sitting in her makeshift shelter. Still sick. Still alone. *** The next three days were hellish. She spent them coughing and sneezing and dying of a fever. Her Medicinal Tea was perhaps the only reason her fever didn¡¯t kill her outright. On the fourth day, Cass woke up feeling better than she had in days. Stamina: 27/27 Focus: 117/117 Health: 24/24 Status Effects: [- Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Bonus Wll Skill Growth] Cass sat up, stretching experimentally. No stiffness, no soreness, no headache. The wounds from her first day here were gone, not even a trace of a scar anywhere, not even over her shoulder where the terrorcat had taken a big bite out of. Magic. Amazing. She poked her fire and forced herself to eat another vineroot potato. She¡¯d run out of the other vegetables she¡¯d found. She hadn¡¯t once felt hungry since she¡¯d arrived, which must be the stress suppressing her appetite. If finals in school were enough to do it, it was hardly surprising life or death survival would do the same. As she chewed the unappetizing root, she considered her next move. Staying here was out of the question. She had no interest in setting up a permanent home out here. Cass glanced up at the sky. It was the same as ever, but eventually, those clouds would break, pouring their contents on anything and everything below. She wanted more substantial cover when that happened, and this cliffside just wasn¡¯t it. But, if she left, where did she go? She¡¯d spent as much time as she could watching the forest below her cliff for signs of people. So far there was no indication there was another sentient being in this whole forest. She could try to find her way back to the summoning circles. Maybe there was a hint as to how to use them to send her home there. Maybe there were people who maintained them who would pass by and help her. The only problem was she had no idea how to get back to them. Follow the creek upstream, and then what? She hadn¡¯t followed anything in particular from the cliffs to the clearing where she¡¯d fought the terrorcat or when she¡¯d fled the clearing and the giant badger. She had very little confidence she could find her way back. And then there were her quests. Beginner Quest (4): Slay the Lord of the Pass Beginner Quest (5): Slay the Lord of the Forest Beginner Quest (6): Slay the Lord of the Deep She frowned at the quests. They didn¡¯t feel like ¡°beginner¡± quests to her. They sounded much more like boss monsters, and really not like something she should be trying to beat at level 4, never mind she had no idea where to find these monsters in the first place. She was at a loss. She was alone without direction, and she was doing everything she could not to curl up in a ball and collapse under the strain of it all. She needed an objective. Something more immediate than ¡°Get home¡±. Something more achievable than ¡°Find people¡±. Something more concrete than ¡°Survive¡±. But she didn¡¯t have even an inkling of what she should be doing. Cass stared out over the forest below her from her ridge. The forest was dangerous, but not as dangerous as she had first thought. Yes, there were monsters here. The Lordling was still far above her level. The terrorcat had nearly killed her. But she¡¯d hidden successfully from the Lordling and the terrorcat had died instead. Better yet, she had seen nothing more dangerous than small rodents since camping on the ridge top, suggesting the real beasts had their own territories and were not omnipresent. She gripped her staff tightly, making her decision. She would start by exploring the ridge. She¡¯d follow it as far as she could and see where it took her. Staying up here would give her a view of the forest below giving her a better chance to spot people if they existed. Better, the wind blew steady across the ridge, she¡¯d follow it, and if she ran into trouble Wind Step would get her out of it faster up here than in the denser forest behind her. ¡°Explore the Forest¡± wasn¡¯t significantly more concrete than her other goals, but it felt more achievable. And she needed a win. She could do this. She would survive. She would get home. Ch. 18: Boar Fight Despite deciding to move on, Cass didn¡¯t just up and leave right away. Instead, she packed up her sleeping mat, rolling it into a long tube. She made herself a strap for it from a vine and slung it over her shoulders. She left her pot and tea cup. They were heavier than she wanted to carry and were easy enough to make again later with Elemental Manipulation. Only then did she set out, staff in hand, sleeping mat over one shoulder, pockets full of herbs and potatoes. She walked along the cliff side, keeping the cliff to her right and walking with the wind at her back. It danced up the cliff side, rolling in eddies and rotors as it crested the ridge and joined the flow running above it. It was as rocky and dry as ever, the plants here thin and scraggly. To the left, the forest thickened again, the trees shielding the bioluminescent specimens in exquisite darkness. She cycled her attention between the forest below the cliff to her right, looking for a new destination; the forest to her left, keeping an eye out for monsters waiting to jump out and eat her; and Foraging, looking for something, anything, that wasn¡¯t a vineroot. About an hour into her hike, a snap of wood to her left froze Cass in place. Her eyes snapped to the dark woods, scanning them for the noise¡¯s source. Her brain summoned images of the monsters she¡¯d seen so far. The hound. The lordlings. The terrorcat. The badger. It invented new terrors. Wolves and bears and lions. Faceless men and tentacle-armed amalgamations. Shadows with screeching voices and beasts with horns and fangs and claws. All the while, her eyes frantically searched the dark, her hands gripping around her staff. Should she run? She could just run. She didn¡¯t need to know what it was. It could be nothing. It didn¡¯t matter. If she ran she would definitely be safe. Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A brown streak rushed from the forest underbrush. Cass didn¡¯t have time to react. It barreled into her, knocking her from her feet, something sharp piercing her side accompanied by a jolt of electricity. Cass flew back, bouncing over the rocky ground, her muscles spasming from the lightning running through them, pain overwhelming. Eventually, she skidded to a stop. She wanted to lie there dead, but fear pushed her back to her feet before that impulse could take root. Standing tall in front of her, snorting and snarling, was the largest boar Cass had ever seen. It was about chest high at the shoulder, its eyes beady and mean, its tusks curved and cruel and already blood-soaked. Thunderback Boar Lvl 4 [A common species of the Uvana Valley. Completely immune to lightning and an adept swimmer despite its appearances, there are few large mammals as well adapted to the seasonal conditions of the Valley. They are one of the few who do not go to ground outside of the dry season, instead taking the opportunity to expand their range.] The same level as her, yet it had knocked her back so far? Cass put a hand to her stomach, where its tusk had gored her. It hurt but it wasn¡¯t actually that deep. It was not as bad as when the terrorcat had bitten her shoulder. The boar snorted, pawing the ground with a hoofed foot. Cass needed to make a decision. Did she fight this thing or did she run? Running was the smart thing to do, wasn¡¯t it? Running minimized her chances of getting hurt. Running meant living to see another day. But didn¡¯t it also mean stagnation? This world had levels. Levels that went up through killing and carnage. The terrorcat had brought her to level 4. It was only because she was at level 4 that her Fortitude was at 7 rather than 2. That might be the only reason she was standing here rather than curled in a crying ball on the ground. Levels meant strength, which meant survival. She was the same level as the monster, but what about next time? What would she do if it was level 5? Or 7? Or 10? This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Did she want to keep running for her life? Would there come a point where the level difference would make running impossible? Her hands curled tighter around the staff. This was stupid, but she needed to do this. If she couldn¡¯t kill a monster her own level how could she survive long term? The boar charged again. Cass¡¯s eyes widened as panic froze her body. She wanted to fight, but what exactly did that mean? She swung her arms down on the approaching boar. Somewhere in the back of her mind Staff Mastery had suggestions. Like a backseat driver, it yelled commands at her. She could move better. Hit harder. The boar slammed into her before the staff could connect. The monster¡¯s thrashing head knocked her legs out from under her as it charged past. It skidded to a stop, electricity arching off its back as it did, while Cass scrambled back to her feet. Staff Mastery begged Cass to widen her stance, to hold the staff differently. Cass knew she should listen. It probably had her best interests in mind. That was probably how one properly wielded a staff. But if she listened to it here, then what? How much of her actions would she let the system dictate for her? She swung the staff again, hitting the boar on its flank as it turned again. Wood hit flesh with a smack. The boar snorted in frustration, its snout thrashing at Cass¡¯s legs. Cass backpedaled, sweeping her staff at its face as she did. Staff Mastery suggested it would be more effective if she lowered her center of gravity, if she swung with her whole body, if she did more than just flail in panic. She ignored it. She could do this. She could kill this thing on her own. She could level up on her own. The boar charged again. Who was she kidding? This was too much for her. She wasn¡¯t cut out for combat. She wasn¡¯t even very good at real-time combat in video games. She turned. She ran. The boar was faster. It slammed into her, its force ramming through her. Like a pedestrian over a car¡¯s windshield, she rolled over the boar as it sailed through her. She needed to get up. She needed to run. This was a bad idea. This was stupid. She was wrong. So wrong. She wasn¡¯t cut out for this. She staggered to her feet. The boar was already facing her, pawing the ground again. She couldn¡¯t outrun it. She would just have to Wind Step away. She¡¯d be gone in the blink of an eye. And why was she more comfortable with Wind Step, exactly? Why could she rely on that skill, and Foraging, and Identify, and Set Camp, but not Staff Mastery? Why Stealth, but not Staff Mastery? She didn¡¯t have an answer. Foraging didn¡¯t alter her actions. Wind Step was something so completely alien to her human experiences. Atmosphere Sense she couldn¡¯t turn off. The information provided by Identify was more like a game wiki than internalized knowledge. Stealth was what she wanted to do. She didn¡¯t want to fight. She didn¡¯t want to kill. She didn¡¯t want to be good at it. But she needed to survive, didn¡¯t she? She needed to be what the system wanted her to be. The boar was charging her. Running at her full tilt. There wasn¡¯t time to get out of the way. Staff Mastery begged her to lower her body. To plant her staff in the dirt and angle it toward the charging mass of squealing monster. Cass hesitated. She could still Wind Step. The wind around her swirled and gusted. It promised freedom and safety. She could just keep running. She would find a safe harbor eventually. Staff Mastery kept begging. It didn¡¯t promise anything. Just survival. Just this one moment. Cass planted her staff. Guided by Staff Mastery, she held it like a spear, the narrower end pointed at the charging boar. The boar didn¡¯t slow, instead it veeried to the left thrashing its head angrily. Lightning arching off its back in every direction. As soon as it had passed, Staff Mastery suggested Cass get back to her feet, to take a stance. Cass did, her body comfortably finding the position the skill suggested. It was easy. It was natural. It was terrifying. Her staff whipped out after the racing boar, snapping after its legs, its knees. There was a crack of bone breaking, a squeal of pain. It was that easy. Limping, the boar continued. It thrashed its tusks at Cass. Her staff deflected the strike and slammed down hard on one of its beady eyes. A jab to its snout. A heavy blow to its temple. Strike after strike after strike. Cass was a blur of motion, her body moving on instincts she did not possess. Natural. Effortless. Terrifying. Staff Mastery has increased to level 4. The boar didn¡¯t stand a chance. It charged again, but she slammed her staff into the boar¡¯s head. Off balance on its broken leg and battered body, her strike drove it down, arresting its charge. Stunned, it was unable to get back up as she brought her staff down on its skull again and again until she felt the bone give under her strike. Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points A rush of energy overflowed through her. She inhaled in surprise. She felt stronger. More potent. Like the world around her was more vibrant and she more real. The feeling faded quickly, but the memory of the sensation hung at the edges of her mind. It almost made her want to go find more monsters to fight so she could level up again. Almost. In its place, she felt the ache of her injuries. The first gouge to her stomach was the worst of it, but she would be bruised all over before the day was up. She should have just run. She should have just listened to her skill from the get-go. She inhaled sharply, collecting up her sleeping mat which had been knocked off her body early on in the fight, and restringing it over her body. Yes, she was injured. But, she had come out stronger for it, hadn¡¯t she? Another level in Staff Mastery. Another overall level. 7 more stat points. 4 she could put toward whatever she wanted. This was what she needed to survive. Ch. 19: Wind Step She briefly considered trying to butcher her kill. Boar was a meat people ate, wasn¡¯t it? She needed to eat to survive. Cass stared down at the dead pig. It was a gory mess. Nothing like corpses in video games. Her stomach twisted and she took a step away from the body. Corpses in video games were tidy affairs. Usually the same character model as the living version. Usually just rag-dolled across the floor. And that was if they didn¡¯t explode into a cloud of pixels leaving only sweet, sweet loot behind. There was no blood. No split skin. No shattered bone. No crushed skulls. She closed her eyes and took another step away from the body. Real death was so much worse than video games and movies made it seem. She pressed that aside, focusing back on her survival. Butchering the pig. Could she do it? She thought about it another minute but kept coming back to a simple answer: No. There were at least three problems, though Cass was sure if she kept thinking about it, she¡¯d come up with more. The first was that she didn¡¯t have any tools to do the butchering. Sure, she could make an axe out of stone, but that was different than a butchering knife. She¡¯d need to cut meat from bone, remove internal organs, remove the hide. That wasn¡¯t the job of a heavy blunt blade (not in its entirety at least). This was glossing over the fact that Cass didn¡¯t have any experience butchering in the first place. She¡¯d never so much as deconstruct a chicken, much less a larger animal like a normal-sized pig, never mind a behemoth like this wild, magic boar. With a sharp knife, was she willing to give it a go anyway? Probably. Without one? She wasn¡¯t about to try to rip it apart with her bare hands. Secondly, even if she did butcher it, then what? She couldn¡¯t carry it. It was enormous. Even taking a part of it would be challenging and gross. She didn¡¯t have a bag or anything to wrap it in. Third, what would she do if the smell of blood and flesh brought scavengers or worse? She¡¯d survived the terrorcat through luck as much as determination. The boar had been manageable, thanks to her system skill in the end. She didn¡¯t know when this streak would run out, leaving her a bloody corpse on the forest floor and she was unwilling to increase that risk. She shook her head and started walking away without looking back. Nope, definitely nope. Nothing she could do about it. Better to just keep moving. Cass continued her watch of the forest and the cliffside, placing more emphasis on using Stealth with every step. She didn¡¯t need another boar racing out of the underbrush at her. As she walked, she considered what to do with her new stat points. Perhaps the fact that boars were sneaking up on her now was a sign it was time to do something about her Perception. It was her lowest stat after all and the only one she had yet to increase. A boar had snuck up on her! They weren¡¯t exactly animals known for their grace or stealth. If a boar could sneak up on her, what else was lurking out of sight? She sighed and dropped all of them into Perception. Per 5 -> 9 She blinked as the world snapped into focus like it never had before. For half a second, she thought her glasses had magicked into existence over her eyes, but honestly, the world was even sharper than that. And it wasn¡¯t just sight that had improved. Her ears were inundated with the sounds of the forest around her. The creak of wood buffeted by the winds. The chitter of the rodents scampering in the boughs above and scrambling through their burrows below. The buzzing of the cicada and the like hiding in the brush all around her. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Scents she hadn¡¯t noticed wafted through the forest. Herbs she recognized from her foraging. Rot and blood from the decaying dead. The sweet smell of the wind blown from afar. Even her unnatural senses seemed sharper. She could feel a bead of lightning forming in the clouds above. It was still miles away, but she could feel its power building from here. There was something else in the air too. Something that had hung at the edges of her senses for days now. Separate from Atmospheric Sense she was sure, but similarly unnatural. But once again, she found it too nebulous to name. She took a deep breath and let her new senses settle. It was a lot all at once, but after a moment she had no trouble processing it all. It had surprised her initially, but she found that it neither overwhelmed her nor faded into the background. That settled, she continued along the ridge, melding with the wind with her Stealth. She still didn¡¯t quite understand how it worked. She suspected it had to do with the ¡°(Wind)¡± tag next to the skill, though why or how completely escaped her. As she moved while trying to be stealthy, besides the instincts on how to move her body to reduce noise and the amount she disturbed her surroundings, she also seemed to flicker out of sight, almost as invisible as the wind. And just like Wind Step, it seemed more effective if there was wind to meld with. Eventually, her ridge came to an end, dropping almost as sharply ahead and to the left as it did on her right. The wind gusted over the ridge. It spun and twisted, shooting down the back of the hill and out over the forest ahead of her in equal measure. A crossroads, if she¡¯d ever seen one. Follow the hillside down into the depths of the forest? Return the way she came and find out if the ridge went anywhere in the other direction? Or ride the wind with Wind Step through the skies? The last option excited her, even if she wasn¡¯t sure if that was some slyphid instinct whispering in her mind or her inner daredevil finally waking up. She didn¡¯t even know if she could do it. So far, Wind Step had pulled her along the ground. She hadn¡¯t managed to ride a gust into the air even where they did take to the skies. For all she knew, if she tried to ride the wind she¡¯d fall down the ridge immediately. She closed her eyes and felt the wind, letting Atmospheric Sense fill her. No, even if the gust blowing out from the ridge dropped her, plenty more ran across the ridge¡¯s face. She¡¯d be able to catch herself again. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 3. So, she had decidedly three options:
  1. Return the way she came and stay on the cliffs.
  2. Go down into the forest to her left.
  3. Ride the wind, see what she could do and where they took her.
She still had no destination in mind. She still had no idea in which direction she might find people or monsters. (The answers were nowhere and everywhere respectively, if she had to guess.) If every direction was the same, shouldn¡¯t she do the one that excited her? That was apparently enough. She had barely decided she¡¯d try before she engaged Wind Step and let herself be taken up by the gusting winds. She faded into the wind. She was the wind. Atmospheric Sense still burning strong in her mind, she could see how the winds twisted around her. She stepped between gusts with ease and let them carry her fast and far. She grinned, incorporeal and invincible, racing over the tops of trees below. She spun with the wind, through the towering branches of the lightningwood and the accumulating clouds that clung to their highest reaches. She rode the gusts up and over the next ridge and then the next. More and more wind joined her, they streamed together, faster and faster. Exhilarating. Better than fighting. Better than leveling. She was moving faster than cars on the highway. There was no stopping. Just speed. Just freedom. The thought had barely crossed her mind when she noticed a sharp downturn of the wind. The entire river of wind funneled straight down after the next ridge. She tried to lower herself to land on the ridge before she was slammed down into the ground, but she was too high and moving too fast. By the time she was level with the ridge top, she was pulled past the ridge. Pulled down into the chasm hidden just beyond it. The wind was sucked down. It spun and eddied down, losing speed and direction as it flitted about. By the time it hit the bottom of the chasm, it wasn¡¯t even enough of a breeze for her to ride and she was unceremoniously dumped out. She landed on her side, but she had slowed to such a degree there was barely any force in the impact and Cass stood without effort. Wind Step has increased to level 2. Ch. 20: The Cavern Cass looked up at the tear of grey skies far above. She was at the bottom of a very deep, very long, tear in the ground. And there wasn¡¯t much in the way of wind down here. Just a tiny draft slowly spinning from one end of the cavern to the other. The cavern ran more or less straight in either direction, with shelves of stone lining the otherwise shear walls. Occasionally, those walls were dotted with cave entrances. In the distance, she could hear the gush of water, though she couldn¡¯t tell if that was a surface river dropping into the crevice or an underground river water falling into another underground chamber somewhere below her. It was dark, but the glowing mushrooms of the forest above had followed her down and sporadically sprouted from what looked to her to be sheer stone. They lit the underground space well enough. It was only a little darker here than it had been under the forest canopy. All in all, except for the man-sized beetle in front of her, she wasn¡¯t any worse off than she had been before. The man-sized beetle in front of her was kind of worrying though. Neither she nor it had moved since she stood up. Identify! Lesser Titan Roach Lvl 7 [It''s a small giant cockroach. They are as gross as that sounds. Where you find one you will find a lot more. They are adept at simple spell casting.] Cass did her best not to shudder at the thought of more of the things. Or that this was just a ¡°Lesser¡± variant. Or that it could do magic. She and it stared at one another unmoving: she hoping it wasn¡¯t as aggressive as the monsters on the surface; it probably wondering where the humanoid had come from. Or maybe what humanoids tasted like. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t sentient enough to wonder anything. Cass had no idea and frankly didn¡¯t want to find out. Suddenly, it was in motion. And so was Cass. It skittered back, its wings vibrating, sending the air around it into a whirl of razor blades flying toward her. They were invisible to her eyes and ears but she could tell where they were and how they moved with Atmospheric Sense. There weren¡¯t many of the blades, thankfully. She sidestepped one. It missed her by a hairsbreadth, only possible because of her heightened dexterity and Atmospheric Senses. Skill Earned: Dodge (lvl 1) [Bob and weave. The best defense is not getting hit in the first place! Passively increases one¡¯s reaction time to a small degree. Actively increases one¡¯s speed in getting out of the way and advises on how best to move one¡¯s body to avoid unwanted impacts. Modified by Dex.] Cass didn¡¯t actually read the new skill notification, but she felt the instinct to move a little more to the right as another wind blade flew from the cockroach¡¯s wing. It clipped her cheek, she wasn¡¯t quite coordinated enough to get entirely out of the way. But it was a shallow slit instead of a deep gash under her eye. She didn¡¯t let the injury slow her as she chased after the cockroach. It was fast, but she was fueled by disgust. She and her staff caught up quickly. She swung at it. With a SQUELCH her staff went through one of the wings and broke its exoskeleton. Her staff came away with a booger of gooey, green guts attached to the end. But the thing wasn¡¯t done. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. It spun on her, rearing up. One of its front legs swung down on her. She raised her staff to block. The impact sent her flying. She bounced across the cavern floor away from the bug. She blinked away the disorientation as she pushed herself back to her feet. She was sure that she felt the impact before the leg hit her. Moreover, she was sure the bug hadn¡¯t summoned a wall of wind with its arm to knock her back. Atmospheric Sense wouldn¡¯t have missed something as obvious as that. The cockroach had gone back to whipping up wind blades. They were less effective now that it only had one wing, but that didn¡¯t seem to stop it or cause it to re-think its strategy. Cass was able to avoid them easily at this frequency while she considered her opponent. Honestly, despite its higher level, Cass didn¡¯t feel pressured by its power or skills. She¡¯d already crippled it and could likely do it again just as easily. But the attack that had knocked her back made her nervous. If she couldn¡¯t figure out how it did that, who knew what else it could do? More importantly, this was just one cockroach. One ¡°lesser¡± cockroach. There would be more of them. There would be stronger versions of them. She would likely find groups of them before she found her way out of this crevasse. If she couldn¡¯t figure out how to avoid this now, who knew how it could be used against her later? So, she was going to figure it out. Except to do that, she was probably going to need to take that attack a few more times. She checked her stats real quick. Stamina: 24/30 Focus: 83/117 Health: 20/25 Between the slice to her cheek and getting knocked back, she hadn¡¯t been too badly hurt. The wounds she¡¯d taken from the boar earlier were worse, even with her super healing working their magic on them. She was down a little Stamina from the running and dodging, but she could feel that recovering now even as she continued sidestepping the wind blades. At this range, at this density, they just weren¡¯t that much of a threat. She could get out of the way without much effort. Her Focus was still down from the Wind Step that had gotten her into this mess, but that too was already recovering. All in all, as long as nothing else showed up, she could afford to experiment with the cockroach. Steeling her nerves, she rushed the cockroach again. She tried to keep to its injured side as there were fewer wind blades shot in that direction. This time as she got close the bug turned before she could strike. Again, it swung at her. She tried to dodge this time, her dodge skill instructing her to step under the attack. She tried the maneuver, but again found herself sprawling backward. She landed better that time, bouncing back to her feet. She was certain now that it wasn¡¯t a wind attack or the bug¡¯s arm. There was another force at play. She dove into the fray again. And again. She could feel it, at the edges of her senses. It was that other mystery sense, the one that was like Atmospheric Sense but was something else again. She watched the bug, almost, almost able to feel it. There was a pulse of it. And another. Cass watched, tapping her foot as she felt each pulse. Whatever it was doing to push her back, it was using something similar regularly. Pulse, sidestep wind blade. Pulse, sidestep wind blade. Pulse, sidestep wind blade. She blinked. Why were the pulses accompanying wind blades? She watched more closely. It happened as the wind blades were summoned. She clicked her tongue as she realized what it was. It was so obvious she almost laughed. She could sense magic. Skill Earned: Mana Sense (lvl 1) [Through careful observation of the forces of unspooled potential, you have come to see it in all its glory. Intuitively sense the position, type, and movement of mana. Modified by Per. Modified by understanding of what is being sensed.] She grinned. Focusing on the skill, the world lit up with the glow of magic. Mana hung in the air, breathy and sparse. The cockroach glowed brightly with Mana. It accumulated along its wing before forming the blade of wind. The wind glowed just as brightly as it sailed through the cavern toward her, dimming as it passed her, darkening to nothing as the spell sputtered out behind her. She raced forward, ready this time. As she approached the cockroach, it once again spun to face her. Mana accumulated in its arm. It swung down, the mana flying out and spreading as it did. But she could see it this time. This time she knew what she was dodging. Dodge had her leap to the right. She did and burst toward the bug again as soon as she was clear. Grinning, she slammed her staff down on the thing¡¯s head. It squelched into a gooey mess and her grin was replaced with a scowl of regret as the smell of its guts overwhelmed her. Dodge has increased to level 2. Mana Sense has increased to level 2. She shook off the feeling and moved away from the bug. Her staff was covered in cockroach guts. She used Elemental Manipulation to wash it off. It took three castings before she was satisfied. Was that the most strategic use of her Focus? Probably not. Good for her already strained mental health? Unquestionably. Ch. 21: Cockroaches Cass looked up and down the cavern, wondering what next. Her goal was still to find people, eventually. People seemed unlikely in an underground cavern like this, so she probably wanted to get out again as soon as possible. Atmospheric Sense informed her the air was sinking into the chasm, and even if there was enough wind to Wind Step, she¡¯d just end up right back here. As for walking¡­ The cavern stretched in both directions as far as she could see, the ends disappearing into the dark. There was no way up onto any of the shelves on the wall and by extension into any of the many caves dotting the walls. If there was a way up to the surface from here, she didn¡¯t see it. Lacking any compelling reason to go one way or another, she started walking left. The crevasse was brighter than she would have expected a deep gash in the ground to be. Part of that was it was probably about noon, and the sun (still hidden behind the clouds) was at its highest and brightest point, but part of that was the luminous mosses, lichens, and mushrooms clinging to the walls and floor in bands of riotous color. The most common by far was a blue-purple lichen that ran in twisting swirls over the walls, bathing the entire cavern in an eerie blue light. Starlight Lichen [A common growth along the walls of the Uvana Deep.] Amid the swirls of the lichen, mushrooms of every size poked up from cracks in the rock. Many of these too glowed, either to Cass¡¯s ordinary sight, her new Mana Sight, or both. Why some of the mushrooms were magic and others weren¡¯t, Cass didn¡¯t have the slightest clue. Identify wasn¡¯t overly helpful in that regard either. For example: Flintshoom [A small, red mushroom. Dry to the touch and highly flammable.] glowed in her Mana Sight, but nothing in the description screamed ¡®magic¡¯ to her, while: Mordin¡¯s Breath [A formless yellow fungus. Known to decrease the ambient temperature of the area around it by a noticeable degree. Large patches have been reported to even instantaneously freeze nearby animals alive.] did not glow at all, despite ¡®freezes stuff instantaneously¡¯ striking her as a definitively magical effect. Cass had not puzzled out what the connection between glowing to her Mana Sense and magic properties was before she spotted another cockroach. More accurately, she saw a cluster of six of the things. Her skin crawled at the sight of them. They sat in the center of the corridor, doing whatever cockroaches the size of people do. She didn¡¯t want to get close to them. She didn¡¯t want them to exist. Thinking about them made her a little ill. She definitely didn¡¯t want to fight them and get their gooey guts all over her staff again. She shuddered at the thought. She skirted around them, leaning heavily on Stealth and keeping to the cavern walls. The cockroaches didn¡¯t so much as flinch in her direction, not that Cass was looking at them any more than was strictly necessary. Stealth has increased to level 5. Cass didn¡¯t glance back as she cleared them, hurrying away from the awful bugs, every step she put between herself and them a weight off her shoulders. Her relief didn¡¯t last long. Another group skittered around the cavern just ahead. This time there were three of them. Could she kill three of them at once? Identify said they were levels 6, 4, and 8 respectively. She was level 5 and had killed a single level 7 by itself without much trouble. She certainly had no moral qualms about killing them. They were gross and creepy and would appear in her nightmares going forward. They were probably good experience to level up with. Was that species-ist against cockroaches? Probably. Did she care? Not really. Very few things evoked the same kind of visceral wrongness as cockroaches larger than a person. But, there were several reasons to avoid fighting them anyway. First was the inherent risk in any fight. She had walked off her earlier injuries, the wound on her face entirely closed now, the gouge from the boar only a touch sore when she moved wrong, and the bruises she¡¯d been expecting entirely absent. Her Health had taken a hit again for this: Health: 17/25 Her best guess was Health worked as a kind of healing pool, it only drained as her injuries healed and only recovered when she was uninjured. As long as there were points in her Health, she healed magically fast. As for what happened when it dropped to zero, she could only assume that still worked like video games, and that would mean her death. All this to say, fights meant injuries, which meant draining her Health, which meant death¡ªand not necessarily in so many steps. No reason to court injuries if she could avoid them entirely. Second, she didn¡¯t know if these cockroaches were the kind of monsters that called for backup if placed in danger. The one she¡¯d fought on its own didn¡¯t, but it had also been on its own for some reason. Although she optimistically thought she could fight three at once if she needed to, more than that was more than she had the confidence to try. She shook her head. No, better just sneak around again. This wasn¡¯t a risk she needed to take. Again she slipped silently down the corridor, the wind whirling quietly around her. The passage darkened as she continued forward, the crack in the earth that she¡¯d fallen through narrowing at the surface level until it had closed above her entirely. Did the cockroaches like that? Was this just one long cockroach-infested crack? She shuddered. She needed to think about them less but it was hard when she¡¯d seen so many. Was this even the right way? What if this only took her deeper into the earth? She could turn around, but that would take her past the roaches again. Just ahead, the cavern split into two, the only noticeable difference between the two pathways was one was spotted with cockroaches and the other was not. It was an easy choice. She followed the cockroach-less one. The one with fewer cockroaches was always going to be the correct choice. To her dismay, it was the one with fewer, not none. A group of four filled the walkway a couple hundred yards down the path and around a bend. Three of the four were bigger than the one she had fought before. The fourth was much smaller. Identify! This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Lesser Titan Roach (Lvl 6) Lesser Titan Roach (Lvl 9) Lesser Titan Roach (Lvl 7) Titan Roach Lookout (Lvl 8) [Did you know some cockroaches are gregarious? Titan Roaches are. They even breed specialized members of their community. This is one such member. It''s much weaker than its siblings but its senses are unmatched by anything at its level.] No sooner had Cass read its description, than she felt a pulse of mana. It washed over her harmlessly, but immediately the smaller Lookout turned toward her. Its bigger siblings followed its gaze. Cass froze. She wasn¡¯t behind any cover, she¡¯d just been relying on Stealth to blend her in with the shadows and the ever-so-slight draft that wafted through the cavern. So far that had been enough. But so far she hadn¡¯t been up against anything specializing in Perception. The lookout¡¯s wings flared as did its mana. Cass was moving before the cockroach¡¯s spell engaged. Her staff whipped forward to strike the lookout. One of the other roaches scuttled up to intercept, swinging a leg down in a Mana Strike. Cass sidestepped the wall of mana but stepped into a wing blade cast by one of the others. The blade struck her arm, slicing another gash in her clothes and rending her flesh. Blood ran down her arm worryingly quickly. The forward cockroach was winding up another Mana Strike. She stabbed at its face with her staff, disoriented it long enough for her to land an overhead blow directly to its head. She heard a squelch and felt a surge of energy and Roach #1 was dead. The other three weren¡¯t idle. The two Lessers, Roaches #2 and #3, were shooting off an endless barrage of wind blades. The air was filled with them. Atmospheric Sense saw a few safe paths through but there was zero room for error. The Cass of Earth about a week ago would have stood no chance of reaching the remaining roaches. Cass the slyphid, enhanced by her magic stats and armed with Dodge and Atmospheric Sense might be able to make it. She bolted forward, weaving her way between the blades. She was halfway to the Lookout again when it sparked with magic. Cass¡¯s Mana Sense wasn¡¯t refined enough to understand exactly what it had done, but she didn¡¯t need it to see that all the wind blades had changed direction. Changed direction to angle directly at her. Cass tried to dodge out of the way, even got out from in front of the first couple. But they followed her. Three sliced deep before she got out of range. She panted heavily, doing her best to ignore the pain and the blood. The Lookout made the Lesser¡¯s Wind Blades tracking. Tracking Wind Blades. What was she supposed to do about that? She was glad the cockroaches were content to wait for her to reenter their range, rather than chasing her down the hall. On the other hand, if she had been able to pull them down the hall there was a non-zero chance she could slip past them instead of fighting. Perhaps they knew that and stayed put to prevent such a tactic. Perhaps they did not care about her enough to give chase. It was impossible to say. She sighed. Now would be a great time to have a ranged attack. And why didn¡¯t she? All those roaches were doing was manipulating the air, right? Wasn¡¯t air just another element? Technically, no. But technically, neither was water, stone, or fire, so maybe now wasn¡¯t the time to chase that technicality. More to the point, air was just as much a classic Greek element as water or fire. If she could control those two, air shouldn¡¯t be any harder. Stamina: 12/30 Focus: 117/117 Her stamina was flagging from her mad dash away and dodge attempts, but her Focus was topped off again since her last Wind Step. Max Focus and patient targets conveniently demonstrating the skill she wanted to copy? Another sigh escaped Cass¡¯s lips. Seemed like there was no time like the present to give this a try. Elemental Manipulation! She grabbed a ball of air in front of her. As quickly as she could she compressed the ball into a pancake, thinning and thinning the edges as well as she could. She held her control tightly, refusing to let her shaped air escape. And then she just needed to throw it. She pushed the disk as fast as she was able, releasing her control as soon as it reached the edge of her range. She felt it disperse within inches of leaving her control. Focus: 57/117 The entire process had taken almost a full minute and cost her 60 Focus. Completely unusable as a combat skill from top to bottom. Before she tried again, she watched how the mana moved around the cockroaches¡¯s wings. Watched how quickly it accumulated, how it grabbed the air, how it burst off toward her. She tried again, this time grabbing a specific pattern of air instead of a sphere. She started with the shape she wanted this time. It only took her a couple of seconds to form and throw her disk of air. It cost 3 Focus instead of 60, though it disintegrated just as quickly. She watched the cockroaches¡¯s Wind Blades. The blades maintained the roaches¡¯s mana until just before they disintegrated at the edge of their range, where they fell apart even faster than her proto-blades did without her mana. That meant one of two things: either the area the cockroaches could control mana in was significantly higher than her range or they knew how to imbue their mana into their Wind Blades even after the Blades left their area of influence. Mana Sense has increased to level 3. Either way, she wasn¡¯t sure this was a problem she could solve here and now. So what now? Throw herself at the enemy again? Hope that the Lookout could only set so many Blades to track her? Back off and find another way out? It wasn¡¯t like she knew that this was the right way. She considered all the cockroaches on the other path and shuddered. More importantly, if there were more Lookouts that way, retreating wouldn¡¯t help. She¡¯d just run into bigger groups armed with a lookout or two. The odds would only be worse. No, she needed to keep going. She needed to find a way to beat them. If she couldn¡¯t hit them from here, then she needed to get closer. She was probably 10 yards from the roaches. Not overly far, but far enough that they could blast her with more than enough Wind Blades. If only she had a method for blocking them. She took a step forward, her staff ready. It was time to try something. She was just inside their range. Immediately, the nearest Wind Blade redirected toward her. As it approached, she swung her staff through the blade. The impact knocked her back and left a notch in the wood. Not what she wanted but she had another idea. Again she stepped forward. Again she readied her staff. Again the Lookout redirected the nearby Wind Blades. Just before her staff and the Wind Blade struck she activated Elemental Manipulation again, grabbing hold of the air around her staff, willing it into perfect stillness. The wind struck her rod of stillness and broke on the obstacle. The mana-infused air swirled off in either direction. Cass grinned. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 7. She raced forward, enforcing stillness on the air around her staff just before each additional Wind Blade struck it. It was hard to do while moving. She mistimed it twice and was knocked back, losing forward progress and momentum, with each failed attempt. But, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop her beeline for the Lookout. Her staff went down on its head with a sickening SPLAT. Trailing roach guts, she spun on the Lesser to her right. She swung up at it but this was the highest level of the original three Lessers and apparently, that came with a better battle sense. It used its Mana Strike to block her swing. Caught up with the first roach, she couldn¡¯t do anything about the Mana Strike from the roach behind her. It slammed into her back, knocking the air from her body. She stumbled away, gasping for air. Roach #3 followed, preparing another Mana Strike. Roach #2 fell back, shooting Wind Blades around its companion. That was fine by Cass. Without a Lookout, the Wind Blades were easily dodgeable. Not even a threat compared to the roach approaching to fight at melee range. Or, that was what she would have said, if her vision wasn¡¯t blurring from low Focus and her legs and lungs weren¡¯t both screaming as her Stamina dropped dangerously low. Stamina: 4/30 Focus: 39/117 This was easily the longest single fight she¡¯d ever been in and there had been a lot of running and a lot of bleeding. Concentrating on the opponent was becoming difficult. But there was no backing out here. She threw herself at Roach #3. It swung a Mana Strike at her, its arm swinging down like an executioner¡¯s axe. Dodge said to jump out of the way, Atmospheric Sense said to go left. She did as her skills instructed. A Wind Blade blasted past #3¡¯s right side. #3¡¯s Mana Strike hit empty air. Cass¡¯s staff splatted the roach into the stone floor. And Cass was sprinting forward again, dancing around the incoming Wind Blades with Dodge. The last roach attempted to turn to fight her in melee. She didn¡¯t give it the chance to turn. Her staff pounded into its body again and again until the bug was lying in yet another gooey pile before her. Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Dodge has increased to level 3. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 4. Cass collapsed to her knees as the power of her new level stormed through her body. A grin crept up on her face despite her proximity to roach guts and her overwhelming exhaustion. She didn¡¯t like fighting, she reminded herself, but the results from surviving were every bit worth it. She glanced over her stats. Stamina: 5/33 Focus: 39/117 That was far too close for comfort. Stamina didn¡¯t look too bad, until she remembered her max had been 30 before the level-up, meaning she¡¯d finished that fight with only 2 points remaining. She didn¡¯t know what would happen if she ran out of stamina (or any of her pools) but she doubted it was good. Would she have passed out? That would have been little better than dying if there were still enemies around. She groaned, feeling the pain in every inch of her body. That Mana Strike to her back had been the final straw. She hadn¡¯t been doing great before then, and the blood still dripping down her arm wasn¡¯t helping, but her whole body wouldn¡¯t ache if not for that. Somehow, she pushed herself back to her feet. Leaning heavily on her staff, she hobbled a little way down the cavern. She needed to find a safe place to recover without more roaches showing up for a fight. Cass activated Stealth, though she could almost feel the skill just throwing its hands up and shaking its head asking her what she expected in this situation. There was only so much one could apply stealth to a pained and exhausted hobble. She followed the offered nudges anyway. Anything better than the prospects of another fight. Ch. 22: Herald of the Deep Cass walked as quietly as her injured body would allow, weaving between the narrow stalks of tall mushrooms along the sides of the chasm. Another group of cockroaches waited ahead. Four more. She held her breath. Would she need to turn around? If there was a Lookout she wasn¡¯t going to make it past. If there was a Lookout or even a particularly perceptive Lesser she might die here. She identified each, one after the other. Lesser Titan Roach (Lvl 4) Lesser Titan Roach (Lvl 12) Lesser Titan Roach (Lvl 7) Lesser Titan Roach (Lvl 8) None were a Lookout, but level 12 was the highest-level cockroach she¡¯d yet seen. Would it have a higher Per than its fellows? Would it see her? Would it smell the blood still oozing from her arm? Could roaches smell? They didn¡¯t have noses¡­ She shook her head. She needed to focus. She couldn¡¯t stay here. She couldn¡¯t go back. She crept around the edge of the cavern, like a ghost. Every step was a gamble against odds she had no way to calculate. How good was her stealth exactly? According to Cass¡¯s Earth sensibilities, she was just tiptoeing down the hall, nothing should stop someone from seeing her amid the glowing fungus and their shadows. Sure, her footfalls were silent to her ears, but what good was that if something needed only to glance in her direction to spot her? And yet, nothing did. Another step. And another. Stealth promised she¡¯d go unnoticed, but what authority did a skill really have? How could it know more than she did? She shunted that thought to the side. It wasn¡¯t a worry she had the space for now. The breeze around her, generated and guided by Stealth, reassured her that she was safe. That she was wrapped in a cocoon none could penetrate. She didn¡¯t know how that worked, only that it was far more fragile than the skill wanted her to believe. Had the boar earlier not noticed her through it? Another step. The cockroaches hadn¡¯t moved. Not toward her. Their antenna twitched, but it was the same idle movement they¡¯d been at since the beginning. It definitely wasn¡¯t toward her. It definitely wasn¡¯t because of her. They couldn¡¯t see her. Not without a Lookout. Her body hurt. The tension from walking in such a controlled manner wasn¡¯t helping. Every step sent pangs up her spine. She wanted to wince and to cry and to complain. She didn¡¯t dare. Another step. They were behind her now, but it was too soon to celebrate. A clumsy step would still be heard at this distance. She couldn¡¯t scuff her boots over the hard stone or splash into any of the low-lying puddles. She needed to avoid the squelching mud and the dry plant debris blown down from the forest far above. Another and another step. Finally, the cockroaches were out of sight and Cass allowed herself a relieved sigh. She leaned heavily on her staff, wishing the blood oozing down her arm would stop. She needed to find somewhere to rest and she needed it now. Somewhere the cockroaches couldn¡¯t get her and she could rest until her wounds closed up. Her eyes scanned the walls as she walked. Eventually, she found a crack in the wall just barely wide enough for her to fit into that opened up into a small cave. It was a little over waist height off the ground and took some effort to climb up into and then to shimmy through the narrow opening. But that just meant it would be even more difficult for man-sized cockroaches to get into. Once inside, she could feel her skill, Set Camp, appreciatively evaluating the site. She dropped her sleeping mat on the floor and propped her staff beside the entrance, before flopping onto the mat. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep, but that had to wait. She needed to set camp first, and that meant a fire. She arranged a couple of loose stones into a ring beside the entrance and dropped the collection of Flintshrooms she¡¯d shoved in a pocket into the center. It was time to see how flammable these were. She used the Focus she¡¯d recovered while walking to light her fire, watching the mushrooms spring up into little, but hot, flames with ease. Set Camp has increased to level 4. Foraging has increased to level 4. She lay on her mat for a minute, soaking up the feeling of safety her skill created and the increased Focus regeneration camp provided, before shaping a bowl and filling it with Elemental Manipulation. She then set about cleaning her wounds and staff with the water. When her wounds had been cleaned and her staff no longer had cockroach guts hanging from it, she forced herself to eat another vineroot potato, one of the ones she¡¯d pre-roasted at her last campsite. Only then, did she let herself collapse into a dreamless sleep. *** Cass woke up sometime later to the sound of clicking. She didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d been out. It was hard to tell at the best of times with the heavy clouds. It was impossible underground. A glance at her status and a general appraisal of her body suggested it had been more than a couple of hours, though. Stamina: 33/33 Focus: 117/117 Health: 13/26 Health had gone down again in trade for healing her wounds. The gouge from the boar was completely closed, as had the long gash down her arm from the cockroaches and her bruising had faded to mild aches. But her Health was rather low now, she needed to be more careful. She shook her head. As if she wasn¡¯t careful already? The fire had burned down to coals, the flintshrooms completely unrecognizable in her fire pit as ashy lumps. It was still surprisingly warm beside them, even though it was only embers now. It was probably time to move on. She was rested. She was healed. She did not want to stay underground any longer than she had to. She packed up and crept up to the entrance to her camp. She started to peer around the corner but stopped at the last second. She flared Atmospheric Sense instead, pushing it to the limits. There was a lot of air movement. Something big with a lot of legs was moving down the corridor walking toward the cockroaches she had passed earlier, away from the passages she had yet to explore. She tested Mana Sense next. Unlike Atmospheric Sense which felt almost more like sound, providing information in all directions as long as air connected it, Mana Sense was more like vision, or an overlay for her vision. She had a dim feeling for magic behind her, the same way one might be able to identify a lamp behind them, but for the most part, she could observe Mana best in front of her. That being said, the wall was barely an obstruction to Mana Sense, being all but inert. She could see Mana through it easily. It gave her a hint at the shape of her large moving creature in the corridor outside. It was long, like a snake. And it had a lot of Mana available. The thing glowed orange and angry in her sight. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Mana Sense has increased to level 4. Stealth has increased to level 6. A level for Stealth? Why? Was it as simple as she had figured out how to gather information on something without exposing herself? She¡¯d puzzle it out later, she decided as she poked her head around the corner, now certain that the thing¡¯s head was nowhere nearby. If she hadn¡¯t already seen the man-sized cockroaches, Cass might have screamed. If Cass was any more squeamish around bugs, she might have screamed anyway. As it was, Cass took a deep, steadying breath and darted back into hiding. The largest centipede to ever exist was pounding down the corridor. It was huge. Wider than the roaches. Wider than a car. Wider than a two-lane road. Its girth filled the corridor to bursting, its millions of legs rubbing up against the cavern¡¯s sides. Its carapace was a dusty brown. Its legs shining black. It moved silently except for the quiet click of its legs against the stone floor. She glanced out one more time. Identify! Ancient Centipede (Herald of the Deep) Lvl 25 [The Lord of the Deep has many servants, none so powerful as the Ancient Centipede. This being¡¯s carapace is as hard as stone and its venom burns like lightning. All that falls into its grasp is prey before it.] Sub-quest found! Beginner Sub-quest: Defeat the Lords¡¯ Heralds [No Lord is unprotected and each Lord has treasures they value almost as much as their own lives. Defeat each Herald or take their treasure for yourself to grow your power. Reward: Granted per defeated Herald or stolen Herald treasure. 0 of 3 collected.] Cass took another deep breath. This was just the mini-boss? She pulled up the related quest. Beginner Quest (6): Slay the Lord of the Deep [In the darkest crevasses of this world lies the worst of beasts. Slay their lord and prove your dedication. Reward: All Beginner Bonuses become Inherent Traits] If the mini-boss was level 25, how strong was the boss? Level 30? Level 40? She looked at her own measly level 6 and shuddered again. What was the average level of this world? If ¡°beginner¡± missions had her fighting monsters in the 30s or above, how powerful was the average person? Was hundreds normal then? Several hundred? How weak and insignificant was her level 6? How weak was Earth in comparison? She was stuck with her thoughts as she waited for the centipede to pass. She couldn¡¯t kill the centipede. That was obvious. But the quest said ¡°defeat¡± not ¡°slay¡±. There was a difference, though she still didn¡¯t know what it was. Additionally, she just needed to steal its treasure. That had to be easier than defeating the thing. Then again, it wasn¡¯t important. The quests were incidental. They weren¡¯t her goal. Her goal was to get home. To survive and to get home. But could she survive if she couldn¡¯t complete them? If the average person could kill these kinds of monsters, what was to stop them from accidentally crushing her? Would anyone take her seriously? She shook that thought away. Why would martial power matter? On Earth, the ability to kill someone seldom came up. Why would it be any different here? There was law and order. There had to be. She might not be a citizen of wherever she¡¯d ended up, but she should still be able to expect a certain degree of grace. She would survive. She would find someone who could get her home. She would go home. She needed a distraction. The centipede was still outside. Oh! Stat points. She had 4 Free Points available! She could place those. She pulled up her stats. Str - 7 Dex - 12 End - 11 Wll - 18 Ala - 14 Res - 13 Frt - 7 Per - 9 Vit - 7 Free Points: 4 She considered her last fights with the boar and the cockroaches. What could she have used more of? Her Strength and Dexterity were just fine. Each successful strike on the roaches had been a kill. She shouldn¡¯t expect one-shot kills on everything she ran up against, the roaches had exceptionally low Fortitude as far as she could tell, but she hadn¡¯t struggled to break the bones of the boar on the surface either. She¡¯d been fast and dexterous enough to dodge all but the tracking spells, with the help of Dodge, and more Dexterity wouldn¡¯t have made a significant difference against those. How could she have handled those better? Dodging them was beyond her. She¡¯d needed to block them somehow. Her wind wall with Elemental Manipulation had been pretty effective, but what would she do about other ranged attacks? Would a wall of air be enough? The issue wasn¡¯t the ranged wind blades, so much as it was the unexpected attack. She needed a bigger buffer in which she could either avoid or soak up damage while she figured out what was going on and what she would do about it. Second was her energy, both her Stamina and her Focus. That last fight with the cockroaches had been the longest so far, and it had nearly drawn everything she had. She still didn¡¯t know what would happen if she ran out of either, but the best case was she¡¯d be too tired to move, worst case she straight up died. Most likely, she passed out. Either way, if there was something mean lurking around when they ran out, she would die. And maybe, if she had a real ranged attack, she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about either concern too much. If she¡¯d been able to shoot the roaches from outside their range it wouldn¡¯t have even been a fight. But she didn¡¯t know how to make that happen. The cockroaches knew how, but she didn¡¯t. Was it that they had a skill for it? Did she just need more of one of the mental stats, like Wll or Res? Was Ala in between them also a mental stat? Was it the answer? How did one increase the range of the Focus or Mana or whatever it was one could control? Cass didn¡¯t feel any closer to an answer as she stared at her options. End, Res, Frt, Vit? One each? Just End? Just Frt? Just Vit? Bet on Wll, Ala, or Res granting her a ranged attack? Once again, she wished she had someone to explain the pros and cons of each. What would she give to understand the theories on proper stat distribution? She¡¯d never missed game wikis so much as she did now. Or other people. Or not needing to worry about whether her ¡®build¡¯ was optimal. Hell with it, one each. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to think about it anymore. Was that wrong? Was it inoptimal? No amount of theorizing about it on her own would give her a better answer. The only thing definitely wrong would be to not spend them. End 11 -> 12 Res 13 -> 14 Frt 7 -> 8 Vit 7 -> 8 The stats soaked into her body. She felt more solid. Sturdier. Not heavier exactly, but more substantive. More real. The centipede was still outside, powering down the corridor on its endless legs. Did it have an end? Was it just an infinitely long monster? What was possible here? The clicking continued, fast and furious and endless, a thousand feet carrying down the cavern. Until, finally, she saw the twin tail of the monster, segmented like the legs beneath it, pass and the click of those thousand legs faded into the distance. She hesitated a moment in the doorway of her side cave, just to be certain it wasn¡¯t coming back, not daring to move a muscle. It was too big to turn around in this cavern. It couldn¡¯t come back, the logical voice in her head assured her. But what if it does? pure paranoia whispered. Cass quieted the thoughts with a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t coming back. Not right away. Not right now. And it was loud. She would hear the click of its feet over the stone floors before she saw it. She forced herself to step back out into the main cavern. The centipede only reinforced her desire to get the hell out of these caves. This was not a place she wanted to stay. She activated Stealth and slunk down the corridor, opposite the direction the centipede had gone. She watched her surroundings carefully, cycling between actively watching Atmospheric Sense and Mana Sense. She was pretty sure she could run both at once but it was hard to do while also focusing on moving like a ghost. She figured it was better to do both well one at a time in quick succession than both just okay all the time. She didn¡¯t find any more roaches, which was just fine by her. There were some more beetles that didn¡¯t have any Earth counterpart as far as she knew as well as several spiders the size of cats. They ranged in level from as low as 3 to as high as 18, most falling around 13. She gave all of them wide berth, and either they didn¡¯t see her through her Stealth or were uninterested in her as they let her pass. Eventually, she came to another fork in the path. It was an open room with a high ceiling. Three wide passages forked off of it, including the one Cass stood in. Dozens of smaller paths also dotted the walls, some at ground level, others yards up the walls. Some of these were person-sized, others as small as Cass¡¯s fist. At a glance, there was no obvious difference in the paths besides size. Some slanted up, others down. Some were dark, some illuminated with glowing shrooms and moss, most were somewhere in between. She flared Atmospheric Sense, pushing it as far as she could reach. She was pleased to discover she could tell which paths ended in dead ends quickly. The vast majority of the small paths were dead-ends. A couple joined wider paths again before long, most one of the two in front of her if she was reading the airflow correctly. The major paths both continued far beyond what Cass could sense, however, they both possessed hints at what might be ahead. The air in the right-hand path felt stagnant and thick. Something hung in it. Oppressive and hot. The air of the left path picked up speed as it moved away from Cass. It was free, running to an open space, not outside just yet, but perhaps far closer than she¡¯d been. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 5. It seemed an obvious answer as to which way to go to get out. But Cass found herself hesitating. The sub-quest flickered at the edge of her mind. As obvious as the left path seemed to be the way out, the right path seemed the obvious path toward the centipede¡¯s lair. It would be safer to leave of course. She had no idea what the reward for stealing the thing¡¯s treasure would be. Or even what its treasure might look like. Hell, it was a monster, there was no guarantee that the treasure was even something a human would value. But she knew where the centipede was. It had gone into cockroach territory. Presumably, it would be distracted with the things for at least a little while. Wasn¡¯t this a chance? The rewards could help her survive better. Or it could get her killed. No, the smart thing to do was to leave quickly and quietly, and then¡­ And then what? Sneak through the rest of the forest? Hope she didn¡¯t run into any other Heralds or their Lords or any monster more than three levels over her own? Hope she would run into people who could help her? Hope they¡¯ll help her from the goodness of their hearts? What choices¡­ She couldn¡¯t have said which thought was the deciding one, just that her first foot forward routed her right. Right into the lair of the Centipede. Ch. 23: The Lair Cass regretted her decision almost immediately. But she was unwilling to let herself fall into indecision by second or triple-guessing the choice. The only absolutely wrong option was to still be standing there when the Herald came back. She kept Stealthing forward, her senses sharp. She almost wished they weren¡¯t. The further in she went, the worse it smelled. Rot and iron hung heavy in the air, overwhelming her stat-heightened senses. The only consolation was there were no monsters yet. Nothing so far wanted her dead. Lots of the dead though. Bones and chitin lined the walls. Dried flesh clung to some; others were picked clean. A chill ran down her spine. Her stomach twisted. Every step was laden with regret. But she didn¡¯t turn around. She had to see this through. More and more of the bones had meat on them. More and more of the flesh was not yet petrified by time. To her right was the skeleton of a large rodent. It lay a top of a pile of similar bones. Strips of flesh and furry skin hung from its arms and clung to its ribs. Still soft and fleshy and putrid. Something slunk through the bone pile, climbing up and through an empty eye socket. A centipede. And just the first of many. Another crawled out from behind the skeleton. Another chewed on the decaying flesh. More slunk along the walls. Still more coiled around the remains of a cockroach, already half devoured. They ranged in size from barely bigger than Cass¡¯s hand to barely smaller than Cass. This wasn¡¯t the Ancient Centipede¡¯s Lair, but its nest and nursing ground. Panic flared, her steps falling faster and faster down the cavern. This was a mistake. This had been a horrible mistake. She Identified one. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe these were harmless bugs. Maybe¡­ Young Cressarian Centipede Lvl 2 [Very few of this species survive to adulthood. Competition between siblings is fierce, with over half killed by a sibling for resources before leaving the nest. Those that survive will have the strongest venom and the cruelest disposition.] Maybe they were vicious bugs that would murder an outsider as easily as their own family. Still, that suggested they were unlikely to team up and swarm her. Hopefully, their venom was something she could handle. Hopefully, it wasn¡¯t something she was going to need to handle. The cavern just kept going. The rancid smell of death hung heavier with every step, the centipedes to either side, bigger. Regret snapped at her heels like hunting hounds, but she couldn¡¯t turn around. Why had she come this way? Why hadn¡¯t she taken the other path? Why had she thought she could handle this? Why? Why? Why? Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. But she couldn¡¯t get herself to turn around either. Maybe it was simply the certainty of all the centipedes between her current location and the exit. Maybe it was the possibility that there was a reward waiting for her at the end of this path. Maybe she was too stubborn to give in, even to her own fears. All she knew was each step was fast and frantic, a desperate plea to find the end of this tunnel. Ahead, the cavern changed. Natural stone was replaced abruptly with polished steps, intentionally carved and placed. They led up between a pair of Greek columns, all of it in the blackest and smoothest of stone. Like polished marble. She climbed them, paranoia mounting with each step. This was her first concrete evidence that sentient beings lived in this world. Someone had at some point built this temple here. How long ago was that? And why put it at the back of a natural cavern? Atmospheric Sense promised that there was no other entrance at the back. If there was another way in, it was sealed so tight not even a draft slipped through. The temple was a single room, too small for the enormous Ancient Centipede to fit in. The walls were polished, black brick. The floor looked to be tiled in the same material. In the center of the room, on a black podium, sat an orb. Her eyes agreed with Atmospheric Sense, there was no other way into this room, just the entrance she still stood in. She ran her hand around the walls anyway. She¡¯d take any chance she didn¡¯t have to sneak past half a mile of decaying monsters and baby centipedes. The walls were sturdy. Neither Mana Sense, Atmospheric Sense, nor touch found any indication the walls were anything but. She sighed. She was stalling. Oh, she definitely wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. There was the worry the Herald would come back and kill her. But a glance at the orb in the center of the room was all Cass needed to know that the treasure was not good news. It was a black orb. The room wasn¡¯t meaningfully illuminated, the nearest lighting coming from some luminous moss just outside the temple. That left the room deeply shadowed. One would have expected that. They also would have expected the back of the temple to be the darkest. Instead, the shadows pooled around the orb. And it looked worse to her Mana Sense. It glowed an angry crimson and vibrated like a hornet¡¯s nest. The thing oozed an aura of malevolence. It was thick enough that even Cass wasn¡¯t willing to chalk it up to nerves. She almost walked away from it. She Identified it instead. Orb of Shadows [The treasure entrusted to the Herald of the Deep. Last retrieved: 638 years, 7 months, 14 days ago. Last manifested as: Dagger of Ruin] Cass raised an eyebrow at that. The first two lines were more or less what she expected. The second two she didn¡¯t know what to make of. Over 600 years since the last time this object was retrieved? Wasn¡¯t this a quest item? Maybe most people didn¡¯t bother with sub-quests? She reached out to pick up the orb, but hesitated, her hand hovering but a hair''s breadth above the glassy surface. Did she actually want this thing? It looked evil. Its title sounded evil. The object it last manifested sounded very evil. But was she really just going to walk out of here with nothing? That was a sunk-cost fallacy, and she knew it. She hadn¡¯t lost anything coming here, she was unlikely to lose anything walking out now. But it rankled to leave empty-handed. Would she really gamble again on this object? Again, it was safer to just leave. But again, what would she do next? Wander along as she had been? How long could she keep that up before she ran into something she couldn¡¯t handle with what she had? Risk and reward, foolish or not, she took it. Herald of the Deep¡¯s Treasure Stolen [Leave the territory of the Deep or Defeat the Herald of the Deep to Manifest Treasure Tutorial Sub-quest: Defeat the Lords¡¯ Heralds Checkpoint (1/3) Completed Reward: Chance to Manifest Treasure, 1 Choice of 3 options.
  1. Skill, Dex based, Empowered by Focus
  2. Trait, Minor, Resistance
  3. Bonus, Range]
Cass barely had time to process the message or look over the offered rewards when a second window popped up. Notifying Herald Good Luck Ch. 24: The Escape Cass¡¯s eyes went wide. What! In the cavern below her, she heard clicking. She glanced out to see the young centipedes were moving. They had left their corpse piles and were slithering down the corridor toward the temple and her. That was bad. That was very bad. She glanced around the temple again. No secret escape hatch had manifested since last she¡¯d checked. She could fortify a position here. Elemental Manipulate the opening closed so only one centipede could approach at a time. Except, the entrance was too wide. She could still only move about a basketball¡¯s worth of stone at once at the best. She would never fill the entrance like that. And there was nothing but the stone of the walls that she could use. Besides, no fortification she built, no matter how long she had to build it, would stand against the Herald. If she tried to make a stand here she would be caught and killed by that monster. She had to run. She shoved the orb in her jacket pocket and gripped her staff, trying to steel her nerves. One look down the corridor and she all but gave up. It was crawling with centipedes. Two man-sized ones were already at the base of the stairs. Three more were just behind them. Yards past them was another wave of nine, then more and more. Her knees felt weak. If not for her staff she might have collapsed. But she couldn¡¯t collapse. She couldn¡¯t get caught. She couldn¡¯t die. Time slowed around her as her thoughts raced. She might make it through the first two before the next wave could get to her. The wave after that she wasn¡¯t sure she could beat, much less beat before the next arrived. She definitely could not take more than one wave at a time. It was too late for Stealth. Dodge would help. There was not enough wind for Wind Step. Elemental Manipulation she still couldn¡¯t use as a weapon¡­ She couldn¡¯t use it as a weapon, no¡­ But she didn¡¯t need a weapon. She lowered her staff, remembering the feel of mana she¡¯d observed from the roaches¡¯ wings. The first pair of centipedes were two steps down. She activated Elemental Manipulation and swung her staff up between the two bugs. A wave of wind shot off guided by her mana. The centipedes reared back to strike. Cass leaped after her wave of wind, activating Wind Step and hoping for the best. She phased out of existence as the mandibles snapped down on her. Wind Step has increased to level 3. Wind Step carried her through the air on her self-made wave of wind. She could barely manage both Wind Step and Elemental Manipulation at once. But she needed to hold both. This was her only chance. Just 18 seconds. That was Wind Step¡¯s cooldown at level 3. She¡¯d never used Elemental Manipulation on wind for that long. She wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d used it on anything for that long. Definitely never while multitasking. But she had to do it. She could feel both skills slipping. Elemental Manipulation was losing its grip on the wind. The wind was sputtering out. Wind Step was losing the wind to ride. She had to hold it. She fell. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 8. Cass rematerialized ten feet up, thirty yards down the corridor over the course of seven seconds. Not nearly far enough. Not nearly long enough. There was a sea of foot-long centipedes below her. The big ones were behind her, swarming the temple still. Not clever enough to realize she was already gone. It wasn¡¯t going to matter. The little ones were going to swarm her if the fall didn¡¯t kill her first. Focus. No time for doom. Solutions only. She only had one option. She swung her staff down as she fell. Elemental Manipulation! A gust of wind burst from her staff, buffeting the small centipedes back and slowing Cass¡¯s fall just enough that she didn¡¯t snap her ankles or knees as she collided with the stone. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She rolled up, sprinting before the bugs could regroup. There was an endless number of them ahead of her and too many more behind her. The Herald was out there somewhere too. She had eight seconds remaining until she could use Wind Step again. Cass sprinted down the cavern. She swept the path ahead with blasts of wind from Elemental Manipulation. A two-foot-long centipede resisted the blast. It grabbed onto her boot, climbing up her leg, biting through her fleece pants. Cass screamed as the thing¡¯s venom shot through her leg. It burned. Her vision went white. She swatted it off as she stumbled forward. She couldn¡¯t stop. It hurt but it would hurt more if she got bit again. She pushed forward, through the pain and the fear. Elemental Manipulation! She cleared another wave of the little ones. A four-foot one slithered from a hole in the wall, sliding between Cass and the exit. Hundreds slithered behind her, angry and eager to catch up. There wasn¡¯t time for debate. She ran straight for the four-foot monster, every step agony. Staff Mastery slammed her staff down on the monster¡¯s head. The bug slipped to the side, its head flying forward to bite her. Dodge engaged, its momentum carried it past her, and she bolted forward. She ran. Her vision swam from the pain. Every step a new spike as her foot hit the floor. Wind Step was ready again, but she was saving it. She could still blast the small ones away. She could flee any single larger one. She ran. All there was in her world was pain and running. The venom coursed up her leg, like fire in her veins. She dodged another little ¡®pede. Swatted away another. Blasted away another wave. She could barely see. The pain was all. Through the haze of pain, she reached the end of the corpses and bones. She could barely breathe, but there was nothing in front of her. They couldn¡¯t catch her. She was the wind, she would fly. Skill Earned: Sprint (lvl 1) (Wind) [Run! Run like the wind! Passively increases your running speed. Actively consume additional Stamina to further increase speed. Association with the Concept of Wind passively decreases the Stamina cost of all running-related activities. Modified by Dex.] She gusted down the cavern, her feet barely touching the ground beneath her. For a moment the pain was drowned beneath the elation and the adrenaline. She hit the crossroads moments later, just in time to see the Ancient Centipede thundering toward her. It filled the cavern path she had come from earlier, its head thrashing, its beady eyes glinting with unbridled malice. It let out a chitterous roar. The sound echoed through the cavern, vibrating Cass¡¯s bones. Even more centipedes poured from the smaller passages. They slithered silently behind her. Without waiting to see what else the giant centipede had in store for her, she Sprinted off down the third path. Sprint has increased to level 2. She could hear the Herald gaining on her. It was huge, its millions of legs tireless. How could she escape this thing? Her stamina was in the gutter. The pain was eating through the adrenaline again, piercing and hot with every flex of her muscles. Atmospheric Sense told her the Herald was immediately behind her. She could feel the rush of air as burst forward to bite her. She took a chance. She stepped onto that gust, phasing out as it snapped around her. Only the fact that its head was so big and that it displaced so much air made that maneuver at all feasible. But if she did nothing she¡¯d phase back barely a foot in front of it. She grabbed the gust with Elemental Manipulation and pushed it forward. She willed it faster. Faster. Away from the monster behind her. She pressed with all she had. She heard the Herald roar behind her, but all it did was add to her gust of wind. She fell out of the wind a couple seconds later, rolling to her feet. She¡¯d barely held on for five seconds that time. But between her rising exhaustion, the writhing pain, and the strain of two skills it was all she could manage. But her wind blade combined with the monster¡¯s roar had sent her far further this time. She¡¯d gotten a whole 100 yards that time. A sizable buffer. It had to be enough. She set off Sprinting again. She had to get away. There was barely enough Focus left for one more Wind Step. The next Wind Step would be the last. And if she had to use Elemental Manipulation again there was a good chance that last Wind Step would bottom out her Focus pool. Cass had run another five seconds before the centipede gave chase again. Had it lost her when she¡¯d Wind Stepped? She grinned through the pain and her burning lungs. She might just have a chance. She scanned the walls. It needed to be high. Really high. A break in the ceiling would be better. Atmospheric Sense said there would be one eventually, but she could tell she was still quite a ways off. The centipede was catching up. There. She found a ledge just below the ceiling. Barely taller than she was lying down. Barely wider than she was tall. She slowed as she passed it. She could feel the Herald preparing another strike. Again, the creature¡¯s head snapped forward in an attempt to bite her. Again, she Wind Stepped on the rush of air as it snapped down on her. This time, however, she used Elemental Manipulation to redirect the wave of air as soon as she was incorporeal. Holding tight, she pressed the wave into that crevasse between the ledge and the ceiling. The wind slammed into the back wall and she slid out of the wind feet first. Cass rolled to the back of the ledge, pressing herself as far back as she could and holding her breath. Below her, she could hear the Herald howling in frustration. She was gone. It couldn¡¯t find her. She grit her teeth, the venom in her leg pulsing. Her head pounded with it, the side effect of single-digit Focus. She couldn¡¯t decide if she wanted to faint or to scream. But she clenched her mouth closed. She stayed awake. She was dead if it found her. She had to do something for the venom. She was dizzy, her thoughts slow. But didn¡¯t she have something for poisons? She rummaged through her pockets. Sorrel. Sorrel countered toxins. Was venom a toxin? Did it matter? Cass shoved a handful in her mouth. Anything had to be better than doing nothing. The seconds ticked by. It was still below her. Her head hurt too much to try to make out what was going on with Atmospheric Sense. All she could tell was a lot was moving. Minutes went by. Five. Ten. Twenty. Finally, things were still below her. It didn¡¯t matter. She was too tired to move. She didn¡¯t have the Focus to Wind Step out of her hole. She¡¯d camp here. She¡¯d finish her escape tomorrow¡­ Ch. 25: Rewards Cass jerked awake and slammed her head against the low ceiling above her. That jogged her memory real good. Right. She had passed out after a fight again. She really would like to stop doing that. Everything hurt, but it was the general soreness she was beginning to associate more with healing than with immediate injuries. Stamina: 28/39 Focus: 62/126 Health: 4/30 She groaned. How had Health dropped so low? She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d been that badly injured. The centipedes hadn¡¯t been tearing flesh off her body or anything after all. But they had poisoned her. She shuddered at the memory of the pain. She flexed her leg experimentally. In the tight crevasse she¡¯d hidden in there wasn¡¯t much space, but she didn¡¯t find a problem with the muscle or nerves. Notifications pinged at the back of her mind. She brought them up with a thought. Poison Resistance has increased to level 2. Poison Resistance has increased to level 3. Poison Resistance has increased to level 4. Status Effect (Cressarian Venom) Removed. Cass grimaced. How bad was the poison that surviving it got her three levels of Poison Resistance? She looked back at her four pitiful points of Health and shuddered again. That was how close she¡¯d gotten to dying, and she¡¯d barely realized the danger she¡¯d been in. Would she have survived if she hadn¡¯t shoved a mouthful of sorrel down her throat before passing out? Had she gotten the buffs to healing from Set Camp? She did not know and had no desire to run the experiments needed to find out. Herald of the Deep has lost your trail. [You have defeated the Herald of the Deep in a game of Cat and Mouse. You played with your life on the line. Herald of the Deep played with treasure on the line. Unequal stakes have awarded you 1/8th experience of Slaying the Herald of the Deep.] Level Up! Level Up! + 2 Dex + 2 End + 2 Ala + 8 Free Points Defeated Herald of the Deep. Touch Orb of Shadows to Manifest Treasure. She didn¡¯t know how to feel about all that. She¡¯d defeated that centipede in a game? Cat and Mouse? It was a twisted kind of game. She didn¡¯t like it much at all. The only silver lining was she¡¯d won. She probably wouldn¡¯t have if killing it was the only way out. And now she got this treasure? She decided she¡¯d wait until she was standing up before trying that. The last thing she needed was the treasure manifesting as something big and getting jammed in her crevasse. Waiting Choice: Tutorial Sub-quest: Defeat the Lords¡¯ Heralds Checkpoint (1/3) Completed [Reward Remaining: 1 Choice of 3 options.
  1. Skill, Dex based, Empowered by Focus
  2. Trait, Minor Resistance
  3. Bonus, Range]
Right, Cass had forgotten all about this in her wild escape from the centipedes. If she¡¯d had the time to more than glance at it, she probably would have picked the first option. She had a respectable amount of Dexterity and a lot of Focus, and, cornered like she was, she would have gambled on a combat skill to turn the tide. Now though, Cass was disinclined to pick it. Although she had a decent amount of Dexterity, it wasn¡¯t actually one of her highest stats, despite getting a point with every level up. Additionally, although she had a lot of Focus, Elemental Manipulation and Wind Step gobbled it up. Neither of these were deal breakers, but this was no longer the obvious answer. That being said, she didn¡¯t know what to make of the other two options, either. Option 2, for example, had unknown value. Traits seemed to be permanent bonuses--which were never unwelcome--but so far she hadn¡¯t been able to figure out what any of them actually did. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it She pulled up her existing list. Contrary Will (Inborn) [You have a contrary nature. It''s fine, we won¡¯t hold it against you. But may the gods help any who try to make you do something you do not want to do. Your Will counts for 10 times its listed value when resisting any Social, Coercive, or Manipulation related actions. Your Will is highly resistant to Hierarchical Debuffs.] Bloated Soul [You managed to hold onto all the Mana making up your original body and incorporated it into your Slyphid core. Triple mana core storage and growth.] Extradimensional Damage [You don¡¯t want to be here and now, neither do they. Bonus damage to all entities not from your home realm. Bonus damage to all entities not from your current realm.] She shook her head. It still wasn¡¯t any clearer. What were ¡°Social, Coercive, or Manipulation related actions¡±? What was a ¡°Hierarchical Debuff¡±? What did tripling ¡°mana core storage and growth¡± do? How was bonus damage practically applied? Was she actually stronger for any of this? Was she any more likely to survive? What would adding another one of these to her list do? It claimed it would be ¡°Resistance¡±, but resistance to what? Pain? Damage? Poison? The cold? Emotional manipulation? The options were endless and open and she couldn¡¯t begin to predict what the result would be. She moved on to the third option instead: ¡°Bonus, Range¡±. That was structured the same way her skill growth bonuses had been, so it was probably also a status effect. Status Effects: - Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Bonus Wll Skill Growth Her diseases had also been listed there, so these probably weren¡¯t permanent the way Traits were. But there was no timer on them either, so who knew when or how they would expire. Once again, Cass wished there was someone she could ask. But she was still completely alone. Regardless, she¡¯d just been wishing for a longer range on Elemental Manipulation. It was difficult to control material the further from her body it got. To create gusts this was fine, but if she wanted slicing blades like those cockroaches had, she needed finer control a lot further from her body. Cass hummed to herself in thought. Resistance or Range? Probably permanent or probably temporary? Something explicitly ¡°Minor¡± or something that might be more substantive? That last point cinched it for Cass. She was worried about surviving now, in the short term. She needed to live long enough to get home before she worried about long-term growth. She picked option 3. Reward Selected: Increased Range on all skills. Effects outside of standard range subject to potency, accuracy, cost, and/or control penalties. That should improve Elemental Manipulation. She¡¯d have to see how much of a difference it made and how bad the penalties were, but she was optimistic. Notifications handled, Cass Wind Step/Elemental Manipulated her way out of her crevasse and back to the cavern floor below. She had a treasure to claim. She double-checked that there were no monsters in either direction with her heightened senses, Atmospheric Sense, and Mana Sense. The coast seemed clear. She could only hope the Centipede had returned to its lair, but she had no idea which direction it had gone after she¡¯d passed out. She needed to stop passing out. It couldn¡¯t be good for her. Either way, time to see what all the fuss about this treasure was about. She pulled the Shadow Orb from her pocket. It looked no less creepy now that she¡¯d claimed it. Shadows continued to hang heavy around it. It vibrated ominously in her hand. Beginning Treasure Manifestation [Calculating Need¡­ Calculating Trial Difficulty¡­ Modifying based on last Claim¡­ Modifying based on Participant Level¡­ Achievement Calculated. Applying Achievement and Need Modifiers to Reward Pool¡­ Error: No Treasure matches parameters in Standard Reward Pool. Achievement eligible to access Restricted Reward Pool. Treasure found matching parameters in Restricted Reward Pool. Treasure Available: 1 Choice of 3
  1. Gain Treasure from Restricted Reward Pool
  2. Gain Lesser Treasure matching Need from Standard Reward Pool
  3. Gain Lesser Treasure matching Achievement from Standard Reward Pool]
Well, that didn¡¯t sound good. She didn¡¯t understand most of that, but at this point that was hardly surprising. What she could extrapolate from the notice was the sub-quest had been harder than average, especially for someone at her level, so she was eligible for a really big prize. Moreover, the System was trying to give her something she actually needed, which seemed more considerate than she thought it was capable of. With that in mind, option 1 seemed the obvious choice. However, the ¡°Restricted¡± description made her hesitate. Why exactly was it restricted? In what way was it restricted? Was it an illegal object? Was it evil? Or was it just really powerful so it wasn¡¯t meant for just any schmuck off the street to have? Should she risk it being dangerous or pick the (probably) safer option 2? Something less valuable or powerful but which she could still use? She ignored option 3 entirely, something powerful or prestigious that she couldn¡¯t use was pointless. Maybe if she was some sort of treasure hunter and planned on selling it, option 3 might have been worth thinking about, but right now she wasn¡¯t even entirely sure there were other people. 1 or 2? Risk and reward or slow and steady? In truth, neither option was ¡°safe¡±. 1 might be dangerous in and of itself, but if it matched her need well enough it might be the answer to getting home all on its own. On the other hand, 2 might be safe on its own, but might not help her enough to have been worth losing most of her health escaping the centipedes. The off chance 1 could send her home was the final weight on the scales. Reward Selected: Gain Treasure from Restricted Reward Pool Manifesting Azorth Necklace The orb shattered in Cass¡¯s hand, exploding outward in an explosion of glass and smoke. She flinched, shielding her eyes, but no glass hit her. Instead, the casing shards vaporized before colliding, mixing with the smoke swirling unnaturally around her. A pair of eyes watched from the thickening smoke. They glinted gold, their pupils black slits. Cass tried to take a step back, but her body didn¡¯t move. In her chest, her heart sped with each beat. Faster and faster. Her gut screamed for her to run. She couldn¡¯t move. YIELD a voice commanded. It rang in her head. It buzzed. It grated. Cass¡¯s core shuddered at the single word. Yield and I shall ensure you pass on without pain. Cass wanted to shout back at the voice. At the eyes. Who was this? Yield to what? Why should she? She couldn¡¯t move. Fine. The hard way it is. The eyes blinked closed and Cass was falling. Ch. 26: The Nyxdra He shoved her soul aside, settling comfortably in the seat of her Soul Well. The child didn¡¯t even resist. Her body shifted around him, her fair skin darkening to the dark purple of the nyxdra, her soft features sharpening to his pointed ones, her fat slipping away until there was only his lean muscle. He cracked his neck and rolled his newly claimed shoulders, luxuriating in the feeling of possessing a body again after so long. How fitting that it was another spirit body and could reshape itself to reflect his soul, rather than being stuck in whatever corporeal form and abilities his victim previously possessed. He¡¯d been trapped in that storage space for too long. A century? Two? He did not know and it did not matter. He was free at last, just like he had promised. Kill her. Devour her. Reclaim what is yours. The demonic impulse whispered in the back of his mind. The encouragement was not necessary. That was already the plan. He would make ######## pay¡ª Pain laced through him at the thought of the mad woman¡¯s name. Mortals are restricted certain knowledge of the divine. Purging profane information. He grit his teeth as the pain subsided. What was that? The girl¡¯s voice whispered. What¡¯s going on? He shoved her back into the depths of their (temporarily) shared Soul Well. That mad woman was divine now? She had succeeded? He laughed. It was a cruel, bitter thing, utterly lacking joy or warmth. Fine. The higher she¡¯d climbed the more satisfying yanking her down again would be. Imagine devouring the soul of a goddess. He licked his lips, already imagining all the ways he would¡ª He stopped, his eyes widening. Devour? What? No. He did not¡ªHe wanted to drag her down, yes. Murder her? Definitely. Make her pay for her treachery. But devour her soul? That was taboo. A demonic impulse. But then, he was a demon now. Kill. Devour. Reclaim. He opened his status screen to check. Name: N/A Race: Nyxdran Demon Lvl: 4 (8) He did not get any further down the screen, his eyes widening again. Level 8? Level 8! That could hardly be right. This was the Uvana Valley. This was the Deep! You did not just wander into a Trial like this at level 7. You did not survive into the Deep at level 8. You certainly did not slay the Deep Herald at level 8. Upon possessing a victim, a demon¡¯s level was set to half of its host¡¯s until the host¡¯s soul was fully consumed. Assuming that soul was a decent fit for the broken edges of his own, he would end up at the host¡¯s level once that was done. Given she beat the Herald of the Deep to free him, he had expected her to be in her mid-20s, maybe even early 30s if he was lucky. Oh, neither was terribly high, not even half his former level, but it would have been a respectable start. But level 8? That was not even the First Step. She was a child. A baby. What sick bastard had brought her here, then abandoned her? They were the real monster here. He just needed a body. Any would have been fine. It was her own fault she did not possess the Resolve to ward him off. Her fault and the fault of whoever brought her here to her doom. That was who she should blame. His hands clenched into tight fists, his jaw clenching. If he ever found out who was taking advantage of children like her¡­ If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Devour. Eat. Kill. He forced himself to relax, one tense finger at a time. He hardly had the time to go avenging strangers, even the strangers he had stolen bodies from. Still, if he found some time in his schedule, avenging this misled child would be a satisfying method of selecting souls to eat. Let me go! The child screamed from the depths of the Soul Well, forceful enough to shake his soul. Pain, like someone was scraping his heart with a rusty nail, racked his body. He bent over, clutching his chest. What was this? Level 8 children did not resist the possession of a powerful nyxdra. That made as much sense as a salamander slaying a dragon. Sure, here in the physical world, his stats had been reset to that of a pitiful level four, but his soul still held the full weight of a level 74 assassin and all the stats he had enjoyed then. His Wll had been over 200. At level 8, even if she put absolutely every stat into Res, she could hardly have much more than 30. He should be crushing her. It should be oppressive. Like she was drowning in a sea of darkness. Her ego should have collapsed from the sheer difference in their power, never mind hold enough strength to shake him. Hush, little soul, he mentally projected at her. Give in quietly. You cannot win. I refuse, she snapped back. He would have laughed if his head was not splitting under the pressure. Refuse? This was hardly something she had a say in. Merely resisting him should have left her writhing in pain. Instead, it was he who felt queasy. Like the ground under his feet was rolling and fire laced his skin. ¡°Stop that,¡± he growled. Speaking aloud was easier than thought projection. ¡°How are you doing this?¡± Kill it. Devour it. Consume! Let me go! she repeated, throwing a weight she had no business possessing after the words. This was insane. He put a hand to his head, trying¡ªfailing¡ªto steady himself. This could not go on. He had planned on letting her dissolve quietly into his soul. It took longer, but it was gentler and allowed more of her soul to integrate properly into his. But if she was going to do this to him, he would just devour her in one bite, to hell with the consequences. He dove into their shared Soul Well, the space where souls rested. Hers was entirely unformed. Empty like the vast abyss below. It was the least developed soul well he¡¯d ever seen. No defenses. No wards. Nothing. Like she was born yesterday. Nothing but the wind howling around them from her inborn Concept. He glared at her soul. It was a poorly formed thing. Again, the worst he¡¯d ever seen. Small children had better form than the flickering flame this girl had formed her soul into. An odd choice for the Aether and Storm aligned slyphid, but it was also an oddly low level of cultivation, so what was he really expecting? He formed his soul into a facsimile of his true body. The edges flickered like shadows cast from a flame. It was a rough job, but more than enough for this. He leapt at her, manifesting jaws to snap her up in a single bite. He still intended to make it quick. In part because it was only kind, in part because he was finding he did not have the patience to do it any slower. Instead, he hit a wall. It was invisible and quivering with fear, but solid all the same. He pressed against it with all his true Will. It was like pressing against solid stone for all the good it did him. Ridiculous. What was this? Devouring her should be easy. It was the right of demons. The natural order. He was the wolf and she the lost lamb. He was to devour her whole. Yet her Resolve was sufficient to keep him at arm''s length. She should not be able to direct or condense her Resolve at all, not with her soul space as unstructured as it appeared to be. She could not possibly have the training. ¡°Let me go!¡± the little soul yelled again. It flared brighter at the command, the wind around them howling with power she had no business possessing. It was strong enough to push him back another step. ¡°I think not.¡± He was done with this. If he could not eat her, he would just break her. He would lose out on her remaining levels, but he could not organically gain any levels until he had dealt with her. He did not relish trying to level up in the Deep at level four, but it was not significantly worse than trying the same at level eight. He opened one hand, willing his favorite blade into being. It was a short, gently curving blade, the metal as dark as the Abyss, reflecting her little flame with hungry glee. Black leather wrapped the handle, ending in a pommel made of the same dark metal. He mentally reached for Edge Maker, his favorite dagger skill, but found another, unfamiliar skill first. Soul Poison (Lvl ?) (Demonic) [Weaken the soul, reap what is yours. Devour. Apply to weapon to inflict Status Condition (Soul Poison) on target. Soul Poison drains the Focus of the inflicted and causes more pain the closer to the soul the poison enters the target. ] It activated without a thought, his blade taking on a ghastly crimson glow. Kill her. Make her suffer. Take what is yours. He lunged. The dagger slammed into the wall of wind, the color flaring brighter as it sunk through the screen. She screamed. It was a horrid, delicious, soul-wrenching sound. Kill. Kill. Kill. He twisted the blade. Her scream increased in volume and pitch. This was what she got for resisting him. She was not the little flame surrounded by wind in his eyes now. It was her. It was the traitor. The liar. Kill. Kill. Kill. It was her scream that sliced deliciously through his head. Her scream that caressed vilely against his soul. Her scream. This is what she got for making him this way. Who cared if she was divine? He would kill her anyway. He would devour her whole and take her place. A manic laugh shook his body. He pulled back his dagger and plunged it down again and again, tearing the wall of wind to shreds. Her screams echoed through him, the only thing loud enough to drown out the voices whispering in his ears. Ch. 27: Resistance Cass screamed. She had no mouth, yet she was screaming. She had no body, yet it was on fire. There was only pain. Pain ripping through her. Pain tearing her apart. Her attacker, a shadowed man with gold eyes, drove his dagger down again and again and again, cackling louder with every crazed stab. What was happening? Where was she? Why did it hurt? You are under the effect of Soul Poison. [Would you like to attempt to resist with Poison Resistance? Soul Poison is outside the normal range of poisons mitigated by Poison Resistance and will be less effective and consume Stamina.] Yes, oh, God, yes. Anything to reduce the pain. The relief was immediate, if incomplete. The burning remained, gnawing away at the body she did not have, but it was no longer the all-consuming need to scream it had been. Poison Resistance has increased to level 5! The pain tampered down again. What had even happened? Her treasure orb had exploded and the system had said something about a necklace. How had she gotten here? Where was here? Why was she under attack? What was attacking her anyway? Nyxdran Rogue Demon Soul Lvl: 4 (74) [A native of the shadowed Azorth realm, this soul has lost its body and now attempts to possess those weaker than it. A strong Resolve may be able to resist its attack; a strong Will may be able to subdue it.] A demon? Was this her prize? A cursed necklace? Was that why it was restricted? Was this what she got for playing with fire? ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± Cass managed to choke out through a ragged breath. The demon¡¯s hand stopped mid-swing, his head cocking to one side. His eyes widened slightly like he hadn¡¯t considered the question before she¡¯d asked it. ¡°Why?¡± The confusion was gone in a heartbeat, his eyes hardening and his lips curling into a hungry smile filled with teeth. ¡°Does a demon need a reason to eat?¡± He drove the blade down again. It sliced through her and her defenses. It burned, new and fresh and terrible. Poison Resistance has increased to level 6! How could it hurt when she didn¡¯t have a body to feel the pain? She wanted to curl up and hide. Surely, there was some way to make this stop. He had to stop eventually. Right? When she was dead? Was that all that waited for her now? Pain and pain and death? There had to be something else. Identify said it was possible to stop him. Resolve to resist? Will to subdue? Poison Resistance was doing its best to counter his poison but there had to be more she could do. What did she know? She could use her skills here, she knew that from Poison Resistance and Identify working. But she didn¡¯t have a body, much less a staff to attack with. Then again, the demon hadn¡¯t had a dagger until he did¡­ Could she just¡­ will something into existence? Could she just will herself into existence? She had no eyes to close, but she shut off her sight of the void around her. The demon was still stabbing her, the pain still ever present, but she needed to set that aside now. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She focused on herself. She was a flame, a flame sheathed in skin and bones and muscle. She was human, for all the system called her slyphid. She could feel the image of herself flickering in and out as she focused on one part or another. As she willed it into being. She needed to hold all of it at once. To make it real together. She expanded her focus, from just her hands to her hands and arms. From hands and arms to hands and arms and legs. She held all of it. The image wriggled in her mind, trying to slip into abstraction and oversight. She fought to hold it in perfect clarity. And she willed it to be. She inhaled sharply, through the mouth and nose she suddenly again possessed, into the lungs that she could suddenly inflate. Poison Resistance has increased to level 7! That was a start. She looked over her body. Her skin was more like porcelain or plastic than real skin, but it was plenty solid. She rolled her shoulders. There was no unnatural stiffness, regardless of what this body was made of. ¡°What are you doing?¡± the demon growled. He swung his dagger down again, his tempo unaffected by her change. She felt it coming through Atmospheric Sense. She could feel its arc through the air, how it sliced the wind aside and it drove down. Instinctively, she focused her Will on the point of his dagger, willing the air to harden there, to not allow its passage to her new flesh. His blade stopped mid-air, his arm jerking like he¡¯d struck metal. His eyes widened into gold saucers as she grinned. The tables were turning. Now, a staff. The staff was easier. Just a simple rod of wood. She had spent every day the last week with it in her hands. She¡¯d wiped it down of blood and guts daily. She¡¯d swung it at monsters and used it to steady her hike through the wilds. It was her closest ally in this world. It materialized in her hands with ease. Her grin widened. She pointed it at the demon. ¡°Leave. Now.¡± He snorted. A pair of long, single-bladed swords manifested in his shadow hands. ¡°You are mistaken if you think I will simply back down.¡± He said that, but there was a hesitance in his stance. Staff Mastery said so. It urged her to attack before the demon resolved that hesitance. She obliged, Sprinting forward and slashing down on the shadowed form of the demon. He batted her strike aside with one of his sabers, following the movement with a slash from his second blade. Dodge nudged her back and left while Staff Mastery pulled her arms up in a guard with the back half of her staff. She yanked the staff up again, aiming for his stomach. He twisted past it, slashing her arm, drawing a long gash across the plastic skin. Cass screamed as his poison redoubled through the wound. It was all she could do not to drop her staff. He didn¡¯t let up, continuing with a relentless series of cuts and slashes, each adding to the poison running rampant in her soul. Stamina: 23/42 Focus: 45/126 Health: 4/31 Neither his sword nor his poison had touched her health. It ate away her Focus instead. The danger was no lower for that though, she understood instinctively that if her Focus dropped to zero, he would devour all that remained of her and she would die. His dagger drove into her chest; Cass unable to block or dodge in time. She screamed. All she could do was scream. The poison poured into her. Veins of fire and ice collided and burned through her body. Poison Resistance has increased to level 8! Cass crumpled, throwing her will up around her again. She¡¯d been wrong. She couldn¡¯t fight him. He was so much stronger than her. He knew how to use his weapon. He wasn¡¯t some lost office worker pretending at competency. He was a real warrior. A monster with a blade. All she could do was make this difficult for him, if even that. She couldn¡¯t throw him out. She couldn¡¯t stop him. She curled up tighter. She hurt. She really hurt. She wished she was still on the Sibling Camping trip. She wanted to be sitting beside Kaye¡¯s campfire while Robin played the ukulele. She could see that night she got kidnapped so clearly in her mind¡¯s eye. Dinner and smores. Laughter and star gazing. Word games and stories as the fire crackled between them. The heat of the fire kept the cold at arm''s length. No poison, no monsters, no demons. The tent was waiting behind them, cold now, but soon to be warmed by their body heat and the bonds of comradery. Her cot and sleeping bag waited for her. Extra blankets and sweaters stowed beneath for when the night got too cold. No dirt floors under frigid skies. No fear of monsters leaping from the dark. The camp stove sat on the end of their picnic table. A pot of stew bubbled on low. The cooler sat on the ground beside it, closed but full of fresh food. Food she hadn¡¯t dug up from the ground. Food guaranteed to be safe to eat by government bodies not Systems outside her understanding. Just normal, filling food. Plenty. Oh, God, the pain was making her delirious. She could smell it. She could hear the fire. Setting Camp has reached level 5! Your understanding of Setting Camp has fundamentally shifted. Setting Camp has become Beacon of Home and Hearth (level maintained)! Beacon of Home and Hearth (lvl 5) (Hearth) [Home is what you make of it. You carry yours in your heart. Keep the hearth stoked and there will always be a place to welcome you home. Transforms all regeneration buffs up a classification. Increased efficiency at setting up camps. Increased bonuses to staying at camps you set up or helped set up. Association with the Concept of Hearth doubles the effect of all Rest buffs and Home buffs on you.] Immediately, a wave of warmth washed over Cass. It thrummed in the air, promising her that all would be well if she could just hold out. It still hurt. The poison. The slashes on her arms. The damage lingering from her fight with the centipedes. But it was further away now. She opened an eye, uncurling and looking around. The void had completely transformed. Around her was a loose forest, sequoias and oaks separated by open campsites. Above, she could see the twinkling of stars and a silver moon. Behind her, her camp. It ached to look at it. To know she could picture it like this but to know she was so far from making it back. The demon was shouting again. She didn¡¯t listen to him, instead watching Kaye¡¯s campfire burn in the high-walled fire pit. She took a deep breath, letting the smell of firewood and wet forest fill her. She was rejuvenated, whether it was real or not. Whether real or not, it reminded her of an important truth. She would make it back. There was nothing else. This demon changed nothing. Ch. 28: Resilience ¡°This is your last warning,¡± Cass said, her attention snapping back to the demon. ¡°Go away and I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± One of his gold eyes twitched. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of bluster from the child curled up on the floor in pain until a moment ago.¡± Cass shrugged and charged him, her staff ready. He summoned his sabers again, easily batting her off with his superior skill. She didn¡¯t let up. Energy coursed through her. She was safe here. She would not be beaten. Her staff flew after him, swinging as fast as her Dexterity and Staff Mastery would allow. No, she paused, back peddling as he started his own offensive push. She was faster than this now. It was close, but it wasn¡¯t just Dexterity which was guiding and empowering her accelerated movements here. Just as it wasn¡¯t only Strength behind the power in her strikes. This wasn¡¯t reality. This was some construct of her mind. Which meant her mental stats were aiding how she moved and fought. Will for power. Resistance for defense. Mysterious Ala for speed? That felt right. She blocked several of his sword strikes. She was getting better. The system agreed. Staff Mastery has increased to level 5! But he was much better still. So much better. Several more of his slashes ripped through her body, renewing and redoubling the Soul Poison. She grit her teeth, keeping up with his attacks even as she wanted to curl up again. She couldn¡¯t do that again. She¡¯d already given him his last chance. She couldn¡¯t keep retreating. There had to be a way to finish this. Poison Resistance has increased to level 9! Poison Resistance has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your extended application of Poison Resistance has opened choices.
  1. Gain Skill: Soul Guard (lvl 5), Keep: Poison Resistance (lvl 1)
  2. Reforge Skill Poison Resistance to incorporate Mental Poisons
  3. Keep: Poison Resistance (lvl 9) ]
She picked option 1 before she could overthink it. She had been warned that Poison Resistance wasn¡¯t intended to work on Soul Poison. It had done its best. But a skill dedicated to protecting her soul was what she needed right now. Skill Earned: Soul Guard (lvl 5) [An unguarded soul is fragile. You have been trained to protect your most vulnerable piece. Passively increase resistance to attacks on the soul and, to a lesser degree, the mind. Actively enforce a lockdown on your Soul Well, letting nothing in or out. Cost: minimum 1 Focus/min Modified by Res.] The difference was like night and day. The pain dropped to an ache at the back of her mind. She could feel it grabbing at her Focus, but the bonuses from Beacon of Home and Hearth were regenerating it faster than she was losing it. She redoubled her attack. Staff and swords met again and again. Tirelessly, she raged on. Her home was far away, but her soul was a kind of camp and refuge. Her skill treated her being in camp the same as if she were safe at home and doubled those bonuses. Who could beat her here? He struck her four times for every one of her own. His blades left cut after cut on her plastic skin. Her wounds leaked fire, blue and sparkling. Was that Focus leaving her body? Yet, her wounds were closing as quickly as they appeared and they were shallower now, each slice less powerful, less painful than before. She almost laughed. He himself was an attack against her soul. Every sword slice, every stab, every slash was an attack against her soul. Soul Guard was increasing her defense against his ¡°ordinary¡± attacks just as much as against his Soul Poison. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Could she push that further? She remembered the shield of wind that had protected her against his first attacks. She¡¯d focused her Will to reinforce certain sections. Could she do that still, but with her skin? He slashed at her. Staff Mastery informed her she wasn¡¯t going to be able to block. Dodge confirmed it was too late to get out of the way. Cass focused on the section of her arm that the blade was going to rip through. It was hard. Hard as iron. Harder. Impenetrable. His sword skidded harmlessly over her skin, sparking like metal over stone. He leapt back, his gold eyes wide in shock. Soul Guard has increased to level 6! ¡°What did you do?¡± he hissed. ¡°What? This?¡± Cass couldn¡¯t contain her grin as she waved her uninjured hand at him. ¡°Just perfecting my defense against you. Feel free to give up whenever you want. I can do this forever.¡± Surprise rooted him in place and Cass didn¡¯t wait for him to recover. She slammed her staff into his side, followed by another to his left shoulder. He dodged out of the way of the third strike, but his left arm hung limply by his side. The sword in that hand disappeared as he raced forward with just the right one. He didn¡¯t slow in the slightest, if anything his attacks became all the more feral, his face twisting in a sneering snarl. Not that it helped him. Their fight continued. He darted back. Cass followed. He rolled out of the way of a staff strike. Cass struck again. He slashed her. Cass punished the attack. His strikes still connected more often than they didn¡¯t, but it took only the slightest focus of Will and Cass made that part of her body invulnerable. Her skin no longer leaked fire, her existing wounds long closed by the regenerative properties of Beacon of Home and Hearth. The demon on the other hand was obviously tiring. His left arm still hung uselessly at his side. He limped with every step. Fractures ran up and down his shadow body, like cracks in carbon fiber, just waiting to explode into a thousand splinters if placed under a little more stress. Cass was happy to provide that stress. Ravaged, his gold eyes bloodshot, he leaped back and dropped his swords. They clanged to the ground as his hands went up in surrender. ¡°Yield. I yield!¡± Cass didn¡¯t lower her staff. An eyebrow went up. She¡¯d won? Was the demon giving up? Did she let him? And then what? He goes and attacks someone else later? But if she refused, then what? Keep fighting? Until what? Until she killed him? The thought made her stomach flip. She knew in her heart killing him was the right thing to do. It would ensure he didn¡¯t attack her again, protecting others in the future. He¡¯d tried to kill her. It was only fair that if you tried to kill someone would eventually kill you. And really, he wasn¡¯t any different than a monster. Identify called him a Demon. That was a monster. Just like the boars or cockroaches. Just like the terrorcat. Killing monsters was the Right thing to do. And, if he wasn¡¯t surrendering, she¡¯d have no trouble doing it. Really. It definitely didn¡¯t make a difference that he was humanoid. Or that he could speak. She could kill him if it was part of defending herself. It was just because he was surrendering that this was hard. That was the only reason she was thinking about letting him live. ¡°You promise not to hurt me again?¡± Cass asked. ¡°And to leave me alone?¡± He hesitated for a fraction of a second. He couldn¡¯t even commit to the most basic of assurances. She shouldn¡¯t trust him. She had to kill him. But then he was gone. Cass opened her mouth to demand where he went, only for a cry of surprise and pain to erupt from it instead. A dagger had impaled itself in her back. His dagger. Still coated with Soul Poison. He was behind her, a hand on her shoulder, the other doubtlessly around the dagger¡¯s hilt. ¡°Assassin¡¯s Yield,¡± he muttered in explanation into her ear. The voice was almost embarrassed. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d need it against a child.¡± She sputtered. It was some kind of skill. It had teleported him behind her and increased his damage to get through her defenses. It had done far more damage than that same dagger strike would have without a skill behind it. She could feel her Focus dropping by the second. The wind of her soul whirled around her as her panic grew. Was this the end? She didn¡¯t have anything else. Her Focus had dropped to single digits and her body sagged under her own weight. He jerked his dagger out, perhaps thinking she was spent, perhaps his skill having run out. The wind pulled at her, but she had nothing left to give. He¡¯d dumped enough poison in her with the last attack to overwhelm her regeneration. He didn¡¯t need to do anything else. Just watch and wait. Except, she had one more thing, didn¡¯t she? She never got around to applying her Free Points from levels 7 and 8. Res 14 -> 22 Relief flooded her as her maximum Focus expanded. Focus: 3/126 -> 75/198 He noticed the change, leaping at her, his dagger extended. She grabbed the wind and Wind Stepped away. She didn¡¯t know where she was going, but she couldn¡¯t stay here. She couldn¡¯t let him do that to her again. She saw his eyes go wide as she whirled away, the winds carrying her up and up. As she broke the tree line, she felt herself pass a threshold, like she¡¯d broken the surface of a body of water. Gasping, she was standing in the cavern again. She could feel him racing after her. Reaching to pull her back into that space. Back into her Soul Well? She flared Soul Guard, feeling sturdy walls go up between herself and him. He slammed into it, screaming, but harmless. Harmless as long as she had Focus. Focus: 25/198 Ch. 29: Resolve Get back here! the demon screamed, his words raking against her soul like a rasp over exposed flesh. Cass doubled over in pain, a whimper leaking from her grit teeth. ¡°Never,¡± she growled. You cannot win, he hissed. How much Focus do you have left? Focus: 24/198 It was already dropping. The strain was building on her eyes and pounding in her head. And it was only getting worse. How long can you last? Soul Guard consumed at least one point per minute, countering the demon¡¯s poison and locking him in place. Realistically, it was probably more if he was at all actively trying to hurt her still. Call it 3 points per minute? Was that too low an estimation? To high? Focus: 23/198 She closed her eyes. It hurt to do the math. There was no time for thinking. Whether she had 5 minutes or 20, she had to do something before she ran out of Focus. Something One: Attempt to remove the obviously cursed treasure. The Azorth Necklace was a small, black pendant on a silver chain. Unassuming and already hanging from her neck. The chain was long, easily hanging well below the neckline of her pajama shirt. Despite this, she could not get it off. The chain stuck on something every time she attempted to lift it over her head. Error: Azorth Necklace is bound to Initiate Cass. Unable to separate. Definitely cursed. Focus: 22/198 You cannot escape me. The obvious solution was no good. What else could she do? Something Two: Set camp, regen Focus to full, never let Focus drop to zero. It wasn¡¯t a perfect plan¡ªit wasn¡¯t even necessarily a good plan¡ªbut it would at least buy her more time. Luckily, Cass already knew where she could find a campsite. She Sprinted back the way she¡¯d come, back toward cockroach territory. There wasn¡¯t time to worry about where the Centipede might have gone or if there were other monsters between her and her destination. There was no time for sneaking and no time for fighting. It was blind hope she wouldn¡¯t run into any monsters along the way that fueled her sprint. I am inevitable. Focus: 21/198 You will fall here. Focus: 20/198 Curse whoever led you beyond what you could handle. Focus: 19/198 Cass ignored him, and the timer her remaining Focus had become. She would make it. She would survive. She had to. Give up. I will make the end painless, he whispered. Every word was a new nail in her chest, hammered deeper into her soul with every syllable. But she couldn¡¯t fall. She couldn¡¯t give up here. You cannot hope to survive. She ignored him, running as fast as Sprint would let her. Her heart hammered in her chest. Her head pounded. How much time was left? How much further did she have to go? Focus: 15/198 Your death is inevitable here. It was but a matter of time. Even had you not met me, you cannot survive the Deep. Her head was spinning, his words were venom in her blood. Burning, hissing, evil things. She needed to ignore him. He was wrong. There was the cave. It looked like little more than a slit in the rock from outside. She clambered up into it, squeezing through to the pocket, out of sight. Her fire pit was untouched beside the opening, and surprisingly warm still. Were those mushrooms still smoldering? Focus: 9/198 Give up. Let me make the most of your body, he hissed. She collapsed to her knees beside the embers of her fire. Her vision swam. Pain split her head and twisted in her chest. Was she even breathing? You will not live either way. His whispering never stopped. But if you give up now, it can be a painless death. Just slip into the quiet oblivion. Cass grit her teeth and growled through the pain, ¡°Shut up.¡± Focus: 7/198 Why struggle further. You will die in the Deep. These caverns will be your tomb. Accept it. ¡°Shut up,¡± she snarled. What did he know? She¡¯d made it this far, despite the odds. She knew it was a long shot. She wasn¡¯t delusional. There was no shortage of ways to die here. Let me take over, he whispered. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Cajoling. Soft. Desperate. I will live. I can survive this place where you cannot. I can avenge you. I can make the one who brought you here suffer. Just tell me who. There is no reason we both must perish. You will die. Let me live. Maybe, there was a kind of sense to his words. If she was to die either way it would be better if someone lived. But she refused to die. Not here. Not now. Not to him. If she died, she¡¯d go kicking and screaming and clinging to life. She¡¯d fight the Grim Reaper and Death and God if it meant getting home to them again. A burst of warmth erupted in her chest as the effects of Beacon of Hearth and Home kicked in. It chased out every other sensation, the pain and the exhaustion and the strain. She would live. She would find her way home. Focus: 8/198 This changes nothing, he whispered, his voice still painful against her soul but no longer all-consuming. Something else will still kill you. All you have done is kill us both. Cass shook her head, leaning back against the cave wall. He was wrong. She would live. Kaye and Robin deserved nothing less. *** She sat there a long time in front of the embers of her campfire. He kept whispering, his voice fluctuating between sweet whispers promising her inevitable death and desperate shouting in frustration at her sheer arrogance. She ignored him, gritting her teeth through the pain his every word inflicted on her. All the while, her Focus recovered, point after point. Focus: 81/198 Nyxdran Demon has been Subdued. [You have defeated the Nyxdran Demon in a Battle for Possession. Nyxdran Demon has consumed chance to leverage past Growth against you, level has been permanently limited. You have been awarded experience for Subduing the Nyxdran Demon.] Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points You have reached the First Step! Congratulations! + 9 Free Points Choose one stat to Extend your growth. Cass exhaled in relief. She won. The pounding on her insides had stopped. For once, he had fallen silent. Now she just needed to figure out what all this meant. ¡°I¡¯m so tired of this.¡± She sighed, sliding further down the wall. She couldn¡¯t wait for this next thing to blow up into something that would kill her. What kind of reward was this? She yanked at the pendant again. To no avail. She Identified it, hoping it would give her some answers. Azorth Necklace [The home of a once powerful Nyxdran Demon, now your humble servant. As you have survived the demon¡¯s attempts to possess you, you have been granted ownership of the demon, giving you some bonuses. Gain one choice of three Status Effects (choice can be altered once every 24 hours): - Demonic Strength: Gain your demon¡¯s listed Str. - Demonic Will: Allow your demon to control any skill controlled by Will as if they had cast it. - Demonic Vitality: Double health regeneration. This item has Unbound Growth and may absorb compatible items to gain functionality. This item is Soul Bound to the Initiate Cass and may only be removed on death.] Cass groaned at the last line, but at least there were some solid bonuses here. She immediately picked Demonic Vitality and put the demon and his cursed necklace out of her mind for now. Next was her Stats window, she¡¯d leveled up. She had stats to distribute. Name: Cass [Race: Slyphid Lvl: 9 Stamina: 36/45 Focus: 82/198 Health: 8/32 Str - 7 Dex - 15 End - 15 Wll - 18 Ala - 17 Res - 22 Frt - 8 Per - 9 Vit - 8 Free Points: 13] Extension available! Concepts: [- Wind (Unapplied) - Hearth (Unapplied)] Status Effects: [- Beginner Reward: Bonus Staff Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Bonus Mnd Skill Growth - Beginner Reward: Increased Range on all skills. - Demonic Vitality: Double health regeneration] She frowned at the list of Concepts. There was another one that hadn¡¯t been there before. She still didn¡¯t understand how she¡¯d gotten the first one and now she had a second. What did they even do? Her only hint was that some of her skills had one of the two words next to their names after their level. Stealth (lvl 6) (Wind) Sprint (lvl 2) (Wind) Beacon of Home and Hearth (lvl 5) (Hearth) And that each of these skills said something about ¡°Association with the Concept of blah does additional thing¡±. So it was probably a buff of some kind. She just wished she understood how or why some of her skills got concepts while others didn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t going to figure it out on her own. She put it back on her list of questions to ask once she found someone to talk to. Her attacker, still locked in her soul, stirred at the thought, but she ignored him. She needed help, but not that badly. Next was this Extension thing. As soon as she thought it a System window appeared. Congratulations on reaching the First Step! Extend your strengths. Choose one of the following to improve with you at every level: - Str - Wll - Res - Frt - Per - Vit Cass hoped that was what it sounded like, that whichever she picked she¡¯d get a free stat point in going forward. But what to pick? She discounted Strength immediately. She was so close to figuring out how to use Elemental Manipulation as an offensive magic attack, she could feel it. The bonus to Range she¡¯d gotten for beating the Centipede would be the difference, she was sure. Her days of hitting stuff with a stick were ending, and ending soon. She also removed Perception from her choices. It was important, but only so far as there were hidden dangers to perceive. She was struggling enough with the blatantly obvious dangers right now. Of what was left, she could split them into two categories: Mental and Defensive. Which was more useful to her? Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t know and there was no one to ask. So she asked a different question: What kind of fighter did she want to be? If she was right, she would be getting a point at every level no matter what. And it would be doing that permanently. She could still use Free Points to add stats to the others. So the question wasn¡¯t what would help her more now but what would make her what she wanted to be later. And framed like that the answer was obvious. You have Extended your Growth into Will. + 1 Wll Cass assigned her free points next. Still nervous about the demon in her soul she added a few more points to Res, though not that many more given she had already dumped two entire level¡¯s worth earlier. But just a little more so she had a little more of a buffer for keeping Soul Guard running all the time. Res 22 -> 24 Then she gave Perception and Strength a point as an apology for discounting them so quickly for Extension. And then another to Strength because it was her lowest still. Per 9 -> 10 Str 7 -> 9 That left eight more. Two whole levels worth. What should she do with them? She could go and put all of them in Res. See how the demon liked that. No, that was probably overkill. That would be a total of over four levels worth of free points in quick succession. What should she do with them then? Maybe bring everything up to 10? Frt and Vit were both still at 8, while Str was only at 9. Compared to her 24 Res or 19 Will, those values seemed really low now. She didn¡¯t know if she should be specializing or spreading her points. She didn¡¯t know if this was a mistake. She had no idea what the stat spread on the monsters she was fighting was. She could only hope spreading them out was the right call. Str 9 -> 10 Frt 8 -> 10 Vit 8 -> 10 That left three more points. She could give one each to Dex, End, and Ala, the three stats she hadn¡¯t touched yet, but those three had already gotten a point from her normal level-ups, and she still didn¡¯t even know what Ala did. Or, she could put all three in Will to improve her chances of weaponizing Elemental Manipulation? That was the plan now, wasn¡¯t it? That was why she hadn¡¯t picked Strength earlier. Will 19 -> 22 She did it before she could throw herself into another round of second-guessing. Magic was the goal. If she was going to be stuck in a fantasy world she was going to get magic, damn it. Ch. 30: Insanity Stats distributed, death for the moment forestalled, Cass settled a little more comfortably in her cave. She placed her last vineroot potato in the bed of coals in her fire pit, unrolled her mat--which had somehow survived intact, despite the chaos of the centipedes--and rolled onto it. She was mentally exhausted and she just wanted to sleep. Her body was uninterested in the concept though. Turned out that almost getting possessed by a demon just didn¡¯t tire your body out that much. It was probably the least physically exhausting near-death experience thus far. She laid there with her arm over her face, hoping she¡¯d fall asleep anyway. She needed to recover her Focus and Stamina before she risked moving on. Any amount of Health recovered would be welcome too. Sleep would be good for that. Stamina: 43/45 Focus: 125/207 Health: 12/32 But it wasn¡¯t coming. And how could she sleep when she had no idea if or when the demon might attack her again? The system called him her servant, but what did that really mean? All she really knew was she would need to sleep eventually. If he could possess her while she slept, with Soul Guard running, what could she do? She couldn¡¯t just not sleep forever. She was going to need to test how safe it was to sleep eventually. It might as well be now. She sighed loudly. How long had she been here now? It had been about a week in the forest? And how long in these caves? A day? Two? It depended on how long she¡¯d been passed out after the Centipede. Call it 9 days then, just round up. Why not? It made her lonely melancholy more reasonable. And she was lonely. What were Kaye and Robin doing now? Were they still looking for her? What could they even do? Her hand clenched into a fist over her chest. How was she ever going to get back to them? She shook her head. She couldn¡¯t be thinking about this either. She¡¯d collapse if she did. And, she didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d put herself back together if she fell apart now. But what else was there to think about? She was stuck here, twiddling her thumbs, waiting. She usually practiced Elemental Manipulation while sitting around camp, but she didn¡¯t want to spend the Focus right now, she wanted that full and for it to stay that way. There wasn¡¯t even anything to watch. She was underground with nothing but stone around her for as far as she could see. She had never thought she¡¯d find herself bored while trying to survive in a world trying to kill her. But here she was, watching moss grow on the bare wall of a cave. She was going mad. Mad enough to consider insanity. She opened her mouth, almost voicing the madness, but stopped. She didn¡¯t want to talk to him. He¡¯d tried to kill her. She wasn¡¯t that desperate yet. Was she? No. Definitely not. No. She¡¯d just lie here. She would sleep. She would wake up a couple hours from now with lots of Focus and Stamina and find her way out of these awful caves. She didn¡¯t need to talk to him. She wouldn¡¯t give him another chance to hurt her. She rolled onto her side. He was just another monster. Vicious and cruel and¡­ Could he really hurt her just by talking? If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t know anything about him or demons. But really, did it matter if talking could or couldn¡¯t hurt her? She still didn¡¯t want to talk to him. It was a matter of principle. She rolled back onto her back. Tomorrow, she would find a way out of the caves. She had a promising lead. Atmospheric Sense had said there was a slight airflow back at the crossroad earlier. She just had to keep following that. Eventually, she would find her way out again. And then what? the pessimism preparing her for the world to kick her down again asked. What happened once she was out? Wander the forest again? Hope to run into people? She¡¯d been here nine days and hadn¡¯t seen a single person. The closest she¡¯d gotten to civilization was an ancient ruin guarded by monsters and a mad demon trying to possess her. She should sleep. This wasn¡¯t helpful. Against her better judgment, the words slipped out, ¡°Hey, can you hear me?¡± She didn¡¯t know how much the demon could hear of the outside world. Or how much Soul Guard blocked. Or if she really wanted him to respond. He didn¡¯t, which she decided suited her just fine. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we¡¯d talk about if you could hear me. You¡¯re probably still trying to kill me.¡± She paused. She didn¡¯t know if she was waiting for him to interrupt her or if she was just talking to herself. ¡°I¡¯m really tired of this place, you know?¡± She didn¡¯t know if he would know. But she imagined Hell was something like this place, full of monsters trying to kill each other. ¡°I was tired of my life on Earth, I guess. Nothing glamorous about the office job. No near future where I was going to save enough money to buy a house. No romantic interest in anybody in my life and no drive to try the dating app games.¡± She doubted a demon had any opinions about Earth dating apps, but she stopped in case he wanted to interject. ¡°But at least nothing was trying to kill me. I hadn¡¯t nearly died once in all the time I lived on Earth. You know how many times I¡¯ve almost died in the week and change I¡¯ve been here?¡± She stopped, counting her encounters on her fingers. The hound. The terrorcat. The plague from the plague crows. The cockroaches. The centipedes. The demon. That was six times. And those were just the ones where death got close. How many other fights had she been in? How many of those could have gone significantly worse? She should stop these thoughts. This wasn¡¯t helpful. This wasn¡¯t filling the ever-growing void in her heart. ¡°I¡¯m alone,¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯m so alone that I¡¯m all but begging the last thing that tried to kill me to give me the time of day.¡± She almost laughed. But it hurt. I do not know the time either. The voice echoed around inside her, discordant and raking. She winced. But it was better than the silence. ¡°You can hear me.¡± He didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Come on, you know I¡¯m begging for company. I¡¯ll even settle for you.¡± This is uncomfortable for both of us. She winced as his voice ripped up her insides. ¡°Oh, so this hurts you too then? Good. If I have to suffer for your company you should too.¡± It''s the resonance from my thoughts bumping off your guard. ¡°Agh,¡± Cass curled up, gritting her teeth. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I just need to let you out and this¡¯ll stop hurting?¡± Or start absorbing my soul. The root cause is the rejection of outside influence. Cass had never known a voice could hurt so much. She almost asked him to stop. But pain was becoming uncomfortably familiar these days. Solitude was too, but she was done with that. ¡°Don¡¯t know how to absorb a soul. I think that¡¯s out of the cards.¡± Shame. ¡°What happens if I let you out?¡± Cass asked. Pendant. No resonance. He spoke slowly, a deliberate attempt to minimize the pain. An obvious manipulation technique. ¡°And you try to eat my soul again later while I sleep?¡± Cannot. Level 4. ¡°And what about later? How long will you be level 4?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Either he was in too much pain to answer or he had no answer that would convince her to let him out. Maybe both. Cass didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d expected. She didn¡¯t know what answer he could have given that would have made her trust him. She didn¡¯t think it existed. But that meant she was stuck on her own. She checked her stats, hoping they were full enough that she could leave this god-forsaken hole. Stamina: 45/45 Focus: 187/207 Health: 13/32 Definitely not full. But it was close, if one ignored Health, which she was. More to the point, Focus was almost full. Assuming she was still losing one Focus every minute from Soul Guard, that would give her a little over 3 hours to find another campsite. She could risk that. If it meant she wasn¡¯t driving herself insane trying to talk to the demon, she could risk that. Ch. 31: A Startling Encounter Cass packed up her camp, sticking the hot vineroot back in her pocket for later and throwing her mat over one shoulder again. She checked the outer cavern with care and, upon finding it empty, squeezed out through the narrow entrance. She stood in front of the crack for another minute or two, watching her stats. She needed to know how long her Focus would last with Soul Guard running. It didn¡¯t drop, but it did not rise either. So it was being consumed at about the same speed as her Focus recovery then? She could work with that. She should reserve about 50 Focus for an emergency Wind Step and an additional 20 for lighting a campfire with Elemental Manipulation. That left her 117 Focus available for her use. That was 2 Wind Steps or 5 elemental summons with Elemental Manipulation. She could make that work, but avoiding fights for a while was probably best. As ready as she could be, she Stealthed toward the crossroads again, gliding silently through the gloom. There was a concern that the Centipede would be in that direction. Its lair was there after all, but there was also the other path, the one she¡¯d felt moving wind down. If there was an exit, wouldn¡¯t it be that way? She could, she supposed, backtrack through cockroach territory to where she¡¯d first landed down here. With Elemental Manipulation and Wind Step, she could probably ride a self-made gust of wind up and out again. Unless the natural downward currents were stronger than she could control. It was worth keeping in mind, but for now, if there was a chance to walk out of here without her skills that was her preference. She made quick progress through the areas she¡¯d already been down. The hall was quiet and still, the breeze kicked up by Stealth the only movement as it rippled over the bare stone floor, but she slowed as she entered the areas beyond the crossroad. Technically, she¡¯d been down this way some as well, when the Herald had chased her and the Shadow Orb. But she hadn¡¯t been watching too closely then and anything else that might have enjoyed a small Cass snack had had the good sense to hide from the Ancient Centipede too. She didn¡¯t know what might be down this way when it wasn¡¯t around. Hell, for all she knew, the Centipede or one of its children was lurking around this corridor. Cass shuddered at the thought. If she never saw a centipede again it would be too soon. Are you planning on fighting the Lord of the Deep? Cass jumped at the demon¡¯s voice grating against her thoughts, a yelp of pain and shock escaping her lips. She clenched her fists around her staff, looking up and down the cavern. Except for a pair of flat beetles pressed against the ceiling a couple yards back, which seemed as uninterested in her as they had a moment ago when she¡¯d passed, there was nothing nearby. ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± she hissed. She did another visual sweep of the cave, double and triple checking that nothing was about to jump out at her, before continuing, her voice still and angry stage whisper. ¡°Why would I fight the Lord of the Deep? Do I look like I want to die?¡± You beat its Herald. ¡°No, I escaped the Herald. Let''s not pretend that was anything else. And all it got me was you. Which, by my count, means that stunt nearly killed me twice over.¡± He was silent another moment. Perhaps thinking. Perhaps letting the pain from his previous words subside. It was definitely worse in quick bursts. She¡¯d gone another couple of yards before he spoke again. The weak do not survive. She snorted at that. ¡°You think I haven¡¯t figured that one out? Thanks.¡± The weak only become strong through risk and chance. ¡°And how is that working out for you?¡± she shot back. ¡°Last I checked, you were level 4 and stuck in my head.¡± Your Soul Well. ¡°What?¡± There was a long pause. A silent debate over whether the pain was worth it? A plea for the resonance that caused the pain to dissipate some before he spoke again? Who knew what a demon thought. I am stuck in your Soul Well. Not your head. We would both be in less pain if you let me back into the necklace. Cass scowled. ¡°So you can eat me in my sleep? We¡¯ve been over this. No.¡± Won¡¯t eat you. She actually laughed at that. The area was clear, she¡¯d checked again; she could afford to be a little loud. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Wolf. And I¡¯m sure your great big eyes are just to look at me better.¡± I¡¯m not a wolf. There was a lot of confusion in those three words. She could feel there were more things he wanted to say, but the pain was mounting for both of them. ¡°I¡¯m not that gullible, that¡¯s all you need to know.¡± Cass thought that was the end of that conversation. There had been finality to her tone. There was pain from their strained souls. There wasn¡¯t much more to say. She didn¡¯t trust him. He¡¯d just have to try not attempting to kill his host next time if he wanted one to trust him. She came up on a bend in the cave corridor. Atmospheric Sense said things were breathing just around the corner. Mana Sense picked out two balls of mana through the wall, pale green and hazy. Cass sidled up against the wall to peek out with her eyes as well, though she could already hear a low growling noise. She inched her way along the wall, inch by silent inch. Her body tensed with every shuffled step. Her stomach did flips in her chest. Her heart was pounding in her ears. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. What if I could help you kill the Lord of the Deep? She jumped forward, a surprised shout on her lips. Intellectually, she knew it was just the demon, whispering his useless words from the core of her being. But the rational, intellectual voice was quite a bit slower than her tense gut. That gut had already sent the commands: Run! Scream! Save yourself! By the time reason had reasserted itself, she was standing in the middle of the pathway. In front of a pair of the largest rats she had ever seen. They were huge. Like, Rodents of Unusual Size large. Like men-in-poorly-made-rat-costume-sized. And just as scraggly and awkward looking to boot, with beady eyes and long crooked teeth. Depth Rat (lvl 15) Depth Rat (lvl 12) [One of many scavengers of the Deep. Depth Rats are known for their powerful bite and their viciously opportunistic nature. They are able to tread water for two weeks if necessary and are highly resistant to electricity and poison, making them an incorrigible scourge on the Uvana Valley.] The level 15 broke the shocked stillness first, snarling and sprinting at her. It¡¯s jaws unhinged like a snake to swallow her whole. Move! She couldn¡¯t say if that thought had been her own, the demon¡¯s, or her skill Dodge pleading her to activate it. It might have been all three. She followed the advice, her heightened Dexterity letting her get out of the way despite how close the rat had already gotten. Dodge has increased to level 4. Closer dodges were worth more experience, her skill whispered in the back of her mind, unspoken but something she knew to be true to the core of her being. She ignored that. She would be dodging as widely as possible, thank you very much. Staff Mastery begged to be released next. She obliged, raining a hail of staff strikes on the rat as it thrashed after her. It didn¡¯t slow in its charge, not bothering to dodge or deflect her attacks. The blows bounced off harmlessly. The second rat (the level 12 one) was only a step or two behind its larger, faster companion. It reared up on its back legs, its front ones reaching for her, its jaw hanging open to snap around her neck. She blocked the incoming bite with her staff. It clamped down hard, its beady eyes right in her face. She shook it, trying to get it to release the staff to no avail. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Level 15 running at her again. She wrenched her body around, yanking Level 12 with her. It was heavier than she was and stronger to boot, it didn¡¯t come easily. But she angled them enough that Level 15 barreled into Level 12 instead of her, dislodging it from her staff. It was a short respite, barely a breath before the two were after her again. They snapped after her, their maws ravenous, bumping into each other as they tried to get to her as often as she shuffled out of their way. It was only their complete lack of coordination, that she stood any chance. She backpedaled, her staff slapping away their snouts. She couldn¡¯t keep up. Level 12 went for her face. Level 15 for her ankle. She slapped aside 12. Level 15 bit deep into her left leg. Its fangs cut through her pants and flesh, down to bone, like there was nothing there. Pain erupted up her leg, escaping her throat as a scream. She slammed her staff down on its head and it released her with a snarling hiss. She staggered back, stumbling as she put weight on her left leg. She couldn¡¯t do this. These things didn¡¯t give her any time to breathe, much less counterattack. The strikes she snuck in didn¡¯t seem to phase them in the slightest. She couldn¡¯t hit them hard enough for blunt-force trauma to be effective. Would things be different if she had a blade? It was a useless question, she didn¡¯t have one. She had to escape somehow. She could Wind Step if she made herself a gust with Elemental Manipulation. She dodged another snap of the rats¡¯ jaws. One of the two got a piece of her jacket¡¯s sleeve. The other got a staff to the snout. She engaged Elemental Manipulation, grabbing as much air as she could comfortably hold at once. She was about to throw it down the hallway when another thought grabbed her. Could she make it a blade instead? Like the cockroaches had? She already knew that she couldn¡¯t throw a blade of wind, the air lost cohesion if it got too far away. Though, had she tried since she¡¯d gotten her Range Buff from the Herald? Was now the moment to experiment? No, she decided as she slipped to the right of another rat bite. She followed it up with another staff strike to a rat skull to little effect. But the other option was to run. She pulled the air toward her, as she dodged around the rats. She could do this. Cockroaches could do it. She could do it. How had they done it? They condensed it on their wings. Was that to give it shape? Would that be easier? She didn¡¯t have wings, obviously, so she used her staff instead. The air pooled around it, invisible to ordinary sight, but obvious to her Atmospheric Sense. It wasn¡¯t enough to stockpile it though, she needed it sharp. She pressed it into the shape she wanted, imagining the air forming a long blade starting from just above her forward hand and extending beyond the staff¡¯s tip. Level 12 snapped at her. She swung her staff with its blade of wind. It was hard to keep the air blade stable as it swung. It was harder to keep it sharp as it collided. Blood splattered her as flesh split and the rat squealed. It slunk back, a narrow gash on its right shoulder oozing with blood. It wasn¡¯t very deep, but it was something. The rat paused, staring at her and her weapon. Reevaluating her viability as prey? Determining a new angle of attack? Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 9. [Elemental Manipulation has reached the First Step! Congratulations! Your innovative use of Elemental Manipulation has opened choices.
  1. Gain Skill: Wind Blade (lvl 1), Keep: Elemental Manipulation (lvl 5)
  2. Gain Skill: Wind Manipulation (lvl 5), Forsake: Elemental Manipulation
  3. Gain Skill: Shape Stone (lvl 5), Forsake: Elemental Manipulation
  4. Keep: Elemental Manipulation (lvl 9)]
Cass¡¯s eyes widened at the options. Would she get an option to alter her skills every time they reached level 9? Why 9? There wasn¡¯t a lot of time to debate her options. The two rats had pulled back, watching her closely. Were they debating running? She¡¯d let them go if they did. Stamina: 34/45 Focus: 161/216 Health: 12/32 Her little trick with Elemental Manipulation to form a blade and maintain its form while it sliced through the rat had cost 26 Focus. If she burned all her focus, she could only do that another 5 times, and then¡ª Focus: 160/216 Why was her Focus dropping? She wasn¡¯t using any skills. No, that wasn¡¯t true. Soul Guard was still running. But it had been running. It had been running before the fight and she hadn¡¯t been losing Focus. Her regeneration had been able to keep up with the constant loss. So why was it dropping now? Focus: 159/216 Was her Focus regeneration lower right now for some reason? Because she was injured? Because she was fighting? Because she had a third or less Health? Because Stamina wasn¡¯t full? Because a rest-related buff had just worn off? There wasn¡¯t time to figure this out. Her fight suddenly had a time limit. She still had plenty of time, but it was going to cut into how many skills she could use. And there was no guarantee that the loss over time would stop once the fight was over. She needed to make camp ASAP. Ch. 32: Desperate Offense Her foot shifted back a hair. This fight was unimportant. She needed to get away. Don¡¯t! the demon¡¯s voice ripped through her and arrested her movement. If you run now, they will chase. You must kill them if you wish to live. She wanted to scream. What the hell did he know? It was his fault she was here. If he hadn¡¯t startled her she would have slipped around them without a sound. He might be right though. Bears were known to chase down fleeing prey but to back down against hikers who made themselves big and stood their ground. She was pretty sure Wind Step would get her out, but what if she was wrong? What if they were better trackers than the Herald had been? Could they follow her back to her camp? Didn¡¯t rats have flexible skeletons? A lot of animals, as long as they could get their skull through a hole, could wriggle their way in. She was pretty sure that was true. They would definitely be able to get into the crack she¡¯d used as her previous camp. Would she be able to find a cranny they couldn¡¯t fit in? What would she do if she couldn¡¯t? Fight them? What was she thinking? He was probably trying to get her killed. Why would she listen to a word he said? He wanted to possess her after all. Why would he care if she lived or died? Could he possess a dead body? What about one half-eaten by rats? She grit her teeth. Focus: 158/207 There wasn¡¯t time for this indecision. She needed to act and it needed to be now. Run? Fight? Run? Fight. She needed to fight. She couldn¡¯t guarantee her safety any other way. And if she was going to fight, she needed the combat skill. Skill Earned: Wind Blade (lvl 1) (Wind) [Through study of the winds, you have discovered how to shape them into a weapon of your Will. None can stop the wind. Condense the air into blades with your Focus. Direct with a melee weapon or send them at your targets with your Will for an additional Focus cost. Association with the Concept of Wind increases the speed of the blades and allows for greater control of shape and direction. Modified by Wll. Mana Cost: 5 (melee), 15 (ranged)] The corners of Cass¡¯s lips quirked up in a strained smile. This was better than she¡¯d hoped for. An automated version of what she¡¯d achieved with Elemental Manipulation at a fraction of the cost with a ranged option all packaged together for her. She activated the skill, feeling the ease at which her Focus corralled an appropriate disk of air into a slender blade on the end of her staff, invisible to her eyes but vibrating madly to both her Atmospheric and Mana Senses. It covered only the top third, and extended past another quarter the length of her staff, transforming her staff into a glaive. The skill sung in anticipation. Staff Mastery joined the chorus. There was no moment like the present, she dashed at the nearer of the two rats, the level 12 one. Her Wind Blade sliced through fur and flesh, cutting a wide gash and deepening the existing wound into a terrible, fountaining chasm of blood. Blood splattered, exploding off the vibrating air before it stilled as the effect ended. The rat screamed and thrashed at her, its jaws snapping wildly. Cass stepped back, listening as Staff Mastery reminded her to take advantage of her longer reach. Reach made even longer by the blade of air at the end of her staff. Level 15 decided enough was enough and charged her again from the side. Whether it was incensed by the screams of its pained companion or simply driven to madness by the blood in the air, Cass could only speculate. She summoned another Wind Blade, cutting a long gash in its snout as it tried to knock her over. It recoiled, confusion and madness at war in its eyes. The confusion won out, it scurried back a step, crouching as if to pounce just out of range of her staff. Wind Blade has increased to level 2. Level 12 picked up the slack, bounding at her again. Cass stepped back, slashing her staff at it. The rat changed directions at the last second. The invisible section of her Wind Blade caught its shoulder as it scurried out of the way, but the wound was shallow. They were clever enough to respect the danger her staff represented and quick enough to dodge out of the way, but not fearful enough to cut their losses and run. But, she didn¡¯t need to be close to hit them anymore. She summoned another blade as she dragged her staff parallel to the ground. It flew off her staff, flying over the stone floor. It slammed into the two rats. Its edge had dulled over the distance, rolling off their dense fur but it still hit with enough force to stagger the smaller of the two. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Was the blade too wide, the power distributed too much across its length? Level 15 leapt. No time to speculate, she just had to keep trying. She swung again, her feet planted before the charging rat, ignoring every shred of good sense that said she should get out of the way. The Wind Blade was smaller this time¨Cmore compact. It cut with ease through the rat¡¯s fur, leaving a long tear down its back. Wind Blade has increased to level 3. But the rat didn¡¯t slow its charge. Cass tried to dodge. She couldn¡¯t move fast enough. There wasn¡¯t time to try anything else. The rat tumbled into her. Cass raised her staff in a block. The two fell in a terrifying pile of fur and teeth, Cass pressed to the stone floor by the monster¡¯s enormous weight. Its mouth snapped in her face. She caught its neck on her staff, pressing it away from her face with all her might. The rat snapped again, thrashing its head around the stick. Her staff caught in the crook of its mouth, vile spittle spraying over her face as it tried to gnaw through the wood. She tried to form another Wind Blade to knock it back. She could feel her Focus filling the skill and running down the length of her staff. She tried to corral it in the center, to build the blade beneath the rabid mouth of the rat above her, but she couldn¡¯t get it to stabilize there. The blade would only form on either end of the staff. Wind Blade wouldn¡¯t work here. There had to be something else she could do. She couldn¡¯t run. Wind Step wouldn¡¯t activate if she was held in place by another force. And even if she could, then what? There was a reason she hadn¡¯t run earlier. But what else did she have? It was too late for Dodge or Sprint and much, much too late for Stealth. Staff Mastery said she was already doing her best as far as it was concerned. Elemental Manipulation might have a solution, but it required at least one free hand, which she just didn¡¯t have. It was already taking all her strength with both hands to keep the rat from pressing her staff out of the way. There was no way she could hold it off her with only one. What if she braced one end of the staff against the ground? Could she do it? She looked to either side frantically. Level 12 Rat was slinking around to her left, just waiting for an opening. How long did she have until it decided to join its friend? Cass shook her head. She needed to focus. There had to be something to brace the staff against. There, to her right, a nook in the rock, barely more than a fist-sized depression, but maybe, just maybe, enough to lock one end of her staff in place? Or the staff would be easily jerked free by the thrashing rat and it would press through her meager defense and rip her head from her shoulders. But she didn¡¯t have any other ideas, and the other option was to do nothing until it exhausted her strength and it did it anyway. It was try it now or certain death. Put like that, it was an easy choice. She angled her staff, seating the end in the nook. The rat slammed its head into the staff, still trying to chew its way through the wood. Still unable to displace it. Moment of truth, Cass let go of that side. Her free hand darted out as she cast Elemental Manipulation, summoning fire in the palm of her hand. The largest ball of fire she¡¯d ever summoned sprang to life. She drove it into the side of the rat¡¯s face as it tore her staff from her hand. It squealed in pain. She pressed harder. She cast Elemental Manipulation again. And again. And again. Fur burned. Skin melted. The rat screamed. Cass screamed. There was just screaming and smoke. The strength gave out in its legs. All its weight fell on her, crushing her in a way thrashing muscle never could. The thing was the size of a large, broad-shouldered man, and twice as dense. The level 12 rat slunk forward as it became clear that she couldn¡¯t free herself from beneath the larger rat. She could feel it sniffing around her ankles. Its breath was hot and humid, slipping through the tears in her pant legs. Its cold nose prodded her bare skin. Stiff whiskers raked over her. She kicked, but there was no force behind the strike with the majority of her body pressed under the larger rat. The rat retracted a step, gauging how much danger her pinned leg could exert. When it had evaluated it at not very much, it slunk closer again. There had to be something else she could do. It sniffed again, taking its time. She wasn¡¯t going anywhere, trapped between a rock and a hard place as she was. Can you manipulate stone? Cass blinked, the pain of his voice cutting through the rising fear and pain. She could. But what would that do? She couldn¡¯t move that much stone at once. But what if she could push things with the stone she manipulated? She could feel the rat preparing to bite down on her leg. It¡¯d be just as happy to eat her alive as dead. Happier maybe since its meal would keep warm longer that way. There was no time for doubts. Elemental Manipulation! She picked a patch of stone by the larger rat¡¯s shoulder, not far from her right hand. She willed it up. She forced mana into it and pushed, forming a pillar a little wider than a soup can under the rat, propping it up. Not enough to unpin her legs. The corpse sagged too much in the center, the pillar cracking under even this much strain. The second rat bit down. Cass screamed. It gnawed on the muscle. This was worse than the attacking bites from earlier. This was worse than the clawing and the tearing of the terrorcat. Only the poison of the centipede came even close to the pain of the muscle of her leg being chewed on and ripped out. Focus! The demon¡¯s voice cut through the pain, one pain jerking her from the other. She pressed the sensations of her legs away. She could bend her waist a little now. She shimmied and reached, moving her hand into the space created by her first prop. God, it hurt! It hurt. How could she focus on anything else? There was only pain. Pain and pain and pain and pain and¡ª Focus! The demon¡¯s voice was almost pleading. She grit her teeth and did as he said. She focused. Pushing through the pain, physical and soul-raking alike, she activated Elemental Manipulation again. She created a wider pillar, dinner plate sized, wide enough to hold against the rat¡¯s weight she hoped. It was almost too much for her to manage. She could feel her Focus dropping under the strain. She could feel her mind-bending under the effort. The world spun as she was overtaken by the pain of her leg and the pain of the spell and the pain of her crushed body. But it was enough. She felt the pressure leave and she scurried out from beneath the first rat. The second bit down on her leg as she went. She felt something tear as she pulled away. Her vision tunneled on her staff. It lay barely a yard to her left, where it had landed after the first rat had ripped it away from her. She crawled after it. The second rat was right behind her. Atmospheric Sense tracked it behind her, its breathing rabid in its excitement over living meat. She wasn¡¯t going to make it to her staff. The rat crouched to leap. It would land on her. She would be pinned again. Crushed under its weight. Torn to shreds. No. She was panicking again. Overwhelmed with the pain and the fear there was nothing else. She was never going to reach her staff in time, but she refused to die. There had to be something else she could use. But there was nothing in reach. Just stone and¡ª She knew what she needed to do. The rat was in the air now. If it landed on her, she would die. From the impact. From its teeth ripping her throat apart. From its claws tearing open her chest. But it wasn¡¯t going to land on her. She activated Elemental Manipulation, she pulled at the stone directly underneath her. She yanked it up and activated Dodge. Her body rolled out of the way as a spike of stone sprung into existence. The rat skewered itself on the new spike, its full weight and the velocity of the still-rising stone combining into a truly frightening impact. Cass lay on the ground beside her trap. She was alive. Brutalized. But alive. Ch. 33: Trust Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 6. There was only pain. There was so much pain. Her ribs were crushed. Splinters of bone dug into her lungs. Every breath was a ragged, drowning thing. Her legs were torn to shreds. She couldn¡¯t look at them. Couldn¡¯t look at the exposed bone and flayed flesh. Couldn¡¯t even acknowledge how the left ankle was snapped in half. And the blood loss. Oh, she was still bleeding out, wasn¡¯t she? It would suck if she died like this. She was pretty sure she should care. Everything was really far away again though. Was this shock? She was pretty sure this was shock. She¡¯d probably lost her leg after all. A little shock was reasonable. Would this count as camp? Probably not. She wouldn¡¯t call an open piece of cave corridor camp. Yeah, she was going to bleed out. They never talked about that in the stories. When the heroes in the stories got beaten up fighting death-defying battles they always walked it off after. Or their allies got them the life-saving treatment they needed. But she was alone. And she wasn¡¯t much of a hero. Heroes saved people. She hadn¡¯t seen a single person to save. It was just her. In life or death nonsense, encounter after encounter. This was easily the stupidest way to die. She¡¯d startled herself into this one. It was the demon¡¯s fault. The demon¡¯s fault and years of being easily startled. Heroes weren¡¯t easily startled. You need to lower your Soul Guard! his voice rang like a gong in her head. He was still on that? She would have laughed if she was physically capable. He still wanted to possess her after everything. She was dying and all he¡¯d get was a dying body. A vicious pleasure imagined him in her place. Him in so much pain he could barely think. His legs broken. Lungs too punctured to draw up the air needed to scream. Nothing but the consequences of his actions to keep him company. What a reward she was. It was almost enough to convince her to let him have it. Almost Damn it, woman. I can save your life, just trust me a little. Trust him? That did get a pained, wheezing chuckle. It came out more as a strangled scoff, but that worked just as well. Why would she trust him? This was his fault. He had gotten her into this mess. If he hadn¡¯t startled her, she wouldn¡¯t be lying here now. If he wasn¡¯t locked behind Soul Guard, she wouldn¡¯t be losing Focus every second and maybe she¡¯d be able to think. If he hadn¡¯t put the idea of fighting those rats, she would have done the smart thing and run when she¡¯d been spotted. If he hadn¡¯t been her ¡®prize¡¯ she¡¯d be just fine right now. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. You are losing Focus and Health too quickly. If you lowered Soul Guard you would start recovering Focus at least. His words hurt. Physically. He sounded panicked. She wondered why. Probably because if she died he¡¯d be out a body. Who knew when the next one would come along for him to possess. Damn. Damn. Damn, it all. He was muttering now. His muttering hurt. Louder he said, You are going to die if you do nothing. Is that what you want? Is that all this strange campground means to you? Campground? Oh, he was still in her soul or something. Where Sibling Camp had manifested in her fight with him before. Oh. Kaye and Robin. They were waiting for her, huh. Waiting for her to get back and tell them that she was okay. That the weird rift thing she¡¯d been dragged through was nothing. That she was safe. She couldn¡¯t do that if she died here. She couldn¡¯t do that if she was possessed by a demon either. Were those really her only options? She couldn¡¯t stop the bleeding. Beacon of Home and Hearth was doing its best, but this was no campsite and even if it was, would the passive Health regeneration buffs and magic healing of this world be enough to fix her current state? Even with Demonic Vitality doubling those bonuses, she had a hard time imagining it magically stopping the river of blood gushing from her legs and pooling in her lungs. And then, there was the ankle. It was broken. More than broken. It was only attached by ragged flesh. Could magic healing fix that? She didn¡¯t know. She¡¯d never been this badly hurt. Short term though, she definitely couldn¡¯t get anywhere on it. Moving was out of the question. Was that it then? She couldn¡¯t move under her own power. She couldn¡¯t stop the hemorrhaging. She didn¡¯t have a skill to get her out of this one. Her only options were to gamble on this demon or to submit to death? She hated it, but she was definitely going to die if she just lay here bleeding out. Doing what he wanted was only probably going to get her possessed. She hated that was rational. She wanted to spite him to the end. But Kaye and Robin were more important than that. She lowered Soul Guard. Thank you. His words didn¡¯t hurt anymore. They sounded like they were coming from her chest instead of echoing around her head. If nothing else, that was an improvement. Now, I need you to trust me quite a bit more. Do you think you can do that? She didn¡¯t, but she couldn¡¯t exactly interrupt. I need your permission for this next part. You will be perfectly safe, and you can end it at any time. She had no idea what he was talking about. Right now, you are much stronger than me. Even bleeding out and dying, your Resolve is significantly stronger than my Will. That means you can throw off anything I try to do to you without any effort on your part. Okay? That was good to know if it was true and if she was alive long enough to do anything with that information. She could feel her blood pouring out, hot around her cold body. Okay. With that in mind, I need to possess your body. She regretted letting him out already, not that she had really been expecting much more. But was this really the time? Maybe for him, now, in her moment of extreme weakness, it was? Wait, wait! Calm down. If I could just do it, I would have already done it. Even if I could without your permission you could throw me out immediately. But I¡¯m telling you right now that you need to let me do it. You are badly injured, but I am not. You have a spirit-body that will conform itself around the soul within it. So if I possess you, I will be able to walk us out of this with no problem. You, on the other hand, are not walking anywhere. Does that make sense? I walk us out and we¡ªyou¡ªlive. You refuse to let me do this, we both die here. That didn¡¯t make sense to Cass. Maybe it was the blood loss. Maybe it was the particulars of demon magic. She didn¡¯t have any idea what souls had to do with bodies or why he would be uninjured in her very badly beaten one. But these were questions to ask if she survived. What she did understand was she had to trust him if she wanted to live to get back to Kaye and Robin. She wanted to refuse. Imagining his reaction to that final spite almost tipped her hand. But Kaye and Robin were more important than that. Ch. 34- ?: Joy Ride He breathed a sigh of relief as she agreed and a deeper sigh as her lungs became his. It was a strange feeling like he¡¯d been lying at the bottom of a murky pond only to finally be allowed to come up for air. Air that was moist and warm, filled with the smells of soil and the tang of iron. Her body settled around him, reforming into his physique, her glaring wounds disappearing with her control. Her fair skin darkened to his midnight blue. Her hair, long and braided down to her middle back, shrunk back to his preferred style¨Clong on top with shaved sides. He sat on the floor of the cavern, a skewered Depth Rat beside him, the other maybe a meter off. Around him, the stone loomed, quiet and still. He listened. Waiting. The scuffle had not attracted attention yet. However, they were not far from the nest of the centipedes or the cockroaches. A scout looking for fresh corpses to add to their larders would arrive sooner than later, he was sure. He waited another moment anyway. Listening. But it truly was quiet, both in the caverns and in his mind. The demonic whispering at the edges of his consciousness and the uncontrollable bloodlust had quieted. For now, he could think clearly. ¡°How are you doing?¡± he asked his host. He didn¡¯t even know her name, he realized. Dizzy, was all that came back. Not surprising. She had lost a lot of Health from all that blood loss. The low Stamina and single-digit Focus were not helping. He did not envy her triple crash. ¡°Do you see the fire?¡± he asked her, referring to the campfire in the center of the strange camp in her Soul Well. ¡°Just sit there and rest up.¡± He felt an acquiescence but little else. He pushed himself up, slowly testing his form. It was built using her broken body after all. It might not be injured since it was formed after his identity not hers, but like a pot formed from too little clay, he should expect it to be more fragile than it would be otherwise. It was also level 4. He tried not to let his disappointment about that bubble up. He was in a very tenuous position. If he rocked her emotional state too much she would likely snap back into control on instinct. And if she did that, she would be back to bleeding out on the stone, dying. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Overall, his body was stable. He should not have trouble finding a safe place for her to recover. That gave him pause. Did he actually want her to recover? He was a parasite living off her form now. A demon. This was his chance to steal control and live as himself. No. He was no longer stronger than her. He had just been worried a second ago about rocking her emotional state. An ill-timed sneeze could swap them back, sending him back to the depths of her soul. The System had taken the strength he had once had when it declared her the victor in their little contest of souls. He was truly only level 4 now, inside and out. It was only a matter of time until her soul took over again, and if she felt a threat from him it would only happen sooner. He shoved such dangerous thoughts aside and collected her things. First, her hair tie. He had expected a ribbon or a metal clasp. Instead, he found an enclosed fabric loop. He frowned as he tugged and twisted it. What was it made of? He had never seen fabric with such elastic properties before but it did not seem to be magic. It was simple enough to use though and a moment later his hair was tied back in a short ponytail. Then, her staff from where the rats had thrown it. It was hardly anything impressive. Identify confirmed it was just a branch she had picked up off the ground somewhere. But they did not have another weapon and he did not have any useful skills he could inflict on an opponent without one. A bladed weapon would have been better. But he could not think of a weapon he would not take over a random stick, so perhaps that was not saying much. He supposed he should be glad she was armed at all. Rearmed with her weapon he activated Stealth and slunk down the corridor. His stealth was slower, wrapping him in shadows instead of wind. At his peak, he had been all but invisible while stealthed. Now, he could feel its incompleteness. The ways in which the body broke through the veil of shadows. The slight scuff of his foot against the uneven stone. But he just did not have the dexterity anymore to move the way he wanted to. It was uncomfortable to know it was possible to move one''s body with greater finesse but be completely unable to no matter how one tried. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Everything felt that way, actually. He was stronger than this. He caught himself tempering the strength he did not have in an unneeded attempt to take measured and even steps. He could feel the limits of his mind, how weak his Will had become and how slow his Alacrity. Thoughts came one at a time now, slow and unorderly. He could still see in the dark, courtesy of his Racial skill Dark Sight, but the colors were all muted without his high Perception. Everything okay? she asked. ¡°Yes,¡± he lied. He needed to focus. Both their souls were in the Soul Well, she would be able to feel anything he was feeling with ease. It might not even be hard for her to read his thoughts if she tried, given their difference in status and relevant stats. ¡°Just wondering about you.¡± It was better to misdirect the source of his anxiety. If she thought he was unable to handle things her instincts would snap her back into control whether that would help or not. Frankly, it was only a combination of her uniquely powerful will and her particularly battered state that allowed them to get this far as it was. I¡¯ll live. She did sound stronger than she had a few minutes ago. But then, oddly, her Soul Well did seem to function as a Safe Zone¡ªwhich did not make sense but fine. Healing was significantly increased in Safe Zones. ¡°It occurred to me I don¡¯t know your name.¡± He whispered it, knowing she¡¯d hear it just fine but not wishing to attract unnecessary attention. She chuckled. Didn¡¯t need to know the name of the soul you were going to eat? ¡°Would it mean anything if I apologized for that?¡± Probably not, but it also couldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for trying to possess your body the moment we met.¡± He was genuinely regretful. He hoped she could feel it. This wasn¡¯t what he wanted for himself. ¡°If I had any other choice¡­¡± Sure, she muttered. She did not sound convinced. She fell silent and he let her sit, focusing on navigating through the maze that was the Deep. The caves were endless and uniformly made of the same dark stone and sporadically dotted with glowing mosses and mushrooms. At a glance, they seemed natural, weaving randomly from the shaping of the elements. And most of them were. The caverns of the Deep cut sharp zigzags like lightning through the stone and were filled to bursting with dangerous creatures both natural and summoned. But some of the paths had been created by people. The lair of the Centipede was one such corridor as was the path he was looking for. Cass, her voice whispered from the Soul Well. He paused. My name, she added. You asked. ¡°Yes, thank you. Pleasure to meet you.¡± In truth, he did not know what he would do with her name. It seemed wrong not to know it though. So? ¡°Yes?¡± Are you going to tell me your name? ¡°Oh.¡± He had not thought that far ahead when he had asked. Maybe if he had still possessed all his previous Alacrity, he might have thought ahead to the single most obvious follow-up question and he might have picked a different distraction. Or maybe he was an idiot and no amount of mental stats would have changed that. Oh? He walked with purpose down the corridor, scanning for another landmark. Stalling. Uselessly. Well, don¡¯t tell me I guess. He could feel her pulling back. Their bond rocked with the breaking trust. He wasn¡¯t going to be able to fix this. He could only hope she wasn¡¯t bleeding out anymore. Maybe she would reform without the same specific wounds and would just have the generalized Health loss instead. Or maybe she would be bleeding out on the ground again and they would both die. He had to try to salvage this. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± She snorted, clearly unconvinced. ¡°Demons do not have names,¡± he admitted. It was hardly well known, it made sense if she did not believe him. Little about demons was widely distributed. If¡­ No, best not to follow that thought down that way. Now would be a bad time for the system to decide his thoughts broke the divine divide. Don¡¯t have names they just give out, more likely. ¡°Demons don¡¯t have names unless they own themselves. If I had beaten you, I could have named myself.¡± Maybe reclaimed the name he used to have? What was it? A chill ran down his spine. He did not remember. There was a cold, dead spot in his chest. He could feel where his name was supposed to have been. Blurred faces of people calling him echoed through his mind, their voices garbled to his memory. So what? I get to name you? Her words snapped him back to the present. ¡°If you like,¡± he said. And if I don¡¯t? ¡°Then I am just a Nyxdran Demon. Nothing more.¡± That hurt him more than he cared to admit. He was nameless. Little better than the monsters around him. She did not say anything. He did not have a clear enough feel for the Soul Well to tell if she was thinking about what he had said, bored with their conversation, or if she had finally passed out from her wounds. He spotted the landmark he had been looking for a few minutes later, a pillar of grey stone in the center of a wide cavern. Many tunnels connected here, all as dark and twisting as the ones before. But he knew where they were now. He ran his hand along the pillar, following it all the way around. Once upon a time, there had been grooves carved into it. Stone Memory said the pillar remembered the grooves still, even though time and many hands had worn them away. It took a second pass around for him to find the memory of the grooves he was looking for. The marker pointing to the Safe Zone. He turned around and walked directly into the path before him. Ch. 35: Existential Cass woke up gasping like she couldn¡¯t breathe. For a moment her lungs didn¡¯t respond. For a moment, it felt like she had no lungs. That passed as she inhaled and she felt them inflate. She held the breath and counted to four before slowly releasing it. Hold for four. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Hold. She repeated the exercise until she was sure her lungs could be trusted to work at their own pace. Only then did she really notice where she was. Only then did she notice the stars above. Except they weren¡¯t actually stars. It was a good simulation, but the inky blackness above wasn¡¯t the open sky. Atmospheric Sense was quick to tell her she was still underground. The heavens above were nothing more than a ceiling speckled with tiny glowing crystals. For being an imitation of the sky (something she found irrationally sacrilegious?) it was beautiful. It helped she hadn¡¯t seen a real starry sky since she¡¯d arrived in this world, just growing, grey storm clouds. Had those burst yet? Would she know down here? Did the caves flood? She shook the worries away. None of that was immediately important right now. Rather, the question should be, where was she? She vaguely remembered walking through dark caverns, deeper and deeper, skulking around beasts and monsters far greater than her own level. But those memories had the fuzz of a dream, flickering in and out of focus. Not real or true. More prominently, she remembered sitting at a campfire, alone but safe. Right, she¡¯d let the demon possess her. A questionable gamble, but which appeared to have paid off? She had been horribly injured before, yet now she felt like she¡¯d never been hurt before. Her leg had been mangled but now the only evidence a rat had nearly chewed it off was the torn pant leg and the dried blood around the new ¡®cuff¡¯. She sat on a bed of soft moss. It was easily the softest thing she¡¯d encountered since ending up in this messed-up world. It was at the top of a hill in the center of the enormous open cavern. Large glowing mushrooms dotted the landscape, breaking up the fields of soft moss. A pool of water filled the left side of the cavern, lined with iridescent white stone. They shimmered in the low light. Something glowed from the bottom of the pool. She felt strangely at peace here. At peace in a way she hadn¡¯t since arriving. It was the same sensation she got when she curled up in her comfy chair in the living room, the lights low, her reading lamp on, a Sherpa blanket draped over her shoulders and pooling into her lap, a cup of hot tea on one side, a book in her hands, the sound of rain lightly tapping against the roof above. She closed her eyes luxuriating in the feeling. It resonated with something in her heart. Warmth expanded around her, only deepening the feeling. For the first time since she arrived, she didn¡¯t think she was going to die. She¡¯d forgotten what this felt like. You seem healed? The demon¡¯s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Immediately, the feeling was gone. ¡°You¡¯re still here.¡± I¡¯m bound to you. ¡°Like a fungus,¡± she muttered. Still, she was alive. That counted for something. If he wanted her dead or could make her dead, she probably would be. That earned him a little goodwill. Louder she said, ¡°So where are we?¡± The Deep¡¯s Safe Zone. ¡°That was a lot of proper nouns,¡± she observed. ¡°Felt very series of capital letters to me. You know?¡± I do not. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Explain what a Safe Zone is. I can guess, but I¡¯m tired of guessing. If you¡¯re going to stick around, you get to answer my questions.¡± You don¡¯t know? There was genuine surprise in his tone. Cass resisted rolling her eyes again. She could tell this was going to be a long partnership. ¡°Our conversations are going to go a lot faster if you just assume I don¡¯t know anything.¡± She hated admitting that, but it was true. Her pride was just going to have to deal with it. The simplest answer is that monsters cannot enter Safe Zones. Combat is generally not allowed. Most offensive skills cannot be activated. Cass frowned. She had a couple problems with that answer. To begin with, ¡°Why can¡¯t monsters enter?¡± They can¡¯t. The System does not allow it. ¡°But how, exactly? Like force fields? Spontaneous combustion? Holy light?¡± No. Nothing like that. He was looking at her weird. He didn¡¯t have his own body to look at her with, but she could feel the judgment. It simply compels them not to enter. ¡°Compels? Like mind control? It can do that?¡± Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t be surprised. If it could shove information in her head, was there a reason to think it couldn¡¯t force things to act the way it wanted? How much influence did it have? Could it control her? Would she even notice? It can compel anything unnamed to follow its needs. ¡°Only unnamed things?¡± Cass asked slowly. That was a strange distinction. If it was true. A name implies agency. Individualism. Things without names are not agents acting for themselves. They belong to something else. If there does not seem to be anything, then it is the System directly. That answer bothered Cass for entirely different reasons. ¡°Then you, without a name¡­¡± I belong to you. The words were ground out and grudging. Cass didn¡¯t like that any more. ¡°But if you had your own name, then I wouldn¡¯t own you?¡± If you gave me a name that would only solidify your position above me. You could revoke it at your leisure. ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t like that.¡± Cass pursed her lips. ¡°What if you just named yourself? You¡¯re a clever guy. You could definitely think of something you¡¯d like to be called.¡± Not how that works. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re giving up too early, but fine. Things without names the System can push around like game pieces, so it keeps them out of these Safe Zones. But you also said combat isn¡¯t allowed? How is that enforced? To be consistent about the names business it shouldn¡¯t be more mind control.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Most offensive skills do not work in Safe Zones. Weapon masteries don¡¯t function. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t stop someone who actually knows how to use their weapon from fighting with them though.¡± There are very few who intentionally train without their Weapon Mastery skills. ¡°All the more reason an assassin, specializing in personal excellence with their weapon instead of Skill-based mastery, attacking in a Safe Zone is a good idea,¡± Cass said with a shrug. There is also no experience gained to skills or personal levels for kills made in the Safe Zone. ¡°Hardly a deterrent for good old fashioned murder or assassination, though is it? Also doesn¡¯t exactly disincentivize the non-murdery kinds of violence.¡± It isn¡¯t done. There was finality in his tone. Cass let it go for now. It wasn¡¯t like there were other people around who could attack her. Either there was System mind control affecting her or there wasn¡¯t and either way, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it right now. Or maybe that was the System mind control talking. ¡°You said that was the simplest answer,¡± she said, returning to her original question. ¡°What¡¯s the more complicated answer about Safe Zones?¡± They have a few more functions. Activating a higher tier of regeneration is the most obvious. ¡°What are tiers of regeneration?¡± Cass asked. She had an inkling, but it would be nice to have it spelled out. Depending on the situation, health, stamina, and focus regeneration are different. As a rule, the calmer and safer the situation the higher the regeneration is. It is classified on two axes: Action and Location. For example, no matter where you are, your regeneration will be slower if you are in the middle of combat as compared to if you are casually walking somewhere. That in turn will be lower than if you are sitting quietly, resting. Understanding dawned on Cass. That was why her Focus had started dropping mid-fight with the rats. Her regeneration had been enough to handle Soul Guard¡¯s cost out of combat but not enough during combat. As for Location, places you or the system consider safe will afford higher regeneration. On average wilderness is rated the lowest, followed negligibly by urban spaces. Some people find this difference greater than others and for a few that is reversed. In general, they are grouped into a single tier as the difference for most people isn¡¯t worth mentioning. Collectively it is usually called either Standard rate or Wilds rate. Above that is Camps. More so if they are fortified or guarded. Again, this is not limited to wilderness camping, but might also include a home that you consider safe, or perhaps a singular room in a building that is distinguished as ¡®yours¡¯. And finally, Safe Zones have the highest bonus to regeneration, usually doubling camp regeneration speeds. ¡°Which is why you brought me here; I was dying and this would heal me the fastest.¡± Yes, exactly. He paused. Hesitantly, he added, Though your recovery was far faster than I expected. Cass shrugged. ¡°Well between Demonic Vitality and Beacon of Home and Hearth, it makes sense that I¡¯d heal fast.¡± By my estimations, you had dropped to single-digit health. That is not a state one casually comes back from in a matter of days. Cass frowned and brought up her resources. Stamina: 45/45 Focus: 216/216 Health: 38/38 ¡°Well, I¡¯m at full health now.¡± She could feel his shock, but he reigned that back. You were out for a little over two days! I had expected you to be out of critical condition, not fully healed. Do you feel any weakness? Cass shook her head. She¡¯d been asleep for two whole days? That couldn¡¯t be right. ¡°I should be starving.¡± Confusion bubbled up through their connection. Why? It was only two days. ¡°Only? Back home I¡¯d be light-headed if I missed lunch!¡± But, then again, how long had she been surviving off of a couple of vineroot potatoes a day? They weren¡¯t exactly the best meals, and she definitely hadn¡¯t been eating lunch. With all the hiking and fighting, she should have needed even more food, not less. You are slyphid, aren¡¯t you? ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Slyphids are Spirit-bodied. You are likely gathering most of the energy you need from the storm above. Mundane food could replace that in a pinch, but your body will always get most of its energy from the air around you. This was a good thing. Cass knew that. Cass told herself that. This was a good thing. Yet, her breathing was coming faster. This was a good thing. She wasn¡¯t going to die of starvation. She wasn¡¯t going to have to eat the bitter potatoes. This was a good thing. Are you alright? ¡°What about water?¡± In particularly humid climates you could probably do without. In most places, you will need nearly the same amount as most physical-bodied races. ¡°And vitamins and minerals? Don¡¯t I need to eat to get those?¡± Why would you? That sort of thing is a concern for physical-bodies. Your body is made up of condensed mana. It is more a suggestion based on your understanding of self than a truly physical construct. This shouldn¡¯t surprise her. She had already known that this wasn¡¯t her real body. Cass¡¯s real body needed glasses. Cass¡¯s real body tripped over flat surfaces. Cass¡¯s real body was winded walking up a mild hill. The real Cass couldn¡¯t summon fire in her hands. The real Cass couldn¡¯t phase into the wind. The real Cass didn¡¯t know the first thing about staff fighting. The thing she was right now wasn¡¯t real. She knew that. This shouldn¡¯t surprise her. This was simply more confirmation of a fact she had been desperately trying to ignore. He was talking. Saying something. Words flowed over her. Maybe he was trying to comfort her. Maybe he was just confused. She couldn¡¯t hear him. Her thoughts were turning down the same pathways, over and over again. She wasn¡¯t real. She was a construct created by the System and dropped into a Cass-shaped mold. Was she even the same soul? What did that even mean? This wasn¡¯t her body. These weren¡¯t her skills. The System could compel actions of its subjects, so were these even her thoughts? Was she an entirely different entity just compelled to think she was Cass? Did Cass even exist? How could she know? How could she know? Hey! Cass took a deep breath and with supernatural effort shoved the spiraling thoughts down. She had a feeling it was only possible because of her enhanced mental stats. That was a thought that almost sent her spiraling again. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she choked out. What was that? He asked. ¡°It''s fine. I¡¯m¡­¡± she was going to say ¡®fine¡¯ but that was too blatant of a lie. ¡°In control,¡± she said finally. Also not true, but close enough for the moment. Like hell you are, I felt that all the way over here in the necklace. What was that? She considered lying. But what the hell, he wasn¡¯t going anywhere. It wasn¡¯t a secret. ¡°I¡¯m not a slyphid.¡± She let him puzzle over that as she flopped back into the moss. Not a slyphid? He repeated. ¡°Not a slyphid.¡± But you are a slyphid. She clicked her tongue at that. ¡°An accident.¡± How does one ¡®accidentally¡¯ become a slyphid? You can¡¯t just change Race. Not really. There are illusions. Even some temporary shape-changing magics. But that doesn¡¯t change your growth. Only the System can do something like that. ¡°Well, it was the System¡¯s fault as far as I can tell.¡± What does that mean? She didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Not the void space. Not the tentacle portal. None of it. ¡°It means I¡¯m human and everything scares me,¡± she said instead. That was easier to admit than talking about the specifics of what scared her. It was even true. You are a human with a slyphid body? He said slowly, for clarity. ¡°That¡¯s probably completely ridiculous.¡± It is, he said slowly, a spark of something warm and comfortable floating across the connection between them. But, it explains a few things. ¡°Yeah?¡± Like why you do not look like a slyphid for one. Or why your soul¡¯s instinctual form was a flame and not an Aether spark. Or why you don¡¯t know the first thing about having a Spirit-body. ¡°I don¡¯t look like a slyphid?¡± Cass whispered the words. They were sweet on her tongue. They meant nothing, but also everything. ¡°What do they usually look like?¡± Smaller. At least a head shorter than you. Lighter and longer build too. All legs and neck. Their skin tends to tint blue or pink. Their hair is usually a darker or deeper shade of one of the two as well. ¡°So basically nothing like me?¡± Cass almost laughed. A Spirit-body reflects the soul inside it. You look human. Ch. 36: Salos You look human. That shouldn¡¯t mean anything. But it meant everything in that moment. She held those three words. Clutched them tight to her chest. I don¡¯t know if this will help, he said in the long pause that followed. But I was not a demon before all this. I will not pretend it''s the same. If nothing else, I am still Nyxdran even if I am not a Nyxdra. But, I understand the disconnect. To feel like one thing, but be told by the System you are something else entirely. And to not be entirely sure what that means about your soul and self. She stared up at the false sky. The fake stars glimmered soft white and cold blues and faint reds. They lay in fixed constellations, never to move or dim. ¡°Thank you,¡± she finally whispered. Her anxieties swirled just under the surface, but she didn¡¯t let them up. For now, she was stronger than them. She doubted it would last long, but she could hope. And maybe toss some more points in her mental stats? Can I ask how a human became a slyphid? He asked. Cass sighed. How did she explain? Did she even want to? He was still the demon that had tried to eat her. But he was also the demon that had saved her life. After getting her into that trouble in the first place. But it hadn¡¯t been intentional. Probably. He was also the only person she¡¯d met in over a week. Maybe that was enough. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll tell you all of it,¡± she said, after a long minute of staring at the ceiling. And so she did. About Earth and its lack of System and level and magic. About her normal job and normal family and normal life. About Sibling Camping. About the portal. ¡°My siblings saw it happen to me,¡± Cass continued. ¡°I watched them as I was pulled through the world. ¡°They,¡± Cass¡¯s voice broke. ¡°They have no idea what happened to me. They probably think I¡¯m dead.¡± She didn¡¯t want to think about that. Not any more than she had to. ¡°So that¡¯s me. I ended up in this void. Fiddled with my settings until it let me out. Accidentally turned myself into a non-human thing.¡± You ¡®fiddled¡¯ with your settings. As in you were able to change your Avatar settings? Cass frowned, thinking back to the terminology the System had used all that time ago. ¡°Yeah. It kept asking me to confirm them. And I kept saying yes, but it didn¡¯t let me out. I assumed something needed to change to confirm it. It was shortly after I changed my Race that I was dropped here.¡± His shock was numbing on her chest. ¡°I take it that¡¯s unusual?¡± He snorted. If I wasn¡¯t linked directly to your soul, I would assume you were lying. As it is¡­ I don¡¯t know what to make of that either. It sounds like something out of the old stories. Travelers and Gods. That kind of thing. ¡°I don¡¯t know the old stories. What¡¯s a Traveler?¡± People from other worlds. They are the subject of myth and legend, powerful warriors whose coming mark the end of an Age. They are heroes chosen by the gods or calamities bringing ruin. Some ascend to godhood. Or that''s what the stories say. Supposedly, they walked the Realms as they wished and had unusual access to the System. ¡°And you think I¡¯m a Traveler?¡± Cass asked, unimpressed. Well, no. Like I said. Travelers are mythic figures. Few in this day and age¡ªhe paused. ¡°You okay?¡± Cass asked when he didn¡¯t continue after a minute. I just realized I do not know how long I was sealed. Time is strange when you don¡¯t have any senses to feel its passing. I would have guessed it has only been a few years, but I just realized it may have been significantly longer. A silence stretched between them. Hesitantly, Cass offered, ¡°When I Identified the orb I got you out of it said the last time it had been manifested was over 600 years ago.¡± I¡ªI see. Well. Few in my day, he continued, a cavalier veneer plastered over his tone, thought they were anything other than legends. Likely based on loosely true events, but blown out of proportion with time and telling. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Did any of them return to their own worlds in the stories?¡± Cass asked. Not that I remember. But, going home is hardly a ¡®heroic adventure¡¯ I would hardly be surprised if it was simply glossed over in the tellings. Cass snorted. ¡°Tell that to Odysseus.¡± I don''t know who that is. ¡°A man from an old story from where I¡¯m from. He had such a hard time getting home, that his name became synonymous with a grand tale of trials and tribulations. The man just wanted to go home to his wife.¡± It had taken him over a decade to get home. His child grew into an adult in the time he was away. She hoped it wouldn¡¯t take her that long to find her way home. At least she had no children wondering where she was. Just her siblings. ¡°Can I ask how you ended up a demon?¡± she asked. I suppose that would be fair, though I don¡¯t know how much I can answer. A lot of the details are¡­ he trailed off before settling on, fuzzy. What I can tell you easily is how demons come to be in general. They are ordinary souls that are purposefully broken. Sundered. If enough of the shards can be collected up they can be reformed into a perversion of the original. He laughed bitterly. It was a vile, unhappy sound. I think I might be a little less than half my original soul. That is all a demon is. A broken collection of soul shards forcefully fused back together. I suppose I should count myself lucky that all my parts are from a single soul. Those intentionally creating demons usually take pieces from several souls. You can mix and match strengths to overcome individual weaknesses, but the resulting demons are always insane. Usually sadistic. Rarely possessing a strong sense of self. Just a monster to throw at an enemy. Or a vicious guard dog. Cass was quiet. She felt like she should say something, but his words held such a detached anger she didn¡¯t know where to even start. It''s fine, he said, his voice falling to a resigned sigh. I am your vicious guard dog now. I couldn¡¯t hurt you if I wanted to. And frankly, I don¡¯t think I want to. ¡°And if I don¡¯t want a guard dog?¡± Cass asked. Unfortunate. You are stuck with me. My vessel¨Cthe necklace¨Cis Bound to you. Short of dying we are a matched set from now on. I suppose you could destroy me. It would take some effort, but I don¡¯t think I could stop you if that was what you wanted to do. I might even thank you for it. Gods know, I don¡¯t want to be a demon. Cass pursed her lips. What options were these? ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Cass said. That makes two of us. ¡°I don¡¯t like any of it,¡± Cass continued. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to pretend I can do anything about most of it. That said, I really don¡¯t like this business of ¡®owning¡¯ you. You¡¯re a person. People don¡¯t own other people.¡± Technically, I am a fragment of a person. ¡°A person!¡± Cass repeated, but he continued, ignoring her. You defeated a demon in a battle for your soul, all fights involve some sort of wager, that is the System¡¯s rule. I wagered my existence for your soul. If I had won I would have consumed you and become stronger. I would have been allowed to pick my own name and no longer have been a tool of the System. Instead, you beat me. Somehow. So you own me instead. I am your servant, to do with as you wish. You get to name me. You get to dictate our relationship. There is little I can do about it. ¡°And I refuse to participate in that.¡± You don¡¯t get to choose. The System has already made it so. ¡°Then I refuse the System too!¡± Cass yelled. ¡°You hear that weird computer in the sky? This is where I draw the line.¡± Yelling changes nothing. There was a quiet chuckle at the end of his words. You are quite literally stuck with me. You cannot remove my vessel from your body. We are joined fundamentally. ¡°That¡¯s fine. But you aren¡¯t my slave. Unfortunate kidnappee maybe? We can be fellow kidnappees together.¡± She grinned to herself. ¡°You said I get to set the terms of our relationship? Then that¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided. ¡°You¡¯ll help me figure out how to get home, I¡¯ll help you figure out how to reverse being a demon. We¡¯ll both keep the other person from getting themselves killed. Seem simple enough?¡± I¡ªI literally tried to kill you. Literately days ago. ¡°And I can probably list on one hand the number of things I understand about this world. And I¡¯m sick of it. You know things and you promised you can¡¯t hurt me anymore.¡± Admittedly, she only had his word on that, but it tracked that if he could run off with her body, he would have done that while she was horribly injured. It was a strange long game to play otherwise. ¡°If we¡¯re stuck together anyway, I¡¯d like us to get to the point where you¡¯d rather not hurt me.¡± Well. When you put it like that¡­ ¡°Besides, I beat you. That means you have to be my friend.¡± What? ¡°Beat ¡®em to befriend them. It''s a sacred ritual where I come from.¡± He was quiet for a long minute before he finally said. That is a strange custom. Cass shrugged. ¡°So, we have a deal?¡± Technically, this is still a demon-binding contract, but yes, I am happy to act as if we are intentional companions instead. ¡°Good. Then I guess I should come up with a name for you?¡± Yes. I would like that. ¡°Any requests?¡± Cass asked. He chuckled. I don¡¯t think any demon has ever been asked what they wanted to be called. ¡°I¡¯m not hearing no?¡± Cass said. ¡°What do you want me to call you?¡± I am really not allowed to¡ª ¡°If, hypothetically, unrelated to the business of naming my new Demon Bond, you had to pick some names that you liked. What would they be?¡± He suppressed a chuckle. Parth maybe? Salos? Alken? I¡¯m really not allowed to pick. ¡°I¡¯m going to be calling you that for a while. You should be comfortable with it.¡± Any of those are fine. Cass thought it over. ¡°Salos then. You sound like a Salos to me.¡± Should I ask what that means, to ¡®sound like a Salos¡¯? Cass shrugged. ¡°Couldn¡¯t explain it to you if I wanted to.¡± Salos it is then. Ch. 37: Stats Cass stood with a stretch. She¡¯d expected to be stiff from two days of inactivity, but she felt better than she had in days. ¡°I¡¯m not stiff?¡± she muttered more to herself than to Salos. No, I expect not, he replied anyway. ¡°Why?¡± She smiled despite her confusion. How good it felt to ask a question and actually expect to receive an answer? I was using your body for much of the last two days. It has only been yours again for a dozen hours or so. Cass pursed her lips. That reminded her, ¡°How does that work exactly?¡± What, possession? ¡°My body transforming into you,¡± Cass said slowly. Her memory of Salos possessing her was blurry at best. Your body is condensed mana. Or potential. It is what makes it a ¡®spirit¡¯ body, rather than a ¡®physical¡¯ one. As I mentioned, they take the shape the soul within resonates with. I have certain ideas of what I should look like, and so when I possessed you, the body conformed itself around me. When you are in possession of your own body, it takes the form of a human, because that is what you believe you are. ¡°Right, but, I was also gruesomely injured,¡± Cass said. ¡°That wasn¡¯t in my head. That really happened. My leg really¡ª¡° her words caught in her throat, the image of exposed and snapped bone taking up the entirety of her mind. ¡°I was very badly hurt.¡± That is thanks to the fact that we have separate health states. ¡°Health states?¡± Cass repeated. The most obvious example is we have separate Health, he explained. But also, if you were to get sick, only your status would list the disease as a status effect not both of us. Every wound is a kind of status effect, even if it isn¡¯t generally listed on your status, so obviously, if I possess you, it is my status the body would embody. ¡°Obviously,¡± Cass agreed dryly. What do you find difficult about that explanation? Salos asked. Cass shook her head. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just having a hard time with ¡®status effects¡¯. They just sound made up. Where I¡¯m from, if you¡¯re hurt, you¡¯re hurt. There is no system to tell you how badly or how long it will take to heal or how it will affect how strong you are or how long your stamina will last. Things like that are the realm of games.¡± Interesting, a world without the System. It is so outlandish, I still barely believe it. Yet, your confusion over even basic concepts relating to it makes it difficult to believe you could be from anything besides such a world. ¡°Do you know how to say you don¡¯t believe me in fewer words, Salos?¡± Cass cracked a smile as she teased him. I believe you, he huffed. It is an exciting concept. The stuff of fantasy. Imagine a world where it is impossible to estimate the difference in power between individuals? I suppose you don¡¯t need to imagine. ¡°For me, it is this world that seems like fiction,¡± Cass said. She looked out over the cavern again, soaking in the sight of the enormous glow mushrooms and the shimmering pool. The air tasted of magic, the roof glimmering with it. This was an alien world, with alien rules and alien expectations. What¡¯s not to understand? Salos asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Salos, just about everything.¡± Like? ¡°Health, for one,¡± Cass said. ¡°How does that work? I get hurt, it doesn¡¯t go down. A couple hours later it''s lowered for no reason I can discern. What¡¯s up with that?¡± It drains as you heal, obviously, he said. Why would it drop immediately upon being injured? Health represents your body¡¯s ability to heal. Higher current Health allows for faster healing speed. As wounds are healed, Health is consumed. As Health is consumed, wounds heal slower. Well, sometimes, injuries can lower Health directly as well, I suppose, blood loss being the most obvious example. ¡°See, this is what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Cass said. ¡°That¡¯s complicated and weird.¡± What¡¯s complicated about it? You heal faster when you are altogether healthy, and slower when you are not. It is perfectly reasonable. ¡°Sure, Salos.¡± Cass rolled her eyes. She walked down the hill as she spoke. ¡°And what about the stats?¡± What about them? he asked. ¡°Well, there are a whole nine of them, for one.¡± Sure. It is nice and orderly. Three rows of three. Three stats for your ability to physically act on the world, three for your ability to mentally act, three for how the world acts on you. A column for power, a column for control, a column for depth. What is difficult to understand? Cass put her face in her hand. ¡°Salos¡­ What?¡± She had actually thought she¡¯d had a decent handle on them. There were a lot of them, but most of them sounded intuitive. She¡¯d mostly asked to double-check her assumptions. Somehow, he¡¯d barely spoken and had already made it more complicated. Huh? ¡°That didn¡¯t make any sense.¡± No? ¡°No.¡± Hmm, okay. Interesting. Cass shook her head and knelt beside the pond. The water was still and dark. Glowing orbs floated in the liquid, but their light did little to illuminate the depths. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Alright, how about this: You know there are three rows of stats, yes? ¡°Sure,¡± Cass said, poking the water with her staff and watching the ripples. Each of these has a name: Physical, Mental, and Body. They can also be called¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t immediately start complicating it,¡± Cass interrupted. ¡°Three rows. Physical, Mental, Body. What does that mean?¡± It represents a grouping of what each row affects. Physical is Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance. These three affect how you physically interact with the world. Similarly, the Mental row affects how well-equipped your mind is to process information and mana, and the Body row how well your body can react to the world around it. Do you understand so far? He didn¡¯t actually wait for Cass to confirm or ask for clarification. Each column also is a grouping. Columns reflect how a given stat interacts with its domain. These are Power, Control, and Depth. That is to say, one stat represents how well you project that row into the world, one represents how much finesse you project it with, and the last how much of it you have to project. Each row is arranged in that order. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need some examples, Salos,¡± Cass said with a sigh. Hm? Really? Alright. Well, most consider the Physical row the most intuitive, so let¡¯s start there. Strength is Power, as such it affects how strong you can hit things or how heavy an object you can lift. It is how easy it is to affect the physical world around you. ¡°That¡¯s straightforward enough,¡± Cass said. That all lined up with her preconceptions from games at least. But then, Strength was hardly one of the stats she had questions about. Moving along, Dexterity is the control for your physical stats. That means it affects muscle control, hand-eye coordination, and flexibility. It allows faster, snappier movements, especially small movements. High dexterity can multiply mediocre strength just by applying that strength more efficiently. ¡°And which of the two makes me faster?¡± Cass asked, thinking back to her initial plan of running away. Both, Salos answered. Stats and speed, specifically running speed have an interesting relationship. More Strength will allow every step you take to push you further and with higher velocity. This means you move faster, but you aren¡¯t taking those steps any faster than without higher Strength. Additionally, high-strength sprinters frequently find themselves tripping over uneven ground, unable to compensate for even mildly loose footing without appropriate Dexterity. On the other hand, high Dexterity sprinters spend a lot more stamina to cover the same distance, relying on taking more steps faster than going any particular distance with any one step. Which brings us to Endurance, the Depth of the physical row. It represents how long you can keep using your physical stats. It directly controls your stamina. It is also possible to shrug off some status effects if you have high enough Endurance. Usually things like electric shocks, staggers, and some poisons. Does this make sense so far? You¡¯ll see this pattern reflected over the other two rows as well. Cass nodded. So far everything more or less lined up with her assumptions. Speed wasn¡¯t quite what she¡¯d expected, but it made as much sense as being controlled entirely by Strength or Dexterity. Good, then continuing on, you have the Mental row: Will, Alacrity¡ª ¡°ALACRITY! Ala stands for Alacrity?¡± Cass couldn¡¯t help herself. The excitement had just slipped out. That had been the only stat abbreviation she hadn¡¯t had even a guess for after all this time. There was a long pause. Disbelief bubbled over their connection. Cass¡¯s mouth snapped shut again in embarrassment. He muttered, I was beaten by someone who didn¡¯t know what Alacrity¡¯s abbreviation was. Oh, gods beyond, this is going to be a long partnership. Cass coughed. You have the Mental row: Will, Alacrity, and Resolve, he mercifully continued after another minute. Resolve was another surprise. She¡¯d assumed it was Resistance, but she supposed Resolve was just as reasonable. Will is the power of the mental row. It is often described as how strongly you can exert your desires over the order of the world. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really explain anything to me,¡± Cass said. I find myself unsurprised, Salos said. Think of it like mental strength, perhaps? Imagine ideas have a weight to them. The bigger the idea¡ªthe more detailed, the more complicated¡ªthe heavier it is to hold. More Will makes that easier to conceptualize all at once. This is critical to those who use magic. More powerful spells require greater and greater amounts of Will to bring to bear. More Will also allows more Focus to be expended on a single skill or spell and allows more force to be tied up in that Focus. To make an analogy to Strength, Will is the ¡®how hard do I punch¡¯ of magic. Does that make sense? Cass nodded slowly. What are you still confused about? Salos sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly directly related, but, um, does having more Will make one more stubborn or maybe impulsive?¡± She could feel Salos¡¯s confusion and her embarrassment for even asking the question spiked. No? I¡¯m not sure what would have given you that impression. Is that a cultural association with Will? ¡°I guess,¡± Cass said, her head hanging as if Salos had a pair of eyes she was trying to avoid contact with. Perhaps her fears were unwarranted, at least the ones about the stat changing who she was as a person. Anyway, Salos continued, his confusion bubbling just below the surface, Alacrity is the control for the mental row. It is all about how fast you can think. High enough Alacrity and your perceived time can slow to a crawl as you dissect a problem in front of you or reposition your body with heightened dexterity. Then there is Resolve, the Depth of the mental row. Again, Depth represents how long you can use its row. In this case, how long you can keep your mind on a task, the Focus at your disposal. It also can help resist mental manipulations. ¡°Like demon possession.¡± Yes, like possession. But also charms, stuns, or mind controls. It may even lessen the effect on you of social skills like Diplomacy or Barter. Cass decided she didn¡¯t need to get into the weeds of social skills right this second and also that she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know how they worked. Neither of the ways she could think of sat well with her. And that brings us to Body with Fortitude, Perception, and Vitality. ¡°How exactly are these not physical stats also?¡± Cass asked. I suppose they are, but, the distinction is usually made between action and reaction. The Physical row is about how you act on the world and how you move. The Body row is about how you handle action on you, how you react. First, Fortitude, the power. That is how well your body can take a hit. This is defense at its most fundamental. How easy is it to pierce your skin. How hard is it to break your bones. How difficult is it to tear muscle. It also affects how much pain you feel. More Fortitude, more damage you can shrug off without collapsing from the pain. Perception takes the role of control of this row. This is where the rows and their roles begin to break down. Perception does not modify Fortitude directly the way Dexterity or Alacrity do for Strength or Will respectively. Instead, it is about how you gather the information to react to forces on you. It is generally considered to modify the other two controls. It lets you collect more information on your surroundings. Everything is more vivid. More real. More detailed. Both around you and about your own state. Without appropriate Perception, you cannot make use of high Dexterity or Alacrity. You just cannot have the information you need to position your body or thoughts effectively. You will lack feedback on your changes. Finally, Vitality. Vitality is the Depth of Depth. While you can think of it as how long your body can take the abuse reduced by Fortitude, it is generally thought of as how well your body recovers. Not only does it affect your health pool, but it also affects how quickly all three resources¡ªStamina, Focus, and Health¡ªwill recover. So there you go, Physical, Mental, Body. Power, Control, Depth. It cannot be simpler. ¡°I don¡¯t know about ¡®can¡¯t be simpler¡¯ but I can see a kind of structure to it.¡± If nothing else, it was good to confirm that these things worked the way she thought they did. Most were what they said on the tin and the few she hadn¡¯t understood had simple analogs to a similar stat in a different row. Ch. 38: How to Get Home ¡°So, what now?¡± Cass asked, flopping back into the moss. You should kill the Lord of the Deep. Cass scowled. ¡°You said that earlier. Why is that so important to you?¡± It would be the easiest way to leave the Deep, for one. The rewards it would provide would be another. Cass shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much I care about the rewards. Leaving sounds good, but I don¡¯t know if it''s the ¡®easiest¡¯ way out. I¡¯m sure I could find my way back to where I fell. It would be tricky Elemental Manipulating a gust in the opposite direction of that down draft, but Wind Blade might do it.¡± You are in the deepest part of the Deep, Salos said. ¡°What? No chance. I didn¡¯t¡ª¡° You did not, he agreed. Cass fell silent, his words turning over in her mind, grinding to an inevitable conclusion. ¡°Did you purposefully take me deeper, Salos?¡± He coughed. You needed a Safe Zone to heal. They are not exactly common. ¡°And that it would incentivize me to try to kill this lord is only a convenient side effect?¡± Cass said. She crossed her arms over her chest. Had she been too quick to trust him? But no, what reason could he have to force her to fight monsters she couldn¡¯t handle? If he wanted her dead, he hadn¡¯t needed to bring her to safety after the rats. If he could take over permanently somehow by weakening her, he could have already done that. Hardly. Salos snorted. I shouldn¡¯t need to twist your arm for this. Slaying the Lord of the Deep is the obvious next move. Slaying it is the goal of all Trial takers. ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t my goal. I just want to go home. Any ideas how I¡¯d do that?¡± That depends on where ¡®home¡¯ is and, potentially, how you got here. ¡°Home is Earth. I got here by being pulled through an extradimensional, tentacle-filled portal.¡± You realize that does not clear anything up, right? ¡°How do you think I feel?¡± Where did you arrive exactly? Salos asked. ¡°By some big cliffs beside a glowing forest? There was this magic circle thing inscribed on a flat stone platform. Sound familiar?¡± That sounds like one of the feeder summoning circles. But that should not be possible, Salos muttered. The ones around the edges usually only summon weak monsters. They aren¡¯t supposed to be able to summon sentients. Or named things. Then again, it wasn¡¯t like anything was put in place to stop such a thing¡­ He trailed off in thought mumbling more to himself than to her. Given the time scale, the number of monsters summoned, and the probability, perhaps it was stranger that it hadn¡¯t happened yet. It should be statistically impossible. But, that is how odds work, I suppose. One in trillions is still fairly high if you have a sample size of hundreds of trillions. ¡°What are you muttering about?¡± Cass asked, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°What¡¯s a feeder circle?¡± A feeder summoning circle. They are a method of artificially increasing the density of monsters in the area and increasing the diversity far beyond what the ecosystem can naturally support. This is a Trial after all. It was created to train young warriors. The more varied the monsters fought the more experience one can expect to gain from it. ¡°And what does that have to do with how I got here?¡± That has to do with how summoning circles work. They are a nifty magic that reaches across the Realm Boundary and pulls other beings from one realm to this one. ¡°You think that¡¯s what happened to me?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I got yoinked across ¡®realms¡¯?¡± Yes, but no. Cass wished he had a body she could glare at. She settled for glaring at the empty air instead. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The summoning circle pulled you into this Realm from outside, that is the simplest explanation. As I said, it should be technically possible, if statistically improbable. Slyphids fit at least one of the summoning profiles as a Spirit-bodied being. Add your low level placing you within the desired power parameters¡­ He was talking more to himself than to her again, his words trailing off into unspoken thoughts. ¡°Okay, it was possible for me to be summoned as a slyphid, I got that much. That¡¯s the ¡®yes¡¯ in your ¡®yes and no¡¯. What¡¯s the ¡®no¡¯?¡± Oh, right, Salos snapped back to attention. You should not have been given the option to change your Avatar settings. The summoning circle just isn¡¯t that powerful. Nothing in this world is that powerful. ¡°But I definitely did.¡± I do not doubt that. But that does not change that it could not have been the work of the summoning circles. ¡°Which is why you say ¡®no¡¯ it wasn¡¯t the result of summoning that I¡¯m here.¡± At the very least, it wasn¡¯t the result of our summoning circles on their own that dragged you here, Salos said. ¡°So you have no idea what happened?¡± Cass asked. An impression of a shrug floated across their connection. If you made me guess¨Cand I do mean, if you forced my hand, held a blade to my throat, and forced a near baseless conjecture from my lips¨CI might suggest it was a two-step process. Something¨Cthe Gods perhaps¨Cpulled you from your Realm into the Void¨Cthat is, the space between Realms¨Cand then left you there. No, I cannot even begin to speculate why. From there, perhaps the summoning circles in the valley grabbed you. It would be trivial for them to pull you across a single realm boundary, preferable even compared to needing to reach across both our own and the boundary of a neighboring realm. Cass frowned. ¡°Two separate processes? You really think that is more likely than one?¡± It has to be, Salos said. Otherwise, you would have been summoned as a human¡ªexcept, I know for a fact we put restrictions on that sort of summoning¡­ He only wandered off for a moment before returning his attention to Cass. No, you could not have been summoned into the Uvana Valley with the summoning circle alone. Not assuming you were human initially. I can only speculate on what the other process was, but it was definitely two. Cass sighed. She understood the general argument if not absolutely every term Salos had thrown at her. She probably could have made him explain each one, but she had a sinking feeling she¡¯d be here forever if she did. It wasn¡¯t like he was going anywhere, she¡¯d get the details on them if they were important later. Instead, she brought the conversation back to her original question, ¡°Does any of that give you any ideas on how I might get home?¡± Well, not really. I am not exactly an expert on summoning or realm traversal, or whatever the opposite of summoning would be called, if such a person even exists. That said, I have two thoughts. Both are likely wild goose chases, that should be clear upfront. ¡°Sure,¡± Cass said. She didn¡¯t even have that right now, so she¡¯d take it. First, I could be wrong about the nature of the summoning circles. I doubt it, but I could be. It has been known to happen. If I am, and it really was just the summoning circle that pulled you from your Earth to these Fractured Skies, then it may be possible to reverse engineer a path back with the circle that you were summoned to. Maybe. I have never heard of someone doing it successfully, but I have heard someone once speculate it was theoretically possible. We should try to check the circle in question if you want to attempt to pursue this. But, as I said, I think the chances that one of the valley¡¯s summoning circles pulled you from Earth is near zero and, even assuming it did, the chances the two of us will be able to invent a new runic circle to reverse a summoning on our own is even lower. ¡°Optimistic¡­¡± Cass muttered. I would rather not string you along with false hopes. I apologize if that is not what you wish to hear. ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. You¡¯re probably right. What¡¯s your other idea?¡± This is possibly even less realistic. Where the first idea has some magical studies I half remember backing it up, this thought is entirely based on legend, superstition, and myth. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Cass said, with a sigh. How impossible was her task? Alright. Reach level 99. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Cass asked. People say all sorts of things about what happens when one reaches level 99. Immortality. Godhood. Extended system access. In the old stories, Travelers reach level 99 and join the gods or leave this world for new distant adventures. It is just a story, but, well, if the gods did pull you from Earth, then who knows. Cass shook her head. Level 99? That seemed impossible. Sure, she was 10% of the way there, but she¡¯d done that by fighting things 2 or 3 or more times her level. She didn¡¯t want to keep doing that. And, even if she did, that had a limit. Assuming monsters also were limited to level 99 before they became gods or whatever, by the time she was level 50 there wouldn¡¯t be anything double her level to fight anymore. And that assumed she could keep fighting things above her level as the gulf between them kept growing. He must have felt her disappointment. I apologize. I should not have brought it up. Cass shook her head. ¡°No. It''s good to know, but there has to be another answer. Isn¡¯t there someone who would know?¡± Salos hummed in thought. Perhaps one of the summoning experts at the Scholar¡¯s Spire might have some ideas. He sighed. If they¡¯ll even work with me¡­ ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± A cold tension spiked over their bond. Because I am a demon now. And they are the world''s leading experts on demon hunting and extermination. Ch. 39: Risk and Reward ¡°Is it safe to bring you near the demon hunters?¡± Cass asked. Probably not. Not if you tell them about me. Or if they figure out I am with you. Salos sighed. But I also have no other ideas. ¡°Well, what about if we fixed your thing first?¡± Cass asked. ¡®Fix my thing?¡¯ You mean how I am a demon? Salos laughed. Oh, my. Cass. No. It is sweet of you to think that is something we can do, but no. That¡¯s not reversible. You cannot fix a glass that has shattered. You can¡¯t fix a soul that¡¯s broken. ¡°How do you know?¡± Cass asked. That¡¯s just how it is. Cass scowled. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave it alone for now, but I refuse to just give up on it forever.¡± Thank you, I appreciate the sentiment, but you should. Cass shook her head. She¡¯d leave it for now, but if he was going to help her get home, helping him revert back from a demon was only fair. Besides, she couldn¡¯t exactly take him home with her. There weren¡¯t demons on Earth. She didn¡¯t want a demon in her head forever. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve gotten sidetracked a little, I think. Long-term goals are good and all, but we were talking about how to get out of these caves.¡± Leaving the Deep is a good idea, yes. The easiest way is to kill the Lord. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Cass muttered, unsurprised his opinion was unchanged. It sounded a dubious plan to her. Sure, she was at full health again for the first time in forever and had more combat experience than she had any reason to possess on Earth, but she was still less than enthusiastic about the idea of purposefully hunting monsters. It was time to take stock of her situation again. What supplies did she still have? That was not a lot. Her sleeping mat was gone. She could probably ask Salos what happened to it, but it had been falling apart even before she¡¯d been mauled by the rats. If it had been crushed in that fight and neither of them noticed it wouldn¡¯t surprise her. She was also just about out of things to make tea out of. That was maybe a minor concern, except some of the teas she¡¯d made boosted her recovery speed, which was invaluable. Also, she liked tea and it was the closest thing to a creature comfort in this awful place. Maybe there was something down here that would be useful? It couldn¡¯t hurt to look for new supplies while she and Salos discussed her next move. She stood and started walking alongside the pond, cycling Identify and Foraging as she walked. ¡°I really don¡¯t think I want to fight the Lord of the Deep,¡± Cass said, returning to her conversation with Salos. ¡°Isn¡¯t there another way out of these caves?¡± Probably, Salos admitted grudgingly. However, I cannot recommend we spend the time looking for them. ¡°Why?¡± Cass asked with a sigh. Cumulonimbus Moss [An unusual moss that grows even in the absence of light. It grows into thick mats of plush greenery. Named for its cloud-like softness.] For one, time here is somewhat limited. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Cass asked. She knelt beside the carpet of moss, prying up a section as she spoke with Salos. It came up in clumps but disintegrated into thin fibers once free. Well, it will be somewhat inconvenient to traverse the Deep once it is flooded. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°What?¡± Cass repeated, standing straight at the mention of flooding. Unless I have mistaken the signs, Salos continued unperturbed, the valley is about to enter the Wet Season, if it has not already. ¡°It did look like it would rain any minute...¡± I thought as much. Once it starts raining, you can expect it to continue for well over two months. That is two or more months of torrential downpour. The Deep floods. Cass shuddered at the thought of being lost in submerged caves. That was how people drowned. Even strong swimmers and experienced cave delvers were at extreme risk in such conditions. Cass was neither. Exactly. You do not want to be down here when the Wet Season properly starts. As such, there is little time to waste wandering about. You should go directly to the Temple of the Deep and get it over with. ¡°Why does that sound like a proper dungeon, with a boss and everything?¡± Cass groaned as she resumed her Foraging. Lightcap - tall, tree-like mushrooms with wide glowing caps. Red Shelps - small red mushrooms with wide caps. Blue Shelps - small blue mushrooms with wide caps. Airadaisy¡¯s Trumpet - slender mushrooms with a sweet aftertaste. Highly toxic. Dungeon? No, why would there be prisoners in a temple? The Temple of the Deep is the heart of this Trial. A Trial in a Trial so to speak. ¡°And let me guess,¡± Cass sighed. ¡°It''s packed to bursting with monsters around every corner, all leading up to the Lord of the Deep?¡± Certainly. It''s a maze of rooms and corridors, changing with every season so that it never repeats within any natural lifespan. Monsters roam the halls and the entire complex is presided over by its Lord. But, if you can make your way to his chambers and pass through to the rooms beyond, we should find the teleportation circle, which can take us out of the Deep. ¡°That sounds suspiciously like I¡¯ll have to fight and kill the lord.¡± Well. Yes. But, I mentioned this earlier, I have a method for killing him that will make that much easier for you. Green Spones [A fungus growth the size of a human thumb. Uncommon outside cool, damp areas with high ambient mana. Can be chewed raw for a mild pain-killer effect or boiled to increase Health recovery. The darker green, the more potent the effect.] They were growing amid the stones framing the pond. All of them were a dark forest green and unpleasantly mushy to touch. ¡°How?¡± Cass asked as she pulled a couple of handfuls from the stones and shoved them in one of her pockets for later, grimacing the entire time. You don¡¯t need to kill the proper Lord of the Deep. Just anything with that title. ¡°And there¡¯s just a weaker Lord of the Deep just hanging out somewhere?¡± Yes. Cass walked another couple of yards around the edge of the Safe Zone¡¯s cavern, waiting for further explanation. It didn¡¯t come. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pretend that¡¯s a fully realized plan that I understand and agree with for now. There is still a whole host of other monsters, all of which I assume are stronger than me?¡± Well, yes. But not significantly stronger than the monsters you would need to fight to get out the way you came. ¡°But stronger?¡± Well, it is the heart of the Trial, he admitted. But, due to its structure, you shouldn¡¯t run into too many monsters at any one time, while outside the Temple there is always the chance of encountering hordes and becoming overrun. Cass set aside the obvious and unmitigated challenge this proposal entailed and moved back to the potential rewards. ¡°And how is this better than fighting our way out of the Deep and returning to the circle I was summoned from?¡± This plan has two additional benefits. First, challenging the Temple will make you stronger, whether you succeed or fail, the experience will leave you better equipped to face future challenges. ¡°Or it will kill me.¡± Salos hesitated for a moment before countering with, You won¡¯t get stronger unless that¡¯s a potential outcome. Cass scowled, that was not what she wanted to hear. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want to get stronger.¡± Frustration radiated off the necklace in sharp, hot waves. What do you mean you do not wish to be stronger? ¡°I want to survive,¡± Cass said, crossing her arms with another targetless glare. ¡°I don¡¯t need to become some OP fighter in the process.¡± Do you wish to survive or thrive here? Salos asked coldly. Because to be anything less than all-powerful is to simply survive. If you want to choose your future you need the strength to fight for what you want. Anything less and you become just another pawn on another player¡¯s board. Is that what you want? Cass¡¯s scowl burned. ¡°If that¡¯s really how this world is then I want nothing more than to leave it as fast as possible.¡± Fine. The second benefit may interest you more then. In the heart of the Temple, beyond the Lords Chambers, is a secret workshop. From there the creators of the Temple planned much of the valley and its many trials. There should be reference materials on the construction of the feeder circles which may be a useful clue in constructing a road home. That was a good reason, Cass had to admit. Proper diagrams or notes were going to be more useful to whoever she eventually found to construct a magic thing-a-ma-bob to take her home than any amount of description or sketches from her memories. But, to fight a big monster over it? ¡°All I need to do is slay a Lord of the Deep?¡± Yes. ¡°A weaker one. Not the one that the creators intended for me to fight?¡± Yes. ¡°Which is still in the Temple of the Deep?¡± It will be fine. ¡°How?¡± You are a slyphid, which means you have a Spirit-body. There are paths that most physical-bodied beings can¡¯t follow but which you should have no trouble with. We¡¯ll just pop into the Lord¡¯s spawning pool, kill an heir, and pop out again. You¡¯ll have slain a Lord of the Deep and so will not be allowed to fight another. It will have no choice but to let you pass. Cass¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Kill its heir? As in kill a child?¡± Baby monster, he shot back. But yes, I suppose. It is honestly not any different from the way you have been killing Lesser Cockroaches or the smaller Centipedes. ¡°Fine.¡± Cass didn¡¯t like it. But it sounded like the danger was about even with the alternatives and the rewards were better. It would be stupid to refuse. Ch. 40: Stalker Decision made and unable to find any other useful mushrooms, Cass ventured out of the Safe Zone. She could feel the exact moment she exited the system-designated safety. The sourceless warmth in her core evaporated, like walking from a heated house into a blizzard outside. The hairs on her arms and the nape of her neck stood on end. At the same time, the staff in her hands became more comfortable as Staff Mastery re-engaged. A certainty wrapped her that she could handle the weapon and anything that tried her while she held it. She dropped into Stealth, choosing to ignore the ways the System was altering her perception of the world for the moment. The entrance and exit to the Safe Zone was a narrow corridor with ground that sloped down from the Safe Zone. The Starlight Lichen glowed in loose swirls, barely illuminating the passage enough for Cass to see. The other fungus and mosses did not extend far beyond the Safe Zone¡¯s cavern. The tunnels were far tighter here than they¡¯d been when she¡¯d run from the Herald. Where those had high ceilings and wide lanes, these were only a head or two taller than she and only wide enough for four to walk abreast. Cass glided down and deeper, the tension rising with every step. Before long, she had arrived at a crossroads, where two passageways intersected. ¡°Where from here?¡± Cass asked Salos. Left, he said without missing a beat. Cass did as he said. The dark surrounded them, broken only by the swirling lichen and the occasional glowing mushroom. The air was dead still and stagnant. It smelled of rot and decay. They came to another crossroads. Cass peered down each of the dark corridors. All of them disappeared into the gloom, lost in the dark. Go right here, he said. Cass took a step. Something moved out of the corner of her eye. She froze. Slowly, her head turned back to the leftmost path. Her heart thumped in her chest. What are you doing? Salos asked. Cass didn¡¯t answer, her eyes fixed down the corridor. Was it just her imagination? Was it nothing? Had those been eyes glinting in the dark? No. No. There was nothing there. Atmospheric Sense didn¡¯t feel anything breathing down that way. The air was still. She was alone. She did not want to stay here. She scurried down the right pathway without looking back. Salos directed her through a series of turns. Right. Straight. Right. Left. Barely anything grew down here. There was nothing to distract herself with. Just the dark, and the growing feeling something was following her. It was silent, not even the sound of her footsteps followed her, silenced by her Stealth skill as they were. Yet, her certainty that something was behind her only grew with every turn. Was that the glimmer of eyes behind her? Was that the soft gust of air moving around a body? Was that the scuff of a foot on stone? No. No. No. But maybe? Straight. Left. Left. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked, pressing Identify to find whatever it was. Stone Starlight Lichen Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. It didn¡¯t find it. Because there was nothing there? Because Identify was too low a level? Because whatever it was was hiding? She kept walking paying extra attention to the cues Stealth was giving her. Was it possible to walk quieter? For the draft to obscure her more? For her to melt into the dark? Another crossroads. She wanted to hurry along, but Salos was silent. She glanced over her shoulder. There was nothing in the corridor behind her. Had she lost it? Whatever it was. Should she risk hurrying Salos, or would that give her position away? Her heart was hammering in her ears. She glanced over her shoulder again. Nothing. Still nothing. She could not stay here. ¡°Salos,¡± she hissed. ¡°Which way?¡± One moment, he said. I do not remember this junction. I believe this is new. Which, if it is, we should go straight. ¡°Great, let¡¯s go straight then.¡± Cass glanced over her shoulder again. Was that a human-shaped silhouette ducking back around the bend behind her? Her hair stood on end. Had her voice carried? There wasn¡¯t time. She started walking again. Wait! Salos yelled. It is also possible I miscounted the turns, in which case we should turn around and backtrack two junctions. Cass shook her head. Backtrack? To where that thing was lurking? She glanced back. A glint of light flickered just out of sight. Eyes? Nope. She didn¡¯t want to find out. ¡°I¡¯m sure it''s a new tunnel,¡± Cass whispered, walking even faster. Salos hummed to himself in thought. Maybe, maybe. Cass ignored him, powering down the tunnel. She needed to calm down. So what if there was a monster behind her? It was behind her. It wouldn¡¯t catch up. And if it did, she¡¯d just fight it. Easy enough. She was strong, or something. She¡¯d killed lots of stuff now. What was one more stalker monster? She glanced over her shoulder again. There was nothing there. Of course, there was nothing there. It was just her and the dark and the pair of eyes there over her shoulder. She spun, willing Stealth to hide her even as she blasted Identify down the corridor behind her. She didn¡¯t see anything. Stone Starlight Lichen Identify has increased to level 3. Nothing. It still said there was nothing. And yet, Cass had never been more convinced something was following her than now. Stealth has increased to level 7. Her stomach flipped. ¡°Salos,¡± Cass whispered, hardly daring to make a sound but needing an answer more than anything. ¡°Can Stealth level up if you practice without hiding from something?¡± With a lot of effort on your part and if it is significantly below your average skill level and primary level, sure. Maybe if you¡¯ve discovered a new technique or principle relating to the skill. In practice? Generally, no. It is most effective to level it up by sneaking around a known threat that is actively looking for you. ¡°So, it shouldn¡¯t have just gone up just now?¡± Salos answered slowly, It¡­ could happen. The two of them stood in the center of the tunnel stock still. Nothing moved. Cass barely breathed. It¡¯s probably nothing, he said after that endless silence. His voice didn¡¯t quite shake. Like I said, it can happen. At these low levels especially. You¡¯d probably been due for another level for a while. Cass nodded. He was probably right. There wasn¡¯t anything behind them. Just keep going, you¡¯ll be at the Temple before you know it. Cass nodded and continued down the tunnel, suddenly glad she wasn¡¯t going to be exploring these tunnels at length to find a way out that way. Still, she walked with all the speed and Stealth she was capable of, and every time she¡¯d convinced herself it had been her imagination, she thought she saw the glimmer of eyes in the dark behind her. But on she went, following Salos¡¯s instructions, turn after turn, deeper and deeper into the Deep. Ahead, there was a light. Cass found her feet speeding towards it, her heart soaring, even though she knew intellectually that it couldn''t be sunlight ahead. They were underground after all. They¡¯d only been traveling down. The light had a blueish-purple tint to it. Sure enough, it was only a glowing fungus. Periwrot Mold - a glowing mold common in dark, wet environments. It filled the end of the tunnel, completely covering the far wall. The wall that wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. ¡°Salos?¡± Cass whispered. ¡°This is a dead end.¡± So it would seem, he agreed. Two options I can think of. Either one of the tunnels we turned down was new or this is a cavein and this particular way is blocked. ¡°Absolutely impossible you got the directions wrong?¡± Cass snorted. Of course not. Cass rolled her eyes. ¡°Sure, what now?¡± You give me a minute. Cass tapped her foot nervously, turning her back to the glowing mold to face the dark tunnel she¡¯d come from. All was still. All was quiet. There was nothing there. If there was something there, now would be the moment for it to come out, while it had her cornered. But it wasn¡¯t coming out, therefore, there was nothing there. She nodded to herself. Nothing there. A tap floated down the corridor. Cass¡¯s blood ran cold. It was a quiet sound. Barely more than a shuffle. Perhaps a stone bumping against another. It could still be nothing. A draft pushing a small stone across the stone floor. Sure, the air was dead still¡­ Another tap. And another. Cass¡¯s hands clenched around her staff. Eyes flickered in the dark, just outside the light cast by the mold. Lots of eyes. Ch. 41: Cockroaches Reprise Titan Roach Lookout (lvl 9) Titan Roach Hunter (lvl 10) Titan Roach Hunter (lvl 9) Titan Roach Hunter (lvl 9) Titan Roach Hunter (lvl 11) Titan Roach Hunter (lvl 9) [A Titan Roach specializing in tracking and hunting prey for the colony. Not content to simply scavenge detritus, Titan Roaches augment their larders by hunting weaker prey. ] Titan Roach Captain (lvl 12) [A Titan Roach with a dedicated team. They may take on many kinds of tasks depending on the makeup of their team from food transportation, to scouting, to nest defense, to hunting. They are excellent at organizing their forces for a singular purpose.] Cass¡¯s skin crawled as the first of the brown-bodied bugs crept into the light, about four yards away. These were even bigger than the Lesser Roaches she¡¯d seen earlier. Where she¡¯d described the Lessers as being person-sized, these were closer to refrigerator-sized. They only fit three across the tunnel, but the fourth and fifth happily walked along the tunnel¡¯s walls, while the much smaller Lookout clung to the ceiling. The Captain hung back, just behind the line of Hunters, his massive bulk still mostly shrouded in the gloom. This was more than she could handle. Every single one of them was her level or higher and there were seven of them. She wanted to run. Needed to run. But where could she go? There was a dead end behind her and cockroaches ahead. Could she Wind Step through them? Maybe. She became intangible when she Wind Stepped, but she knew she couldn¡¯t use it to pass through solid objects. Could she squeeze between the Captain and the tunnel walls or would she materialize right in front of it if she got stuck? Was that how she wanted to find out? But the alternatives were hoping that these bugs which had followed her to a dead end were uninterested in killing her to feed their colony or fighting her way out. Yes, I am sure we went the right way, Salos said, utterly unperturbed by the host of bugs suddenly in front of them. This is all but certainly a cave-in. So, if you would just kill these things, we should backtrack two turns and then head left, I expect we¡¯ll be right back on track. Cass scowled. Sure, she¡¯d get right on that. What are you waiting for? The roaches hadn¡¯t attacked yet either. Perhaps they worked on dinosaur rules, as long as she didn¡¯t move they couldn¡¯t see her. Maybe if she just held her ground¡ª All five of the Hunters flared open their wings. They vibrated and Wind Blades exploded down the hallway. Cass tried Dodging to the side, but the Wind Blades followed her movement, guided by the Lookout¡¯s magic. Time slowed as she panicked, her high Alacrity giving her an extra second to evaluate her situation, even as the Blades flew toward her. She¡¯d done this before. This wasn¡¯t a new attack. She¡¯d dealt with tracking Wind Blades. She just needed to make herself a shield of still air. Piece of cake. She raised her staff before her, grabbing the nearby air with Elemental Manipulation, Willing it to form a stagnant wall, just as the hail of blades collided with that space. The Wind Blades broke on the stillness, curling off it in turbulent waves. There was no time to celebrate. The first onslaught was followed by a second, then a third. Wave after wave of Wind Blades struck her wind wall. You need to attack! Salos said. Did he think she didn¡¯t know that? She was safe for now, but she couldn¡¯t do this forever. But doing something was much easier said than done. There was barely any time between waves, they were firing them far faster than the Lessers she¡¯d encountered before. If she dropped the wind wall, she¡¯d be hit with Wind Blades for sure. Stop cowering here. They¡¯re just bugs. Cass¡¯s teeth ground in frustration. She¡¯d like to do something about it too. This wasn¡¯t a winning strategy. She knew that. Her Focus was ticking away by the second as she stood here. But the alternative was what? Get hit? Let the Wind Blades slice her apart? No, did she know for a fact she wasn¡¯t fast enough? Yes, the Hunters were shooting these faster than the Lessers had, but she was faster than she¡¯d been then. Was it possible? Did she dare try? Another barrage of Wind Blades slammed into her wall. There wasn¡¯t time for more deliberation. She dropped the barrier. She Sprinted. Half a second later she threw her staff up to generate another wall. She wasn¡¯t fast enough, the first of the blades slashed through the still-forming wall, cutting a deep laceration across her cheek and adding another notch to her staff. Pain burned. Blood oozed from the wound. But her wall formed up a moment later, blocking the rest. She shook her head. She needed to be faster. She needed to close the distance. Or did she? It was more than just her stats that had changed since her last fight. Another wave of blades crashed against her shield. She was already swinging her staff into position as the last of that wave rolled off. Wind gathered on the staff, a Wind Blade ready. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. With a primal scream, she swung her staff, throwing her own Wind Blade at the cockroaches. It raced through the air as Cass repositioned her staff to block the next wave of the cockroaches¡¯ attack. Her blade sliced through one of the enemy¡¯s blades as it flew through, wavering slightly but completely dispelling the other, and landed directly on the target. The Lookout on the roof was bisected, head and thorax separating from abdomen. Its body fell from the roof landing on the center Hunter. The enormous Captain behind the Hunters shook and chittered in rage. To Cass¡¯s Mana Sight, it lit up in bright red. The Hunters in the center glowed a similar color and skittered forward toward her while the two remaining on the walls continued throwing Wind Blades at her. She dropped her wind shield, not needing it against the straightforward Wind Blades unguided by the Lookout¡¯s magic, and prepared another Wind Blade of her own. She took a steadying breath and threw it with a flick of her staff. The blade split the nearest Hunter before it knew what she was doing and cut a deep gash into the Hunter behind it. Before her attack had landed she was already preparing another. The second Wind Blade struck Hunter #3 on the far end of the advancing collection, slicing deep into its carapace. Hunter #1 was dead. #2 and #3 were injured and oozing green guts but continued charging her, the crimson aura entirely enveloping them. #4 and #5 continued shooting Wind Blades from the walls, which she Dodged with ease. The Captain continued its bugish screams. She met #3 first. Staff Mastery directed a downward swing on its head. It squished under the power of the blow before it could even raise its arms for a Mana Strike. Cass followed the momentum, swinging up on Hunter #2. Her staff broke the soft chitin of the roach¡¯s underbelly and it fell. Three remained. The Captain screamed again, lighting the bodies of the two remaining Hunters in the same crimson. The two charged along the tunnel walls still furiously shooting Wind Blades at her while the Captain charged, its front two legs raised and glowing with ready Mana Strikes. Cass threw another Wind Blade at the advancing Captain. The strike shallowly sliced its dark carapace but didn¡¯t slow the thing. It swung its arms at her, the Mana Strikes far wider and longer than the attacks generated by the Lessers by well over double. Yet, with Mana Sight making it clear where it was, and her high Dexterity guiding her movement, it was as easy as breathing to slip between the two strikes and past the Captain¡¯s guard. She slammed her staff down on its exposed head. The roach screamed again and back peddled just outside the range of her staff. It prepared another Mana Strike on its right leg, perhaps hoping to strike when Cass moved in again. Cass didn¡¯t. Instead, she summoned another Wind Blade, her staff gaining another foot as it became a Wind-Bladed glaive. The invisible blade sliced the Captain¡¯s left arm from its body. It flailed after her with the right as it screeched. Cass brought the glaive blade down on the roach¡¯s head. The left leg hit the ground as the thing¡¯s brains squelched in a green gore-y pile beside it. The remaining two Hunters didn¡¯t seem to notice the death of their commander, even though the red aura around them faded. They just kept throwing Wind Blade after Wind Blade at her. Cass Sprinted across the tunnel to the first of the remaining Hunters. She Dodged the first Blade it threw at her and cut through the second with her own. She slashed through Hunter #4 with a Wind Blade and in the same movement spun and threw the Blade back across the tunnel, slicing #5 in half too. Staff Mastery has increased to level 6. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 6. Mana Sense has increased to level 5. Wind Blade has increased to level 4. Panting, Cass stood alone again in the tunnel, piles of cockroach guts and corpses all around her. She¡¯d done it. She¡¯d survived. She¡¯d killed them all. The fight had taken barely two minutes from the moment she¡¯d thrown her first Wind Blade. Blood still poured from her cheek. On Earth, it would have definitely needed stitches. Here? She pressed her hand to the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Here, she¡¯d have taken the stitches if they¡¯d been offered. Excellent, let¡¯s get going then, shall we? Cass just stood where she was, unable to believe how casual Salos was about all this. Something wrong? ¡°I could have died,¡± Cass said quietly. I mean. Sure? That¡¯s how fighting is. That¡¯s how the world is. ¡°But I could have died.¡± It had been seven against one. She¡¯d been hopelessly outnumbered. Several of the roaches had higher levels than her own. It was a good match-up for you, Salos said, his tone still casual and unconcerned. The primary danger of roaches is their numbers and their magic attacks. You have at least one, maybe two (I couldn¡¯t quite tell) methods of detecting their otherwise invisible attacks. If you can see them, their attack patterns are frankly too simple to be a real threat, especially given you correctly removed the lookout coordinating them first. With your Dexterity and Dodge skill, you can avoid these with ease. A slower, clumsier, less perceptive challenger would have been demolished. You had no reason to be scared. Once you got started you were excellent. Now, just don¡¯t give up the initiative and you might even get out of fights like that unharmed. ¡°And what happens when I¡¯m cornered by something that is a poor match-up for me?¡± Her heart still hammered in her chest. Her voice was cold but rising in volume with every word. ¡°How am I supposed to know what is a good match-up and what¡¯s not? Even if it is, what happens if I make a mistake? One wrong move and this¡ª¡± she gestured wildly at the cut in her cheek, ¡°¡ªcould have been through my throat instead. Are you about to tell me slyphids can survive decapitation?¡± No, but your Fortitude is too high for cockroaches to cut all the way through. ¡°That¡®s not the point!¡± Cass screamed. ¡°I don¡¯t know that. You don¡¯t know that. You think that. You¡¯re probably right. But you don¡¯t know! You can¡¯t possibly know.¡± She stood amid the corpses for a long minute, still panting, her heart still racing, her face still bleeding. She didn¡¯t want to be here. She wanted to be back on Earth. She didn¡¯t want to play this game of ¡®will that kill me?¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to make evaluating monsters a natural part of how she looked at the world. She wanted to go back to hiking and pointing out flowers she recognized to Robin while the two of them tried (and failed) to keep up with Kaye. She shook her head. It was pointless to cry about it now. It was pointless to fall to her knees and give up. She¡¯d won. She should be happy about it. She¡¯d survived. She could get back to sneaking through the dark without a problem. She¡¯d live. This time. There is a time and a place for fear, Salos said quietly. Only a fool is truly fearless. Fear can keep you alive where pride would kill you. But, fear to the exclusion of all else will only kill you. It may be a slower death, but eventually, it will freeze you in place when you should fight. It will leave you weak when you need to be strong. I will not say there is no reason to be scared, but I will tell you there is no reason for you to fear these specific monsters. You can easily handle enemies of this caliber. You have two powerful magic skills and more Focus than a Mage of your level has any business possessing. Cass shook her head. If you cannot believe in your own power, try to at least believe in my judgment. I believe you can fight and win against these. I will tell you if you face a foe you cannot beat. Remember, our lives are tied. Your death is only to my detriment. I gain nothing from it at this point. Cass bit her lip. Words were easy. Words could be empty. Words could be lies. Yet, she found herself believing him here. Whether that was their bond or her desire for comfort, she couldn¡¯t say. Which she would rather it be, she couldn¡¯t say. Ch. 42: Raid The remainder of the way to the Temple of the Deep was uneventful. Cass never shook the feeling something else was following them, but if there was something there it never showed itself. There were a couple more patrols of cockroaches. Cass slunk around them with Stealth. Salos was silent the whole time except for his directions at each turn. Cass¡¯s cheek had scabbed over by the time she stood in front of the temple¡¯s entrance. It was built in the same style as the structure she¡¯d found the Centipede¡¯s treasure. It had Ancient Greek-looking architecture but was made of dark, almost black stone instead of sun-bleached white. Wide pillars stood at the top of imposing steps, hiding the temple proper in shadows. She climbed the stairs and entered the temple proper before she lost her nerve. As she crossed the threshold, a line of runes running just below the ceiling lit up, casting the room in a dim but uniform blue-green glow. Almost like being underwater. Across the room from the entrance, the wall was split by three arches, each leading deeper into the dark of the Temple. Above the center one and between each was a statue, carved from the same dark stone that tiled the walls and floor. The one above the door was of a crouched figure, their head obscured by a deep hood, a long dagger held in reverse grip at their side. The one on the right was of a woman in a billowing robe, a staff held high in one hand, a crown with curling horns resting upon her head. To the left was a wide man in heavy armor, a long sword crossed in front of his body, huge, bat wings half folded behind him. None of them looked friendly. ¡°Who are they?¡± Cass asked. Salos winced. The creators of the Trial, he said slowly. I do not seem to remember any of their names now. Apologies. Cass shrugged. It didn¡¯t really matter. ¡°You okay?¡± Yes. I¡¯m fine. You should get going though. ¡°Sure, sure. I don¡¯t suppose you have any idea which one we should go through to get to the boss room?¡± As I mentioned before, it is a maze. And unlike the Deep, this maze is always changing. Its corridors and rooms move every season. There are hundreds¨Cthousands¨Cof potential combinations. In theory, if I knew how long it has been since I was sealed, I could probably calculate which pattern it was in now, given an afternoon and some parchment. But, I don¡¯t, so I can¡¯t. What I can do, is recognize some of the important rooms and give you directions based on that. Several of the complexes move together in only a few predictable patterns. Additionally, the Lord¡¯s chambers and the Safe Zone beyond cannot move. Between those two things, I should be able to guide you in the right general direction once you get started. ¡°But you need to see at least a little of it to give me any directions?¡± Cass said with a sigh. Exactly. ¡°Alright. Well, any preference in corridor?¡± Left? Cass shrugged. Left was as good as any other. There was the old saying that if you kept a hand on one wall and kept walking you would eventually find your way out of any maze. She didn¡¯t really want to end up in a situation where that was her only option, but it was a start. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. She walked down the left path, her Stealth still flared. Her personal wind swirled around her, silencing her steps and subduing her presence. She still didn¡¯t understand how that worked, but her gut assured her that it was very effective. Salos did too, so she tried not to question it too much. A click pulled her from her thoughts as her foot planted on the tile ahead of her. Dodge screamed for her to step back. She threw herself back at its insistence. A blade swung from the wall through the space she had just occupied. ¡°Salos¡­¡± she whispered, watching the very deadly blade slide back into the wall, leaving not even a seam in the stone walls behind. Oh. ¡°That was a trap.¡± Er. Yes. It was. ¡°Were you going to tell me about the traps?¡± Um. There was a long pause. Yes. But. I didn¡¯t expect them so soon. ¡°When were you going to tell me about the traps?¡± There was an unflattering amount of panic rising in her voice. It wasn¡¯t helping, but there it was, right alongside the unhelpful amount of panic rising in her chest. Also not helpful. The feeling wanted to run off into the sunset with her imagination, cooking up all kinds of terrible traps for her to fall into. Pit traps. Spike traps. Wires that exploded. Falling rocks. Each one more deadly than the last. Each one more bloody, her insides finding their irrevocable way onto her outsides. I was going to tell you as soon as I saw the choke-point where they start appearing. They aren¡¯t supposed to be by the front door. ¡°Aren¡¯t supposed to?¡± No, it should be a series of combat rooms. Generally, they get stronger as you go deeper. For the traps to be first¡­ He trailed off. Fear and doubt bubbled up inside her. Could she trust him? What could he possibly have to gain by getting her killed by temple traps? He didn¡¯t need to do anything to get her killed. If he wanted her dead he only needed to sit silently and wait. What could he possibly get out of her dying now anyway? If her death was the goal, he¡¯d missed his chance when she¡¯d nearly died to the rats. No, her death couldn¡¯t be the point. But malice wasn¡¯t the only reason not to trust. He could just be incompetent. But, he had navigated her this far. And he had warned her that the layout changed all the time. I can narrow down which family of potential arrangements from this. He said, breaking her from her thoughts. There was a strained optimism in his tone. Like he was trying to convince himself as much as her. This is a kind of blessing, depending on how you look at it. ¡°How?¡± Well, on the upside, you should only need to fight about a quarter of the monsters I thought you would need to. Which is good. ¡°And the downside?¡± I don¡¯t suppose you know how to disarm traps? Cass shook her head. ¡°Are all the corridors going to be trapped?¡± If they are not I will be able to narrow the arrangement down to one family. ¡°Which means?¡± That there will only be about a hundred possible arrangements instead of thousands. This good news failed to excite her. ¡°You want me to go back and check the other passages, don¡¯t you?¡± Well, it would be good information. ¡°Do I get to walk down the not trapped one if it exists?¡± Ah, no. I would not recommend it. Unless you want more combat practice. Cass sighed but, carefully, walked back to the entrance. The middle passage she walked about three yards down before she heard the click of a trap and the scream of Dodge. She leapt backward, mentally prepared for it this time. The ceiling dropped on the space in front of her. If not for her super-human abilities she would have been crushed. If she had been any slower she would be paste. Her imagination wasn¡¯t letting go of that image. It had prepared a slide show of her body splatting into nothing from a dozen different angles. Again and again. Splat. Splat. Splat. ¡°Please tell me that isn¡¯t a common trap.¡± Cass squeaked. No. That¡ªthat wasn¡¯t one of the traps I was expecting to see here. That kind of instant death makes poor training. You don¡¯t learn from sudden and instantaneous death. He was quiet, but if he was concerned his feelings were lost underneath her nausea. Ch. 43: Shadows Unable to continue onward, she turned around and followed the right-hand path. They were able to follow it for a solid ten minutes before it widened into another room. ¡°Either I missed all the traps, or there were no traps,¡± Cass said. I think there were no traps. ¡°So what now?¡± Poke your head into the next room? Cass rolled her eyes but obliged. The room was wide, wrapping around to the right, out of sight. Pillars filled the room in countless rows. A single light glowed pale gold from a point out of sight. It cast deep shadows and unnatural pools of gold light. ¡°Recognize it?¡± Cass asked. Sort of. It depends on whether there is a fountain or a statue at the end of the hall. Cass rolled her eyes and took another step in, trying to peer around the pillars. A SHUNK sounded behind her and she spun around, her stomach dropping. A heavy plate had dropped over the entrance, sealing it tight. She was trapped. ¡°That¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± Cass whispered. It was suddenly very quiet in the room. It had been quiet to begin with, but the silence had gained a presence. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood on end. The shadows around her unsettled her. It is not ideal, no. She took a deep breath and stepped further into the room. But it is probably fine¡­ Cass could all but hear the hesitant qualifier hanging between them. ¡°Unless?¡± Cass whispered, voicing it. She took another step forward, between the first of the many rows of pillars. Unless this is the Shadow Hall. ¡°And if it is?¡± She scanned every inch of the shadows around her. They hung in the air, as thick as the silence. Nothing moved. Then it should have an altar at the end of the room. ¡°That was not what you were hesitating to tell me,¡± she hissed. A cold had settled over the room. It cut through her tattered clothes to her bone and she shuddered. Three things happened simultaneously. One: she saw the altar at the end of the room. It was the size of a writing desk and made of a dark stone. On top, sat a glowing orb in a silver stand. It was the source of the light. Two: Salos said, And, it would be full of living shadows. Three: Dodge screamed for her to jump forward. Cass did. She turned as she jumped out of the way, to see a tear in space where she had been standing and something resembling a figure behind it. ¡°SALOS!¡± She screamed, backpedaling. The tear in space sealed again almost immediately. As soon as it did, the shadow figure was closer. Cass didn¡¯t have another word to describe its movement. One moment it had been behind a pillar, the next it was beside her again. She hadn¡¯t even blinked. It was just there. Living Shadow Lvl 13 [A piece of the void given body on a physical plane. They do not feel, but if they did, they would delight in dragging physical space into the void. They settle for tearing holes in the space they occupy instead.] Oh, gods, we¡¯re in the Shadow Hall¡­ Cass swung her staff at the thing. It passed through the shadow, neither slowed nor redirected. It was as if the creature wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°Hell, hell, hell,¡± Cass muttered, backing up as the shadow swung at her with one of its arms. The form blurred as it moved like it left parts of itself behind. Cass dodged out of the way, stepping back and right. The arm swung just over her head accompanied by frigid cold and the unsettling certainty that the space it occupied didn¡¯t exist. ¡°What is the chance that it can do as much damage to me as I can do to it?¡± Cass asked. It can¡¯t do any physical damage, Salos said. But you don¡¯t exactly have a physical body. ¡°Simple answers, Salos!¡± Cass yelled as she weaved between another sweeping swing of its blade-like arms. It can¡¯t break the walls or pillars but it will cut through your Spirit-body and damage your soul as if armor isn¡¯t there. ¡°Don¡¯t get hit, great. How do I kill it?¡± She manifested a Wind Blade on her staff and drove it through the creature¡¯s faceless, featureless head. The vibrating blade of wind bothered it about as much as the staff on its own had. That is to say, not at all. A freezing cold on the back of her neck was all the warning she got to the presence of a second one. She threw herself forward, as another shadow-bladed arm bisected the air her neck had occupied. She spun out from between the two, scanning the room as she again backpedaled away from the creatures. Two, three, four, six, seven¡­ She spotted at least seven of the things hanging in the shadows of the room. At least half were moving toward her. They are the manifestation of shadows and the void. They aren¡¯t affected by most attacks. Some pure mana attacks might work. ¡°I don¡¯t have a pure mana attack.¡± Oh. That¡¯s reasonable. ¡°What do I do?¡± Cass knew she was whining. But fighting manifestations of the void was not covered in her college classes or her job¡¯s orientation training. She emphatically believed she was not cut out for this. I would usually attack with¡ªA jab of pain stabbed her through her connection to Salos. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked, her already fiercely beating heart kicking up to a truly panicked pace. He didn¡¯t answer and there wasn¡¯t time to poke him further. A shadow had caught up with her, it threw itself at her, trying to envelop her with its shadowed body. She stepped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the edges of its form. The second was close behind it, sword arms swinging. She tried to block the first strike, but the arm sailed right through her staff and sliced into her chest. The world froze the moment it touched her skin through her clothes. Cold radiated out from the point of contact. She couldn¡¯t move. Time itself had stopped. There was only cold. It wanted her. To snuff out her core. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Not to devour or grow stronger from her death. It just wanted her dead. Cass jerked away, she¡¯d only touched that thing for a moment, but she felt like she¡¯d been trapped in its grasp for an eternity. She could feel a wetness under her shirt. Blood. Dazed, only Dodge was able to keep her out of harm¡¯s way of the second and third strikes. Salos was still silent. What happened to him? What was that pain? Was he okay? Had the shadows done something to him? She didn¡¯t have time to be worried about him, she needed to focus on herself. On surviving this. Except, she had no idea how to kill things that barely existed. A quick scan of the room told her there were no exits. There was just her, a growing sea of shadows, too many pillars, and the altar. She angled toward the altar, directing her endless retreat toward it. If nothing else, maybe they would be slowed by the thing¡¯s glow. They weren¡¯t. They continued just as persistently into the pools of light cast between the pillars of shadow. There were twelve of the shadows now. The only consolation was they seemed uninterested in ganging up on her. Only two or three would try to pin her at once. However, as soon as she was out from one constellation of shadows, another one or two joined the fray to pin her again. They hid behind the pillars, floating just out of sight, only to appear behind her just as she thought she was safe, their cold existences grabbing her soul and slicing deep. She wanted to cry. She wanted to curl up and die. But she couldn¡¯t. She Dodged another pair, avoiding their deathly touch by inches, finally landing herself before the altar and orb. Which left her with an important question she had not yet considered: What next. Touch it? Break it? Pick it up and throw it at one of them? For every scenario she could imagine such an action helping, she could just as easily imagine it going horribly wrong. Maybe touching the orb would calm them, or maybe it would let an even bigger one possess her. Maybe breaking the orb would dispel or banish the lot of them, or maybe it would enrage them. Maybe throwing it at one would capture the target, pocket monster style, or maybe it would power up the one it hit. Or maybe it was just a pretty, ominous, decorative orb that she was critically overthinking. There was no way to know. She could only do something and hope for the best. And she had to do something. Nothing was the only critically wrong option. If she waited any longer her luck or skill would run out. Dodge was great, but she wasn¡¯t willing to try to keep this up forever. ¡°Hell,¡± she muttered again, dodging another swing. She turned with the momentum, slapping her free hand down on the orb. The world went white. It took a full minute for Cass to realize she wasn¡¯t stunned or blind. She really was standing in an empty white space. ¡°Hello?¡± she called out. ¡°Anybody there? Salos?¡± Her demon didn¡¯t answer, but a shadow appeared in front of her. A shadow with gold eyes. ¡°Salos?¡± she asked hesitantly. The thing in front of her looked like her demon¡ªspecifically how he¡¯d looked in that first moment before he¡¯d tried to possess her¡ªbut there was a shallowness to its presence she didn¡¯t know how to explain or quantify. ¡°Good day, Trial Taker,¡± the shadow said. There was no indication in its tone or bearing that it was responding to her words. Rather, it reminded her more of a recorded message. Like an answering machine. ¡°Congratulations on reaching the Shadow Hall in my trial of the Deep. ¡°If you have made it this far you have proven yourself capable¡ªthat or lucky, but luck to that degree is no less deserving of praise. As such, I have provided an additional reward and trial for you in this room. You may pick one of my skills to carry as your own. Use it to defeat the Living Shadows that will awaken once you exit the mental space of this skill orb. ¡°Please Choose One:¡ª¡± The choices appeared before her in a system window. [1. Gain Skill: Mana Blade (Mana-based, bladed attack, modified by Dex and Ala)
  1. Gain Skill: True Strike (Guided bladed attack, modified by Dex and Per)
  2. Gain Skill: Last Gasp (Attack modifier: Enhanced damage, modified by Str)]
Cass inhaled. It wasn¡¯t even a choice. Only one of these gave her anything close to what she needed right now. She picked one without a second thought. Skill Earned: Mana Blade (lvl 1) [A blade of steel cuts flesh and bone. A blade wreathed in mana cuts deeper still. Sheath your blade in your mana to increase damage inflicted by your bladed attacks. Inflicted wounds are healed with less effective Vitality. Damages incorporeal bodies. Cost: minimum 1 MP/sec Modified by Ala.] Cass cursed. ¡°Wait. Why does this say ¡®sheath¡¯ my blade? I don¡¯t have a blade!¡± The gold-eyed shadow figure didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he said, ¡°An excellent choice. May it serve you well and carry you far. Should you survive my Temple, present this skill to my representative. Your growth with this skill will be judged and rewarded.¡± ¡°Wait, answer my questions. Can I only use this on bladed weapons?¡± She could feel herself fading as she yelled. A moment later she was again in the shadowed room before the altar. The light had faded with her return but all the shadows were right were she¡¯d left them. Dodge yelled for her to move. She rolled out of the way, narrowly missing the downward swing of a shadow¡¯s arm. A quick scan of the room and she could see that the number of shadows had tripled and all of them seemed a lot more motivated than they had been a moment before. They rushed her. Silent and passionless and cold. She wove her way through them, Dodge guiding every step as she frantically tried to imbue Mana Blade onto her staff despite the description. It didn¡¯t take. She tried and tried. Again and again. It felt like trying to shove her hand through a wall. Dodge faltered as she realized the skill wasn¡¯t going to work. A shadow arm slammed into her shoulder. Time stretched onward. Barely, she could feel herself drifting out of the attack¡¯s range as the attack continued down through her arm. Cold consumed her. Another shadow arm hit her barely seconds after the first. This one struck her from behind, slicing across her back. This was how she was going to die. Not this attack. Not the next. Not the one after that. It would be death by a thousand glancing blows. Each barely bleeding her. Each slicing at her soul. There was no escape. She wanted to cry. Or to scream. She wanted to blame Salos for bringing her here. For not warning her properly of the dangers. To blame the gods and the universe and unseen malice for her predicament. She could feel herself crumbling. Hadn¡¯t she already done better than any could have expected? Wasn¡¯t this enough? Couldn¡¯t she give up now? She took another hit. She couldn¡¯t have said how much time there was between the strikes. Time wasn¡¯t something she understood intuitively anymore. There was only the eternity of shadow bodies passing through her. The cold consumed her. It bit deep and tore at her. There was no color. No warmth. Just a certainty of slow, impending death. Just a certainty of nothing. Just nothing. Just¡­ a strange flickering at the edge of her consciousness? Checking it was unimportant. Everything was unimportant. She checked it anyway. It was Soul Guard. It flickered the way Dodge or Staff Mastery often did when they had advice to give. It begged her to activate it. Begged. It couldn¡¯t possibly make a difference. She flicked it on and¡ª ¡ªThe world shot back into full color. Cass found herself lying on the floor, a circle of living shadows pressed around her. They leaned over her, their formless hands pressed into her skin. She screamed and rolled through them. It was cold and unpleasant, like wading through scum-filled water. But it didn¡¯t hurt and time didn¡¯t slow. Rather, she felt an increased drain on her Focus as she rolled through them and struggled to her feet. Her breathing was ragged, her pulse irregular. She was bleeding in several places but she wasn¡¯t in critical condition. The damage to her soul was worse than any physical damage they might have done but she could feel Soul Guard around her, pressing her frayed soul into something resembling its proper shape. Like a cloak or heavy bandages, it swaddled her. The shadows didn¡¯t immediately follow her. Instead, they all turned, their heads cocking to either side. She had seconds to form a new plan. Salos was still unresponsive. It was up to her to figure something out. What did she have? Salos said to use a mana attack. Her only mana attack was Mana Blade. She didn¡¯t have a blade. Elemental Manipulation was about manipulating physical parts of the world, so was Wind Blade. She blinked, an obvious idea sprouting in her head. No. That couldn¡¯t work. Could you apply skills to skills? She was pretty sure she hadn¡¯t been able to use two instances of Elemental Manipulation at once. But, she¡¯d definitely used her extra senses alongside Stealth. And Dodge and Staff Mastery were always on together. It could work, couldn¡¯t it? She summoned another Wind Blade to her staff and held it there. She had a blade. The first of the shadows stepped forward. The rest stumbled after it. Like a breaking wave, they crashed forward. She swung her Wind-Bladed glaive. Just before it hit the first shadow, she empowered Mana Blade, willing¡ªbegging¡ªthe skill to recognize the vibrating blade of wind as a valid target for the spell. The blade lit up, glowing blue in the dark. It plunged through the enemy line. They melted under the attack. One after another, they evaporated, another after another. She completed her swing, the Mana Blade flickering out. Still more tumbled forward. She empowered it again, stepping forward with the attack, ripping through them. She swung again and again. She was screaming. Not in fear, but in unrestrained frustration finally finding release. She didn¡¯t choose this fight. She didn¡¯t choose this world. She didn¡¯t choose this life. Given the choice, she would never have left Earth. She would have stayed with her siblings and her boring job. She¡¯d never have fought with her life on the line. But forced, she would fight. Forced, she would live. And God help anything that stood between her and finding her way home. Ch. 44: Growth Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Ala + 1 Wll + 4 Free Points Dodge had increased to level 5. Soul Guard has increased to level 7. Wind Blade has increased to level 5. Mana Blade has increased to level 2. Mana Blade has increased to level 3. Cass¡¯s knees gave out as the last shadow melted before her Mana Blade and she collapsed to the floor. The gloom of the room hung heavy over her, pulling her toward the promised peace of unconsciousness. The rush of the level-up was all that kept her conscious. She was ragged in a way unrelated to her Health, Stamina, or Focus. Everything was raw, like someone had taken a tenderizer to her body and shaved off her skin. Like someone had dropped ice in her stomach and her brain and then shaken her. Like someone had taken her insides through a sieve and only put back the fine particles that had made it through to the other side. The unguarded touch of the shadows had cut away at her desire to live and only Soul Guard had kept her functional through it all. Now, that sinking apathy had been replaced with an overwhelming need to curl up and cry. But her eyes were dry and her body too tired for that kind of emotional release. Every nerve was torn. The slightest setback would leave her a trembling, melting mess. She took a deep breath. And then another. She clenched her staff. Its weight was comforting in her lap. She had survived. That was all that mattered. She had survived and was stronger for it. ¡ªbut you should try channeling¡ªshe could hear Salos¡¯s voice. His cadence suggested he was in the middle of a thought, rather than the beginning. He paused suddenly. What happened? Was he serious? She wasn¡¯t sure whether she was concerned he¡¯d cut off in pain, mad he hadn¡¯t warned her about the danger here, or just too tired to care. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask you.¡± Where did the living shadows go? He asked slowly. ¡°Dead. Or banished. Or something.¡± Can you kill something that wasn¡¯t really alive? Maybe that was why the System used the terminology ¡®Slay¡¯. Or maybe it just thought it sounded cooler. How? Cass explained what he¡¯d missed. ¡°You want to tell me what happened to you now?¡± I think, he spoke slowly, testing each word as if he expected to fall through the ice, I tried to access information that I do not have anymore. ¡°You¡¯re going to need to explain that in more detail.¡± I mentioned that demons are a collection of broken pieces of a soul or souls. Cass nodded. Well, the pieces I have don¡¯t contain all of my memories. Apparently. My mind did not realize that there was a gap in my memories and plunged off into the void trying to find whatever that information was. ¡°Is that going to happen every time you try to remember something you used to know?¡± Cass asked. No. It was enough of a shock, my subconscious should prevent that from happening again. Probably. Definitely for that particular approach to that particular memory. ¡°You don¡¯t sound overly confident.¡± Well, I¡¯m not. His frustration overflowed into her, scalding against her own injured soul. Cass winced, her entire body flinching. Are you okay? His tone softened. She could feel him pulling back, the edges of his consciousness against hers never so clear as right now. Cass grunted. ¡°Probably?¡± Stamina: 13/48 Focus: 32/216 Health: 36/39 ¡°Stamina and Focus are low but manageable. Health is untouched since the last fight, somehow. But I feel like I¡¯ve been through a blender.¡± Well, given soul damage doesn¡¯t touch Health, that is hardly surprising. It eats through Focus and cuts into effective Vitality pretty badly though. ¡°What does that mean for me?¡± Cass asked. It will heal in due time. Lower Vitality means regeneration will be slower for a while, but we have time. Try not to take any more damage if you can avoid it. Soul damage is the first step in creating demons. An unsettled quiet descended between the two of them. Someone had done this to Salos? Someone had torn him to pieces and left him raw and broken. For what? Why? She ached. Ached in a way she didn¡¯t know a person could ache. Was this just his existence? Was this how he felt all the time? ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± He hesitated. Yes. The single word wavered between them. He did not elaborate. Instead, he said, Did you get a level for all that at least? Cass nodded. Good, then let¡¯s talk about that. There was a pep in his voice that didn¡¯t quite feel genuine. You have Free Points to spend, yes? Where were you going to put them? ¡°Are you sure you want to talk about this now?¡± Cass asked. She wasn¡¯t sure she did. The Focus depletion headache was storming her head full force already. If not now, then when? Salos asked. Cass shrugged. ¡°Later?¡± No time like the present, Salos said. ¡°Sure, alright, what do you suggest?¡± Cass asked. Did he just want a distraction? She could use one just as much, she supposed. To confirm, you intend to become a Mage, correct? ¡°Somebody who throws magic at the problem from a distance,¡± Cass confirmed with a nod. Difficult to do without a team around you, but doable, especially with the amount of Focus you seem to possess. He paused. How much do you have? ¡°216,¡± Cass said after checking her stats. Salos was silent for a long minute. Maybe he wanted her current Focus? ¡°But only 34 right now.¡± He still didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Are you still there?¡± Worry wormed its way back into her voice. She could still feel him there with her though. There was no pain. Just, a numb shock? 216! he screamed. You have 72 Resolve? Cass flinched back. ¡°No? Only 24.¡± Only 24? His words were drenched in disbelief. You¡¯re only level 10, aren¡¯t you? Cass nodded. I should hardly be surprised it''s high for her level, yet it still is not high enough to make sense. But those numbers do not compute. How¡­ Salos was muttering to himself. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Is 24 too low? Or too high?¡± Yes, Salos said, frustration hanging heavy on the single word. It is too high for someone at level 10. The average value at level 1 for a given stat is about 5. Most races get between 1 and 3 Free Points per level. For simplicity, let''s call that 2 per level. Plus another 9 points for reaching the First Step. That¡¯s a total of 29 Free Points. You would have needed to put almost every Free Point into it to reach 24. And, I won¡¯t say there are no mages who do this, Gods beyond, there is a mage who has gone all in on each stat somewhere, but¡ª ¡°Um,¡± Cass interrupted him softly. ¡°I actually get 4 Free Points per level.¡± Of course, slyphids do, he said with an exasperated sigh. Alright. Well, too high for most races unless they made a concerted effort to reach where you are. As for why it''s too low, for all that I just said, simply, you defeated me. I still had access to all of my pre-demonic growth. I was level 74. Do you have any idea what the Will of a level 74 assassin looks like? It was about 200, Cass. An entire order of magnitude higher than 24. I should have crushed you. This isn¡¯t me bragging. 200 Will at level 74 is hardly impressive, honestly. This is just how it is. Additionally, with 24 Resolve you should only have 72 Focus. The conversion is 3 Focus per Resolve, just like it is 3 Stamina per Endurance and 3 Health per Vitality. For you to have 9 times your Resolve instead¡­ I do not understand how that is possible. Cass pursed her lips. ¡°Could it be a trait?¡± He sighed. Probably. I cannot think of anything else that might do this. Would you mind sharing your traits? ¡°Sure,¡± Cass said and opened the Trait menu. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can see this.¡± I can if you want me to, he assured her. Contrary Will (Inborn) [You have a contrary nature. It''s fine, we won¡¯t hold it against you. But may the gods help any who try to make you do something you do not want to do. Your Will counts for 10 times its listed value when resisting any Social, Coercive, or Manipulation related actions. Your Will is highly resistant to Hierarchical Debuffs] Bloated Soul [You managed to hold onto all the Mana making up your original body and incorporated it into your Slyphid core. Triple mana core storage and growth. ] Extradimensional Damage [You don¡¯t want to be here and, now, neither do they. Bonus damage to all entities not from your home realm. Bonus damage to all entities not from your current realm.] The feeling that flowed over their bond wasn¡¯t quite frustration, but closer to the feeling she got back home on game nights, gambling with her siblings, and Robin drew a Four of a Kind for the third time in a row. Yeah, this would explain both. Bloated Soul there is increasing your total Focus by a factor of 3. Focus is not mana the same way that ice is not water. It is all a matter of context and application. Contrary Will just about explains how you survived a demon possession. What¡¯s your Will? ¡°23?¡± Bringing your effective Resolve in cases of demon possession, among other things, to 254. Add home-field advantage and that Soul Guard skill and I hardly had a dream of a chance. Anyway. This gives me a better idea of where you¡¯re at. A slyphid¡¯s level growth was what again? ¡°I get a point in Dexterity, Endurance, and Alacrity and four Free Points every level. Oh, and one more for the extension thing in Will.¡± Those are good base growths. You could have been an excellent assassin-style fighter. But, I get the feeling your temperament isn¡¯t right for it. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Cass asked. You don¡¯t seem the most patient of people. Or the most careful. And you are easily startled. ¡°Hey!¡± She considered her defense before settling on, ¡°I¡¯m careful!¡± He snorted. Says the woman who went ahead and trusted the demon in her head. ¡°Am I wrong to do so?¡± He shifted uncomfortably but didn¡¯t address it. In any case, solo mage is what we¡¯re looking at. A mage has a couple priorities: fueling their spells, making those spells hurt, and avoiding enemy attacks. Your Bloated Soul is already handling the first of these. Fueling spells is the biggest problem with young mages. Spells are expensive, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need me telling you that. Many would-be-mages pick Resolve as their Extension to try to compensate for it. This is more than covered between the already high Resolve and the multiplicative factor of your stupidly, unreasonable trait. As for making your spells hurt, there are two general strategies: a few big attacks empowered by Will or a storm of small attacks guided by Alacrity. It''s the Strength vs Dexterity question, but for mages. There is no right answer, but if there was it would be the latter. Cass snorted. ¡°Really?¡± A smugness leaked into his voice as he said, I¡¯ll have you know that as an accomplished assassin-style fighter my Control-based fighting style was never beaten by any Strength fighter. Dexterity is better than Strength. ¡°Uh-huh? So you definitely aren¡¯t biased toward Dexterity and the Control column in general?¡± Definitely not, he said. Realistically, you¡¯ve already set your extension to Will. I would have recommended Resolve if you had intended to follow an Alacrity style, given you already had that as a natural growth. But either is still valid at this stage, even if control is always better than power. ¡°Alright, alright, I get it, you like Dexterity. What else do I need to keep in mind?¡± Not getting hurt yourself. There are endless ways to accomplish this. The most common is simply that mages don¡¯t go out to the front lines in combat. Whether that¡¯s because they keep a powerful team of front liners they can trust or because they are the ace of an army, the best way to protect the mage is to make sure no one can threaten them in the first place. ¡°Seems like that doesn¡¯t help me much,¡± Cass said. Well, no. But, you need to understand you are never going to be the average here. Not by a long shot. Most mages have the bare minimum Fortitude and Dexterity and a small amount of Vitality to assist in Focus recovery. I recommend you get comfortable Dodging if nothing else. ¡°Is that another biased recommendation for Dexterity?¡± Cass asked. This is a serious recommendation, he said, neither confirming nor denying Cass¡¯s accusation. You get Dexterity per level already. It''s already high enough you could masquerade as a rogue student if you wanted. Avoiding attacks is going to be a better strategy for you than trying to tank them or heal them off later. Cass thought about it. What he said made sense. She didn¡¯t exactly have a large amount of Fortitude or Vitality, and she would rather not be hurt if she could avoid it. Still, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too optimistic to just plan on not getting hit?¡± Salos chuckled. Sure, but that is why you have some points in Fortitude and Vitality. I believe I mentioned that you cannot completely ignore any stat. Every stat has a use and a place in your overall strategy. Most people try to get all their stats to 9 by their First Step and at least 18 by the time they pass the Gate at level 27. You have already hit that baseline and the next is so far out I would not worry about it now. Focus on your primary stats for now. ¡°So, in summary,¡± Cass clapped her hands together, ¡°My focus should be on the Mental Row, followed by Dexterity? Do I have that right?¡± You probably do not need to actually put any into Dexterity directly, just let your natural level-ups handle it, he grumbled. I would throw a little Perception on that, but yes. That seemed a straightforward enough plan. Wll 23 -> 25 Ala 18 -> 19 Res 24 -> 25 There was a rush as the points settled over her. She felt more in control. Less frayed. Like the world was a little clearer. A little simpler to grasp. She breathed in, soaking in the feeling. Memorizing it. This would carry her home. She¡¯d get stronger and survive. It was a shallow shield against the constant near death, but she¡¯d take what she could where she could. She took another deep breath and forced herself to stand. She didn¡¯t intend on moving on for a while, but she should figure out where they would go next sooner rather than later, just in case. The room had seemed like a dead end while she had run from the Living Shadows, but with their demise, a pair of doors had revealed themselves. ¡°Any idea where we are now?¡± Cass asked. She looked back and forth between the two available doors. Atmospheric Sense found stale air in every direction. Mana Sense suggested the door behind the altar had a higher concentration than the one in the middle of the longest wall. Yes, this is the Shadow Hall. It is not supposed to be this close to the entrance. In fact¡­ he trailed off again, lost in a thought. ¡°You still there?¡± Huh! Yes. Apologies. It''s just, the point of the Shadow Hall was that it was behind the Lord¡¯s chambers. You had to go deeper than necessary to find it. It should be an extra challenge, not the opening one. The only time it should be mathematically possible to get a permutation of the Temple with the Shadow Hall at the front like this would be if it was during the Quiet because no one is insane enough to enter the Valley during the Quiet or the Storm. That is suicide. Besides you said it was the beginning of the Wet Season, so¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t think I said it was the Wet Season.¡± A creeping worry slipped up her spine. ¡°I think I said it had looked like it was about to rain since I got here. What is ¡®the Quiet¡¯ and ¡®the Storm¡¯?¡± The Uvana Valley experiences consistent if unique, seasonal weather patterns. For most of the year, the weather is fairly normal. Mild, misty mornings, warm afternoons, and clear nights are standard. But ordinary rain isn¡¯t uncommon. This is generally called the ¡®Dry Season¡¯ though, it isn¡¯t all that dry. This is followed by a couple months of near-continuous torrential rains. Most of the Deep floods, but it is still technically traversable, this is the ¡®Wet Season¡¯. But then the Lightningwood wake up, for lack of a better word. The trees always absorb some amount of moisture in the air through their bark and needles. However, the more water in the air the more greedily they soak it up. At the heaviest downpour of the Wet Season, the trees are able to suck in enough water they start draining the clouds before they can rain. Once it is that strong, they can pull every cloud for miles into their sphere, increasing the density of the clouds, increasing the area they can pull, and so on. This period, while the trees are draining the clouds and accumulating more, is called the Quiet, because for a moment everything seems calm. This usually lasts a month, maybe two if it was a drier year. This all comes to a head when the trees are filled to capacity. As soon as they are unable to absorb any more water, the equilibrium breaks, and all the gathered clouds dump everything on the Valley all at once. This is the Storm. It doesn¡¯t usually last very long, usually only a week or two. But the first couple of hours is the worst. ¡°That just sounds like a lot of rain.¡± She knew that ¡®a lot of rain¡¯ was nothing to sneeze at. Flooding meant drowning after all. But Cass was from California and as such had a poor grasp on what rain really was. The rain is one thing. But they drop everything. The wind explodes from the pressure abruptly changing with nothing pulling everything to the center. Rain turns to hail. And the lightning. All the lightning those clouds might have ever generated, and more, get dropped on the Valley in the first couple hours. Anyone unfortunate to be caught in it will be struck. It''s simply a matter of numbers. The only wildlife that naturally lives in this valley are highly resistant to lightning or exceptional at creating shelter to avoid it. ¡°So the fact that it was overcast and stormy looking for the entire week I was on the surface, and the fact the Temple is arranged like this¡­¡± It''s the Quiet. Almost certainly. ¡°And I assume we still need to worry about the Temple flooding?¡± The flooding is worse during the Storm. But it''s the lightning I am more concerned about. Cass wanted to suggest they¡¯d be safe from that underground, but the flooding was going to push them out. Talk about a rock and a hard place. ¡°So we have a time limit now?¡± We¡¯ve always had a time limit. Now it is much shorter. Best case, we have a little under two months, if it was a dry year and you got here just as the season started. Still optimistically, but more realistically it was a normal year and we have a little over two weeks remaining. Unfortunately, there is no way to know. We could have no time at all if our timing is bad. ¡°So, finish this as quickly as possible and get out. Got it.¡± Ch. 45: Traps and Skills The upside was the Temple was essentially backward, which meant the path to the Lord¡¯s chambers was maybe a quarter as long as it would have been had she challenged it at another time of year. The downside was everything was more dangerous for it. The traps were plentiful and deadly. The living shadows were ubiquitous. The shadows were not actually that big of a problem now that she had Mana Blade and had figured out how to use it with Wind Blade. She¡¯d even figured out how to activate them simultaneously rather than in close series. So besides the overwhelming dread that consumed her at the sight of the abominations, they were fine. The traps were an issue though. They were no fewer this side of the Shadow Hall¡¯s central chamber, as Salos called the room with the skill orb. They were, if anything, more prevalent. Cass leapt back, narrowly avoiding a flurry of darts that had exploded from what appeared to be a smooth wall. Her heart hammered in her chest. Dodge has increased to level 6. Cass stared intently at the wall where the darts had shot from. There was no sign of a hole they might have flown from. Her eyes swept the floor where she had been standing. It was as nondescript as every other stretch of tiles thus far. This was the eighth trap since leaving the Shadow Hall¡¯s central chamber and Cass was no closer to figuring out how they were triggered or where they were hidden. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a trap detection skill?¡± Cass asked, poking around the floor where she¡¯d been standing with the end of her staff. There had to be some sort of pressure plate or something, right? That was how booby traps in ancient temples worked. Yes, but you would actually need to detect a few of these without it to have any hope of getting it. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten my other skills pretty fast,¡± Cass said. ¡°Maybe one would be enough.¡± My point still stands. Cass scowled, but he was probably right. She ran her hand over the wall the darts had flown out of. It was as smooth to the touch as it looked to her eyes. Mana Sight didn¡¯t see any unusual hot spots. Atmospheric Sense didn¡¯t feel any air leaking through holes they might have been shot from. She flailed about in front of the trap. Perhaps it was some sort of motion sensor? Life sensor? Nothing happened. Either the trap only went off once or she was somehow completely missing the trigger. Either way, Cass gave up and continued down the hall. She¡¯d gone perhaps four yards when a SHUNK cut the silence. Dodge screamed for her to hit the deck. A blade swung over Cass¡¯s prone head. Cass lay there another minute, her panicked breaths evening out, before sitting up. The blade had disappeared into the wall like it had never been there. The only evidence that she¡¯d nearly been bisected was her still racing heart. ¡°There must be a better way than this,¡± she said. Dodge was the only reason she wasn¡¯t dead already. If she reacted even a little bit slower any one of these traps would have left her as little more than a bloody corpse. Scowling, she looked between her staff and the apparently empty hallway. ¡°You think my staff would survive the blade trap?¡± Do you think your spine would survive? ¡°My staff is probably sturdier than my spine,¡± Cass said. At your level? I suppose. ¡°So, is that a yes on the surviving the blade traps?¡± Only one way to find out. Her scowl deepened. But no matter how much she liked her staff¡ªor how much she liked not being unarmed¡ªlosing the stick if she dodged too slow was better than losing her life. If nothing else, if a trap broke it, she¡¯d still have two batons, while if a trap split her spine she¡¯d just die. Lacking better ideas, she waved her staff in the air in front of her and then started jabbing it at each floor tile. Nothing happened so she advanced a step and repeated the process. It was boring and slow. But she needed to know how these traps were triggered. An eternity or five minutes later¨Cdepending on whether one measured according to Cass¡¯s subjective time or used a more objective measurement¨C Cass tapped a tile and the tile clicked. Cass leapt back, retracting her staff out of danger as quickly as she could. A wall of spikes shot from the smooth walls, ready to exsanguinate any unfortunate caught in the middle. They retracted back into the walls silently, again disappearing without a trace. She grinned. ¡°There we go. That¡¯s better.¡± You didn¡¯t find that one with your face, good job. She frowned staring at the unmarked walls. She was no closer to figuring out how to spot them and had only the haziest idea they might be triggered by pressure plates. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a skill though.¡± Her disappointment stopped her cold. Was she really disappointed that knowledge wasn¡¯t being shoved in her head? No, does not seem like it. Perhaps because you only managed to set it off before you stepped in it. You did not disarm it or even spot it ahead of time. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± She¡¯d been hoping to get one anyway. She crushed that desire. She didn¡¯t need more system help. Skills were useful, sure, but she was more than the things the System had given her. She crouched down, inspecting the tile she¡¯d tapped to set off the trap. It didn¡¯t look any different from the ones around it. Pushing on it didn¡¯t move it. It didn¡¯t depress under her full weight. ¡°How do these work?¡± Cass muttered to herself. Magic was the simplest answer, but that didn¡¯t help her any. Besides, Mana Sense wasn¡¯t picking up anything unusual about the tile or the walls from which the spikes had sprung. Then again, Mana Sense probably wasn¡¯t that uncommon in a world of magic. Maybe it was possible to shield the magic bits from sight so as not to give away the trap¡¯s position. But even if it was magic, it had to be set off by something. Was it as simple as touch? Like the magic version of a touch screen? But how did that work? She refused to believe that magic left no mark on the object. There had to be something tying the effect to the tile. But, either there wasn¡¯t, it was expended and disappeared into nothing once activated, or it was somehow under the tile? Could she pull the tile up somehow? She ran her fingers around the edges of it. She could get a fingernail between them, but they were too big for her to get any real purchase on. She activated Elemental Manipulation, willing just the tile to move. This was different than previous uses of manipulating stone. Before she had tried to reshape it to make bowls or spikes. Here, she was trying to levitate it without deforming it. It was unnatural to her sensibilities. Moving rock and stone like it was water was an extension of its natural properties. She knew that was wrong, but lava flowed, earth settled, rocks eroded, taking direction of this process felt far more natural than this. Rock didn¡¯t float. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it She threw herself at the attempt anyway. Resolve brought her Focus to bear, Alacrity wove it through the tile, and Will held it tight. In concert, she wrenched it up, everything flaring with the attempt. Tile resisted, held in place by ancient mortar. She pulled harder, pouring more Focus into the problem. Something snapped. A quarter of the tile flew into the air. Cass released her focus on the part of the tile still stuck to the floor, spinning her Will around the flying piece with all the Alacrity she could muster. The piece of tile bounced off the wall before she caught it, but she did manage to grab it with Elemental Manipulation before it hit the floor. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 7. With a little effort, she lowered it to the floor beside her. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to break it,¡± she muttered, picking the tile piece up with her hands and inspecting the underside. It was covered in tiny symbols inscribed into the tile arranged in interlocking circles. Most were filled with the mortar that had held it to the floor. She inspected it with Mana Sense active and they lit up in her sight. They were bright enough that she could see it even through her fingers as she traced them. Even in the few places where more mortar had come up with the tile, she could see the runes glowing through the mortar with Mana Sense. ¡°Magic runes?¡± Cass asked. Looks like it. She flipped it over and found all of it gone again. ¡°I can¡¯t see them through the tile.¡± No, that¡¯s Keamarian Basalt, it is one of the better mana shielding materials. You¡¯d need to have some specialization in mana sensing to feel mana patterns through it. ¡°But the effect can still go through them?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I assume this is all some sort of pressure or touch sensor?¡± Salos hesitated. That¡¯s one possibility. This stone is a cornerstone of magic construction because it is possible to construct such things with it. ¡°I can hear a ¡®but¡¯ in that statement,¡± Cass said. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± I am all but certain the creator of the Temple did not have that level of skill or the desire to bring in an outside collaborator who would have. Cass frowned at that, but Salos didn¡¯t elaborate. ¡°So either you''re wrong about that, something changed in between, or what? There should be more runes on the top side to trigger the effect on the bottom?¡± Yes. Cass closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. ¡°You realize that sounds completely ridiculous, right? We can both see there is nothing on the top side.¡± Yes, he said meekly. ¡°And yet?¡± I do not think I am wrong. Cass didn¡¯t bother challenging that. And I doubt things have changed that drastically in the time I was gone. The creators would not have wanted outsiders to know how the internals of the temple worked. ¡°So you¡¯re solidly team ¡®Stuff on the topside of the trap tiles¡¯?¡± Cass sighed. ¡°You were surprised about the death traps at the front, remember? Couldn¡¯t they have just updated the runes?¡± Maybe, Salos said, but he did not sound convinced. Cass shook her head. Whether there were invisible markings on the top of the tiles or not, she was no closer to figuring out how they worked or more importantly, how to spot them. ¡°Anyway.¡± She knew for a fact there were markings under the tile at least, so she focused on that. ¡°Any ideas on how to see what¡¯s under these things besides forcibly ripping them up?¡± If you had thief or assassin training, probably. Maybe some schools of artificing or runework might help. ¡°But not much a self-taught peasant like me is going to be able to figure out on her own in the next five minutes?¡± Cass asked. Well, not how I would have phrased it, but yes. ¡°Unfortunate.¡± Cass spent another five minutes poking at the remaining stonework anyway. Like Salos said, there wasn¡¯t a lot more for her to learn from it with what she already knew. Shrugging, she went back to her slow advance down the corridor, tapping every tile with her staff. A few feet later, a thought occurred to her. ¡°Wait, how was I able to sense my mana through the tile when I was manipulating it then?¡± What do you mean? ¡°It shields mana, right? I can¡¯t see any mana through it. But I could feel my Focus when I was pushing it through the tile to pull it out. You said Focus is just another form of mana, didn¡¯t you? How does that work then?¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. It''s a gross oversimplification, but you can think of Focus as your personal mana. If you close your eyes, do you still know where your hands are? It''s like that. Your Focus is as much a part of your body as your arms or legs. That¡¯s doubly true for someone like you with a spiritual body. Could she use that? It had promise, if nothing else. But did she have the finesse? She turned around and walked back to the piece of broken tile she¡¯d left behind. What are you doing? ¡°Experimenting.¡± She picked up her tile piece, closed her eyes, and activated Elemental Manipulation. She pushed her Focus through the tile but didn¡¯t give it any commands to move or shape it, just to fill the whole tile, in preparation. She could make out the edge, where tile met air, but the inscription was too fine a detail for her to make out. She needed to fill it with an even denser concentration of Focus to be able to see them. Her concentration flagged long before she was close. A headache was building from the Focus loss. She checked the numbers and winced. Focus: 53/225 Almost three-quarters. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what she¡¯d started with, she hadn¡¯t recovered all her Focus after the Shadows, after all. But she¡¯d been over half then. Had she spent another quarter between prying the tile up and this little experiment? She rubbed her face wishing the headache away. It would be better in a little bit, but right now she wanted to just sit. A part of her wanted to push through but that was probably a bad idea. If she ran into a monster, she wanted to be much closer to full than this. ¡°Not ideal,¡± she said as she plopped down onto the ground. What exactly were you hoping to accomplish by pouring your Focus into the tile? ¡°Radar? X-rays? Maybe sonar would be a better description? I¡¯m certain there is an even fancier word, but it''s not coming to me right now.¡± I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m familiar with those words. Cass shrugged. ¡°I was trying to bounce my Focus against the edges of the tile to map its surface through the tile. But the marks are too fine of details to really be picked up without using way more.¡± And you were able to do that with Elemental Manipulation? He asked. ¡°Was trying to. As I said, I¡¯m not sure it''s feasible for me right now. And even if it was, it''s definitely more work than just poking tiles with my staff.¡± Did the skill show you how to do that? ¡°What?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No. But of all my skills, Elemental Manipulation is one of the least¡­¡± Cass paused, looking for how she wanted to explain it, ¡°¡­ Chatty?¡± Then you figured out all of the stone manipulation on your own? ¡°Well, it took a lot of experimentation, but yeah. Nobody else was going to teach me.¡± Low-level skills are supposed to teach you. ¡°What?¡± It is supposed to be intuitive and natural to use them. Some describe it more as a guiding hand, helping you achieve your desired outcomes. ¡°I usually describe Staff Mastery and Dodge as yelling at me more than anything. But, I suppose Stealth feels like that.¡± And you don¡¯t get any of this guidance from Elemental Manipulation? Cass thought back to her first attempts. ¡°It took me a few tries to figure out it wanted me to target a specific element and I think it taught me how to manipulate the Focus to manipulate the skill, but otherwise it''s been pretty quiet.¡± It is a strange skill to begin with. Very few skills have as wide a domain as that. Especially for something you uncovered before your First Step. How did you manage to get it? ¡°System reward. One of my first. It''s one of a few reasons I¡¯m alive.¡± Even more strange. The System usually gives rewards that match your current knowledge set or interests. For example, if you were from an ocean town, spent every day in the water, and had some investment in the Mental row, the System might reward Water Manipulation. But more likely Form Wave or Water Blade. Skills with simple and obvious uses are more common spell rewards than something nebulous. Especially at earlier levels. Cass shrugged. ¡°All my knowledge of magic comes from books, TV, and video games. And magic was almost always elemental in nature. Mages throwing fireballs, benders moving stone with martial arts, lightning blasting out of the bad guy¡¯s fingertips. It was all fantasy, but I ate it up. If there is any silver lining in all this, it''s that I got magic out of the deal.¡± And maybe that was enough. As far as consolation prizes went, magic was a good one. If things would stop trying to kill her maybe she¡¯d even get to enjoy it. Have you determined what constitutes an ¡®element¡¯ yet? Cass shrugged. ¡°I was initially going off of the classic Greek alchemical elements: fire, water, air, earth. But stone isn¡¯t exactly the same thing as earth. Not really. ¡°The description just says ¡®elemental forces of the natural world¡¯ which isn¡¯t exactly descriptive. None of the things I¡¯ve been manipulating, except maybe fire, is a force. And even fire isn¡¯t really a force. ¡°And maybe it''s actually the five Chinese elements: earth, metal, wood, water, fire. Does that mean I could summon iron? Rarer metals? Could I make weapons from it? Money? ¡°Ice and lightning are common ¡®elements¡¯ in video games but so is poison. Where does it end? What about light and shadow? Are those elements? ¡°Maybe it''s the ¡®forces¡¯ part I should be focusing on. Would that mean I could manipulate gravity? Electro-magnetism? Friction?¡± Cass shook her head, the exhaustion settling over her deeper than ever. She knew so little about everything. Even the things so directly related to her. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t complain my skill is too broad. I just wish I understood it.¡± A lot of that was concepts from your world with no analog here, he said slowly. But if you really think your skill might be able to affect all that, it might be one of the most versatile skills I¡¯ve ever heard of. ¡°Something to experiment with more when nothing is trying to kill me and I have the Focus to spare.¡± Would such a time ever come? Sitting here in the dark of the Temple of the Deep, she could not imagine such a time ever coming. Ch. 46: Entrance to the Shadow Hall Cass was back on her feet and tapping her way down the corridor a short while later. It was slow but effective. She found another two spike traps and another blade trap in this hallway alone. Her path crossed four more chambers, most much smaller than the room she¡¯d first encountered the living shadows in, all packed to the gills with the things. ¡°Am I still going through this section backwards?¡± Cass asked as she cut down another wave of Shadows. More or less, yes. ¡°How was anyone supposed to fight these things without the reward for getting to that orb thing?¡± The shadows disintegrated before her, leaving nothing behind of their corpses. Well, that¡¯s really just it. You weren¡¯t. This is a bonus area. For the really impressive warriors. There are two strategies that the designers expected the rewards room would be reachable by. Either one should have the power to fight them and the skill to avoid succumbing to them or one should have stealth skills and the sensitivity to shadows to avoid them. The rewards offered should have reflected which method was used to arrive. I assume you were given the reward for sneaking through since the Temple would have registered that all the Living Shadows were still alive. ¡°So it gave me an offensive skill as a reward for sneaking in?¡± If you can sneak through shadows as densely packed as this, you don¡¯t need any more stealth or perception skills. On the other hand, if you had fought your way through you would have been offered skills to aid in sneaking. I assume. Cass supposed that made sense. Sort of. It still seemed highly unlikely to her that anything could sneak their way past all these things. She could barely sense them before they announced themselves, usually behind her. She was just lucky she was quick on her feet. Either way, we¡¯re almost out of this section. They¡¯ll be much rarer outside of this region, not that they are a problem for you anymore. ¡°Maybe, but they¡¯re freaky. And using Soul Guard and Mana and Wind Blade all the time is tiring.¡± Each individual activation had been easy enough at first, and resting between encounters had helped a lot, but the strain on her mind and body from the constant danger was grating on her. ¡°How much of the proper temple am I going to have to fight through, given I¡¯ve entered through this bonus section?¡± She hoped not much. There was still the Lord to consider after all. Depends on the exact arrangement, but I would expect we are very near the entrance to the Shadow Hall and then, I expect only a few rooms of the standard temple to get us oriented and to find the back door. Cass nodded. Almost through. She¡¯d be seeing open skies again in no time. No living shadows. No giant rats. No more big bugs. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Just, deadly boar and bobcats instead? Was that actually better? The passage widened into another room. She stopped in the doorway. Atmospheric Sense said the room was still. Mana Sense said there were two bright mana sources. More shadows? No, she hadn¡¯t spotted the shadows with Mana Sense before. Was that because they tended to ambush her from behind or because they didn¡¯t register? She poked her head around the corner carefully. Like the past rooms, it was filled with pillars. However, this one featured a wide pool of water in the center, a shallow channel stretching from it to the far archway. I think this is the end of the Shadow Hall for us, Salos said. If we follow the water, we should reach the Lord¡¯s room soon. ¡°So I should just walk right on through?¡± Cass whispered. Carefully, but yes. Cass rolled her eyes. He made it sound so easy. Still, she took a step forward. To her relief, the passage didn¡¯t seal behind her. She crept deeper into the room, Stealth active, Dodge ready. She peered around the pillars, looking for the mana sources. They were in the middle of the room, by or in the pool. She should just hug the outer wall and she¡¯d be fine. Unless there were also Living Shadows. They could be anywhere. Then again, it wasn¡¯t like they could hurt her much at this point. She was a quarter of the way around the room when she saw the first mana source with her natural eyes. It sat at the edge of the pool, its front two legs spread over the surface of the water. Its dark, two-segmented body rested on the stone rim, its many remaining legs spread wide around it. All of it was covered in fine black hairs, except its eight glistening eyes, the pointed tips of its legs, and its sharp jaws. Grotto Spider Lvl 17 [A hunting spider adept at navigating both the dark crags and the flooded crevasses of semi-aquatic cave systems. Exceptionally sensitive to vibration. Exceptionally venomous. ] Cass froze. That was the largest spider she had ever seen. Its legs were easily as long as she was tall. Its body bulkier than her own torso. Each eye the size of a ping-pong ball. Cass liked to think she had a very reasonable response to spiders. As a rule, if they weren¡¯t touching her she was fine. Wary, but fine. At home, she was designated spider wrangler. She even thought some of those jumping spiders were kind of cute with their big eyes and little bodies. Man-sized spiders were well past where she drew the line. Did she dare move? It was ¡°sensitive to vibration¡±. Could it hear her footsteps? It hadn¡¯t moved yet. Maybe she was too far away. Maybe it was uninterested in her. She took a hesitant step forward, her eyes on the giant spider. It didn¡¯t react. She took another. And another. It didn¡¯t move. It was fine. This was fine. She took another step. Then another. She was an idle draft in an otherwise empty room. Nothing to see here. No reason for the monstrous arachnid to notice her. It didn¡¯t. She crept around the edge of the room. If it was a clock face, and she¡¯d started at 6 o¡¯clock moving clockwise, she¡¯d spotted the spider at 8 and had made it all the way around to 11 without any fuss. Just the panicked beating of her heart in her chest. But that was when she spotted the second mana source. A figure was tied to a pillar by the pool, beside the spider. A very humanoid figure. A struggling, humanoid figure. Ch. 47: Spider She paused. It couldn¡¯t be another person? Could it? She hadn¡¯t seen another person in all the time she¡¯d been here. Salos was the closest she¡¯d gotten. And while he was a person, he was also only in her head. That might be another real, physical person. And they were well on their way to dying. Probably horribly. She had imagined a lot of ways to die since arriving. Wrapped up and devoured by a spider was one of the worse ones. Especially if they were still alive while the spider did the devouring. But what could she do? She was only level 10. The spider was almost double that. Sure, she¡¯d fought things double her level before (the terrorcat had been even more after all), but this was different. With every level, double became a bigger deal. Could she fight something at level 17? Assuming she could somehow win, how long would the victim survive? They appeared to be alive now, but Identify said that this thing was highly venomous. How full of poison were they? Hell, for all Cass knew they were dead and it was the poison running wild in their nervous system sending spasms through a corpse. Maybe the poison was liquefying their body and it would be a matter of unstoppable hours before they were just meat goop for the spider to suck up at its leisure. Hell, hell, hell. Cass didn¡¯t even know if it was a person there. Maybe this was all an elaborate trap set by the spider. Spiders had webs, maybe it was just a puppet on strings. A lure to draw in the unsuspecting soft-hearted. Even if it wasn¡¯t a trap, how did she know that a person-shaped blob was a person? She was in fantasy land now. How many stories had goblins or orcs or trolls, all humanoid but still vicious monsters out to eat the weak people of those worlds? Maybe it wasn¡¯t even humanoid, just a collection of other creatures pressed into that shape by the spider¡¯s webs. She should keep walking. She had very specific goals. She knew what she needed to do to survive. She finally had a lead on getting home. Getting herself killed on a lot of maybes wouldn¡¯t help. She took another step toward the door. The figure grunted. Unmistakably in pain. Her foot caught mid-air. This must be a trap. A trap for all the bleeding hearts of the world. She should slink out of the room and ask Salos what he thought. He might know more about Grotto Spiders. He might be able to tell her more about the survival rates of their victims. Might have advice on how to kill the thing. Or he might prioritize her (and therefore his own) survival. He might lie, telling her the victim was already dead. Telling her that there was nothing she could do now. He might honestly tell her that she was outmatched by the monster. Leaving the room might cause the doors to close on her again, preventing backtracking. Hell. Her thoughts were already circling around to save the mystery figure, weren¡¯t they? It was a trap though. It was a trap! Where had the person even come from? She hadn¡¯t seen a single person anywhere. They didn¡¯t just wander the Deep. She would have seen one. It was a trap! She turned, slinking toward the pool. Toward the trapped figure. Toward the spider. Looking closer, the grotto spider was injured. One of its back legs was gone completely and the second leg on its left was missing the final segment. A long gash ran along the flank of its abdomen, not deep but oozing just a little. One of its eyes had been stabbed out. Whatever it had caught had put up a fight before going down. Would that make a difference for Cass? If she shot off a surprise attack, could she penetrate its body? Run in with a Mana Wind Blade-empowered slash? Or should she focus on the remaining legs? How many would she need to take out before it impacted its mobility? How many could she cut through in one go? Could she strike the eyes? Blind it? No. It was sensitive to vibration. Sight was probably a secondary sense. That was common among animals native to caves. Did the hairs on its body sense movement? Sound? Was there any way to blind them like one could blind eyes? It hadn¡¯t noticed her yet. Or at least, hadn¡¯t reacted to her presence. Had it noticed and just was uninterested because it already had lunch? There was no chance it would continue ignoring her if she attacked or threatened its meal. Cass, Salos whispered slow and quiet so as not to surprise her. What are you doing? An excellent question. She didn¡¯t dare answer. Not aloud. Not when the spider might be able to hear her. She wished she could ask Salos her questions. But she didn¡¯t dare talk here, not so close to the spider. She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to risk backtracking either. She had no plan. Just a feeling that it would haunt her if she left without trying to rescue whoever it was. She paused a ways away from its fine-haired body, twisting her staff in her hands. This was her last chance to turn around and leave. You can¡¯t save them. And even if you manage to save them, then what? Unless they are spirit-bodied they won¡¯t make it where we are going. They will be left behind and then what? They will die anyway. But they were definitely going to die if she did nothing now. She grit her teeth. Did she really have the time to be noble here? Did she really have that kind of leisure? She didn¡¯t. She needed to get home. She needed to get back to her family. But she also couldn¡¯t stand aside and do nothing. Not when she might be able to make a difference. Could she make a difference? It was so far above her level. It was huge. It was a spider. Was this suicidal? Cass, keep walking. But she couldn¡¯t. She activated Wind Blade. It pooled on the end of her staff, building as the silent moments passed. The spider didn¡¯t notice the gathering gust. Didn¡¯t react as she swung her staff. As the Wind Blade flew across the room. The Wind Blade struck its thorax, cutting shallowly through the body¡¯s hairs and chipping at its chitin, before breaking into rolling eddies of wind. She swallowed, taking a step back. The spider turned, slowly. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Cass had hoped that would do more. Slice through in a single go. Leave deep gashes in the body. Knock it from its feet. For it to have barely chipped its defenses¡­ Did she double down or flee? The smart move was to cut her losses and flee. If she couldn¡¯t kill it here, she shouldn¡¯t throw her life away trying to do the impossible. On the other hand, what would she do if it chased her? The corridors were trapped. Running past this room and deeper into the temple with the spider chasing her was no less dangerous than standing and fighting. Images of the traps she¡¯d seen and the many more she could imagine snapping out and killing her filled her mind. She shuddered, pushing her imagined deaths from her mind. Retreating at this stage wasn¡¯t much better. Maybe there was another path they could take through the Shadow Hall, or maybe they all led back to this room and this spider. Her hands clenched around her staff. She didn¡¯t want to run. But that left only one option. She could only double down. She swung her staff again, shooting another Wind Blade at the turning spider. This one clipped a leg, cutting deeper but still not all the way through. Green ooze bubbled from the wounds, dripping down the leg. The spider hissed in pain, its seven good eyes locking on her. She had only a moment to follow Dodge¡¯s commands and leap to the left as a glob of something shot from the creature¡¯s mouth and exploded through the air where she¡¯d been standing. She didn¡¯t know what it was. Acid? Venom? Magic? All she knew for sure was she didn¡¯t want to be hit. She shot another Wind Blade at the spider as she ran, catching another leg and cutting another shallow gash, oozing green. It skittered after her. All the power of a semi-truck behind its body, yet not even the slightest bit clumsy or unwieldy. She dodged behind a pillar as another orb flew after her. She heard it collide with the opposite side of the pillar and the sizzle of melting stone. Acid. Definitely acid. Definitely didn¡¯t want that touching her. Her respite was short-lived. The spider was closing the distance. Already rounding the pillar. She scurried around behind it and slammed her staff down on its bulbous thorax. The impact reverberated up the staff into her arms. It didn¡¯t even slow the spider. She clicked her tongue and sprinted away, as the spider turned after her. She¡¯d been hoping blunt force trauma would work where slicing damage hadn¡¯t. She might have inflicted some internal damage, but it was more likely nothing had happened. She needed to either hit much harder or cut sharper. She scanned through her skills as she sprinted out of the way of another Acid Bolt. Droplets splattered over her as it splashed off the nearby wall. A few drops burned through her jacket, sizzling into her skin before burning itself out. She hissed in pain, still trying to focus. Maybe a direct Wind Blade? She¡¯d used three or four of them already at range. That was a good 45 to 60 points of mana already. How many more ranged shots did she have? Better to try it at melee before spending more mana on it. Did she throw Mana Blade on the attack too? It was a minor cost, so yes, might as well. New plan ready, she scooted around her pillar, intending to jump out behind the spider again. Only to find herself face-to-face with the thing. She screamed, falling backward. The shock faded, replaced with hopeless fear. The spider loomed over her, huge and awful. It lunged, its front legs stabbing down attempting to pin her to the stone, its slobbering mandibles crunching down on her, undoubtedly to pump her full of poison. Venom, an unhelpful biology fact informed her. If it bites you and you die, it''s venomous, not poisonous. She pushed the thought aside. It was so not important now! She shuffled backward, narrowly Dodging a leg through her calf. Another leg slammed into her, like a spear, into her shoulder with enough force to simultaneously rend a deep hole in it and knock her back four feet into the wall behind her. Her head spun as it slammed against stone. There wasn¡¯t time to be disoriented. The spider was quick to follow. It would be in striking range in moments. If the world would just stand still for a moment¡­ She struggled to the side despite the world¡¯s swaying, a hand on the wall for stability. She moved as fast as she was able, the spider close on her heels. It would only be a moment. It would be on top of her again. Another stab by its legs. Another acid blast through the air. A chomp of its mandibles on her soft face. That¡¯s all it would take. There was no time to regret her decisions. Requirement one: don¡¯t get hit again. Difficult given it was fast. At least as fast as her. Definitely just as agile if not more so. She couldn¡¯t take it in a straight fight. No, if they were face to face, she was losing and losing badly. Atmospheric Sense warned her of another Acid Bolt targeting her from behind. She let Dodge guide her into a painful roll to the side, slipping behind another pillar at the last moment. It had fallen further behind to cast its spell, inadvertently buying her another moment. Her mind raced, empowered by her heightened Alacrity. She watched the spider approaching in slow motion through Atmospheric Sense and Perception. There wasn¡¯t even time to take a deep breath. She couldn¡¯t fight it directly. What did that leave? Escape? Which direction? Deeper into the temple was desirable but not an option. She¡¯d ruled that out earlier. Retreating the way she came was slightly more reasonable. At least she was reasonably confident the traps were already tripped. There was still the concern of an Acid Bolt to the back of the head in the straight and empty corridors between the rooms, but it was an option, technically. Maybe if she could lose the spider in this room somehow first¡­ The spider had rounded her pillar, its legs flying like spears for her soft flesh. Cass blocked the first with her staff and wove between the rest with Dodge, retaliating with a slam of her staff into its face. Cass Sprinted away as the spider screamed a hissing cry of pain. If she could somehow hide from the spider here, wouldn¡¯t that change everything? If she could slip in and out of sight, she could strike and retreat repeatedly until the spider was dead or until she could get the captured victim free. How good was her Stealth? It wasn¡¯t invisibility. It wasn¡¯t that good. But, it was better than simply walking quietly. She didn¡¯t like thinking about it but she didn¡¯t understand how it worked at all. She pulled up its description again as she ducked behind yet another pillar. Stealth (lvl 7) (Wind) [Slink through the shadows through places you should not be or do not wish to be found. Unseen as the wind. As quiet as a breath. Passively reduces one¡¯s presence to others to a small degree. Active use greatly reduces one¡¯s presence to others and advises on how best to move one¡¯s body to mitigate detection. Association with the Concept of Wind increases the effect of these bonuses while user is in motion. Modified by Dex.] What did that mean, ¡°reduces one¡¯s presence¡±? What was ¡°presence¡±? She didn¡¯t have time to verbalize her question for Salos to hear. She was thinking many times faster than she could speak. But, man, did she wish she could ask him what presence was. Presence? It refers to how much your influence on the world is perceived, Salos said, somehow answering her question. What! He could read her mind! Cass¡¯s eyes went wide the implications spinning around her. How much of her private thoughts were so casually exposed? I don¡¯t know what you are worried about all of a sudden, Salos said. You are not projecting very clearly or consistently. You need to focus on the grotto spider. Specifically on leaving. We can talk about mental projection later. Cass mentally shook the shock off. Salos was right. The spider was still chasing. She could feel the rush of air as it raced after her. She had seconds until it caught up again. Right now she needed to know more about presence reduction. Was she invisible? Intangible? She focused those questions at Salos. Er, no, presence reduction is not as simple as invisibility, said Salos, it is more of a catch-all. Things will notice you less. You could be standing upright in an open field, but with a low enough presence, the eyes of others will just glide over you. As unremarkable as a tree in a forest. Except it applies to all senses more or less equally. Cass focused very hard on her question to Salos: Can I use it to hide from that spider? Maybe? Salos said. Higher Perception and the knowledge you are there are going to cut through the effects like it is not there. But if you dodge behind a pillar and then activate Stealth? It would be better if you had actual cover to hide in though. Not a ringing endorsement of this plan, but the spider hadn¡¯t noticed her until Stealth had dropped before she attacked, so maybe it would be enough? She activated Stealth, begging it to follow through on the description, to make her as unseen as the wind. She could feel the telltale spin of air around her that always accompanied it. It cloaked her, a silent reassurance that something had happened, that she wasn¡¯t just standing here doing nothing. But she still couldn¡¯t leave everything to the skill. The spider must have seen which pillar she¡¯d ducked behind. She could feel it approaching. She slipped out the other side, her feet alighting silently on the stone, sliding around another pillar just as the spider rounded around her original hiding place. It screamed in frustration upon finding her missing, erupting into a flurry of motion. From the resounding cacophony of slamming and banging, it was brutalizing the area behind the pillar she¡¯d last been seen. She inhaled sharply, imagining what would have happened if she¡¯d been standing there still. The tantrum lasted another minute before the chamber fell silent again. The spider stalked around, patrolling the pillars, hissing to itself all the while. Ch. 48: New Plan Cass slunk around it, keeping to the shelter of the pillars, only braving the open spaces between when she was sure that it was looking in another direction. You should move on, Salos said. You can¡¯t beat it like this. Cass scowled, slinking up to a pillar flanking the spider. He was right, of course. Somehow she had survived up to this point, but she wasn¡¯t getting anywhere. No one would fault her for cutting and running now. You tried. You cannot win this fight. And yet, here she was, slipping closer and closer. Her ranged attacks hadn¡¯t worked earlier. But she wasn¡¯t sure how Wind Blade differed between its ranged and melee variants. She was pretty sure it was stronger at melee. Not certain. But maybe if she additionally laced it with Mana Blade? Could she break the monster¡¯s tough carapace? She darted out, her staff raised, winds whipping into a blade at its end. Something tipped the spider off this time. Maybe it was that she was much closer this time. Maybe it was that it knew she was antagonistic. Maybe it was just it knew of her existence and that was enough to cut through her stealth. Cass didn¡¯t know. Whatever it was, it gave the spider enough time to spin. A leg swatted her strike aside, but only enough to direct it from straight on to glancing. Her Wind Blade dug into its side, but not deep or centered. Another leg followed the first, slamming into Cass¡¯s torso. She rolled with the strikes, darting behind another pillar and re-engaging Stealth as she did. The spider followed, racing blindly after her, swinging wildly through the air she had occupied moments before. She tried to get around it, to strike at its back again, but it doggedly turned after her. Clearly, it had a feel for her general direction, if not her exact position. She backed off again, darting between pillars until she¡¯d lost it again. Why? Salos moaned. Why do you keep trying? The longer it takes, the better it will get in finding you through Stealth. Cass bit her lip. He wasn¡¯t wrong. She should move on, save her strength for a fight she could win. The victim groaned again from their spiderweb cocoon. She grit her teeth. That was her fate if she lost here. But it was also the fate she consigned that soul to if she left. How do I reduce my presence more? Cass asked Salos, focusing the question at him with all her Will. Training? Practice? Skill? His voice had taken a flippant tone. Dismissive. He just wanted her to leave. This isn¡¯t the time to be experimenting with new techniques. He was right, of course. And yet¡­ What kinds of Skills? Cass asked. He sighed deeply. Your Stealth is one. Some variants of Dodge. Skills for throwing up smoke screens or otherwise creating cover. Illusions. Most assassination techniques. None of which you have. Could you kill it? Cass asked. At my height? Sure. Easily. Now? At half your level? Without a body? No. I can¡¯t even use my combat skills right now. Cass bit her lip. The spider was patrolling the room, throwing Acid Bolts at random, screaming in its hissing, chittering voice. What if, she hesitated at the suggestion, but it was her only idea, What if you possessed me again? He snorted. I would still be half your level. More importantly, do you trust me enough to do that? This is an entirely different situation from last time. You are not on the brink of death. You are not bleeding out to the point of being incapacitated. Would you be able to stop yourself from taking over again? More to the point, our goals differ. I would not choose to fight this thing. I would run. With my skill set, we would easily escape. Would you trust me still? Cass frowned. He was right. Once again, he was right. Was that it? Was there nothing else she could try? She only had the one Stealth skill. The only similar thing was Dodge. But¡­ Her frown deepened as she turned the skill over She started with Dodge, turning the skill over in her mind. It was an odd feeling, something she¡¯d avoided looking at too closely as much as possible. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The skill felt foreign in her mind, one part innate, uncanny knowledge on how to move, one part quiet adviser warning of upcoming dangers, one part inert magic woven into a tight ball in her core. She pulled up the description. Dodge (lvl 6) [Bob and weave. The best defense is not getting hit in the first place! Passively increases one¡¯s reaction time to a small degree. Actively increases one¡¯s speed in getting out of the way and advises on how best to move one¡¯s body to avoid unwanted impacts. Modified by Dex.] She pressed at it mentally, not really sure what she was expecting to happen or even if she was affecting it in any way. She could use it actively to ¡°increase one¡¯s speed in getting out of the way¡±. The phrasing implied ¡°get out of the way of danger¡± or at least out of the way of ¡°unwanted impacts¡±. But could she stretch it to mean out of the way of an opponent¡¯s senses? You wish to dodge detection. Would you like to attempt this feat with Dodge? Detection is outside the normal range of dodgeable entities and will be significantly less effective and consume both Focus and Stamina. She blinked. That worked? She mentally selected yes and felt the skill expand within her, linking with Stealth to provide more nuanced suggestions. She could see not only how she should move to reduce her presence, but which paths she should take to minimize the spider¡¯s sight lines on her. It whispered for her to Dodge behind a pillar as the spider patrolled the room. It sped her slinking steps as she silently ghosted across the open space toward the spider. I cannot believe this is working, Salos grouched. Cass grinned to herself, despite being just as surprised. Cass prepared another surprise attack. She¡¯d slink up on it under the effects of both Dodge and Stealth and strike with a Mana Wind Blade from behind. She gathered the blade as she stepped out into the open. Dodge assured her that this was outside the spider¡¯s line of sight. Stealth directed each footstep over the slick stone floor. She was maybe two yards away when Dodge screamed for her to step back. The spider¡¯s legs had tensed, the hairs along the legs stiffening in the breeze whipped up by her Stealth. Cass scurried back, as the spider turned in her direction. It stared hard through her, unmoving, before turning again to continue its patrol. She tried again. And again. Each approach ended the same, with Dodge screaming she¡¯d be caught if she took another step closer. This is never going to work, Salos said again. It is sensitive to vibration. Your Stealth is not well suited to reducing such senses, especially not here where the air is so stagnant. Cass frowned. He was still not wrong. The winds thrown up by Stealth were not helping here. But she didn¡¯t know how to make them stop. Moreover, she suspected they did something for her that she¡¯d lose if she somehow could stop them. Outdoors or even in a moderately busy room the movement would be lost in the normal air flow. It was only here in the dead stillness of the Temple that it made her stand out like this. Though, that suggested all she needed to do was to hide that movement, and she¡¯d have her way. But how did she hide wind? In more wind, perhaps? She envisioned a gale whirling around the spider, disorienting all the information it was getting from the hairs along its legs. Could she do that with either Elemental Manipulation or Wind Blade? Wind Blade could move more air at once, but only in the form of blades on specific trajectories. That didn¡¯t really match the gale of wind she had in mind. But then, Elemental Manipulation could only move so much at once too. While it was more flexible, she¡¯d never tried to move anything outside her physical reach. Then again, she did have that Range Buff now. Thinking about it was only going to get her so far. She had to try. The only other option was to listen to Salos and leave. Steeling herself, she pointed with her staff, engaging Elemental Manipulation and Willing her Focus to grab the air around her. She easily grabbed a region the size of a basketball, but that wasn¡¯t enough. She pushed her Focus out further. It oozed through the air, trying and failing to capture more of the mass around her. Trying and failing to push it toward the spider. It was like trying to push water with a net. Her Focus ran uselessly through the air, barely affecting much of it at all. A far cry from a gust, much less the swirling gale she wanted to summon around the spider. This was different from her past uses of the skill in a lot of ways. Not only was she trying to move more of the element at once, she was trying to do it continuously, further from her body. She just didn¡¯t have the control or power for what she wanted. Still, there had to be some way to make this work. Perhaps instead of a smokescreen, she should be aiming for feints? She took a deep breath, preparing another Wind Blade. Cass, what are you doing now? Salos asked. You aren¡¯t thinking of throwing another ranged Wind Blade at it? That didn¡¯t do anything last time! True. But last time, she hadn¡¯t followed it up with anything. She waited for Dodge to tell her the coast was clear, then stepped into the open, a Wind Blade building on her staff. She threw it and Sprinted for the next pillar. The spider sensed the approaching Wind Blade and spun to face the racing attack as Cass Sprinted at it from another direction. It stabbed through the ranged Wind Blade, screaming wildly as it found only empty air behind the attack. Meanwhile, Cass¡¯s staff swung down on the spider¡¯s exposed flank. Its screams of rage transmuted into pain as Cass¡¯s magic glaive bit deep. The spider¡¯s green innards spurted through the air as her melee Wind Blade ripped through its exoskeleton. Cass pulled her blade free with a twist of her staff, tearing the wound open further. The spider reared back, blind fury trembling through its body. A ring of green acid manifested around it, growing with its screaming pitch. Cass leapt back, Dodging out of sight behind another pillar as the ring exploded into a swarm of Acid Bolts, spraying in every direction. It still didn¡¯t know where she was. If it had, it would have chased instead of throwing an area-of-effect attack. Cass grinned. This could work. She could win. How? Salos asked. How is this working? Cass¡¯s grin only grew. Still think I should run? No. Take that experience. Kill the spider. She snorted silently. That was what he wanted, huh? He still didn¡¯t care about the trapped person? Well, that didn¡¯t matter now. She could win. Ch. 49: Finish it The spider stalked through the chamber, slow and deliberate, the hairs on its legs standing on end, searching for her with every skill and stat at its disposal. Cass padded around it, paying extra attention to the signals from Dodge and Stealth as she moved from the shadow of one pillar to the next. The spider¡¯s path spiraled through the room, tighter and tighter, until it walked along the edge of the pool in the center of the room. It stopped beside its prey, at the point where the shallow channel met the pool. It settled beside the cocoon, the channel to its left, its back legs half submerged in the pool behind it. The tension didn¡¯t leave its body for a second. It was still looking for her. Perhaps it considered the water a safer place for it than the land? Perhaps it was instinctual, the way an injured animal retreated to its den or nest. Perhaps it was tactical, thinking it could limit the angles she could attack from. It didn¡¯t matter. Cass threw another feint from the left side then darted right, running alongside the shallow channel, as far from where she¡¯d bet the spider would expect her without splashing in the water itself. Two yards from the spider, her foot slipped. The stone was wet. Water overflowed over the lip of the channel ever so slightly. Barely enough to be called a puddle. It was so little. Not enough to splash. Barely enough to ripple. Barely. The spider spun back on her, completely disregarding the feint the moment her foot hit the wet stone. It knew she was here. There wasn¡¯t time to stop, not off balance as she was from her slip. She could only keep barreling forward, hoping for the best. The spider swatted at her, its leg knocking her over and into the air above the pool. Cass panicked as she flew. This was a Grotto Spider. Semi-aquatic. It would have no trouble catching her in the water. She could already imagine the thing¡¯s fangs stabbing into her chest as she thrashed, venom coursing through her veins. The spider stabbing her with its sharp foreleg. The spider biting down on her head and ripping it from her shoulders. The spider wrapping her in a silk prison alive, trapped forever. The spider holding her under the surface as she thrashed, drowning. There was no end to the ways it could kill her if she landed in the water and precious little she could do to stop it. Time slowed as her panic and Alacrity threw her thoughts into overdrive. She could not land in the water. She needed to land on the other side of the pool. That wasn¡¯t going to happen with her current trajectory. Something about this was familiar though. She was flying through the air¡­ Just like when she was running from the Centipedes. How quickly could she summon a Wind Blade to ride with Wind Step? Quickly, she hoped. She swung her staff wildly, hoping a big enough Wind Blade formed quickly enough, and willed herself to step onto it. The relief she felt as her body phased out of the solid plane and into wind was immediate and welcome. She rode it across the pool and even turned it around a pillar and out of sight with Elemental Manipulation. Even managed to land on her feet. As her hammering heart slowed to a more reasonable pace, she felt her grin creep back over her face. She lived. She lived and was still in a position to attack the spider again. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The spider screamed in frustration when she didn¡¯t land with a splash in its pool. It kept its position by the water, its glassy eyes scanning the dark, the hairs on its body bristling. A ring of acid formed around its body, green and glistening in the low light. It would be dangerous to approach carelessly, but if she couldn¡¯t run beside the channel, she¡¯d just do it in reverse. She threw a feint along the channel and Sprinted down the center of the dry section. The spider didn¡¯t budge, barely reacting to the feint. Cass scowled and slunk back. It either knew that she wasn¡¯t going to attack from the water again or had figured out the difference between her wind blade and stealth. Either way was trouble. Her entire strategy relied on this one trick. Had she been overconfident? Maybe. But, either way, she needed to know which of the two was the answer. At least it was simple enough to test. She tossed a feinting Wind Blade from the land. The spider reacted like she was attacking, stabbing at the wind and screaming as it found nothing. It was the first then. It knew she wasn¡¯t going to risk an aquatic attack. Which was true, but left her without many options. Or did it? A plan formed in the back of her mind. An application of Wind Step that was obvious, but which she had yet to attempt. But the more she thought about it, the more obvious of an answer it became. Risky as all hell if she messed up the timing. She glanced over her remaining Focus: 86/225 Not enough to give this a second try if she messed this up. Not enough to escape again if her timing was wrong. But enough to do it. She grit her teeth and slunk around the room to the point directly across the channel from the spider. It didn¡¯t believe she would attack from here. She took a deep breath. She barely believed she would attack from here. She gathered a Wind Blade. This was her last chance to stop. There was no turning back once she started. She threw it at the spider¡¯s back and Wind Stepped onto it with a stomach overflowing with apprehension. Intangible as the wind, she skated over the water, leaving not even a ripple on its surface. The spider twitched but didn¡¯t move. She raced forward, but the moments dragged, each elongated into an eternity where her mind drew up every potential way this could go wrong. Any second the spider would turn. Any second she would fall out of the wind too early. Any second the wind would still and she¡¯d fall anyway. She didn¡¯t. She raced on, directly toward her opponent. It was only when she was above the creature that she dropped out of the wind, materializing above it. She threw herself down, manifesting a Wind Blade wreathed in Mana Blade at the end of her staff. She drove it down, as the spider¡¯s eyes widened and it tried to wriggle out of the way. There wasn¡¯t time. Her glaive ran through the crown of its head. It exploded in a gush of green goo, its head eviscerated by the combined sharpness of the blade driven by Cass¡¯s full weight. Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Wll + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 7. Wind Step has increased to level 4. Staff Mastery has increased to level 7. Stealth has increased to level 8. Dodge has increased to level 7. Wind Blade has increased to level 6. Mana Blade has increased to level 4. The spider crumbled beneath her, the lifeless legs unable to support the weight of the rest of the corpse. Cass collapsed with it, falling to the wet floor beside the spider. The exhaustion consumed her. She didn¡¯t need to check her stats to know there was only a bare trickle of Stamina and Focus left. She lay there, the water and spider guts soaking into her hair and her clothes, her body already drenched in sweat and blood. And yet, her body buzzed with the energy from the level-up. With the power and the thrill of having survived. With the weight of her accomplishment. She¡¯d done it. She¡¯d killed it. She was unstoppable. She felt like she¡¯d just stepped off a roller coaster, her heart thrummed in her chest. Adrenaline raced up and down her nerves, drowning the exhaustion and pain beneath a layer of excitement she couldn¡¯t contain. She¡¯d saved¡ª Cass shot up. Right! The person! Ch. 50: Freeing Alyx The memory of the trapped person was like cold water to her system. There wasn¡¯t time for congratulating herself. She needed to free them. She scooted up beside them. They were wrapped tightly in thick strands of spider silk. Cass put a hand on the silk¡¯s surface experimentally. It was smooth to the touch and cold. The person struggled within. They made a noise that might have been grunting or it might have been cursing, but Cass couldn¡¯t make it out through the layers of silk. ¡°Hello?¡± she said, ¡°Can you hear me?¡± They grunted something else, their struggling increasing. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. I¡¯m going to get you out.¡± Cass tried to make her voice soft and calming. She was pretty sure she managed soft. If the stranger¡¯s continued struggling was anything to go off of, she hadn¡¯t quite nailed calming. Well, she¡¯d try again once she got them out. Speaking of, how exactly was she going to do that? She ran her hand over the silk again. It was smooth, the threads lying tightly together. Cass couldn¡¯t get her fingers under any of them to pry them loose. ¡°This would be easier if I had a dagger,¡± Cass muttered. ¡°Something I can manipulate with a little more control than my staff.¡± Wind Blade was plenty sharp, but it could only be applied to a melee weapon. She supposed she could try breaking her staff into two smaller batons, but she was loath to give up her trusty weapon like that. Even if she recognized the pieces as weapons (not necessarily guaranteed) she didn¡¯t have a Baton Mastery skill and she wasn¡¯t confident that she could get Staff Mastery to convert that easily. And she had no illusions she knew the first thing about fighting without that skill. No, she needed a dagger, but all she had around her was a dead spider and empty hallways. Empty stone hallways. She smacked her forehead and squatted down putting a hand out over the nearest tile. Honestly, it was still weird to have magic powers at her fingertips. She activated Elemental Manipulation, pulling up material from the floor to make a short dagger. It was dull, she wasn¡¯t going to try to put an edge on it, the stone would just fracture the first time the true edge hit anything. No, she intended for it to be a basis for Wind Blade instead. She probably could have formed a plain rod if she wanted, but decided to make it easy on the System, making it clear this was a dagger, a melee weapon. Hell, she might be able to use Mana Blade on it directly this way. Nothing said the blade needed to be particularly sharp after all. Cass activated Wind Blade on her stone dagger and held it poised over the cocoon. ¡°I''m going to get you out now,¡± Cass said, again trying to channel soft and reassuring. ¡°So if you could just hold still?¡± They did not hold still. Cass scowled, was it safe to attempt this while they were wriggling so much? What if she accidentally cut them? ¡°Can they even hear me?¡± They probably just don''t understand you, Salos replied. ¡°What?¡± Well, you are not speaking a language anyone I have ever met has ever spoken. ¡°But you understand me!¡± It was as much an accusation as a rebuttal. Well, that has less to do with the words coming out of your mouth and more to do with the intended meaning I get through our connection. Cass took a deep breath. This wasn¡¯t worth panicking about. She was already in a magic otherworld with a demon talking to her in her head. She had magic powers and just killed a spider the size of a golf cart. What was ¡®No one speaks the same language you do¡¯ next to all of that? She needed to double-check anyway. ¡°You don''t speak English.¡± No. I doubt I have heard of it. Deep breath, Cass, deep breaths, she whispered to herself. Aloud, she asked, ¡°Then, how do I understand you?¡± Same way. We''re speaking on the more fundamental level, through intended meaning. It works because we want the other person to understand us. I''m speaking to you with the intent of conveying information to you. The language your mind interprets it as is entirely on you. Cass sighed. ¡°I guess it was too much the hope that the fantasy world would just speak English.¡± I don''t know why you would think it would. From what I can tell, our worlds have no connection. Why would language be shared? She shook her head. This wasn''t helpful right now. She was just going to have to figure it out. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m not speaking their language. How do I get this person to stop struggling then.¡± Cut them out? Cass scowled again. ¡°Helpful.¡± But there wasn¡¯t much else for it. If the trapped person wasn¡¯t going to stop struggling, Cass was just going to have to go for it and hope for the best. Carefully, she inserted the blade between strands of silk and started cutting. Incidentally, intended meaning is how our nonverbal communication works as well, Salos continued while Cass worked. I intend for you to hear these words, so you do through our connection. As you seemed to have mostly figured out during your fight a minute ago, you can do it too with a little concentration and practice. ¡°And that isn¡¯t mind reading?¡± Cass asked. No. ¡°How much exactly do you hear?¡± Just what you want me to. Anything you project to me, I will hear. It is exactly the same as how I talk with you. And you can¡¯t hear all my thoughts¡­ He paused as a spike of panic arced off him. You cannot hear all my thoughts, can you? ¡°Which way does it work, Salos?¡± Cass growled, cutting through another layer of silk. I suddenly worried you were asking because you could, he said quietly. I don¡¯t know all the ways our relationship might be unequal due to our relative statuses. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Cass flinched. Right. Salos was a demon. Her demon. The same way the necklace he was bound in was her necklace or the way her staff belonged to her. She cut away more silk. The inner layers were sticky to the touch. She had to be careful to keep her fingers from sticking to it as her Wind Blade cut through the strands. ¡°No,¡± Cass said. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The layers of spiderweb didn¡¯t seem to end. They came away in sticky sheets, one after another after another. Cass had to go slow, unsure where the layers ended and the skin of the stranger began, unsure when or how their struggling would shift that divide. The quiet was long and awkward and liberally punctuated by the grunting of the still-struggling stranger. Salos broke the silence first. What do you intend to do with this person once you free them? ¡°What do you mean?¡± He couldn¡¯t be trying to get her to abandon them still, could he? You were going to clear the Temple. The path ahead is impossible for someone with a physical body. Cass hadn¡¯t thought that far, honestly. She still stood by her decision. She wasn¡¯t willing to just leave someone to their fate if she could do something about it. But, to a certain degree, they were her responsibility now. Did you intend to let them attempt to navigate their own way out? The temple is a labyrinth. Under the best of times, it can take teams with dedicated mappers a month to clear it. How will they fare alone, injured, and under the time limit of the coming Storm? ¡°What is your point?¡± Cass asked. He had to know her at least a little by now. If he wanted her to abandon them, pointing all this out wasn¡¯t the way to do it. I just want you to think your actions through. They affect more than you. Cass sliced through another bundle of threads, the wrap loosening with every slice. ¡°Sure. That¡¯s how that works. That¡¯s how that has always worked.¡± But what was she supposed to do now? She couldn¡¯t in good conscience just turn this person loose to find their own way back. Maybe that¡¯d be what they wanted. Presumably, they were an adult and knew the risks. But what would she do if they wanted to stick together? Cass knew in their place that would be her preference. ¡°Can you translate for me?¡± All this was irrelevant if they couldn¡¯t communicate. It didn¡¯t matter what plans Cass made if the other person couldn¡¯t understand them. I can probably tell you what they are saying. I might be able to convey the sounds you need to make to speak the language but it will be slow at best in that direction. Better than nothing, she supposed. Cass cut another clump away as the figure jerked. A gloved hand, caked in blood, broke through the loosening threads. It clawed up, tearing at the webbing. Cass leaned back out of the way. The hand pulled away another clump, freeing the arm all the way up to the shoulder. There were bloody rends in their sleeve. Pieces of crimson armor hung from the shoulder. The hand reached up, tearing another section free. Their face pressed through the loose strands, their lips gasping for air, green eyes softening with relief. It was a woman, her dark skin smeared with blood. A long gash ran across her temple. Spider webs clung to her curly, red hair. Their eyes met and the stranger¡¯s eyes hardened into sharp daggers. They promised swift and ruthless violence completely at odds with their still spider-silk-restrained state. The stranger rattled off something in a language Cass didn¡¯t recognize, her voice sharp. Cass set her stone dagger down and lifted her hands slowly, waving once they were level with her face. She smiled sheepishly and said, ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Cass.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. Her free hand pulled at the spider webs, though those eyes never once left Cass. Cass smiled dumbly anyway, still waving with both hands. She can¡¯t understand you, Salos reminded her. It took everything Cass had not to scowl at him. That he had no body to target helped. He¡¯d said that no one spoke English, but she still had to try. She couldn¡¯t let the fact he was right get her down. The other woman said something else. Or maybe repeated her original words. She spoke too fast for Cass to get a good grip on the sounds. Still trying to keep her voice friendly and agreeable, she asked Salos, ¡°What did she say?¡± She demanded you speak a human language, Salos translated. And asked who you are and who you work for. ¡°How do I tell her my name is Cass and that I don¡¯t really speak her language?¡± Salos carefully projected the sounds for Cass to copy, which she did, butchering it in the process. That was rough but passable, Salos said when she was done. The woman squinted at Cass. Was it distrust or disbelief in her eyes? Was it that strange that she didn¡¯t speak the language? Maybe it was. In all the fantasy stories there was usually a common, universal language. It would be strange if that was the case here and she didn¡¯t know it. On the other hand, this was a real world, not just a setting for a fantasy adventure. It was more likely it followed the conventions of a living world where language developed and evolved in different ways in different places, resulting in a wide tapestry of languages. Which didn¡¯t mean foreign languages were common in the part of the world she¡¯d stumbled into. While Cass was spiraling through her own thoughts, the woman started talking again. Her name is Alyx Veldor, Salos summarized. She seems to have decided you don¡¯t work for the Warden, whoever that is, and that makes you trustworthy enough to ask if you¡¯ve seen the rest of her team. Cass shook her head. The woman grimaced at the answer. Or no, not the answer. Her free hand was clamped down against her side. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Cass knew it was a stupid question the moment it left her mouth. She could see several wounds already and barely half of her had been freed from the webs. ¡°I need to get you out of there.¡± She still does not understand you. Cass picked up the stone knife again. Alyx¡¯s eyes narrowed again at the movement. Cass held it up so she could see it and then picked up a clump of web she¡¯d cut away earlier. ¡°That¡¯s a dull knife,¡± Alyx said, translated by Salos for Cass¡¯s benefit. Cass didn¡¯t need his help to catch the distrust in her tone. Cass nodded and activated Wind Blade again. She cut through the clump of webbing she¡¯d picked up. Alyx¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t possibly narrow further. Cass tapped the silk still wrapping the other woman with her free hand and made a cutting motion with the knife. Alyx¡¯s jaw was clamped tight but she nodded. Slowly, Cass resumed cutting her free. Cass opened her mouth to ask Salos a question but thought better of it. With other people around, it was probably better to get into the habit of projecting her thoughts at him instead of talking out loud. Can we ask her how she ended up here alone? Cass asked. Isn¡¯t it obvious, Salos replied. Her party was ambushed by Grotto Spiders. Given that the only signs of a struggle here are from your fight, I would assume it happened elsewhere. Probably outside the Temple. Her party was overrun. Perhaps there was more than one spider, perhaps they were ambushed in the night. Perhaps they had dead weight in the party dragging the entire group down. Either way, she was captured and dragged back here. The rest of her party is likely dead. Cass cut her other arm free. Not captured too? Short of another soft-hearted fool wandering into them, they are dead, Salos said. You are in no condition to go fighting more of these things, even if you knew where they were. Cass sighed. Once again, Salos wasn¡¯t wrong. It took another couple of minutes to free Alyx from her webby prison, but eventually, Cass¡¯s blade snapped the last strands immobilizing her. ¡°There we go,¡± Cass said with relief. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± Alyx frowned at Cass, shaking her head. Ask that like this, Salos demonstrated the words for Cass, who repeated them carefully. Alyx¡¯s scowl didn¡¯t change as she tried standing. Her body shook from the effort. Her scowl slipped into a pained grimace. Cass leaned down and extended a hand. Alyx ignored it, forcing herself up without the help. ¡°It will take more than this to kill me,¡± Salos translated for her. Though she swayed on her feet, she held her head high. Ch. 51: Rest and Recover Alyx stumbled as she spoke. Cass scurried to her side, slipping her shoulder under the other woman¡¯s arm and catching her before she fell. ¡°Woah! You okay?¡± Cass asked, not waiting for Salos to help with translating. It wasn¡¯t a sentence that needed an exact translation, the concern in her voice should have been more than enough to convey her point. Alyx took a steadying breath before pushing herself off Cass. She shook her head and said something. Her tone was bitter. She says she can take care of herself, Salos explained. Cass frowned but took a step back. Fair enough, she supposed. They didn¡¯t know each other. Who wanted strange women touching them? There were better ways to help anyway. Cass was injured. Alyx was injured. It was time to set camp. Cass looked around the room again, taking stock of the chamber. There were only two doors, one from which she had come from and one leading deeper into the temple. There was a pool in the center, connected out of the room to the door leading deeper into the temple by a shallow channel. The spider¡¯s carcass lay beside the pool. There weren¡¯t any other materials besides the cold stone walls, floors, and pillars. Not the greatest campsite for sure, but she¡¯d make do. First thing first, she needed to secure the room. The last thing she needed was another spider wandering in while they were resting. She glanced over her Focus. 29/225 Well, that explained the mounting headache. Never mind the securing the room business, apparently. She had a little bit that she could use to make a campfire and that was about it. She picked a spot away from the spider¡¯s corpse and the water and dropped a handful of Flintshrooms on the ground to start a fire. She would have liked to make a proper fire ring, but between the endless stone halls and the plethora of water, Cass thought it was unlikely it would spread beyond where she wanted it and she just didn¡¯t have the Focus budget for nonessential steps. She just needed something to make it clear they were camping for her skill. One Elemental Manipulation later and 20 Focus expended for a summoned flame, Cass had a cheery little fire and a killer Focus depletion headache. Immediately, the area felt safer. The warmth of the flames wrapped her like a blanket, a comfortable weight settling on her shoulders. Things would be alright. While Cass set camp, Alyx looked over the spider¡¯s corpse. She nudged it with her boot, a contemplative frown on her lips. She yelled something across the room at Cass. Salos? Cass asked. She is asking if you defeated the spider alone. Cass nodded. ¡°Yep.¡± Alyx looked between the spider and Cass again. Then between Cass and the campfire. Then the campfire and the middle distance in between. She seems to be checking you with Identify, Salos said. You can use that on people? Cass asked. She felt dumb the moment the thought crossed her mind. Was that not the single most obvious use? And, that¡¯s not rude or something? Cass asked. Why would it be? Cass pursed her lips. If Salos said so. She cast it on Alyx. Human Warrior Lvl 20 [Humans are a versatile lot, able to adapt to any environment though specializing in nothing. Warriors are much the same, able to handle a wide array of combat situations with flexibility in method and means.] Oh, that¡¯s more general than I was expecting, Cass said. For some reason she¡¯d half-expected Identify to tell her Alyx¡¯s full name and list her innermost secrets. She shuddered a little at the thought. How terrifying if you could get that much information just by looking at them. Alyx walked over to Cass and her fire. Every step was accompanied by a grimace of pain. She lowered her head and said something. The words were gruff but were still a softer tone than Cass had heard from the woman yet. She¡¯s thanking you for rescuing her and asking if she can share your fire to recover, Salos explained. Cass nodded and gestured to the area beside her. ¡°Sure, sit." Alyx did, sitting to Cass¡¯s right, angled just so both doors were in sight. Cass leaned against the pillar behind her, soaking in the warmth of her little fire and the ethereal warmth Beacon of Hearth and Home filled her with. God, she was tired. How much further to the boss room? She asked Salos. Hard to say, but we¡¯re probably most of the way there. Cass nodded to herself. Her eyes flickered closed. *** When Cass¡¯s eyes opened again her head felt much clearer. She blinked blearily. Oh. She¡¯d fallen asleep. ¡°Uh, how long was I asleep?¡± Cass muttered to Salos as she pushed herself up. She was stiff everywhere and sore everywhere else. She¡¯d pushed herself too far in that last fight. A few hours, Salos said. You needed it. Cass glanced around the room. Nothing had changed in that time. No new enemies lurked in the corners or the doorways. The spider corpse was unmoved from the gooey mass beside the pool. Alyx still sat against her pillar beside Cass, apparently still awake. Has she been awake this whole time? Cass asked. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I doubt she¡¯s trusting enough to just fall asleep beside a stranger. Not everyone is as carefree as you. Hey! Cass scowled. He ignored her outburst. Even without sleep, she will have recovered quite a bit because of your camping skill. Don¡¯t worry about her. Cass¡¯s scowl didn¡¯t lessen. But she¡¯s injured. And how is that your concern? I don¡¯t know, Cass pushed herself up and walked across the room to the edge of the pool. I guess I just have basic human decency and empathy for the injured. Contrary to her expectations, the water ran silently from the doorway into the pool. Which meant it must drain somewhere down there. She peered down into the pool but couldn¡¯t see the bottom. Maybe it wasn¡¯t a pool then, but a shaft. Perhaps it was even how the spider got into the labyrinth. Those things nearly got you killed just now, Salos said. Cass glared at the water in place of Salos. You seemed pleased enough with my decisions when I was killing the spider. Salos didn¡¯t have a retort. He just huffed to himself quietly. Cass ignored him. She looked between the water and her gut and blood-covered clothing, weighing her options with distaste, debating a quick dip to clean off. On one hand, she was filthy. On the other hand, that had become such a constant background fact she barely noticed anymore. Though, that had been when there hadn¡¯t been anyone else around her¡ªnot that cleanliness was a virtue only in the company of others. She also hadn¡¯t been covered in spider guts previously. Cockroach guts and boar blood though, which objectively wasn¡¯t better. More to the point, taking a dunk now would leave her with soaking wet clothing with only her tiny mushroom fire to dry them with. Maybe she could bend the water out of her clothes with Elemental Manipulation or maybe that would drain more Focus than she could afford right now. There was also the concern there was something down there. Something hungry and/or malicious. Something like another spider. Or eel. Or big fish. Or octopus. Or¡­ She was letting her imagination get away from her again. Still, Atmospheric Sense couldn¡¯t tell her what was down there and it didn¡¯t need to be magically inclined enough to be sensed by Mana Sense for it to be a threat. She shook her head. No, it wasn¡¯t worth it. No bath right now¡­ She could at least wash her face in the shallow channel though. She did. The cold water felt good on her face. Technically, she could summon water to wash up with, and she should consider it in the future, but for the moment this was a better use of her resources. She paused by the channel, glancing back at the other woman still sitting by her pillar, still completely covered in dried blood. On a whim, Cass Elemental Manipulated a deep bowl out of the nearby stone and filled it with water from the channel. Alyx eyed it with surprise as Cass brought it over to her. Cass set it beside her and mimed splashing herself with the bowl¡¯s contents. Alyx said something, her tone softer than Cass had yet heard her speak. She¡¯s thanking you, Salos said. Cass smiled in response with a nod. She asked Salos, How do I tell her to take her time washing up and then get some rest? You aren¡¯t going to leave yet? Salos groaned. Cass bit her lip. She hadn¡¯t even thought about that yet. With Alyx still so obviously injured and tired, it seemed wrong to just leave already, not that Salos cared. He only cared about her condition which was¡ªActually, what were her stats looking like? Stamina: 51/51 Focus: 138/225 Health: 29/40 My Focus is only at half. It wasn¡¯t even an excuse. I should let that recover the rest of the way. So, while I¡¯m still recovering, Alyx might as well get comfortable. Fine, Salos grumbled. I suppose that makes sense. This is how you say that¡­ Cass repeated him carefully, doing her very best to not only repeat him but also remember the phrases. She needed to learn this language as quickly as she could. She trusted Salos. She really did. Or, she wanted to anyway. But it bothered her that she could only rely on him to translate for her. It would be too easy for him to lie to her about the words of others or make her say something she would otherwise regret. Plus it was annoying. Alyx started cleaning her face with the bowl of water Cass brought over, rubbing away the caked-on blood with her hands. In no time, the water was beyond gross. Cass scooped it up and replaced it for her, rinsing the bowl out before filling it and returning it to her. Alyx had called out to protest, Cass hadn¡¯t needed Salos¡¯s translation to understand that much. She¡¯d ignored the calls. This was easy enough and obviously, the other woman was still in quite a bit of pain when she tried to move. Alyx thanked Cass again as she placed the bowl beside her again. Cass recognized the tone of gratitude this time if not the words. Yet, as Alyx cupped a palmful of water and brought it to her lips, Cass slapped the water down. ¡°Woah! No! Don¡¯t drink that!¡± Cass yelled, not waiting for Salos to translate, not caring that the specifics of her words weren¡¯t going to be understood. That water wasn¡¯t clean. At all. Setting aside the bowl had just held blood and dirt, who knew where the water was coming from. There was no reason to drink that when she had a safer option. She held her hand out and Elemental Manipulated a cup out of the floor tile. She glared at it. In retrospect, random stone wasn¡¯t that clean either. She considered the issue for a second, well aware that Alyx was staring at her. Hell with it, she¡¯d just blast it with a palm of fire to sterilize it before she filled it with water. Cass wasn¡¯t quite sure how hot she could make her fire with Elemental Manipulation, but at the end of the day, heat was just another attribute of the summoned material, wasn¡¯t it? There wasn¡¯t any reason she couldn¡¯t make it hotter than a normal fire, was there? Well, besides the extreme discomfort of having such a fire near her exposed skin and the higher Focus cost than she¡¯d been expecting, she discovered. Either way, a moment later she was holding a slightly warm stone cup filled with clean water out to the other woman. Alyx took it, sipping it carefully. She frowned and looked at Cass again. She said something, confusion heavy in her voice. She is asking who you are again, Salos said. Cass cocked her head to one side in what she hoped was the universal sign of confusion. The woman gestured at the cup and said something. ¡°You¡¯re a mage capable of handling three distinct domains of magic,¡± Salos translated. ¡°With no command words or reagents. And you are wandering the¡ª¡° Salos paused, interjecting a disapproving or perhaps confused hmmm into his translation before continuing, ¡°¡ªDemon God¡¯s Temple alone.¡± Do skills usually need command words? Or reagents? Cass asked Salos. I think she¡¯s confused you for a wizard rather than the sorcerer you are. There are multiple ways to do magic? Cass asked. Sure, just like there are multiple ways to wield a sword or multiple ways to build a house. You primarily rely on Skills to directly perform the magic you want, hence Sorcerer. Wizards use skills to indirectly perform magic. What does that mean? Cass asked. Mmm, Salos paused, looking for an analogy. A moment later he said, imagine you want to make a ceramic pot. A Sorcerer-esque craftsman could use a skill to make the raw clay form up and harden into the pot they want on the spot. Similar to how you make dishware from stone with Elemental Manipulation. A wizard-esque craftsman would likely have quite a few skills as well, but they would be guidance skills instead. It would be Clay Shaping Mastery and Kiln Management and Eye for Glaze or something. None of the skills directly affect the clay, they all help the craftsman with the craft rather than replacing it. He continued: A Sorcerer has a skill called Fireball. A wizard has a skill called Invocation and has memorized the chant to manifest fire. I thought I understood the first analogy, Cass said, but you lost me with the second. She was pretty sure she understood the difference he was trying to explain between the two, but she wasn¡¯t entirely convinced Elemental Manipulation was a sorcerer skill as he claimed. Elemental Manipulation was a skill to summon and manipulate an element after all. It was open-ended and flexible. Wasn¡¯t it closer to his example of Invocation rather than Fireball? But, setting that aside for now, what was that about a ¡®Demon God¡¯s Temple¡¯? I have no idea, Salos said. I¡¯ve never even heard of a demon god. Much less the Temple of the Deep called such a thing. Alyx was still staring at Cass, her question still unanswered. Cass just shrugged. It wasn¡¯t an answer, but Cass didn¡¯t have an answer. Alyx¡¯s eyes narrowed but she sipped her water without further questions. Ch. 52: Deep Breath Cass leaned back against her pillar, the fire was nice, but there was more she could do to help with the recovery process. It was time for tea. She shaped a pot from the stone around her and filled it with more water, all with Elemental Manipulation, then set it in the fire amid the burning Flintshrooms. While she waited for that to boil she retrieved her foraged plants from her pockets. Half her remaining Aster and a couple of the new Spones she¡¯d found in the Safe Zone went into the pot. Both were supposed to have Health recovery benefits. She was hoping they¡¯d taste okay too. She placed her last vineroot potato to reheat beside the fire too. She didn¡¯t need it, but it still felt wrong to just discard food. Maybe Alyx would like it? Alyx watched the entire production impassively. An impatient couple of minutes later, the tea was boiling and the potato was hot. Cass Elemental Manipulated two new cups, these with handles, and scooped them into the tea. Green Spone Soup [A very simple soup made by boiling Green Spone and simple herbs beside a fire. Improves Health recovery and acts as a mild painkiller. Not very filling.] Cass smiled and held a cup out to Alyx. She looked over the mug with its thin, green liquid, her lips tight lines. Salos, what¡¯s the word for ¡®drink¡¯? Cass asked. She will not drink your strange concoction, Salos said. How stupid do you think she is? What? Why? Cass tilted her head to one side. Do you accept food from strangers where you¡¯re from? He asked. I mean yes? I was a broke college student once. It was my solemn duty and life mission, to eat all the free food offered to me. Salos sighed deeply. I have no idea what that means, you know that right? I¡¯m serious though, Cass said. She should probably drink this. She pressed Alyx¡¯s cup closer to the woman. Alyx¡¯s eyes flicked between Cass and the drink. Maybe she just needed to demonstrate? Cass took a sip of her cup. She had to resist the urge to grimace at the taste. The flavor was closer to dirt than tea. Like if someone had burnt dirt boiled it again, then strained it through a mulch pile. She took another sip anyway. It tasted really bad. But the warmth in her chest expanded with that sip. Was it her imagination? Simply wishful thinking? Or was it a real effect? She forced another sip past her lips, completely ignoring the flavor. There it was. A sense of safety. It wrapped her like a blanket before a fire. It was the tiniest sliver of the feeling she¡¯d gotten in the Safe Zone, a pale shadow of the joy of being home in her chair. Health: 29/40 Health: 30/40 Cass smiled. Yes. Definitely helping. Foraging has increased to level 5. Foraging has gained an additional effect: [Greatly heightens perception of a target entity.] Herbal Concocting has increased to level 2. Cass¡¯s eyes widened at the message. A new effect? She wanted to try it out right away but for one she was still trying to get Alyx to drink the tea/soup/tisane and for two she hadn¡¯t seen a single plant or mushroom since entering the temple that she might try targeting. She¡¯d have to remember to give it a go later. In the meantime, she needed to get Alyx to drink it too. Come on, just tell me how to say she should drink it, Cass begged. If Salos had eyes to be rolling, that¡¯s what they¡¯d be doing. Fine. But try not to be offended when she refuses. With his help, Cass told Alyx to drink it, explaining it was good for her Health. Alyx looked between the drink and Cass. She shook her head. She spoke and Salos translated it as, ¡°I cannot accept this from you. I am already in your debt. Do not waste your supplies on me.¡± Salos snorted. What a polite way of saying, ¡®I am afraid you poisoned it.¡¯ Cass cocked her head to one side. Why would I poison it? How do you even go from ¡®I¡¯m in your debt¡¯ to ¡®I don¡¯t trust you, please don¡¯t poison me¡¯? Oh, sweet, naive Cass. Salos chuckled. What kind of supplies would a stranger use on another? Cass blinked blankly. Never mind. Salos sighed. It¡¯s not important. Just, please do not take food or medicine from strangers. Please. But, this really will help her, Cass insisted. Can¡¯t she see it in the Identify description? Probably not. The information in Identify is highly dependent on your other skills and knowledge. It expands on areas you are already familiar with. For example, you seem to know some things about plants? Maybe from your Foraging skill? Well, that empowers Identify to tell you more about plants, even plants you have never seen. On the other hand, if you know less about say minerals, for example, rocks and the like probably provide very little information when you identify them. You have skills and independent knowledge relating to herbs, plants, and potions, so of course your Identify would provide you information on it. However, for myself, it reads as ¡®Dubious Soup¡¯. There is no other information. Cass looked down. Oh. Yes, Salos said dryly. Oh. But she should still drink it! Cass yelled. Help me say, ¡°I¡¯ve already brewed it, I can¡¯t drink it all by myself. Please drink up. It¡¯ll help your wounds.¡± Salos did, after another round of begging. Alyx picked up the cup, staring down into the soup. She sighed and downed the whole thing in a single go. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. She set the cup down with a grimace. Cass didn¡¯t need Salos¡¯s help translating the words she cursed under her breath. Between the disgust in her tone and the context, it was obvious she wasn¡¯t anymore a fan of the flavor than Cass was. Cass smiled sheepishly. ¡°Sorry. I suppose I could have warned you it tastes bad.¡± Who are you talking to? Salos grumbled. She doesn¡¯t understand you. Cass ignored him, instead asking, You think she¡¯s hungry? I suppose you want me to translate that question to her? Please? Cass asked. He did and Cass asked it while pointing at the reheated potato. Alyx sighed again and picked it up, she split it in half and offered half to Cass. Cass shook her head. How do I tell her I ate earlier and I¡¯m not hungry? Like this, Salos said and recited some words for Cass to repeat. Alyx frowned. She set half the potato on the fire ring but bit into the other half. She grimaced again as she bit into the potato¡¯s blue flesh. She shook her head in disappointment but forced another bite. Now there was just one thing left to sort out: What happened next with Alyx? Salos, why exactly, can¡¯t we just bring Alyx with us? You want her to come? Salos asked. Well, I don¡¯t want her to die by herself. Cass knew she couldn¡¯t protect everyone. She could barely even protect herself. But still. It bothered her to imagine Alyx dying by herself in the dark. There are a number of issues with bringing her with us, Salos said. The biggest is she physically cannot make it through the path we are on. What exactly does that mean? Cass asked. You¡¯ve been cagey with the details on this plan. I think it''s about time you spill. You will need to pass through a hidden underwater pathway, Salos said. Cass raised an eyebrow. I don¡¯t see the difficulty? Surely Alyx couldn¡¯t be a worse swimmer than Cass. If Cass could get through such a section, why would the stronger warrior have trouble? Cass, Salos said with a sigh. Physical-bodied beings need to breathe. What was she supposed to do with that statement? He¡¯d said it like this was a devastating burn. Like she was missing something blatantly obvious. Like spirits didn¡¯t need to breathe. Cass blinked. No. No. No way. She had to be misunderstanding. You aren¡¯t telling me that spirits don¡¯t breathe? Salos spoke slowly, I didn¡¯t think I needed to. Did you not notice? Cass¡¯s heart pounded in her chest. She didn¡¯t need to breathe? What was she doing now? You didn¡¯t know? Salos asked. Cass wasn¡¯t listening to him. This shouldn¡¯t be a surprise. She wasn¡¯t human. She knew that. She¡¯d been over this. She didn¡¯t need to eat either. What was breathing really? Why did it matter that she didn¡¯t need that? One of the most fundamental actions performed by all life? She wasn¡¯t human. She didn¡¯t need to eat. She didn¡¯t need to breathe. This was fine. She was fine. She wasn¡¯t human and it was the only reason that she was still alive. It was the only reason Salos thought she could kill this Lord and find clues to go home. She was fine. She wasn¡¯t human. That was fine. But if she didn¡¯t need to breathe, why did it feel like there was no air in the room? Why did it feel like she was suffocating? Why were her lungs pumping? Pumping faster. Faster. There had been air here a minute ago. It couldn¡¯t be gone. She inhaled and inhaled and inhaled. Faster and faster. Shallow breaths. Her heart pounded in her ears. Did that even do anything? What was the point of a heart if the blood it pumped didn¡¯t need to carry oxygen? What was the point of any part of her body? Was any of it real? Was she real? CASS! Salos¡¯s words crashed over her like a wave. Her mind snapped back to reality. She lay on the ground clutching her chest. Her body was numb. It was that pins and needles feeling that one got when a leg fell asleep, except it was over her entire body. Are you back? He asked. His voice was loud and clear in her mind, yet her body felt far away and indistinct. Cass pushed herself up into a sitting position anyway. It was clumsy, her arms weak. She took a deep (useless?) breath. Alyx was staring at her. Cass didn¡¯t make eye contact. I think so, Cass said softly. I-I¡¯m fine. Abyss beyond, Salos cursed, You think so? Cass, you almost passed out. What was that? How did she explain? She took another deep breath. She couldn¡¯t. Not to Salos. Not to herself. So I don¡¯t need to breathe, Cass said instead. And that is how you imagined I was going to get through this underwater section? Salos hesitated. She could feel his presence close to her own, could feel the rolling concern and confusion. Could feel him pull away as he spoke. Er, yes. That was the thought. How long would Alyx need to hold her breath if she wanted to come with us? Cass asked, barreling forward. Ten minutes, at least. If you are fast. Cass pursed her lips. That was a long time for anyone, and if that was him underestimating based on best-case scenarios, it would probably be more like twelve or fifteen. That was unrealistic. Maybe if Alyx had magic or a skill? But if she could make it through that section she would be able to come with us, right? Cass asked. I mean, yes. But she can¡¯t. That is impossible. But she might have a skill, Cass said. Why? Why would anyone have a skill for holding their breath for over ten minutes? Salos asked. Cass shrugged. She could think of at least one fictional character with such a skill set. As for why a real person would need to hold their breath that long regularly¡­ She could be a diver? Does she look like a diver to you? Salos asked. Cass glanced at Alyx. She was still staring at Cass, concern playing openly over her face. Cass looked away again quickly. What does a diver look like, exactly? I give up! Salos said. Sure. Okay. Let¡¯s say she can get through the underwater passage. You still should not bring her with you. Why? Cass asked. Because we do not know her! Salos yelled. Do they not teach you to be wary of strangers where you come from? Stranger Danger? Cass asked. I mean, it''s something we tell small children. Then why are you so eager to trust a stranger! I mean, Stranger Danger is more about not getting into the vans of strangers offering free candy than it is not trusting women you rescued from man-eating spiders, so¡­ Cass could feel his frustration. If he had blood vessels, one would certainly have burst by now. Cass sighed. Softer, she asked, What¡¯s the real problem, Salos? This isn¡¯t not-a-real-problem. She is stronger than you, Cass. Much stronger than you. You have barely passed the First Step, level 9. She is already at level 20. Almost double your level, with all the benefits that come with it. What do you plan on doing if she decides she needs to hurt you? That she wants to hurt you? Why would she do that? Cass asked. I saved her life. And she has been watching you like a hawk ever since, Salos said. She does not trust you. Why would she? She does not know you. You are an unknown quantity. We¡¯re both hurt and alone here, Cass said. Isn¡¯t it in our best interests to work together? Would you be looking for an alliance with a child? Salos asked. I saved her life, Cass said again. She can¡¯t discount my skills entirely. And we have a plan to get out with the rewards for killing the Lord. Isn¡¯t that worth something? Salos grumbled to himself. You can¡¯t know that. There is no way to know what she might want. Ch. 53: More Traps Cass let the conversation die. It didn¡¯t matter what she wanted if she couldn¡¯t get Alyx through the underwater section anyway. She had the vague sketch of a plan but needed to think through the details a little longer before she suggested it to Salos. That was fine. She had some time still before her Focus was fully recovered. Teach me the language at least, Cass said. I can¡¯t rely on you for translating forever. It''s already annoying and I¡¯ve barely had to say anything to her yet. That would probably be best, yes, Salos said. Alyx there is speaking Jothi, the language of the Jottena Peninsula. It was probably the third most common language on the Continent. Any chance I can get a skill for the language? Cass asked. I have heard of language skills, yes. They are not popular but they exist. It might be a good idea for you given no one speaks your English. In any case, I suppose I should start with some common words¡­ Salos began listing words and their translations one at a time. Cass repeated them quietly under her breath. It was slow going, but she wasn¡¯t really expecting anything else. She didn¡¯t make much progress in the couple hours they spent sitting beside her campfire, but she had at least memorized a handful of words. Enough stalling, Salos said finally. Your Focus must be full by now, and if it is not it is close enough. Cass nodded. It was time. Time to decide what to do with Alyx. Help me ask her what she plans to do now, Cass asked Salos. You should just dictate that you intend to go deeper and that she cannot follow. No. Cass crossed her arms over her chest. They may end up going separate ways, but she wanted to at least try to make this work first. Fine. Salos instructed her on how to ask her question. Alyx thought over the question, her lips a tight line, her hand tapping at the pommel of her sword. When she spoke, Salos translated it as, ¡°I had wanted to slay the Lord of the Forest, with my team. Now though, I think the best I can hope for is to escape the Valley with my life. And you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill the Lord of the Deep,¡± Cass said with Salos¡¯s help. Alyx looked Cass up and down. She didn¡¯t say anything, but there was an incredulity in her body language that Cass didn¡¯t miss. She doesn¡¯t think I can kill the Lord. Well, of course not, Salos said. You can¡¯t. Not the real lord. Not the one she¡¯s imagining. That¡¯s fine. Just point her to the entrance to the Temple. She can find her way out of the Deep another way. What if we brought her with us, though? Cass asked. We have been over this, Cass, Salos said with a belabored sigh. She cannot make it through the underwater portion. Okay, but what if she could? But she can¡¯t. I have a plan though, Cass said. Please, humor me? There is no way an ordinary human can hold their breath for more than ten minutes, Salos said. She cannot come with us. Please, Salos? Let¡¯s just offer to let her come with us, at least up to that point. She hated that she needed to beg to say what she wanted, but she pushed through the frustration. This was her only option right now. Begging and appealing to his concerns. She won¡¯t hurt us if we have a way of getting her out of the Deep, right? And we can always leave her behind if my plan doesn¡¯t work. What can she do about it? Follow us through the section she can¡¯t follow? He thought it over another minute in silence, his concerns spinning in an amorphous ball over her chest. Finally, he said, Fine. That¡¯s not an awful option. With Salos¡¯s help, Cass said, ¡°I have a sure-fire way of killing the Lord of the Deep. I plan to use the teleportation portal beyond his chamber to get out of here after. You can come with me if you want, but I don¡¯t know if you can get all the way there.¡± Cass pointed at the door she came from, ¡°That¡¯s the way I came from if you¡¯d rather risk leaving the Deep on your own some other way.¡± Alyx frowned. She looked between the two doors. They lingered on the one leading deeper into the labyrinth, hungry and desperate. She nodded and said something in Jothi. I can¡¯t believe it, Salos said with a sigh. Greed surely outweighs good sense for this one. She¡¯s coming with us? Cass asked. Yes, seems she¡¯s willing to give your undisclosed plan a chance. ¡°Great!¡± Cass stood up, staff in hand pointing to the far doorway. ¡°We should get going!¡± She still doesn¡¯t speak English, Cass. Then tell me how to say it in Jothi and I¡¯ll repeat it. It wasn¡¯t needed though. Alyx stood with a stretch, following Cass out of the room. Immediately, Cass wished they could have rested longer. She was doing just fine. Stamina: 51/51 Focus: 221/225 Health: 34/40 But she could see Alyx was still worse for wear. Some of it, no amount of rest would fix. Her armor was in tatters, for example. Entire sections were missing, like along her right arm and most of both legs. What remained was beaten and dented. She wore two scabbards on her hip, but the longer of the two was empty. But some of it, a day or two at camp might have fixed. She walked with a slight limp. Cass could see long scabs through the bloody tears in her clothing. There was a grimace in pain that Alyx tried to hide every couple of steps. But they didn¡¯t have a couple of days to loiter in the dark Deep. They had only so much food for Alyx. There was no knowing when another monster could wander through their camp. The Storm could burst any day. So on they went. The hall beyond the spider¡¯s lair was much the same as the ones Cass had seen before, except a channel of water filled the left half of the corridor. Otherwise, it was the same dark hall, lined with uniform dark stone and poorly lit from above by the same blue-green runes. I don¡¯t suppose she can detect traps? Cass asked as she started tapping her staff around the floor. Unlikely, Salos said. She looks like a front-line fighter. They rarely put much into their Perception. Still, if you want to ask, this is how¡­ Cass did, carefully repeating him to Alyx. Alyx shook her head. A particularly sad look crossed her face, but she didn¡¯t elaborate. I suppose I should dump my last level¡¯s stats in Perception, Cass said, sighing deeply. She probably should have after the previous level up, if she was being honest. But well, better late than never. Four points went into Perception. Per 10->14 The world sharpened around her. Color registered deeper and more nuanced. She could feel the texture of the tile through her boots. She could hear a quiet trickle of the water flowing down the corridor on her left. She did not see any sign of traps. Another sigh and she resumed her tap, tap, tap down the corridor. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. They had barely gone three yards when a click and a prompting from Dodge told her it was time to leap back again. Spikes shot from the walls, meeting inches in front of Cass¡¯s face as she threw herself backward, directly into Alyx. Hitting Alyx was like hitting a wall. The woman didn¡¯t even stagger. Cass just bounced right off, tumbling to the floor in a graceless pile. ¡°Oof,¡± Cass grunted. She looked up at Alyx sheepishly. She used one of the few words she remembered in Jothi to say, ¡°Sorry.¡± Alyx shook her head and offered a hand down to Cass. Cass took it. As she pulled Cass back to her feet, she said something, of which Cass only caught the one word ¡®sorry¡¯ in return. She is apologizing for being too close to you. Salos said. She will stand a little further back going forward. Cass nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Alyx returned the gesture and took a couple of steps back, patiently waiting for Cass to continue finding the way for them. Cass turned her attention back to the sea of tiles before her. How high does my Perception need to be to spot the traps? Cass asked. Unless things have changed more than I expect, you should be in the right range. Then why do I keep finding them with my face? Cass asked. She was whining. She knew she was whining. But also, she was tired of finding spikes in the vicinity of her face. She was allowed to whine a little. Oh, come now, you haven¡¯t walked head-first into one in a while now. Cass glowered. Just because you are physically capable does not mean you know what to look for, Salos said more seriously. What should I be looking for then? Cass asked. That is an excellent question, Salos said. Cass waited a moment expectantly. When he didn¡¯t say anything even after she¡¯d tapped the next four tiles, Cass prompted him, And the answer is? Complicated. Okay? Any more concrete hints? Cass asked. Salos hummed in thought. There was a building worry there both in the sound and in his pendant. Something quickly rising toward panic. Salos? Cass asked again. She stopped where she was. Something was happening. Something was happening to Salos and she needed to know what. ¡°Cass?¡± Alyx said from behind her. The poor woman was probably even more confused. Cass had just stopped mid-corridor for no apparent reason. Cass didn¡¯t have the bandwidth to spare her another thought though. Salos, what¡¯s going on? Are you okay? I¡ª I¡ª Yeah. I¡¯m fine, he said. The panic had not subsided. Are you sure? Cass asked. No. The word was short and clipped. But I will be. Probably. Cass waited another minute, waiting for him to explain or calm down, or both. Preferably both. Another minute passed. Neither happened. Should she ignore it? He clearly didn¡¯t want to talk about it, whatever it was. But, she didn¡¯t like the idea of just leaving it unresolved. But, was it even something she could help with? Another minute. Cass could hear Alyx shifting her weight behind her and a quiet scraping of her drawing the first inch of her sword. Come on, Salos, Cass said. I thought you were some expert on sneaky things, being an assassin specializing in Dexterity and Perception or something? Isn¡¯t that what you love to tell me? I would have thought traps would have been your thing? Salos laughed nervously. Ah, yes. You would be right. However¡­ However? Cass asked. What was so bad, pulling teeth like this was better for him? I¡ªum¡ªdon¡¯t seem to have the skill anymore? His words hung between them, filled to bursting with a cold fear that belonged entirely to Salos but which cut at Cass all the same. What? she asked. She didn¡¯t know one could lose skills. From the sound of it, neither did Salos. I know I used to have it. Before all this. In fact, I am about certain I had a large number of very high-level skills. But, I don¡¯t seem to anymore? Cass frowned. That sounds bad. I am doing my very best not to panic, he confirmed, the panic rising in his tone. When did you notice? When the first trap went off in your face and I didn¡¯t notice. He must have felt her unspoken incredulity because he added, it is not like I checked when I first became a demon. That¡¯d be like waking up one morning and checking if you have all your toes. Obviously, you do, why would you check? Sorry, Cass said. He was probably right. Skills were new to her, so she wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d handle their loss. But Salos had lived with them his whole life. He didn¡¯t know what it was like to not have them. Gently, she asked, Is this related to the whole demon thing? Probably, he said. It could be an issue of my level being reset. Or, it could be due to my soul being torn to pieces. He was a rolling ball of fear. She could feel him pulling it tighter. Away from her. Into a corner where even he wouldn¡¯t have to look at it. I¡¯ll survive, somehow. He didn¡¯t sound wholly convinced, but Cass didn¡¯t push it. She wished she had some advice for him. Something that would make this easier. She didn¡¯t. Anyway, he said. All this to say, I have no idea what you should be looking for. Something weird? Or maybe something normal? That sounds right. I don¡¯t know. Cass frowned again. That wasn¡¯t helpful advice. She was already looking for something weird. She was scanning the corridor with Mana Sense and Atmospheric Sense as well as physically tapping the tiles ahead of her. If something irregular was ahead she wanted to think she would find it. As for looking for something normal? She didn¡¯t know where to start with that. By definition that made it not worth looking at, didn¡¯t it? She turned the issue over in her mind as she plodded on. How would she hide a magic tile in a sea of anti-magic projecting tiles? And not just the trigger but also the trap mechanism itself? Magic, was the obvious answer, but that just begged the question: How do you hide the magic hiding the magic? Maybe it was her understanding of magic that was the problem. She¡¯d come to think of all the stuff not present on Earth as Magic. The System, Stats, Skills, monsters, all of it. But was that accurate? Salos had said there were multiple ways of using magic and had compared it to pottery. His pottery example had even included a method that sounded like magic to her, yet he¡¯d talked about it like it was pure craftsmanship. She looked over her list of skills. Some were magic no matter how she looked at it: Wind Step, Elemental Manipulation, Wind Blade, Soul Guard, Mana Sense, all definitely magic. But some seemed more mundane: Dodge, Stealth, Sprint, Staff Mastery. The effect was otherworldly, magical even. Impossible according to her Earth understanding of the world. But they didn¡¯t consume Focus or manipulate mana or anything as far as she could tell. She paused, looking at Stealth again. Stealth (lvl 8) (Wind) [Slink through the shadows through places you should not be or do not wish to be found. Unseen as the wind. As quiet as a breath. Passively reduces one¡¯s presence to others to a small degree. Active use greatly reduces one¡¯s presence to others and advises on how best to move one¡¯s body to mitigate detection. Association with the Concept of Wind increases the effect of these bonuses while user is in motion. Modified by Dex.] Right, presence. She¡¯d touched on it a little during that last fight. Somehow it affected how easily people noticed her. Hey, Salos, do objects have presence? Cass asked. Objects? Yes. Everything has presence. It''s an attribute of everything that exists. If it didn¡¯t have presence it wouldn¡¯t be able to interact with the world. Are there skills that can reduce the presence of other objects? Yes, Sleight of Hand, for example, Salos said, then paused. Which I am also missing? He fell silent. Cass waited a minute for him to continue but he didn¡¯t. She could feel his attention was elsewhere. That was fine, that answered her question enough for now. She didn¡¯t need to know how to reduce an object¡¯s presence just that it was possible. The real question was how to spot it. Salos said earlier that higher perception and the knowledge something was there could help cut through the effects of reduced presence. But help how? She knew there were traps. She had increased perception. She didn¡¯t see anything. It had to be more complicated than that though. Traps would never work if it was that simple. So there had to be a trick to this. She scanned the tiles ahead of her. They all looked perfectly normal. Completely regular. Absolutely ordinary. She shook her head. No. Evaluate each one independently. She was tapping each tile anyway, she could spend an extra second to really look at it first. Don¡¯t fall into autopilot. Focus. She could feel her Focus draining slowly as she continued down the hall, as she threw all her attention on the next tile in the line. So many ordinary tiles. One after another after another after another after another after another after another after another after another¡­ She shook herself, catching herself succumbing to the mind-numbing task. She was halfway to pressing on the next tile with her staff. That was fine, a corner of her mind whispered, this one is ordinary, push it and move on. Refocus on the next. Keep moving. You can¡¯t expect to check absolutely every tile. That would be ridiculous. She frowned. There was a certain sense to that, but also, what? Where had that thought come from? It was her internal voice, but also, it wasn¡¯t. It almost felt like Salos whispering at the edge of her mind. But, she could simultaneously feel him still reeling from his missing skill crisis. She flicked Soul Guard on for a moment and immediately the whispering stopped. She frowned, looking closer at the tile in question. It seemed entirely ordinary. No different from the tile to either side of it. She blinked. Wait. Was she skipping over the tile and comparing its neighbors to each other instead? Hell! She was. Focus! She needed to focus. Really look at the tile. Something was wrong with it. She could feel it. Like a rubber band snapping, reality snapped into focus in front of her. She blinked, staring at the tile in question. She laughed and let Soul Guard fall. What¡¯s going on? Salos asked. Alyx was asking her something too. Cass just grinned and took a large step back, tapping the tile with her staff. Tapping the magically glowing tile. The tile with the now very obvious text inscribed on its surface. There was a click and a burst of flames exploded from the walls. Skill Earned: Trap Detection (lvl 1) [Through trial and error you have discovered the trick to spotting traps. No longer will you need to find them through error alone. Passively increase your detection of presence. Actively highlight areas with significant presence irregularities. Actively highlight areas ideal for setting traps.] I figured out how to detect traps. Ch. 54: Breathing Things went easier from there. Trap detection didn¡¯t automatically flag traps, but while she was using it, she could feel it tugging at her attention when there was a trap nearby. She successfully activated four additional traps before stepping near them with its help and even gained another level in the skill. They passed through two more rooms on their way, one was empty, the other containing two much smaller and weaker spiders. Alyx disposed of both before Cass had even had a chance to attack, which was just fine in Cass¡¯s book. At Salos¡¯s instructions, they followed the flow of the channels upstream, until they reached a room with a wide fountain against one wall. From it, four channels ran out to each of the four doors that lined the walls of the room, including the one they stood in. There might have once been a statue adorning the top of the fountain, but now only rubble stood in the center of four jets of water. Hmm, Salos hummed to himself. This is it. This is the right place? Cass asked. I was expecting a statue there, he said. But this is almost certainly the right place. Unless something significant changed, there is only one fountain nexus. Seems like a bad maze design to have a bunch of lines leading to the goal, Cass observed. Only if it is obvious this is the goal. And for most, this is just another room. Though it is physically close to the Lord¡¯s room, you would need to go through the Gauntlet still to get there. Normally, that is. And the entrance to the Gauntlet is always quite far from here. Alright, so where now? Cass asked. Into the fountain, he said. There should be a passage underwater along the back there. Right, Cass approached the fountain with trepidation. The water was clear at least. It looked clean. No guts or monsters lurking in their depths. I guess we should explain to Alyx, Cass said. You couldn¡¯t call it stalling if it was an important step. I think you need to explain to me too, Salos said. Right. Elemental Manipulation. You can¡¯t summon enough air for her to breathe and then move it with her for the entire trip. You can¡¯t possibly have enough Focus for that. Correct, Cass said, that isn¡¯t the plan. If he had eyes to roll, they¡¯d be rolling. She suppressed a chuckle and explained. That was actually my first idea, but I ran the numbers the same as you and realized there was no way I have the control or power to do that, especially not for the amount of time we need. My next thought was to summon new balls of air for her as she needed them. But that was still a little too expensive. A little? He asked. I realized the problem was I didn¡¯t have the Focus to do it all at once, she barreled on, but any individual air pocket would be easily doable, the issue became how to pin the bubbles where we need them for any length of time. You don¡¯t have a skill for that, he observed. Don¡¯t I? Cass was grinning now. I have Elemental Manipulation. I still don¡¯t see. I just need to carve pockets out of the ceiling and then trap my summoned air in them. Trap air in the pockets? Salos asked. Basic physics, Cass said. Air floats up in liquid but it can¡¯t float through stone. This is a classic video game tactic actually. Can¡¯t tell you how many cave systems I¡¯ve explored with this. It can¡¯t be that simple, he said. We¡¯ll have to see, Cass agreed. Now help me explain that she needs to stay here while I prepare the path. It took a few minutes for Cass to explain what she needed to do to Alyx, who looked even more perplexed than Salos sounded, though that may have had more to do with Cass¡¯s halting Jothi than the complexity of the plan. In the end, the instructions boiled down to ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll be back in a little bit.¡± Alyx nodded and sat herself down on the fountain¡¯s edge, her sword in her lap. She said something in Jothi, her expression grave. Salos? Cass poked him for the translation as she walked up to the fountain¡¯s edge herself. Just a pointless warning that you should hurry back and not leave her waiting too long. Cass looked down. Oh. Was Alyx worried Cass was about to run off without her? Salos¡¯s words about trusting strangers floated back to her. Did Alyx believe such things too? Was that how she looked at Cass? An untrustworthy child looking for an angle to exploit her? Cass could do better than that. ¡°Wait!¡± Cass took a step away from the water. What? Salos asked. Alyx similarly made a confused sound. ¡°I¡¯ve got something in my pockets that shouldn¡¯t get wet.¡± You are going to have to come back for anything you leave behind, Salos said. There is no way to avoid getting whatever it is wet. ¡°Nope. This is staying here,¡± Cass said as she Elemental Manipulated a ring of stones from the ground beside the fountain. She pulled all the Flintshrooms from her pocket and dropped them in the ring. ¡°Those will be useless to me wet. Might as well burn them now.¡± She lit them on fire before Salos or Alyx had a chance to protest. They ignited with a puff of smoke and the bubble of warm safety descended over the room. Why? Salos asked with a sigh. They would have dried out again eventually. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Alyx is still injured, Cass said. She¡¯ll heal faster in a camp, especially mine. Besides, you said the Lord is just on the other side of this waterway, right? Yes, but¡ª So, after the Lord, we¡¯ll be leaving the Deep and we¡¯ll have plenty of wood to make into campfires again. But what if something unexpected happens? Salos demanded. There is no way those mushrooms would dry before I leave the Deep. I can¡¯t use them again anytime soon. Using them for her to recover faster is how I get the most value out of them. She could feel he was unconvinced. Besides, now I have a camp to come back and recover my Focus in between air bubbles. I know for a fact those mushrooms will burn for hours. Fine, I see your point. I still wish you¡¯d told me about all this first. Why? So you could try to stop me anyway? Cass asked. He didn¡¯t confirm or deny that, instead, he said, Just get moving, would you? Alyx said something else as Cass walked up to the fountain again. Cass only caught the words ¡®thank you¡¯ among them and Salos apparently didn¡¯t feel like translating the rest. Cass smiled and waved back to her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Now all that was left was to do it. Cass stood at the edge of the fountain, looking into it, her smile evaporating. You¡¯re sure there won¡¯t be any monsters down there? Yes. No fish. No eels. No octopuses. Maybe there might be some small spiders. Nothing much bigger than you will fit. That somehow failed to be reassuring. But Alyx was watching and Cass had already cheerily said goodbye. She would look silly if she just stood here dreading the water. Reluctantly, she stepped into the fountain. The water was cold. It immediately soaked through her socks, the fabric unpleasantly sticking to her feet. She splashed toward the wall. It got much deeper as she got closer to the back. A few more steps and her head would be under. She closed her eyes as the water came up to her chin. She could do this. And you are sure that breathing is entirely optional? Cass asked again. I have heard it is unpleasant for Slyphids, but yes, you can survive just fine without air. That did not make her feel even the slightest bit better. You know it''s very required for humans, right? Cass asked. Yes. We suffocate without air. That¡¯s an entire word that just means to die with no air. Her heart pounded in her chest. It was all she could hear. Yes, they do, Jothi has a word for that as well. We¡¯ve got another word for specifically suffocating on water. Drowning. You know, I never really thought about how specific that word was before. That¡¯s like having a specific word for death by burning or falling from a great height. Cass¡¯s hands clenched around her staff like it could somehow protect her from the water. From her biology. You¡¯re babbling, Salos said. And stalling. I¡¯m terrified of drowning, Cass admitted. Well, you don¡¯t need to be anymore. There was an impatience to his words. He didn¡¯t get it. You physically can¡¯t drown. Cass shook her head. But what if you¡¯re wrong? I swear, Cass, stick your head underwater. Hold your breath if it helps. Just get going. He was probably right. She was probably not going to drown. He didn¡¯t want her to drown. Her dying uselessly at the bottom of a fountain was the opposite of useful to him. He could still be wrong though. He wasn¡¯t a Slyphid. They didn¡¯t know that her body was normal. It could be weird. It had been a human¡¯s before after all. It had lungs that inflated and a heart that thrummed in her chest. Maybe normal Slyphids didn¡¯t need to breathe. Maybe Cass wasn¡¯t a normal Slyphid. Maybe her lungs still needed air. Maybe her blood still carried it through her body. Maybe she could still drown. Oh, God, she hated this. She hated this so much. Was this worse than jumping into a fight with a vastly more powerful foe? No. Was this worse than running for her life from an army of venomous centipedes? No. Was this worse than being jumped by a demonic cat creature and nearly having her throat torn out? No. No, no, no. It wasn¡¯t. Objectively, this was one of the tamer things she¡¯d done since arriving in this stupid world. And yet, it filled her with a rising terror no less than any of the things before. ¡°One step at a time, Cass,¡± she muttered to herself. There was nothing scary about putting her head underwater. She took a deep breath and dunked her head under. The cold enveloped her. It sunk deep into her bones. The world was gone. She couldn¡¯t see. There was only cold. Her pounding heart thrummed in her chest, the only thing moving in the world. She opened her eyes. The cold stung. The dark surrounded her. She couldn¡¯t see. No. That wasn¡¯t strictly true. She blinked, focusing on what her eyes were telling her. Doing everything she could to ignore the screaming fear in her chest. Ahead, the submerged channel continued straight onward, lit by the same ghastly green light as the corridors before. The light was ethereal and shifting in the water. But she couldn¡¯t see. That was the only way she could explain the feeling. She couldn¡¯t breathe. She couldn¡¯t see. She couldn¡¯t do this. She surfaced, gasping wildly. Her lungs ate up the air. It was clear. It was earthy. It was sweet. Sweeter than candy. Sweeter than life. ¡°Hell!¡± Cass screamed. ¡°You said I didn¡¯t need to breathe!¡± You don¡¯t. ¡°Well, what was that!¡± She was still panting. Still greedily trying to inhale all the air in the room. How should I know? You just started panicking! It scared me just as much. Alyx said something behind her. Cass jumped. She hadn¡¯t forgotten Alyx was still here exactly. But she hadn¡¯t been thinking of the other woman when she¡¯d started screaming. She took another deep breath, centering herself, and shot a smile and a wave over her shoulder at Alyx. Alyx did not look reassured. Cass gave her a pair of thumbs up and a wider grin. She was okay. Everything was going according to plan. Everything was okay. Alyx¡¯s concerned frown only deepened. Cass looked away before the concern turned into more questions. Everything really was okay. Her heart had slowed to an ordinary beat. Her breathing had stabilized. She could see again. She closed her eyes and thought about that feeling. What exactly did she mean by ¡®see¡¯? Even with her eyes closed she didn¡¯t feel that panic she¡¯d felt beneath the water. But then, even with her eyes closed, she could feel the room around her. The air was still, but she could feel the way it rippled up above the fire and tumbled down again as it cooled. She could feel where Alyx stood beside it, how the air, barely moving yet never truly still, shifted around her. Could feel the displacement of air as Alyx shifted her weight as she watched Cass from behind. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 8. Cass¡¯s eyes flickered open. That was all Atmospheric Sense. Was that what she¡¯d been missing underwater? She bit her lip. She didn¡¯t want to go back down there. She didn¡¯t want to test this. She didn¡¯t like the answer she suspected. But she needed to. She needed to know. She took another deep breath and dove again. Immediately, the blindness enveloped her. It was a blindness. A deafness. It was neither and both. She held her breath and reached out to Atmospheric Sense. The skill reported nothing. There was no atmosphere here to sense. There was nothing wrong. There was nothing of note. There was nothing. That¡¯s all it was. She just hadn¡¯t noticed how much she used Atmospheric Sense so hadn¡¯t been prepared to lose it. Listening to it was just that natural now, apparently. Just another subconscious process. The same way she didn¡¯t think about seeing or hearing. Perfectly natural for a Slyphid. She shoved that thought aside. She had things to do. She paddled forward through the water, ignoring the discomfort that still pinged against the inside of her skull as ¡®not being able to see¡¯. She held her breath, but there was no pressure there to exhale or to draw another. That was a whole nother bag of discomfort she was doing her best to ignore. Instead, she paddled down the tunnel behind the fountain. After about a minute''s worth of inefficient doggy paddling, she stopped and put a hand on the ceiling. She activated Elemental Manipulation and willed a section of the ceiling to separate. Once she¡¯d made a pocket she could fit her head into, Cass started summoning air. It filled the cavity, pressing the water out and down. It took several casts before it was sufficiently filled. One down, eleven or so remaining! Ch. 55: Skirmish Creating the air pockets was far easier than Cass had expected, but far less interesting than she¡¯d hoped. It was also just far more time-consuming. She had made four of the ten to fifteen that Salos had estimated Alyx would need before she started running low on Focus. It was time to head back to Alyx to rest and recover for a bit. Cass pulled herself out of the fountain to the sound of conflict. Spiders screeched their unnatural arachnid screams. They filled the room, twelve or so of the things, each the size of a large dog. All far smaller than the one Cass had fought earlier but still far, far larger than spiders had any right to be. Alyx stood with her back to the fountain a couple of yards to Cass¡¯s right, her short sword beating down on a spider as she roared her own battle cry. She bisected the spider, then slashed again taking out two more. Spider number four leapt at her exposed side. Alyx shouted something and a gold aura erupted from her body, knocking the spiders back and disorienting several more. Grotto Spider (lvl 11) Grotto Spider (lvl 12) Grotto Spider (lvl 11) Grotto Spider (lvl 11) Grotto Spider (lvl 12) Grotto Spider (lvl 12) Grotto Spider (lvl 13) Grotto Spider (lvl 11) Grotto Spider (lvl 14) Cass hesitated at the fountain¡¯s edge. They were all weaker than the spider she¡¯d killed earlier, but most were her level or higher. She also was running low on the Focus she needed to use her preferred ranged attacks. That had been the entire reason she¡¯d come back after all. If she was going to help it would be at melee with Staff Mastery and not a lot else. Alyx stabbed through Spider Number Five, one of the ones her aura-light-pulse thing had knocked back. It squealed and contracted on itself. Spider Six leapt from her right, fangs bared. Alyx yanked at her blade, but it stuck. She cursed, released the sword¡¯s hilt, and pivoted, punching the leaping spider in the eyes and knocking it into the far wall with a splat. Cass had to make a decision. She had two options. She could slip away, disappear deeper into the labyrinth and leave Alyx behind to deal with the spiders alone. Alyx didn¡¯t know she was back. She¡¯d never know that Cass had intentionally abandoned her. And Cass would be safe. Or, Cass could race out now and come to Alyx¡¯s aid. They could fight the spiders together. They could live or die together. It was foolish. The spiders were too strong for her. She didn¡¯t owe Alyx anything. You should leave, Salos whispered. Am I outmatched here? A disappointment rolled in her stomach. Why? She didn¡¯t want to fight. She wanted an excuse to run. It is close. Very close. Alone, I would say you definitely need to run. With Alyx here? I still would not risk it. Not when there is a safer route behind you. Spiders Seven and Eight skittered up behind Alyx. Spider Four (the one Alyx had knocked back with her gold aura attack) approached again from her front. Spiders Nine through Twelve hung back, forming an inescapable ring. Alyx¡¯s sword was still stuck in spider number Five¡¯s corpse. She was surrounded and outnumbered. Cass¡¯s hands clenched around her staff. There wasn¡¯t time for this. She hadn¡¯t rescued Alyx to back down now. Cass burst from the fountain, racing toward the nearest spider, Number Seven. Her staff landed heavily on its thorax. It crunched under her strike, fractures running across its carapace. To her horror, it turned to face her instead of crumpling to the floor. Four and Six continued toward Alyx, skittering over the stone without slowing in the slightest. Alyx sidestepped. Four flew past. In the same movement, she kicked Six sending it skidding back and into another spider. Cass didn¡¯t have time to watch anymore. The spider she¡¯d attacked was focused on her now. It was the level 13, two levels higher than her own. It lunged, jaws quivering in anticipation. Cass knocked it aside with her staff and her skill¡¯s help. A sharp leg scraped at her as it passed. She activated Wind Blade again, feeling her Focus straining and her vision spinning. There was barely enough Focus for using this skill even in melee. Gritting her teeth she swung down, slicing a spindly leg off her attacker. It shrieked but charged her again. Cass swung again and again. Her vision spun. Wind Blade begged to be released. She had to hold it. She wouldn¡¯t have the Focus to resummon it if she let it go now. Spider Eight had joined in on attacking her. Dodge and Staff Mastery had her weaving between them, slashing at exposed sides and legs where she could. Her head pounded. She heard more squealing as another spider was cleaved in half behind her. Alyx must have reclaimed her sword then. Cass¡¯s Wind Bladed glaive tore off another leg. A jaw. Cut deep in a thorax. A leg skewered Cass¡¯s, Dodge unable to get Cass¡¯s tiring body out of the way of Spider Number Nine¡¯s surprise assault. An arachnid jaw clamped down on her shin, as one of the other two took advantage of Cass¡¯s surprise. Cass slammed the butt of her staff down on the offending monster¡¯s head. It squelched, unable to dodge while also biting her. It hurt. Her veins burned as the spider¡¯s venom coursed through her. Burned and numbed. She teetered on her feet as she spun, swinging through the exposed side of another spider, she¡¯d lost track of which one. Its body crunched under the blunt end of her staff. She must have lost concentration on the blade when she¡¯d been hurt. She swung again, and again, Staff Mastery singing in her ears. This was how you fight, it whispered. This is how you hold the staff. How you strike down. How you thrust, creating distance. How you cut across. How you punish mistakes. How you move to make the most of your body. How you leave a trail of carnage in your wake. Cass did as she was told. If she¡¯d had the Focus to think, she might have resisted the control of the skill. She might have wondered at the ease at which it turned her into a weapon of destruction. Instead, it was all she could do to push through the numbing venom still working its way up her leg. Poison Resistance has increased to level 2 Staff Mastery has increased to level 8 At some point, the instructions of Staff Mastery faded into silence. Cass stood in the dark room, breathing heavily, her Stamina as low as her Focus. She teetered on her feet, barely upright. Blearily, she looked around the room for the next spider. The next opponent. There was none. Just Alyx and countless corpses. Cass exhaled in relief, feeling all strength drain from her legs. They¡¯d survived. She slumped to the ground, ignoring the spider guts around her. Alyx trudged over to Cass¡¯s side. She said something. She comments you are back, Salos supplied. Cass nodded, too tired to say anything else. She closed her eyes, willing her breathing to steady. Willing the venom in her leg to stop its advance. Alyx said something. She asks if you were bit. Cass nodded again. The woman cursed but held a hand out to Cass. She¡¯s asking if you¡¯ll be alright. Cass nodded again, taking Alyx¡¯s hand and hauling herself back up. She leaned heavily on her staff as the two of them staggered to the fountain¡¯s edge and the still-burning fire. Cass sat on the lip, sighing in relief as she took the weight off of her injured leg. Alyx bent down in front of her, inspecting Cass¡¯s leg, frowning and muttering the whole time. What¡¯s she saying? Cass asked Salos. Mostly just insulting your carelessness, he said. Saying she doesn¡¯t have anything left to help with this. Something about if only she still had her supplies. He snorted. It is easy to bemoan the lack of supplies, but I guarantee she would not be offering them to you if she had them. Stolen story; please report. Why? Cass asked. Would you waste valuable medicine on a stranger? Only a fool would. He paused and sighed. Actually, you have already done that, haven¡¯t you, fool that you are? Cass bit her lip. He might have a point. It would be more logical to save it for an emergency than to use it on someone she didn¡¯t know. The smart thing to do would be to hold onto it. Alyx shook her head and leaned against the fountain beside Cass. She said something. Salos translated it as: You¡¯re going to have to ride out the poison. Nothing I can do about it now. Cass nodded. That was what she¡¯d expected. And we lose even more time now, Salos grumbled. Cass opened her stats. There was a new status effect listed beneath her range boost: - Grotto Spider Paralytic Poison: Reduced Stamina Recovery. Reduced Health Recovery. Reduced Healing. It doesn¡¯t affect my Focus, Cass said. It shouldn¡¯t stop me from making the next air pocket when that¡¯s recovered some. I bet this will be cleared up by the time I¡¯m done with the path. We won¡¯t lose anything. It¡¯ll be fine. She could feel Salos preparing to argue further when Alyx spoke. What¡¯d she say? Cass asked. That you should rest and she¡¯ll keep watch. Cass nodded and slid off the fountain ledge to the floor, leaning up against the cold stone and closing her eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± Cass said in Alyx¡¯s language. She says to be quiet and rest, Salos translated her curt reply. Easier said than done, but Cass shifted and settled into the floor. She wasn¡¯t comfortable. She wasn¡¯t warm. She wasn¡¯t even dry. Where was the silver lining? Are we going to be attacked by anything else? Cass asked. Unlikely. Patrols are uncommon in the labyrinth. But they do happen, Cass pointed out. Just rest. Cass shifted again. Her new position wasn¡¯t any more comfortable than the last. She cracked an eye open and looked up at Alyx. The other woman studiously watched the entrances to the room, her eyes flicking between the dark halls with steady regularity. You think she¡¯s going to keep keeping watch? Cass asked. Why won¡¯t you rest? Salos sighed. I am resting, Cass said, snapping her eye shut and shifting again. See. Look at me. Eyes closed. Not moving. Breathing regularly. Trying not to think about all my near-death experiences today. Salos would have rolled his eyes had he had eyes to roll. Yes, I imagine she will continue keeping watch. I imagine that¡¯s what she¡¯s been doing this entire time you¡¯ve been making your air pockets. I suppose that makes sense. But, that meant Alyx had been vigilant like that without a real break for hours now. Would continue to do so for hours more. Doesn¡¯t she need to rest too? When exactly would she do that? Salos asked. She¡¯s alone when you¡¯re working on the tunnel and you¡¯re exhausted when you are back. What would she do if I wasn¡¯t here? Cass asked. Just not sleep? She needs to rest at some point. People don¡¯t travel to places like this on their own. She had a team before the spiders ate them all. People traveling on their own don¡¯t last long for good reason. You want me on my own though. You aren¡¯t alone, are you? Salos said smugly. Do you count? Cass asked. Don¡¯t I count? He scoffed. Don¡¯t I count? How many times have you been ambushed since we¡¯ve been together? I¡¯ve been sleeping in a Safe Zone, Cass pointed out. He bristled, his necklace suddenly chaffing around her neck uncomfortably, though she was certain it had not moved. I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯ve been keeping watch for you while you rested since we left the Safe Zone. Oh. How? How? He muttered. I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Look, just because you¡¯re unconscious doesn¡¯t mean I am too. I have a few skills I can still use even in this state. Really? Cass asked. She¡¯d just assumed he was a passive passenger in her head. A chatty passenger. My passive perception skills are still active. So sleep. Nothing is sneaking up on us. Then, couldn¡¯t Alyx rest too while you keep watch? She could feel him glowering from the necklace. What? You are doing it anyway, right? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us for her to be well-rested for the fight with the Lord? Or if she needs to protect us from any more spiders? Sure, I suppose, he said. Cass could hear the reluctance in his voice. Why not? She¡¯s a much higher level than you, he said finally. And? She could murder you without breaking a sweat, he said. Why would she? Cass asked. Any number of reasons! Experience. Disagreement on loot distribution. Personal grudges. No reason at all? Would someone really murder for that? Yes! he shouted, the exasperation in his voice overflowing. And you think her being tired and cranky will make her less likely to murder me? Not how I would describe it. Rather if she can¡¯t rest properly she won¡¯t have the energy to use her more dangerous skills against you when you aren¡¯t ready. Salos, Cass sighed. That¡¯s nonsense. You¡¯re being paranoid. Help me tell her that she doesn¡¯t need to keep watch. No. Salos! No, he repeated. It doesn¡¯t cost us anything and she¡¯s protecting us. Why shouldn¡¯t we make sure our protector is in good shape? We don¡¯t need her and she isn¡¯t your protector, much less ¡®our¡¯ protector. You think I could have killed all those spiders just now? Cass scoffed. We need her. We would have been long gone if you did not insist on taking her with us. You could have just left her behind here. You do not need her. It would have been something else, if not this. You do not need her, he repeated. Why are you so against her? Because she is soaking up all your experience! He shouted. Cass frowned. What? Quieter, he grumbled. You are still under-leveled. You¡¯ll never survive the way you are. You¡¯re too soft. Someone is going to sweep you up and kill you. Which means I¡¯ll die too, or something equally unpleasant. Isn¡¯t that all the more reason to stick to someone strong? Cass asked. Only if you can trust them completely. Really, truly trust them. People like that don¡¯t exist. Everyone is out for themselves. Even I¡¯m just here for me. Don¡¯t get confused. The only person whose strength you can depend on is your own. Never put yourself in someone else¡¯s power. Cass¡¯s frown only deepened. Is that really how this world works? Did your world not work on the same principles? The powerful didn¡¯t just amass more and more for themselves? Didn¡¯t walk comfortably on the corpses of the weak? The ruthless and cruel didn¡¯t grab all that they could, never mind the consequences? There was some similarity, she supposed. But, there are good people too, Salos. People that will go out of their way to help others. People who want to see the world improved. Who want to see the world better. And they are dreamers or fools, he said. And I won¡¯t let you kill us because you are one. Salos! Help me translate. No, he said again. Why are you being obstinate? Why are you? he shot back. You keeping watch for us isn¡¯t going to get me killed. Please, just drop it, he whispered. No. She was tired of arguing. She was sick of being told what she could and could not say. This was her decision, not his. There was a sharp spark in her chest as she spoke. It empowered the command, made it louder and more forceful than her previous thoughts to Salos had been. Tell me how, Salos. He squirmed in the necklace. Shifted and writhed, before finally¡ªhis voice strained¡ªsaid, this is how you would tell her that you have access to a skill to keep watch while you sleep. Cass repeated after him, though her concern had shifted from Alyx to Salos. She didn¡¯t even stop to check if Alyx had understood her before focusing back on her demon. What was that? Cass asked. That, he spat, his necklace cold and heavy on her neck, was a Command. You just Commanded me to do what you wanted. Like the slave I am. What? Cass asked, her blood cold. I suppose you didn¡¯t know? He sneered. I told you originally, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m your vicious little guard dog. You say heel, I don¡¯t have a choice? Why did that trigger now? Cass asked. I didn¡¯t do anything. You ordered me to do something. I assume you refused to take no for an answer. His words dripped with venom as he spoke, each one more bitter and biting than the one before. I suppose I should be grateful that you didn¡¯t do it on purpose? That you don¡¯t intend on using it again? That you would rather we be friends? Yes! Cass yelled back. I didn¡¯t mean to! She hadn¡¯t known that was possible. Not really. And that makes it better? He snorted. Do you expect me to find comfort in that? That you might accidentally override my will as it pleases you? That you might accidentally compel me to act against my wishes? Cass bit her lip. She wanted to say she would never. That she knew it was possible now. That she¡¯d be careful. She didn¡¯t want this power. Not over him. Not over anyone. Just go to sleep. You and your new friend will need all the rest you can get, I¡¯m sure. His words burned. There had to be something else she could say. Something which would make this better. She hadn¡¯t¡ª She didn¡¯t¡ª She was¡ª I¡¯m sorry. Her words floated across their bond soft and weak. If he heard her, he didn¡¯t acknowledge it. She curled her knees up to her chest. Her wet clothes stuck to her, cold and clammy. A puddle was forming beneath her, the water dripping off her onto the stone floor an insistent and regular plop in the otherwise silent room. She¡¯d only wanted to make things easier for Alyx. She¡¯d only wanted things to be better. Alyx dropped down beside Cass, leaning up against the fountain on her right. Cass shifted again, more alone now than ever. Ch. 56: The Spawning Pools Cass waited only as long as it took to recover her Focus to get back to making air pockets. As soon as it was full again she stood. But pain laced up her leg as she put her weight on it. She staggered but caught herself with her staff and the lip of the fountain. Alyx said something, concern heavy on her voice. Cass waved it away, an even smile plastered over her lips. She was fine. She pointed at the fountain. Alyx nodded and sat up a little straighter, her eyes scanning the dark corridors feeding into their room. Cass took another step toward the underwater passage. Her leg screamed in pain. She grit her teeth. If she just put most of her weight on the staff instead, she¡¯d be fine. She¡¯d said she could do this. She said this injury wasn¡¯t going to slow them down. She would finish as many air pockets as possible before the poison wore off. She stepped into the fountain, the cold water an unexpected balm against the scabbing injuries. But it did nothing for the jolt of pain as her foot connected with the stone floor. She trudged forward, water splashing with every pained step. It had to fade eventually. She dove beneath the surface and entered the passage. Her poor swimming was not made better by the leg injury or the venom coursing through her blood. At least the buoyancy of the water reduced the weight on the leg. She pushed herself onward. Further and further into the dark water, past the most recent air pocket, and further still. In deafening silence, she dug out the next pocket with Elemental Manipulation. And then the next. And the next. Slow and painful. Silent and painful. Cass spent her Focus, then dragged herself back to the fire beside the fountain. Alyx said something in Jothi, but Cass didn¡¯t catch any of it. Was she asking about progress? About her condition? About the weather? Cass had no idea. The best she could do was smile and shake her head and hope Alyx would understand. Cass plopped herself down beside the fire. Her head hurt. Her leg hurt. Her chest hurt. Poison Resistance has increased to level 3. She inhaled in relief as the skill numbed the pain. Not completely. Not even remotely. But it took the worst edge off. It was only a stabbing pain now rather than a burning one. It was a long wait, waiting for her Focus to recover again. She didn¡¯t sleep. She couldn¡¯t. Her thoughts spun around her ceaselessly instead. A thousand words that might make things better, but not a single one that would. The second her Focus recovered, she was up again. She threw herself into the next set of air pockets. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 8. Somewhere between the ninth and tenth, the venom wore off leaving her with only the ache of the remaining wounds and the weight of Salos¡¯s ire on her heart. She finished the eleventh air pocket and returned for another break, her Focus depleted again. She sat beside the fire, wishing the warmth would fill her. All too soon, her Focus had recovered again. Still wet, she walked back to the passage. Her leg supported the weight already. That was magic healing for you though. Anything would recover in no time, it seemed. Health: 16/40 All it cost was her health. Two more air pockets were needed, for a total of thirteen, before Cass found the end of the passage. Above, there was an open space. Cass crouched, to push off the floor of the passage. Stop. Cass froze. It was the first thing he¡¯d said to her in hours. If you insist on taking that woman with you, regroup with her before continuing into the unknown. His words were flat. Completely empty of the anger he¡¯d held earlier. But also of the warmth Cass had come to expect. Cass turned and pushed off the wall instead, paddling back to Alyx and their campfire. Are you¡ª Don¡¯t, Salos interrupted her. Don¡¯t talk to me. Cass pursed her lips and focused on swimming back. She emerged from the fountain to find Alyx stretching. Alyx smiled when she spotted Cass. She said something in Jothi. She says you came back quickly this time, Salos translated. Cass nodded. ¡°All done.¡± You would say that with these words, Salos said without prompting. Cass repeated them for Alyx. Alyx said something else, pointing to the fire. She says you should recover the rest of your Focus and then you two can go. Cass nodded and took her usual spot beside the fire. She held her staff across her lap, twisting it in her hands. The minutes passed. Her Focus crept back up toward full. Salos had asked her not to talk to him. But all she wanted to do was ask him how he was doing. She shouldn¡¯t. She needed to respect at least this much. He had to talk to her eventually. Was he working up to it? He had to understand she hadn¡¯t meant to command him. She hadn¡¯t wanted to hurt him. That she would do better. Any second, he¡¯d say something snarky. Any second he¡¯d call her a fool. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The minutes ticked on. Her Focus ticked up to full. Another minute. Just one more. The fire crackled beside her. Water dripped off the tail of her braid. Cass sighed. Or maybe he wasn¡¯t ready yet? She stood up and waved for Alyx to follow her. It was time to move on, whether she and Salos were ready or not. She led Alyx through the tunnel, from one air pocket to the next. Alyx kept up with ease. Even with the partial armor set, Alyx was a more powerful swimmer. Was that an effect of stats or simply more experience swimming? Either way, while it had taken Cass many hours to make the air pockets, it took closer to a quarter of an hour to lead Alyx through with them in place. Before they knew it, they were emerging on the other side. It was a wide room, lit from above by a sky of glowing crystals. All around them were basins of water arranged in tidy rows. They ranged in size from bathtub to swimming pool, all filled with dark water. Most contained small, glowing, lizard-like creatures. They were aquatic, their limbs sporting trailing fins, speckled with glowing scales. Abyss Salamander Young Lvl 4 [The young of a powerful predator of the darkest reaches of Azorth¡¯s oceans. Adults can swim through stone as easily as water. Only one in a hundred make it to adulthood in the wild. Only one in a thousand survive to become a terror of the stories.] They ranged in level from as low as two to as high as twelve and in size from that of Cass¡¯s hand in the bathtub-sized basins to that of large dogs in the swimming pool-sized ones. Alyx asked something, of which Cass only caught: ¡°Where ¡­.. we ¡­.?¡± She asked ¡®Where are we¡¯, Salos translated, his voice still empty, as they crept through the room, This is the nursery. We are looking for a monster labeled as Lord of the Deep by the system. He translated that phrase by phrase for Cass to relay to Alyx. They passed more tanks. Abyss Salamander Young (lvl 3) Abyss Salamander Young (lvl 3) Abyss Salamander Young (lvl 4) Abyss Salamander Young (lvl 3) Abyss Salamander Young (lvl 4) Abyss Salamander Young (lvl 4) Abyss Salamander Young (lvl 5) Abyss Salamander Young (lvl 3) Cass couldn¡¯t help but think of the tropical fish aisle at the pet store, just hundreds of iridescent creatures waiting for the day they get to leave. All hoping not to die without ever leaving their store tanks. Will there really be a second one? Cass asked. She passed another tank in silence. Wouldn¡¯t it be a better system to only have the one and promote the backup only when the first dies? she continued, pushing for the edges of his boundaries. She passed another pair of tanks. She had just about given up on him answering any of her direct questions when he spoke again. Transferring titles is hard. There was the barest trace of emotion in his voice. Something between his usual smug pride and frustration, if only the slightest whiff of it. Idempotent titles are worse. It is too easy for an obscure power or ability to interfere with the process. Best case, you end up with multiple copies of the title, worst case, you end up with none. Better just set it up with all the future lords holding the title in the first place and avoid a lot of unnecessary headache. Besides, it is not like people are supposed to end up back here in the first place. We did though. Cass said, pushing her luck further. She felt a ping of cold from the necklace. With my help. But it wasn¡¯t exactly well hidden, Cass said. Some part of her knew she should just leave well enough alone. He was talking to her. Grudgingly. Reluctantly. But he was. There was no need to antagonize him. But he was so sure he knew everything all the time¡­ Anyone who can breathe underwater could do this. Whether you can or not is hardly the issue, he said. Getting to this point is not easy either. The entrance is on the back end of the temple. You would normally have needed to fight your way deep in to get here. Besides, Trials aren¡¯t just about combat ability. If you have the guts and the know-how to get here and win this way, that is just as deserving of a reward as someone who beat their way through the Lord the standard way. I guess we start looking for that Lord then, huh? Cass said. He didn¡¯t say a word. Cass sighed. Good job, Cass. She shook her head, focusing on the task at hand. There was no shortage of basins to search. Most contained the salamander young. They zipped about their tanks with a childish joy. Cass would have liked to watch them longer if she wasn¡¯t pressed for time. It was an almost hypnotic dance the way their fins trailed behind them through the dark water¡­ Cass blinked, shaking her head and focusing. A notification blipped at the edge of her vision: Status Effect (Abyss Hypnosis) Resisted. ¡°Salos!¡± Cass hissed aloud in surprise. Hm? What was that? He sounded like he¡¯d just woken up. Hypnosis? Cass asked pointedly. Huh? Oh. Yes. Abyss Salamander have a minor hypnotic effect. I¡¯d, erm, forgotten, honestly. It was never an issue for me. I was a much higher level when I last worked with them. It¨Cit would seem that it is more of an issue now¡­ Hey, focus. Cass snapped in front of her own eyes and looked up at the ceiling for good measure. Ugh, it seems my resistance to the effect is nonexistent in my current state, even while consciously thinking about it. His displeasure radiated off his necklace in waves. That is just my state now, I suppose. Those last words were only just more than a whisper, Cass had to focus to hear them. He sighed. When he spoke again, he had taken on the emotionless tone again. It is a harmless effect. A defense mechanism for their young. Not uncommon among magically inclined species actually. It just fills the target with awe. Just enough to distract a would-be predator. Not enough to stop anything with even decent Will. Not enough to stop something significantly higher level either. So I can just ignore it then? Cass asked incredulously. More or less. You should be able to feel it pulling at your attention now and should be able to push the distraction aside. Cass slowly looked down at the tank in front of her. Like he said, as they glided through the water, the lights wove a net, drawing her attention. But it was like children pulling at the sleeves of an adult, easily pushed aside now that she knew that was all it was. With a breath, it became nothing more than background noise. She looked over the room, to see Alyx staring blankly at the tank in front of her. ¡°That might be a problem,¡± Cass muttered to herself. Salos didn¡¯t respond. She tapped her foot thinking for a moment. Clearly, he¡¯d fallen under again. Would she be able to explain what was happening without his help? Could she shake him out of it long enough to have him help? It was worth a shot, she supposed. She shook Alyx, waving her other hand in front of her face. ¡°Hey,¡± Cass said in English, more for the auditory disturbance than anything else. Salos and Alyx exclaimed at the same time. Help me explain to her what¡¯s going on before you drift off again, Cass ordered. Yes. He quickly rattled off the words Cass needed who repeated them as carefully as she could. Alyx frowned but nodded. ¡°Thanks. I¡­ careful.¡± She said a few more things, but that was all Cass caught and Salos either didn¡¯t bother to translate or was already unable. Skill Earned: Jothi Language Comprehension (lvl 1) [Jothi is the primary language of the Jottena Peninsula. A language of class and learning. Increased proficiency with the spoken language.] Cass blinked at the notification. Was it because she finally knew enough words to pick out scattered meaning? She didn¡¯t feel any different with the skill which was almost a relief. Alyx was still talking, but Cass didn¡¯t manage to catch any of it, even with the skill. Salos was still silent, so Cass just nodded. Hopefully, that was the right answer. Alyx turned back to the pools, scanning over them slowly but with purpose. Cass returned to the task too. As she had already observed, most contained the salamanders, but some contained other things instead. Eggs, also glowing, were a common alternative. Identify marked them, unsurprisingly, as Abyss Salamander Eggs. Other tanks contained plants or mushrooms. None had interesting descriptions according to Identify and none had useful effects according to Foraging. Some were described as having water-cleansing properties or as being a favorite food of many water-bound herbivores, but Cass had yet to see any of those. ¡°What do all these things eat,¡± Cass muttered more to herself than anything. Salos still didn¡¯t answer. Cannibalism was possible, she supposed. Given the population and how unguarded the eggs were that seemed unlikely though. Unless they were unable to move between tanks, she supposed. That thought froze her on the spot. Could they move between tanks? How else could they always be in a tank appropriately sized for them? With none of them appearing overcrowded? Were they like fish? Always growing to fit their tank? But then why be in small tanks in the first place? Maybe some young got trapped in the small tanks when it flooded last? And the eggs? Alone in some of the smaller basins? Was it a coincidence that it was only the smaller basins with still unhatched eggs? Or had they been placed there? And if so, by whom? Hell, it was too orderly here for this to be a natural formation. This was managed. But managed by who? There was a thud from across the room. Cass¡¯s hair stood on end along her arms as she felt another¡¯s gaze drift over her body. Or managed by what? Ch. 57: Demonic Possession Cass spun on the noise. Across the room, a pair of doors thudded shut. Before them stood a gangly, humanoid figure. It was wreathed in a cloak of purple light. It hung from its body like a heavy fabric yet was translucent and iridescent. Its head was crowned in a spiked halo of the stuff. It radiated danger. Its head was square, its eyes beady and glowing that same color. Its face had more in common with a bear trap than a human head, all jaws and teeth. It reminded Cass of the grotto spiders. It looked like someone had taken their legs and used them to make this thing¡¯s limbs and fingers. They were the same bony grey. The same sickening twitchy movement. The sight of it sent a chill down Cass¡¯s spine. It settled over her heart, pulsing in her chest. There was an intense wrongness about it. An intense wrongness it evoked in her. It was a threat. One she needed to kill. Overcoming it would make her stronger. She would devour it for her growth. Kill it, Salos¡¯s voice whispered. It came low and grating, like stones rolling down a mountain, rough sides scraping over open rock and crunching over loose gravel. Devour its essence. She could see it already: her standing above its crumpled corpse, drinking up the experience of its death. Drinking the soul within. Her power growing leaps and bounds. Vibrating with excitement, spurred on by Salos¡¯s commands, Cass raced down the rows of tanks. She drew back her staff, summoning Wind Blade to the end and sending it down the row after her prey ahead of her. And another. And another. She brought forth a hurricane of blades. They slashed through its robes of light, buffeting the ghastly figure, though hardly cutting. Cass followed her storm a step later, slamming her Wind-Bladed glaive into the thing¡¯s chest. Her blade struck with all her Strength and bit into its flesh with all the might of her considerable Will. The thing didn¡¯t flinch. It simply looked down at her. It was over a head taller than she was. Its purple eyes, beady and empty, consumed her. Confused? Disappointed? Disinterested? And then it screamed. It threw its head back, its jaw unhinging impossibly far, and released an unearthly wail. Cass clasped her hands over her ears, but the sound echoed through her bones, grating against her soul. It hurt to think. It hurt to stand. Her knees shook under her, like a leaf in a gale. She clenched her jaw so hard her teeth felt like they might explode. It cut through the certainty she¡¯d held only moments before, turning her image of victory into one of certain doom. It was not her standing triumphant over its corpse, but it devouring her defeated form like a beast over carrion. She needed to run. She had never believed something so fervently before. She needed to disappear. She should not be here. She could not be here. Her breaths were coming faster. Her heart pounded in her chest. Why had she been so sure she could kill it? Why had she been so sure she should? When had she ever run head-first into battle? What was that thing? Why did it evoke this reaction in her? Depths Caretaker [Few training regions are naturally occurring, and even among those that are, some force is required to maintain those that survive for generations. The Caretaker is one such force. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As a construct left in charge of maintaining the Temple of the Depths, it is an avatar for its creators to use to address irregularities and issues.] She could barely read Identify¡¯s answer. And for what? It didn¡¯t help. What good was knowing the thing¡¯s name? It hadn¡¯t even given her a level to gauge how screwed she was. Maybe the level was incomprehensibly high. Maybe there was no chance at all. Yet, despite the doubt and the fear that rolled over her, there was a voice at her core insisting she still needed to fight. To kill it. To devour it whole. No, not at her core exactly. Her chest? Just above that? Her necklace. Salos¡¯s necklace. What are you doing to me? Cass demanded. Kill it. Make me stronger. Make us stronger, was Salos¡¯s only answer. Cass scowled. Are you crazy? Look how little I hurt it just now! Let me do it, he whispered. Let me fight. Let me kill it. Cass grit her teeth as his words rolled over her. Again the image of her fighting the thing filled her vision. The urge to attack again screamed as loudly and insistently as the Caretaker¡¯s scream. The compulsion was so strong that if she hadn¡¯t been immobilized she might have fallen into it again. Let me do it! Salos screamed again. The image shifted, it was no longer her tearing through the Caretaker with her wind-bladed glaive, but a man with purple-black skin and gold eyes. He tore into the Caretaker with his bare hands, they pulled out reams of guts dripping in iridescent purple blood with every strike. Cass felt her attention fading, her grip on consciousness slipping. She felt hands clawing at her soul, dragging at her. Pulling her away from this moment. Kill it! Caretaker¡¯s Call Overridden. Cass found herself swinging her staff at the thing again. Staff Mastery guided her movements even as Salos¡¯s commands drove her action. She was a puppet directed with expertise she did not possess. Her staff slammed into the thing¡¯s joints: knees, elbows, knuckles. Each strike pinpointed another potential weakness, each strike ringing with a resounding thwack of wood on bone. There was a grin on her face. Wild and manic. Not her grin. Barely her face. They would kill the Caretaker, steal the fragment of soul pulsing within its grotesque body, and devour it. They would be stronger. More complete. A wild laughter slipped from her lips. She dove after the still screaming Caretaker, adding Wind Blade to the end of her staff. No single cut was worth mentioning, but each successive slice was one closer to the inevitable. The Caretaker didn¡¯t simply stand and take her onslaught. It was unarmed, but its hands themselves were weapons. Its long fingers were each tipped in sharp nails like claws. They raked after Cass. Dodge kept her mostly out of the way, yet they still found purchase, rending deep gashes across Cass¡¯s body. Cass barely noticed in the manic flurry of her attacks. Cass¡¯s world had shrunk to just two things: continuing her onslaught and the promise of devouring the thing before her. Kill it! Salos roared again, throwing his weight behind the attack. She felt her Strength swelling and with it the force of her staff against its body. The Wind Blade cut deep into its flesh. It screamed again. Louder. More piercing. Desperate. Something stirred in the air around them. Dodge suggested they back off. Press the advantage! Salos yelled over it. Cass struck again and again, her speed and control increasing beyond what her Dexterity would allow. There wasn¡¯t time to wonder why or how. There wasn¡¯t even space in her thoughts to think she should question it. There was only the search for the next opening. Only the glee as wind sliced through flesh. Suddenly, the world around her exploded. She flew back from the forces, tumbling through the air. Pain overtook her, consuming the world. There was no up or down, just mad spinning and pain. A slam into stone and a splash of water. Salos was yelling but his words were lost amid the ringing in her ears. Her head spun. Everything hurt. Water was everywhere around her. There was only pain and water and ringing. She had been doing something important. What was it? Why? Would it make the pain stop? That was all that mattered now. She should get out of the water and sleep. She¡¯d feel better in bed. Maybe Robin would make her some warm tea with honey if she asked nicely. A screen floated in front of her, though she barely had the presence of mind to read it. Demonic Possession Broken. Ch. 58: Identify Cass blinked and read the notification in front of her again. Demonic Possession Broken. Everything snapped back into place, the world suddenly sharp. She lay in a pool of water, the surface less than a foot above her face. Blood swirled around her, likely her own. A shiver ran down her spine. What the hell had she been doing? Demonic Possession? She could still feel that destructive desire bubbling in her core. It pulled and gnashed and grasped against her. It whispered in Salos¡¯s voice to kill and kill and devour. But it was quieter now. More removed now that she was looking for it. Where these Salos¡¯s desires? Or was this something the System was inflicting on both of them? She could ask questions all she wanted, but she wasn¡¯t going to find an answer now. Maybe Salos would know once he¡¯d calmed down. Maybe he would deny any knowledge of this. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t trust him so easily¡­ She shook her head. Again, not the time. She needed to decide what to do next. The Caretaker was bad news. The fight so far was a hazy blur, but she knew she¡¯d struck it with everything she had and more. Aided by Salos¡¯s stats, she wondered? She brought up its information again from Identify: Depths Caretaker [Few training regions are naturally occurring, and even among those that are, some force is required to maintain those that survive for generations. The Caretaker is one such force. As a construct left in charge of maintaining the Temple of the Depths, it is an avatar for its creators to use to address irregularities and issues.] It didn¡¯t have a level listed. She¡¯d yet to meet any creature without one. What did that mean? Could it just be so much more powerful than her that she couldn¡¯t divine its level with her skills? That hadn¡¯t been a problem for the Centipede, and it had been over four times her level. How much stronger would this thing have to be? But that didn¡¯t really make sense. The Centipede had been strong enough to one-shot kill her, she could feel that in her gut. Yet, she¡¯d survived several swipes of this thing already. It couldn¡¯t be more powerful than the Centipede. But then why didn¡¯t it have a level listed? What else didn¡¯t have levels? Objects, like her staff? It didn¡¯t look like an object. Plants? It didn¡¯t look like a plant either. She shook her head, this wasn¡¯t helping. It might not be as overwhelmingly strong as the Centipede, but it was still stronger than her. It had required Salos¡¯s Demonic madness to hurt it, which she refused to willingly succumb to again. If she couldn¡¯t hurt it, she couldn¡¯t kill it. Defeating it was out of the question. However, she needed to kill the Lord of the Deep to get out of here. The Lord of the Deep was in this room somewhere. If she could kill it, they could run from the Caretaker. Killing the Caretaker was unnecessary, despite what the demonic compulsion was telling her. But could she find the Lord while also avoiding the Caretaker¡¯s attacks? They hadn¡¯t searched even half of the room before the Caretaker had shown up. If only she had some way of picking it out of the crowd. She skimmed through her skill list. There had to be an answer. Most were useless here. But she had three skills roughly related to searching: Foraging (lvl 5) [Live off the land! No matter where you are, you¡¯ll be able to scrounge up something to eat. Adds nutritional information to plant or fungus Identification. Heightens perception of edible entities. Greatly heightens perception of a single valid target entity.] Mana Sense (lvl 5) [Through careful observation of the forces of unspooled potential, you have come to see it in all its glory. Intuitively sense the position, type, and movement of mana. Modified by Per. Modified by understanding of what is being sensed.] Trap Detection (lvl 2) [Through trial and error you have discovered the trick to spotting traps. No longer will you need to find them through error alone. Passively increase your detection of presence. Actively highlight areas with significant presence irregularities. Actively highlight areas ideal for setting traps.] The problem was none of them specifically looked for monsters. Rather they looked for plants, magic, and traps respectively. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Cass paused, was that true? She looked at Foraging¡¯s description again. The second line: ¡°Adds nutritional information to plant or fungus Identification¡± primed the reader to only think about plants and fungus, but the third used a different language: edible entities. Edible included a lot more than just plants and mushrooms. And what about the fourth line? What was considered a ¡°single valid target entity¡±? Anything whose perception would be heightened by the previous statement? She hadn¡¯t had a chance to experiment with that new functionality since it upgraded at level 5. But, if she could use it to find an enemy? That could open up all sorts of options in the future. She needed to get moving. She had no idea how long she¡¯d been lying underwater. Was Alyx alright? Had she been pulled up in Cass¡¯s wild attack too? Cass hadn¡¯t checked on her once in that madness. Slowly, Cass pushed herself up. Pain laced every movement. Was it willing ignorance or just recklessness that she didn¡¯t stop to evaluate the extent of her wounds? Maybe both. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do about it though. Not looking wasn¡¯t going to make it go away, but maybe it was easier to pretend it wasn¡¯t there if she didn¡¯t know. Her head broke the water¡¯s surface and Cass found the room in chaos. Basins were shattered all around the room, water and plants and young lizards spilling over the floor. The Caretaker and Alyx were locked in a fierce fight, Alyx¡¯s sword flashing even as she grimaced, her wounds dripping blood into the dark waters around her ankles. The Caretaker was injured as well. Purple ichor dripped down its arms and legs, though if that slowed it down at all Cass couldn¡¯t tell. Sword met claws in clash after clash, a sea of sparks filling the dark with each. Cass activated Stealth and slipped out of her pool. She hoped Alyx would forgive her, leaving the monster to her while Cass slunk around in the background. Join her, Salos insisted. Kill it. Shush, Cass admonished, though she was certain that he didn¡¯t hear her. Or, if he did, didn¡¯t have the presence of mind to process it. She activated Forage, targeting the Lord of the Deep. The color drained from the world around her. Her head snapped back and forth as she searched the room for a splash of color in the grey. There wasn¡¯t anything. But it had to be here. Error: Target ¡°Lord of the Deep¡± has not previously been Identified, unable to target. Cass¡¯s heart sank. No good then. What now? Go back to searching manually? How long would Alyx be able to keep the Caretaker at bay? No, there had to be a better way. There were hundreds upon hundreds of tanks. The Lord of the Deep could be in any of them. There wasn¡¯t time to search each one individually. What else did she know about it? It was one of the lizards. She hadn¡¯t seen any other animals in here and the chances it was any of the aquatic plants seemed low. Would it be one of the larger lizards? Didn¡¯t that depend on how the title was handed out? It could be that it was assigned to any promising lizard from hatching, then it could be any of them anywhere. Or it could be earned at some point in their lives, making a larger, stronger lizard more likely. She reviewed what Salos had told her, but he hadn¡¯t elaborated on the process and she hadn¡¯t thought to ask. His ravings continued in the back of her mind. There was no way to ask him now. What else did she know? It was, or would be, very strong? But it wasn¡¯t like she could search for strength. Could she? She focused on Mana Sense. Mana wasn¡¯t the same as strength, but wouldn¡¯t the boss of the area have some significant magic advantages over its siblings? Her sight sparked with color. She¡¯d never been so inundated with mana everywhere around her. The brightest source was the Caretaker, burning a brilliant purple. Alyx glowed too, a soft amber, flickering valiantly before her opponent. The rest of the room was alight with specks of color, every tank had something, glimmering like fireflies beneath the water. Was this useless too? Would the Lord be lost amid the countless other lights? No, it had to work. There were concentrations of greater light. She could start there. She scurried silently toward the concentration furthest from where Alyx and the Caretaker were fighting. It was a large pool, unfathomably deep and as wide as an Olympic swimming pool. She stood at the pool¡¯s edge, looking down into the inky waters. Lights, both true and from Mana Sense, danced in the deep. She could feel the hypnotic pull tugging at her mind. It suggested she jump in. Play with them. Forever. She blinked the influence away. There wasn¡¯t time for a distraction. There were hundreds of lizards in the pool. Using Mana Sense to look into the depths was like staring directly into a lightbulb. Something powerful was down there. Which one was it though? She couldn¡¯t tell. She activated Identify again. Scanning more than one thing at once was possible, but she¡¯d never pushed it this far before. Abyss Salamander Young¡­ Abyss Salamander Young¡­ Abyss Salamander Young¡­ Abyss Salamander Young¡­ Abyss Salamander Young¡­ There was no time to look at their levels or reread their descriptions. She just needed to know if the Lord was here or if there was some other monstrosity lurking. Quickly. The sounds of Alyx clashing with the Caretaker echoed behind Cass. Was the clash becoming more frantic? How long would she last? There was no time for worry. Just scanning. More. Faster. Deeper. Abyss Salamander Young¡­ Abyss Salamander Young¡­ Abyss Salamander Young¡­ ¡­ Identify has increased to level 4. She had never pushed the capabilities of this skill. Rarely tried to scan more than one thing at a time. Had never tried to scan things from particularly far distances. She was doing both more and faster now. Abyss Salamander Young (Lvl 3) x12¡­ Abyss Salamander Young (Lvl 4) x19¡­ Abyss Salamander Young (Lvl 5) x11¡­ ¡­ Identify has increased to level 5. Abyss Salamander Young (Lvls 3-10) x48¡­ Abyss Salamander Young (Lvls 11-15) x4¡­ ¡­ With every level, she could scan more at once, the information becoming more compact. The skill whispered she could expand the compact information if she wanted, but there was no point now. The range was also increasing. She could feel the skill penetrating deeper and deeper into the pool. Just as she was sure the Mana she sensed was still further down. Behind her, Alyx screamed. A war cry? Pain? Both? Cass couldn¡¯t tell. ¡­ Identify has increased to level 6. ¡­ Uncountable lines listed the Abyss Salamander Young. They ranged in level from 3 to 18, and the further down Identify scanned, the higher that upper level seemed to grow. Would she even be able to kill the Lord at this rate? If he was some level 20 or higher beast would she have any more chance than she¡¯d had against the Caretaker or the Centipede? But she needed to know. She needed to know if this was possible. ¡­ Abyss Salamander Young (Lvls 3-19) x106¡­ Abyss Salamander Young (Lord of the Deep) (Lvl 23) x1 [Nothing in the Uvana Valley is as powerful as the true Lord of the Deep. This both is and is not it. Though young, this amphibian is a powerful predator. In the wild reaches of Azorth¡¯s oceans, it would have caught and devoured hundreds of lesser creatures every day, luring some in with its brilliant display of colors, snapping up others unsuspectingly with its powerful jaws and silent movement.] Her breath caught in her throat. There it was. At the edge of what Identify Lvl 6 could reach. Impossibly far down that inky abyss. Below over a hundred other monsters. She couldn¡¯t kill that. Not with her piddling power. Not that far underwater. Not quickly so she and Alyx could run right after. This wasn¡¯t going to work. They needed to run. There had to be another way out of the Temple and the Deep. They didn¡¯t need to throw their lives away fighting the Caretaker. Ch. 59: The Lord of the Deep Cass took a step back from the pool to sprint back to the passage they¡¯d entered from. This was a lost cause. They needed to escape. But two sentences echoed up from her memories. Error: Target ¡°Lord of the Deep¡± has not previously been Identified, unable to target. That¡¯s what the system had said when she had tried to use Forage to find the Lord earlier. But she had since Identified it successfully. Shouldn¡¯t it work now? Better just set it up with all the future lords holding the title in the first place¡­ Salos had said that when she asked if there really would be a lord here. At the time, she had assumed there would just be one heir, but was it possible that there would be many more? Several generations of future lords? There was only one way to find out. She activated Forage again, targeting the Lord of the Deep. Again, the color drained from the world around her as her skill searched out for her. You are attempting to target a monster entity. Would you like to attempt to target this entity with Foraging? Monster entities are outside the normal range of entities generally considered an ¡°edible entity¡± as defined by your skill Foraging and will be less effective and consume Focus. Obviously, yes, she agreed, feeling her Focus straining. Focus: 105/225 She¡¯d used too much Focus in that initial wild rush. Too much, too inefficiently. And more ticked away every second, her mind fighting to keep Salos¡¯s ravings away. She had to finish this fast. If she couldn¡¯t find a Lord she could kill¡­ A couple of pricks of color bloomed in her vision. She breathed a sigh of relief. They still might make it. She made a beeline for the nearest one. It was a far smaller pool. Small enough she could comfortably call it a tank or basin. Inside many lizards swam, but only one remained in full color. She confirmed it with Identify: Abyss Salamander Young (Lord of the Deep) Lvl 8 It was the size of a large dog, almost too big for its tank. It swam in tight figure eights, its fins and tail scraping the edges with every turn. Perhaps the Caretaker had come to move this one to a larger home. She just needed to kill this and she¡¯d have the qualifications to escape the Deep. She raised her staff, holding it like a spear. A Wind Blade manifested into a sharpened point at the end. Focus: 98/225 She stabbed down, aiming for the base of its neck. But, she misjudged the water¡¯s depth, the light refraction making it appear far shallower. Her Wind-Bladed spear landed back along its spine, around the center of its chest instead. The Lord thrashed as the blade pierced its body. She tried to yank it out, but her spear was stuck and the creature was heavier than it looked. It was all she could do to hold onto her staff and keep her feet planted on the basin¡¯s lip as the creature thrashed in the water below. More, in fact. The thrashing pulled her into the water. She splashed into the pool, still gripping her staff. The Lord writhed like an alligator in death throes. It twisted, its jaw snapping at her. It snapped shut on one of her arms. Pain and panic mixed. She had to kill it. The water was dark with blood, both its and her own. Amid the thrashing, she was slammed against the wall of the basin. She might have been a higher level, but level wasn¡¯t everything. This thing was physically stronger than her, and beneath the water, she was clumsy while it moved naturally. Had she underestimated it? Was this how she died? She slammed into the stone again. Was there an inch of her body not mauled? Her focus was straining, her stamina draining. She held tight to her staff, despite the pain and the thrashing. Wind Blade had dissipated, yet somehow, her staff was still stuck in the lizard¡¯s body. Could she even activate Wind Blade again like this? Did she have another option? Wind Blade! She could feel the skill spinning to life. Her focus sharpened, condensing around her staff, running down its length, coalescing at the tip. But there was no space to manifest a blade. She could feel the energies colliding with another field on the other end. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it This wasn¡¯t going to work. She could feel it in her gut. You are attempting to manipulate the Body of another Being. Would you like to perform a Skill Injection? Injections are outside the standard range of your skill¡¯s function and will require significantly more Focus to perform. Cass had no idea what that meant. But she didn¡¯t have time to figure out the details. Yes. Sure. Do it. Focus: 81/225 The opposing field popped like a balloon under a falling anvil. It was forceful and inefficient and she felt a recoil against her soul, but it had done the job. Her Wind Blade formed at the end of her staff. The summoned air replaced tissue as it shimmered into existence, cutting out a space for itself. Focus: 67/225 She redoubled her focus on the forming blade, ignoring the echoing pain in her soul and the continuous thrashing of her body against stone. She willed it into a curved blade, curving it down and forward, toward the center of its chest then forward to the base of the neck. Focus: 53/225 She¡¯d stabbed it from above, through its back, around its chest. Were lizard hearts in about the same place as people? Did Abyssal Salamanders have the same anatomy as normal lizards? Again, Cass didn¡¯t know. She could only hope she was right. She could only hope she either sliced the heart or enough of its internal organs to be fatal. Focus: 41/225 Her focus was draining fast. Every inch of her summoned blade cost more than an entire blade did normally. Had the thrashing increased? The murk swirled before her eyes. There was no up or down, just her, the lizard, and the spear. Just the blade materializing another inch of vibrating air in the Lord¡¯s body. Just a blue system message floating over her vision. Beginner Quest (6): Slay the Lord of the Deep Complete! Reward: All Beginner Bonuses become Inherent Traits Trait Gained: The Deep¡¯s Blessing - For completing the challenge of the Deep you have been blessed by He of Shifting Shadows and Stalwart Stone. [Bonus Staff Skill Growth Bonus Wll Skill Growth Increased Range on all skills. Effects outside of standard range subject to potency, accuracy, cost, and/or control penalties.] Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Wll + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Elation bloomed through her as the strength from her new level raced through her body. It chased out the pain and the exhaustion. She¡¯d killed a Lord. The experience was richer somehow. Like a heavy cream compared to the skim milk of other monsters. She wanted more. There were two more Lords of the Valley, her quests quietly reminded her. Cass laughed. It was a choking sputtering sound underwater. There is even more experience, closer by, Salos added. An image of them slaying the Caretaker bubbled back to the forefront of her mind. Yes. She could taste the sweetness of its experience already. She pushed herself out of the pool. Blood and water dripped from her and what remained of her clothing. Her muscles screamed in protest, but Salos screamed louder. Fight! Win! Devour! Yes. Yes. Yes. She watched the thing as she approached. It was still fighting Alyx. She was ravaged. Her left arm hung limply from one side. There was a long gash on her forehead. A thick stream of blood ran down her face. But, these injuries had been hard won. The Caretaker was laced with dark scars and wounds oozing purple ichor. Unnatural healing had closed an innumerable onslaught of cuts. Yet, there were limits to everything, as its right arm was missing entirely. In another state of mind, Cass might have found it odd that the thing no longer evoked mind-numbing fear. As it was, Cass could hardly imagine this thing scaring her. It was a scrawny withered-looking thing, powered by a sliver of a soul and little else. Was it physically stronger than her? Their last confrontation had certainly demonstrated that it was. But last time she¡¯d been hacking at it like a mad woman. Cutting its center of mass again and again, headless of its healing factor or of the damage it did to her in return. Last time she¡¯d run at it in a pointless frontal assault. This time she activated Stealth as she approached and summoned a Wind Blade on her staff. She padded forward silently, stealth¡¯s wind just another draft wafting through the wide chamber. With every step, she willed her blade sharper and sharper again. With every step, she willed the blade¡¯s vibration to increase, faster and faster. The blade begged to fly off, so packed with her intent to slice. Salos urged her to hurry. To run. To kill. It was yet another strain on her Focus, but she ignored him. She was getting there. She would do this in her own time. She would savor the Caretaker¡¯s experience. Salos¡¯s hunger for its soul wouldn¡¯t change that. Another step. Sharper. Another step. Faster. Silently, unseen, she had arrived behind the Caretaker. It swung again at Alyx. Alyx parried, sending the arm swinging wide. The moment Cass was waiting for. She swung down on the arm, flaring Mana Blade for all it was worth as the blade made contact with the elbow joint. The Caretaker howled as its remaining arm came off at the joint. Ichor spewed in every direction as it flailed. Alyx stepped back in surprise as Cass stepped closer, reforming the Wind Blade from a slicing profile to a stabbing one. It lost most of its sharpness and quite a bit of the vibration speed, but it didn¡¯t matter. She rammed it through its chest, throwing all 10 of her Strength, all her body weight, and another Mana Blade behind the strike. It pierced deep, purple ichor gushing from the wound. It wasn¡¯t enough to stop the Caretaker. It howled, slamming its bleeding stump against Cass¡¯s head. Cass held tight to her staff, planting herself in place. It couldn¡¯t grow back limbs. It couldn¡¯t heal with her weapon implanted in its body. It was only a matter of time now. It shook, dragging Cass across the floor. She couldn¡¯t let go. She lost if she let go. Fear was creeping back into her. Salos¡¯s madness was overwhelming. She should run. She should let his strength carry her. She was crazy to have jumped back into this. She was crazy to give up this opportunity. Behind, she felt a spike in mana accumulating behind her. Alyx was preparing an attack, her sword leveled at her side. Fear told her to run. The last of her determination insisted she hold fast to her staff, that if she could just hold out winning was an inevitability. Salos urged her to yank it out of the Caretaker¡¯s chest and begin another onslaught of mad slicing, its healing must exhaust at some point. Behind, Alyx yelled something. Cass¡¯s language skill translated: ¡°Down!¡± It was one more conflicting order bouncing around her head, but there was a weight to the command the others lacked. Cass dropped her staff, throwing herself to the ground. Not a moment too soon. A gold blade ripped through the air above her, slicing through the Caretaker. There was a riot of heat as the gold blade exploded, and pieces of the Caretaker fell around Cass. Ch. 60: The Core Experience poured into her. Just as she¡¯d imagined, it was rich and powerful, but not quite enough to level up. She took a deep breath. The world around her stabilized. The madness settled. Pain reasserted itself. Absolutely every inch of her body hurt. Cass lay on the floor amid the Caretaker¡¯s corpse barely able to move. She was drenched in blood. A lot of it was hers. More than a few wounds were actively bleeding. How had she been moving like this? Had Salos possessed her again? She hadn¡¯t gotten a notification for breaking the possession. Did that mean she was still possessed or that this had been something different? Whatever it was, it was more potent than adrenaline. More euphoric than drugs. Her blood ran cold as she imagined how poorly things could have gone had she been wrong about her capabilities in that state. Slowly, Cass pushed herself up to her knees. Before her, amid the corpse pieces, was a gem, about the size of Cass¡¯s thumb. It had a dusty finish. Dark purple, with a cosmos of shadows swirling slowly within. Salos¡¯s madness whispered for her to snatch it up and stuff it down her throat immediately. A sliver of rationality stayed her hand. She identified it first. Caretaker¡¯s Core [The crystallized fragment of a soul used to power and control the Caretaker of the Deep. Is primarily Nyxdran in origin.] Is this a piece of your soul, Cass asked Salos as she picked it up. Devour. Devour. Devour. Cass frowned. It was obvious he wanted it, but she wasn¡¯t so sure about swallowing it. As she held it, her necklace warmed on her chest. She held it with her other hand, her frown deepening. What was this now? This was different than Salos¡¯s emotions. This was a real physical warmth. She inspected the necklace again. Azorth Necklace [The home of a once powerful Nyxdran Demon, now your humble servant. As you have survived the demon¡¯s attempts to possess you, you have been granted ownership of the demon, giving you some bonuses. ¡­ This item has Unbound Growth and may absorb compatible items to gain functionality. This item is Soul Bound to the Initiate Cass and may only be removed on their death.] Compatible items huh? On a hunch, she held the crystallized soul fragment up to the necklace. In a flash, the crystal was gone and the necklace was cold. Salos was silent. Cass paused, was that good, or bad? Necklace Evolving Time until complete: ??? Salos? Cass said. He didn¡¯t respond. Salos? You okay? She prodded at the necklace mentally. It felt inert. Not quite empty. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She took a deep breath. He¡¯d wanted that core. He knew what he was doing. Probably. He¡¯d be okay. Probably. Groaning, Cass tried to stand. It was a teetering stumbling affair, but somehow she found herself on her feet. She leaned heavily on her staff. Her body was wrecked. Blood caked her clothing, her hair, her skin. The only places not caked in blood were the places where it still actively flowed. She should probably do something to stop that. The Caretaker lay in scattered pieces around her. Bits and pieces had exploded off in Alyx¡¯s last attack. Its arms were strewn on opposite sides of the carnage. Its eyes were empty and dark, its bare trap jaws hanging open in a silent and perpetual scream. Alyx stood beside the carnage, her body hanging like a puppet without a puppeteer. Besides the obvious exhaustion, she looked far better than Cass, which is to say she only looked dragged down the street rather than put through a blender. She was covered in wounds, but besides the head wound and her limp arm, they appeared to be just minor scrapes. She looked drained though. That last attack must have been a costly finisher. It must have needed some charging up or preparation too, given she¡¯d waited so long to use it. ¡°You okay?¡± Cass asked, before remembering that they didn¡¯t speak the same language. And with Salos completely nonresponsive for the moment¡­ ¡°Been better,¡± Alyx grunted back. Except, those weren¡¯t the sounds coming out of her mouth even though those were the words Cass¡¯s brain understood them as. Cass blinked. ¡°You?¡± Alyx asked. Again, the sounds didn¡¯t match the meaning. ¡°Everything hurts,¡± Cass answered experimentally. She caught it that time. The feel of a skill activating automatically as she spoke. Like a filter between her intent and her mouth. The sounds coming out of her mouth weren¡¯t the English words she¡¯d expected, but rather Alyx¡¯s language. Automatic and seamless translation. Useful. Terrifying. Cass added that to her box of existential crisis building in the corner and moved on. At least she could talk to the natives now without Salos. That was good. Definitely good. ¡°Can you move?¡± Alyx asked. Cass took a teetering step forward leaning heavily on her staff. ¡°I think so.¡± Jothi Language Comprehension has increased to level 2 ¡°Good. You killed the Lord?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I got the quest (¡­) notification and a (¡­ ¡­) experience.¡± Cass nodded, even though there were several words in the middle she didn¡¯t understand. The meaning of the second half of Alyx¡¯s statement was completely lost. ¡°Sorry for leaving the Caretaker to you while I did that.¡± A couple of the words Cass said came out in English and she could feel the skill struggling with the grammar. She had a long way to go still before she could be considered fluent. Alyx frowned but shrugged with her good shoulder. ¡°It worked (... ¡­) end. We should get going.¡± Alyx pointed at the door the Caretaker had come from. She said something that the skill didn¡¯t translate. All Cass caught was the phrase: ¡°Safe Zone.¡± Cass was pretty sure Salos had said something about the Lord''s chamber and the Safe Zone beyond it being immobile in the labyrinth¡¯s layout and very near one another. That was the only reason she nodded and staggered toward the door the Caretaker had come through. There aren¡¯t any more monsters through those doors are there, Salos? No additional Caretakers? He did not respond. It felt more like talking to a rock than another sentient being. Thankfully, there was no monster waiting for them. Instead, they found a simple study. The remains of books filled the ancient shelves lining the walls to either side, all covered in dust and cobwebs. Murals surrounded the door directly opposite them, though the images were faded to the point of being almost indistinguishable from the natural striations of stone. Cass hobbled up to one of the bookshelves and sighed. She had hoped there would be information on the summoning circles that had dragged her here, but these books were degraded far beyond being usable. Cass wasn¡¯t even sure she should touch what was left of them in her bedraggled bleeding state. Alyx walked directly to the far doors, not sparing a second for the books. She glanced over her shoulder at Cass as she put a hand on the door. ¡°Come on. We (¡­ ¡­ ¡­) look later.¡± A heavy drop of blood dripped from Cass¡¯s arm to the floor, an unsubtle reminder that she was still actively bleeding out. Alyx was right. Cass hurried after her as quickly as her broken body would allow. Beyond the doors was a wide cavern with a moss-covered hill in the center. Above, crystal stars twinkled down on them. A wave of comfort washed over her as they entered and Cass felt the tension holding her body up release. She crumpled to the floor, a bloody, exhausted mess. A Safe Zone. We made it, Salos, Cass whispered. Now she just needed to not bleed out before magic healing saved her. She could feel the air movement beside her of Alyx similarly collapsing, though she¡¯d had the presence of mind or dignity to stagger out of the doorway first. There was a tearing noise. Cass looked up at Alyx to see her pulling up the moss and pressing it against the worst of her wounds. Cottongauze Moss [An absorbent moss valued for its natural antiseptic properties. Common to Safe Zones, it has resisted attempts to cultivate it in mortal-made environments. ] Cass didn¡¯t waste any time, crawling forward into the moss. She started to pull up handfuls and press them into her many cuts. But there were so many. She didn¡¯t have the hands to hold it all in place. But there was a simpler solution. She flopped down into the pile face first. That¡¯d cover most of it. She groaned and resolved to pass out until the worst of her injuries were healed. Ch. 61: Angels Grace ¡°Hey, you still alive?¡± Alyx said, nudging Cass with a foot. Cass grunted. She didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d been lying there. Long enough for the minor cuts to scab over and for the general head trauma to have coalesced into a pounding headache. ¡°Eat this,¡± the swordswoman said, nudging Cass again in the ribs. Cass groaned and flipped over. Alyx stood over her pressing a mushroom in her face. A raw, glowing mushroom. Cass raised an eyebrow and cast a dubious look up at Alyx. ¡°Eat it,¡± Alyx said again. Angel¡¯s Grace [A mushroom with natural magic properties, found rarely in desolate Safe Zones. If eaten within a Safe Zone, they provide miraculous healing at the cost of some stockpiled experience and all Focus and Stamina recovery. If eaten outside a Safe Zone, they kill the consumer, immediately.] Oh, if that was all. Cass shoved it in her mouth. It had a soft and airy texture more like cake than a mushroom, yet tasted like pork. It was a gross combination. Her mouth tingled as the mushroom melted like sugar. ¡°Is it supposed to¨C¡± Cass¡¯s question was cut off by a spike of pain. It felt like a rod had been shoved through her chest. Like another stabbed at her brain. Her eyes unfocused. She couldn¡¯t breathe. She clutched at her chest. At her throat. Her hands were on fire. Ants ran over every inch of her body. Their legs writhing over her skin. She wanted to scream. Someone was screaming. Was that her? Was that Alyx? Was that the world? And then she was falling. There was nothing around her. Nothing but a roaring wind. It whipped all around her. It tore at her, ripping away clothing and hair and skin. It stripped her organs and eroded the bone. Until she was nothing. Nothing but a spark in the wind. A flame flickering in the roar. Her flame floated above an endless sea. It was dark and still and deep. In the center, directly below her opened a deep canyon. A crease in the dark. Water rushed in from every side. It poured endlessly into the crack. And the crack screamed. In words she did not know. In words she could not comprehend. It screamed. Broken. Begging for something that nothing could provide. It screamed and she screamed back. Her pain echoed off its walls. Her pain drowned in the roar of the rushing water. She and her pain cascaded down into that chasm. As she fell, she shifted. Her flame became a snake¡¯s tail. She writhed in the air. But there was no escaping the pull of gravity. She fell senseless and writhing into the dark. Oblivion held her. Cradled her at the bottom. She was no one. Nothing. A light broke the perfect darkness. It split the world from above. It shone down upon the snake. The snake looked up. A girl¡¯s face, enormous and bright, looked down through the shining crack. She said something. A name. And the snake¡¯s heart soared. Cass sat up with a gasp, awake and alert, her heart pounding in her chest. She blinked. She was again sitting amid the moss in the Safe Zone at the base of a small hill. A sky of crystal stars shimmered down on her from above. Some tall mushrooms grew from the hill¡¯s crown, glowing faintly pink and green. On the far side, there was a shallow pool of water, glimmering in the dark. Just to the right, lay Alyx, convulsing in the moss. Cass scrambled to her side. What was happening? Salos? Do you know? He did not respond. Alyx continued to writhe before Cass¡¯s eyes. Cass reached out to help Alyx but stopped short. Was one supposed to hold convulsing patients down? Something about keeping them from hurting themselves? Or did that make it worse? Should she not touch her? Was it okay, since she was on the plush moss carpeting? On Earth, she would have looked it up. On Earth, she would have called emergency services. On Earth, it wouldn¡¯t be just her alone with the one other person in the world. Cass ran a hand through her hair, grasping at the roots. She took a deep breath. Panic wasn¡¯t helping. She needed to stop and think it through. What did she know? Alyx had given Cass Angel¡¯s Grace. Eating that had been the most unpleasant experience in her life, but it was supposed to heal her. Cass paused and looked down at her own body. It was still covered in dried blood and her clothing was torn to shreds, but it didn¡¯t actually hurt anywhere, now that she thought about it. The cuts and lacerations were all closed like they¡¯d never happened. There was no bruising. Stamina: 54/54 Stolen story; please report. Focus: 225/225 Health: 41/41 Her stats were completely refilled too. So, Angel¡¯s Grace worked, it just felt like it was killing you as it did so. Alyx had also been injured. Her arm had hung weakly at her side. There had been a long gash across her forehead. Cass scanned Alyx¡¯s face, but could not find the gash now. Her arm spasmed the same as the rest of her body, suggesting she was healed or healing. Was this what it looked like to be healed by Angel¡¯s Grace? Cass grimaced. Good to know it looked almost as bad as it felt. But, if this was the process, did that mean there was nothing Cass needed to do? Did Alyx need to just ride it out? Alyx should be mostly healed by now. It shouldn¡¯t be too much longer. Cass had been much more injured than Alyx had, after all. Any minute, she¡¯d stop convulsing and wake up. In the meantime, Cass just needed to sit tight. She stretched, experimentally. There was no muscle pain. No stiffness. How are you feeling, Salos? Cass asked. He did not respond. Was that because he couldn¡¯t or because he still didn¡¯t want to talk to her? She bit her lip. Instinct said it was because he couldn¡¯t. But reason said there was no evidence to suggest it was one over the other. She shook her head. She could not just sit here waiting. She needed to do something. Cass stood up. She¡¯d look around the area. Get a lay of the land. It was safe here, but there may be other useful supplies. There were two doors to the Safe Zone. First was the narrow door they¡¯d come through, connecting the Safe Zone to the secret study and spawning pools. From this side, the door was disguised as smooth stone. If she closed it, they would probably be unable to open it again, if they could even find it. Would you know how to open it again? Cass asked him. He didn¡¯t respond. She found a rock to prop the door open, just in case. The other entrance was an imposing set of double doors. They were carved from the same heavy stone as the rest of the temple and adorned with a pair of dancing, Chinese-style dragons. Cass was willing to bet that was where the Lord was supposed to live once fully grown and ready to eat invaders. Directly opposite the double doors, just below the crest of the little hill, was a stone platform, octagonal and inlaid with glowing red runes. She¡¯d played enough video games to recognize the return portal when she saw one and gave it wide birth. She didn¡¯t want to accidentally trigger it and abandon Alyx now. She climbed past it to the hill¡¯s top. A copse of lightcaps the size of small trees glowed over her, pink and green. At their base, a bouquet of smaller glowing mushrooms grew up from the moss, a sea of glittering colors. Some she recognized from the other Safe Zone¡ªshelps and spones and flintshrooms¡ªothers were new to her. Mudcap - an edible mushroom with a deep earthy flavor. Bouncy Agaric - a gilled mushroom known for its highly elastic cap. Starlight Morel - an edible honeycombed mushroom with a sweet nutty flavor. Cass collected the edible ones and restocked on Flintshrooms. Should she build a fire? Would Alyx like that, waking up to a campfire? The Safe Zone was doing more for her healing than Cass¡¯s camping skill Beacon of Hearth and Home could, but she¡¯d be hungry when she woke up, wouldn¡¯t she? If nothing else, it would give her something to do. Cass climbed back down to the base of the hill. Alyx¡¯s convulsing had slowed, but her eyes hadn¡¯t opened. Setting up the campfire was simple at this point. Elemental Manipulate a stone circle, put the flintshrooms in the center, Elemental Manipulate a flame into existence. Cass made herself a stone stool to sit on and a second one for Alyx when the fit passed. Cass put the mudcaps and morels around the fire to get them roasting. Hopefully, they¡¯d be nice and toasty by the time Alyx woke up. When was she going to wake up? Cass watched Alyx from her stool. She¡¯d be okay, right? She¡¯d wake up any second and be right as rain. Just like Cass had. She wasn¡¯t having an allergic reaction to Angel¡¯s Grace, right? That wasn¡¯t a thing that happened in fantasy stories. No one was allergic to healing potions or miracle plants. But people were allergic to all sorts of things in real life. Cass chased the thought off. These were useless worries. Alyx would be okay. They would get out of this place together. Cass didn¡¯t have to be alone. Cass stared into her fire. It crackled quietly in the gloom. A light toasty smell filled the room from the roasting mushrooms. She was safe. She had survived the Deep. As soon as Alyx was ready, she could leave. So why didn¡¯t she feel safe? Why did she feel so cold? So alone? Cass¡¯s hand drifted up to the necklace hanging inert around her neck. ¡°Are you there?¡± she whispered. She hadn¡¯t known him that long. What had it been? A couple of days? It was hard to say since she¡¯d been underground the entire time. Not more than three. Five if you wanted to count the two she was unconscious for. The point was, she didn¡¯t know him. She didn¡¯t want him in her head. She¡¯d been just fine before she met him. Well. Maybe not ¡®fine¡¯. She¡¯d been lonely. Extremely lonely. Lonely enough to consider trusting a demon who¡¯d tried to kill her. And he had tried to kill her. It was easy to forget that. He had tried to kill her. If she said that enough times maybe she would be able to make herself stop worrying about him. Maybe that would stop the fear lurking in her gut. Was he okay? What had that core done to him? He wasn¡¯t just ignoring her. Nothing had changed. She had no new evidence one way or the other, but she knew. She could feel it. She knew it the same way she knew how to wield her staff. It was unnatural but true knowledge. Something about the core had knocked him out. The system window said the necklace was evolving. But what did that mean? How long would it take? What would he be like when he came back? He had to come back though. She needed answers. She needed to know what had happened in that last fight. It was all hazy, but she could still remember the blood lust, the hunger with which she¡ªthey?¡ªhad fought the Caretaker. Those hadn¡¯t been her desires. She wasn¡¯t even convinced they¡¯d really been Salos¡¯s. Then again, what did she know about him? Only that he was a demon and that he didn¡¯t use to be. Was it demonic to want to kill like that? Or was that just how assassins were? Did it matter which it was? Who he used to be was largely irrelevant. He was Salos the demon now. If Salos the demon could possess her and fill her with reckless blood lust, that was a problem. Did it matter whether he¡¯d wanted to do it to her or not? She sighed, holding her head in her hands. Hell. How much of this line of thinking had he been running after her accidental Command? How was she ever going to apologize to him? How could they trust one another like this? He could possess her at any moment. She could override his free will with a careless Command. Her stomach twisted. She hadn¡¯t asked for this. She didn¡¯t want this. There had to be a way to change it. To free them both. Salos said there wasn¡¯t. He¡¯d said her best bet was to destroy him. What kind of answer was that? She grit her teeth. Someone had to know more about demons. Someone had to exist who could help them. Salos didn¡¯t know everything. Salos could be wrong. She sighed. What was she even saying? What was the point in getting worked up now? It changed nothing. She knew nothing. It would be easier to be mad at him. If she could hate him. If she could yell and scream because he¡¯d possessed her again. Because he¡¯d tried to kill her once. It would be simpler at least. Alternatively, it would be easier if her worry was uncomplicated by that frustration. If her only concern was what that core had done to him. Should she have touched it? Should she have let the necklace absorb it? Should she have eaten it directly instead? Instead, she was dumb for worrying. She was dumb for caring. It would be easier if he was here with her. If he was talking to her. If he could just tell her what was going on. Anything but this silence. She wished Alyx would wake up. She wished she had never been dragged into this, that she was still home with her siblings. Her hand clutched tighter around the necklace¡¯s pendant, as if squeezing it would somehow make him manifest sooner. As if squeezing it would somehow bring him back to her. As if it would somehow make her less alone. Ch. 62: A Good Talk and a Nice Fire It must have been an hour later when Alyx finally opened her eyes. She put a hand to her head and cursed loudly. Cass didn¡¯t need the translation skill for that one, she recognized an expletive when she heard it. Blinking blearily, Alyx said, ¡°That was worse (...). How long out was I?¡± ¡°An hour,¡± Cass said with a shrug. She skewered one of the mushrooms she¡¯d been keeping warm by the fire and held the stone skewer out for the woman. ¡°Hungry?¡± Alyx blinked rapidly, suddenly taking in the campsite which had not been there when she¡¯d passed out. Alyx took the skewer, confusion obvious on her face. ¡°Thank you.¡± Cass waved off the thanks. ¡°There is plenty to eat, so eat up.¡± Jothi Language Comprehension has increased to level 3 Cass had nibbled on things as she¡¯d cooked, just to see what was what, but she¡¯d saved most of it for Alyx who actually needed to eat. Alyx took a bite of the mushroom. She frowned at the flavor but kept chewing. She watched Cass from across the little fire, some question obviously but silently stewing behind her eyes. She ate the entirety of the mudcap in silence and took a second skewered and roasted mushroom before finally speaking, ¡°Did you know what that ¡®Caretaker¡¯ creature was?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°Did you?¡± Alyx shook her head back. ¡°No. Never heard of it.¡± She stared into the fire, picking at the charred edge of her second mushroom absently. ¡°Then, you attacked without a plan?¡± Cass looked away. How did she explain she hadn¡¯t been in her right mind when she¡¯d done that? How did she explain it without mentioning that she had a demon sleeping in her head? And without sounding completely unstable and dangerous? Was she unstable and dangerous? Oh hell, she was, wasn¡¯t she? Or, Salos made her unstable, at least. Was there a difference? She bit her lip. ¡°I thought so,¡± Alyx said, interpreting Cass¡¯s silence for the embarrassed agreement it was. ¡°It worked out this time, but you can¡¯t (expect?) an (irresponsible? rush?) to work every time. In fact, expect it to fail every time. Most monsters have more stats level for level than people.¡± Cass frowned but nodded. Her skill was getting better. It hadn¡¯t left any of the words untranslated this time, but it had left large question marks next to some of them, marking them as best guesses rather than confident translations. ¡®Irresponsible rush¡¯? From the context, Alyx probably was referring to how Cass had charged the Caretaker wildly. If so, Cass could only agree. ¡°You have a lot of promise, but you¡¯ll only waste it if you throw yourself at things you aren¡¯t ready for.¡± Cass wasn¡¯t ready for any of this, but what else could she do? Still, the advice was well-meaning, if completely missing the context around Cass¡¯s actions. Quietly, Cass said, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get home.¡± Alyx looked down into the fire. ¡°It''s harder out here alone than you thought?¡± Cass shook her head. That was how it looked, huh? Some young adventurer or warrior or what have you, run off to dangerous locales to prove her worth, only to find herself sorely lacking and under-prepared? ¡°No shame in (saying?),¡± Alyx said bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m (¡­ ¡­) in the same boat.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Alyx snorted. ¡°You found me in a spider¡¯s (clutches?).¡± Cass shrugged. She hadn¡¯t really thought about Alyx¡¯s story at all. But, recklessly trying to prove herself made some sense when she thought about it. Why else would someone willingly enter this godforsaken place during the window between endless rain and death by electricity? Frankly, why would someone willingly enter this godforsaken place, regardless of the time of year? ¡°How did you end up there?¡± Cass asked. Alyx shrugged. ¡°It''s not a (¡­) story. My team and I were (ambushed?) as we were crossing the Hidden Pass. We thought we would stand a (better ¡­ ¡­) the monsters there than to fight the Lord of the Pass on the main Pass or the Herald along the Ascent. We were wrong. ¡°I was bit pretty bad, ended up (paralyzed?) and (¡­ ¡­ ¡­). I saw some of my party die there. Others (¡­), chased by other spiders. I hope they got away, but¡­¡± She spoke fast, faster than Cass¡¯s skill could keep up in places, and listed off the locations Cass had never heard of like they were well-known landmarks but Cass got the gist more or less. ¡°How about you?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°How did a level 12 end up alone in the Deep?¡± Cass rocked on her stool. How to explain? How much to explain? ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to come here,¡± she said finally. ¡°I sort of fell.¡± Fell through a portal to another world. Fell in a chasm into the Deep. ¡°And the rest of your party?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shook her head. ¡°It''s just me.¡± ¡°Who let you come here on your own at your level?¡± Cass shrugged. She wanted to know that same thing. ¡°Whoever it was, sent you to die. Someone at your level has no (job?) being here. Especially not in the Deep.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± Cass said with a tired sigh. Salos was, of course, right about that. She was under-leveled. It was a miracle she was still alive. ¡°What¡¯s your plan from here?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Once we get out of the Demon God¡¯s Temple?¡± Cass shrugged again. ¡°I¡¯m trying to go home. That¡¯s all I want.¡± She left out that she had no idea how to get there. Alyx nodded. ¡°Same, honestly. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve had far greater (success?) than I (traded?) for. Killing the Lord of the Forest would have been more (¡­) useful, but the Lord of the Deep is far more (great?).¡± She was quiet for a long moment. ¡°Yes. Better to quit while I¡¯m ahead. If I still had my party I might try the Lord of the Forest anyway. As it is¡­ Maybe the Herald of the Pass? It would be good to get some (bonus?) on the way out¡­ Though¡­¡± her eyes trailed back to Cass, her words slowing. Cass raised an eyebrow. ¡°You saved me. You got me the Lord of the Deep kill to my name. I owe you more than I like. If you would like an (escort?) to the exit¡­ I could probably be (talked?) to do that for you.¡± Cass didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so found herself defaulting to modesty. ¡°I didn¡¯t save you for a reward, and I was going to kill the Lord anyway.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°I prefer to (remove?) my debts right away.¡± ¡°But, will you have time to do the other things you mentioned if you escort me to the exit first?¡± It was a stupid question. Cass knew it was stupid as soon as she asked it. Why did she care if Alyx had the time to go kill more stuff before lightning descended on the valley? She needed to get out of mortal danger as soon as possible. Alyx raised an eyebrow, a chuckle in her voice as she spoke. ¡°I thought you¡¯d learned your lesson?¡± Cass cocked her head to one side in confusion. ¡°If you want to (join?) me in fighting a Lord or Herald you should just ask me (straight?). I¡¯m not going to be more likely to let you tag along if you (wander?).¡± Cass¡¯s confusion redoubled. That sounded like Alyx thought she wanted to tag along. Why would she want to tag along? What did wandering¡­ Wait! Cass¡¯s eyes went wide as she realized what Alyx thought she was getting at. Cass shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, no, no. I do not want to go fight anything else, thank you. I¡¯ve seen more than enough violence to last me a lifetime.¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Then, what do you want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to inconvenience you,¡± Cass said quickly. Too quickly. Before she had time to think through the sentence. It was true, but maybe more honest than she would have liked to admit aloud. ¡°I see.¡± Alyx nodded slowly. ¡°You (got?) me the Lord of the Deep. I suppose I could (get?) you a Herald and then we could leave together. That would even things out I think.¡± Cass shook her head emphatically. How did she make it any clearer? What part of ¡®I want to go home¡¯ sounded like, ¡®please hunt a monster for me, thank you¡¯? ¡°You really¡ª¡° ¡°No, you can¡¯t (talk?) me to take on a Lord by myself. I know a Herald is not as valuable as the Lord you (hunted?) us, but unlike you, I don¡¯t have a (cheat?) to make the Lord of the Pass or Forest more (easy?). I think I can handle the Herald of the Forest though, you¡¯ll have to settle for that.¡± Cass shut her mouth. She didn¡¯t understand how she got here, but it was clear arguing wasn¡¯t going to change Alyx¡¯s mind. Ch. 63: On the Gods Cass and Alyx backtracked to the hidden room once Alyx was done eating. Neither had spent much time looking around previously, both badly injured and more focused on putting one foot in front of the other than looting ancient books. Ancient books did seem to be all there was though. Maybe if Salos was awake, he might have been able to find something in the mess of decayed paper and leather, but as it was, they didn¡¯t find anything still legible. ¡°A shame,¡± Alyx said, poking through yet another dusty shelf. ¡°I doubt a (¡­) would (ever be willing?) to come out here. They might have been able to make something of these.¡± ¡°A what?¡± Cass asked, her translation skill faltering on what Cass assumed was a particular profession. ¡°A (¡­)?¡± Alyx repeated the word. Cass shook her head, it was no clearer the second time. ¡°Someone who looks at old stuff? (¡­)? Relics? Old books like these,¡± Alyx gestured at the books. ¡°An archaeologist?¡± Cass tried guessing. The word came out in English. ¡°Someone who studies dead cultures?¡± ¡°That sounds right,¡± Alyx nodded. Jothi Language Comprehension has increased to level 4. Cass smiled to herself at the pop-up. Perhaps this would fill in the holes in her understanding of the language. ¡°An (archaeologist?) might have been able to make something of these,¡± Alyx repeated. Cass sighed. Or maybe a single level wasn¡¯t going to make an appreciable difference¡­ She focused back on the books. They were more dust than paper at this point. ¡°Even in this state?¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not an (expert?), this may be all too far gone for even a (professional?). But if they could, we might learn something. This looks like this is from the era of the Gods.¡± She pointed to the mural on the wall. ¡°This appears to (show?) the Goddess of Alacrity and her servants, Shadow and Might.¡± Cass squinted at the figures in the painting. They only roughly looked like people to her. ¡°How can you tell?¡± Alyx raised an eyebrow but pointed to the central figure¡¯s head. ¡°See how she wears a (monster?) crown?¡± Cass squinted harder at the headdress of the figure. It looked roughly like a crown, but also like it could have been devil horns or lightning. And what made it specifically a monster crown? Was it that they looked like devil horns? Alyx looked so emphatic though, Cass decided she¡¯d just nod. ¡°Then on either side, we see the gold eyes of Shadow here,¡± Alyx pointed to a black smudge of a figure etched with swirling gold lines. Cass supposed the gold swirls looked a bit like eyes there on the head. ¡°And the hammer of Might here.¡± She pointed to a larger figure with a very Thor-ish-looking hammer held up in one hand. ¡°And who are these people again?¡± Cass asked. Alyx looked at Cass, a strange expression on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t know the Goddess of Alacrity?¡± ¡°Alacrity is one of the Stats,¡± Cass said slowly. Alyx nodded, but the confused concern on her face didn¡¯t change. ¡°She¡¯s one of the Nine.¡± Cass¡¯s blank look didn¡¯t budge. ¡°One of the Nine Gods?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Oh, you have nine of them?¡± Cass knew it was a dumb sentence the minute it left her mouth, but what else was she supposed to say to that? Alyx just stared blankly at Cass, mouth open, brow furrowed. ¡°You don¡¯t know the Gods?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know your gods, no.¡± ¡°My Gods?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Sorry, is that disrespectful? But you don¡¯t really expect the gods where I¡¯m from to be the same as the ones you worship? Do you?¡± ¡°The Gods that (rule?) the System?¡± Cass scratched her head. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t want to get into a theological debate.¡± Alyx¡¯s head was all but spinning. Had Cass broken her? Was it possible this world only had one religion? Or maybe this region was isolated enough that other belief systems were uncommon enough to be unthinkable? She wasn¡¯t yelling about Cass being a heretic, so there was that at least. ¡°I¡¯d like to know more about them though,¡± Cass said finally. Alyx shook her head. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know about the Gods?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not exactly from here,¡± Cass said slowly. ¡°Where are you from that you don¡¯t have the Gods?¡± ¡°Earth?¡± Cass tried. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that Continent,¡± Alyx said, ¡°And I refuse to believe that it somehow (runs?) under different rules and a different System.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the system has to do with anything,¡± Cass said. ¡°Who else runs the System, besides the Gods? Why do you think there are nine of them?¡± Cass blinked. She didn¡¯t mean¡­ ¡°They¡¯re real?¡± Alyx and Cass stared at one another for another long minute. Again, Cass realized it was a dumb question. Of course, Alyx believed her gods were real. But, also, this was a fantasy world with magic and nonsense. Could there be real gods here? Gods people had actual, tangible contact with? No. That seemed a bridge too far. She hadn¡¯t seen anything to suggest divine intervention was a thing. Best to respectfully listen for now and not make any assumptions. ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± Alyx yelled. Cass shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s an open question where I¡¯m from.¡± Alyx opened her mouth to shout again but stopped before the words formed. She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of backward place you¡¯re from where you doubt the Gods, or what kind of (ignored?) place it might be, but yes, we have nine Gods, one for each Stat. The Goddess of Alacrity is particularly important to this Trial. ¡°This Trial is managed by two of the Nine: Alacrity and Dexterity. Alacrity manages everything above ground, the Pass and the Forest while the Demon God controls the Deep.¡± There was that title again, ¡®Demon God¡¯. Salos had paused over it before and it stuck out as odd to her. ¡°The God of Dexterity is the Demon God?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that weird to tie a stat to being evil? Doesn¡¯t everyone have Dexterity?¡± ¡°Who said anything about ¡®evil¡¯?¡± Alyx asked. She looked like she was about to jump into another round of yelling but she stopped herself, shaking her head and visibly deflating. ¡°You don¡¯t know any of this?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°Been too focused on surviving to spend any time on religion.¡± ¡°Entering this trial really shouldn¡¯t have been the first time you heard of this.¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°They don¡¯t teach this kind of thing where I¡¯m from.¡± ¡°Where was that again?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Earth.¡± ¡°And is that a Continent or a country?¡± ¡°Neither?¡± ¡°An Island?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°A (¡­)?¡± Cass just raised an eyebrow at that. Her skill didn¡¯t recognize that word. Actually, both Continent and Island carried a strange weight to them too. She couldn¡¯t say exactly what was different about them, just she was sure there was context to the words that she was missing. She felt it deep in her bones. Alyx shook her head, giving up. ¡°Anyway, my (first?) point is that this would have been quite a historic find if an (archaeologist?) could get here. But I doubt any ever will.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Cass asked. ¡°The level cap. No non-combatants would want to fight their way through that Caretaker without a team that can guarantee their life. And no one under 27 is going to even think about guaranteeing against an enemy that we can¡¯t report the level on. Besides, it''s not like your air pocket trick is something just any mage can (copy?).¡± ¡°Sorry, what¡¯s the level cap?¡± Cass asked. ¡°The max level allowed into the Valley? Level 27?¡± ¡°How are high-level people kept out?¡± The picture Salos had painted of this world was that the higher one¡¯s level the more tyrannical people became. ¡°The Gods?¡± So even higher leveled people feared the gods then? A really devoted lot they were, huh? Cass didn¡¯t think that would work for long on Earth, not when being here had tangible benefits. Still, Cass wasn¡¯t about to open that argument again so soon. Ch. 64: Concepts ¡°I don¡¯t think there is anything for us here,¡± Alyx said after another minute of searching through the shelves of the hidden room. Cass nodded in agreement. It was disappointingly void of clues to get her home. ¡°Did you get the (gem?) from the Lord when you killed it?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°The what?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know that word, (gem?)?¡± ¡°Do you have all your (ideas?)?¡± Alyx tried. Cass shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t recognize that one either.¡± ¡°Did you get anything from the Lord?¡± There was an unmistakable frustration burrowing in Alyx¡¯s voice. ¡°Just the quest reward,¡± Cass said helplessly. ¡°I had a feeling. Come on, show me where you found the Lord.¡± Cass led the way back into the nursery. The Caretaker¡¯s remains were no less gruesome scattered around the floor where they¡¯d killed him. Cass tried not to look at it or the purple ichor still oozing from the corpse. Alyx seemed to have no such problem, going so far as to pause and pick something off the corpse as they passed. ¡°Wait. Here.¡± Alyx held out two objects. One was a circlet, the other a broach. Aura Crown Class: Accessory [A circlet crafted to broadcast the wearer¡¯s aura in a defensive halo and projects peerless confidence to all who see it. This is an artifact from another age, knowledge of its construction has long been lost. Increases Effective Frt by 20% in areas covered by the Aura. Increases Effective Frt by 5% over rest of contiguous body. Increases the effect of Aura, Leadership, and Taming-related skills.] Aura Cloak Class: Accessory [A broach which manifests the wearer¡¯s aura in a defensive cloak. This is an artifact from another age, knowledge of its construction has long been lost. Increases Effective Frt by 20% in areas covered by the Aura. Increases Effective Frt by 5% over rest of contiguous body. Increases the effect of Aura, Movement, and Defensive skills.] ¡°You want me to take these?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. Cass still hesitated. By all rights, she¡¯d already taken some of the loot in the form of the Core. Maybe Alyx didn¡¯t see her take it? Or didn¡¯t remember? Or maybe she didn¡¯t realize it was valuable. Then again, maybe it wasn¡¯t valuable. Cass wasn¡¯t sure what uses crystallized souls had for most people. Setting that aside, Cass wasn¡¯t sure she deserved any loot from the Caretaker. Cass hadn¡¯t killed it, after all. That honor belonged to Alyx. Moreover, Cass had recklessly charged in before abandoning her in the middle. ¡°I¡¯m just (...) pay you back,¡± Alyx attempted to explain, seeing Cass hesitating. ¡°This is the least that I (debt?). You didn¡¯t have to bring me with you. You didn¡¯t even need to save me.¡± There was a reservation in Alyx¡¯s voice at odds with the words. Was she bitter about the way things had gone? Was she disappointed to be missing out on the treasure? Cass shook her head. ¡°I would have died if you hadn¡¯t finished off the Caretaker. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to sneak off to kill the Lord, much less sneak attack the Caretaker if you hadn¡¯t held its attention. You should take at least one of them.¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes narrowed, though whether that was from attempting to decode Cass¡¯s likely broken Jothi or because she didn¡¯t trust Cass, Cass could only guess. Cass could imagine Salos berating her for giving up an advantage for nothing like this, but Cass didn¡¯t care. He still wasn¡¯t saying anything and she could do what she wanted. This was the least she could do to apologize for the unmitigated mess she¡¯d pulled them into. ¡°I¡¯ll take the crown, then, if you (...),¡± Alyx said slowly, still holding her hand out with the two objects. Cass took the broach. ¡°Fine by me.¡± Alyx fit the circlet on her head. It flared to life in an amber halo around her head, like what the Caretaker had worn but significantly smaller and less intense. Cass struggled to pin the broach to what remained of her PJs. She dropped her staff in the struggle. It bounced across the wet floor with a clatter and a splash. With both hands, Cass got her loot pinned in place and watched in awe as a cloak of light billowed around her shoulders. It was a soft blue, the color of the sky along the horizon, and hung weightless from her shoulders. She touched it with one hand and found it warm. As she bent down to pick up her staff, she found her hand passed right through the cloak, as did her staff. Interesting, so it was only solid when she wanted it to be. ¡°Neat, then should we¡ª¡° Cass pointed back to the door they¡¯d come from and the teleporter beyond it. Alyx shook her head. ¡°The Lord should have more (loot?) for you. Where is its corpse?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Um, this way,¡± Cass pointed deeper into the room. She retraced her steps to the basin she¡¯d fought the Lord in. She hadn¡¯t been sure she would be able to find it, but there were only so many filled with blood. It didn¡¯t end up being too hard to find. ¡°This one?¡± Alyx confirmed, grimacing in front of the bloody basin. Cass nodded. Alyx tapped it with one foot. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you want to go (¡­) in there?¡± ¡°What are we looking for?¡± Cass asked, not any happier about the idea of splashing around in there. The fact it was probably half her blood didn¡¯t make her any more eager. Alyx sighed and shook her head. ¡°One moment. Let me try something.¡± She drew her sword and lifted it above her head. It and the aura crown glowed gold, growing brighter as she held it high. Brighter and brighter and brighter. Just as Cass had to look away from the intensity of the light, Alyx drove the sword down. It crashed through the basin¡¯s wall, cutting a deep and wide gash in the side. Bloody water came spilling out. Cass and Alyx both scurried to either side to avoid the worst of it. When the water had settled again, it was only a couple of inches deep, revealing the corpse of the lizard monster. Alyx stabbed her sword through its chest, butchering the lizard with uncomfortable comfort. A moment later she had bent over and picked a gem out from its chest. It shimmered in the green light of the Deep. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°This is a (gem?),¡± Alyx said, holding it out to Cass. Concept Gem (Twilight) [Class: System A crystallized Concept, distilled through the death of a significant foe. This particular gem holds the concept of Twilight, where the light meets the dark.] As soon as Cass read Identify¡¯s description, the word Alyx had been saying clicked into place as if she¡¯d always understood it. Concept Gem. It was unsettling, but she ignored the discomfort. She had other questions. ¡°What is a Concept?¡± It was a question she¡¯d had for a long while but which had never been relevant enough of a priority to ask Salos. Ever since she first saw: Concepts: -None on her status window. Alyx scratched her head. ¡°You don¡¯t know that word either?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°It''s like, an understanding of a¡­¡± Alyx spun her hand, gesturing at something ineffable. ¡°Or maybe like a (basic?) part of the world? A (¡­) for your skills to grow more powerful?¡± Cass shook her head. None of what she gathered from that cleared anything up. She really wished that Salos was available right now. ¡°It''s part of who you are,¡± Alyx continued trying. ¡°How you (link?) to the (everything?). (¡­) but growing. Absolute but changing.¡± ¡°Sorry, I caught even less of that.¡± Cass shook her head, even more confused now than she¡¯d been before. Alyx shook her head. ¡°Look it doesn¡¯t matter. You know what this is now that you¡¯ve seen it, right?¡± Cass looked between the gem Alyx held out for her and the woman. She wanted to say, ¡®yes, of course, this all makes sense now¡¯, but it really, really didn¡¯t. Alyx sighed. ¡°Look, just take it. You killed the Lord, so this one is yours. Besides, I have all three of mine and this is a bad (interlock?) for my Concepts.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Cass said, gingerly taking the gem from Alyx. It shimmered in her hand, hypnotic and swirling. Absorb Concept Gem (Twilight)? Cass blinked. She hadn¡¯t expected the prompt. Once again, she wished Salos was awake to tell her what the hell was happening. Without another option, she asked Alyx, ¡°Should I absorb this?¡± ¡°Up to you. Does it sound like it will (mix?) well with your (current?) Concepts? If you want to use it, now is a good time before we leave the Temple.¡± That didn¡¯t help. But it sounded like Concepts were desirable. And she didn¡¯t dislike the sound of Twilight. As she mentally agreed to absorb the thing, it exploded into a ball of light. Absorbing Concept Gem. [Open Concept slot available. Decomposing Gem into compatible Concepts. Select Concept to fill slot:
  1. Astral
  2. Liminal
  3. Harmony]
Great, another menu that Cass didn¡¯t understand. Did she pick at random? Should she have waited until Salos was awake to help her? ¡°What should I pick?¡± Cass asked, once again, without other options. Alyx raised an eyebrow. ¡°You want my (opinion?)? I don¡¯t know enough about what Concepts you already have, how you have them (spread?), or what plans you might be (aiming?). You can¡¯t possibly want to share all that with me.¡± Salos¡¯s warnings about sharing details of her stats with others rang in her ears. She shook her head. But where did that leave her? Picking randomly? ¡°Aren¡¯t there some general principles you could share?¡± Cass begged. Alyx hummed to herself in thought. ¡°Unless you have a (...) goal, there is no wrong answer?¡± Cass shook her head, that did not help. Alyx shrugged. ¡°Pick what (rings?) with you. Er, what feels right? Pick who you want to be. The mark you want to leave on the world.¡± What feels right? What did that even mean? Cass shook her head. She knew too little about the consequences to spend a long time thinking about it. What she did know was that Concepts affected her skills somehow. She flipped through her skills for examples. Stealth (lvl 8) (Wind) [Slink through the shadows through places you should not be or do not wish to be found. Unseen as the wind. As quiet as a breath. ¡­ Association with the Concept of Wind increases the effect of these bonuses while user is in motion ¡­] Sprint (lvl 2) (Wind) [Run! Run like the wind! ¡­ Association with the Concept of Wind passively decreases the SP cost of all running related activities.] Wind Blade (lvl 6) (Wind) [Through the study of the winds, you have discovered how to shape them into a weapon of your will. None can stop the wind. ¡­ Association with the Concept of Wind increases the speed of the blades and allows for greater control of shape and direction. ¡­] Beacon of Home and Hearth (lvl 5) (Hearth) [Home is what you make of it. You carry yours in your heart. Keep the hearth stoked and there will always be a place to welcome you home. ¡­ Association with the Concept of Hearth doubles the effect of all Rest buffs and Home buffs on you.] And that was it. Not a large sample pool, but it was more than nothing. If these were something to go off of, Wind affected speed and movement of skills, while Hearth heightened buffs or maybe regeneration. There was a kind of intuitive sense to that. Wind was wild and free. It blew where it wanted when it wanted. Hearth on the other hand was the center of a home in ancient times. The place food was cooked and the warmest part of the house on cold nights. So what did she want to add? What did these words mean to her? Astral was the stars above. The planets. The sun. All things she hadn¡¯t seen since stepping into this world. They¡¯d been obscured the entire time, either behind the heavy clouds or by a firmament of stone. Were they the same here? She pushed that longing for the sky aside. What would Astral be as a Concept modifying her skills? The stars were constant. They existed whether she could see them or not. If you knew enough, they could act as guides, pointing north. So, perhaps constant guidance? How about Liminal? That was a transition or a place in between. It could be uncanny or strange. But they were also inherently interesting. They captured the imagination in a way other spaces just couldn¡¯t. And, in some sense, wasn¡¯t her very existence Liminal? She was human, yet the System had declared her slyphid. One could construe her to be both, or at any point neither. As for what it might do for her skills? What would they be transitioning between? The skills of a human and a slyphid? Was there a difference? Maybe it would apply paradoxical effects, attacks that miss hitting anyway, for example? And finally, there was Harmony. It was something she wanted for her life. She wanted the fighting which had been her existence since she arrived to stop. She wanted peace. She wanted to get along with whoever lived here, and for them to send her home. What would that look like on her skills though? She had a hard time imagining how it might get applied. Forced calming effects? Non-lethal attacks? Healing? Heightened balance? She discarded the option without too much thought. It was the one she had the hardest time imagining how it might work. That left Astral and Liminal. Astral appealed to her. Or the stars did, at least. It appealed to her an unnatural amount. She¡¯d always liked astronomy. She¡¯d gone through a star girl phase in elementary school, checking out every book on astronomy and mythology from the school library. But, she hadn¡¯t thought much about it in the years since. Was it as simple as not having seen them in the couple of weeks she¡¯d been here? Or was it the slyphid part of her begging to see open skies again? And how much did she want to give in to that impulse? How much of it was her and how much was it something the System had done to her? On the other hand, Liminal seemed to embrace both the human she still thought of herself as and the slyphid she¡¯d become without commenting on either one. Without changing that balance. That was what it came down to in the end. Perhaps she was picking out of fear, instead of based on the potential each promised. But right now, it felt right. The light that had exploded out of the gem rushed into her, its green sheen shifting to lilac as it disappeared into her skin before fading out entirely. The light was accompanied by a rush of energy. Different than a level-up. Less solid? More nebulous? It was more like a promise for the future than a reward right now. And just as suddenly as it started, it ended again. Nothing had changed except, that her status screen now said: Concepts: [- Wind - Hearth - Liminal] ¡°Is that it?¡± Cass asked when nothing else happened. Alyx nodded. ¡°You have never used a Gem before?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t your first Concept was it?¡± Cass shook her head again. Alyx raised an eyebrow. ¡°Were the earlier ones (¡­) then? Or did you (cook?) them yourself?¡± Cass shrugged. She didn¡¯t know what any of that meant. ¡°Fair enough,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Anyway, I think that¡¯s everything for us here. We should get going.¡± Cass tried to think of any other reasons to loiter. Anything to stall until Salos woke up, but she didn¡¯t have any ideas. They were both as healed up as they could expect to be from the Angel¡¯s Grace and the Safe Zone, their resources refilled. They¡¯d looted what could be looted. It was time to get moving. Ch. 65: The West Forest ¡°And you¡¯re sure this is safe?¡± Cass asked, looking at the return portal. As she had guessed, the octagonal, stone platform in the Safe Zone was the portal out of the Deep. However, she found herself less than thrilled at the prospect of using it. Alyx glared at Cass. ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± Cass gestured to it in answer. It and the black, tentacle-like tendrils undulating around it. It and the glowing red sigils crisscrossing the surface in a distinctly demonic pattern. It and the unpleasant whispering emanating from the air around it. Alyx looked between Cass and the return portal. ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t see a problem with the tentacles?¡± ¡°Tentacles?¡±Alyx repeated the word in English to Cass¡¯s dismay. ¡°Tendrils?¡± Cass tried, waving her arms like the creepy things. Alyx continued to look blankly at Cass. Cass switched tacks. ¡°And the blood-red sigils? That looks safe and friendly to you?¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°And the noise it''s making? Doesn¡¯t give you horror movie vibes? Doesn¡¯t feel like it''s a portal to the underworld? No? Just me?¡± ¡°This was made by the Gods,¡± Alyx said. ¡°It¡¯ll take us outside. I don¡¯t know about any lower worlds you¡¯re worried about.¡± Cass sighed. Either this was simply a cultural mishmash such that these things didn¡¯t register as unusual to Alyx or only Cass could see/hear them for reasons she didn¡¯t care to speculate on. Either way, Alyx wasn¡¯t concerned about the clearly evil portal to elsewhere. It was fine. What was the worst that could happen? She fell through the world again and ended up in a second magical other world? It wasn¡¯t like she had any attachment to this one. Well, the worst that could happen was it killed her, she supposed. But if she started speculating that every magic object she saw would kill her¨Cthat was actually a fair assumption, now that she thought about it, but no¨Cshe¡¯d never get anywhere if she did that. No, more to the point, either she trusted Alyx and the supposed Return Portal, or she stayed here indefinitely. Not much of a choice there¡­ ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re sure,¡± Cass said hesitantly as she stepped toward the platform. Alyx snorted. ¡°You really think the Gods would make a mistake on their own trial?¡± Cass didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Come on,¡± Alyx said and stepped onto the platform, grabbing Cass¡¯s hand and pulling her the last step. The shadow tendrils wrapped around her body. Cass¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Oh. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. No! They were touching her. Grabbing her. If she¡¯d known this was how teleportation worked she would have fought her way out of the Deep instead. Oh, hell, no. No way. Not a chance in hell. She was hyperventilating. Her breathing was fast and shallow. The air around her constricting. She was trapped down here. She couldn¡¯t breathe. The fact that she didn¡¯t need to hardly mattered. It was night again. She was walking from her tent to the bathrooms. The ground fell out from under her feet. Things were grabbing her ankles. Her wrists. Pulling. They were pulling her down. There was pain. Only pain. And screaming. Her screaming. She was alone. No one could help her. No air. No light. Just the nothingness that followed. Just¡ª Light? Cass blinked. The Deep was gone. The Safe Zone, gone. The stone platform under her feet, gone. The tendrils, blessedly gone. ¡°You okay?¡± Alyx asked. She stood over Cass, concern heavy on her brow. Cass was on the ground, curled up in the grass. They were now in a forest clearing, surrounded by tall, blue trees. Above, the sky was still dark with heavy clouds, threatening rain and¡ªto Cass¡¯s Atmospheric Senses¡ªlightning. Cass took a deep breath and then another. She wasn¡¯t in the void again. She was out under open skies. She was okay. Cass nodded weakly. Alyx helped her up, at least one question stirring behind her politely closed mouth. Cass ignored it, instead asking, ¡°Where are we?¡± Wherever it was, it was good to be under the open sky again. Caves were just not a place for a person to live for any length of time. She breathed the clear air deeply, inhaling the rich earthy smells of moist forest. It smelled like rain. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. But it would be another week if Atmospheric Sense was to be believed. Another week before those clouds burst. Cass paused. A whole week? Yes, Atmospheric Sense was sure. Could it tell her now because its level had gone up in the week she¡¯d spent underground, or because it was just a week closer to bursting than it had been? More importantly, was that enough time to get out of the storm? ¡°Looks like West Forest,¡± Alyx said finally. That didn¡¯t mean anything to Cass, but Alyx continued like it should have before Cass could ask follow-up questions. ¡°Stay close to me. We should move as quickly as we can. It''s best not to stay here longer than we need to.¡± ¡°Because the Storm is coming?¡± Cass asked, glancing up at the sky again. Alyx shook her head. ¡°No. Well, that too, I guess. I¡¯m more concerned with the (roving?) Herald and Lord that live in this area.¡± ¡°(Roving)?¡± Cass parroted back dumbly. ¡°Yeah?¡± Alyx raised an eyebrow. ¡°As in, they could be anywhere?¡± Alyx nodded slowly. Jothi Language Comprehension has increased to level 5. ¡°You didn¡¯t know even that?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Unlike the Deep, whose Lord lives in a specific chamber, and the Pass, whose Lord guards said pass, the Lord of the Forest and his Herald range over the entire Forest. They could appear anywhere at any time.¡± ¡°And, is there any warning they are close?¡± Cass asked slowly. ¡°The Lord always travels with his (followers?) and (females?). But the Herald has no warning, no.¡± ¡°And, what are they, again?¡± ¡°The Lord is a massive Bluetail Deer. The Herald is a Lightning-phased Lion. Come on, we should move.¡± Cass nodded, trying to ignore the ice in her chest. Bluetail Deer? Like that lordling she¡¯d encountered on the first day? Were these those same woods? And a Lord and a Herald just wandered them? Cass imagined running into the Centipede in these forests. Would she have been able to hide from it out here? How close had she come to these monsters? What did it matter, the rational core asked. She hadn¡¯t. Irrational fear imagined her encountering these monsters in a hundred different ways. Blowing into them as she rode the wind. Stumbling into them as she crested a hill. Ambushing her as she slept. It hadn¡¯t happened. She wasn¡¯t alone now. Alyx stopped, suddenly, turning back to Cass. ¡°If things go bad¡­ If I¡­ If we get separated, the exit is that way.¡± She pointed in a direction. The direction the wind was coming from, Atmospheric Sense noted. Cass nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Alyx looked away again, walking faster. ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it. You won¡¯t need to know that. We won¡¯t be separated.¡± Cass nodded and scurried to catch up. They hadn¡¯t walked far when Alyx stopped them again, a finger to her lips. She pointed through the trees. She mouthed something but Cass just shook her head. She couldn¡¯t read lips for a language she didn¡¯t know. Alyx frowned but pointed more forcefully. Cass squinted, flaring Identify to find what Alyx was pointing out. She saw it a moment later, the black and swirling grey fur through the bushes. Terrorcat Lvl 9 It was a higher level than the one Cass had fought. But she was a much higher level now too. Alyx pantomimed walking, drew her sword, and pointed at the cat. She wanted to kill it? Cass pursed her lips but nodded. Her shoulder ached with phantom pain from the wounds the last terror cat had inflicted. Wounds long since healed. Her heart beat loudly in her ears. Images of the creature leaping on her and latching its claws into her flesh sprang unavoidably to her mind. Indifferent rationality whispered she was overreacting. This was nothing compared to the Lord. She¡¯d beaten the Herald of the Deep. She¡¯d slain the Caretaker. Even the Grotto Spider was a bigger foe. Yet, her heartbeat was all she could hear. Irrational and loud, it screamed she should hide. Screamed that thing wasn¡¯t something a girl like her could handle. She readied her staff anyway. Staff Mastery adjusted her stance. It whispered that such a thing was beneath her. That a single level nine monster was nothing after everything she¡¯d been through. She could handle this. It would even be easy. A Wind Blade formed at the end of her staff. She had beaten one of these when she was only level one with no skills or magic to speak of. She had fought worse since. So why was her heart pounding in her ears? Her shoulder ached. She could feel the gashes across her back and side. Claws dug deep into her flesh. She inhaled sharply. Stop that. That was then. This was now. But it hadn¡¯t been that long ago. They crept closer. Her Stealth guided each uneven step. Silent. Deadly. This time she would ambush it. Alyx beside her wasn¡¯t nearly as silent. Her foot fell heavily on some forest debris. It cracked in the silence. The terrorcat flicked its ears back, its head turning. It saw the two of them and snarled. Its fur bristled and it leapt. Alyx sidestepped the lunge. Her sword arched, leaving a long gash in the cat¡¯s side. Cass¡¯s staff followed, its Wind Bladed tip stabbing deep. Blood burst from the wound as the cat pulled away, its steps clumsy, its blood pouring down its side. Alyx darted around to cut off its retreat, her sword and crown glowing gold with her aura. The terrorcat leapt anyway, claws out, reaching for Alyx¡¯s throat. It met her sword instead, one of its legs sheared from its body by Alyx¡¯s swinging blade. The cat bounced across the forest floor, blood trailing as it fell. It struggled to its remaining feet, but Cass was already there, her heart pounding. She stabbed down with all her Strength, impaling the monster and pinning it to the forest floor. The cat howled in pain, but Cass didn¡¯t let go. It thrashed. Cass twisted her glaive. Blood splattered. The howling became whimpers. The thrashing slowed. In moments, it had fallen silent again. Alyx breathed a sigh of relief as she sheathed her blade. ¡°Gods, I hate ambush predators.¡± Cass stared down at the corpse of the cat. It had been easy. So easy. Too easy? She was just that much stronger now. Had she changed that much since she¡¯d arrived? How much stronger was she? How much faster? Just from a handful of levels. What would she be like in a few more? How quickly would she reach a point where the Grotto Spider was inconsequential? The Herald? The corpse was snarling, even in death. Still vicious and cruel-looking. Was that just the face of the wildlife here? Was this her fate? To kill anything and everything that might hurt her in the future. ¡°You good?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°One of these almost killed me before I met you,¡± Cass explained without looking up. ¡°I almost died.¡± ¡°They are pretty vicious ambush predators,¡± Alyx agreed. ¡°They aren¡¯t especially high level, but they don¡¯t need to be if they jump out of thin air and bite out your throat. No shame in being ambushed by something lower level than you.¡± ¡°I was lower leveled than it,¡± Cass said. ¡°I got lucky.¡± ¡°You were lower level than a Terrorcat? This happened in this Trial?¡± Cass nodded. Looking at it still frightened her. She¡¯d killed it so easily. But it still filled her with the same terror that the first one had. ¡°Come on,¡± Alyx said finally. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t linger.¡± Cass nodded and let Alyx lead her along the forest path. Ch. 66: Separate Form The rest of the day was uneventful. Several boar leapt from the bushes to find themselves skewered on either Cass¡¯s spear or Alyx¡¯s sword. If there were other monsters out there, they avoided the women. Eventually, night fell. Cass Set Camp as had become second nature. With little fuss, the fire went up with some fallen logs and a couple of applications of Elemental Manipulation. Alyx had butchered one of the boar and roasted it thoroughly on their fire. The meat was stringy with an unpleasant bitter flavor and had been cooked through so thoroughly that it was more char than meat, but it was nice to eat something that wasn¡¯t an unflavored baked potato or a questionable mushroom after so long. Even if she didn¡¯t need to eat. Cass shoved the thought aside and focused on enjoying her charred boar and herbal tea she¡¯d brewed from the nearby plants. If she ignored the threat of a big monster appearing out of the woods, it was almost like she was camping again. That being said, she missed her sleeping bag. She had made herself a bed from a collection of tree boughs she¡¯d cut and stacked beside their fire. It was better than lying directly on the dirt, but not by much. If she ever got home, she¡¯d never complain about the camping cot and sleeping bag again, she promised the dark sky above. Across the remains of the fire, Alyx slept. Cass felt a little bad about that. She probably was only sleeping so soundly because she thought that Cass/Salos was keeping watch in her sleep. But Cass didn¡¯t want to explain that Salos wasn¡¯t around to do that. Cass rolled over again. She was about to fall asleep when a loud pinging jolted her awake. It didn¡¯t have a source, rather it pinged in her head. It came with a System window. Evolution Complete. Choose new functionality: [1. Separate Form - allow your demon familiar a separable body, allowing them to act as an independent entity for the purposes of many skills. Reduces level restriction from (Users level / 2) to (Users level - 5).
  1. Shared Form - allow greater synchronicity between you and your demon familiar. Increased stat and skill sharing.
  2. Demonic Form - allows you to take on your demon¡¯s true form, giving you full access to their natural skills and ratio of stats.]
Cass bolted upright. Salos! He didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Salos?¡± she repeated aloud. Her voice was a shaking whisper, caught between the need to reach him and the fear of disturbing Alyx. Still nothing. Would he wake up if she picked one of these? She had so many questions. So many worries. What was the Caretaker? What was that core? Was he okay? What was that demonic possession during the fight? The madness? His forgiveness? And so many could be resolved if he would just¡ª Did she want the answers? Did she want him to wake up? A chill settled over her. They hadn¡¯t been on the best of terms when he¡¯d gone dark. Between her Command and his possession¡­ She inhaled slowly. She shouldn¡¯t trust him. He shouldn¡¯t trust her. He might hate her. That was why he¡¯d been unwilling to talk to her right before the Caretaker, wasn¡¯t it? That single accidental Command was enough for him to hate her down to his core. She¡¯d hate her. She¡¯d hate anything that tried to control her like that. There was no way the silence between them was going to break. It didn¡¯t matter she hadn¡¯t meant to. There was no way to know if it would happen again. She could promise she¡¯d never do it again, but how could he trust that? What guarantee would he have she wouldn¡¯t go back on her word? He didn¡¯t believe in people. He¡¯d never believe her. And what about her? Should she trust him now? She¡¯d exerted unnatural control over him. In his place, she¡¯d do everything in her power to escape. She could only see one option for him. Taking her body was literally his only choice. Whatever goodwill she might have built before the Command was gone. Was that why he¡¯d possessed her during the Caretaker fight? Did he see a chance and grab it? The deranged hunger of his voice while they¡¯d fought echoed in her memories. The pull of his desires on her thoughts, the weight of his emotions on her own. Was that the depths of his desperation? Could she even blame him for it? Her knuckles went white around the pendant. ¡°The only person whose strength you can depend on is your own. Never put yourself in someone else¡¯s power if you can avoid it.¡± Salos¡¯s words rang in her head. He must hate her. Hate his situation. Cass shook her head. She hadn¡¯t asked for this. She hadn¡¯t meant to Command him. She hadn¡¯t asked for a demon servant. It was the System¡¯s fault for all this. Not hers. Not hers. Maybe if she repeated that enough she¡¯d believe it. But whether she believed it or not, she had to do something. As reasonable as his hatred probably was, she couldn¡¯t just let him possess her. She needed what he could do for her. She had Alyx now. But for how long? Salos¡¯s warnings whispered in her ears. Could she really trust her? And even if she could be trusted, would their goals align forever? Surely, Alyx had her own things going on. Would she want to help Cass get home? Could she even if she wanted to? Alyx would eventually leave. And then what would Cass do? Go back to wandering the wilderness lost and alone? She pushed the thought aside. She needed to pick one of these three upgrades. The options did not thrill her. She discarded Demonic Form right away. She had enough existential dread from being slyphid, she didn¡¯t need to add another transformation on top of that right now. Shared Form wasn¡¯t a lot better on that front. What exactly did ¡°greater synchronicity¡± mean? How much more in sync would they be beyond sharing a body? She didn¡¯t want that for herself and she refused to inflict that on Salos either. That left Separate Form. On the surface, it was easily the least objectionable. Giving Salos his own, independent body might even alleviate some of the tension between them. But there was that last sentence: [Reduces level restriction from (Users level / 2) to (Users level - 5).] Her high Will and Resilience were all that was keeping him from possessing her. If his Will was allowed to approach her own, as it almost assuredly would if his level was allowed to creep closer, what would happen to her? He was already able to exert some influence over her as evidenced by the demonic possession during the Caretaker fight. What would happen if the gap in their strength shrunk further? She ran a hand through her hair. But if not Separate Form, what then? The other options were worse. She could just¡­ not pick something. Right now, Salos was asleep. Or in some sort of stasis. Or muted? Paralyzed? Whatever the case, he couldn¡¯t talk to her. He probably couldn¡¯t affect her. He probably couldn¡¯t possess her. If she just left him like this, couldn¡¯t her life just continue? She could be a normal person. No head demons whispering in her ears. No one telling her who she could or couldn¡¯t trust. What she should or shouldn¡¯t say? But what happened to him? Was he conscious, but trapped? Would he be forced to watch her life unfold through her eyes, unable to even speak? She shuddered. Did anyone deserve that? Was she willing to inflict that on another? The night curled around her, dark and oppressive. The clouds above choked out the sky, their weight pressing against her senses. It was cold, despite the fire still burning low beside her, the wind gleefully stealing the heat from the flames and her body. There were no guarantees no matter how she looked at it. Maybe Salos hated her. Maybe Alyx would leave. Maybe Cass could survive on her own. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. But she didn¡¯t want any of that. To act like these were true was to make them so. If Salos hated her, the answer was to oppress him and make sure he could never be a threat. If Alyx would leave, the answer was to hold the woman at a distance so parting would not hurt. These were sensible actions. Cold and calculated and would ensure that Cass survived another day in a cold world. But Cass was tired of the cold. She selected Separate Form from the list. The necklace heated in her hand. She let go of it with a hiss of surprise. A purple glow manifested around it, speckled with shimmering gold flecks. The light floated up, off the necklace, hovering before her eyes. The flecks coalesced into gold eyes. They blinked amid the purple haze. ¡°What happened?¡± the haze muttered in a voice unmistakably Salos¡¯s. The language it spoke in was neither English nor Jothi, yet, Cass understood him perfectly. ¡°Salos?¡± Cass whispered. The gold eyes blinked, the space above and between furrowing. ¡°Cass?¡± ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± Her breath caught in her throat. ¡°Yes?¡± The glowing cloud looked back and forth. ¡°We appear to be outside?¡± Cass nodded. A hundred questions whirled in her head but the only one she could force through her lips was: ¡°How much do you remember?¡± He hummed to himself, squinting up at the dark sky. ¡°I remember entering the nursery. We were looking for the Lord¡­ And, then¡­¡± The haze shook back and forth. ¡°Everything after that is blurry. I¡ªI remember attacking you? But that does not make sense...¡± Cass quietly explained what he¡¯d missed. The color in the cloud darkened. ¡°Salos?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I reacted like that to that Caretaker thing?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Do you know what it was?¡± He shook again. ¡°No, we did not have anything like that in my day. That is a recent addition. And, well, given how I reacted to seeing it¡­ And the thing you found when it was destroyed¡­¡± ¡°What was it, Salos?¡± Cass asked. He looked away, refusing to look Cass in the eyes. His voice dropped to the barest whisper. ¡°It was probably made with a piece of my soul. That was probably the core you collected after.¡± ¡°Which is why the necklace absorbed it,¡± Cass said. He nodded. ¡°And why my demon instincts reacted that way.¡± The wind blew cold between them. The fire flickered. Slowly, Cass asked, ¡°Is that going to happen every time we run into a piece of your soul?¡± He hovered lower, sagging before her. ¡°Likely. It may even be worse. I may lose myself to that madness anytime pieces of souls are about, mine or not. It''s a demon¡¯s most fundamental instinct, to fix the broken edges of their souls. They¡ªwe¡ªI compulsively need to fill the cracks. ¡°Any soul that might fit into one of the empty spaces will be jammed in, whether it''s a good fit or not. The better the fit, the stronger the desire to possess it¡± ¡°And since we¡¯re connected, I¡¯m going to get pulled along in that madness?¡± Cass ran a frustrated hand through her hair. He nodded. ¡°Anything I can do?¡± ¡°Keep increasing your Will. Resolve too. Keep those outpacing me and there won¡¯t be anything I can do to you.¡± He sighed too. ¡°Though, that will make your Commands stronger too.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± A pang of guilt tweaked her stomach and pulled heavy on her heart. Here it was. He was done talking to her, right? They were on the same page now. He could go back to ignoring her. ¡°Unrelated, but what is happening here?¡± His cloud rippled as he spoke. ¡°This is new.¡± Her teeth unclenched. Right. There was at least a little more to tell him. She explained the pop-up she¡¯d just gotten as the necklace finished evolving and her choice. ¡°And you really picked Separate Form?¡± He looked up at her, his eyes wide. Cass shrugged and looked away. ¡°Should I have picked something else?¡± ¡°No! Well,¡± he sputtered hovering back a step. ¡°Demonic Form was probably the most powerful of the three¡­¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°Seemed like it would be disorienting to have my stats and skills swap like that.¡± The cloud contracted and rocked back and forth in place. Finally, he said, ¡°It might have had the highest difficulty curve, I can see that.¡± Cass nodded like that was exactly the reason she¡¯d discarded Demonic Form as an option. ¡°So, is this the Separate Form? It seems more nebulous than I was expecting.¡± ¡°I feel like the skill is waiting for something,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Like what?¡± Cass asked. ¡°A prompt?¡± he suggested. ¡°Like, the form you should take?¡± Cass asked. He nodded. He needed a form. That made some sense. Floating purple cloud was a look, but it didn¡¯t seem terribly practical. But, what would be? No, there was only one option, if it was allowed. ¡°Humanoid?¡± Cass tried. His eyes went wide. They both held their breaths. Nothing happened. ¡°No.¡± He shook again. ¡°Humanoid is probably too big for the skill¡¯s current level. ¡°Well, that¡¯s lame. What now?¡± ¡°Pick something else.¡± ¡°You pick,¡± Cass said flopping back onto her pine needle bed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°This again?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Summoners usually have opinions about what they want from their familiars.¡± He floated down beside Cass. She could feel him beside her shoulder. His voice was cold, but there was a warmth where his haze touched her body, despite not having a solid form. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t summon you.¡± ¡°No, I guess not.¡± The night was quiet. The sky was dark. The smell of smoke from the campfire filled the air. ¡°So what do you want?¡± she asked again. He hesitated. ¡°You really have no preferences?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s going to use the form.¡± And she knew exactly what it was to be in the body of something else. She refused to do that to someone else. ¡°A bird would be useful to you¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°I sense a ¡®but¡¯ there?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t like flying if you force me to be honest.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I¡¯ll keep that under advisement. That wasn¡¯t my question though.¡± He grumbled. ¡°Fine, fine. Let me think. It isn¡¯t every day you get asked what you want to be.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, take your time.¡± Cass nestled deeper into her bed. She couldn¡¯t explain it, but it was suddenly far more comfortable than it had been earlier that evening. A yawn escaped her lips. ¡°But pick before I fall asleep.¡± ¡°Take your time, she says, hurry up, she says,¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯m thinking, I¡¯m thinking. We should pick a terrestrial animal. Probably best to go with something that won¡¯t stand out too much. Something that I can use my blade skills with. Something with naturally high Dexterity so I can make the most of my stats.¡± ¡°And something you¡¯ll be comfortable in,¡± Cass reminded him. ¡°Yes, yes. For some reason, that is your primary concern.¡± He snorted. ¡°Okay, how would you feel about a feline form?¡± ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I think that would be the optimal¡ª¡° ¡°Did I stutter, Salos?¡± Cass¡¯s tone was flat. ¡°N-no?¡± ¡°What was my question?¡± ¡°If a feline form is what I wanted,¡± he replied sheepishly. ¡°So is it?¡± Cass asked again. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. ¡°Is that okay?¡± Cass sighed. ¡°I told you you could pick, why would I change my mind now?¡± He squirmed at her side. ¡°Well, there was the whole possession business. And now you know about Commands. And you might have wanted to punish me, so you could force me into something I hated, just because¡­¡± Cass sat up and looked down at him. In his eyes, she could see all her fears reflected. The desire to trust her. The fear she wouldn¡¯t. The knowledge he shouldn¡¯t. She bit her lip and made a decision. ¡°You didn¡¯t lie to me, did you?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± he asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t try to possess me while fighting the Caretaker?¡± He shook. ¡°No. Of course not.¡± ¡°I believe you. You know that?¡± To her surprise, she actually did. He nodded half-heartedly. In other words, he didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°So why would I punish you?¡± she asked anyway. ¡°Because you might be lying to me,¡± he whispered. ¡°Because for all you know, I¡¯m lying to you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t believe that I would trust you,¡± Cass said. He hesitated, but nodded. ¡°Just select a feline form. We do not need to talk about this further.¡± He refused to look at her. Cass pursed her lips. ¡°Hey, look at me.¡± His gold eyes met hers. ¡°If I didn¡¯t believe you, I could Command you tell me the truth.¡± He paled. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to. Because I don¡¯t want a servant. I¡¯ve never wanted a servant. I want trust. And forced Commands will never build that.¡± She looked away, her face warm. She pushed on. She needed to get this all out now, or it would just fester. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to force you to do anything. I¡¯m not going to pretend you were being reasonable but magically compelling your obedience wasn¡¯t how I would have chosen to deal with it. ¡°But I did. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her words hung between them. She could feel his hesitance. His emotions felt like slowing spinning tar beside her, uncomfortable and heavy. He didn¡¯t say anything, but Cass hadn¡¯t expected a response. Cass broke the silence, unable to stand it any longer. ¡°Now, you say you would like a feline form?¡± He nodded. ¡°Do you suppose I say ¡®feline¡¯ or do I¡ª¡± Before Cass could finish asking if she needed to pick something more specific, Salos¡¯s cloud of purple was swirling again. [Form set. Demon, Salos, granted skill: Manifest Form (Feline). Azorth¡¯s Necklace gains ability: Demonic Connection - while demon maintains Separate Form wearer and demon may sense the location of other party.] A moment later, it was replaced with a house cat. He had dark fur, too blue to be called black, but too dark to be anything else. Tabby-like stripes of grey and lilac crisscrossed his coat. His tail was bushy, like a feather duster or a boa. Sharp gold eyes looked up at her. ¡°Well, how do I look?¡± ¡°Like a cat,¡± Cass said. Like a very soft cat. ¡°How do you feel?¡± He stood and stretched, his back arching down, then back up. ¡°That it''s nice to have my own body.¡± ¡°Even if it''s an animal?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Oh, it is far, far better than sharing a humanoid one.¡± He yawned, displaying a full mouth of needly cat teeth and his barbed tongue. In every way except his coloring, he looked like a normal cat. ¡°How do I Identify? It would be unfortunate if I read as a demon in this form.¡± ¡°Do people have a problem with demons?¡± Cass asked as she identified him. Shadow Tabby Lvl 6 [A popular household pet originally from the Azorth Realm but long since naturalized to this one. They are well known for their high intelligence and high sensitivity to Abyssal conditions making them a highly desirable travel companion.] ¡°I don¡¯t know if the cultural connotations of the word come across,¡± Salos said with a sigh. ¡°But, demons are usually insane. Completely bloodthirsty. Their souls are so broken that they will devour any and all other souls on the off chance one of them might make them even the slightest bit more whole. ¡°Normal demons are walking disasters.¡± ¡°So I shouldn¡¯t advertise that¡¯s what you are?¡± Cass asked. He nodded. ¡°Best not to show anyone my necklace either.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t read as a demon, so there is that.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Small mercies.¡± Cass lay back down, her eyes fluttering shut. ¡°What language are you speaking, by the way?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I suppose I¡¯ve defaulted to my native tongue. This is the old Nyxdrian language, Depths Tongue. I suppose you understand me the way I understand your English.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Cass mumbled. She really was quite tired. Still, she had questions. ¡°Why is it called Depths Tongue?¡± He chuckled, curling up beside her head. ¡°Just like the slyphid are spirits associated with the aether, the nyxdra are spirits associated with the abyss. Where aether is air and light, the Abyss is dark and wet and cold. It is ancient oceans and the dark cracks of the Continents.¡± ¡°Earth and water to my air then,¡± Cass muttered. ¡°I suppose.¡± He might have said something more then, but Cass had already drifted off to sleep. The deepest most comfortable sleep since her arrival to this world. Ch. 67: Alyx - On Cass Alyx woke unreasonably fresh and rested for having slept on the ground without a bedroll or even a travel cloak. Just another oddity she was going to chalk up to the strange woman sitting with a cat in her lap beside the fire. It must be some sort of skill. A passive around rest? Maybe camping? Or fire. That was the only explanation for why this woman was obsessed with lighting campfires wherever they went. Alyx blinked, staring at Cass and the cat for another minute. Where had the cat come from? She groaned and shook her head. Not a single thing about Cass made any sense, why should spontaneous pets surprise her? Cass looked up from the cat to Alyx. She smiled that naive, relieved smile that seemed perpetually plastered over her lips and gestured to the black and purple tabby. ¡°Please allow I to introduce to Salos.¡± Alyx looked between Cass and the cat, processing the broken Jothi with ever-growing confusion. There had been a time, for a while after they¡¯d first met, Cass had been speaking Jothi with perfect grammar (if questionable and highly accented pronunciation) and a reasonably wide vocabulary. But at some point along the way her speech had regressed to these mangled sentences and wild gestures. It was improving again, but there was no way to know how much the other woman understood. What kind of skill or artifact with such inconsistent effect she might be using, Alyx had no idea. No, the real confusion was what her eyes and Identify were telling her. It looked like a shadow tabby. Identify marked it as a shadow tabby. But she needed to ask anyway, ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Shadow tabby?¡± Cass asked, her head cocking to the side with that frustratingly naive innocence that Alyx had come to expect from her. Alyx put a hand to the bridge of her nose. How to explain that was impossible? No, not impossible. Clearly, there was one in front of her. Clearly, this stranger had pulled one from somewhere. ¡°Really?¡± Alyx asked anyway. She decided to set aside the fact shadow tabbies were a rare and expensive breed of pet kept only by the wealthy and move directly to the primary issue. ¡°Where did it come from?¡± Cass opened her mouth to say something. She was interrupted by the cat, which trilled in something that almost sounded like a language and almost sounded like the kind of noise a cat might make, if one weren¡¯t particularly familiar with cats. Cass said something to the cat in that language of hers. The cat chirped back. This continued for a good minute before Cass turned back to Alyx. Sheepishly, the woman said, ¡°He is I familiar.¡± A familiar. Then she was a summoner? That was impossible. Another impossibility to add to the growing pile. No. Wait. There was a simpler answer. This was a language issue. She couldn¡¯t have meant ¡®familiar¡¯ as in the summoned monster or spirit contractually obligated to aid the summoner. That kind of thing was the domain of the Gods. Only the God-touched could do something like that, and even then it was an unheard-off boon. Alyx scrambled for anything remotely similar. ¡°You mean, he¡¯s your animal companion?¡± An animal companion would make much more sense. Well. More sense anyway. She¡¯d never heard of shadow tabbies being native to Uvana, but maybe they were? There were a lot of unexplored corners of this valley. Alternatively, it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible that a past challenger with one had died leaving the creature behind. It wasn¡¯t a probable story, but it was technically possible. Cass¡¯s eyes narrowed, a thoughtful frown puckering her lips. The cat in question chirped something and Cass nodded her head. ¡°He is I¡ª¡± the cat chirped again and Cass corrected herself, ¡°my partner.¡± That answered literally none of her questions. Was he a familiar or an animal companion? Where had he come from? If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But, like many things, it was probably better to just drop it. It wasn¡¯t her problem. They just had to defeat the Herald of the Pass and leave. ¡°Alright, let''s get going,¡± Alyx said and started walking. As always, Cass scurried behind her, though this time whispering to her chittering cat as she walked. Once again, the good sense in the back of her mind whispered that they should just get out as fast as possible. They were not a balanced party. They had no business taking on any Lords or Heralds. They shouldn¡¯t have succeeded in killing the Lord of the Deep as it was. But there were only three ways into or out of the West Forest where they currently found themselves.
  1. The Main Pass, guarded by the Lord of the Pass, an enormous boar, large enough to shake mountains as it moved.
  2. The Skyline Ascent, patrolled by the Herald of the Pass, a great bird that was known for swooping travelers off the peaks.
  3. The Hidden Path, a narrow and rugged path filled to bursting with untold monsters of all description.
One was the ¡°intended¡± path, such as there was one. Taking out the Lord of the Pass was the primary goal of most trial takers. Most teams were put together to counter or corral the beast. Collecting the Blessing from defeating it was a mark of pride outside the trial. Had she had more time, this would have been her goal as well. Her team hadn¡¯t been well equipped to fight such a large monster though. Not with its impenetrable iron hide. Instead, they¡¯d opted to push further to raise her all the way to level 27 and get a Blessing that way. They¡¯d taken the hidden path and had suffered for it. They¡¯d made it two-thirds of the way through according to the guide, when they¡¯d been ambushed by the grotto spiders. She pushed the memory aside. All her hired teammates had died or run off. If they were lucky they escaped back to the entrance. If they were less lucky, they¡¯d gotten captured by another spider. Without a scout, it wasn¡¯t wise to try that path again. That only left the Skyline Ascent. It was longer, but there shouldn¡¯t be as many monsters besides the herald. If they were careful, keeping to cover overhead they could probably pass without being seen if it was just the two of them¡ªthree of them if she counted the cat. Should she count the cat? As for killing it? That was out of the question. However, it was a herald, which meant killing it wasn¡¯t required. There was a game they could play that she had some confidence they could win: Hide and Seek. It was a simple enough set of rules. Be seen once by the enemy then successfully hide again for a certain amount of time. With just the two of them, it should be doable. And once defeated, heralds left their victor alone for the remainder of the trial. No additional games could be played. They wouldn¡¯t attack again either unless threatened. With their skills, it should be possible¡­ She eyed Cass again, as they walked. What exactly was her skill set? She¡¯d killed a Grotto Spider almost double her level solo. Not a small feat by any stretch. From the remains of the spider, it appeared to have been done with that wind glaive she carried. Taken together, that strongly suggested she was a spellsword: a highly variable class, with specialties as wide-ranging as Strength to Alacrity to Perception. A common jack of all trades master of none. But she had also displayed incredible magic casually and repeatedly. Hell, just setting up the camping site last night the woman had magicked up a ring for the fire pit rather than scrounging up a set of reasonable rocks. Why had she even bothered? The stools alone had been a luxury, but she then also created plates and cups. Why? And she had domain over more than just stone. She¡¯d manifested fire in her hand to start the campfire. She¡¯d manifested water and drank like it was normal. And all that was ignoring the wind blades she regularly summoned in combat. So, what, was she a mage? No one else could have the Focus needed to perform all this magic with the ease she seemed to. Not to mention only a mage would dedicate as many skills to manipulating so many disparate domains. But mages didn¡¯t fight like she did. They kept to the back if they came out to the field at all. A mage willingly coming somewhere like the Beginner Trial? Willingly coming alone? And she did seem to have come alone. If she was to be believed she had no team and no plan. She barely even seemed to know where they were. That had to be translation difficulties though. You didn¡¯t just accidentally end up in a Trial. Certainly not this trial. However, that only opened additional questions. How had she gotten here without a pass from a city official or castle lord? The Trial wasn¡¯t something just anyone could enter. Alyx had barely gotten a pass in and her grandmother was the Grand Duchess! A loud rustle from the trees ahead stopped her in her tracks. Cass ran into her, she stopped so suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡° Cass started to ask, but Alyx cut her off with a hissing shush. Maybe it wasn¡¯t too late. Her heart hammered in her chest as she held her breath. Maybe it hadn¡¯t seen them. Then she saw the eyes. Electric blue and filled with malice. Staring straight at them. Lightning-phased Lion (Herald of the Forest) Lvl 26 [A powerful predator as much made of lightning as flesh. It is both strong and fast. There is but one creature stronger than this Herald within the Western Forest and that is its Lord.] Ch. 68: Herald of the Forest The lion was enormous, twice the size Cass had imagined them to be. Its fur was pitch black. Electricity sparked off its fur and streaked down its flanks in brilliant flashes of blue. The air around it smelled of burning metal and buzzed with energy. The Herald¡¯s eyes through the trees consumed her vision. She couldn¡¯t look away. Her hands tightened on her staff. The lion was level 26? How is anyone supposed to kill that? You are not, Salos answered telepathically from her shoulder. You need to run. Cass took a hesitant step back, and suddenly everything was in motion. The lion leapt from the bushes. 600 pounds of feline launched at Cass, jaws open, claws extended. Teeth gleamed in the dark. Claws sparked with electric blue light. That light snaked through its black coat, the fur standing on end. Cass threw herself out of the way, barely keeping her feet as she scrambled away from the enormous monster. Behind her, Alyx was scrambling too, her sword already out. The lion landed between them. It snarled as it lunged for Alyx. Alyx batted the claws aside with her sword, but her entire body staggered backward under the sheer weight of the lion¡¯s blow. Cass threw a Wind Blade. It struck the back of the lion¡¯s head, ruffling its fur, but little else. Run! Salos yelled again. You want me to leave Alyx? Cass demanded. Yes! Do you want to die? It paused its attack on Alyx to glance at Cass but it was uninjured from the strike. Alyx scrambled backward in the moment¡¯s distraction, but that was all it was. With another snarl, the monster snapped back to Alyx. Cass tossed another Wind Blade and another, but they broke harmlessly on its thick fur. Her stomach knotted. This wasn¡¯t working. Isn¡¯t there something you can do? Cass asked him. He had a body now. Didn¡¯t he have skills? Want me to light the thing up with illusioned fire? That is about all I can do to that thing right now. As a reminder, I am currently at an even lower level than you. Cass bit back her frustration. Was this all they amounted to? An irritant or a distraction? You knew how to beat the Lord of the Deep, she said, tossing another Wind Blade. She aimed for the thing¡¯s raised paw, buffetting it off track as it swung at Alyx again. Completely different. If you had wandered into the true Lord¡¯s chamber with no plan that would have been that. This is the same idea. We are fighting it already. There is no time to set up a clever ploy or find a potential exploit. There is no winning in the face of monumental power. Alyx¡¯s sword made a lucky strike, it scratched the lion¡¯s flank, drawing blood, if not much. But, the lion howled bloody murder at the minor wound. Cass¡¯s skin prickled. Atmospheric Sense screamed. There was barely time to warn Alyx. ¡°Get back!¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes went wide as she stumbled away from the howling cat, just as a deluge of lightning poured from the sky. Cass was blind from the flash, but she could feel both Alyx and the lion still moving from the airflow around them. You cannot kill it, Salos stressed again. Tell me something new. Cass blindly rushed to Alyx¡¯s side. They needed to regroup. You¡¯re running the wrong way, dammit, the lion¡¯s over there! So is Alyx, Cass said. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Cass asked Alyx aloud as she stumbled into the other woman and her vision cleared. A clearing had been blown into the forest. Lightning had destroyed the trees around the lion. Its body sparked with electricity in the center, for the moment still. Alyx nodded, standing at the edge of the burnt-out circle. ¡°We need to escape.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Cass agreed. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying! Why agree with her but not me? Cass shot him a glare. There wasn¡¯t time for this. She didn¡¯t know why the lion had paused its attack, but there wasn¡¯t time to question it. Alyx nodded and the two sprinted away from the new, lightning-created clearing. They¡¯d gone maybe two yards when they heard the lion behind them again. ¡°It''s leaping!¡± Salos yelled. ¡°Right, dodge right!¡± Cass pulled Alyx behind the tree Salos had pointed out, just as the lion flew through the air they¡¯d just occupied. It skidded past them, its large claws digging trenches in the loose forest soil. You¡¯ll never escape like this! Cass couldn¡¯t help but agree. The wind howled viciously around them, circling the lion¡¯s clearing as if called by its terrible howl. It called to her. The wind promised an escape if she would just take it. It circled around the clearing and the lion in an impatient dance as if waiting for her. It would not contain itself for long, though. Already, currents pulled off in other directions, more promises of daring escape, she need only Wind Step onto any one of them and be gone in an instant. She could feel Salos urging her to do just that. But Alyx couldn¡¯t do the same. She was stuck with her two feet and there was no way she¡¯d escape alone on those. Not with the distance the lion could leap or the speed at which it ran. There had to be something else they could do. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Fine! Salos shouted. Be an idiot! If you¡¯re going to be, then let''s at least go for the greatest rewards while you are at it. Cass raised an eyebrow at him. We will play Bell the Cat, he said. Or the reverse, I suppose. I still don¡¯t understand. Look at its neck closely. See anything? Cass peaked around the tree, the lion was running toward them. They needed to move! But there, around its neck, Cass could see it. A slender collar, the same color as its eyes, and the electric sparks. And from the collar hung an orb that Cass recognized. That looks just like the treasure I collected from the Centipede. The Herald¡¯s treasure, Salos confirmed. They ran as the lion chased them around the tree. Cass and Alyx dodged behind another and another. How, exactly, do you suggest I take its treasure? Cass asked Salos. It''s uncomfortably close to its mouth. Three options, Salos said. Kill the Herald and loot the corpse, cut the collar off and retrieve the treasure from the ground, or snatch the treasure off its neck. Cass grimaced. Cut the collar off, got it. If you can¡­ Salos muttered unhelpfully. Once you have it, be prepared to run. Just snatching it isn¡¯t enough. You need to get away with the treasure too. Why not just run away then? Because you care about that other woman. Who do you want it chasing? You with your speed and Wind Step skill or her? I¡¯d rather it chase her, but if you insist on being stubborn¡­ It¡¯ll chase whoever has the treasure? Cass confirmed. That¡¯s what I said. It wasn¡¯t much of a plan, but it was better than nothing. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get its treasure.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Alyx said between frantic breaths. ¡°I can escape if it''s chasing just me,¡± Cass said. There wasn¡¯t time to argue further. ¡°Then I need to cut it free for you,¡± Alyx said. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked, but Alyx was already pealing away, sprinting to a separate tree. ¡°Focus its attention on me!¡± she shouted. I can do that, Salos said, perhaps too eagerly. He whispered something and suddenly Alyx was glowing bright purple. Cass found her eyes following the woman rather than the lion. She blinked rapidly, forcing her focus away. What was that? Cass asked. Fairy Fire, he said. A minor illusion spell. Harmless, unless inattention can cause harm. The lion lunged at Alyx, blowing through the tree trunk she¡¯d stepped behind. It exploded in a cloud of charred wood and splinters, the upper half falling in an eruptive roar as Alyx tumbled out of the way. She scrambled to her feet, her sword resolutely held in hand. The lion lunged again, its claws outstretched, its jaws open and waiting. Salos, cut the Fairy Fire, Cass commanded, racing out from cover to Alyx¡¯s side. The lion was so fast. Faster than Cass. Much faster than Alyx. There was no way Alyx would get out of the way in time. No way for Cass to do anything to help. And then Alyx shimmered. One moment, its claws were a fraction of an inch from her tattered armor and exposed skin, the next, space around her warped. Suddenly, Alyx was on its right, her sword slipping under the collar. She pulled up on her blade. Her blade didn¡¯t cut. The momentum of the lion dragged the sword from her hand and yanked her off balance. She stumbled to the ground. Alyx pushed herself up as the lion skidded to a stop, its head whipping around looking for her. Cass slipped under her arm and the two of them raced for cover again. ¡°What happened?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that collar is made of, but it felt like I hit metal, not leather.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We aren¡¯t cutting that collar off.¡± ¡°Salos?¡± Cass asked. He shook his head. I thought that might happen. Say that first, next time! Alyx glanced over her shoulder, ¡°It''s coming.¡± Cass and Alyx sprinted for a tree, dodging behind moments before the lion caught up. ¡°What now?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Kill it or pull the treasure off the collar,¡± Cass said, repeating Salos¡¯s instructions. Alyx snorted. ¡°This is madness. Will the treasure just pop off if we pull on it? Or will it be the same as the collar?¡± Cass shot Salos a pointed look. ¡°It should just pop off,¡± he said and Cass relayed to Alyx. ¡°That¡¯s how it was designed.¡± Alyx grimaced. ¡°How do you suggest we do that? We will be mauled before we have a chance to try it.¡± Likely, Salos agreed. Not helpful. Cass glared at him. His little cat shoulders shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can pull it off?¡± Cass asked him. ¡°Do you see opposable thumbs?¡± He held his paws up for emphasis. ¡°You¡¯ve got a mouth,¡± Cass said defensively. He just glared at her. ¡°Fine, fair enough.¡± That didn¡¯t leave them with many options. In Jothi again, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s see how good my Stealth is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to try and sneak up on the thing actively chasing us?¡± Alyx asked incredulously. ¡°I¡¯m going to try sneaking up on the thing actively chasing you,¡± Cass corrected. Alyx¡¯s face blanched, but she nodded. ¡°Alright. Hit me with that attention catching fire.¡± Again, Salos did so without further prompting. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I can keep it distracted. Don¡¯t take long,¡± Alyx said, stepping out into the open again. Cass activated Stealth. The wind wrapped around her, redirecting her presence into a messy nonexistence. ¡°Any last advice?¡± she asked. ¡°Be careful,¡± he said, hopping off her shoulder. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Cass asked. ¡°To help your stupid friend,¡± he said without looking back. There wasn¡¯t time to ask anything else, the lion was already on Alyx. She batted aside a claw with her sword, parrying with a strike of her own. It glanced uselessly across its bristled fur. Salos wove between her feet, darting out to slash at the lion¡¯s ankles then slipping back into the shadows like a ghost. Cass padded out into the open, holding tight to Stealth. Between it obscuring her and the more obvious target of Alyx, there shouldn¡¯t be any reason the lion should look her way. Lightning arched off the lion¡¯s body, more and more as its frustrated growl grew. Cass dodged out of the path of the electricity. She inhaled sharply. It didn¡¯t matter if it noticed her or not if it was going to use area of attack skills. At least, Atmospheric Sense could tell where the lightning was going to be before her eyes noticed it gathering around the creature¡¯s body. She could do this. She ducked under another bolt of lightning, the air buzzed with energy. It prickled her skin. A paw strike meant for Alyx swung inches to Cass¡¯s left, missing her as much through luck as Dodge¡¯s skill. Foot by foot, inch by inch, Cass slipped closer to the lion¡¯s maw. It loomed over her, its face level with Cass¡¯s. Its eyes were still focused on Alyx. It lunged after the retreating swordswoman. Cass ducked. The lion¡¯s head raced over her, the snap of its jaws biting closed on empty air loud and unsettling. Above her hung the orb, hanging from the collar like some house cat¡¯s bell. She could do this. She reached up, her fingers wrapping around the object. It was cold to her touch. And smooth. About the size of a fist. It broke away from the collar easily. The second her hand wrapped around it she could feel the effects of Stealth pop. A window appeared in her vision. Herald of the Forest¡¯s Treasure Stolen [Leave the territory of the Forest or Defeat the Herald of the Forest to Manifest Treasure Tutorial Sub-quest: Defeat the Lords¡¯ Heralds Checkpoint (2/3) Completed Reward: Chance to Manifest Treasure, 1 Choice of 3 options.
  1. Skill, Dex based, Aura
  2. Trait, Minor, Domain
  3. Buff, Beginner, Stat]
Notifying Herald Good Luck Ch. 69: Lightning-phased Lion Cass glanced up. The lion was looking her directly in the eyes. ¡°Cass, run!¡± Salos and Alyx yelled simultaneously. The lion inhaled. The lightning gathered with the growing wind. The air buzzed. Her hair stood on end. Cass Wind Stepped, dissolving into incorporeal nothingness, yanked along with the growing cyclone. Lightning rained around her, cutting sharp down drafts through the rioting air. Cass wove between the bolts, a flickering existence amid the endless sea of light and power. The plan had worked. She had the treasure orb. Now she just needed to flee far enough away from the lion. Cass glanced over her shoulder. A bolt of lightning raced behind her. It was shaped like a lion, its maw open and roaring. It blasted through the air, unconcerned by the trees in its path, bursting through trunks and branches, leaving a long trail of destruction in its wake, all buzzing with electricity and sparking with blue light. The lion. The lion had turned into lightning and was chasing her. No one had said it could do that! She called on Elemental Manipulation, urging the wind around her to accelerate, to fly higher, to veer away from the monster. She wasn¡¯t gaining any distance. It phased in and out, appearing as lightning as often as flesh and blood. Cass leaned further into the wind, begging it to fly faster. How far did she need to go before it counted as escape? The lightning shot past her, it hit the ground with an explosion of light and arching electricity, blowing clear the nearby trees and killing the wind. Cass tumbled to the ground still clutching the treasure orb. In front of her, the lion loomed, its electric blue eyes sparking with rage. Her blood ran cold in her veins. She scrambled to her feet, but not quick enough. The lion slammed a paw down on her, knocking her back. Its claws sunk deep into her stomach. She screamed in pain. Electricity pulsed through the wound. She couldn¡¯t move. It roared. Lightning accumulated around them. Above them. It chomped at the bit to be released down on them. The wind pulled at her and she pressed on Wind Step. If she could just melt into the wind, she¡¯d be free. But the claws pinned her in place. She was trapped. She grit her teeth. She had to focus. Through the pain and panic. She had to focus. This wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d been pinned. She pressed her hand against the ground and blasted Elemental Manipulation, pulling the earth beside her. The ground was soft, but Cass pulled until she found stone. She flared all her 28 points of Will into the skill. Stone formed a spear, sharp and fast. It slammed into the lion¡¯s chest. Not deep, but enough that blood dripped from the wound. The lion¡¯s roar intensified. Atmospheric Sense told her more lightning was gathering above them. More and more and more. But the lion didn¡¯t move. It pressed down on her chest, its claws digging deeper into her lungs and crushing her ribs. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. What more could she do? Could she dodge the impending lightning? How? She was pinned to the ground. Even stretching the idea and range of Dodging she didn¡¯t see how she could get out of this one. And even if she could avoid the incoming lightning, then what? She was still pinned by a giant lion hell-bent on electrocuting her. One thing at a time, Cass, she reminded herself. Lightning first. She had a crazy idea. One that could never work. But she was out of other ideas. She flared Elemental Manipulation again, this time summoning water. Pure water. Water with zero impurities. She didn¡¯t know if that was how the skill worked. She didn¡¯t know if she usually summoned normal, mundane water with all the usual impurities in standard concentrations or if her summoned water was already pure by virtue of being summoned into existence from nothing. This plan was banking on it being pure though, so she willed it to be so, for all that was worth. And she needed a lot of it. More than a casual handful. At least a bucket¡¯s worth. As much as she could handle. It was hard. Water didn¡¯t want to float. It didn¡¯t really want to be summoned from nothing either, if she was being honest, but once it did exist she could feel it trying to obey the principles of gravity and drop around her. She didn¡¯t let it. She spread it above her in a partial dome even as she summoned more, one fist full at a time. The air was alive with electricity. It buzzed through her chest. It frizzed through her hair. She could taste it on her tongue. Her focus was dropping fast. She wouldn¡¯t last long. But then, she didn¡¯t have long either. It threatened to fall on her. The lightning. Her summoned water. The lion¡¯s rage. She focused on the shield. It barely covered her head. It needed to be bigger. But every added fistful threatened to destabilize the whole construct. She lost if it fell. There would not be time for a second try. Another handful of water. Another inch of shield, another inch of her chest protected. Another second of building lightning. The lion¡¯s roar was all she could hear. The buzz of electricity in her chest was all she could feel. The press of water on her Focus was all she could afford to think about. The lightning dropped. The lion phased out of existence, becoming lightning above her. Cass curled into a ball. Her arms covered her head. Her Focus gripped the water shield above her. The lightning struck the shield and the ground around her. It slammed into her shield. The heat was immense. The light blinded her. But she was unharmed. The pure water acted as a layer of insulation, blocking the lightning from zapping her to death. Cass rolled to the side, Elemental Manipulating the water shield to stay above her as she did. She couldn¡¯t see, the world was too bright from the sea of lightning around her. She couldn¡¯t hear anything over the roar of electricity as it blasted the earth. She had to get away while the lion was still phased into the lightning. Before it could pin her again. She scrambled to her feet, racing for where the wind said there were trees. As soon as she was clear of the lightning¡¯s blast she dropped her concentration on Elemental Manipulation, swapping it out for Stealth. She needed to be hidden before the lion phased back and started looking for her. She¡¯d barely ducked behind the tree when the roar of lightning was replaced with eerie silence. She held the breath she didn¡¯t need to take. The lion walked heavily over the forest floor, each step accompanied by a loud crunch of crushed leaves and branches. Her chest hurt. Blood dripped from the mangled gash that was the claw wounds. The lion made circles in its lightning-cleared clearing. Each one wider than the one before. It sniffed the air. It scanned the underbrush. She clutched her chest. Her hand was soaked with blood. Her fleece PJs heavy with it. Could it smell her blood? Or was that obscured by Stealth and the reduced perception too? Stealth told her to slink around the base of the tree as the lion made its rounds, its circle expanding out beyond her hiding place. She did as it suggested, carefully settling each footstep in the loose detritus, making not even the slightest sound. Keep moving, her skill whispered. You are a draft amid the leaves, an idle breeze over the hillside, the rustle of branches amid the trees. You are the ordinary sounds of the forest and not a whisper more. A strange dance began, Cass slinking from the shadow of one tree to the next, keeping herself out of the direct sight lines of the lion, all the while, trying to add distance between herself and the creature. Eventually, the lion prowled off in another direction, deeper into the forest. Cass didn¡¯t let her guard down, not until she got the system message a few minutes later. Herald of the Forest has lost your trail. [You have defeated the Herald of the Forest in a game of Cat and Mouse. You played with your life on the line. Herald of the Forest played with treasure on the line. Unequal steaks have awarded you 1/8th experience of Slaying the Herald of the Forest.] Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Wll + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Ch. 70: Orb of Resonance Defeated Herald of the Forest. Touch Orb of Resonance to Manifest Treasure. Only when she saw the system notification did she breathe a sigh of relief. She¡¯d done it. She¡¯d escaped. She slumped to her knees, the tension leaving her body as the rush of energy from the level up kept her conscious. Exhaustion and elation mixed overwhelming her senses. The notifications kept coming. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 9. Wind Step has increased to level 5. Stealth has increased to level 9. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 9. Atmospheric Sense has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 3 Per + 2 Ala + 1 Dex + 1 Res] Stealth has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 3 Dex + 2 Per + 1 End + 1 Ala] Elemental Manipulation has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your innovative use of Elemental Manipulation has opened choices.
  1. Gain Skill: Shape Stone (lvl 7), Forsake: Elemental Manipulation
  2. Gain Skill: Summon Water (lvl 5), Keep: Elemental Manipulation (lvl 5)
  3. Keep: Elemental Manipulation (lvl 9)]
Three skills hit the First Step! That was¡ª Cass toppled over, her body colliding with the forest floor. Blood pooled around her abdomen. The air smelled heavily of iron. Right. She was bleeding out. Why did this keep happening to her? She hadn¡¯t bled out once before she came here. How did one stop bleeding again? Bandages? Pressure? Magic? She was pretty sure she didn¡¯t have any of those. Camping would help. She pushed herself back up into a sitting position, her core screaming in pain with the effort. Blinking blearily, she pulled up a small fire ring in front of her, barely bigger than her palm. She retrieved a flintshroom from a pocket and dropped it in the center. With some effort, she lit it with Elemental Manipulation. Immediately, a warm bubble of safety enveloped her. Cass breathed out in relief. She pressed the tattered remains of her PJs into the wound to staunch the bleeding. Between that and Beacon of Hearth and Home, she probably wouldn¡¯t bleed out. She turned her attention back to her notifications, specifically the Elemental Manipulation First Step. Once again, Cass discarded the option that forsook Elemental Manipulation. It was easily her most versatile skill and she wasn¡¯t about to toss it for something as narrow as Shape Stone, even if the starting level had increased since the last time she¡¯d been offered it. Summon Water was moderately tempting to her collect-everything-you-can-get-your-grubby-hands-on-gamer brain, but realistically, she didn¡¯t see it being worth lowering Elemental Manipulation¡¯s level again for it. Right now, she didn¡¯t see any future situations where summoning a lot of water would be useful to her. In the creation of her pure water shield, the control over the water had been the bigger bottleneck rather than the ability to summon enough. That said, resetting Elemental Manipulation was tempting. What would she be offered next time she hit level nine with it? But, no, she would keep Elemental Manipulation as it was this time. You have confirmed Elemental Manipulation¡¯s First Step! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 3 Wll + 2 Ala + 1 Res Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. + 1 Vit] She was mildly disappointed Atmospheric Sense and Stealth hadn¡¯t offered her any choices, but then, she hadn¡¯t been using them in unusual ways so perhaps it was to be expected. Waiting Choice: [Tutorial Sub-quest: Defeat the Lords¡¯ Heralds Checkpoint (2/3) Completed Reward Remaining: 1 Choice of 3 options.
  1. Skill, Dex based, Aura
  2. Trait, Minor, Domain
  3. Buff, Beginner, Stat]
Cass didn¡¯t know what to make of these three options any more than she had the last time. But, in the end, she picked option 3 for the same reason. A buff was likely a bigger bonus than something that was supposed to be permanent like a Trait or a Skill. Plus, Beginner Buffs were permanent for her now, with the reward for killing the Lord of the Deep. Reward Selected: Increase Vitality by 25% Cass frowned. It boosted her Vit from 11 to 13, so it rounded down. That was somewhat underwhelming given she¡¯d almost died for it. If it had been a bonus to Will instead, that would have been something. 32 points of Will would have netted her an 8-point increase, which was about an entire level¡¯s worth of stats. She shook her head. Now she was just being greedy. Vitality had to do with healing, which was what she needed most right now. This was good. Those were two points she didn¡¯t need to spend free points on. Speaking of free points, she had eight to spend, four from her previous level up, four from the one just now. She¡¯d had some idea about banking some to deploy in case of an emergency, but realistically, she wasn¡¯t thinking about the stats during crisis. It was probably a better idea just to spend them all. [Str - 10 Dex - 24 End - 21 Wll - 32 Ala - 28 Res - 27 Frt - 10 Per - 19 Vit - 13 Free Points: 8] The pain of her wounds was mounting. She should put a few in Frt to counteract that. A few more in Vit would make the most of her new buff too, and maybe speed along the healing process. And perhaps she should accept that she needed more Str, too. Her ranged magic attacks still weren¡¯t hitting hard enough against a lot of enemies, despite the higher Wll empowering them. That or she was doing something wrong with Wind Blade? Speaking of which, maybe a few more in Wll would be the tipping point between her Wind Blades glancing off and slicing easily. Cass settled on 2 points for each: Str 10 -> 12 Wll 32 -> 34 Frt 10 -> 12 Vit 13 -> 16 (11 -> 13) The pain reduced, but it still hurt. Who knew having your chest crushed by a giant lion would do that to you? She sighed. She¡¯d be okay. Stamina: 36/63 Focus: 52/243 Health: 50/60 Her Health was dropping but in this case, that was a sign she was healing. It was a good thing. And it was still plenty high. She¡¯d be recovered enough to walk in no time. Probably. That left just one reward from this whole spontaneous and undesired encounter: the Herald¡¯s treasure. She pulled the orb from her pocket. It emitted a faint green glow, unlike the orb she¡¯d gotten Salos¡¯s necklace from. She identified it quickly before it activated. Orb of Resonance [The treasure entrusted to the Herald of the Forest. Last retrieved: 7 years, 2 months, 8 days ago. Last manifested as: Herald¡¯s Bell] Beginning Treasure Manifestation [Calculating Need¡­ Calculating Trial Difficulty¡­ Modifying based on last Claim¡­ Modifying based on Participant Level¡­ Modifying based on Contribution¡­ Achievement Calculated. Applying Achievement and Need Modifiers to Reward Pool¡­ Manifesting Traveler¡¯s Bag] The glow of the orb grew brighter and brighter until it exploded into glass and light. Cass shielded her eyes. When she could see again, a simple canvas bag hung from her outstretched hand and two small green marbles sat in her palm. A traveler¡¯s bag? That was the reward for nearly electrocuting to death? This was what the system thought she needed? And what were these marbles? She started by identifying those first: Orb of Lesser Resonance [Treasure reward for accompanying party members.] Cass raised an eyebrow. So Alyx and Salos would both receive a reward too? That seemed far fairer than she¡¯d expected from a system built off of slaughter. Then again, had she seen any indication it wasn¡¯t fair? She slipped them into her pocket to give them when they regrouped and turned her attention back to the utterly boring bag. She almost put it on without looking at it further but stopped as she draped the strap over one shoulder. She blinked. Should she be so eager to put strange objects on her body? The last system reward she¡¯d been given was Salos¡¯s necklace. That had worked out in the end, but there was no denying it was a cursed artifact. But this bag was very ordinary. Even the name was ordinary. Traveler¡¯s Bag. Definitely not the name of a cursed object. It sounded more like basic adventuring equipment. Did she need to Identify everything? It was just a bag. She adjusted it so it slung conveniently behind her, but so she could still pull it around to access it if she needed to. It was a comfortable bag. A bag that was definitely totally normal. Cass sighed. Definitely totally normal? Something was going on with the bag. Even focusing on it was difficult. Her eyes wanted to slide off it, even while she was wearing it. Something kept catching her attention as she attempted to Identify it. An interesting plant over there. An unusual eddie in the winds. It was definitely redirecting her perception similar to how the traps in the temple had hidden themselves. So all she needed to do was make a conscious effort to focus on it, and¡­ Traveler¡¯s Bag [Class: Inventory (Enchanted) An entirely ordinary bag made of durable canvas¡­ which also acts as a storage space capable of holding 27 times the apparent physical capacity without the weight of stored items. Additionally, obscures perception of item, reducing chance of discovery of item¡¯s properties. The bag is waterproof and temperature resistant.] Cass¡¯s eyes went wide. A storage space? As in, a personal bag of holding! She immediately turned out her pockets and shoved the couple handfuls of herbs and mushrooms she had stuffed away into the far more spacious bag. Just imagine how much more she could carry now! She didn¡¯t have to worry about herbs falling out of her increasingly ratty pockets! How many sweet potatoes could she put in this thing? She could store her pots and stools instead of recreating them every evening. Maybe throw some firewood in there so she could have more impressive campfires than the little flintshroom fires? She took a breath. She was getting all together too excited about a bag. It was a really cool bag though. Ch. 71: Regroup Her new Bag adjusted over her shoulder, it was time to regroup with Alyx and Salos. Cass struggled to stand, her wounds complaining loudly with the effort. She fell back to the ground with a whimper. Her abdomen was still badly injured from the lion¡¯s claws and every movement sent new spikes of pain rippling through her core. It took a few tries, her legs shaking under her as she used her staff to leverage herself up. She leaned heavily on the staff and kicked out her fire. Salos was a ways off, if she wanted to meet up with him, she needed to get moving. She took a single step forward before stopping. She frowned. How did she know where he was? There hadn¡¯t been any doubt in that first step. She¡¯d been sure that was the right way. She closed her eyes and did a shuffling spin in place, turning around a couple of times before stopping and pointing in the direction she thought Salos was. It was the same direction she¡¯d started walking. Two for two wasn¡¯t exactly a plethora of evidence, but her head was spinning more than she liked from the little she¡¯d already done, she wasn¡¯t going to push it further. It sure seemed like she knew where he was. If she focused on that feeling she could even tell he was getting closer. Still a ways off, but closer. ¡°Oh!¡± Cass snapped. Right. It must be that. [Demonic Connection - while bound demon maintains Separate Form, wearer and demon may sense the location of other party.] The new ability on her cursed necklace. The one that had been added when Salos got Separate Form. Salos had it too, according to the description. He was probably using it to find her right now, which was how he was getting closer. She should hurry back to him, she decided and shuffled in his direction, leaning heavily on her staff. She scanned the forest around her with Foraging and Identify as she walked. Mostly, she found familiar plants¡ªLightningwood, Stormwell Oaks, Vineroot, Aster, Sorrel¡ªbut also a few new plants, or perhaps plants that Forage hadn¡¯t considered interesting before when it was a lower level. Uvana Mugwort - a tall herbaceous plant, with wide hand-shaped leaves and pink flowers. The leaves can be eaten to increase Stamina recovery or dried and ground into a paste and applied to sore muscles to relieve muscle fatigue. Pillow Root - a low-lying herbaceous plant with extensive rhizome networks. Though very bitter, these rhizomes can be consumed to dull pain and reduce inflammation. Undine Sage - a bushy herb with white flowers which glow in the dark. The leaves are a popular herb. Boiling them has minor Focus recovery properties. All of these went in her Bag except a piece of pillow root, which she chewed on while she walked. It was as bitter as advertised, but between it and the magic of Vitality and Health, her pain decreased with every slow step. It was probably half an hour later that Cass crested the ridge of a rocky hill. Above the sky was the same dark grey as always. Behind, the tree line thinned. Below her, a woman hiked up the other side, a dark-colored cat on her shoulder. ¡°Alyx! Salos!¡± Cass exclaimed. Alyx looked up in surprise. Salos gracefully jumped from the swordswoman¡¯s shoulder and flitted up the hillside, his feline form slipping from one shadow to the next, seeming to skip the space between. ¡°Oh, thank the depths,¡± he muttered as he hopped up onto Cass¡¯s shoulder. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°You miss me?¡± Cass asked. He looked away. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You did.¡± Cass grinned and poked his stomach. He snorted. ¡°You were worried about me.¡± ¡°Hardly,¡± he scoffed. ¡°I could tell you were alive.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you weren¡¯t worried,¡± Cass said. ¡°And maybe I should have been worried,¡± he said. ¡°Look at you. What happened to you?¡± ¡°Cass,¡± Alyx said, catching up with Salos a minute later. The woman¡¯s eyes went wide at the sight of Cass. ¡°What happened to you! How are you walking?¡± Cass shook her head, it wasn¡¯t that bad anymore. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± She glanced down at her abdomen, frowning. It did look bad. The cloth around the wound was crimson, drying to rust brown, and hanging off her in shreds. There wasn¡¯t much left of her clothing at this point. That said, she really was okay. Cass rummaged around in her Bag and pulled out a handful of the pillow root she¡¯d found. ¡°This is taking the worst off of it. Found it on my way to you two.¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes grew even wider. ¡°You found that here? You know herbs?¡± Cass frowned down at the ginger-looking root in her hand. ¡°Is that strange? I just have a skill for it?¡± Alyx and Salos both shook their heads in disbelief. ¡°Why would you just tell her that?¡± Salos sighed, speaking aloud but in his Depths Tongue rather than in Jothi. ¡°Should I not?¡± Cass asked in Jothi. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised your skill set is so diverse,¡± Alyx said. She raised her hand and started ticking things off with her fingers, ¡°Herbology, four Domains, Rogue skills, Martial skills, and this is what you¡¯ve been willing to show me?¡± ¡°Is it really that strange?¡± Cass asked Salos more than Alyx. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have shown her everything you can do,¡± Salos said lazily. He yawned, this opinion hardly new or surprising. Alyx shrugged. Cass decided that it was best they move on. ¡°Right, I have something for you two!¡± She returned the herb to her bag and retrieved the marbles instead. She held one out to both of them. ¡°Oh, the Herald¡¯s treasure. Thank you,¡± Alyx said. She took the marble and a moment later it exploded into a long, slender sword. The blade shone gold in her hands. Reverberating Longsword [Class: Longsword (Enchanted) Ability: Reverberating Cut - Allows a cut made with this ability to cut in multiple places across the target¡¯s body simultaneously.] ¡°For me too?¡± Salos asked but touched his marble all the same. When the smoke from the explosion settled, it had materialized into a collar around his neck, complete with a bell and name tag. He snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting.¡± Companion¡¯s Bell [Class: Apparel (Enchanted) Increase the Frt of all allies in an aura effect by 5%. Optional - Increases the perception by others that the wearer is an ordinary pet.] ¡°Still,¡± he said in his native language, tapping the bell on the collar. Cass felt her perception around him fuzzing ever so slightly. ¡°Demeaning as it might be, it is what we need. It would be less than ideal if my true race was realized.¡± ¡°Seems like Alyx got the best thing,¡± Cass said, eyeing the gold sword covetously. ¡°Why? Do you need a sword?¡± Salos asked. ¡°Can you even use a sword?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°Then what good would that thing do you?¡± ¡°I could have gotten a new weapon too though.¡± He snorted again. ¡°You fight with a staff. You throw magic on the tip to make it a spear. Do you think you need something fancy to make that strategy more effective?¡± Cass hung her head. ¡°Herald rewards are based on need first and foremost. Alyx lost her primary sword, so she got a new one. I need to remain uninteresting to the casual observer, so,¡± he gestured to his collar. He was right, of course. A fancy weapon would be wasted in her hands. It was just hard not to be jealous when her Bag actively worked to make her ignore it and Alyx was swinging around her flashy new sword. And what else did she need? Honestly, clothing was what she wanted most. Cass poked at the crispy, blood soaked and then dried edges of her PJs with a sigh. But she would have definitely been disappointed with a new shirt for her reward for nearly dying. Alyx sighed as she sheathed the new sword¡ªbecause of course it fit perfectly in her empty scabbard¡ªand turned back to Cass. ¡°Once again, it looks like I need to thank you. Not only did you save us from the Herald, you got us these treasures.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°It was a team effort, isn¡¯t that why we all got treasure?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Alyx said slowly. ¡°But if I was alone I don¡¯t think I would have escaped, much less won this.¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°And I don¡¯t think I could have snatched the treasure orb without you distracting it, so it''s fine.¡± ¡°But you¡ª¡± Alyx cut herself off, shaking her head. ¡°Alright, if you say so. It was a team effort.¡± Cass nodded emphatically. Salos rolled his eyes. ¡°If we¡¯re done, perhaps we should keep moving before the Lord of the Forest decides to drop by too?¡± Ch. 72: Hidden Agendas They continued on their way without further fanfare. It was a quiet hike. Cass spent most of the walk chewing on the pain-killing root she found and scooping up other interesting plants with Foraging. She found a handful of herbs that were supposedly good for blood loss and others for accelerated healing. All of them went directly into her Bag. That evening, Cass set camp again. Alyx gathered firewood and Cass lit it with Elemental Manipulation. She found more reeds along a river they¡¯d passed and spent the cloudy twilight weaving new sleeping mats for the two of them. For dinner, they had the awful sweet potatoes and herbal tea brewed from the healing herbs Cass had collected that day. Foraging has increased to level 6. Foraging has increased to level 7. Beacon of Hearth and Home has increased to level 6. Herbal Concocting has increased to level 3. On the whole, Cass was feeling a lot better by the time she was curling up on the makeshift bed, her wounds in far far better shape than she had any right to expect them to be. Just as Cass was about to nod off, Alyx spoke up from the other bed. ¡°Hey, Cass, can I ask you a question?¡± Cass sat up and looked across the fire pit to the other woman. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She frowned in confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a ¡®yes¡¯?¡± Cass nodded. Alyx sighed but didn¡¯t immediately say anything. She held the pommel of her new sword. She fiddled with the end, her lips pursed in thought. Finally, Alyx asked, ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Cass cocked her head to one side. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Alyx repeated. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to give you. I can¡¯t pay you back for saving me repeatedly or for giving me these boss rewards.¡± Cass glanced down at Salos. He just yawned and shrugged. ¡°I¡ªI mean¡ª¡± Cass stuttered. She didn¡¯t know how to answer her. How did she say, ¡®I¡¯m lost and alone and it was the right thing to do?¡¯ Like that, she supposed. Instead, she said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome?¡± Alyx looked down but nodded slowly. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Cass opened her mouth to answer her name was Alyx, but Alyx continued before she could. ¡°You must think I¡¯m more important than I actually am. I told you my name is Alyx Veldor. Maybe you recognized my last name and thought to yourself, ¡®that makes her a descendant of Grand Duchess Kahryn Veldor. She must have wealth and power and if I help her she¡¯ll have to pay me back with power, money, or favor¡¯.¡± She looked up, meeting Cass¡¯s eyes, searching them for confirmation. Cass had no idea what she was talking about. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t do any of that for you. I might be a daughter of that house, but I¡¯m a (bastard?). My father would rather see me dead than inherit a thing from him. All I can do to repay you is offer you my sword, but I¡­¡± She bit her lip, looking away. She took a deep breath. ¡°I cannot do that. There is something I must do. And I can¡¯t be tied to some stranger to do it.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She looked up at Cass again. She was waiting for a response. But what could she say? She hadn¡¯t known Alyx¡¯s circumstances. She hadn¡¯t planned on being rewarded. There had been a hope that Alyx might have a house she could crash in while she and Salos got their bearings. There had been a hope Alyx could be a friend in a world that scared her. But favors? Money? It hadn¡¯t even occurred to her. How did she explain all this to Alyx though? Not without first explaining how she was from another world and very lost. Without undercutting what was clearly hard for Alyx to talk about with Cass¡¯s story. Cass stalled, grasping for anything. ¡°What do you need to do, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Alyx swallowed. ¡°I do mind.¡± Cass nodded. Reasonable. Fair. But that left her where she started. Cass forced herself to say something. ¡°I just need a place to rest after all this. I¡¯m not from around here, as you might have guessed. I¡ª¡± She remembered Salos¡¯s warning about saying she had no support and cut herself off. She wanted to trust Alyx. Alyx seemed nothing but sincere. But, she also seemed to think Cass had some unknowable objective. Alyx frowned. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Cass nodded. She sighed. ¡°Why pretend that''s it?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot, Cass,¡± Alyx said. ¡°No one does what you¡¯ve done out of the goodness of their hearts. At every opportunity, you¡¯ve done everything in your power to put me in your debt.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You saved me from the spider,¡± she began, ticking off her fingers as she spoke. ¡°You then offered to let me come with you to fight the Lord, effectively offering me the Depth¡¯s Lord¡¯s reward buff. You gave me loot from the Caretaker when that entire encounter belonged to you. You didn¡¯t abandon me to the Herald. You even went out of your way to make sure that I would participate in that fight so I would be eligible for the treasure afterward. You didn¡¯t hold the treasure back once we earned it.¡± Cass frowned. None of that had been calculated. ¡°Should I have not done all that?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t the point.¡± Alyx let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°You can¡¯t claim you don¡¯t want something after all that.¡± Her stomach twisted. Did she seem so untrustworthy? Maybe she had been playing too much too close to the chest? ¡°Is that really what you think?¡± Cass asked in a whisper. Maybe she needed to explain everything. ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like an idiot, that¡¯s all I¡¯m asking,¡± Alyx said. Cass nodded. What was the harm? Alyx wanted to know. ¡°Alright. I can do that.¡± ¡°Cass, don¡¯t do it,¡± Salos chirped. ¡°She will not believe your insane story.¡± But Cass had already started. ¡°I¡¯m not from this world. I¡¯m from another one.¡± She started slow but every word that followed picked up speed until they were gushing out in an uncontrolled torrent. ¡°One without magic or stats or monsters. And, I just want to find my way home, to my family, because they saw me get kidnapped and probably think I¡¯m dead. But I don¡¯t know how to get home, so I just need somewhere safe where nothing is trying to kill me for five minutes while I figure everything else out.¡± Alyx raised an eyebrow at that. The silence between them stretched on. ¡°Really?¡± Cass nodded. Alyx snorted. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Fine?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Fine,¡± Alyx repeated, the word no less curt the second time. She fell back on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to pay you back. You don¡¯t need to invent a sob story to compel my obedience.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You understand my options to pay you back are limited. I will get you the Herald of the Pass. That doesn¡¯t make us even, but it''s the best I can do for you.¡± Cass shook her head, completely lost. Alyx was upset though. Cass looked to Salos. Maybe there was some nuance in the translation she was missing? ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe you, idiot.¡± He yawned. ¡°I told you. She thinks you¡¯re still treating her like an idiot. Probably cursing you under her breath for not even inventing a believable story.¡± ¡°Tell her I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± Cass said. He shrugged. ¡°What would your animal companion vouching for you do? She¡¯ll just assume, rightly, that I¡¯m in on it too.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Goodnight, Cass,¡± Alyx called, as sharp a command to shut up as Cass had ever heard. Ch. 73: About Concepts The next day was another long day of hiking, interrupted occasionally by attacks by monsters. Alyx dealt with all of them quickly and efficiently with her new sword before Cass or Salos could offer much assistance, the ability of the magic blade easily disabling the lower-leveled enemies. Salos did get a level from the combat. ¡°Probably because this item,¡± he batted at the bell on his collar, ¡°provides an area buff to teammates, I¡¯m getting credit for helping despite doing nothing,¡± he explained. ¡°It is amazing how little experience is needed for levels before the First Step. ¡°Hurry up and get stronger, Cass. This is a dangerous world to be so low a level as 7 or 13.¡± ¡°What are your stats, anyway?¡± Cass asked, ¡°You know mine and my skills but I don¡¯t actually know anything you can do, except I guess, Fairy Fire.¡± It seemed odd that it hadn¡¯t come up before this point, but then, he¡¯d been stuck in her head unable to use skills freely up to this point. ¡°That¡¯s a highly personal question,¡± Salos said. ¡°But, yes, I suppose we¡¯re at the point of being highly personal, bonded to one another and all. Let me see, I think I can show you like this¡­¡± Name: Salos [Race: Shadow Tabby (Nyxdrian Demon) Lvl: 7 Str - 9 Dex - 21 End - 9 Wll - 14 Ala - 9 Res - 7 Frt - 8 Per - 25 Vit - 6 Free Points: 0 Concepts: - Patience (Dex, Ala, Per) - Precipice (Frt, Per, Vit) - ERROR: BROKEN - Skills: Traits: Snake Eyes (Inborn) The King of Serpents is a beast of godly power, matched by few in all the realms. Your eyes are the same gold as that King, not that any have met the King and lived to make such a comparison. These eyes have given you the smallest fraction of a fraction of his power. Additionally, you may apply an additional 50% of your Perception to any Control-based skill. Innate Shadows (Racial) Nyxdra hold natural domain with the depths, be they the depths of the world, the great seas, or the deepest dark of night. You specifically find particular affinity with the last of these. Broken Soul You are a demon. Your soul is in pieces strewn across the realm. Increased stat regeneration. Madness in the presence of compatible souls and soul fragments. Increased bonuses as soul is filled out. The Deep¡¯s Blessing - For completing the challenge of the Deep you have been blessed by He of Shadows and Stone. - All Beginner Bonuses become Inherent Traits - Increase Vitality by 25%] Cass skimmed over it. It was a lot to take in at once, but she already had several questions. ¡°Why are all of your skills the same level?¡± ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t used to be. They all used to be much higher. Now they seem to be gated by my level. They go up when my level does.¡± ¡°Are skills normally gated that way?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No.¡± It was a pointed period on that answer. One that discouraged further questions along that line. It was probably demon related then. That was fine. There was plenty more to ask about unrelated to that. ¡°What are the other words beside most of your skills?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Racial, Precipice, Patience?¡± ¡°My Concepts,¡± he said lazily. He sat up suddenly, looking at Cass, his eyes wide. ¡°Wait. You don¡¯t know what those are, do you?¡± Cass shook her head. He groaned. ¡°How have you made it to level 13 without Concepts¡­ How did I lose to someone who does not know even the basics?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Okay, very simply, Concepts are how you relate to the wider world. They are ideas that you resonate with. Things that make sense to you. They are a lens your skills can be used through, that your stats can be re-contextualized around.¡± Cass nodded very slowly. That had a kind of sense to it, but she didn¡¯t understand how it worked. ¡°Take Stealth, we both have this skill, yes?¡± Cass nodded again. ¡°Mine has the Wind Concept?¡± ¡°Right. Okay. So your Stealth incorporates how the wind is invisible and intangible to your application of Stealth. You notice that there is always a wind effect around you when you¡¯re sneaking around?¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Cass nodded. ¡°Well, my Stealth shrouds me in shadows instead. My Stealth is more about slow, patient movement. It rewards methodical and careful rather than quick and discrete. Same skill, but different application and implementation.¡± ¡°I think I understand,¡± Cass said slowly. ¡°So how do you do that? Apply a Concept to a skill? It happened naturally for some of my skills, but not all of them. I assume I would want to?¡± ¡°You want to add a complimentary Concept to your skill. What is your other Concept again?¡± ¡°I have Hearth and Liminal now,¡± Cass answered. ¡°Oh, you got your third already.¡± He sighed. ¡°On one hand, you are level 13 and of course, you should have all of your Concepts by now, but on the other hand you¡¯ve only been doing this for a little over two weeks so how in the realms could you possibly have all of them¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°Anyway, take Hearth, can you imagine how that would apply to Stealth?¡± Cass frowned in thought. Hearth was warmth and home and healing. She didn¡¯t see how that would help Stealth. ¡°No, right? Well, I can¡¯t think of a way, but then, it isn¡¯t my Concept either. The point is that it needs to make sense to you. You can¡¯t apply a Concept to a skill if you don¡¯t understand why or how they mesh. Skills that grab up Concepts are pairs that make sense to you intuitively. ¡°Applying a concept is about puzzling out why those two things make sense together and puzzling it out in a way that makes intuitive sense to you when you''re done. ¡°As for, should you do so or not?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Applying a concept isn¡¯t necessarily a direct upgrade. Take your stealth again. Your version is about staying hidden while moving. It is worse at hiding you while stationary than the default version. Does this make it the best concept you can apply to stealth? I would argue no, but it isn¡¯t my skill. Your use case isn¡¯t the same as mine.¡± ¡°I think I understand,¡± Cass said. ¡°Related to Concepts, why are there Stats listed next to each of yours?¡± ¡°Ah, of course,¡± he sounded like he was about to bemoan losing to her again but cut himself off. ¡°That indicates what I applied my Concepts to. I mentioned Concepts are a lens you can re-contextualize your stats? Well, each Concept can do this for three stats.¡± ¡°What does that mean, exactly?¡± Cass asked, no clearer than she¡¯d been before. ¡°Let¡¯s look at my Precipice. We can see it modifies the body row: Frt, Per, and Vit. I have applied my Concept of Precipice to these three stats. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on Frt in particular. Fortitude is primarily about two things: resisting damage and increasing your tolerance for pain. This remains true, but it also takes on a quality of the Precipice. For me, this Concept has to do with waiting, being poised at the edge, ready for action. By applying this to Fortitude, part of how it reduces damage helps me turn what would have been direct blows into ones I am simply at the edge of. In other words, glancing ones. This compounds with my already high Dexterity, making hitting me directly incredibly difficult, reducing the overall damage I take.¡± ¡°How does that work?¡± Cass asked with a frown. Though, maybe that was a dumb question. How exactly did Fortitude reduce the severity of injuries in the first place? Making her skin harder? Her bones tougher? Wasn¡¯t what Salos suggested similar to making himself more flexible? To give his bones more give instead? ¡°Is it okay that it overlaps with Dexterity like that?¡± ¡°It does and it doesn¡¯t,¡± Salos said. ¡°It becomes another factor in dodging damage. Consider the shell of a turtle for the moment. The primary goal of its shell is defense, just like the primary goal of Fortitude is defense, yes? How does it provide defense? Most obviously, it is hard. Very hard. But all sorts of beasts are just as strong as its shell. So what else is the shell? It''s angled, angled in ways to reinforce its strength, but also at angles to encourage weapons to deflect off rather than through. ¡°You would never say that was the turtle¡¯s Dexterity that redirected a sword blade off its shell, would you?¡± ¡°No, I suppose not,¡± Cass said. ¡°And, so what if they overlap? Consider speed. You asked me about it once, didn¡¯t you?¡± Salos continued. ¡°Is it a factor of Strength or Dexterity? Or maybe Endurance? The answer is it is all three to one degree to another. Dexterity for a few steps, Strength for a sprint, Endurance for a marathon. This isn¡¯t any different.¡± ¡°So what, your skull just deflects bullets or something?¡± Cass asked incredulously. ¡°Not now it doesn¡¯t.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It''s not deflecting much of anything right now. But when I was level 74?¡± His Cheshire grin spread across his face. ¡°Okay, so how do you know what will change about the Stat by applying the Concept?¡± Cass asked. Salos shrugged. ¡°There are some guidelines, most schools encourage their students to follow certain paths so the variations are well studied and reinforced. As for a wild warrior like you though? There is no way to know ahead of time how exactly it will be different. And even if I had a guess, it''s primarily about how you understand your Concepts. ¡°A Concept is personal before all else. Two people could have a Concept for ¡®Fire¡¯ but that doesn¡¯t mean that the way it is applied to stats or skills would be the same. Maybe for one, Fire is violence, all-consuming and cruel, but for the other, it is about purity and renewal. The way this would affect their skills or stats would be different even if applied to the same stat and skill set. ¡°Add the complete cultural differences of an entirely separate world? I wouldn¡¯t be so arrogant as to guess what your Concepts might do to your stats or skills.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m on my own for this one?¡± Cass asked, crestfallen. ¡°Everyone is, in this regard,¡± he said. ¡°Most just have the illusion of community. Still, those who go and forge their own path are the ones who truly make their mark. No matter how good the plan is, a plan laid by another will never match you as an individual. ¡°Oh, one point of guidance I can give you is that you should apply a Concept to the entire row or column. You could do the diagonals if you really must.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Because it promotes symmetry and harmony between related stats. Honestly, I don¡¯t think the diagonals are a good idea either, but some people say it''s better to apply all three Concepts to one Stat if you can. I don¡¯t agree, but it''s a theory.¡± ¡°You can apply more than one Concept to a stat?¡± He nodded. ¡°It is fairly common actually, to do two of one and one of the other, rows and columns I mean. Two columns and one row or two rows and one column. That leaves two stats with double Concepts. We call these the Convergence Stats.¡± Cass looked over his status screen again. Hesitantly, she said, ¡°I notice you only have one.¡± His head dropped between his shoulders. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s all you can have with only two Concepts.¡± ¡°Is this error message related to being a demon?¡± Cass asked quietly. He nodded. Then paused. ¡°Well, probably.¡± ¡°Probably?¡± Cass echoed. He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not a demon expert. Or a Concept expert. But, it is possible to break a Concept without becoming a demon, it just doesn¡¯t happen very often.¡± ¡°How does it happen?¡± Cass prompted. He kneaded into her shoulder. ¡°You lose your connection to that Concept. It suddenly and radically no longer makes sense to you or connects to the universe. Breaking a Concept indicates a complete paradigm shift.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything more. Cass got the feeling he¡¯d rather not talk about it further, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°How does one usually fix a broken Concept?¡± He snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t. That¡¯s the point. It''s still there, a part of you that you no longer resonate with. The easiest thing to do is to take the broken pieces and reforge them into whatever you consider the inverse. Or whatever truth you were shown that broke the Concept in the first place. This is easier said than done.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me worry about that, and you just think about where you want to put your Concepts.¡± Cass let him move the conversation on. She helped it along with another question, ¡°Setting aside the specifics of my Concepts and the 2 and 1 arrangement, are there any suggestions on which rows or columns I should pick?¡± ¡°Generally, one tries to make the two Convergence Stats your Primary Stats. We talked about those, right? The stats your entire build and growth revolves around? For you, I believe we suggested Will and Alacrity? Or one of the two and Perception?¡± ¡°But it would be impossible to make both Will and Perception the Convergence if doing rows, columns, and diagonals,¡± Cass pointed out. ¡°True. That isn¡¯t a deal breaker, though. Honestly, the advantages of applying any Concept to your primary stats are just as much a give and take as applying it to a skill. This is doubly true of applying the Convergence to them. ¡°Concepts represent a change, not an advancement. Many forget that. ¡°And either way, how your Concept changes your stats is more important than ensuring your primary stats are affected.¡± ¡°And, how do I apply them again?¡± Cass asked. ¡°You said I need to think about it to apply it to a skill? Is it the same for stats?¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± Salos said with a nod. ¡°That feels¡­¡± Cass hesitated, looking for the word she wanted, ¡°Inexact.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It is what it is. Some rare treasures can assign them for you, just like there are treasures that will grant you Concepts or Concept fragments, but that''s cheating. And they are worse than doing it yourself the right way.¡± ¡°Concept fragments?¡± Cass echoed. ¡°It''s like the fraction of an idea. You can add them to an existing Concept. Maybe you get a fragment of ¡°softness¡± and that turns your ¡°wind¡± into ¡°zephyr¡±.¡± ¡°And you can get them from treasure?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Sure. Or you might create one yourself after surviving a life or death experience, or after an epiphany, or, well, I think you get the idea.¡± Cass did not get the idea, but it sounded like it all involved just thinking about things. ¡°And if I got a Concept from a treasure, would that be bad?¡± ¡°Oh, did you get the third one from the core of the Lord of the Deep?¡± Salos correctly guessed. ¡°Eh, one out of three isn¡¯t bad, and you¡¯ll be iterating on them anyway, it¡¯ll be good and yours before you get much further. Or you¡¯ll get stuck and that''s as far as you go.¡± He shrugged. ¡°And what is iterating?¡± Cass asked. It felt like for every answer she got there was another to fill its place. ¡°Concepts are how you relate to the universe. You are always changing, so your Concepts need to change with you. Change is life. Stagnation is death. There is no truer truth than that. ¡°You should always be thinking about your Concepts, how they interact with your skills, how they relate to your stats, how they encompass you or your outlook on the world or your ideals. Especially before you reach your Ascent¡ªer, that¡¯s level 54¡ªyou should be trying all sorts of things. Don¡¯t get too attached to any of them but fall deeply into all of them. That¡¯s the best way to do it.¡± He nodded to himself, like what he was saying made any sense. What Cass gathered was her Concepts were important, but not permanent. They could, would, and should change over time. Ch. 74: The Climb They hiked for two days, stopping only to sleep. Alyx did not loiter to let Cass forage interesting plants, pushing them relentlessly forward. She barely spoke to Cass either, caught up in her own thoughts. Instead, Cass spent most of that chatting with Salos telepathically as he darted from tree branch to tree branch in his cat form. He moved naturally as if he¡¯d always had four legs. Cass didn¡¯t know if that was a part of the skill or if he had spent time in the past as a cat too. Eventually, the trees thinned, the tall lightningwood replaced more and more with the blue-barked madrones, before even these spread out and shrunk in height to dry, shrubby bushes. The ground ahead of them more and more frequently became rising cliff sides, their faces of crumbling stone denying them direct passage. ¡°He¡¯s there,¡± Alyx said and pointed down one such cliff, into the valley below. It was a wide meadow, awash with wildflowers and overgrown in tall grasses. At the far end was a pair of towering cliffs, unscalable and desolate. Between them stood a behemoth. Cass had thought the lion had been huge. She¡¯d thought the spider enormous. Neither held a candle to the size of the boar standing in the pass. It was larger than a semitruck, its body covered in dark, blue-grey bristles. It had a pair of tusks, one on either side of its wide, shovel-like snout. It pawed the ground with a heavy hoofed foot, something it did frequently based on the bare, muddy ground around it. She tried Identify on it, but it was too far away. Alyx supplied the details for her anyway. ¡°That is the Thunderback Boar, the Lord of the Pass. That is his pass. He is usually between level 20 and 25 during the standard season. He was level 29 when I came in. The entrance to the valley is on the other side of him.¡± ¡°People choose to fight that thing?¡± Cass asked, the wind stealing her words as it gusted over the ridge. ¡°Normally, it is considered the weakest of the three Lords, yes,¡± Alyx said. ¡°However, the group that challenged the Valley this year died to him, so he got a chance to grow. At this point, I can¡¯t imagine any Trial taker strong enough to kill it. Unless¡ª¡° She looked pointedly at Cass, ¡°¡ªyou¡¯re hiding some other miraculous plan or power.¡± The look in her eyes seemed to suggest she half expected Cass to have such a thing. Salos shook his head. You could Wind Step around it if you were willing to abandon her. Cass shook her head. She made a show of waving what remained of her destroyed sleeves. ¡°Nope, nothing left up my sleeves.¡± Alyx¡¯s brow knit together in confusion but she pushed on anyway. ¡°In that case, we should continue with the Skyline Ascent. We¡¯ll climb these cliffs.¡± She pointed in the opposite direction up the cliffs to their right. ¡°There is a winding path up. At the top, it then follows the ridge until we can climb down again on the far side.¡± ¡°And it''s guarded by the Herald of the Pass, you said?¡± Cass asked. ¡°What is it exactly?¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°The Epherwing. The apex predator of the skies.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t suppose we can just sneak past either the Thunderback or the Epherwing under the cover of dark?¡± Cass asked. ¡°That is a strategy others have used,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But high-level Rogue skills are needed to do it reliably. The Lord is notified when challengers enter his area. As for the Epherwing¡­ That may be our best option.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the path you recommend then?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. ¡°It''s the only one that I have any chance of paying you back on.¡± Cass frowned. That wasn¡¯t exactly a good reason to pick it. But she agreed she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with that monstrous boar in the distance. ¡°Then I don¡¯t see any reason to wait,¡± Cass said. Alyx nodded, ¡°This way then.¡± *** The part Cass had not taken into consideration was how steep the path would be. Perhaps the name ¡®Skyline Ascent¡¯ should have been a clue or Alyx¡¯s description of it following the high ridge line above the valley. Either way, Cass did not need to breathe, yet she still found herself huffing and puffing to keep up with Alyx as they hiked up yet another rocky switch back. The flora had changed again. The tall trees had completely disappeared. The bushes were scraggly, spiky things, all twig and thorn. Weedy thistles erupted from the crevasses between the dark stone, islands of color and life in an otherwise dry and lifeless cliffside. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alyx asked from the next turn in the switch back, an incredulous frown on her lips. Cass nodded breathlessly, struggling the next twenty feet to catch up to the swordswoman. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Alyx asked again. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Cass nodded again. She wished she had water. She could have water, she supposed, with a little magic. She had a cup in her Bag now. She¡¯d only have to summon the water to fill it. What was she waiting for again? She stumbled up next to Alyx, pulling a cup from her Bag pocket and summoning the water between ragged breaths. She gulped it down greedily, the relief instantaneous and welcome. Magic was weird. Cass looked up to see Alyx looking down on her, an eyebrow raised in an unasked question. Cass offered her the cup. ¡°Want some?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Cass shrugged. She was about to put it back in her Bag but changed her mind, refilled it again, and downed the second glass. Magic! She grinned and put the cup away. Her stamina had recovered most of the way and she was ready to keep going. ¡°You can do all that, and you really expect me to believe you came from a world without magic?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shrugged again. It was a weird thought. ¡°Would you believe me if I said this was new?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°What¡¯s so important you need to hide it like this?¡± ¡°You agree that I¡¯m not from here at least, right?¡± Cass asked. They walked up the next section at a slower pace for Cass¡¯s sake. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to speak Jothi, so yes. Either that¡¯s the most frustrating cover story ever invented or you''re definitely not from the Continent,¡± Alyx said. ¡°So why is another world so unbelievable?¡± Cass asked. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Alyx asked in return. ¡°Creepy, tentacle-filled portal?¡± Alyx shot Cass another incredulous glare. Or maybe a confused one? Most of Cass¡¯s attention was going toward putting one foot in front of the other up the incline. She might have increased physical stats compared to the Cass of Earth, but the Cass of Earth had pretty abysmal physical stats. Like they said, two times zero was still zero¡­ ¡°Your story involves summoning. Spontaneous summoning, from the sound of it,¡± Alyx said. ¡°You must know how ridiculous that sounds.¡± How ridiculous is that? Cass shot Salos the question. He had dematerialized when he realized Cass was struggling to carry her body weight up the climb and that he didn¡¯t feel like walking. Vanishingly unlikely, but not impossible, Salos said. It happened from time to time in places like this. That was part of why the Trial was built here. ¡°No,¡± Cass replied to Alyx, armed with Salos¡¯s answer. Alyx raised another eyebrow. ¡°Let me try again, you say you were summoned here?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°By who?¡± ¡°Weird circle on the far end of the valley.¡± Cass pointed in the general direction they¡¯d come from. ¡°You were summoned to this Trial?¡± Alyx asked, the exasperation in her voice growing. Cass nodded. ¡°That is impossible.¡± Salos? I wouldn¡¯t go that far, he said. Just, as I said, statistically improbable. ¡°Summoning is the Domain of the Gods.¡± There was a finality to the statement that demanded to go uncontested. Cass wasn¡¯t about to let it, though. ¡°Why?¡± Alyx physically recoiled. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®why¡¯? It''s the Domain of the Gods. It isn¡¯t for people to attempt, much less succeed.¡± Hardly, Salos snorted. My previous companion was an accomplished summoner. ¡°That can¡¯t be true,¡± Cass said to Alyx. Alyx rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what things are like where you¡¯re from, maybe your country is so blessed by the gods everyone has been given the right to summon, but that¡¯s not how things work here. ¡°And, even if there was a summoner blessed by a God with that ability, summoning is expensive and complicated. It needs arrays and arrays of runes and even more Potential to activate it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the Trial ground littered with Summoning circles?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that where most of the monsters come from?¡± ¡°Are you a monster, Cass?¡± Alyx asked. Cass froze. A thought she¡¯d been ignoring since she saw the Kylten Hound all those days ago shoved its way to the front of her brain. Monsters came out of the summoning circles. Cass had come out of a summoning circle. Was that because Cass was a monster? She shook her head. That was silly. That was a logical fallacy. As true as saying: ¡°All squares are shapes. All circles are shapes. Therefore, squares and circles must be the same thing.¡± But she wasn¡¯t human. That was true. Did that mean she was a monster though? No. That was another fallacy. It didn¡¯t mean anything. What even was a monster? What even was she? Cass shook her head, catching her accelerating breaths from running off with her calm. She forced a smile to her lips. ¡°No. What kind of question is that?¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes had narrowed. Had they done that when she¡¯d asked the question or during the unreasonably long pause between the question and Cass¡¯s answer? Alyx¡¯s hand rested on her sword¡¯s hilt. Did she rest it there all the time, or had she just tensed? ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be one,¡± Alyx said slowly. ¡°Oh,¡± Cass forced the smile harder. ¡°I see. I misunderstood.¡± It had been a rhetorical question. Only Cass was seriously worried about it. The tension was from the long pause. The tension may even have been imagined. It was just Cass, worrying about useless things. ¡°Seriously, what are you hiding?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°Come on, really? Is it a plot against my house? My city? The duchy?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I was summoned here!¡± ¡°By who? With what ritual? For what purpose?¡± Each question was sharper and more frustrated than the last. Cass didn¡¯t know what to tell her. Cass didn¡¯t have answers to those questions either. Alyx shook her head. ¡°Never mind. You don¡¯t need to trust me with your secrets. I will pay you back for what you¡¯ve given me and then we can go our separate ways. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± Cass wanted to contradict her, but she already knew nothing she could say would change Alyx¡¯s mind. And what did Cass even want from her? She didn¡¯t want to be paid back for saving her, she wanted a friendly face who could tell her where she was and why she was here. And that wasn¡¯t something Cass could trade for. If Alyx didn¡¯t want to provide it, there was nothing Cass could do to get it. Ch. 75: The Epherwing They reached the crest of the ridge as the sun was setting behind them barely visible above the mountain line through the thick cloud cover and Cass was given a panoramic view of the Valley. It ran like a long twisting gash from east to west, high mountainsides stretching up like a crown around the impossibly tall Lightningwood trees. The ridge might have been called Skyline Ascent but the mountains to either side stretched even higher. Still, it gave Cass her first look at the land on the far side of the pass. The valley continued into a shallow bowl surrounded by low foothills. The storm clouds devoured the horizon. The hills disappeared into them, their verdant green consumed by the heavy grays and swirling mists as if the land simply ended beyond the cloud¡¯s curtain. Along the ridge, large rock outcroppings sheltered sections of the path. Very little vegetation grew up here. ¡°Keep your eyes out, but your head down and stay near the outcroppings,¡± Alyx said, scanning the darkening skies above. ¡°What exactly am I looking for?¡± Cass asked, walking swiftly to the nearest outcrop. ¡°The Epherwing.¡± ¡°Okay, but what does that look like?¡± Alyx pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Right. It''s a large bird. About 60 foot wingspan. It has dark purple, almost black, plumage, but the tips are electric blue. It''s almost silent while it flies. I¡¯ve heard several reports of groups not noticing its approach until after it had already dragged off a member of their party. And even then, some groups still never saw the bird, just heard the screams of their lost companion.¡± ¡°Is trying this at night a good idea then?¡± Cass asked nervously, glancing up and around. ¡°With the thick cloud cover this time of year it won¡¯t make a difference for us. Reportedly it can see through the clouds no matter how thick they are.¡± ¡°How?¡± Cass asked. Alyx shrugged. She glanced up again, ¡°We should hurry.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to fight it?¡± Cass asked but wasted no time hurrying after the swordswoman to the next sheltered section of path. ¡°No. I¡¯d rather play a game. And we have a better chance of winning if we¡¯re closer to the exit when we start.¡± ¡°What are our chances of winning exactly?¡± Cass asked. Alyx made a noncommittal noise. ¡°What if we just didn¡¯t fight the scary bird, then?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯d have to fight the scary pig or the scary spiders,¡± Alyx said, her voice dripping with condescension. Cass shivered but didn¡¯t slow. Any advice, Cass asked Salos. Use Stealth, he said. Cass flicked it on, feeling the familiar sensation of the wind cloaking her as she did. Why? Because then when it shows up it¡¯ll grab the other one, not you. Cass scowled. What? She could feel him smirking even though he wasn¡¯t physically manifested. Any less gruesome advice? He hummed to himself in thought. Not really. Cass sighed. Had she hoped for too much? The two of them sprinted from one outcrop to the next over the next three hours, barely speaking. Both kept an eye on the ever-darkening skies. Once again, Cass found herself missing the stars. How long had it been since she¡¯d seen them? They¡¯d be different stars in a different night sky, but it would be better than the ever-present clouds. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. No, not ever-present. Atmospheric Sense assured her they would release their lightning in two days, followed by a truly biblical amount of rain, and then finally disperse. Cass just wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d survive the lightning deluge to see the rest of it. She took a steadying breath, she was distracting herself. It was hard to watch the endlessly dark sky for hours on end, even with her heightened Resolve allowing long periods of uninterrupted focus at a time. Her attention was wandering. Worse, it was dark now. Very dark. Moonless night in a world without light pollution dark. The kind of dark you might describe as ¡®pitch¡¯. She still had her flashlight in her Bag, but the goal was stealth. Nothing would reveal their position like a bright light on the otherwise pitch-black ridge line. She did her best not to stubble over uneven ground in the dark as she watched the skies above for the shadow coming to kill them. Suffice to say, she was mentally exhausted. Even without using magic, her Focus was dropping slowly but surely, point by point. She was so tired, it was almost a relief when Atmospheric Sense screamed its warning. Something was slicing through the cloud layer. Its trajectory was set to skewer them. Cass jerked her head up, her eyes wide but seeing nothing but black. Atmospheric Sense had never lied to her though and Cass found herself shouting, ¡°Run!¡± She was sprinting through the dark before the words were even out of her mouth, praying that this wouldn¡¯t be the moment her old clumsy tendencies reared their head again. ¡°Salos, above us! Light it up!¡± Cass shouted. She felt him materialize on her shoulder, his claws sinking painfully into her skin as he tried to maintain his perch in her wild sprint. ¡°I don¡¯t see¡ªno, there it is. Done!¡± Cass hazarded a glance over her shoulder. Behind her, Alyx was a step behind, also frantically looking for the creature. Above, the silhouette of an enormous bird was dropping in a head-first dive for them, lit in an outline of bright purple against the pitch-black sky. Epherwing (Herald of the Pass) Lvl 25 [The queen of the mountaintops. The Epherwing is the undisputed master of its ranges. These large birds may rule a range of Spires taking tithes from the kills of others, if not hunting others outright. There are few things faster in the open air than the Epherwing and only the Dragon is more feared in the open air.] Only level 25, Cass almost breathed a sigh of relief until she remembered she was only 13. And, sure, Alyx was 20-something, but Alyx also didn¡¯t have a bow or anything to hit the bird out of the sky with. Still, if they could survive this initial attack, maybe they stood a chance. The Epherwing angled after them, slicing silently through the dark. Cass could barely see where the next outcrop was or if it would provide enough cover between herself and the dive-bombing bird. She could barely see if she was about to trip over a rough patch of ground. They couldn¡¯t run fast enough like this. Cass jammed her hand in her Bag, feeling around the magic space for her flashlight. The bird already knew where they were. There was no point in hiding now. She yanked it out, praying that the magic hadn¡¯t done something weird or unexpected to the batteries. Praying that the waterproofing claims held up to all the time she¡¯d spent underwater in the Deep. Praying that the batteries didn¡¯t decide now was the moment they gave up the ghost. It went on. A flood of light illuminated the path ahead. Cass sprinted forward, renewed confidence in her steps. She just hoped Alyx was close enough behind to make use of it too. There was no time to wait for her. She could see the outcropping now. Less than ten yards away, but an infinite distance all the same. She could feel the Epherwing still accelerating as it approached. It¡¯d swoop up one of them any moment now. Long before they rounded the outcrop. Even running full tilt, they weren¡¯t both going to make it. The wind gusted over the ridge. It pulled at her tattered clothes and loose locks of hair. It promised an easy escape. As Salos said, she could simply Wind Step away. It would be easy. Simply step into the wind and be gone without a trace. Perhaps the bird would chase her like the lion had. Or perhaps it would be content to feast on Alyx¡¯s corpse. Cass clicked her tongue, the pull of the wind suddenly a bitter bite against her skin. She wasn¡¯t about to leave Alyx. Not even if it was the only certain way to survive this. But if she did nothing, they would be caught. One of them would be killed. ¡°Salos, take the flashlight!¡± Cass yelled, shoving the handle in his mouth before he could complain. What! He complained telepathically anyway, though he faithfully held the light between his teeth. ¡°Keep running,¡± Cass said, jostling him off her shoulder and turning to face the glowing Epherwing. What are you doing, Cass? He sprinted ahead, Alyx a step behind him. ¡°Just keep running!¡± Cass yelled after them. ¡°I have a plan!¡± That was only sort of true. She had the start of a plan. A method to buy Alyx the minute she needed to reach cover. Cass just had to hope that the Epherwing reacted like horses. She slammed her staff against the ground, channeling Elemental Manipulation through it. She pulled a spear of stone from the rocky ground, angling it at the speeding bird. Best case, the Epherwing wouldn¡¯t be able to stop in time and skewered itself on the spear, worst case, it would balk at the spear and turn away at the last second, losing the momentum it needed to carry one of them off. The Epherwing didn¡¯t slow. It sliced through the air, glowing purple under Salos¡¯s Fairy Fire, eyes gleaming an eerie green in the black night. Those eyes promised murder. Cold and efficient. At the last moment, the Epherwing twisted, its body pulled inches out of the path of the spear. Its claws extended out toward Cass. Cass was incorrect about the worst case. It snatched Cass off her feet and dragged her screaming into the air. Ch. 76: Salos - The Epherwing Salos whipped around at the sound of Cass¡¯s scream. His heart pounded in his ears. He could see her thanks to his Dark Vision. Her wide eyes were filled with shock. Why were they shocked? What had been her plan? How did he fix this? If he were still level 74¨Cstill a peerless Nyxdra assassin¨Che¡¯d tear that overgrown bird down to stone with a casual cast of Pull of the Depths. It¡¯d hit the ground so hard its world would spin until its life was cut short by a quick Leviathan¡¯s Strike veiled in Hidden Blade. A level 25 beast was nothing before his true skills. But now? Like this? He was a cat. A small cat. There was nothing he could do for her now. Why was she so stupid? She played the hero. This was the consequence. He knew that. If she were smart, she would have realized it too. He could not save her like this. She was going to die here. Maybe this was good, he tried to tell himself. Who was she to him anyway? He was getting altogether too familiar with her. She was a liability, she was going to get them both killed. His eyes were still glued to her. She was still screaming. It was a high-pitched frantic thing. His chest constricted. His fur rose. Getting herself killed here was hardly ideal. Better if she died in a more easily accessible place. Then someone else would have a better chance to pick up his necklace. His ears lay flat against his head. His claws flexed in the dirt. ¡°Cass!¡± Alyx shouted from beside him, her eyes tracking the glowing Epherwing through the dark. There was concern in her tone, even if there were already calculations running in her eyes. She¡¯d run as soon as she realized what had happened and what it meant for her. Traitor. After everything Cass had done for her. Wasn¡¯t there something she could do to save Cass? No, running now was the smart thing. Depend on no one. That was what he had said to Cass. That was how he needed to live now. He couldn¡¯t depend on someone else to save him. To save Cass. That was why Cass was going to die. He should have chosen a bird form. He knew it was more strategic. He¡­ It would not help. He would still be tiny besides the behemoth that was the Etherwing. He wouldn¡¯t be any more capable of hurting it as a bird than he was now as a cat. Distance was not the issue. If only he still had access to all his skills. His true skills. His real stats. Not this shallow shadow of who he really was. It was a foolish thought. But his head was full of foolish thoughts. He could not save Cass. It was not possible. He should be doing as Alyx beside him was, calculating the move that got him the most from this disaster. That was how he took care of himself. That was how¡ª ¡°Damn,¡± Alyx muttered. She clenched the hilt of her new sword, the one with the Reverberating Blade enchantment. ¡°Only enough for two.¡± She drew her blade anyway, taking a deep breath. ¡°Two what,¡± he asked her in Jothi. It was a useless question. He couldn¡¯t think of a single skill she might use that would help him. He couldn¡¯t escape without Cass, he was tied to her necklace after all. And she couldn¡¯t possibly be considering something to save Cass. She startled, her eyes wide as she looked down at him. ¡°Damn cat, you speak Jothi!¡± She shook her head, gritting her teeth. ¡°Two Aura Blades.¡± Salos¡¯s brow curled in a confused knit. ¡°What are you going to do with Aura Blades?¡± She stared down at him, incredulity in her wide eyes. ¡°Save your companion, cat.¡± Salos blinked. What? Why? ¡°How?¡± ¡°Gonna shoot them at the damn bird.¡± Salos looked between her and the still-rising Epherwing. ¡°No.¡± She couldn¡¯t make that shot. Even if she could, the bird would just dodge. Even if it did hit, it would barely scratch the monster at this distance. ¡°I have to do something,¡± she spat back. ¡°Now stop distracting me, it''s only getting harder.¡± She was going to save Cass? Why? They barely knew one another. Her debts would be wiped clean by Cass¡¯s death. The dead could hardly collect on their debts after all. Her crown sprang to light, glowing a blinding amber in the dark. Her blade in her hands burst with the same light, gathering more and more of that glow with every second she charged the attack. Cass could survive? No. It was a vain hope. A useless hope. A desire for it to be so would not make an Aura Blade more powerful. Hope alone would not see it hit an enemy it could not reach. It would miss. He shook his head. But what if it didn¡¯t? What if there was something he could do? ¡°You are shooting two?¡± he asked. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Alyx nodded, still charging. Maybe, just maybe, it would work. ¡°How well can you redirect them in mid-air?¡± he asked. ¡°Poorly. Especially if there are two of them.¡± ¡°What about just the second one?¡± he asked. She shrugged. That had to be good enough. ¡°Focus on the second of your two shots,¡± he instructed. ¡°We¡¯ll use the first as a decoy.¡± ¡°We will?¡± Salos didn¡¯t answer, checking his resources. 16/21 Focus 22/27 Stamina He wished he had Cass¡¯s prodigious Focus, but he had enough for what he needed. ¡°When you¡¯re ready,¡± he said. Alyx swung her sword. A glowing, amber, ghost copy of her sword flew off the blade and into the air after the bird. Salos cast Fairy Fire, infusing the amber blade with a powerful impulse to look at it. It took on an aggressive purple glow, screaming to be seen by all. Barely a second later, Alyx swung again, throwing the second aura blade. She crumpled beside him as the light left her sword. She caught herself on one knee, her sword digging into the dirt as a cane. Her eyes remained fixed on the aura blades. Salos cast another skill on the second blade. Abyssal Aura (lvl 7) (Racial) [The Nyxdra are beings of the deep, and the deep is dark and murky. You may draw on the nature of your home realm to instill fear in a light-dwelling heart or to obscure an object in a familiar darkness.] His aura wrapped around the second blade, hiding it in a shroud of darkness in the dark of night. Even to his Dark Vision, the second blade was all but invisible. Now, Alyx just needed to make that hidden blade hit. She could do that much. He couldn¡¯t make it any easier. This was the true secret to Stealth. It was one part hiding what you wanted hidden and one part forcing attention on something else. The two were simply two halves of the same whole. There was just one problem remaining. Even if that second blade hit, it would barely hurt the Epherwing over this distance. Point blank it would be devastating. A meter or two away, still plenty destructive. But an aura blade lost too much of its power over distances of this extreme. If only he had a buff in his kit. Something to make that second blade strike harder. But there was nothing he could do about that. Not even his real skills would have been able to change that. If it was his sword though¡­ Or if he could apply Hidden Blade to someone else''s skill¡­ Would you like to attempt to apply Hidden Blade to ally¡¯s (Alyx Veldor) Aura Blade? Ally buffs are outside the normal range of targets for Hidden Blade and will be less effective and consume significant Stamina and Focus. Salos read over the notification a second time. What was this? He had never seen such a prompt before. He shook away the questions. There was hardly time now. He could unravel the why and how after Cass was safe. He selected yes and felt his skill engage and connect with the rapidly advancing Aura Blade. Hidden Blade (lvl 7) (Precipice) [The hidden blade is the deadliest. Hold their lives at a knife¡¯s edge. Activation requirement: Blade is undetected by target. Significantly increased cutting and piercing power of bladed weapons. Significantly increased again if weapon is still undetected by target immediately after damage is dealt.] The two swords flew through the air, brilliantly bright and shrouded in shadows respectively. The Epherwing dodged the first, barely redirecting its path to elegantly sidestep the glowing projectile. Salos felt the second blade make the same trajectory change. It blew through the right wing, feather and flesh exploding in a bloody spray from the wound. A second later, countless shadowed blades sliced across the Epherwing¡¯s body, each a Reverberating Echo of the first. All triggered both conditions of Hidden Blade. The monster plummeted from the zenith, Cass coming loose from its claws. Cass! He screamed over their telepathic connection. It was weak. The distance was too great, though that was rapidly changing. She was falling, her body limp, her mind unresponsive to his screams. He¡¯d saved her. He¡¯d actually saved her. And he was about to lose her again all the same. He couldn¡¯t catch her. She¡¯d hit the ground at speed. As dead as the Epherwing. What a way for a slyphid to die¡­ He cursed himself. What was he saying? She was a slyphid. She could save herself now that she was free of the claws. Cass! Wind Step! He screamed. Still, she fell. She must have thought of it too. She was a slyphid. Wind Step was as natural as Dark Vision was to him. As natural as flight to a bird. But she isn¡¯t, a part of him whispered. She¡¯s human. Too human. Cass! Can you hear me! He was frantic, he knew it. Irrationally so. Why was he worried now? The Epherwing was dead or dying. If it survived impact it wouldn¡¯t survive long. Its wings were broken. If it was still breathing on arrival, even he in this form would be able to do something about it. Cass, Cass, Cass, he was howling. If Cass died Alyx could take her necklace. She¡¯d loot Cass¡¯s corpse. Humans couldn¡¯t resist enchanted equipment. He¡¯d have another go at possessing a body. A human body wouldn¡¯t be as good as a Spirit¡¯s, but it would be his. And she had some nice enough skills he could potentially incorporate into his repertoire. Cass! He tried again and again, unable to stop himself. The cold logic did nothing to stem the rising panic in his heart. She was going to die. That shouldn¡¯t matter. There was an easy way forward for him. She was going to die. He¡¯d done his best. More than his best. She was going to die. And he¡¯d be free of her. She was going to die. And he couldn¡¯t stop screaming her name. CASS! Salos? Cass¡¯s mental voice trickled in over their connection, weak and unstable. Relief swept through Salos¡¯s body. She was alive. She was still falling! Wind Step! He shouted. You need to Wind Step! The wind gusted, blowing dirt and dust into the air. He flinched, his eyes closed for only a fraction of a second. When they opened again, Cass was gone. He didn¡¯t see her. She had been falling one moment and just not there the next. His heart beat wildly in his ears. His eyes scanned the sky, back and forth and up and down and¡ª A cold wind roared over the ridge line. There was a gentle thump next to him. He jumped, his hair standing on end, an involuntary yowl escaping his lips. Cass collapsed beside him, corporeal again. ¡°Cass!¡± He rushed up to her, inspecting every inch of her he could see. Limbs were all intact. Head fine. Neck untouched. Chest¡­ That was a bad gouge wound and still bleeding. She wasn¡¯t breathing, but then, she didn¡¯t need to, did she? But, Cass usually breathed, so her lungs were likely damaged. Was that it? He had never wanted the medical variant of Identify so badly before. ¡°Hey,¡± Cass wheezed. ¡°You miss me?¡± He head-butted her, pressing his fuzzy forehead up against hers. ¡°What were you doing?¡± ¡°Trying to get it to redirect its dive off of us?¡± Her words were pained and breathy, but she was okay. She was alive. There was a heavy thud behind them. Herald of the Pass has been slain¡­ Salos didn¡¯t read any further than that. All he cared about was his stupid, stupid companion was still alive. Ch. 77: Dark Night Everything hurt. Pain radiated from her chest. Blood pooled in the wound even with the bundle of fleece she¡¯d torn from her shirt sleeve and shoved into the wound. Breathing was a sputtering, drowning hell. They had made camp then and there on the ridge where Cass had rematerialized after her fall. Cass hadn¡¯t been strong enough to move herself another step and Alyx, although uninjured, was just as exhausted from the skills she¡¯d used in the rescue. Luckily, being badly wounded didn¡¯t affect her Focus or her ability to light a campfire with Elemental Manipulation. With considerable effort and no shortage of pain, she¡¯d managed to set up a campfire, roast some sweet potatoes for Alyx, and brew herself an herbal tea for her wounds. Between the accelerated healing of campgrounds and the medicinal herbs in her tea, she¡¯d be mobile by morning. Salos sat in her lap. He hadn¡¯t moved more than a foot from her since she stepped out of the Wind and it didn¡¯t seem like that was going to change anytime soon either. He was also purring and didn¡¯t seem to notice. Alyx nibbled on a sweet potato, her eyes fixed on the low fire between them. Quietly, she asked, ¡°Why did you do that earlier?¡± Cass looked up from her tea. ¡°What?¡± Alyx¡¯s free hand traced the grooves on her sword¡¯s pommel. The firelight reflected gold in her eyes. They didn¡¯t look up from the fire. ¡°You threw yourself in danger for me, again. Why did you try to stop the Epherwing alone?¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± Cass swirled her tea, watching the loose leaves dance in the dark liquid. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was going to be grabbed if that makes a difference.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Something that big, going that fast shouldn¡¯t be able to turn that tight.¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Or, that¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know it was a high-dexterity monster?¡± ¡°I guess I should have guessed as much.¡± What else could she say? That stats didn¡¯t really make sense to her? Alyx shook her head. The fire crackled quietly between them. ¡°Pretending I believed you,¡± Alyx said quietly. ¡°Just, hypothetically, how long ago did you arrive in this world?¡± Cass leaned back, staring into the dense clouds above. How long had it been now? How much time had she lost in the Deep where there was no day or night? ¡°Probably a little over two weeks? Maybe three now?¡± ¡°Three weeks,¡± Alyx repeated, shaking her head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°And, you didn¡¯t have any skills when you arrived?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°None. I got Identify on arrival though.¡± ¡°You arrived here, in the Valley?¡± Alyx asked. Cass nodded again. ¡°At what level?¡± ¡°One.¡± ¡°One?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°How are you even alive?¡± she muttered. Cass couldn¡¯t help asking the same thing. Alyx stiffened and added, ¡°Not¡ªnot that I believe you, mind you.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Cass sighed. The two ate their food in silence for another long minute. ¡°Where are you going next, once you are out of the Valley?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Salos?¡± Cass asked. She hadn¡¯t the first idea where they should go next. ¡°Hmm, there are a few options,¡± Salos answered in Jothi. ¡°He really does talk,¡± Alyx muttered under her breath. ¡°That wasn¡¯t just a hallucination from the stress¡­¡± Salos continued like he hadn¡¯t heard her, ¡°But the Scholar¡¯s Spire would be my first suggestion.¡± Alyx snorted. ¡°What?¡± He sat up in Cass¡¯s lap. ¡°The Scholar¡¯s Spire?¡± His fur bristled. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The mythical library lost to time an Era ago?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°What?¡± he asked, genuinely confused. She pursed her lips, ¡°You aren¡¯t serious, are you?¡± ¡°If the Scholar¡¯s Spire has been lost, where does the Arcanum Custodia convene?¡± Salos demanded. ¡°The Arcanum what?¡± It was Alyx¡¯s turn to look at him in confusion. ¡°What,¡± Salos scoffed. ¡°Who do you think protects Avolaira?¡± ¡°Avolaira? The legendary country from the age of Gods?¡± Salos fell silent, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Are you messing with me?¡± ¡°That should be my question,¡± Alyx shot back. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The two glared at each other. ¡°It sounds like we need to get our bearings,¡± Cass said. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t know where I am and it sounds like things have changed since Salos was last in the area.¡± Salos hissed, Don¡¯t tell her that! Cass shot him a glare, I don¡¯t think you can hide it at this point. He grumped to himself but settled back into Cass¡¯s lap. Alyx raised an eyebrow at their silent exchange but continued anyway. ¡°If you need information, I recommend Velillia. It''s the largest city in the area. It¡¯ll have anything you need.¡± She coughed and looked down, ¡°It just so happens that¡¯s my home town and I¡¯ll be headed in that direction too.¡± ¡°Velillia?¡± Salos muttered. I¡¯ve never heard of it. Cass pinched his ear. Be nice. He hissed at her but didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°I¡¯d like that, thank you,¡± Cass said to Alyx. Alyx nodded and shoved another bite of sweet potato in her mouth, her eyes locking onto the fire and not looking up. I don¡¯t trust any of it, Salos muttered to Cass. Why? What is this about legends and lost libraries? How do you lose an entire Spire! A spire controlled by one of the most powerful forces in the region? You don¡¯t think things could have changed since you¡¯ve been sealed? Cass asked gently. He was growling quietly on her lap. Salos? Cass prompted. You have no idea what you¡¯re suggesting, he said finally. The Custodia are the most powerful people to exist, all at the very highest levels ever reached in our Era. I¡¯m talking 90s, Cass. They are walking natural disasters. They said jump you were already in the air before you could even consider asking how high. They wouldn¡¯t have just misplaced their base. We don¡¯t know how long you¡¯ve been sealed, Cass reminded him. They must still exist. Quieter, he muttered, they have to. Cass ran a hand down his back absently. But why would she lie to us about it? He grumbled again. Because she¡¯s a liar who can¡¯t be trusted. His heart wasn¡¯t in the accusation. Maybe things have changed, 600 years is the minimum you¡¯ve been sealed. A lot can change in that time. In my world, Empires have risen and fallen in less. She left it unsaid, but it was also possible it had been more than 600 years. Empires are hardly so fragile here, he informed her. A powerful Emperor can retain power for that long on his own. His own? Cass raised an eyebrow. One person, 600 years? Yes? Salos said slowly. Why not? People don¡¯t live that long where I¡¯m from. What? Why not? He jolted up to look Cass in the eyes. Why would they? Oh, stats. Salos settled back into her lap with a knowing nod. It''s an issue of Stats. You said your world does not have them. Is there a stat that makes you immortal? Cass asked. Not immortal, no, Salos yawned. But high vitality slows the aging process. How much slower? Cass¡¯s eyes were wide. Salos shrugged. Hard to say. It is not exactly ethical to do experiments about it and I am not an expert on the subject. But under 27 you hardly see much more than 150 or so years. Depends on the race to a degree, obviously. By 99 points of Vit, I would be surprised if natural causes killed you before you were 300. By 300 points you are looking at around 600 give or take a couple hundred to account for lifestyle and general health considerations? After that, there are significantly fewer data points. There was a king in a previous age who supposedly lived 10,000 years. His Vitality was rumored to have been over 900. Rulers are usually the peak of their nation¡¯s power. For an Emperor, I would fully expect enough stats to throw a couple hundred or so into Vit. 600 years would hardly be a stretch. Cass shook her head. This was insane. People shouldn¡¯t live that long. Death wasn¡¯t pretty, but it was a part of life. Old people dying was how progress happened. It limited the accumulation of wealth and power in one person¡¯s hands. A tyrant stacking Vitality could continue their oppression for centuries. Her Vitality was already at 16. Would she easily make it to 100 now? How high would it get before she got home? If she ever had children, would she outlive them if her Vit crept up any higher? ¡°How long will I live¡­¡± Cass muttered. Salos¡¯s ears twitched. What was that? Just thinking about my life expectancy. You¡¯re telling me I could easily live a couple of centuries. I wasn¡¯t expecting that. He snorted. What? No. None of that applies to you. You are a spirit. You don¡¯t age. ¡°What!¡± Cass leapt up, throwing Salos from her lap in her shock. ¡°Calm down,¡± Salos ordered, stalking back over to Cass. What do you mean I don¡¯t age? Cass demanded. Are you going to sit down again? Salos asked. Salos! Cass screamed. He yawned and settled down on a rock beside the fire. Fine, fine. But you are making your friend uncomfortable. She glanced at Alyx. Her eyes had gone wide but her mouth was firmly shut. Cass felt her face flush and she dropped back onto her stool. ¡°Er, don¡¯t mind me.¡± Slowly, Alyx asked, ¡°Everything okay?¡± Cass nodded. Salos snorted a laugh. ¡°Our slyphid just realized she¡¯s immortal.¡± Alyx raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°Immortal? Cass is a Spirit?¡± Salos frowned. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t you have Identify? It clearly says she¡¯s a slyphid.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize the race. I¡¯d never heard of slyphids.¡± Salos shook his head. ¡°I know they are hardly common, but to have never heard of one?¡± ¡°I kind of thought Spirits were myths too,¡± Alyx said with a shrug. ¡°Specifically, Sentient Spirits.¡± He snorted. ¡°Myths? Who do you think lives among the Myriad Realms?¡± ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re from a Myriad Realm?¡± The skepticism was back in her voice and eyes. ¡°What¡¯s a Myriad Realm?¡± Cass asked quietly. Salos sighed heavily. ¡°Most Spirits are not native to this world. Rather, they are summoned from one of the many adjacent realms of existence. Those are the Myriad Realms.¡± ¡°Is Earth one of those?¡± Cass asked. Salos shrugged. ¡°I think that is unlikely.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s a spirit and claims to have been summoned,¡± Alyx interjected. ¡°I was human,¡± Cass said. ¡°There weren¡¯t spirits of any kind where I¡¯m from.¡± ¡°Hence, why I suspect you aren¡¯t from the Myriad Realms,¡± Salos said. ¡°Besides, the Custodia had them pretty well mapped out. I¡¯d never heard of one like what you described.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°Is this all an elaborate joke? Custodia? Avolaira? Spirits? Myriad Realms? These are fairy tales.¡± Ch. 78: Upgrades It was the next morning that Cass finally opened the notifications from the previous night¡¯s fight. She could barely believe what she saw. Herald of the Pass has been slain. [You have defeated the Herald of the Pass in Mortal Combat. For your part in its defeat, you have been granted a share of its treasure. Find and collect treasure to claim.] Beginner Sub-quest: Defeat the Lords¡¯ Heralds Checkpoint (3/3) Completed [Reward: Chance to Manifest Treasure, 1 Choice of 3 options.
  1. Trait, Increased Skill Gain, Single Dex skill
  2. Skill, Awaken Racial Skill
  3. Buff, Minor, Stat]
Level Up! Level Up! + 2 Dex + 2 End + 2 Wll + 2 Ala + 8 Free Points Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 10 Wind Step has increased to level 6 Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 10 Two whole levels? Two! She¡¯d barely done anything. Just threw a single stone spear and got snatched up. The value of killing a Herald was just that impressive. She was still in pain from the wounds the epherwing had inflicted on her so she decided to set a few more points aside for Frt. Her Dex was growing pretty large at 26 since she gained one with every level no matter what. Since it and Str worked together, it might be a good idea to put a point in Str to keep them from getting too far out of balance. Otherwise, things looked like they were on track for the plans she and Salos had made. She settled on: Str 12 -> 13 Ala 30 -> 32 Res 27 -> 30 Frt 12 -> 14 There were also the rewards for beating the epherwing. Bonus skill growth, a new Racial ability, or another stat buff? All three seemed like reasonable choices. Picking up another slyphid racial skill made her nervous, but the two she had were indispensable. Hey, do you know what other racial skills slyphids get? She asked Salos. Oh, is that one of your rewards? He asked. It''s an option, Cass confirmed. Slyphids have a higher-than-average number of movement skills, like your Wind Step. They also tend to be given things relating to light, air, or aether. What is aether? Cass asked. She¡¯d just sort of assumed it was a fancy word for air. It''s the living space between Continents. Salos said. It''s the connective tissue of the air. It connects disparate places and things. So an air bridge? Cass asked. I guess. That''s a crude way to put it, Salos said with a scowl. If your air bridges also transport energy, potential, and life. Cass had the distinct feeling that she was still missing something but didn¡¯t know enough to know what that might be. She let it go. Did you get a reward too? He nodded. What did you pick? Stat boost. With my level locked under yours, I will need as many of those as I can get these furry mitts on. Cass snorted. Which stat did it end up being? Wouldn¡¯t you like to know? He chuckled mischievously in her ear. As long as it isn¡¯t Will, I don¡¯t care, Cass said. He scowled. Way to be too serious about it. Well? Strength, if you must know, he said finally. Oh, nice. He snorted indignantly. Watch out, I think I¡¯m stronger than you already. I¡¯m pretty sure you were stronger than me before that point anyway. Cass paused. How does that work, though? You¡¯re so much physically smaller than me, and you don¡¯t look more muscular than you did before. We¡¯re Spirits, Cass, Salos said dryly. When are you going to get that through your thick skull? Our bodies are the way we conceive of ourselves, more or less. You conceive of yourself as a cat? Cass asked incredulously. More or less. Listening skills, he playfully chided her, I thought that was the one thing you were good at. She snorted and flicked him on the nose. Okay, more or less. So, what does that mean? Right now I¡¯m constricted to a feline shape, so the skill twists my self-perception through the lens of the feline form, which gets me this. Okay, Cass said slowly, but what does that have to do with stats and muscles? I don¡¯t conceive of myself with hulking muscles, that¡¯s something for Strength centric types. What I look like and my stats are almost entirely unrelated. It''s one of many advantages of being spirit-bodied. There were so many questions buzzing around in Cass¡¯s head. She finally settled on: That doesn¡¯t explain how or if size and stats are related. Oh, that''s entirely dependent on whether one is physical or spirit-bodied, Salos said with a shrug. Spirits like us have what are called Absolute stats. Two spirit-bodied beings with equal strength are equally strong. For physical-bodied beings, however, the stats are Multiplicative. The nature of their physical form multiplies the power of their stats. This is where you see large things making more out of strength stats and smaller things making more out of dexterity. This effect is more pronounced at low levels and becomes less and less relevant as the levels get higher. Why? Cass asked. Salos shrugged. No idea. It was never something I researched. Then if we were both pulling on a rope in opposite directions, Cass said, you¡¯d be able to yank me along with ease? Even though you¡¯re probably an eighth my weight? Probably, he agreed. But if we were both physical-bodied? It would be more of an open question, he said. I think you would probably win, but I¡¯d put up more of a fight than you¡¯d expect. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. What if I was physical-bodied and you were spirit-bodied? I¡¯d win again, he said. Circling back, Cass said, realizing they¡¯d wandered pretty far off her original question. What should I take for my reward? A stat buff or a Slyphid skill? Salos asked. Or skill growth, Cass supplied. For you, specifically, I¡¯d pick the Racial skill. You only have two. Three racial skills will move you up to the standard for a young adult in their late teens. I¡¯m in my twenties, Cass protested. Leveled in their late teens, Salos dismissively corrected, No one cares about your age. And that¡¯s a good enough reason? You are a slyphid, he reminded her. You get more stats per level than most. Do you really need even more stats? As for the skill growth, skill growth on a single skill is fairly lackluster in comparison to your other options. Fair enough, Cass said. She looked over her choices one last time. Salos was right though. Maybe her decision would be different if she knew which stat would be boosted by option 3 or by how much, but then again, maybe it wouldn¡¯t. She selected option 2 and felt the rush of power as a new skill awakened within her. Racial Skill Awakened: Confounding Mists (lvl 1) (Racial) [The Aether is a place of mystery to most, something with few well-traveled paths and much unknown. Not to the Slyphid, though. For the Slyphid it is a true home. You are no exception. Draw a piece of the aether where you will and confound the senses of those caught within it.] The skill settled in her mind, familiar yet new. Like it had always rested just above her heart, yet alien and unnatural. In short, she was as uncomfortable as ever with how comfortable the process was. What did you get? Salos asked. I thought you said not to tell anyone my skills, Cass teased. He kneaded her shoulder impatiently. You know I wasn¡¯t including myself in that! You definitely were when you said it. Cass chuckled. He pouted. Okay, maybe I was. Things were different then. She snorted and shared the new skill with him. Oh! Aether summoning. Very good. Seems like I¡¯m destined to be a rogue, not a mage, Cass said with a sigh. Bah, you¡¯re a terrible rogue. Let me handle the rogue-ing. Besides, a mage without rogue skills is a dead mage. You¡¯re fine. Cass chuckled. If you¡¯re sure. Should I try this out now? No, never use new toys in front of strangers. He shot a less than surreptitious glare at Alyx. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Alyx sighed. ¡°System rewards,¡± Cass answered truthfully. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her!¡± Salos whined. ¡°Oh, did you just pick?¡± Alyx asked, entirely ignoring Salos. Cass nodded. ¡°What kind of racial abilities do Slyphids get?¡± Alyx asked, ¡°Er, if you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± ¡°Why would you think she¡¯d pick that?¡± Salos challenged. Alyx raised an eyebrow. ¡°Because, allegedly, she¡¯s only been here for a couple of weeks and Racial abilities are as rare as they come. You¡¯d be stupid not to pick one when you can.¡± ¡°What, exactly is special about them?¡± Cass asked. ¡°They don¡¯t count against your maximum skill count,¡± Alyx said, ¡°While still granting milestone rewards. Even a useless skill is valuable for the stats they can provide. And, frankly, there aren¡¯t many that are useless.¡± ¡°There is a max number of skills?¡± Cass asked. Alyx sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t decide if you''re telling the truth or just really committed to the bit. Your world can¡¯t possibly not have skills. How could it not have skills?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Yes, there is a max number of skills,¡± Alyx said with a tired sigh. ¡°There is a hard cap at 27, but they get progressively harder to level up the more you have. Having more than 18 is uncommon.¡± ¡°And Racial skills don¡¯t count for increasing the difficulty either?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t a stats boost be a better choice if you just wanted more stats?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Sure, but as I said, the skill is very rarely useless and had a better chance of complimenting my build than shoring up a stat I don¡¯t care much about.¡± ¡°How do you mean?¡± Cass asked. ¡°System stat rewards have an above average chance of applying to your lowest stat, and never apply to the highest one.¡± Cass glanced over her stats. Yes, without the buff she¡¯d gotten for defeating the Herald of the Forest, Vitality would have been one of her lowest numbers. Salos had gotten it for Strength though, and if she remembered right, that was hardly his lowest stat. It happens occasionally, don¡¯t mention my buff out loud, Salos said just as Cass opened her mouth to comment. She shut her mouth again. ¡°I don¡¯t hear you telling us what your Racial Skill is,¡± Salos interjected, bringing the conversation back to the beginning. ¡°I didn¡¯t get especially lucky,¡± Alyx admitted. ¡°Second Wind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not bad,¡± Salos said. It recovers Stamina and sometimes Focus instantaneously. One of the most common Human Racial skills. Not an uncommon one for most physical-bodied races too, actually. If she didn¡¯t already have it, she was basically guaranteed to get it. ¡°Everyone hopes their Racial Skill will end up as one of the greats,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Perhaps your next one,¡± Salos said. She snorted. ¡°Cute. No. I doubt I¡¯ll encounter another feat to awaken a racial skill again.¡± ¡°What?¡± Salos asked. Alyx looked at him funny. ¡°What do you mean what?¡± Salos sighed. ¡°I feel as if we¡¯ve done this routine already, woman. What did I say that doesn¡¯t meet your expectations?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that needs to explain your confusion, cat.¡± Salos glared at her. ¡°Everything about your statement was outlandish. What do you mean about you doubt you¡¯ll encounter another feat? You¡¯re a young woman, you¡¯re leveling at a good pace. You¡¯ll go far if you can keep this up. ¡°But more importantly, what do feats have to do with awakening skills?¡± ¡°How else would someone awaken one?¡± she asked. ¡°Immersion in your culture? Connection with your origins? Tutelage by your elders?¡± Salos suggested. ¡°How did you get the ones you already had?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t decide who¡¯s stranger, you or Cass. I didn¡¯t have any racial skills. Barely anybody does. It''s a point of pride to have one. Especially the right ones.¡± The last sentence was said in a lower tone. Bitter and hushed. Salos was shaking his head now. ¡°That isn¡¯t how that is supposed to work.¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°It is what it is. Maybe things are different where you two are from.¡± Salos opened his mouth to argue but changed his mind with a shake of his head. He settled beside the fire, a frown on his lips, deep in thought. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to try my new skill now,¡± Cass said. ¡°No!¡± Salos shot back up. ¡°I need to know how it works and Alyx shared hers already.¡± Cass glared down at him. He glared back. Her poor decisions do not obligate you to reciprocate. I don¡¯t hear you arguing that I don¡¯t need to know how my skill works, Cass replied. I shouldn¡¯t need to! It''s your skill, you should just know! Cass ignored him. That was ridiculous. That wasn¡¯t how knowledge was supposed to work. And yet, to some degree, he was right. She did know how to use it. She held a hand out and pulled at the skill. A mist gathered around the outstretched hand, thickening further with every point of Focus she pushed into the skill. The mist¨Cno, the aether¨Cexpanded, coiling around her and the camp. It held her, safe and secure. It filled her lungs, sweet and clean. The mist was too dense to see through with her eyes. And yet, Atmospheric Sense still showed her Salos leap to his feet in surprise in front of her. She could see Alyx flinch, her hand clenching around her sword¡¯s handle. Cass could feel every flame of the campfire dancing desperately to burn off the aether surrounding it. This was the way the world should be. The air outside the effects of her skill had been hollow. Empty. It was like she had lived in the dark all her life to only now step into the light. Like she had only known cold and now felt the sun¡¯s heat for the first time. ¡°Cass, cut it out!¡± Salos yelled. The aether smothered his voice entirely, the vibrations of his voice dampening to nothing a matter of inches from his mouth, yet Atmospheric Sense brought them to her anyway. ¡°What is this?¡± Alyx yelled, her head darting around, her eyes squinting futilely through the aether. Her voice too was lost to the mists yet carried to Cass via Atmospheric Sense all the same. Their panic was palpable, something else was going on. She disabled the skill and the aether dissolved around them. Cass savored the feeling until there was none left and she was again standing bare under the cloudy skies. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Cass asked. Alyx and Salos stared at her. Alyx spoke first. ¡°That was awful! What was that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just smother your allies in aether!¡± Salos shouted. ¡°That was aether?¡± Alyx grimaced. ¡°Abyss, no wonder ships avoid the stuff.¡± Cass wasn¡¯t any clearer about what was wrong than she¡¯d been a moment before. ¡°I thought it was nice?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°How can you call that nice? Are your words translating right? Good? Pleasant?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°She is a slyphid. It is a slyphid thing.¡± Salos sighed. ¡°Cass, only slyphids are comfortable in high densities of that stuff. Most races find the energies of aether disorienting and suffocating.¡± Cass¡¯s heart thumped in her chest. ¡°Could that have killed you two?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. Well. Probably not. Not unless disorientation kills.¡± ¡°It felt like the world was spinning around me,¡± Alyx added. ¡°Sorry,¡± Cass said. An unease oozed through her. Perhaps it was nothing more than regret for jumping into trying a new skill without knowing the risks to her companions. Perhaps it was just the contrast between the hollow air around her and the memory of the aether in her lungs, like drinking lemonade after eating candy. Perhaps it was just the rapid loss of Focus from activating the skill. It had dropped about 100 points from filling the campground. Or perhaps it was the realization that there had been nothing human in her reaction to the aether. ¡°Well, you know now,¡± Salos grumbled, settling back down. And you¡¯ve gone and shown that one. Oh hush, Cass said. She¡¯ll see it anyway eventually. He kept grumbling but didn¡¯t fight her. Ch. 79: Treasure of the Pass They found the epherwing¡¯s nest a little after midday. Cass wasn¡¯t sure when she¡¯d realized she could sense the position of the sun through Atmospheric Sense, but she wasn¡¯t complaining. The nest¡ªa narrow, oblong bowl worn into the stone by time and weather¡ªwas tucked into a crevasse in the ridge. It had been padded with the soft, black down of the epherwing. The feathers had a translucent sheen to them in the daylight, almost like light was refracted through or around them. In the center of the nest were two objects. The first was a familiar orb, this one a hazy green. The second was an egg, the size of a coconut and the same black color as the nest. Orb of Transience [The treasure entrusted to the Herald of the Pass. Last retrieved: 6 years, 9 months, 26 days ago. Last manifested as: Epherboots] Epherwing Egg [The egg of one of the apex predators of the Fractured Skies.] Alyx dropped down into the nest and picked up the orb first. It shimmered in her hand a moment before exploding into light and smoke. It coalesced into a chest plate and a pair of marbles. Alyx tossed the marbles at Cass before turning her attention back to the chest plate before her. The two marbles were unequal in size. The first was a little less than half the size of the original ball, the second a little bigger than Cass¡¯s pinky. Beginning Treasure Manifestation [Calculating Need¡­ Calculating Trial Difficulty¡­ Modifying based on Participant Level¡­ Modifying based on Contribution¡­ Achievement Calculated. Applying Achievement and Need Modifiers to Reward Pool¡­ Manifesting Ethereal Robe] The smaller of the two marbles exploded leaving a bundle of light fabric behind. ¡°I guess this one¡¯s for you,¡± Cass said holding the remaining marble up for Salos. He tapped it with his paw and a dagger manifested in Cass¡¯s hand. ¡°Hmp,¡± Salos grunted, staring wistfully at the curved blade. ¡°The need and contribution calculations must be off.¡± It was a short, gently curving blade, the metal as dark as the Epherwing¡¯s down. Black leather wrapped the handle, ending in a pommel made of the same dark metal. Erizen¡¯s Blade [Class: Dagger (Bladed) The dagger made for Erizen, for his acceptance into the Arcanum Custodia. May he stand at his mistress¡¯s side ever bolder. Reduced perception of blade. Minor reduced perception of wielder.] ¡°Can you use this?¡± Cass asked. ¡°If I had thumbs,¡± Salos said with a shrug. ¡°Maybe poorly if I held the handle in my mouth. Maybe I¡¯ll develop telekinesis?¡± ¡°I thought these rewards were supposed to pick something you could use?¡± Cass said. ¡°They are supposed to,¡± Salos agreed. His words hung between them as they both stared at his dagger for a minute longer. ¡°Should I hold onto it for you?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Just use it,¡± Salos said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be any good with it,¡± Cass warned. ¡°I don¡¯t have a skill for it or any previous experience with knives. Except cooking knives.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t say that out loud again,¡± Salos said with a sigh and a pointed look at Alyx. If she was listening, she didn¡¯t give any indication. Instead, she seemed focused on putting on her new chest plate. ¡°Right, sure.¡± ¡°Anyway, hold onto it,¡± Salos said. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll pick up a skill for it. At worst, you can always bluff.¡± Cass nodded and slipped it into her Bag, lacking a belt to strap it to. Finally, she shook out the pile of fabric her orb had given her. She cried when she saw it. Ethereal Robe [Class: Clothing (Cosmetic) Light and airy robes. Enchanted to be undamageable and unstainable. Color changes to reflect wearer¡¯s tastes.] They were tears of joy. She had been completely wrong earlier when she said that getting clothing from a monster reward would be undesirable. This was exactly what she needed. She didn¡¯t waste any time stripping off what remained of her PJs and rainjacket and slipping on the light fabric. It was a long dress, cinched at the waist with a simple cord. As she put it on, the color shifted from the initial creme to a deep green, then a light purple, before settling on a soft blue, the color of clear skies. Cass pinned her cloak broach to the breast and delighted at the flowing fabric around her body. Clean clothes! She had clean clothes at last. Now, if only she could swing a shower. ¡°Is that enchanted for protection?¡± Alyx asked, eyeing the new robe/dress suspiciously. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Cass shook her head. ¡°Clean clothes!¡± Alyx redirected her confused look at Salos, who just yawned and shook his head. It was really bad armor. It was probably worse than her sweatshirt and PJs had been before they¡¯d been torn up. But it wasn¡¯t falling off her body in strips and that was all she cared about. Before Cass could explain any of that to Alyx, a window appeared before her. Beginner Sub-quest Full Completion Bonus: Defeat the Lords¡¯ Heralds [For defeating all three Heralds of Uvana and collecting their treasures, you are rewarded. Reward: 1 Choice of 3 options.
  1. Trait, Increased Skill Gain, Dex skills
  2. Trait, Increased Skill Gain, Ala skills
  3. Trait, Increased Skill Gain, Per skills]
Cass¡¯s eyes widened again. Increased skill gain? That was the same bonus she had for her Will skills and was probably the reason Elemental Manipulation had hit level 9 twice while most of her skills still languished at level 6 or lower. This was a chance for some of those to catch up, the question was which ones? She flipped through her skills, categorizing them based on their primary stat: Ala: Dex: Per: With that in mind, what did she want? Based on this list, she should discard option 2, the bonus to Alacrity skills. She might have more in the future, but it was also possible she never would. Taking this bonus just for Mana Blade seemed like a bad choice. What about the other two? There was one more Perception skill than Dexterity, but the Dexterity ones were more immediately combat-related. In Perception¡¯s favor, though, Perception¡¯s skills were all things that would, in theory, help keep her out of combat. Then again, what was the difference between level 6 Identify and level 9? These skills were invaluable, but how much did their utility increase with additional levels? There was no question that Atmospheric Sense now was infinitely more detailed than it had been when she¡¯d first awakened it. The air was alive around her, whispering its movement and the movement of the things around her, where initially it had told her little more than the immediate weather. But would Foraging provide similar benefits? Mana Sense? Identify? Would those bonuses be better than another level of Dodge? There was a lot more value in being marginally better at getting out of the way of an attack than there was in being slightly more sensitive to mana. It wasn¡¯t an easy choice. What do you think? Cass asked Salos, sharing the details of her quandary with him. Oh, tricky. Dex is the best, but Perception is no worse, he muttered. Given your specific skills¡­ And the trouble you get into even with them¡­ Dexterity. I would pick Dexterity if I were you. Your reasoning? Cass asked. Wind Step, he said. The better that is, the better chance you have of getting out of any situation you find yourself in. Dodge and Stealth benefiting as well are a large plus as well. But neither option is a bad choice. That more or less lined up with her thoughts on the subject. Reward Selected: Trait, Increased Skill Gain, Dex skills Trait Gained: Spoils of the Heralds [You have defeated all the Heralds of Uvana and taken their treasures. This is a feat to remember. - Bonus Dex Skill Growth] ¡°That just leaves this thing,¡± Alyx said, nudging the egg in the center of the nest with her foot. ¡°Think we¡¯d get experience for destroying it?¡± ¡°Why would you destroy it?¡± Cass asked, her eyes going wide. ¡°Experience,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening?¡± ¡°But, it''s an egg!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you lead me into a spawning chamber to kill baby Lords earlier?¡± Alyx asked incredulously. ¡°Well, yeah. I guess.¡± Cass shifted uncomfortably under the swordswoman¡¯s gaze. Alyx didn¡¯t need to know Cass hadn¡¯t been entirely happy with that plan either. ¡°What¡¯s different?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Everything!¡± They had needed to kill a Lord to get out of the Deep. They couldn¡¯t kill the actual Lord at her level. They didn¡¯t need to destroy an egg for their survival. The egg''s existence had no bearing on their ability to leave the valley alive. Alyx rolled her eyes. ¡°You want to leave an opportunity here for someone else?¡± ¡°Why not? It''s not like we can get credit for killing the epherwing again, can we?¡± Cass said, looking to Salos for confirmation. He nodded slowly. ¡°It would still be worth a tidy bit of experience though.¡± ¡°How much could it possibly be?¡± Cass asked. ¡°It''s an egg, it can¡¯t fight back.¡± ¡°Still better than someone else getting the chance for a free Herald of the Pass kill,¡± Salos said. Cass grit her teeth. She wanted to complain that it was unnecessarily cutthroat, but it was difficult to pretend he was wrong. Taking a minute to think it through, she could think of at least two reasons why simply leaving the egg here was a bad idea. The first was the issue Salos and Alyx cared about. This egg represented an easy opportunity. Anyone who wandered through this pass before the egg hatched would be able to kill the Herald of the Pass without any effort. They¡¯d get the rewards and bonuses for it. In a world where stats were power, letting others gain stats was giving them a chance to overtake them. It went against Salos¡¯s maxims. Cass still felt this was a massive overreaction, but this was what they were worried about, for better or for worse. Cass had a separate worry. The egg, assuming no other party stumbled onto it too soon, would hatch and grow to be another terror of the skies like its mother. There was no telling how many it would kill. True, most who found themselves here had chosen to risk their lives pursuing power, and such people didn¡¯t need to be protected by someone like her. But, some small fraction might be lost souls like her. People with no interest in killing. People dragged into this place against their will. For their sake, the egg could not be allowed to hatch and become a people-killing monster. But, did that mean they had to destroy it? ¡°We should let Cass break it,¡± Salos was arguing with Alyx. ¡°You have a higher level. It will not be worth much to you.¡± ¡°I had the greatest contribution to killing the Epherwing,¡± Alyx countered. ¡°This is my treasure.¡± ¡°How much is it worth?¡± Cass asked. ¡°How much experience would you get?¡± Salos asked. ¡°I think you would probably get most of a level off it. Epherwing are high-tier beasts. That should be worth something.¡± ¡°No, I mean if we sold it,¡± Cass said, looking at Alyx. ¡°There have to be markets back at Velillia, right? And,¡± Cass looked back at Salos, ¡°We don¡¯t have any cash. Levels are good, but we have no supplies or resources. ¡°This is a rare egg, isn¡¯t it? Aren¡¯t there monster tamers or something that would love to raise something like this? Maybe a lord with a gladiatorial arena they need stocked? Maybe even a rich man who¡¯ll raise it in captivity to kill himself once it''s worth more experience?¡± Salos and Alyx frowned at one another. ¡°You sure you aren¡¯t from this world?¡± Alyx asked, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Then there is?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll transport it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Cass said, slipping the egg into her Bag easily. Alyx¡¯s eyes glazed over as Cass shoved the egg into her Bag¡ªno one commented that the egg was obviously larger than the Bag in question. This was the right thing to do. Killing it here was a waste. Did she feel better about selling it off for someone else to do the same? No, not really. But there was any amount of time between now and then. Plenty enough time to think of another reasonable way to handle the egg. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But, I want seventy percent share from the sale.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Salos started to argue. ¡°I killed the epherwing,¡± Alyx reiterated. ¡°Only with the help of my skills. You wouldn¡¯t have hit the wide side of an Island if not for me.¡± ¡°And which market do you plan on selling it at?¡± Alyx asked. Salos¡¯s lips pursed as his arguments dried up in his mouth. ¡°Be happy I¡¯m not asking for more.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Salos settled back on Cass¡¯s shoulder. Ch. 80: Descent The three descended the path on the far side of the ridge. This side was no less steep than the way up had been. Cass leaned heavily on her staff, stabilizing every slipping, sliding step as the gravelly path shifted under her. Pebbles rolled down the track and sheer cliff sides to the valley far below, each and every one threatening to take her or the cliff side with them. The day before her kidnapping, she and her siblings had done a much shorter hike over much less steep ground. That day, she had been dying the whole way back to camp. Even with her trekking poles, her feet had slid every inch down the trail. The whole way, her knees had screamed. Today, with her new stats, this much steeper hike was only difficult. She was still, apparently, frustratingly slow for Alyx¡¯s tastes. The swordswoman waited impatiently for Cass at every trail bend, boredom etched on her face. ¡°Do you have the hiking skill or something?¡± Cass grouched as she picked her way down an especially steep section of rock and gravel. ¡°Why would I waste a skill slot on that?¡± Alyx asked, tapping her foot impatiently at the corner of another switchback. ¡°How are you so much faster than me?¡± Cass whined. At least her knees didn¡¯t hurt and the speed she was traveling could be measured in feet per minute rather than inches. But Alyx was easily flying down the trail. ¡°Her physical stats are all higher than yours I¡¯m sure,¡± Salos answered. ¡°Why are you still on me?¡± Cass muttered at him. He shrugged from her shoulder. ¡°Alyx wouldn¡¯t let me ride her shoulder.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you walk?¡± ¡°And why would I ever do that?¡± They spent the entire day hiking down the ridge, the rocky path twisting down the cliffsides, while the clouds above rumbled with thunder. Soon, promised Atmospheric Sense. Night caught them on the cliffs, and it wasn¡¯t until the next morning that the three of them made it down the ridge and the rocky ground gave way to open meadow. Flowers surrounded them, in every shape and color, from spires of delicate buds to fields of yellow daisies to stands of poppies in blue and purple petals. Bees and butterflies flitted about. The air was sweet and filled with a light mist. ¡°Almost there,¡± Alyx said, more to herself than Cass. Above, lightning struck the far ridge and thunder cracked the morning air. Cass¡¯s stomach twisted and her heartbeat raced. They were finally almost out of this place. No more life-or-death encounters. No more untamed wilderness. No more monsters. They were going to a city. With people. People who would know things about here and now, something she and Salos both seriously lacked. They could tell her how she got here. They could help her get home. They had to. There was definitely no fear in her steps as they continued their hike through the meadow. She was definitely not afraid. The valley was something she understood now. It was a place trying its best to kill her. She understood that. She felt she¡¯d come to respect that reality. But what would the world outside be like? It couldn¡¯t be worse than the valley. People lived there. Perfectly ordinary people. Cass was an ordinary person. There had to be a way for her to live without fighting for her life. Her heart rate slowed back to a normal beat, though the knots in her stomach did not completely come undone. That was okay. Just the excitement, she told herself again. That was all. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Still, an irrational corner of her mind whispered something was about to happen. Cass pushed that feeling away. It was just that, an irrational anxiety. Something bad was always happening. Something was always attacking her. This feeling was just that paranoia manifesting again. Cass scanned the brush. Just flowers. Atmospheric Sense made a sweep of the sky. Clouds, clouds, and more clouds. Thick and heavy and impatient. With every step the droplets of mist grew, becoming less suspended water and more light drizzle. Mana Sense came back with nothing unusual. A couple of mana concentrations, but nothing that Identify couldn¡¯t explain as an above-averagely magical plant. Nothing was happening. Trap Detection hadn¡¯t¡ª Cass stopped. She scanned her surroundings again, this time with Trap Detection flaring. She didn¡¯t see any presence irregularities. Nothing she was noticing was telling her to move along, though if it was strong enough she wouldn¡¯t notice, would she? ¡°Hey,¡± Cass called after Alyx who had not noticed Cass had stopped. ¡°What?¡± Alyx folded her arms over her chest. ¡°Are there monsters in this area that set traps?¡± Cass asked. Alyx¡¯s eyebrow went up. ¡°Is this an intellectual question or do you have reason to believe there are traps here?¡± ¡°The second one, maybe.¡± Cass? Salos asked. Trap Detection is going off. Now that I¡¯m listening it''s ringing like an alarm bell. Alyx shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think there are monsters in this area like that.¡± There are not, Salos agreed. Alyx edged back toward Cass, her steps light and slow. Salos sat a little straighter on her shoulder. Three pairs of eyes squinted through the drizzle. Visibility was worsening with the weather, but it was still good enough to see the mountains around the valley. There didn¡¯t seem to be anywhere to hide. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m wrong,¡± Cass said. The skill was still ringing in her head but she didn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Is it a skill or a gut feeling?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°That there is a trap here? Two parts one, one part the other.¡± Alyx¡¯s mouth thinned to a sharp line. ¡°Skill level?¡± ¡°2,¡± Cass said sheepishly. ¡°It could be a false alarm.¡± She didn¡¯t sound convinced. They watched the meadow for another minute. An idle breeze rippled through the tall grasses. A grasshopper hopped past Cass¡¯s ankles. ¡°We should move quickly,¡± Salos said finally. ¡°Whatever the danger is, if we can make it to the gate, it''s irrelevant.¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but you¡¯re right. We aren¡¯t finding whatever it is like this.¡± They started off again, this time walking quickly, not quite running. Trap detection¡¯s alarm got louder and more insistent as they advanced. Cass continued to scan the countryside, looking for irregularities but she didn¡¯t find anything. Not much later, a building appeared ahead. It was a pyramid-looking construction, made of the same black stone that filled the Deep. A copse of madrone grew around it. Behind, another range of mountains rose. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Alyx said, pointing ahead. ¡°We can get out of the Valley there?¡± Cass asked. She¡¯d honestly expected another mountain pass, dumping them back out in the wider world. Maybe a wall with a literal gate used as the checkpoint. How would they leave the area through a building? Her blood ran cold. ¡°Wait. It''s not another teleporter, is it?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°There will be a ship waiting for us there. It''s part of the Trial set up by the Gods. It¡¯ll take us back to the Continent.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Once again, Cass had a lot of questions and only one mouth to ask them. ¡°Take us back to the continent? Are we on an island?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Alyx answered. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to stop and talk about this, keep moving Cass.¡± ¡°But mountains like this,¡± Cass pointed at the mountains surrounding them on every side, ¡°On an island?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not common,¡± Salos agreed. ¡°But Islands can have a wide variety of land composition.¡± He nudged her face with his own, ¡°Come on, Cass, we can discuss landmass formation at length later.¡± Cass scowled but hurried after Alyx. ¡°Fine, but where is the ship? That looks like there are more mountains on the other side of the building.¡± ¡°There is a small bay that cuts through them,¡± Alyx said. ¡°The Uvana Gate.¡± ¡°And that building?¡± ¡°The staging ground for the trial,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Normally, one handles the first handful of quests there. You know, the choose your weapon, defeat an enemy quests? Once you¡¯ve done that you are supposed to come out into the field here and kill a small monster. Then you can decide how far into the Valley you want to go.¡± Cass remembered those quests. She¡¯d killed a monster many times her level to do that. However, if Alyx was leveled in the twenties, it was possible her ¡®small¡¯ monster would still have been around the same level as that first Terrorcat. Ch. 81: The Pyramid They arrived at the pyramid without any trouble, despite Trap Detection screaming in Cass¡¯s head. She was tempted to dismiss it, but that wouldn¡¯t actually make her any less anxious about it. At least this way, there was a chance she¡¯d discover the irregularity before whatever booby trap they¡¯d boobied into trapped them. The pyramid was even more grand up close. It was made up of a series of rectangular levels, like the pyramids of South America on Earth. The edges were all well-worn, softening to rounded lips. The entrance was at ground level. Like the Temple of the Deep, thick, ornate pillars decorated the entrance. Trap Detection lit the entire entrance up as a likely location for a trap. Cass had to agree. It was dark in there. ¡°Do we actually need to go in?¡± Cass asked hesitantly. ¡°The dock is on the other side. The only stairs up are inside the building,¡± Alyx said. ¡°We can¡¯t just, climb the sides or something?¡± Cass asked. She would probably manage with Wind Step, but depending on how it was constructed it might be difficult for Alyx. ¡°Is it a problem?¡± Alyx asked. Cass took a deep breath and evaluated exactly what Trap Detection was telling her. At a glance, it was saying there was a trap nearby and that the pyramid¡¯s entrance was a great place to set one up. But if she dissected that a little, these two statements were actually unrelated. It was true Trap Detection sensed a trap nearby. It was also true Trap Detection identified the pyramid entrance as prime trap real estate. It was not saying that the nearby trap was at the mouth of the pyramid. It also wasn¡¯t saying it wasn¡¯t, she noted. ¡°Let¡¯s get a little closer,¡± Cass said, ¡°But don¡¯t step inside yet.¡± There should not be traps here, Salos commented. If there is a trap it was set by a trial taker, not the Trial itself. So a person? The makers of the Trial are people too, Salos grumped, but yes. That was the point I was trying to make. They carefully approached the pyramid¡¯s entrance. Cass stopped them outside the entry pillars and peered into the dark. Salos said it shouldn¡¯t be built into the trial, which meant it should be something built on top of the existing architecture rather than built into the tiles themselves. Still, Cass systematically looked over each one. Her eyes didn¡¯t skip. She saw no trace of hidden wires. Nothing appeared to be hanging from the ceiling waiting to drop on them. She noticed the irregularity behind them as the figure dropped out of stealth. Cass spun around, her hands white-knuckling her staff. Time froze as her heightened Alacrity kicked into full effect. It was a woman, lithe and wiry. Her hair was pinned tight against her head. She was dressed in dark leather armor. She stood directly behind Alyx. There was a dagger in her right hand, plunging down. The trajectory would take the blade between Alyx¡¯s breastplate and spine. Through the spine. No thoughts followed. Action was automatic and immediate. Staff Mastery struck out. The staff hit the blade just as its tip struck flesh. It skidded across the back of Alyx¡¯s neck, drawing a shallow cut in its wake. The would-be assassin jumped back before Staff Mastery could begin the next attack. Alyx exclaimed in surprise, turning with her blade drawn a fraction of a second later. Her eyes widened at the sight of the assassin. ¡°Levina?¡± The woman grinned. ¡°Hiya, boss.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Alyx asked. She ran her free hand over the back of her neck. Her scowl deepened when it came away with blood. ¡°You cut me?¡± The woman, Levina, shrugged. ¡°Funny story.¡± ¡°I paid you to protect me!¡± The woman winced. ¡°Very funny story. Your old pops also paid me.¡± Alyx¡¯s face went white. ¡°Just about double what you paid,¡± Levina continued, twirling her blade absently. ¡°Upfront too.¡± ¡°To kill me?¡± Alyx asked quietly. ¡°Not in so many words,¡± the assassin said, ¡°But, yeah, it''s exactly what you think.¡± ¡°Then the guide?¡± ¡°Bought.¡± ¡°Your crew?¡± ¡°In on it.¡± ¡°Then, the spider ambush?¡± ¡°Less controlled than I wanted, but I suppose more believable for it.¡± The woman shrugged. ¡°And now?¡± Alyx choked out. ¡°Now you have two options. You let me kill you nice, fast, and painless or you do the stupid thing, put up a fight, and I make your last minutes incredibly painful.¡± Alyx glanced at Cass. ¡°It''s two against one. Are you sure about your chances?¡± Levina chuckled. To Cass, she said, ¡°You heard all that, yeah. I don¡¯t know who you are or how you got in here without me finding out, but I suppose she¡¯s paid you to be her guard?¡± Cass didn¡¯t say anything. That wasn¡¯t true, but she doubted this was the time to explain their unusual circumstances. ¡°You¡¯re only level 15. Respectable that you¡¯d challenge the Trial at that level, but you have a long way ahead of you. You¡¯re out of your depth, and I think you know it too. ¡°So, generous as I am, I¡¯ll give you three options: ¡°1. I give you this,¡± she pulled a small pouch from the folds of her clothes. It jingled with the sound of small metal pieces bouncing against each other. ¡°You forget you ever saw either me or this one here.¡± She jerked her blade at Alyx for emphasis. ¡°And you go your own way, nice and easy. ¡°2. I give you this,¡± she jiggled the coin purse again, ¡°and give you a chance to join up with my crew. You¡¯re quick for your level, and I find myself with some openings for young talent. Obviously, you let me kill that woman there and we don¡¯t mention this incident to anybody else, yeah? ¡°3. I kill you. Either before your master there or after, it doesn¡¯t matter much to me.¡± Cass felt her blood go cold. ¡°Here, see how much I¡¯m offering you.¡± The assassin tossed the sack at Cass. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Cass flinched, one hand struggling to catch the flying sack while the other held her staff. In that moment, the assassin was moving again. She darted directly for Alyx. Alyx blinked out of the way. One moment she was standing flat-footed beside Cass, the next the assassin¡¯s blade occupied that space and Alyx was on the opposite side of her, her body twisted just barely out of the way. Alyx slashed at Levina, who melted out of the way in a cloud of slinking smoke only to reappear behind Alyx, blade raised. Alyx spun and parried. Their blades, Alyx¡¯s sword and the assassin¡¯s dagger, crossed in a blinding flurry. Cass took a step toward them when Salos stopped her. What are you doing? We need to help Alyx. Why? Salos¡¯s question stopped Cass dead. What do you mean, why? You don¡¯t owe her anything? That assassin is out of your skill level to deal with. But, she saved my life last night, Cass reminded him. After you saved her countless times before that. But, we¡¯re friends. It was childish. A childish reason. Cass didn¡¯t even know if it was true. But she wanted it to be true. Are you? Salos prodded right to the heart of it. Are you really? Cass looked down, the bag of presumably money heavy in her hand. She didn¡¯t know how much was in there. Was this all Alyx¡¯s life was worth? If you join that fight, you will die, Salos promised. Did you Identify that woman? Cass hadn¡¯t. She fixed that now. Elven Assassin Lvl 25 [Elves are a graceful race adapted to the forests of the world more so than many others. They specialize in Dexterity and have sharp eyes and long lives. As an assassin, this particular elf has taken that to the extreme, specializing in killing blows from unseen angles, their targets ranging from other peoples to powerful monsters.] Ten levels over Cass. Specializing in instantaneous death. There was no room for error if Cass joined this fight. Very little chance to flee. And, like Salos said, why should she? Why should she throw her life away here? If her concern was being lost and alone, she could even join up with the assassin. She wasn¡¯t tied to Alyx in any meaningful way. Well, if the woman could be trusted. Maybe it was Salos¡¯s influence, maybe it was a bias against assassins, but Cass didn¡¯t think she should trust the promise of safety so easily. In which case, shouldn¡¯t she team up with Alyx rather than try to fight the assassin alone later? But Salos was still right about her being more than Cass could handle. Alyx and Levina¡¯s blades clashed again and again, the ring of metal drowning the air around them. It only fell silent when Levina disappeared in a cloud of smoke, only to reappear at an odd angle or unusual direction. So far, Alyx was holding her own. The only wound was the long gash along the back of her neck from the initial surprise attack. But, Levina was also uninjured. Cass had to do something. Could Alyx and I run to the boat and just leave? Cass asked Salos. No. Unless something has changed, the boat won¡¯t be departing until dusk. I doubt you can avoid her blade for that long. Cass bit her lip. She couldn¡¯t just insert herself into the fight. She¡¯d hit Alyx or get in her way. But she also couldn¡¯t just stand here. Cass flipped through her skills, looking for something that might work. Give it up, Salos said. You¡¯ll only get yourself killed. Give me something helpful, Cass snapped back. The constant nay-saying isn¡¯t useful. He scowled at her. Fine, let me lay it out for you. She¡¯s even higher level than everything except the Lord and Heralds you¡¯ve fought. Her skills are more refined. She almost certainly has a Concept on Dexterity around smoke or shadows which is making every one of Alyx¡¯s nearly successful strikes complete misses instead. I doubt that is her only Concept. I don¡¯t have helpful suggestions for you because she¡¯s too powerful for you to fight. She¡¯s too powerful for Alyx to fight. I¡¯ve only fought things above my level since I got here, Cass shot back. This is different. She¡¯s well past the First Step. All of her skills are likely leveled at least to that First Step too. 18 or more skills with the bonus for reaching level 9, Cass. That means she has significantly more stats than anything you¡¯ve fought. Moreover, she¡¯s a sentient being. She isn¡¯t a system-guided monster. She can strategize. She can plan. She is a hundred times more dangerous than an equal-leveled monster. Is she actually stronger than the Lords? Cass asked. Yes! Salos screamed. Then why didn¡¯t Alyx and her take the Pass? They took the Hidden Path instead. Maybe she was a bad match-up for the Lord of the Pass. It is a bulky, high-defense type. Against an assassin that is difficult unless they have some other advantage. So she should struggle against the Lord, Cass said slowly, an absolutely nonsense plan forming in the back of her mind. Anyone would struggle to fight a Lord solo, even with a level advantage, which she does not have. It could work. Cass could feel it. There were just a million steps she needed to figure out in between. Could you take her? Cass asked. What? No. I¡¯m even lower leveled than you! Salos protested. But you¡¯re up to level 10, right? You have all those level 10 skills, each of those is worth a level right? That makes you functionally like level 20 or so. That ignores any skills she might have and still puts me well below her listed level, he pointed out. But aren¡¯t you some crazy level 74 fighter? Cass prodded. You cannot goad me into fighting her with my pride. I don¡¯t have a pride left to prod. You don¡¯t need to fight her, Cass said slowly, step one of her plan forming. I barely need you to hurt her. What are you going on about? Injure one of her knees or ankles, Cass said. What? It''s a simple concept, Salos, Cass chided him in the tone he liked to use on her. Take out one or both of her legs. That should minimize the amount she can do that shadow flicker thing she does. I bet you could do it with ease. How do you imagine I do that? Salos asked. She¡¯s covered in leather armor from head to toe. What about Hidden Edge? Cass asked. Doesn¡¯t that increase your damage? Only if I¡¯m unseen. She¡¯s an assassin. Her stats will be distributed like mine. High Dex, high Per. You have your shadow blink thing. Just appear behind her. You mean Shadow Step? Yeah, that. Salos tensed on her shoulder. And then what? If I attack her, she will kill you once she¡¯s done with Alyx, if not before. I have an idea. Like you did against the epherwing? Better than that, Cass assured him, though she held her doubts close to her chest. Take out her leg then hit me with your Fairy Fire. You want her attention? Why do you want her attention? Because Alyx doesn¡¯t know the plan. I have to be the bait. What is the rest of this plan? I¡¯ll tell you later, just do it. Salos grumbled to himself but leapt off Cass¡¯s shoulder. Cass didn¡¯t watch him. She fully believed that he could rip out the tendons of a leg with his claws if he wanted to. It was more important that she get the head start that she was going to need. She hurried toward the open meadow, her staff gripped tight in her hand. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t need it. Atmospheric Sense promised the wind hadn¡¯t changed, it still blew strongly back toward the Pass. She checked her Focus. Focus: 270/270 She was topped off. Good. She was going to need all of it before this was over. With Wind Step at level 6, it cost 49 Focus a piece. The pass was an hour away, walking at the gentle pace Cass preferred. So, maybe a quarter of that time at a full sprint? About 15 minutes? Using her Focus for nothing but Wind Step, she had five uses of that skill. That seemed like plenty, but she couldn¡¯t just spam them one after another. For this plan to work, she couldn¡¯t get too far ahead while using the skill. It was going to be a delicate balancing act. But it had to work. Ch. 82: The Assassin The time for planning ended as the assassin hissed in surprise. Cass turned to see Salos phasing out of existence and settling back in his necklace. A deep gash spurted blood from the back of the assassin¡¯s ankle, her boot heel eviscerated by a set of long claws. Alyx pressed the advantage, her sword snaking through the woman¡¯s faltering guard to score a laceration across the chest. Her armor took the damage and Alyx¡¯s sword came away with only the barest trickle of blood. I don¡¯t know how much that will slow her down, Salos said as he materialized on her shoulder. Hit me with the Fairy Fire, Cass said. And as soon as her attention is on me, tell Alyx the plan. I don¡¯t know the plan, Salos pointed out again. Right. The next step is I get her attention and lead her back to the Lord of the Pass. I don¡¯t like this plan. But the flames erupted from Cass¡¯s skin anyway. ¡°Hey! Levina!¡± Cass shouted and leveled her staff at the woman. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to refuse your offer!¡± Cass manifested a Wind Blade at the end of her staff and launched it at her. Alyx and Levina both dodged the strike easily, the blade flying harmlessly in the new six feet of distance between the two of them. Levina snarled at Cass. ¡°What are you doing?¡± All three of them held their weapons raised, all three waiting for someone else to make the next move. Levina didn¡¯t appear to be phased by the injury to her right foot, despite the heavy blood flow still pouring from the wound. Was she bluffing? Or did she have a skill or Concept on Vitality or Fortitude that mitigated the pain or made up for the blood loss? Was this plan doomed from the start? ¡°Rejecting your offer?¡± Cass yelled anyway. Whether Levina was bluffing or not, Cass needed to look like everything was under control. She needed the assassin to take her seriously. ¡°Why?¡± the assassin asked. ¡°You can¡¯t be so loyal to this noble whelp that you¡¯d pass up good money.¡± ¡°Is it really good money if it''s earned by abandoning a¡ª¡° Cass faltered. She had been about to say friend, but maybe that was too presumptuous? ¡°¡ªan ally?¡± ¡°What?¡± Levina said. ¡°So you¡¯re going to have to kill me if you want to get to Alyx,¡± Cass said, throwing another Wind Blade at the assassin. The assassin melted before the Wind Blade, her body becoming smoke as it phased through her. She shot after Cass, knife extended. Cass didn¡¯t wait for their weapons to clash, Cass turned and ran, trusting Alyx and Salos to figure out how to follow after her. Cass flared Sprint for all it was worth, pumping every scrap of Strength and Dexterity and Endurance through it. The wind surged around her, splitting ahead and pressing from behind. She was speed. She was freedom. This was how the wind was meant to be. That said, her Stamina was dropping fast. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Stamina: 60/69 Atmospheric Sense warned her that the assassin was behind her, dagger raised. Sprint wanted to keep running. Dodge suggested rolling to the side. Wind Step asked if this was the moment. Cass tried something new instead. As her foot connected with the soft meadow ground, she pushed Elemental Manipulation through it. Stone was pretty far beneath the loamy soil, but she found it all the same. She pulled even as Sprint carried her on. Behind her, where the assassin now stood, a spear of stone erupted from her footprint. Levina jerked to the side, avoiding the attack with depressing ease. But it had done its job, Cass had bought another couple of seconds of distance between them. They did that dance a couple more times, Levina catching up, Cass leaving a stone spear in her wake, Levina falling behind to dodge again. Each time the maneuver was easier and faster for Cass, but Levina¡¯s dodge was better timed too. Then the assassin stopped. For just a moment, Cass thought she¡¯d given up. Fear and relief hit her simultaneously. She would live! Alyx was in danger! Atmospheric Sense screamed a warning. A pair of projectiles flew after her. Dodge activated and she avoided them. But there had been three daggers, not two. The third struck Cass¡¯s cloak with a heavy thud. It didn¡¯t penetrate, but Cass staggered under the force. Cass stumbled. Levina shoved Cass. Cass felt herself falling, the assassin a step behind her. She couldn¡¯t dodge. There was only one option. She Wind Stepped. She felt herself dissolve as the assassin¡¯s blade found the space she¡¯d occupied and her heart soared as the wind carried her forward. She wanted to ride the wind the rest of the way to the Lord, to ride it into infinity. Cass nipped that impulse. That wasn¡¯t her. That was the skill and the race putting ideas in her head. She needed to focus. She materialized a dozen yards in front of Levina. ¡°Quit running,¡± the assassin spat. ¡°Quit trying to kill us,¡± Cass yelled back as she Sprinted away. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Levina chased again. Stamina: 38/69 Focus: 176/270 Her Stamina was dropping too fast. Even with an injured ankle, Levina had no difficulty keeping up. She probably had a higher Strength and Dexterity, giving her more ground with every step than Cass. Cass had expected as much but had hoped her Endurance was greater than the assassin¡¯s. Then again, maybe it was and she was just burning through her Stamina faster to run Sprint at max speed. Or maybe the assassin would run out of gas in the next couple of minutes. Atmospheric Sense warning Levina was right behind her again dissuaded Cass of that last hope. Once again, Cass drew up a spear of stone from her footsteps, once again buying precious distance. But it wasn¡¯t sustainable. Stamina: 34/69 Focus: 169/270 She was going to run out of Stamina before they reached the Pass. Levina was going to catch her sooner than later. Cass needed a new stalling tactic. Something cheap, ideally using Focus not Stamina. There was really only one choice, all she had was Elemental Manipulation. But what to manipulate? She¡¯d gotten good at stone and wind. But the ground was mostly soft soil, she was barely able to pull up the stone spears through it as it was. Could she pull up more? Would that slow the assassin down any more? It was worth a shot. Cass reached out with every footfall, grabbing at the stone beneath her. But no, she was running too fast. She wasn¡¯t done with the first spear by the time her second foot hit the ground. Every other footstep then? She pulled up one, then two. Neither were as tall as the panicked ones she¡¯d made when Levina was about to stab her, but they could have been respectable obstacles, if they weren¡¯t standing straight up and in a perfect line. Levina sidestepped the first and didn¡¯t have to change trajectories to avoid the second. Cass saw the issue. Every other step meant only her left-footed steps were creating pillars. It needed to be more irregular than that. More haphazard. Cass threw up a few more, grabbing at the stone and yanking it at odd angles. Left, right, back, right again. They weren¡¯t coming up as spears anymore, just whatever portion of stone Elemental Manipulation could quickly grab. Levina danced through the maze of stone, barely slowing, but slowing. Would it be enough? Cass¡¯s Focus was draining fast. Stamina: 29/69 Focus: 136/270 It was a lot to repeatedly use Elemental Manipulation like that. To do it while running full speed over unfamiliar terrain? Cass was glad she had the Will and Alacrity to handle it, but she didn¡¯t know how much longer she would be able to. But, Levina was slowing. Cass could feel it. Ch. 83: Pinned Suddenly, Cass couldn¡¯t sense the assassin¡¯s breathing behind her. She was simply gone to her Atmospheric Sense. If escape had been all she cared about, Cass would have just kept running. But the goal wasn¡¯t escape. She needed Levina behind her. Cass glanced over her shoulder, slowing as she searched for the assassin. But her eyes only confirmed what Atmospheric Sense had already told her, the assassin was gone. But why give up here? Why now? After going this far? Had the Fairy Fire worn off? Had the assassin realized she was being led around by the nose? No, the purple flames still danced over her skin. Then why? Cass slowed but didn¡¯t stop, her head whipping in every direction looking for the other woman. She had to still be here. It had to be a skill, bending perception, obscuring the assassin from her perception. Some powerful stealth skill. This was fine. Even knowing that would help her break it. She was still here, somewhere. Should she just keep running? Should she drive her out of hiding first? How would she do that? She¡¯d broken the illusions around the traps in the labyrinth by focusing hard on each one individually. But how did one check every inch of open field? How did one do that fast enough to find a moving assassin magically incentivized to murder her any moment? By that logic, she should just keep running. It was easy enough to assume that Levina was still behind her. But what if it was a trick? What if she¡¯d gone invisible to sneak back and ambush Alyx? If Cass kept running, would she be abandoning Alyx to her fate? No. Cass needed to find Levina. There had to be a way to find her. But Cass didn¡¯t have a clue how. She considered the traps in the labyrinth again. She¡¯d touched each tile with her staff. One after another. She¡¯d compared every tile to every other tile. It had been difficult, mentally exhausting work, but she¡¯d done it. She hadn¡¯t searched for the trap with her eyes alone then and she couldn¡¯t now. Sight was what the assassin was expecting Cass to use. Sight and sound. Even hidden her breathing had disappeared. But Atmospheric Sense could pick up more than just breaths. Had the assassin obscured the flow of air around her? Could Cass find it? Cass strained Atmospheric Sense, pulling in as much information as her Perception would allow and her Will and Alacrity could handle while still running over uneven ground. Wind idly danced over the flat plane, heavy with thick drops of water suspended in its grasp. It meandered. It dipped and eddied and gusted. All of it natural. Was she alone here? Had Levina turned around? Was she standing still? No, even standing still would change the flow of air around her. The wind wasn¡¯t blowing hard enough for this. Was that turn because it had meandered right or because something had moved? She needed it gusting so she could watch for major deflections as it rushed around a body. Could she do something about that? Cass wasn¡¯t sure, but she had to try. She leveled her staff, drawing a wind blade around it. As much air as she could gather. The sharpness was unimportant. Fatter and wider was what she needed, a thick-bladed axe, not a dagger¡¯s fine edge. More. Still more. More. Cass had turned all her Stats from Atmospheric Sense to this single Wind Blade and the motion she wanted to create with it. Will clamped down hard on the air, as Resolve fed it more and more Focus. More. She couldn¡¯t hold more. She had to release it now or lose it entirely. She swung her staff, spinning in place like a spinning top, throwing her oversized blade as she did. It flew off, forming a ring of wind expanding outward around her. As soon as it was flying from her staff, she refocused her attention on Atmospheric Sense, watching the ring expand from her in a wider and wider ring. The air spun as it raced away from her, but the direction was uniform, even, predictable. Everywhere except immediately to her left. The air hit something solid and then buffeted around it. Then the spot of turbulence moved. It jerked toward Cass. A hand grabbed Cass¡¯s robe, yanking her toward the suddenly visible assassin. Yanking her into the blade Levina simultaneously stabbed into Cass¡¯s shoulder. Cass pulled away, flailing. Screaming. Falling. Cass landed on her back, Levina on top of her, the dagger blade buried deep in Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Got you,¡± Levina hissed, leaning close, her dagger twisting. There was a madness in her eyes. They reflected the purple of Salos¡¯s Fairy Fire, drowning out all the natural color of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy gutting you after the chase you¡¯ve led me on.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Cass was still screaming. She shoved against the other woman, but her Strength didn¡¯t move her at all. Cass wasn¡¯t that strong. She hadn¡¯t put much into physical strength. Not before ending up in this world. Not after. Not even when it was as easy as allocating Stat points. Now she wondered if that was a mistake. She flailed for Elemental Manipulation. She¡¯d gotten out of similar binds before with it. Fireball to her face. Stone spear through her abdomen. Something. Anything. Elemental Manipulation fizzled. She could feel it, but attempts to activate it only increased the pain in her shoulder. ¡°Ah, ah,¡± Levina cooed. ¡°No skills now. That would be very inconvenient.¡± Something she was doing was blocking her skills? Cass¡¯s panic skyrocketed. How could she possibly escape without skills? She was just an ordinary woman without them. Ill-equipped to survive in this messed-up world of levels and power. Levina left her dagger in Cass¡¯s shoulder as she drew a second, this one no less gruesome. Curved and deadly. The blade flickered with white light. She lowered it to Cass¡¯s face. Cass closed her eyes, turning her head away. It didn¡¯t help. She could imagine it just as easily. The blade inches from her eyes. The blood it would free. The flesh it¡¯d separate from bone. This was how she died. There was a surprised grunt, and then Levina¡¯s weight was gone. Cass¡¯s eyes flew open. There was a glowing, amber sword sweeping over her field of vision. She craned her neck back. Alyx stood behind her, sword swinging, Salos sitting on her shoulder. Cass had never been so relieved to see her scowling face. ¡°Oh ho, you didn¡¯t run?¡± Levina said, her eyes shifting between Cass and Alyx. They no longer glinted the purple of Salos¡¯s Fairy Fire. Cass glanced down at her no longer flaming hands. The skill had been canceled. ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°You¡¯d just chase me down when you realized my guard was a decoy.¡± Cass yanked the dagger in her shoulder out. Blood rushed from the wound, through her undamaged robe, dripping quickly from the unstainable material. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Cass whispered up at Alyx. ¡°Why¡¯d you run off with her?¡± Alyx shot back. ¡°I had a plan,¡± Cass started. ¡°Salos told me.¡± She did not sound impressed. ¡°Do you have a better one?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Go sneak off and make yourself a campsite, recover your Focus and Stamina. Run for the boat at dusk.¡± ¡°And leave you?¡± Cass asked. ¡°This is my fight,¡± Alyx said, her eyes never once leaving the assassin on the far side of Cass. ¡°You cannot die for it.¡± Cass frowned, turning the dagger she¡¯d pulled from her shoulder over in her hands. Skill Sealing Dagger Class: Dagger (Bladed Weapon) [A blade forged with Felsworn Iron which cuts off access to all System skills and severely cuts the effect of Physical Row stats.] ¡°I think my plan can still work,¡± Cass said. ¡°Your plan is a bad plan.¡± ¡°Your plan is to fight her alone,¡± Cass pointed out. Alyx¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°What else am I supposed to do?¡± Now, wasn¡¯t that the million-dollar question? Cass looked over her resources: Stamina: 18/69 Focus: 129/270 Bottom of the barrel Stamina. Less than half her Focus. She could fight the assassin with Alyx, but she was back to the original problem. How much could Cass help? We should go, Salos confirmed. You recover faster than most with your camping skill. If you hide now, you can probably avoid the assassin until dark. It won¡¯t help, Cass said. She doesn¡¯t need to find me. She just needs to go back to the boat and wait for me to try to get on. Salos scowled but didn¡¯t refute her. She was right. Running wasn¡¯t an option. Unfortunately, running was what she was best at. ¡°You two done chatting?¡± Levina sneered. Alyx charged forward in response, her sword flashing into Levina¡¯s dagger. The two clashed, sparks flying from their exchange. Alyx wasn¡¯t interested in other plans. Levina was unlikely to fall into Salos¡¯s Fairy Fire again. But they were in the Pass. The mouth of the Pass. Barely a few steps within it, but in it. Weren¡¯t they? Cass checked with Salos. Yes, we technically are, he said. What does that have to do with anything? Can¡¯t I do the same thing as before, but in reverse? You want to do what? Bring the Boar here. Why in the Deepest Abyss would you want to do that? It came out more as a sigh than an exclamation. He already knew why she wanted to do it. Well? Yes. It could be done. But¡­ Can you ask Alyx to draw the fight deeper into the Pass? He sighed. Yes, sure. One moment. I¡¯m not letting you run off without me this time. You should stay with Alyx. She needs the help more than me. Cass protested. You plan on luring the boar here without my Fairy Fire? Salos asked. Cass bit her lip. Yes? He snorted. Wait. The next second he had Shadow Stepped across the battlefield to Alyx¡¯s shoulder. She didn¡¯t slow her vicious attack, her arms kept swinging, even with Salos balanced there. There was the slightest nod of her chin and Salos was gone again, demanifesting and returning to his necklace around Cass¡¯s throat. Alright, let¡¯s go. Cass nodded and, activating Stealth, slipped away from the battlefield. Stealth was probably unnecessary, the assassin was busy with Alyx, but Cass didn¡¯t have the energy to get pulled back in. You sure you don¡¯t want to just sneak off? Salos asked. Can you think of a way to get out of this valley before the lightning falls tomorrow if we don¡¯t kill Levina? Salos glowered. Time traveling back to the point before you attacked her? That¡¯s what I thought, Cass said. She might still forgive you if you kill Alyx, Salos suggested. Cass wrinkled her nose in disgust. No? Salos asked. Fine. Never suggest such a thing again, Cass said. We both know I will. Cass walked as fast as she could while still recovering Stamina. It wasn¡¯t a fast recovery, but it was better than nothing. She would need every point she could get her hands on for this. The Lord wasn¡¯t too far away now, but she didn¡¯t know how the fight was going to go. This would be the first true Lord she¡¯d fought. Ch. 84: Baiting the Boar The boar was even bigger up close. It was a hulking thing, its shoulder two or three heads taller than Cass. Its body was covered in steel grey bristles. They had a metallic sheen, that promised they were tougher than hair had any right to be. Its tusks were longer than Cass¡¯s forearms and wider than her calves. It rooted around in the dirt between the shear cliffs to either side, its snout throwing up a cloud of dirt and dust. Thunderback Boar (Lord of the Pass) Lvl 31 [There has always been a Lord of the Pass guarding the entrance to the Uvana Valley. This Lord has held that title for three consecutive years. Though Thunderback Boar are common to the valley, this particular specimen is anything but common. Beyond being completely immune to lightning, this beast even controls it. Between its formidable size, Strength, and Will few are its match.] It was an even higher level than Alyx had reported seeing on her way in. How strong is this thing? Cass asked A monster of its level? Salos hummed to himself. It''s what I¡¯d call a defense type, but strength is clearly not something it would ignore either. Probably more than 50? And it''s a physical-bodied being, that''s a more-than-50 modifying its enormous muscles. Expect that to hit hard. Like a truck, got it, Cass muttered to herself dryly. She could feel Salos¡¯s confusion but moved on. And its Fortitude? You said it was defense-focused? Oh, easily, easily above 50. Less than 100, probably. Oh, call it 70? And again, that¡¯s modifying the natural toughness of a boar¡¯s hide. They have boar where you come from, right? You know how tough that can be? Obviously, there were boar on Earth, however Cass had no idea what their hides were like. She¡¯d take his word for it. So what are our chances of killing this thing, even with Levina¡¯s unwilling help? Low, he snorted. Non-existent? Suicidal? Cass groaned. It isn¡¯t too late to stab Alyx in the back. Cass ignored him. Hit me with Fairy Fire, I¡¯m going to get its attention. Of course you are, he sighed as his purple flames wreathed her body. Cass dropped Stealth and stepped toward the enormous boar. It didn¡¯t immediately react. Cass stood there, awkwardly. Well, attack it or something, Salos said. It''s dense enough it will not notice you unless you make it clear you are looking for a fight. Oh, okay? Cass yelled and threw a Wind Blade against the Thunderback¡¯s side. The blade struck the metallic bristles and broke, harmlessly whirling off as idle eddies of air. The Thunderback didn¡¯t seem to notice. Cass¡¯s heart stopped at the sight. Can we abandon Alyx now? Salos asked. This plan will not work. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What am I doing wrong?¡± Cass asked. This couldn¡¯t be right. Cass didn¡¯t care if it had 70 or 100 Fortitude. This was the final straw. Why was Wind Blade so weak? It bounced off everything when used in its ranged form. She didn¡¯t think it had successfully injured anything since she¡¯d gotten it. ¡°What?¡± Salos asked. Cass pointed at the boar. ¡°Why are my Wind Blades so weak?¡± Was it not empowered by her Will? Was that not a respectable 36? Maybe that was too low compared to the Boar¡¯s massive Fortitude, but it should be doing something! Not just breaking against its hide. ¡°Is now a good time for this?¡± Salos asked. Maybe it wasn¡¯t. Alyx was fighting for her life as she wasted time here. But also, the plan wasn¡¯t going to work if the Boar didn¡¯t chase her back to the assassin. ¡°You have any other suggestions? I¡¯m standing here and it doesn¡¯t seem to care.¡± ¡°You have a massive level difference.¡± Salos shrugged. ¡°And? It''s supposed to be super territorial, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but, the level difference. You¡¯re inconsequential to it. Not even worth the experience of crushing you.¡± ¡°So it''s ignoring me? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be guarding the Pass or something?¡± ¡°Well, you defeated the epherwing, didn¡¯t you? You could get in that way. Makes this Pass entirely optional.¡± ¡°So it doesn¡¯t need to keep me out?¡± Cass asked incredulously. Salos shrugged again. ¡°Is this why you didn¡¯t try to stop me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t try to stop you?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Which part of, ¡®this is a bad plan¡¯, ¡®this won¡¯t work¡¯, or ¡®we should backstab Alyx¡¯ sounded like I was encouraging you?¡± ¡°You could have told me that the Boar would ignore me before I came all the way out here! Alyx is waiting for us!¡± ¡°Right, but if I¡¯d told you, you would have been killed by the assassin already.¡± Cass scowled. ¡°So, since you¡¯re in no hurry to get me back to Alyx, tell me what I¡¯m doing wrong with Wind Blade?¡± ¡°How should I know?¡± Salos asked. ¡°It''s your skill.¡± ¡°You know things,¡± Cass said, but it sounded petulant even to her ears. He released another exaggerated sigh. ¡°Show me the skill description.¡± Cass pulled it up. Wind Blade (lvl 6) (Wind) [Through study of the winds, you have discovered how to shape them into a weapon of your will. None can stop the wind. Condense the air into blades with your Focus. Direct with a melee weapon or send them at your targets with your Will for an additional Focus cost. Association with the Concept of Wind increases the speed of the blades and allows for greater control of shape and direction.] ¡°Well,¡± he asked, ¡°How are you controlling them right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been throwing them with my staff,¡± Cass said. ¡°Not how you manifest them, how are you controlling them?¡± Salos repeated. ¡°I don¡¯t think I understand the question.¡± Salos blinked slowly. A moment later he tried a different question, ¡°Have you ever tried to control the shape or direction of your Wind Blades?¡± ¡°Um, the shape, when I¡¯m forming it.¡± She¡¯d not paid much attention to the last line of the description. ¡°Cass,¡± Salos sighed. ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± ¡°What?¡± Cass glared at him, ready to defend herself. ¡°You aren¡¯t controlling them at all, are you?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re manifesting them and then throwing them off your weapon. Am I right?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± Cass crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Are you saying that¡¯s entirely wrong?¡± He started cackling. ¡°Cass, how are you so good at your Elemental Manipulation but you¡¯ve never once thought to apply that control to your Wind Blades?¡± Cass scowled at him. Was it really that simple? But then, what he was describing made sense. Elementally Manipulated material, especially air and water, lost their cohesion as soon as she stopped applying Focus to them. If the same thing was happening to her ranged Wind Blades¡­ She manifested another Wind Blade on the end of her staff and swung, this time holding onto the Blade as she threw it from the end of her staff. She could feel the connection to it, even as it passed beyond where she lost control of things with Elemental Manipulation. With a flex of her Will, she pulled the air that made up the blade tighter, sharper, denser. The air acquiesced like it was the most natural thing in the world. It struck the boar, this time slicing through the outermost layer of its bristles. The blade warped as it struck, fracturing into several smaller gusts. Cass held onto only the largest piece, guiding it deeper into its hide. It struck true. A slender cut found its way across its skin, oozing ever slightly crimson blood. Cass whooped in delight. ¡°HAH! You see that?¡± Salos shook his head, as the Boar took interest in them. ¡°Oh, right,¡± Cass muttered at the Boar. It squealed and charged. Cass took off running. Ch. 85: Boss Fight Cass Sprinted with everything that she had. The boar charged behind her. Her heart pounded in her chest. All of its considerable Strength propelled it forward faster than a truck. Its head thrashed in wild madness, its tusks glinting with an unnatural light. There was a skill on those. Cass had played enough games to recognize a boss¡¯s attack and to know it would be game over if she was hit. The boar was faster than her. Faster than the assassin. Even with her stats, she wasn¡¯t going to outrun it. Sprint burned at full strength, but how did one outrun a beast like a semi-truck? It was right behind her, still accelerating. Still thrashing. Dodge screamed. Cass screamed. She threw herself to the side. The boar barreled past her, its tusks scraping through the air inches from her skin. It buzzed with electricity. The boar skidded on, its hoofs scraping up a cloud of dust and debris as it tried to turn after her. But, just like the smaller boar she¡¯d fought so many days ago now, it didn¡¯t corner well. She could do this. Cass didn¡¯t wait for it to reorient itself and Sprinted toward Alyx again. Her skin prickled as she ran. Atmospheric Sense shouted a warning. Cass didn¡¯t hesitate. She Wind Stepped, going incorporeal just as a field of lightning exploded off the boar¡¯s bristles. Cass reappeared a moment later, her face white. ¡°It shoots lightning?¡± Cass yelled at Salos. ¡°This is a bad plan,¡± he yelled back. There wasn¡¯t time to consider another though. The boar was charging again. Cass took off at a Sprint. She needed another method for countering the lightning. She¡¯d burn through all of her Focus in no time if she Wind Stepped around all of them. She was moving too fast to try the water shield she¡¯d used against the Herald of the Forest again. She¡¯d barely managed that while holding the shield in place, she couldn¡¯t imagine building it and moving simultaneously. I don¡¯t suppose you have a skill that makes me immune to lightning? Cass asked Salos hopefully. You think I would be so insistent on leaving this valley if I did? Salos asked. Cass winced. There had to be something she could do. The lightning had radiated out in a huge wave. Atmospheric Sense confirmed it had been a perfect hemisphere around the Boar. It had stretched beyond her for several more yards. The Boar was right behind her again. There was no more time. She dodged left, scrambling to keep her feet even as she twisted out of the range of the Boar''s tusks. They sparked with lightning. She was Sprinting. She needed every inch she could get. Was distance enough? Could she just Sprint out of range? Stamina was dropping rapidly. Cass strained Strength and Dexterity. She pressed harder on Sprint. The air before her parted, snapping shut behind her, pushing her faster, further. More. Atmospheric Sense reported the wave of lightning behind her. She could hear the crackle of energy fry the air. Could smell the free ozone. She raced ahead of it. They were almost to Alyx and the assassin. If she could just stay ahead. She felt the tingle of the lightning against her back. It licked her neck. It raced down her spine. Convulsed along her limbs. It burned. Her muscles seized. She tumbled to the ground. It hurt. But she could hear the crash of metal on metal. Of Alyx and Levina¡¯s blades crossing with force and fury. Cass had made it. Phase one of her plan was complete. Salos, switch the Fairy Fire to Levina, Cass instructed telepathically. She tried to push herself back to her feet. Her body didn¡¯t respond. There was only pain where her muscles should be. The boar squealed again and charged past Cass, its heavy hoofs falling around her, barely missing her as it ran over her. Cass didn¡¯t know if it was her luck, Salos¡¯s Fairy Fire, or simply that Levina had the highest level of the four of them, but the monster needed no additional promptings to attack the assassin. ¡°What the!¡± Levina shouted, disengaging from Alyx with a shadowy backstep. Alyx dove out of the way, her eyes wide at the sight of the beast. Her head jerked between the charging Boar and Cass prone on the ground. She mouthed something at Cass. Cass didn¡¯t need to read lips to guess it was, ¡°What did you do?¡± There was no time to explain, not that Cass could. The boar swept its snout at the assassin as it charged. She easily flitted around to its back, driving her dagger into its flesh. The blade sunk into its hide, but the monster didn¡¯t slow in the slightest. It rampaged in a wide circle, tossing and throwing the assassin around. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Levina held tight to its side. She pulled a second blade from somewhere and jammed it down into the boar beside the first. Meanwhile, Alyx hurried to Cass¡¯s side. She pulled Cass up. The effects of the lightning were starting to wear off, but her limbs felt sluggish. ¡°What did you do!¡± Alyx hissed. Cass managed a self-deprecating chuckle. ¡°Brought our assassin a friend?¡± Alyx dragged Cass further away from the rampaging monsters. ¡°What do you think we do now?¡± ¡°Let them kill each other?¡± Cass asked, watching as Levina was finally thrown from the Boar¡¯s back. Cass took an unsteady step. ¡°We should stand further back.¡± Alyx glanced over her shoulder at the Boar too. It threw its head back, its tusks sparking blue and white. Alyx pulled Cass along faster. They were just barely outside the range of its lightning when it went off. Levina was not so lucky. She was squarely in front of the thing, still picking herself up from her fall from its back. The instant she had to react was barely enough. She flickered out of existence, there one moment, a cloud of smoke the next, then present again as the lightning settled harmlessly into the earth. The boar squealed and stomped, thrashing back and forth looking for Levina again. Cass stood a little taller and tossed a Wind Blade at the assassin. She held the blade the entire time, guiding it across the terrorized meadow. The assassin, still watching the boar, phased out of existence as the blade sliced through their body. She reformed facing Cass, glaring. Her eyes were all Cass could see as she sprinted toward Cass. The beating of her heart was all Cass could hear. The world went dark. Cass couldn¡¯t feel her staff in her hands. Couldn¡¯t feel Salos on her shoulder. Couldn¡¯t feel Alyx at her side. There was only Levina¡¯s eyes, her dagger, and Cass. The dagger was approaching. It shone, radiating malice. It¡ª ¡ªwasn¡¯t real. Assassin¡¯s World Broken. Cass blinked. Her staff was in her hands. Levina was a step away, her dagger poised. Cass brought her staff up in a hasty block, deflecting the first of Levina¡¯s rapid strikes. Alyx swung past her, forcing the assassin back. Levina parried with a backward step, then threw her body out of the way as the boar barreled toward them. Cass and Alyx dove in opposite directions. Levina leapt back on Alyx again as Alyx rolled to her feet. The boar charged through, picking up speed even as it missed, making a wide turn to charge again. It screamed a high-pitched, angry noise. Cass shot off another Wind Blade, then another. They raked the sides of the boar. Not deep wounds, but bleeding all the same. Alyx threw Levina off with a spinning swing of her long sword, following that with another flurry of sword strikes. Levina snuck a cut into that storm, leaving a long gash along Alyx¡¯s thigh as the two scrambled apart again to avoid the boar. It slowed enough to pursue the twisting assassin. It bucked to and fro, attempting to gouge her with its tusks. She dodged around it, every near miss of its tusks closer than the last, every pass accompanied by a trail of shadow blades across it¡¯s hide. They exploded into thousands of slicing shards as the boar crushed them, leaving a sea of minor cuts over its snout and along its flanks. Alyx struck at its backside as it focused on Levina, her sword¡¯s Reverberating Blade leaving a network of shallow cuts across its steely hide. The boar stomped the ground, its tusks sparking again. ¡°Alyx, get back!¡± Cass shouted, but it was too late. Cass watched as the world slowed to a crawl. Levina and Alyx were on either side of the Boar. Cass was just barely inside the range of the lightning. She only needed to take a couple of steps back and she would be out of range. Levina would dissolve into shadows and be fine. But Alyx had no way of escaping. She¡¯d be hit at point blank. The image of Alyx¡¯s charred form was all Cass could see. She needed to step back. Cass needed to get out of range. Cass found herself running toward the boar anyway. Alyx stumbled backward, toward Cass, toward safety. She¡¯d never make it. Cass could hear Salos demanding to know where she was going. Telling her to run. She should run. Sprint was already active. Only, she was facing the danger. She was running into it. Why? What could she possibly do? She was too far away. The lightning too powerful. Could she throw up a wall of earth as a shield? Not fast enough. What about another pure water shield, like she¡¯d used against the Herald of the Forest? Also not fast enough. The clock was ticking. She had to do something. She needed to be faster. Faster. Faster than the Wind itself. Something clicked in her mind. Everything was clearer. The world slower. Her body, lighter. Concept Applied: [Wind - Dex, Ala, Per The Wind is Ephemeral. The Wind is Speed. The Wind is All.] Cass was at Alyx¡¯s side. Somehow the boar was still building its lightning strike. Somehow, Cass had crossed that distance in time. But now what? Nothing had changed. They¡¯d just die together. Lightning erupted from the Boar. It spooled out from its tusks and its body, radiating in waves and loops of light and energy. It was slow. It rolled after them. Cass had to shield them. But she knew¡ªKNEW¡ªthat she couldn¡¯t summon water or earth fast enough to create a shield. And yet, Elemental Manipulation stood ready at the forefront of her mind. It was a quiet skill, rarely looking for her attention, unlike its loud siblings Dodge, Staff Mastery, or Atmospheric Sense. It was usually content to let her figure it out on her own. Yet now it demanded her attention. It insisted that it could still save her. Not with a shield. Not with a wall. Cass leaned into it. What did she have to lose? The lightning rolled forward. Cass extended her staff, pushing the Skill through the wood. It felt like an extension of her hand. And she understood what it wanted. The lighting struck, but Cass snatched back, grabbing at the advancing energy with the skill. The lightning pushed toward her. She snatched up more and more of it, shoving back in turn. The rest of the hemisphere of lightning passed around them, unaffected by the section Cass desperately grasped and held back. The lightning burned at Cass¡¯s Focus. It was even less willing to be controlled than fire. Even wilder than air. The flow of time around Cass ticked back to normal speed and the burn intensified. She couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, but directing it seemed just as impossible. A hand grabbed Cass¡¯s free hand. It yanked her left. Cass nudged her held lightning right as it slipped from her fingers. It burst past her, exploding behind them in a sea of electricity. But they were safe. On the other side of the boar, the assassin dropped like a stone. Ch. 86: Death Cass stared. Levina couldn¡¯t actually be dead, could she? Hadn¡¯t she done the shadow dissolve thing? Had she really run out of uses? Why hadn¡¯t she retreated before that? She couldn¡¯t actually be dead. But, that had been the goal, hadn¡¯t it? Kill the woman trying to kill her? It was self-defense. Not even self-defense, this wasn¡¯t her fault at all. No one had forced Levina to fight the boar. Levina had chosen to stay and fight them and it. It was her own fault she was dead. If she was dead. Which she couldn¡¯t be. There was no way. People didn¡¯t just die. Did they? There was more fanfare when people died. There were dramatic monologues of regret and vengeance and¡­ And Cass had never seen someone die. Not in real life. Not on Earth. She still hadn¡¯t. She was playing dead. A clever ruse. She¡¯d¡ª ¡°Cass!¡± someone yelled. She couldn¡¯t be dead. That didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Cass, Focus!¡± Alyx yelled. Something in the words pulled at Cass¡¯s attention. She could have ignored them, Cass could feel that as certainly as she knew they commanded more weight than a loud sound. Cass blinked anyway, her eyes snapping to Alyx. ¡°We need to run!¡± Alyx said, pulling Cass¡¯s left hand again. A quick look at the boar and Cass agreed. If the assassin was dead they didn¡¯t need to stay here anymore. They didn¡¯t need to kill this monster. They ran. Something about Sprint was easier. More natural. The wind split more naturally around her, pressed more securely behind her. It swirled around her, perfect and playful. Everything she needed was lost amid a seemingly random play of wind. Every step took her further. Her legs pushed her faster than her Strength should allow. Her steps more sure than her Dexterity could provide. She was the wind. Before she knew it, she¡¯d long outstripped Alyx. Alyx probably didn¡¯t have a skill for running. She relied on only her stats for speed and endurance, and it was telling. The boar was catching up. She didn¡¯t have the resources left for anything fancy. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. There was no plan. That wasn¡¯t enough Focus to even Wind Step. All she could do was run. Lighting exploded from the sky, striking the high ridge behind her. Thunder roared. The mist thickened to heavy drops falling around her. The boar snarled. Its feet pounded over the soft meadow, tearing up a torrent of dirt and plants behind it. Every second the distance between it and Alyx shrunk. And shrunk. And shrunk. Until there was no space between them at all. The boar slammed into her back. Alyx flew forward, bouncing over the soft ground, a trail of crushed plants in her wake. Keep running, Salos ordered. The boar scrapped a hoof on the ground. It threw its head back in a warty scream. No lightning, perhaps it had finally run out of its reserves. Cass was running low too. Alyx must be running on fumes. Was Alyx alive? Cass¡¯s heart pounded in her chest. She would have died if that had been her. Her mind tried to conjure up images of herself flying through the air, skewered and gouged and broken. The image dissolved before Alyx¡¯s echoing command. Focus. She didn¡¯t have the bandwidth for anything else. She had to focus on the now. Atmospheric Sense whispered assurance, that Alyx was breathing. She was alive. Run, Cass! Salos urged. She ignored him. She wouldn¡¯t leave Alyx. Not now. Not after killing the assassin to get this far. But that left her and an enormous, lightly bleeding boar. All she had was a staff and her skills and her rapidly depleting Stamina and Focus. And Salos. She also had Salos. He might want to run, but he was stuck with her. The boar charged again. Cass squared her shoulders. Dodging alone wouldn¡¯t save them. They couldn¡¯t run anymore, despite what Salos was demanding. Alyx could not go any further. They had to kill it here. The boar ran, head down. It screamed, its beady eyes glaring malevolently at Cass all the way. There was a lot of force behind that body. And it didn¡¯t turn. Not easily. Not quickly. Didn¡¯t she already have the perfect method? She tapped her staff on the ground behind her, willing Elemental Manipulation to grab the stone beneath her. She pulled it. More and more, she pilled it high. She shaped it sharp and pointed it at the raging monster. She might be too low-level to deal significant damage to its hide. But it wasn¡¯t. It had plenty of Strength. She just needed to give it the right push. Salos, she said. Her words were slow and calm. Focused. Fear and shock ran rampant in the back of her mind, but she ignored it. Use Hidden Blade and Abyssal Aura on the stone spear behind me. He said something in response. Cass wasn¡¯t listening. She didn¡¯t have the bandwidth to listen to anything else. There was only her and the boar and her spear. She pulled and pulled at the stone. Point after point of Focus poured into the skill. Thicker and thicker at the base. She sharpened the leading edge, transforming it from spear point to razor blade. To kill it better? Because Salos had asked her to? She couldn¡¯t say. She didn¡¯t have the mind to question. The boar pounded toward her. She had to wait to get out of the way. The Boar couldn¡¯t look at the spear. It needed to focus on her. Closer. Closer. Something cold and frantic beat in her chest. Distracting. She ignored it. There was only the boar. Only her spear. Only another two yards. One yard. Cass leapt to the side, Dodge and Sprint and the Wind pushing her aside with everything they had. The boar barreled past her running with every ounce of its System blessed Strength and Endurance. There was a sickening thud as stone crushed skull and squelch as it sliced brain matter. There was a brightness in her chest, a rush of energy and exultation. The boar was dead. Cass¡¯s Focus hit zero. Ch. 87: After Effects Cass woke up with the worst headache of her life. She pinched the bridge of her nose and blinked up at the ceiling. It was all grey stone cut into regular bricks. What had happened? An idle thought ran through her mind. A single word: Focus. It held a punch, but Cass brushed it aside. She didn¡¯t need it now. The urgency of it was gone. ¡°She¡¯s up!¡± Salos shouted. Cass groaned and sat up to see Salos and Alyx sitting on either side of her looking at her expectantly. The three of them were inside a wide room with a door leading outside on either side. A large circle was drawn over the floor, Cass and company sat just outside of it. A statue stood limp in the center. One wall was covered in weapons. They hung on display yet not one of them was decorated for show. All were simple but functional pieces. Someone¨CAlyx probably¨Chad started a fire beside her. It was a small smoky thing, but its presence was welcoming all the same. ¡°Where are we?¡± Cass asked. ¡°We are inside the staging ground. You remember the pyramid?¡± Alyx said. Cass nodded. Alyx pointed at the statue in the center of the room. ¡°Traditionally, that is a challenger¡¯s first opponent.¡± Cass squinted at the statue. Training Golem [A simple challenge to ensure challengers possess the basics before departing into dangerous lands] It looked a lot less dangerous than the terrorcat she¡¯d fought. ¡°The boat¡¯s just out that way,¡± Alyx said, pointing to the far door. The air whirled out there, the pressure building. Cass could feel it even indoors. Alyx¡¯s hand traced the grooves on her sword¡¯s pommel. Quietly, she asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Cass nodded weakly. ¡°You¡¯re not dead, are you?¡± Salos asked. There was play in his tone which covered very genuine concern rolling across their bond. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked. ¡°You spent all your Focus,¡± Salos said. ¡°Is that why there is a jackhammer taking apart my brain?¡± Cass muttered. ¡°It''s a miracle you''re not comatose,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Does that usually happen when you spend all your Focus?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No,¡± Salos said. ¡°If all you have is a bad headache then we¡¯re looking at a miracle.¡± ¡°Well, it''s worse than a bad headache,¡± Cass said. ¡°But, yeah, I think I¡¯m not dead.¡± ¡°Maybe she managed to reserve the last couple points of Focus,¡± Alyx suggested with a shrug. Salos settled onto Cass¡¯s lap and nodded. ¡°Near complete Focus depletion could have knocked her out, yes.¡± ¡°What exactly happened there at the end?¡± Cass asked slowly. ¡°Make yourself some tea first,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure out which pocket you keep all that in.¡± Cass took out a cup and pot from her Bag. Idly, she wondered if Alyx had searched the Traveler¡¯s Bag or if its enchantments had kept her from even considering it as an option. Cass tried to activate Elemental Manipulation to summon water like she usually did. A splitting pain ripped through her head at the attempt and Cass immediately lost control of the skill with a grunt of pain. ¡°You okay?¡±Alyx asked. Cass shook her head. ¡°Hurts to summon water.¡± She could feel Salos¡¯s concern warm and worried through their bond. ¡°Focus strain. You¡¯ll live. But don¡¯t use any Focus skills until the headache is gone.¡± Cass nodded mutely. She could do that. It meant no tea though. ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± Cass said, putting her cup and pot away again. ¡°Well, first, I need to apologize,¡± Alyx said. She didn¡¯t look Cass in the eyes, rather she watched the smoking fire beside them. ¡°After you protected us from the lightning wave, something happened to you. ¡°You weren¡¯t responsive. Salos and I aren¡¯t sure what happened exactly. ¡°I used a skill to snap you back to attention. Commander¡¯s Rally. It''s supposed to give commanders in combat better control over their troops. It''s supposed to be used to organize the chaos of battle.¡± She fell silent, the smoke billowed in front of her. Cass wasn¡¯t sure why she was hesitating, but she waited. ¡°I ordered you to focus,¡± Alyx continued. ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected it to take. Not the way it did anyway.¡± Cass frowned. This sounded familiar. ¡°Did you use that skill during the fight with the Caretaker?¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you remember.¡± ¡°You yelled for me to get down, but I barely understood your language at the time. Yet I was able to understand you then. I think that was the skill.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Alyx nodded again. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re apologizing for that though.¡± ¡°It is difficult to use all of one¡¯s Focus,¡± Salos interjected. ¡°As you lose Focus, you lose the ability to concentrate on your skills. The less remaining Focus, the more one¡¯s attention slips and the less ability one has to consume that Focus.¡± ¡°I think my command undercut that natural protection,¡± Alyx said sheepishly. ¡°You overdrew your Focus because I had ordered you to do so.¡± Cass shook her head. Alyx may have used the skill, but she shouldn¡¯t have been affected like that. I assume you let her use it on you, Salos added telepathically. He knew about Contrary Will. If Cass had tried to resist a skill like that, she would have without difficulty. But, she also would have fallen apart at the seams. The raw emotions circled through her memories. Cass recoiled at the touch. She still couldn¡¯t look at that too closely. She needed to think about anything but how she¡¯d gotten the assassin killed. She could feel the damn breaking. She pushed it back. She didn¡¯t know that the assassin was dead. Atmospheric Sense whispered that she did. ¡°We lived,¡± Salos said aloud. ¡°I imagine Cass was only able to build that spear so quickly in front of the Thunderback because you¡¯d ordered her to ignore that limiter, intentional or not.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have been any use if you hadn¡¯t given me that command.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way.¡± Alyx didn¡¯t look at all relieved. ¡°In any case,¡± Salos continued, ¡°You seemed okay after she ordered you to focus. We ran because that was the sensible thing to do. Alyx got caught because she¡¯s slow.¡± ¡°Hey! Not everyone is speed-focused and I didn¡¯t see you running.¡± Alyx poked him in the forehead. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t remember seeing you at all.¡± ¡°I was there, not my fault if you missed me amid the chaos,¡± he said, sticking his nose up. He coughed and continued. ¡°I heroically told Cass to help you, since you were knocked down.¡± ¡°I know that wasn¡¯t what happened,¡± Alyx said, her arms crossed. Cass nodded in agreement. Salos continued, ¡°You then threw all of your Focus into building the most ridiculous spear out of stone. You remember that much, right?¡± Cass nodded. It was fuzzy, but she did remember that. ¡°I hid it like you asked and added Hidden Blade. Thank you for reshaping the pillar into something my skill recognized as a blade by the way, I wasn¡¯t sure you¡¯d heard me.¡± Cass shook her head. She hadn¡¯t. ¡°Either way,¡± Salos continued, ¡°It slammed head-first into the spear. Blood and guts everywhere. You passed out immediately. ¡°I have to give it to you, I did not think your plan would work. I can hardly imagine another group of three that could slay a Lord like that.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Cass asked Alyx. She¡¯d been knocked out in that chaos too, it hadn¡¯t been just Cass unconscious. Alyx nodded. She tapped her chest plate, ¡°It resists blunt force damage. I was knocked out but came to shortly after your heroics. I saw you on the ground and figured I better drag you here since you didn¡¯t seem dead. I, um, owe you again.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d be dead if you hadn¡¯t been there.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been there if that assassin hadn¡¯t been after me.¡± Cass looked down. There was an incredibly important question she was avoiding. She hadn¡¯t needed a play-by-play of the battle. She was stalling. She had to ask it, even if she fell apart when she did. ¡°Speaking of the assassin?¡± Cass said slowly. ¡°Sent by my father,¡± Alyx said with a casual shrug and a sigh. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Again, sorry. But, you got some money out of the deal! And we didn¡¯t die. I bet you got a lot of levels out of that whole experience, and the Lord¡¯s Blessing?¡± Cass hadn¡¯t even glanced at her System since waking up. Sure enough, there were a host of notifications waiting for her. She didn¡¯t open them yet. There was something else she needed to know. ¡°Then, she¡¯s¡­¡± Alyx cocked her head to one side, waiting for Cass to finish her question. Cass gulped. ¡°Dead?¡± Alyx¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°Yeah?¡± So casual. So completely ordinary. There was no emotion in that answer. She answered the same way Cass would have accepted tea or agreed the weather was nice. Cass wanted to ask more. Should they bury her? Did she have family they should tell? Were there authorities they should report it to? Didn¡¯t it bother them? The shock was leaking out of its box. Cass tried to push it back down. She was responsible for the death of another person. She hadn¡¯t killed her, not really. If she were a storybook protagonist, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t bother her at all. It would be just another day, the way it was just another day for Salos and Alyx. Alyx talked about assassination by her father like it was ordinary. How many assassins had she killed to live to today? Salos easily spoke of backstabbing Alyx. About how his skill set was suited to assassination and stealth kills. How many of his 74 original levels had been gained through the murder of others? Cass didn¡¯t realize she was crying until her face was wet. She rubbed her eyes, looking away. Alyx was looking at her funny. What did that matter? Cass had caused the death of another person. Did it matter that the person in question had been dead set on killing them all? Yes, of course, it did. Did it make it better? Yes. But did it make that good? No. Not even a little bit. Hell, she was sobbing. Why was she sobbing? Alyx and Salos were asking her what was wrong. How did she explain any of this? Their world was one drenched from top to bottom in death. It had been nothing but death since she¡¯d gotten here. Killing and killing and killing and killing and killing. Every skill existed to kill. Every stat to kill. She¡¯d gotten good at it. She¡¯d gotten excited about it. Even now, she was itching to see the numbers for her most recent gains. Had she hit level 17? Maybe 18? Higher? Was this who she was now? She¡¯d gotten so good at pretending that wasn¡¯t what was happening. It was so easy when the monsters were bugs. When they were behemoths out of video games. Cass didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d sobbed, or how long the two people closest to friends in this godforsaken world had panicked over her seemingly unprompted tears. ¡°Cass,¡± Alyx asked slowly when her sobbing had stopped. ¡°Was the assassin your first?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°That was the first person I¡¯d ever seen die.¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How have you gotten this far without¡ª¡° She stopped mid-sentence, finally putting two and two together. ¡°People don¡¯t die in the world you¡¯re from?¡± Cass almost laughed. It came out a bitter snort instead. ¡°People die. People die all the time. Just, not on the streets. Not to violence. Not usually. Not where you can see. Not in the part of the world I¡¯m from.¡± So, Alyx finally believed her. That was how big the gap was between their worlds. Cass¡¯s reaction to death was the thing that finally had her convinced. She couldn¡¯t handle this now. She was drowning and talking about it further was just dragging her under. Cass changed the subject, shoving all the shock and distress back in its box. ¡°When does the boat come?¡± Alyx and Salos exchanged a look. Salos answered. ¡°Any minute.¡± ¡°We should get going then,¡± Cass said, forcing herself to stand. Her vision swam from the effort, but she didn¡¯t fall over. ¡°Lead the way.¡± ¡°We have some time,¡± Salos said. ¡°No need to hurry.¡± ¡°We cannot miss this one,¡± Cass said, pointing up she added, ¡°That¡¯s bursting any time now.¡± Alyx and Salos both looked up, their faces pale. Alyx said, ¡°I suppose we should get going then.¡± Cass followed them through the temple. She barely watched where they were going, after everything they¡¯d been through, she could trust them this much. Ch. 88: The Boat The boat was waiting on the far side, just as they¡¯d said. It was both bigger and smaller than she¡¯d expected. She had expected a sweeping passenger liner, tall metal sides and sleek angles, with plenty of space to walk the deck and perhaps additional spaces below. But it also wasn¡¯t a little medieval sloop with barely enough room to sit side by side. It was closer to the sloop than the passenger liner though. Made of some kind of wood with two sails. Enormous oars hung from either side, dipping deep in the dark water. They were affixed to the ship¡¯s sides, their handles disappearing seamlessly into the hull, and if they rowed, they were rowed with magic not the muscle of the passengers. The three stepped onto the wood deck. There was plenty of space to walk around. Easily enough room for five or six times the people and all their equipment. Perhaps during the peak season, the boat would find itself loaded up till there was standing room only. Cass looked out over the bow. The clouds consumed the horizon, dark and foreboding. There was more of this miserable world out there. More people she was going to have to kill if she wanted to live. More people that would kill her for existing or for the people she desperately wanted to call friends. Was she okay with that? If she wasn¡¯t, did she have any other choice? They didn¡¯t have to wait long before the ship set off. It glided easily through the dark waters. The oars to either side didn¡¯t seem to move, but if they generated drag as they raked to either side, the boat didn¡¯t show it. Behind them, the lightning began falling. Atmospheric Sense felt it before she saw the flash of light. It felt like someone had broken a dam. One moment it had just been pressure, the next it was just rushing energy. All of it unleashed at once. It started on the far side of the valley. Far enough away that there was only a flash of light through the clouds. Far enough that there was considerable time between the flash illuminating the ship¡¯s deck and the roar of the following thunder. Cass turned, staring through the thick clouds over the pyramid and past the pass as the deluge spread. Lightning poured down on the valley, like rain. The air was so dense in bolts that they blended into a wall of light. Thunder boomed deafeningly across the valley. Closer and closer. Flashes of white through the dark clouds. The thunder growing in volume. The frequency increasing, from distinct booms to a continuous cacophony of cascading sound. Lightning snaked through the sky. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Lightning filled the sky. It fell in nets of electricity across the valley. More and more and more. A bolt struck the pyramid. Then another. More struck the shore. The flash blinded her. The thunder deafened her ears. She could taste the ozone in the air. She could feel the rage of the falling lightning. It would not be stopped. It would not be contained. It was finally free. Their boat sailed on, unconcerned with the tempest it left behind. No lightning came for its high mast. Atmospheric Sense promised none would. The clouds closed around them until Cass couldn¡¯t see the valley or the flash of lightning through the clouds. There was a twinge of regret as she lost sight of them. ¡°Think you¡¯ll miss it?¡± Salos asked from her shoulder. ¡°The valley?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so.¡± Salos nodded. ¡°Me neither.¡± ¡°But am I ready for whatever else is out there?¡± Cass asked, turning again to face the bow and the unknown beyond the clouds. ¡°I¨C¡± Salos sighed. ¡°I find myself asking the same thing. How has the world changed while I¡¯ve been locked up here? How is it different from what I know?¡± Cass reached up and scratched behind his ears. ¡°Cut it out,¡± he complained through his quiet purrs. Cass didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t try to move away. It was pitch black on the boat. The clouds were thick enough to drown out all light from the sky. Alyx coughed from the side. ¡°This wasn¡¯t how I had hoped to end my Trial.¡± Cass raised an eyebrow at her. She clearly had more to say. The night was silent. Even the distant rumble of thunder and the sounds of water running around the boat¡¯s hull were muted in the thick fog that had taken them. ¡°I owe you a lot,¡± Alyx said. ¡°For not one, but two Lords and a Herald kill. To say nothing for how you saved my life when we first met when you had no reason to. The single Herald I killed for you is hardly equivalent compensation.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t even come close. You also saved me from an assassin. You could have just walked away. You would have been better off to do so.¡± ¡°Where are you going with this?¡± Cass asked. Alyx continued staring into the dark. ¡°I am unable to follow you. I have my own situation. But, if you, perhaps, don¡¯t have anywhere in particular to be, and wouldn¡¯t mind following me to my home city, I would do everything in my power to make sure I compensate you properly there.¡± Quicker, Alyx added, ¡°Not that you should get your hopes up too much. I have no idea how to pay you back even back home. But¡ª¡° ¡°I think I¡¯d like to follow you home,¡± Cass said, cutting her off. ¡°Your world scares me, Alyx. I think it scares Salos too.¡± ¡°It does not!¡± Salos quietly interjected. Cass could feel it was a lie. ¡°But, I think you¡¯re good people,¡± Cass said. ¡°And if I¡¯m going to be trapped here¨Cif I¡¯m going to find a way home¨CI¡¯m going to need people I can trust.¡± The clouds parted around the boat as it came out the far side of the storm. Above a sea of stars erupted to life. The wind danced through the sails and the hair of the two women. ¡°Can I trust you, Alyx?¡± Cass asked. ¡°You really aren¡¯t from here, are you?¡± Alyx looked away shaking her head. ¡°What am I supposed to do if you ask me like that?¡± Alyx took a deep breath, and grabbed Cass¡¯s hand. Looking Cass in the eye she said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you find your way home. Gods help anyone who stands in our way.¡± Ch. 1: An Unusual Voyage Cass stared at the starry sky above her as the dark clouds parted around the boat. A warm certainty settled over her. For the first time since her arrival, she felt like maybe she had a handle on her circumstances. Salos and Alyx would guide her. Between the two of them, she wasn¡¯t alone. The wind danced through her braid, pulling at her loose clothes. The night air was chilly, but she hadn¡¯t felt warmer since she arrived. She looked out over the bow of the boat, her eyes fixed on the distant, star-filled sky. After so long without, her heart soared at the sight, even if they weren¡¯t her stars. Even if that wasn¡¯t her moon. Moons, actually. There were two, one a disk of shining silver, one a copper crescent. This really was another world, as if there was room for doubt after everything that had happened. The air was clean and sweet. Even cleaner than along the coasts of Earth. Maybe it was her slyphid senses, maybe it was the lack of industrial pollution. Maybe it was the lack of saltwater in the air? Cass frowned. Something was deeply off. She looked down, expecting a dark ocean and foaming spray as the keel cut through the gentle night waves. There was no such thing below the boat. There was no water. Just was a sea of stars. ¡°What the hell!¡± Cass shouted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alyx squinted over the side. Salos stood on her shoulder, joining them in looking over the edge. ¡°Did you sense something?¡± ¡°Where did the ocean go!¡± Cass pointed furiously at the space below the boat. Now that she was paying attention, Atmospheric Sense happily reported that the boat was floating forward at a constant pace and that the sails to either side of the boat¡ªthe things Cass had mistaken for oars¡ªwere comfortably catching the winds. ¡°What ocean?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Weren¡¯t we on an island?¡± Cass had assumed Uvana was an island on an ocean, but maybe it sat upon a lake instead? Alyx didn¡¯t look any less confused. ¡°The water,¡± Cass clarified, gesturing at the space below the boat. ¡°The water is gone!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Alyx said slowly. ¡°No,¡± Salos disagreed. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s right where we left it. It¡¯s sitting as it always is on the Island¡¯s lake.¡± ¡°I mean, it depends on your frame of reference,¡± Alyx amended. ¡°Technically, the cat¡¯s right. Why does it matter?¡± ¡°The Island¡¯s lake?¡± Cass repeated. That made even less sense. ¡°We cast off from a dock on the island¡¯s lake?¡± Salos nodded. ¡°Then, we¡¯re just using this boat to cross a lake?¡± Cass knew that couldn¡¯t be right. They had talked about a mainland. Or a continent. Or something. ¡°Not ¡®just¡¯, but yes, we did cross the lake,¡± Salos said. ¡°Not just,¡± Cass repeated dumbly. ¡°We¡¯re on the aether between the Continent and the Island now,¡± Alyx said. ¡°What¡¯s confusing about that?¡± Cass clapped her hands together, her fingers coming together in a concerned steeple. She had an inkling of where this was going, but all common sense said it was utterly impossible. She had to be wrong. ¡°Are you telling me this boat is flying?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Salos said. ¡°And this was fully expected?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°And it¡¯s required to get from the island to the continent?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a floating island?¡± ¡°As opposed to what?¡± Salos asked. Cass groaned, burying her face in her hands. ¡°Are you telling me all islands float?¡± ¡°Yes? That¡¯s why they¡¯re Islands.¡± ¡°The Continents float too,¡± Alyx pointed out. ¡°Just in the air?¡± Cass asked. ¡°In the aether, technically,¡± Salos said. ¡°What are they floating above?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Alyx answered. ¡°Occasionally one continent passes over another¡ª¡± Alyx was still talking, but Cass wasn¡¯t listening. Just as she thought she¡¯d gotten a handle on everything, something else threw her off balance again. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. You alright? Salos asked telepathically. He hopped back onto her shoulder, his presence warm and stabilizing despite everything. Cass pet his head and took a deep breath. Stop that, he grumbled and pulled away, even as his cat chest thrummed with satisfied purring. I¡¯m alright. Cass answered finally. Just reminded once again how out of my depth I am. Don¡¯t worry, you aren¡¯t alone. You can always just ask me if you need help. I know, thanks. The boat drifted silently through the open sky, stars swirling in a sea of blue and purple galaxies in every direction around her. The sky thrummed with power and potential. The wind whispered promises of adventure and excitement. Of sights she¡¯d never even dreamed of and of places that defied imagination. At the back of her mind, the notifications from the last fight pinged impatiently. She pulled them up, letting the blue System messages fill her vision. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 11. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 12. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 13. Wind Step has increased to level 7. Wind Step has increased to level 8. Staff Mastery has increased to level 9. Dodge has increased to level 8. Dodge has increased to level 9. Sprint has increased to level 3. Sprint has increased to level 4. Sprint has increased to level 5. Sprint has increased to level 6. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 11. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 12. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 13. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 14. Wind Blade has increased to level 7. Wind Blade has increased to level 8. Mana Blade has increased to level 5. Beacon of Hearth and Home has increased to level 7. Staff Mastery has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 3 Str + 2 Dex + 1 End + 1 Vit] Dodge has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 3 Dex + 2 Per + 1 End + 1 Ala] Beginner Quest (4): Slay the Lord of the Pass Complete! Reward: Increased Bonus to Skill Milestones Trait Gained: The Pass¡¯s Blessing - For conquering the Pass, you have been blessed on behalf of He of Might and Fire. [Bonus to Skill Milestones increased by 1 point for each rewarded stat. Retroactive bonus applied to currently held milestones: + 1 Str + 4 Dex + 3 End + 1 Wll + 4 Ala + 2 Res + 3 Per + 2 Vit] Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! + 4 Dex + 4 End + 4 Wll + 4 Ala + 16 Free Points Shock froze her in place. She had known there were a lot of notifications waiting for her¡ªshe hadn¡¯t needed to open them to feel that instinctively. But four whole levels were still far more than she¡¯d been expecting. She had jumped straight from level 15 to 19. Plus, two new skills at the First Step? Cass added a point to Str and Frt to keep them from falling too far behind, then put the rest into the mental row. Str 17 -> 18 Wll 41 -> 47 Ala 41 -> 45 Res 32 -> 36 Frt 14 -> 15 She opened her status screen to see what that looked like all together. Name: Cass [Race: Slyphid Lvl: 19 Str - 18 Dex - 39 End - 32 Wll - 47 Ala - 45 Res - 36 Frt - 15 Per - 24 Vit - 20 Free Points: 0] Concepts: [- Wind (Dex, Ala, Per) [The Wind is Ephemeral. The Wind is Speed. The Wind is All.] - Hearth (Unapplied) - Liminal (Unapplied)] That was a far cry from where she had started a little under a month ago. She did a quick comparison of her starting stats and her current ones, barely able to believe the change. Str 4 -> 18 Dex 3 -> 39 End 4 -> 32 Wll 16 -> 47 Ala 9 -> 45 Res 12 -> 36 Frt 2 -> 15 Per 5 -> 24 Vit 7 -> 20 She had gone from 62 to 276 stat points across her nine stats. That was over four times as many as she¡¯d started with. Her lowest stat (Frt) had multiplied by seven. And the numbers didn¡¯t lie. Earth Cass hadn¡¯t been strong. She¡¯d been clumsy and easily winded. Now, she could swing her staff and break bones. She could walk for miles without stopping. She could run over uneven ground in the dark without tripping. She could walk off injuries that would have left an ordinary person bedridden for weeks. Cass took a deep breath and dismissed the System windows. The stars stretched out in every direction around her. She hadn¡¯t asked for any of this. She did not dream of power. But she would not have survived up to this point if she did not have it. Earth Cass would be dead in the valley if not for the power she had been granted. This power would carry her to her true dreams. To find her way home. To find her way back to her family. To Kaye and Robin. It had been about a month since she¡¯d been yanked into this world from her camping trip with them. All she had were questions. How were they handling her disappearance? Her kidnapping? She clenched her hand around her staff before her mind could spiral down that train of thought. She had no answers. Her fears and speculations helped no one. Imagining their heartbreak only reignited her own. Her hand crept up to Salos¡¯s head. She scratched behind one of his ears. He purred quietly. She would get back to them. That was all that mattered. Ch. 2: The Town of Hervet As the sky brightened with the amber glow of dawn, a landmass appeared ahead of the ship. The stars faded, yet the sun was nowhere in sight. Off the right side of the boat, the crescent moon hung low in the skies. Above, the silver moon faded into the rosy sky. The land loomed ahead, its rocky cliff sides falling away into the emptiness of the open sky. A basin of water hung from one side, supported by nothing but the magic of aether and the laws of this strange world. In the distance, mountains poked over the horizon, all dotted with vast forests and crowned in silver snow. A strange new world. Cass gripped her staff. Her heart beat in her chest, dancing to the frantic pace of her thoughts. She was finally in civilization. With people! Normal people. People with lives and families. Farmers and craftsmen and merchants. There would be a way home. The ship glided onto the basin of water, the prow cutting through it with a spray of salt and sea foam. Beneath the ship, fish swam, darting to and fro in the clear waters. Above, a sea bird cried. A flock of red and white gulls floated overhead. As they approached dry land, a dock appeared along the pebbled shore. It was made up of two prongs, each stretching away from the shore like welcoming arms. The first was a stone walkway, hugging the shoreline and extending out into the bay. It stood tall, several feet above the waterline. Sigils decorated its trim. The second prong was a wood walkway built off the stone along the shore. It seemed an ordinary dock, supported just above the gentle waves with wide posts every couple of yards. Dockhands were already at work along the wood section, tending to boats moored along the long walkway, loading or unloading supplies or cargo. Beyond the dock, a town began to stir. Stone chimneys poked up from a sea of thatched roofs. Smoke floated from the mouths of some, while others were still cold in the early morning dawn. The ship settled to a stop along the stone dock. It was all but deserted, despite the bustling movement over the wood one beside it. Only a handful of people loitered on it. The flying ship Cass rode was the only thing docked along its length. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Welcome to Hervet, the first and last stop for a Trial taker.¡± ¡°Anything I should know?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Not¡ª¡± She paused mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing on Cass. ¡°Actually, probably. I don¡¯t know. Just try not to draw attention to yourself.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Just try to keep your mouth shut, Cass.¡± Salos chuckled from her shoulder. Cass glared at him. ¡°I would appreciate it if you kept my ability to talk to yourself,¡± Salos added to Alyx. Alyx frowned, but nodded all the same. ¡°Sure.¡± Are you really going to keep hiding that you can talk? Cass asked him. It is best we pretend to be as ordinary as possible, I think, he replied. Or, I should at least. Remember, it would be best if none knew about my demonic nature, so the fewer questions they ask about me, the better. ¡°What do you intend to do about the assassin?¡± Salos asked Alyx. Cass¡¯s heart contracted at the mention of the dead woman. Alyx scowled. ¡°Not much to do about it right now. Levina¡¯s dead. All I have is her word that my father hired her. No way to know if that was true and no way to prove it to anyone else.¡± ¡°You plan on letting them get away with it?¡± Salos asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. But what I can do about it is going to depend heavily on what I can find out from the survivors of her crew.¡± ¡°Is that them there?¡± Salos¡¯s eyes fell on the people waiting on the stone dock. There were seven people in total. Six carried weapons, one looked like a misplaced butler. There was a brewing tension amid the group that Cass could feel even from the ship¡¯s deck. ¡°Some of them, yeah. Two of them are my people. Levina¡¯s crew won¡¯t make a move in public like this. They are mercenaries, not assassins. It would be bad for business if it got out that they killed their clients.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Levina literally an assassin?¡± Cass asked. Identify had even called her as much. Alyx frowned, looking between Cass and Salos, her eyes seeming to ask him, ¡®should I answer this or do you want to try?¡¯ Salos sighed. ¡°What do you think that word means?¡± ¡°Assassin? Someone who kills people for money? Usually sneaky-like?¡± Cass said. ¡°Listen to me closely, Cass,¡± Salos said. ¡°Assassin. Assassin. Do those words sound the same to you?¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Cass scowled. Why had he repeated himself? She nodded. Salos shook his head. ¡°Ignore what your translation skill is saying. Listen to the actual sounds I¡¯m making. Try again.¡± He repeated the words. Cass closed her eyes, focusing only on the sounds. They were still similar. But that was all. Only similar. ¡°They are two different words?¡± Salos nodded. ¡°Seems like your translation skill is turning both into one word.¡± ¡°What does the other one mean, then?¡± Why would her skill translate both the same if they were different? ¡°An assassin is a martial archetype,¡± Salos explained. ¡°It implies fast, precise strikes made without giving the target a chance to counter or defend. Anyone preparing to take on a powerful monster is likely to have one on hand, especially if there is a concern the opposing force has a Mage. ¡°Any mercenary group that hopes to be hired should have at least one on payroll.¡± Cass sighed. She had an inkling why the word was translated as assassin. That was exactly how she would describe an assassin class in a role-playing game. ¡°You do have to admit there isn¡¯t a small amount of overlap between assassins and assassins,¡± Alyx added thoughtfully. ¡°And no one is bothered by that?¡± Cass asked. ¡°This would be why it would be best if you talk as little as possible while we get our bearings,¡± Salos said with a chuckle. Cass scowled at him. And which were you? The martial archetype, obviously. He looked away and added, though, more than occasionally, my duties wrapped around to the paid killer you were describing. Cass didn¡¯t know what to do with that, so she let it drop. The three disembarked. The ship¡¯s deck was perfectly level with the stone dock, as if it had been designed for this exact thing. ¡°Welcome back, my lady,¡± the misplaced butler said to Alyx with a shallow bow. She was a tall woman with a slender frame. Her hair was silver, like the moon. It bushed into a curling cloud around her neck. She wore a neat suit and gloves. The only decoration on her person was a pair of feathered ribbons clipped into her hair above her temples and swept back over her shoulders. Everything about her was neat and orderly, more like a statue than a living person. Lepidost Butler Lvl 27 [The lepidost are a reclusive race common to the high mountains of Mulsorn. They are commonly known as the People of Snow. This one has dedicated her life to the pursuit of care and management, taking up the mantle of a butler for a noble, powerful, or wealthy house.] ¡°How was the hunt?¡± Her eyes looked Alyx up and down, obviously taking stock of the swordswoman¡¯s gear¡ªor lack thereof. They flickered over Cass, lingering on Salos a moment before returning to Alyx. Alyx grinned. ¡°Two Lords. Two Heralds. Level 26.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Good work, girl!¡± one of the armed men behind Telis said with a boisterous laugh. He was about the same age as the butler woman, probably in his mid-forties, with salt and pepper hair about a head shorter than the butler. ¡°That¡¯ll show your rotten family what¡¯s what!¡± Human Guard Lvl 34 [Humans are a versatile lot, able to adapt to any environment, though specializing in nothing. As a guard, this man has specialized in defensive techniques to protect his charge.] ¡°Marco,¡± the butler woman chided him, a warning in her voice. He coughed. ¡°Ah. I mean. Um.¡± Telis shook her head and changed the subject. ¡°That does not appear to be Captain Levina there behind you.¡± ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Cass.¡± Cass waved awkwardly from behind Alyx. The woman didn¡¯t so much as twitch. ¡°Captain Levina died to the Lord of the Pass, unfortunately,¡± Alyx explained. ¡°I would have died too if not for Cass here. She rescued me from certain death several times.¡± Frowns spread over the faces of the entire group. ¡°Did you bring her body back, your ladyship?¡± one of the five remaining mercenaries asked, the title awkward in their mouth. They craned their neck past Alyx and company, trying to see into the ship. The other four were doing their best not to look Alyx in the eyes. Alyx¡¯s mouth thinned. Her voice was sharp as she said, ¡°Telis, have you paid the Red Gulls for their services? I can¡¯t imagine we need them for the trip back to Velillia, and I¡¯m sure they have their own business they need to take care of.¡± ¡°Of course, my lady. Already taken care of. Shall we return to Lord Menallis¡¯s manor to say your goodbyes or shall we depart for Velillia immediately?¡± Telis didn¡¯t spare the mercenaries so much as a glance. Alyx started walking down the dock, Telis and the guard, Marco, falling in a step behind her. Cass hustled after them. ¡°No, we better head out directly if I want to be on time,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a gift for him anyway. Remind me to send him a thank you when we get back, Telis.¡± ¡°Very good, my lady.¡± They stepped off the dock and onto the cobblestone street of the town. Around them, the town was just beginning to wake. The little sounds of people filled the quiet morning air. Cass had never thought she¡¯d miss the sound of people so much. There weren¡¯t many out and about yet. The few that were all walked with purpose, ferrying supplies for the day to places of residence or work. There a man with a pair of buckets slung over his shoulders. Here a woman in an apron with three hefty sacks of something in her arms. There a pair of children lugging a crate between them. They all wore simple clothes in bright colors. All carried far more than Cass of Earth would have attempted to carry in a single trip with remarkable ease. They all gave Alyx and their party wide berth. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that man asked if you brought your attempted assassin back with you,¡± Telis said when they were several blocks down the street. Alyx snorted. ¡°Her what!¡± Marco asked. Telis shot the guard a tired look. ¡°Why do you think one of the mercenaries stayed behind in the Valley while the rest fled back to Hervet on an earlier boat?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t get left behind?¡± ¡°No, she tried to kill me,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Not to doubt your skills, my lady,¡± Telis said, though there was a lot of doubt wrapped up in her voice, ¡°but how did you survive? When that group came back without you, claiming you¡¯d been killed by Grotto Spiders¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say it was professionalism, and professionalism alone, that kept the two of us here waiting.¡± The guard snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Telis. She was all but pacing back and forth from that lord¡¯s manor to the docks waiting for you.¡± Telis shot him another look. Alyx chuckled. ¡°Like I said, I have Cass to thank for everything.¡± Telis raised an eyebrow. She didn¡¯t need to say anything for her doubt to be clearly and loudly stated. Alyx chuckled again but explained how Cass had rescued her from the grotto spider in the Deep and their subsequent adventures. Ch. 3: Future Plans Cass followed Telis and Alyx through town and into a small townhouse. Alyx flopped into the armchair in the main room with an exhausted sigh of relief. Marco took his place behind and to the left of Alyx¡¯s chair, his hand resting impassively on his sword. Cass stood awkwardly by the door. ¡°Weren¡¯t we leaving town?¡± Alyx waved off the question. ¡°Soon. Nothing is ever easy. Sit down. We need to talk.¡± Cass frowned but settled into the chair opposite Alyx. The chair cradled her as she sank into the cushions, the tension leaving her body with a satisfied sigh. It had been weeks since she¡¯d sat on something that wasn¡¯t a stone stool or the bare ground and this was heavenly. She was unbelievably ready to settle back into civilization. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t Alyx¡¯s hometown and there was at least a little more travel in her immediate future. Was it too much to hope for a car? Probably. But there were carriages at least, right? Carriages with cushioned seating? She could hope. ¡°Tea, my lady?¡± Telis asked, a teapot and a pair of cups already at hand. Steam floated idly from the pot¡¯s glass spout. A delicate floral scent filled the room. ¡°Gods, yes. Thank you, Telis,¡± Alyx said. ¡°One for Cass too. She needs to see what real tea tastes like.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Cass asked. Alyx snorted as she took the first cup from Telis. ¡°You should have seen what she served me out there, Telis. The first thing this woman gives me is the nastiest, greenest liquid I¡¯ve ever tasted. What even was that, Cass?¡± Green? When had she¡ªOh! ¡°The Green Spone Soup!¡± Cass said with a snap. ¡°I had almost forgotten about that concoction.¡± Served with a roasted vineroot potato beside the corpse of the giant spider. The spone¡ªa green mushroom she¡¯d foraged in the Deep¡ªhad tasted awful and the earthy flavor of the aster it had been combined with had not helped. She hadn¡¯t tried that combination again. ¡°Concoction, you call it,¡± Alyx chuckled. ¡°Sounds about right. Either way, this is what tea should taste like.¡± ¡°Most of my tea was just fine,¡± Cass retorted. She quite liked most of them. It really was just that one which was disastrous. ¡°Taste this and then try telling me that,¡± Alyx said as Telis handed Cass the second cup. Unlike tea cups of Earth, the cup was made of forest green glass, opaque enough Cass couldn¡¯t see more than a silhouette of her hands through the cup and the tea within, but translucent enough that the shadow it cast on her lap was tinted green. Alyx sipped her tea, her face softening as she settled. Cass sipped her cup. It was a black tea, not dissimilar from an Earl Grey, but sweeter and more floral. It was easily the best tasting thing she¡¯d consumed since arriving. Did you Identify that before you drank it? Salos asked. Cass stiffened. Do I need to? Alyx wouldn¡¯t poison me. Salos sighed. Do you know that? Really, truly know that? Yes! No, you do not. I will admit, Alyx personally poisoning you is unlikely, but that is hardly the point. We know nothing of her servant. Is she the kind of woman who would act for what she believes is her mistress¡¯s best interests without permission? What does she think of you? Is she even truly loyal to Alyx? Perhaps killing you would further her goals of isolating her. You do not know her motivations. And again, she is not the primary concern. There has already been one attempt on Alyx¡¯s life since we met her. We do not know how many enemies she might have. Perhaps this Telis is loyal, but perhaps the teapot, the cups, the tea leaves, or the water used to boil it were contaminated. Any of these could be poisoned without that woman¡¯s knowledge. The poisoner might only intend to kill Alyx, but that will not stop you from being caught in the crossfire. Cass tried to keep the scowl from her lips. That¡¯s so paranoid. We just got back. They wouldn¡¯t have any idea that we would be here. ¡°Not to your taste?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Huh?¡± Cass looked up from her teacup. Alyx was staring at her with a wistful smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t a big fan when I first tried Alfen tea either. Admittedly, it can be an acquired taste.¡± ¡°Oh, no, the tea is great. Thank you.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I was just thinking about something else.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Cass shrugged. She wasn¡¯t about to explain the conversation she and Salos had been having. Instead, she lied, ¡°I was just thinking about home.¡± Not wholly a lie. The tea evoked memories of late mornings sitting on her apartment balcony under the summer sun. A row of house plants sitting in a line along the railing. Succulents sunburned. A pot of strawberries bursting with berries in the corner. Green onion flowering in white puffs. ¡°Ah.¡± Alyx nodded, a serious look slipping back over her face. She shuffled up in her chair, sitting straighter. ¡°Of course. We should talk about that.¡± Alfen Tea [Made of tea leaves from the mountains of Alfen, from which the tea gets its name, and mixed with cornflower and lavender. Minor Focus restoring effects.] Cass took another sip of her tea, now sure there was nothing unusual in it. Her thoughts spun around her. How was she supposed to get back? What did she know? ¡°I¡¯m from another world.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Alyx said. Marco in the corner stiffened. Telis didn¡¯t move. ¡°I have loose theories on how that happened,¡± Cass continued. Technically, they were Salos¡¯s loose theories. Maybe a god dragged her from her world and then the summoning circles of Uvana brought her here specifically. ¡°But nothing certain and nothing that I can reproduce in the opposite direction. So I¡¯d like to find an expert on the subject if they exist.¡± Alyx stared down into her tea, a contemplative frown on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not sure there is an ¡®expert¡¯. But, if there is such a person on the Peninsula, they¡¯d be a mage of the Academy of Arcane Arts in Velillia.¡± ¡°What is that, exactly?¡± Cass asked. ¡°An organization for mages. They pool funds for promising research, handle the training of young mages, and facilitate the hiring of their members by those in need of a mage. They are probably the greatest experts on all things magic on the Peninsula, if not the Continent at large.¡± Have you ever heard of them? Cass asked Salos. No. But, if the Custodia is no more, then it stands to reason others would rise to fill the vacuum, Salos said. Speaking of, I still believe that searching out the remains of the Custodia is your best bet for the answers you seek. If we can find the Scholar¡¯s Spire, I¡¯m certain I can find a lead to get you home. Didn¡¯t you say something about the Custodia being demon hunters? Cass asked. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I mean, yes. But. It is still your best bet. ¡°What about the Scholar¡¯s Spire?¡± Cass asked. Alyx shrugged. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it could have answers for me too.¡± ¡°And there is a Font of gold in the skies of Almerez,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°What?¡± Cass cocked her head to one side. Alyx shook her head. ¡°Just another old legend. Don¡¯t worry about it. Look. Despite what you might have heard,¡± her eyes fell on Salos as she spoke, ¡°No one thinks it actually exists.¡± It does, Salos repeated, looking away. ¡°But, if it does,¡± Alyx continued. ¡°The Academy is the most likely to know.¡± Sounds like Velillia should be our first stop, in either case, Cass said. I suppose, Salos grouched. What? Do you have a lead you¡¯re not telling me about? Cass asked. Salos¡¯s ears flattened against his head. I just wonder if being around someone targeted for assassination is truly wise. Cass wanted to argue against that, but strictly speaking, he wasn¡¯t wrong. Instead, Cass said, She¡¯s going to the same place as us. Wouldn¡¯t it be more dangerous to go it alone? Salos grumbled quietly in her lap but didn¡¯t answer. Across the table, Alyx frowned into her tea, turning the cup in gentle circles. ¡°Is there something else?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Maybe?¡± Alyx said. She took a deep breath. ¡°I potentially have another lead you can follow. If it pans out, it would go a long way to evening the debt between us. But¡ª¡± ¡°What debt?¡± Cass interrupted. Alyx blinked at Cass. ¡°I owe you my life, at least twice over. I owe you two Lords of Uvana. What do you mean, ¡®what debt¡¯?¡± Cass shook her head. She hadn¡¯t done any of that to extract a debt from Alyx. ¡°You saved me from the Herald of the Pass! And I couldn¡¯t have defeated most of those monsters without you. You don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°I do.¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes burned with determination. ¡°And I can¡¯t let it stand like this. You need to let me pay you back.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t,¡± Cass said weakly. Alyx¡¯s guidance was enough. Her company was enough. ¡°Regardless, I might have another angle for you to find information on both realm travel and the lost Scholar¡¯s Spire,¡± Alyx continued. She spoke fast, spitting words like bullets from a machine gun. ¡°My father is the Warden of Vaisom. The Vault may have records of one or both.¡± Alyx¡¯s hands tightened around her teacup, her eyes once again on the dark liquid. Cass tapped the arm of her chair. She had questions. To begin with, ¡°What does being a prison guard have to do with lost temples or traveling between worlds?¡± Cass¡­ Salos sighed. What? What did I say? Lost temples? Salos asked. What exactly is a Spire then? The only context I have is that it was lost to time and some secret-society-sounding organization used to operate out of it. How is that not a lost temple? What do you think a temple is? Salos asked. ¡°Prison guard?¡± Alyx cocked her head to one side. ¡°Oh. No. He isn¡¯t a prison warden. He is the Warden. In Vaisom, the Warden is the keeper of the Duchy Vault. A lot of things are supposed to be held there, from ancient weapons of indescribable power to forgotten tomes of knowledge. Among those records, you might find a lead. Especially if it is information from a previous age.¡± Cass frowned. That sounded good, but, ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but would your father actually let us in? This is the same father that allegedly and believably sent assassins to kill you, right?¡± To Salos, she added, I meant temple in the ancient relic-filled site swarming with monsters and traps, not in a, like, place of worship kind of way. Is that the purpose of temples where you are from? Salos asked. Alyx didn¡¯t quite wince. She nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him.¡± ¡°And he¡¯ll let me poke around if you ask?¡± Cass asked again. ¡°Well, no. Probably not,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But his heir is also allowed into the Vault. He can¡¯t do anything about that.¡± ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re his heir¡ª¡± ¡°Actually, no.¡± Cass stared at her. Are you following this? Salos sighed. Unfortunately, yes. I see where this is going. ¡°But that is going to change!¡± Alyx said. ¡°He can¡¯t pick just anyone as his heir. It must be someone from the family, either by blood or by marriage, and my grandmother, the Grand Duchess, must approve it.¡± ¡°And she¡¯s not going to approve anyone but you?¡± Cass couldn¡¯t quite keep the incredulity out of her voice. ¡°That is my current hope, yes,¡± Alyx said. Cass¡¯s incredulous stare didn¡¯t lessen. ¡°Is this how my plans sound to you guys?¡± She has the courtesy to tell you ahead of time at least, Salos said with a yawn. ¡°Look, I know this sounds like dragon¡¯s breath in the morning dew right now, but it¡¯s not completely crazy. The Festival begins in a few days.¡± Dragon¡¯s breath in the what? Cass muttered to herself. An idiom. Completely crazy, Salos translated. Is that really the important part of what she said? Why dragon¡¯s breath? Why dew? ¡°If I win, I will indisputably prove to my grandmother that I deserve my father¡¯s position. They won¡¯t have any choice but to appoint me heir.¡± ¡°Sorry, silly question, but what is the Festival, exactly?¡± Cass asked. ¡°How does one win it?¡± ¡°The Rising Dragon Festival,¡± Alyx said. ¡°It¡¯s famous across the continent. It is how Vaisom¡¯s Dragon Knights are chosen.¡± ¡°Dragons?¡± The word hitched in Cass¡¯s throat. A hundred childhood dreams of riding dragons past the horizon flittered through her mind. Page after page of fantasy novels and fantastical reference books borrowed from the library whispered in her ears. ¡°There are dragons where you¡¯re from?¡± Alyx grinned, pride all but tangibly rolling off her. ¡°The dragons are my family¡¯s pride. My mother and grandmother were both Dragon Knights. And so will I.¡± How arrogant, Salos muttered. What do you mean? Cass asked. A human claiming the power of dragons? It is asking for their cities to be razed to the ground. One does not invoke the dragons lightly. They are an arrogant, unruly bunch, quick to anger and slow to calm. Are they? Cass asked. But then why is Alyx so excited about them? The hubris of humanity? Salos suggested unhelpfully. Oh, shush, Cass admonished. Salos huffed to himself in her lap. Alyx had not stopped talking during Cass and Salos¡¯s sidebar. ¡°The festival is a series of combat contests to prove your worth to be selected as a knight. ¡°The Dragon Knights are among the most powerful people on the continent. They are why the Duchy can stand on its own despite the power of other forces, like the Empire or the Celestine Kingdom. ¡°If I become a Dragon Knight, I¡¯ll be the first of my siblings and of my generation. He will have to acknowledge me.¡± That is all well and good, but what are her actual chances of winning? Salos asked. ¡°You think you can win?¡± Cass asked for him. Alyx¡¯s hand clenched in her lap. ¡°I need to.¡± Not a glowing response, Salos said dryly. But about what I expected. Cass couldn¡¯t say that she loved it either. ¡°I know it¡¯s not the most solid plan,¡± Alyx said. ¡°And it barely begins to cover what I owe you, even if it is successful. But, it¡¯s the best I can do until after the Festival.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just supporting me to Velillia is more than enough. Without you, my only other alternative is to wander around penniless without direction.¡± I don¡¯t know if it would be that bad, Salos said. I imagine I could figure a way there if we wanted to. You didn¡¯t know the town existed before Alyx brought it up, Cass reminded him. But now we do. We have options. Cass scratched his head. Sure, sure. But for now, the path of least resistance is to stick with Alyx. He grumbled, but didn¡¯t argue. Alyx didn¡¯t look any more pleased, but she nodded all the same. ¡°My lady,¡± Telis appeared at Alyx¡¯s side. Cass blinked rapidly. She hadn¡¯t noticed the butler¡¯s presence until she¡¯d spoken. ¡°There are several things that require your attention before we can depart. Perhaps your guest here would like to relax with a bath while we handle them?¡± ¡°Cass?¡± Alyx asked, turning the question over to her. A bath? Cass looked down at her body. It was caked in dirt and grime. Dried blood and bug guts had long since become a normal part of her existence in her three weeks in the wilderness that it had fallen into the background noise of general discomfort she lived with. ¡°Yes, please.¡± Cass nodded vigorously. Ch. 4: A Quiet Bath Telis led Cass through the house to one of the back rooms. It was tiled from floor to ceiling. A basin was built into one wall, already filled with gently steaming water. Beside it hung an orb of blue glass. ¡°Are you familiar with shower orbs?¡± Telis asked. Cass shook her head. ¡°Simply tap the orb there, and water will fall. Adjust the temperature and pressure by tapping the sides.¡± Telis demonstrated, and a stream of water gushed from the object. They had running water! Or the magical equivalent! Telis demonstrated a few other controls before turning it off again with a second tap on the bottom. Below the orb, the floor was already dry. More magic? ¡°You can find any of the soap you might wish for there.¡± She gestured to a shelf along the wall lined with jars. ¡°And lotions for the bath beside the tub.¡± A series of flasks stood in a neat line on the wall on the opposite side of the tub. ¡°Leave your clothing by the door. They shall be cleaned by the time you are done. Simply ring the bell by the door should you need anything else.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Cass said, her eyes still on the shower. ¡°Does your cat need anything?¡± Telis asked. ¡°I can prepare a smaller tub to wash it in if you desire it.¡± Salos? Cass asked. My other option is licking myself clean? He grimaced. I guess I¡¯ll let you wash me. ¡°A tub would be great, thank you.¡± ¡°But of course, miss, I will return with the tub momentarily.¡± You wash up first, Salos said, hopping down from her shoulder. Take your time. I want to check a few things, if you¡¯ll allow me. ¡°Sure, but what?¡± Salos padded up to the door, looking both directions, his tail flicking back and forth. Nothing too important, probably. I¡¯ll be back before you know it. ¡°Alright.¡± Honestly, she was just as happy to have some privacy for the bath. See you soon, Salos said as he slipped out into the hall. Cass closed the door behind him. He was clever, he¡¯d figure out a way back in. Or he¡¯d dematerialize into her necklace and rematerialize again in the room. Either way, Cass didn¡¯t waste anymore time. She pulled her boots off for the first time in over a week, peeling the socks off with equal parts delight and disgust. She was so glad to have them off her feet, but God did it smell. They were so gross they were probably unsalvageable. They and the rest of her clothes went in a pile by the door and Cass rushed to the shower. The water poured over Cass, hot and clean. She closed her eyes and let it wash over her face. Grime melted off her, pooling around her ankles before disappearing like it had never been. This is what it meant to be human! A collection of jars stood along the side of the shower. Cass poked around them, lifting their lids and swirling their contents. They smelled of flowers or fruits, sweet or subtle. Shampoo, she hoped. She picked up one, about to pour a palmful into her hand before she remembered she might not need to guess. She had magic. Identify! Hair Remover [A concoction with a strong effect on body hair.] Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Cass set that jar down fast. That was a close one. She spent the next couple minutes Identifying the rest of the jars as the hot water ran down her back. Most were shampoos, Cass had gotten incredibly unlucky with the first one, but a few were also dyes. She picked a soft grey shampoo that smelled of honey and jasmine and poured a healthy handful into her hair. It was matted to all hell. What had started as a tidy braid had since devolved into a tangled, twisted knot. She ran her fingers through the knots, loose hair falling away in clumps as she teased them apart. When she¡¯d gotten the worst of the knots out, she turned her attention to her skin. It was caked in her trials of the last three weeks. Blood stained her skin, as much of it her own as the many monsters she¡¯d been forced to fight. It was ground into her pores with dirt and sweat. But the water cut through it, stripping the grime away, as if it never happened. As if it were that easy to wash away the last three weeks. Cass took up a bar of soap, a pale blue bar with a gritty exfoliant she didn¡¯t recognize embedded in it, and scrubbed at her skin. She was finally in civilization. She had finally found people and towns. She had finally left the wilderness behind. She was done killing. Done drenching herself in the blood of monsters¡ªin her own blood¡ªto survive. She could be human again. Layers of grime and dead skin fell away as she scrubbed with the soap. She scrubbed hard enough the soap¡¯s dye left a blue tint on her skin. She stayed there a long time, letting the water roll over. It was easy to pretend this was her home shower if she closed her eyes. It was easy to pretend the last three weeks had been nothing but a terrible dream. But that was all that was. Pretend. She stopped the shower orb and moved over to the tub. Telis had said something about lotions? Cass Identified the flasks besides the tub. Hayberry Bath Lotion [An herbal concoction which soften¡¯s skin and increases the effective Fortitude of the body.] Cass¡¯s eyes widened. Buffs for the bath? She could become tougher just by soaking in this stuff? And it softened her skin? She didn¡¯t know how that worked, but couldn¡¯t wait to find out. She read through the other bottles. All of them had the same description, though listed different fragrances. Cass settled on one called Silent Lily, which smelled a little like lavender. She poured a solid glug into the bath and watched with childlike wonder as the water fizzled into delicate soap bubbles. Cass slipped in after, sighing with satisfaction as the warm water enveloped her. After everything, this was like heaven. All she needed was a book and she¡¯d be set. A book and a way home afterwards¡­ Home. She slipped deeper into the tub until only her face remained above the water¡¯s surface. What were Kaye and Robin doing now? What did one even do when a loved one was kidnapped by extra-dimensional forces? Did one report that to the police? Did they open a search party, scouring the woods for a body they¡¯d never find? Were they still looking? Did they declare her dead and hold a funeral? Did they mourn her loss and move on with their lives? She didn¡¯t know which was worse. What had they told their parents? She shook her head. That wasn¡¯t a useful question. When she got back, she¡¯d figure it out. Right now, her time was better spent surviving. She had a plan. She had a goal. She had come a long way from that summoning circle in Uvana. She was not lost. She was not alone. And yet, she didn¡¯t feel any closer to finding her way home. She held her hands open before her, just under the water¡¯s surface. They were the same hands as ever. Clean now. Finally, free of blood and dirt. Not any more callused or rough from her weeks in the wilderness. Was that because she was a spirit now? She didn¡¯t think of her hands as callused, so they weren¡¯t? Was that why none of the many injuries she¡¯d sustained scarred? Cass wasn¡¯t someone with calluses. Cass wasn¡¯t someone with scars. She sank another inch into the water; her face falling below the surface. Atmospheric Sense screamed it couldn¡¯t see. It couldn¡¯t hear. She was blind. Deaf. Isolated. She almost shot back up. Cass held her breath instead. Not that she needed to. Slyphid didn¡¯t need to breathe and she was slyphid. After a minute, she surfaced again and leaned back against the tub¡¯s rim. The air was heavy with the steam. Her soul, heavy with the weight of her adventure thus far. Snippets of the last fight in the valley kept playing in her mind. The boar chasing her. Stepping into the wind to run. The electricity in the air. The feel of grabbing it with Elemental Manipulation. The assassin. Levina. Cass closed her eyes. All she could see was the limp body lying on the ground. The surrounding grass torn up from the heavy rampage of the boar, the plants singed from the arching electricity. Her body was charred. Her head lay twisted at an odd angle. Her dagger lay fallen at her side. Blood trickled from a dozen cuts. She was dead. Cass hadn¡¯t killed her. That wasn¡¯t even an empty platitude. She hadn¡¯t killed that woman. The boar had. Levina had been plenty slippery. She could have disengaged at any point. She could have slipped away and neither Cass nor Alyx could have stopped her. But she hadn¡¯t. And now she was dead. And every irrational voice in Cass¡¯s head screamed it was her fault. Ch. 5: Eaves Dropping Cass jerked awake, disoriented and alone. Water splashed as she flailed. She stood at the bottom of a deep crevasse. Water poured silently down the sides from above, pooling up to her knees, cold but clean. Above, a crack of white light ran along a ceiling of stars. ¡°Where am I?¡± Her voice floated through the dark, warping and distorting unnaturally lower as it moved away from her. Something about this place was familiar, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on how. She took a hesitant step forward, disturbing the water¡¯s glassy surface with a wave of ripples. In front of her, a section of waterfall lit from behind. The white light refracted through the flowing sheet and reflected around the crevasse. It grew brighter until Cass had to shield her eyes. And then the world was gone. *** Cass stood in the rafters of a wooden building, looking down on a kitchen. A fire burned in the hearth. The butler woman, Telis, stood at a table in the center of the room, an array of dried meats and fruits in front of her, a stack of tortilla-like bread and sliced cheese to her side, an open bag half filled with wax-paper packages on the other side. Alyx sat across from her. ¡°You understand why I have difficulty believing that story,¡± Telis said. She didn¡¯t look up from her task, her hands expertly folding bread around dried fruits, meats, and cheeses into trail rations, folding those into waxed paper, and storing them in a bag for the road. Where was she now? Why was she here? Cass tried to move her head, but couldn¡¯t. Her eyes remained fixed on Telis below her. Alyx nodded. ¡°I hardly believe it. But either she¡¯s the most sheltered princess of some distant land, the most expert liar keeping up this charade for reasons I haven¡¯t managed to divine, or telling the truth.¡± ¡°We would be wise to treat her as the second,¡± Telis said. What was happening? Was she dreaming? Was this real? She tried to open her mouth to scream, but her body didn¡¯t so much as flinch. ¡°Sure. But what could she possibly want with me?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°If she¡¯d been hired to kill me, she could have just stepped back and let Levina do her work in the Valley.¡± ¡°Perhaps she has goals that require you alive.¡± Fear coursed through her, but her heart beat remained steady in her chest, unnaturally calm and collected, even as her thoughts raced. She¡¯d been in the bath a minute ago. Then she¡¯d dreamed of a chasm of water. Was she still dreaming? ¡°Like what, Telis?¡± Alyx asked with a tired sigh. ¡°I¡¯m important, but not that important.¡± It didn¡¯t feel like a dream. She could smell the spices of the kitchen and the char of smoke rising from the hearth. Alyx and Telis conversation made too much sense to be a dream. But how else did she end up in the rafters? Why would she be here? What was happening? ¡°You will be a Dragon Knight of Vaisom; that is plenty important.¡± Telis shoved a ration into the bag, though her words remained level. Alyx nodded, the confidence in the motion not quite reaching her eyes. ¡°But am I the candidate you would scheme to support?¡± ¡°There is no candidate Marco or I would rather support, my lady.¡± Cass couldn¡¯t control her breathing. It wasn¡¯t ragged or shallow. Rather, it inhaled and exhaled at an easy pace. Calm despite the storm raging in her soul. She would have done anything to take a deep breath. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a test of your loyalty, Telis.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°I know you take my mother¡¯s last will very seriously.¡± ¡°Good.¡± There had to be something she could do. She could see, after all. She could hear. Her senses still worked. Alyx snorted. ¡°I meant, for someone without ties to my mother, would they really bet on me over of my cousins or brothers?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Telis said. ¡°You are in a position that is easily exploited. No powerful backers, obvious powerful enemies, a time limit, yet with the potential to win it all anyway. Perhaps she set the entire thing up. Anyone can pretend to be the Warden and hire goons to kill you and then pretend to be your savior.¡± So what other senses did she have? One of them had to have an answer. She queried Atmospheric Sense first. Only to find it gone. If her body would respond, her heart would have stopped. Where was Atmospheric Sense? Why couldn¡¯t she feel the flow of air around her? Alyx sighed. ¡°All to have a Dragon Knight in her debt?¡± Telis didn¡¯t answer. She pushed that aside, though the mounting panic was difficult to ignore. What else did she have? Mana Sense reported a glowing core of magic in the chests of both women below. Alyx¡¯s was a bright amber while Telis¡¯s was a soft white. A handful of other objects glowed faintly around the room, but nothing that explained how Cass was crouched in the rafters. ¡°Maybe,¡± Alyx said. ¡°If her story was at all more grounded, I might believe you. But if that was her plan, shouldn¡¯t she have created a more convincing backstory?¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Perhaps that is what she wants you to think.¡± Was there anything else? That was it, wasn¡¯t it? No. Wait. She should be able to sense Salos through their bond. She threw her awareness out, looking for the telltale tug of his presence on her mind. She didn¡¯t feel him out there. He was gone. Alyx rubbed her face. ¡°You didn¡¯t see her out there, Telis. She¡¯s powerful, way more powerful than anyone at her level should be.¡± Cass tried again. And again. Above. Below. As far out as she could push her senses. ¡°All the more reason not to believe this story of other realms.¡± ¡°Maybe. Maybe,¡± Alyx said slowly. ¡°But you didn¡¯t see her after that last fight in Uvana. The look in her eyes as she asked about the assassin. The tears that followed. Tears for a woman trying to kill us.¡± But Salos wasn¡¯t out there. The only time she couldn¡¯t sense him was when he was inside the necklace. But¡ª ¡°That does not make any sense,¡± Telis said. Cass froze. She didn¡¯t feel the necklace around her neck. But there was a familiar warmth. Salos? ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t!¡± Alyx threw her hands up. ¡°But that wasn¡¯t faked. She had next to no Focus. There is no chance she had the mental facilities to pretend to be anything. And, even if she did, why pretend to be that?¡± Her head jerked back and forth without her willing it to. Her body stiffened. Cass? Salos¡¯s voice replied over their bond. Where are you? He sounded close. ¡°She is sounding more like a burden than a potential ally,¡± Telis warned. Alyx shook her head. ¡°I see it, but you¡¯re wrong. Cass is powerful.¡± I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. I can¡¯t move. I¡¯m in the rafters somewhere, Cass told him. Relief was already settling over her. She could reach Salos. Things would be okay. It didn¡¯t matter that none of this made sense. ¡°Power is useless if she does not have the mentality to fight,¡± Telis said. ¡°There is no shame in being one who needs protection if one can provide something else of value. However, I question if she can and if we have the strength to take another such a person under our banner.¡± A wave of surprise flowed across their bond. Rafters? ¡°I owe her, Telis,¡± Alyx said. Over a kitchen? Cass said. ¡°Be that as it may¡­¡± What else do you see? Salos asked slowly. ¡°I owe her,¡± Alyx repeated, more forcefully. ¡°My life. My victory in Uvana. I owe her. A scheme or not. I owe her.¡± Telis¡¯s face was stone, but she nodded. ¡°As you say, my lady. But could you not simply pay her off and be done with this? Need we take her to Velillia now?¡± Alyx and Telis, Cass said. ¡°How much is my life worth? Do you have the funds to pay her back? She could have joined the assassin in the Valley. Do I pay her double that? Triple? Any amount I can think of screams of insult to all she¡¯s done for me.¡± ¡°You say this, but you do not have the resources to protect her in Velillia. How will you focus on the task before you while also protecting her?¡± That should not be¡­ Salos muttered to himself. Cass¡¯s head flicked back and forth between the women below and the kitchen door. Alyx¡¯s hands clenched at her sides. Salos? ¡°Or do you expect to pay off your debt while making her protect herself?¡± Telis asked. ¡°Powerful for her level she might be, but she is still only level 19. Hardly an apprentice, but far from an established combatant. And, if her story is true, she lacks experience. Especially experience against people. And she looks it. She will be an obvious weakness if you take her with us.¡± Salos, what¡¯s happening? ¡°She¡¯s not that bad,¡± Alyx said. ¡°She survived Uvana.¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Her head turned to the door again. Her body moved toward it. ¡°She looks like a rich merchant¡¯s daughter. The Vaisom elites will eat her alive.¡± I¡¯m moving now, Cass reported. Her fear was rising again. Why wasn¡¯t Salos answering? What was happening? Alyx stared across the table. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave her here.¡± Her body sprinted along the rafter¡¯s beam, completely outside her control. She could feel the rough wood under her feet. There was a grace to her body, unmatched even by all the Dexterity she¡¯d amassed since her arrival in this world. Telis placed the last ration in the bag and pulled its closure tight. ¡°She will attract attention.¡± ¡°Like I don¡¯t,¡± Alyx said as Cass leapt silently through the open kitchen door to the hall¡¯s wood floor. She landed with her viewpoint less than a foot off the ground. The house¡¯s walls stretched up impossibly high over her head. Cass couldn¡¯t stop. Couldn¡¯t direct a single step or even the angle of her eyes. It couldn¡¯t be a compulsion, her Trait Contrary Soul all but guaranteed she couldn¡¯t be mind controlled. Yet, she could not resist as her body bound down the empty hallway. Telis¡¯s answer was lost as Cass¡¯s body rounded the corner and raced deeper into the house. Raced into the bathroom. The tub towered over her, but she leapt up the side with ease, perching on the lip. ¡°Cass!¡± her mouth shouted. But it was Salos¡¯s voice that she heard. Her head looked down into the tub. There she was. Or her body, at least. Dark hair floated loose in the still water. Her eyes were closed. Her chest still. There was a wrenching in her chest. A swirling disorientation. The world went dark. Cass shot up with a deep gasp, water splashing around her. She blinked in the tub, naked, fully in control of her body again. Salos stood perched on the tub¡¯s lip, terror softening into relief on his face. ¡°Oh, thank the gods,¡± he muttered. Cass looked around the room, her confusion only heightened. The bath was cold. A small tub and a neat stack of clean clothes sat by the door. It looked like she¡¯d fallen asleep and quite a bit of time had passed. ¡°What happened?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I think,¡± Salos hesitated, ¡°I think you were a passenger in my body.¡± I was spying on your new friends, Salos added, switching to mental communication. That¡¯s what you saw, wasn¡¯t it? You were in the rafters, Cass asked, though she already knew the answer. She already knew that the body she¡¯d been in, the one she hadn¡¯t been able to control, hadn¡¯t been human. Humans didn¡¯t run on all fours. They weren¡¯t that short. They weren¡¯t covered in hair. None of that had felt notable at the time, yet it was blatantly obvious now. Salos nodded. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Cass asked. He shook his head. I do not know. It should not be possible. I can do that with you because my soul is a shard and most of my soul fits in the necklace. I¡¯m bound to you, not the other way around. But it happened, Cass said. I don¡¯t know everything about demons. He hopped down from the tub¡¯s lip, stalking back to the door. Perhaps it is just a part of Separate Form. He spoke with his usual confidence, a tone completely at odds with the distress blatantly spiraling off him. She didn¡¯t call him out on it. She didn¡¯t need their bond to see he didn¡¯t want to talk about it further. Ch. 6: Eyes Cass helped Salos clean up in the little tub Telis had brought for him. He put up with the scrubbing admirably, though he glowered through the entire ordeal. He was quick to hop out and shake himself dry when Cass was done. Acceptably dry, he sat himself at the doorway, his head pressed to the crack, watching the hallway. Salos taken care of, Cass dried off too and got dressed. Her clothes were clean, just as Telis had promised they¡¯d be. Somehow, even her socks had been salvaged, the thin spots and the holes repaired like new. Even her scrunchy had been throughly cleaned. The blue fabric was soft and the elastic within perky again. She sat before the vanity beside the door, opening drawers, looking for a comb to tame her damp hair. She found one in the rightmost drawer and sat up straighter to get started when she looked into the mirror. She screamed, jumping back. Her stool clattered back over the tile. Salos was on her shoulder in seconds. His head pivoted around the room, looking for the threat. He didn¡¯t so much as look at the mirror. What happened? he asked. ¡°My eyes!¡± Cass stepped up to the mirror. It had to be a trick. Something magical about it. Mana Sense assured her it was an ordinary object. Nothing unusual about it. But if the mirror was normal¡ª What¡¯s wrong with your eyes? Salos asked. He hopped onto the vanity, looking up into her face. She leaned over him, into the mirror, as if getting closer would dispel what had to be an illusion. Cass¡¯s eyes had always been brown. A gold-brown in sunlight. Something like milk chocolate in the dark. She liked her eyes. They were normal¡ªaverage, even¡ªbut they were hers. The eyes in the mirror were not brown. They were not gold-brown. They did not look like chocolate¡ªmilk or otherwise. They were not her eyes. The eyes reflected in the mirror glowed a startling blue. Like electricity. Like neon. They look the same as always, Salos said. ¡°What color are they?¡± Maybe it was just her. Maybe it was a quirk of one of her skills? Maybe¡ª Blue. A very powerful blue, Salos said. ¡°Why?¡± The word came out in a strangled scream. ¡°Why are they blue?¡± Salos frowned. Why wouldn¡¯t they be? The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Because they weren¡¯t before!¡± She slammed her palms against the vanity. Had they been blue this whole time? Since when? Since that explosion in the void? Since she became slyphid? ¡°Do slyphids have eyes like these?¡± Sometimes, Salos said. Usually blue, pink, or orange. ¡°And they just glow like this?¡± When you are emotional. ¡°I thought you said a spirit¡¯s body was about your self perception.¡± The words shot from her lips as an accusation. They are, Salos said. The words were slow and measured. A prelude to more. More, he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to say. She forced herself to take a deep breath. She couldn¡¯t take this out on him. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. She had slyphid eyes. Oh no. It wasn¡¯t like she could see them, except in a mirror like this. They¡¯d been like that for the last three weeks and she hadn¡¯t even known. Definitely not a big deal. It changed nothing. She was still Cass. She already knew her body was a slyphid¡¯s. That was why she could feel the surrounding air. Why she didn¡¯t need to eat or breathe. It was how she¡¯d survived up to this point. She was still Cass. What was a little cosmetic change? The smallest, least notable, cosmetic change? Not an issue. Not really. Not compared to everything else happening. Salos stared up at her, shifting his weight between his paws. Cass took another deep breath. ¡°What else?¡± Your body is who you are, filtered through your perception of self. But your eyes always reflect your soul. Cass froze. Her heart stopped in her chest. Salos was still talking. She didn¡¯t hear him. Her soul was a slyphid¡¯s. What did that mean? Did it mean anything? Earth Cass hadn¡¯t even believed in souls. Not literal souls. Metaphorical ones, maybe. But not literal ones. If it hadn¡¯t mattered to Earth Cass, should it matter now? She wasn¡¯t Earth Cass anymore. Isn¡¯t that what this meant? That she hadn¡¯t been Earth Cass. Not for a while. Who was she? What was she? Was she in any way that girl if even her soul had been remade in the image of a slyphid? Her hands started combing her hair on autopilot. They ran through the damp hair, her eyes unfocused. This shouldn¡¯t matter. This wasn¡¯t a reason to dive into an existential crisis. This wasn¡¯t worse than anything else she¡¯d discovered. This was just another fact. Her body was a slyphid. Her soul was a slyphid. She had no way home. Her siblings thought she was dead. She owned a person. She was responsible for another person¡¯s life. She needed to get a grip. Nothing had changed. She¡¯d been this way since she arrived and she hadn¡¯t even known. In three weeks, she hadn¡¯t noticed once. It didn¡¯t matter. If it mattered, she would have noticed already. It was just another fact. No more interesting than the sky being blue or water being wet. It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Cass.¡± Salos¡¯s voice cut through the swirling thoughts, soft and plaintive. Cass blinked and looked down. He¡¯d crawled into her lap, his gold eyes looking up at her wide with concern. Her hair was braided, the scrunchy at the end wrapped tight around the tail of damp hair. She was just sitting in front of the vanity, staring at nothing. Completely empty. ¡°Hi.¡± She forced a smile for him. He forced one back. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I just wasn¡¯t expecting¡­¡± Cass shook her head, scooping him up and moving him to her shoulder as she stood. ¡°We should see what Alyx has planned next.¡± She could feel his concern for her over their bond. It fluttered around her, warm where it alighted on her, tingling as it hesitantly held back. She ran her hand under his chin. ¡°Come on.¡± Ch. 7: Errands Cass walked with purpose through the hallways of the townhouse, her thoughts purposefully directed at anything and everything but herself. ¡°Miss Cass?¡± Telis said. Cass jumped. The butler stood in the center of the hallway, as plain as day, her hands folded neatly in front of her. Did you see her? Cass asked. No. ¡°Excuse me. I apologize if I startled you,¡± the woman said. Her tone was professional. Crisp, like fresh laundry. But her words were obligatory, not sincere. They were an empty platitude with a promise it would happen again. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Cass lied. ¡°You were looking for me?¡± ¡°My lady would like to speak with you.¡± ¡°Sure, lead the way.¡± Telis led them back to the sitting room. Alyx was waiting for them in her armchair, her hair a clean and vibrant red and her ragged armor replaced with a tunic and trousers. Her sword was still on her hip. ¡°Look at you!¡± Alyx grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t look half bad when you aren¡¯t covered in spider guts.¡± ¡°I could say the same about you,¡± Cass shot back. She dropped into the chair opposite Alyx. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°The trip back to Velillia is short, but it is through the wilderness. I have equipment that needs replacing, you?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t replace what I¡¯ve never had. And I don¡¯t know if I can afford anything either.¡± ¡°How much did the assassin give you?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shrugged again. It hadn¡¯t felt like a particularly heavy bag, but Cass had not opened it nor would she have any idea what the contents were worth even if she had. She fished it out of her Bag and tossed it over to Alyx. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is worth.¡± Alyx opened the pouch, poking around with a finger, a scowl settling over her face. ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t side with me because she was low balling you?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I have literally no idea how much that is worth.¡± ¡°Right, right. They probably use different currency where you¡¯re from.¡± Cass nodded. Alyx pulled a silver-colored coin from the pouch and held it up for Cass. It was round with a square hole in the center. ¡°This is a sliv; you can buy a sword with a handful of these.¡± She poked around some more and pulled out a copper colored coin. This one was a little smaller but with the same square hole in the center. ¡°This is a coh. A hundred coh get you one sliv. A couple coh is enough to buy a loaf of bread. It shouldn¡¯t cost more than a dozen or so coh for a night in an inn unless you are buying a private room.¡± She rummaged around the pouch with increasing disdain on her face before cinching it again. She fished around her own pocket and drew a gold-colored coin. ¡°This is a glin. It is worth a hundred slivs or 10,000 coh. One of these is enough to buy one of those shower orbs you saw earlier.¡± Cass¡¯s eyes bulged. Magic plumbing was worth a thousand nights in an inn? ¡°As a rule, daily necessities can be bought with coh, martial equipment can be bought with sliv, and a mage¡¯s products are bought with glin.¡± Alyx pointed to the pouch of coins. ¡°That is mostly coh. It might be a single glin all together. Definitely not more than two. ¡°It¡¯s no small amount of money, but enough to kill a person for?¡± Alyx scowled and shook her head. ¡°Anyway, it should be enough for supplies. Not that I plan on letting you pay for anything yourself today. It¡¯s the minimum I can do to begin paying you back for everything.¡± Cass opened her mouth to dismiss the debt again, but Salos cut her off. Don¡¯t you dare! Take her money. ¡°Thank you,¡± Cass settled on instead, standing to take the money pouch back from Alyx. The eavesdropped conversation bubbled in the back of her mind. Cass needed to set the record straight. Alyx didn¡¯t owe her. Cass may have saved her, but Alyx had already done the same. ¡°But I really don¡¯t think you need to make a big deal out of it.¡± ¡°I pay my debts.¡± Alyx stood up and threw an arm over Cass¡¯s shoulder, marching the two of them out the door. ¡°And today, that means making sure you make it to Velillia in comfort!¡± ¡°Alyx,¡± Cass protested, but could do little about the force of the other woman¡¯s greater strength as she was swept outside. ¡°Let me do at least this much,¡± Alyx said as she let Cass go. The two of them fell into a slow walk through the increasingly busy streets. Most buildings were two stories tall, the second floor spilling out over the street. The first floor of many were store fronts featuring wide paneled windows of green or yellow tinted glass. Glass wind chimes hung in front of the windows from the overhanging second floor. Many depicted birds or dragons in flight. The breeze from the port carried through the town, creating a quiet symphony of glass and wind. The streets grew busier as they made their way deeper into town, the day in full swing even though the sun was still low on the horizon and hidden behind the surrounding buildings on most streets. Merchants yelled at passersby from their stalls and shops. Peddlers hawked their wares from tarps and stools in the spaces in between. People meandered through the yelling bodies, haggling and buying and selling. Most people of the crowd appeared human, their skin ranging from olive to ocher to dusk. Hair ran the gamut from dark magentas to soft browns and emerald greens to lime-tinted gold. Among them walked people not quite human to Cass¡¯s eyes. There a man with sharp up swept ears and a lanky frame. Here a woman three quarters of Cass¡¯s height and twice as wide, a luxurious beard filling her face. There a towering woman with green skin and a pair of tusks curling out from between her lips. In the center of town was a fountain square. A woman with a serpent coiled around her shoulders was the centerpiece. She held a staff high in one hand and poured out a basin with the other. On her head, she wore a crown adorned with curling horns. Salos tensed on her shoulder. Cass reached up to pet under his chin, just as overwhelmed by the crowd. Cass hadn¡¯t seen so many people in weeks. It was loud and chaotic; the smell of bodies was already heavy in the air. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Breakfast first,¡± Alyx said over the crowds, directing them to a stall on the far side of the statue. It sat under the overhang of another shop. The heavy wooden construct of its frame suggested it sat here on an at least semi-permanent basis. A wide woman with curling red hair and ruddy skin stood behind the counter, a wicker-basketed utensil in one hand, a pot of boiling oil in front of her. ¡°Two.¡± Alyx held up her thumb and a single finger. The stall owner nodded and fished a pair of fried objects out of her pot with the wicker utensil and dropped them in wax paper. Alyx traded her a dozen copper coh for the two fried pouches. ¡°Here, try it.¡± Alyx handed one to Cass. ¡°What is it?¡± Cass asked. It looked like a fried dumpling, about the size of her fist. ¡°It¡¯s a fried meat dumpling,¡± Alyx said before biting into hers. Steam poured out and Alyx fanned her mouth from the heat. Cass nibbled at hers a little more cautiously. The outer dumpling had a delightfully crispy shell surrounding a softer, mochi-like dough. Identify it, Salos reminded her. Right, Cass said, more because she was curious about what it was than because she seriously expected to find poison in it. Fried Street Food [A fried, moshen-wrapped bun containing a meat and mushroom filling.] She took another bite into the center. The center had a saucy minced meat and mushroom mixture, savory but with sweet undertones. It reminded her of soy sauce, ginger, and honey, but still distinctly none of those things. But, perhaps most importantly, it was real food. Not something she¡¯d dug up and dropped in her fire. Something actually cooked. Prepared with care and consideration. ¡°How is it?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Soooo good,¡± Cass said. She closed her eyes and savored the next bite. She hadn¡¯t realized how much she missed food. It had been a long time since she had last been hungry, despite her recent misfortunes, since, as a slyphid, she didn¡¯t technically need to eat. Something about the energy of the air being enough to sustain her spirit-body. Yet, necessary or not, she had missed it. The food tasted so good. There was comfort in the heat in her throat as it worked its way down. In the weight in her stomach as it settled. There was a fullness she¡¯d missed. All too quickly, the bun was gone. ¡°Two more,¡± Alyx said to the stall owner before Cass could say anything. Cass ate the second one slower as she followed Alyx from shop to shop, slowly working their way back out into the less crowded streets. They¡¯d picked out a small collection of things: a new backpack for Alyx, sleeping rolls for Alyx and Cass, and a pair of simple lanterns that ran on oil. ¡°Next stop, the armory.¡± Alyx pointed down another street as they left the previous shop. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get more armor from defeating the epherwing?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Just a breastplate,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Most of the other pieces are broken or missing. I don¡¯t know how much of it I can get replaced here. Depending on what they have in stock, it may have to wait until we get back to Velillia to replace. ¡°Either way, you need a set, too. Any thoughts on what you want?¡± Cass shrugged. Something lightweight, Salos said. Flexible. Your Dexterity is your first line of defense. You don¡¯t have the Fortitude to make heavier armor worth it. What does Fortitude have to do with armor? Cass asked. She assumed strength was the primary determiner of the kind (or at least weight) of armor she would want, not Fortitude. Your personal Fortitude will affect the integrity of armor you are wearing, Salos explained. It is a multiplicative force. So, unless you want to alter your planned path and start investing in Fortitude, I would recommend something that will not get in your way over something with higher defensive ratings. ¡°Something lightweight, I guess,¡± Cass said, answering Alyx¡¯s question. Keep walking, Salos said, his tone suddenly sharp, don¡¯t look around. Someone is following you. Cass¡¯s head whipped back and forth over the crowd, but she didn¡¯t see anyone out of place. Don¡¯t do that! Salos sighed. What did I say? Is it the assassins from before? Hard to tell. It is possible that your friend just has more guards that we know nothing about. ¡°How much further to the armory?¡± Cass asked aloud to Alyx. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Why?¡± Because people were following them and Alyx needed to know. But how to tell her that without making it obvious that she knew? ¡°Cass?¡± Alyx prompted. ¡°Salos is heavy,¡± Cass said, forcing a petulant tone into her words. ¡°Would you mind carrying him for a minute?¡± What are you doing! Salos shrieked as Cass pulled him off her shoulder and held him out to Alyx. Alyx raised an eyebrow at the obviously struggling cat. ¡°He¡¯s heavy?¡± Cass nodded, pushing him at her again. ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants to be¡ª¡± Cass shook her head and pulled Salos close, holding him just below her face. In a cooing voice, she said, ¡°No, no. Look, if you do this, he calms down right away.¡± In a whispered coo only Salos could hear Cass ¡®demonstrated¡¯, ¡°Play along. Tell her what you just told me.¡± Salos¡¯s eyes went wide, but he relaxed as Cass bounced him around like a baby whispering in his ears. When he¡¯d ¡®settled¡¯, Cass held him out to Alyx again. ¡°See, works like a charm every time. Here, you hold him.¡± Alyx looked between the displeased looking Salos and the entirely too pleased Cass with all the trepidation. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Take him.¡± Cass pushed him up against her again. Alyx took him from Cass. He made a show of struggling. ¡°I really think¡ª¡± Cass interrupted Alyx again. ¡°No, just like I showed you. He calms down right away.¡± She mimed cuddling him at Alyx. ¡°O-okay?¡± Alyx awkwardly copied Cass, bouncing him in her arms and whispering close to his face. A minute later, she stiffened. She looked between Cass and Salos. ¡°See?¡± Cass grinned. ¡°He likes you. You just had to give it a chance. You want to keep holding him for a little?¡± Salos nudged his head up against Alyx¡¯s ear. Alyx sighed. ¡°Sure. I guess I can?¡± What did Alyx say about the tail? Cass asked as they continued walking. To all appearances they hadn¡¯t changed pace or direction. Definitely not Telis, Salos said. And she claims not to have other guards beside Marco there. What is the plan, then? Should we turn back? Cass asked. Salos leaned up to Alyx¡¯s face. She ran a hand along his back, whispering into his fur. No. She wants to see who or what this is, Salos said. Is that a good idea? Cass asked. If there are as few as it seems, then yes. If they have more waiting somewhere, then no. That¡¯s not exactly comforting, Cass said. No. It is not, Salos agreed. But it would be better to find out what they want now, while we are in town, than waiting until we are isolated in the wilderness. They turned off the road onto a narrower side street. Shadows hung heavy over the alley, the sun completely hidden by the buildings. Wind gusted through, blowing up trash and litter and sending the wind chimes spinning in a melody of bells. ¡°Is this the right way?¡± Cass¡¯s hands clenched around her staff. Every instinct screamed that this was not a safe place to walk. Cass flared Trap Detection and Atmospheric Sense, looking for more concrete evidence of trouble. Trap Detection suggested this was a good place for an ambush but offered nothing further. ¡°The armory is just ahead,¡± Alyx said, showing no sign of the concern Cass carried. ¡°That so?¡± a man asked, stepping out of the shadows of one of the buildings and blocking the path ahead of them. Ch. 8: Ambush The man was built like a bull, wide chested, flat-faced, skinny legs. His clothing was all leather, without an inch of skin uncovered from just below his chin to his toes. Several daggers were prominent on his body, strapped to hip and thighs. Their exposed blades glinted in the alley¡¯s dimness. Elf Warrior (Lvl 28) Cass¡¯s hands tightened again around her staff. Level 28? That was three levels higher than the assassin, Levina, and two levels over Alyx. He stood casually in the middle of the alley, his hands resting on his belt, in easy reach of the larger daggers hanging from either hip. ¡°And what would an esteemed lady of Veldor need with the humble smithies of Hervet?¡± His tone carried the biting friendliness of a crook asking politely for your wallet. ¡°I would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d send the butler for somethin¡¯ as simple as a trip to the smith¡¯s.¡± Two more people stepped out of the shadows behind Marco. Was this our tail? Cass asked. No, the tail backed off for now. Those appear to be two of the mercenaries we met on the dock. The Gulls, was it? How many are there? Cass asked. There were five on the dock, Salos said. Though this man in front wasn¡¯t one of them. That meant it would be five verses at least six? There was herself (lvl 19), Alyx (lvl 26), Salos (lvl 14), Marco (lvl 34), and Telis (lvl 27). Could they handle six or more? The smart move was deescalating the situation. She didn¡¯t know what the Red Gulls wanted, but surely the public knowing they attacked their clients in the street wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Do I know you?¡± Alyx crossed her arms over her chest, every bit of her tone a direct challenge. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you would,¡± the man said. ¡°You¡¯re fancy servant did all the negotiating without you. She said it would be a simple enough job. You¡¯d take several sub-level 27 members and the lot of you would try your hand at the Uvana Trial. She promised it would be a great opportunity for us. That mercs like us are never offered a chance like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all true. You are a member of the Red Gulls, then?¡± ¡°Member?¡± The man laughed. ¡°Try boss?¡± ¡°You were paid,¡± Alyx said. ¡°What more do you want from me?¡± ¡°Several of my people didn¡¯t make it back from your little expedition.¡± He leaned forward, towering over Alyx, his teeth on full display in a predator¡¯s snarl. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to offer condolences and then push past him. Alyx didn¡¯t so much as flinch. ¡°That is the risk we all take when we enter a place like Uvana.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± the man said, though his voice suggested anything but. He stepped back, drawing a dagger from his chest and turning it over in his hands. ¡°The weak will die in a place like that. And yet, I find it wasn¡¯t the weak that died.¡± ¡°Get to your point,¡± Alyx ordered. ¡°I have places to be.¡± The man pointed his dagger at Alyx. ¡°Where is my sister?¡± ¡°Your sister?¡± Alyx repeated. ¡°Levina, level 23 when the lot of you set out. The team¡¯s assassin?¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°The weak die.¡± The man¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Where is her body?¡± ¡°Crushed under the hooves of the Lord of the Pass.¡± The ghost of a smile slipped across Alyx¡¯s lips. Cass scurried up behind Alyx. This was the opposite of deescalation. ¡°Is this a good idea?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I have this under control,¡± Alyx whispered back. ¡°Stand back.¡± Cass scooted back. There wasn¡¯t a lot of space between the man in front and the pair behind. Marco had the first inch of his sword drawn. His eyes flipped between the two behind them with suspicion. ¡°You left her there?¡± His hand clenched around his drawn dagger. His free hand grabbed a second from his side. ¡°I was promised that you would not try the Pass.¡± ¡°And I was promised your team would work for me,¡± Alyx snapped back. ¡°When Levina tried to assassinate me, all deals were off.¡± ¡°Assassinate you?¡± the man growled. ¡°If that was the plan, you would be dead.¡± ¡°Want to try it?¡± Alyx taunted, taking a step toward him. ¡°It didn¡¯t work out so well for your sister.¡± Does he really not know? Cass asked. It doesn¡¯t matter, Salos snorted. If he knows, he¡¯ll never admit it. If he doesn¡¯t know, it just means his people were working behind his back. He¡¯d hardly be in a rush to admit that, either. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough,¡± the man shouted. ¡°Kill the noble brat. We¡¯ll send her soul to Dexterity in Levina¡¯s place.¡± ¡°You can try.¡± Alyx darted forward, her short sword already in hand. The mercenary boss parried Alyx¡¯s sword strike, returning with a flurry of fast jabs of his twin daggers. Alyx flickered out of sight as one blade pierced through the space her heart had been but a moment before. She appeared to the side and slashed down his exposed flank. Gritting his teeth, he contorted around, slashing back at her in return. His dagger skimmed across her chest, blood trailing through the air behind it. The blood pooled in the air beside his off-hand, coalescing into a swirling ball. He swung his second dagger down and the ball exploded, the blood snaking through the air into his own wounds. The cut Alyx had made along his side stitched itself closed before their eyes. He grinned, his teeth glinting. ¡°That all you got?¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± Alyx threw herself at him again, their blades clashing in a singing roar of metal. Behind, Marco fought the pair of thugs. One was a wiry man with a short sword, the other a stocky woman with an ax. The man rushed the guard. Marco deflected the sword strike with his buckler. The blow knocked the man to the side as the woman followed it up with a heavy downward chop. Like water, Marco slipped around the chop, punishing the wide movement with a slash of his own. It cut deep through the woman¡¯s leathers. The wiry man rebounded off the alley wall, racing back into the fray with a manic grin, his sword aiming for Marco¡¯s back. The ax woman pushed through the pain, swinging wildly again. The guard made a quarter turn and half a step back, avoiding the wiry man¡¯s stab by millimeters and returning with another heavy backhand with his buckler. In the same movement he wove between rapid ax swings, his own sword snaking out and biting deep into the woman¡¯s shoulder and hip. Cass¡¯s hands clenched around her staff, uncertainty growing. Alyx had said to stay back. That she could handle this. Alyx¡¯s fight was fast and furious. A flurry of daggers followed every sword strike. They bobbed and weaved around the blades in a dance of flashing steel. Cass wasn¡¯t sure she could intervene without getting in Alyx¡¯s way in this tight alley. And Marco certainly needed no help. His opponents were both leveled in the late teens where he was 34. The level gap was clear in his command of the fight. But these three were not the only opponents. There are more of them, Cass whispered across her bond to Salos. She could feel their movement in the dark with Atmospheric Sense. Lurking. Waiting for the right moment. Indeed, Salos said. You should be prepared to Wind Step away if things go poorly. You want me to ditch Alyx? Now? Well, I don¡¯t want you to die with her, if that¡¯s what you are suggesting. Are things that bad? Cass asked. Hard to say. Her guard is more than capable of handling his two. I imagine he could take one or two more with little trouble. Your friend, on the other hand? I don¡¯t know if she can handle the one she¡¯s got. A fourth thug materialized out of the shadows behind Alyx. Alyx didn¡¯t see them, her sword entwined with the mercenary boss¡¯s blade. And even if she saw them, she would not be fast enough to turn to stop the dagger coming for her back. Alyx had said to stay back. But Cass couldn¡¯t just sit still and let Alyx and Marco handle this alone. She should help. It was what teammates did. And she was their teammate now. Cass stepped forward, her staff swinging. It slammed into his head and he went flying into the wall with a thump. Blood trickled down his temple. He didn¡¯t move, but Atmospheric Sense could feel him breathing. Human Rogue (Lvl 18) He was weaker than her. Only by a single level, yet she¡¯d thrown him across the alley with that one attack. She hadn¡¯t even used Elemental Manipulation or Wind Blade. That had been just Staff Mastery and raw Strength. Staff Mastery buzzed with excitement, adjusting her hands on her staff and widening her stance. Another rogue jumped Marco. The guardsman effortlessly stepped out of the way of the rogue¡¯s daggers as he shoved his sword through one of his initial opponents. Alyx slashed through the mercenary¡¯s whip of blood. The cut section dropped to the ground, staining the cobble street crimson. The rest of the bloody mass retracted into the orb floating by the mercenary boss¡¯s head as his daggers danced out for Alyx¡¯s flesh. Cass¡¯s opponent staggered to his feet. His eyes were of focus. His dagger was still in his hands. ¡°Stop this,¡± Cass shouted at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± A grimace spread across his lips. He raised his dagger and bolted toward her. Ch. 9: Street Fight Cass swung as he charged. Her staff struck his armed hand and pushed him wide. He staggered as he ran past her. Staff Mastery pointed out a dozen potential strikes to drop him here. Wind Blade chaffed to be released at his back. Before she could do either, a shadow dropped on him. There was a splash of blood. The man collapsed. He lay face down on the alley floor, his lungs still. Salos stood on his back, claws dark with blood. ¡°You killed him?¡± Cass gasped. Of course he had. It wasn¡¯t really a question. It shouldn¡¯t be a shock. Behind you! Salos shouted as he leapt past her. A mace swung through the air behind her. She could feel the air part around it through Atmospheric Sense without turning. Dodge pulled her to the side as Salos landed on the weapon¡¯s head. He sprinted up the weapon¡¯s shaft and onto its owner¡¯s arm. Cass turned to face this new opponent as Salos reached their face, his claws raking long rends across skin. They¡ªa tall woman with green hair¡ªthrew Salos off with her free hand, but not before his claws removed one of her eyes. Human Warrior (lvl 22) The remaining eye burned. She swung her mace at Cass, roaring in pain. Cass backpedaled, her foot squelched in the blood of the first man. Her heart hammered in her chest. Cass¡¯s staff blocked the mace. The mace pulsed with a purple light as it struck. A force slammed down on Cass from above, a hundred times more forceful than the pressure the mace alone should have exerted. Cass¡¯s knees screamed as she struggled to remain standing. The macewoman wound her weapon back for another strike, the pressure lessened as the mace head left Cass¡¯s staff. A Wind Blade materialized on Cass¡¯s staff. Staff Mastery urged her to step back. Her reach was longer. She needed to avoid taking more strikes like that head on. The mace swung forward again. Dodge tugged her out of the way. But her whole body was sluggish. Like the world itself was pressing down on her. Like her feet were lead beneath her. The mace struck again, slamming into Cass¡¯s staff with another pulse of purple energy. The weight multiplied. Her lungs refused to inflate. Her heart struggled to pump. She needed to get out of the way. But her feet barely listened to her. Her arms hung heavy before her. Her staff was almost more than her screaming muscles could handle. The mace wound back again. The pressure lightened ever slightly. She would not make it out of the way before the next strike came. Impeded like this, she couldn¡¯t dodge. But every block just made the weight worse. She couldn¡¯t dodge. She couldn¡¯t block. That left one option. She had to attack. She still held her staff high from blocking. Her hand readjusted on the shaft. She let the weight in her arms pull the staff in a downward sweep. As the strike fell, Cass pushed Focus into the growing Wind Blade along the staff¡¯s edge. She needed more wind. More. As much as she could handle. And then more. It was too much to keep a sharp edge. But that was fine. The mace swung down. But Cass, working with the extra weight the macewoman¡¯s skill had granted her, was faster. Her staff took the other woman in the chest. As it hit the woman¡¯s leather armor, Cass released the gusting Wind Blade from her staff, throwing all of her Will into the Wind Blade. It punched the macewoman in the guts, pushing her back an entire yard. Her feet skid across the cobbled pavement the entire way. The weight lifted from Cass¡¯s body as the distance increased. The woman roared and charged Cass, her mace held high. Cass stepped around her strike, the weight around her neither growing nor shrinking as they came together. Interesting. Distance reduced the woman¡¯s skill, yet only mace strikes applied it. Cass could work with that. Salos darted out, his claws raking across the macewoman¡¯s ankles as he passed from one shadow to the next. Her eye flared with anger, her feet stomping after him. He was long gone by the time her first foot fell on empty cobble. I¡¯ve got this, Cass said to him. Go help Alyx. Are you sure? Cass Dodged the next strike and slammed her staff into the other woman, Staff Mastery driving a Mana Wind Blade through the macewoman¡¯s leather armor and coming away with blood. Very, Cass said. The mace swung around to counter, but Cass had already danced back out of the way. Her staff snapped out and back, weaving around the mace with ease. The skill sang with excitement, pulling Cass¡¯s body in lightning strikes and flowing dodges. She was faster than she¡¯d been when she had fought the boar. Faster than the four points of Dex and the single point of Str she¡¯d gained since then should have made her. The world moved slower around her. Slower than even the half dozen of points of Ala she¡¯d dropped in it should have made it. There was a wind around her body as she moved. The air split before her staff as it struck. There was no resistance as it flew until it hit flesh and bone. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Was this the effect of applying the Concept of Wind to the Control column? She was faster. She was speed. She was wind. She knocked the macewoman back. Staff Mastery followed it up with a low sweep, knocking the woman¡¯s feet out from under her. Cass was standing over her before she¡¯d even hit the ground, kicking the mace from the woman¡¯s hands. She raised her staff high, the butt in line with the macewoman¡¯s head. Staff Mastery promised driving the staff down on her temples would end the fight immediately. Promised that it would be a quick death. Cass faltered. She could see the cracked skull and pooling blood such an attack would leave behind. Could feel the sharp intake of breath and then the nothing that followed. Her arms didn¡¯t move. She should kill her. Her staff froze. The image of Levina lying amid the dirt, charred and broken. The man behind her, his throat torn out from behind, blood pooling over the stone. These people were assassins. They wanted to kill Alyx and everyone associated with her. They didn¡¯t deserve compassion. They didn¡¯t deserve mercy. ¡°Surrender,¡± Cass ordered anyway. Her voice shook. As much as her hands. The macewoman blinked blearily up at Cass. Her face was covered in blood. It pooled in the open eye socket. It ran in rivers from the rends Salos had left over her skin. ¡°Surrender!¡± The word came out stronger the second time. A grimace spread over the woman¡¯s face. Her hand snapped out, grabbing Cass¡¯s ankle. Cass shouted in surprise. The woman¡¯s nails dug through skin. Cass¡¯s surprise turned to pain. Her staff slammed down. It struck the cobble beside the woman. Cass¡¯s Focus shot into the stone, guiding Elemental Manipulation. She pulled up the stone. She wrenched her foot out of the woman¡¯s grip and slammed her staff into her chest, knocking the air from her lungs. Simultaneously, the stone snaked up around the woman¡¯s wrists, her ankles, pinning her to the floor. ¡°Surrender!¡± Cass yelled in her face. The woman twisted and turned, yelling and screaming, trying to break free of the stone holding her. It didn¡¯t budge. Cass didn¡¯t move. Her staff was heavy in her hands for reasons entirely unrelated to the woman¡¯s skills. Around her, the sounds of fighting wound down. The movement in the alleyway slowed. Bodies fell. Breath stopped. Until there was only Cass¡¯s party and the green-haired woman below her. Salos appeared on her shoulder, his weight comforting. What are you waiting for? he asked. His weight was suddenly less comforting. Do I need to kill her? Cass asked. She tried to kill you. Blood pooled over the cobble street. The air tasted of iron. Cass¡¯s knees quaked under her. Her arms shook. She¡¯d seen blood before. She¡¯d seen gore. This was nothing new. The bloody pool after she¡¯d killed the terrorcat. The guts of the spider covering her body and in her hair. The purple ichor of the Caretaker splattered over her clothes and strewn over the stone floor. The explosion of flesh of the epherwing hitting the mountainside at terminal velocity. The brains of the thunderback boar splashing over her as it impaled itself on her spear of stone. She¡¯d seen gore. This was different. Cass couldn¡¯t move. Her hands clasped around her staff. A hand settled on her shoulder. It was Alyx. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shook her head. She didn¡¯t know if that was true, but right this second, she wasn¡¯t in pain. Alyx looked down at the thug beneath Cass, still shouting up a storm Alyx pushed Cass back a step. She put a boot on the woman¡¯s chest and leaned down over her. ¡°You want to tell me who hired you?¡± The thug grit her teeth and shook her head. Alyx leaned harder on the woman¡¯s chest. ¡°You sure?¡± The woman didn¡¯t move. ¡°Last chance,¡± Alyx said. The woman didn¡¯t say a thing. Alyx shrugged. Her sword slashed across her throat. The macewoman¡¯s breathing stopped. Cass stared at the corpse. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t torture for information.¡± Alyx wiped the blade of her sword on the dead woman¡¯s clothes and sheathed the sword. ¡°Don¡¯t have any skills for it. False confessions are just as likely as real information without a skill. They can¡¯t mislead you with their dying breath if they don¡¯t give you anything. ¡°Besides, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me which of my family is trying to kill me. I can¡¯t do anything about it, regardless.¡± That hadn¡¯t been what Cass had been asking. ¡°Why did you kill her?¡± Cass tried again. Alyx cocked her head to one side. ¡°I just told you.¡± ¡°Why did she have to die?¡± ¡°They tried to kill us.¡± There was a sad smile on her lips. ¡°They played the game. They lost. That¡¯s just how that is.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there an authority we could have turned her over to? Prison. I don¡¯t know. Did she have to die? Did they all have to die?¡± The surrounding corpses clung close in that narrow alley. Eight bodies. Cass didn¡¯t need to count them. She just knew there were eight. She could feel every single one. Blood still oozing from their wounds. Bone broken on the cobble. Brains spilled from skulls. Cass¡¯s stomach turned. She closed her eyes and held tight to her staff. There was a notification from the fight. She opened them. Staff Mastery has increased to level 10. Dodge has increased to level 10. She¡¯d participated in this bloodbath. She might not have dealt the final blow to any of them, but at least two of them were on her conscience. And she¡¯d profited off their deaths. ¡°It would have been the death penalty if we¡¯d brought her in,¡± Alyx said. ¡°And then I would have to report another attempt on my life. It¡¯d be a huge hassle.¡± A hassle? ¡°Better to just let Telis handle the clean up here,¡± Alyx continued. ¡°Of course, my lady.¡± Telis appeared beside Alyx as if she¡¯d been there the entire time. ¡°See if they have orders on them or something,¡± Alyx added. Telis nodded and wasted no time searching the corpses. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this to Telis and continue to the armory. She¡¯ll meet us there when she¡¯s done,¡± Alyx said. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. Come on.¡± Is this really all lives are worth? Cass asked. Salos settled onto her shoulder. Yes. It is a dangerous world to be weak or stupid. That¡¯s all you have to say about this? Cass looked around the alley again. The bloody corpses seared themselves on her memory. Lifeless. Still. These were people. People who thought they could take on more than they could handle. There was no compassion in his voice. People who chose to kill for their living. And that makes this okay? It makes it what it is, Salos said. Your friend is leaving you behind. Alyx was already at the other end of the alley. Cass hurried to keep up, her feet slipping a little on the bloody floor. They walked the rest of the way to the armory in silence. Ch. 10: Unexpected Visitor The rest of the shopping trip passed in a hazy blur. Alyx picked out armor for herself and Cass from the armory. Metal things for Alyx. Flexible but study leather pieces to be worn under her robe for Cass. They stopped at a few other stores, though Cass barely remembered any of it. A change of clothes was procured for Cass: simple travel clothes and new boots. Some more herbs. A cooking pot. A dozen other small supplies like this. It all went into her Bag with little comment. The joy of being back in civilization had been thoroughly drowned by the alley of corpses. Salos said they were still being followed for the duration of their outing, but Cass didn¡¯t catch sight of them even with Atmospheric Sense. Maybe she was just too distracted by the memory of blood to notice, though. Neither Alyx nor Salos seemed at all bothered by the carnage they¡¯d left. At least they seemed to understand that she was highly disturbed and didn¡¯t push her to interact with the shopping. The last stop on their trip was the temple, a tower of white stone and stain glass. ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Cass asked as she and Alyx walked up the stairs leading up to its front door. ¡°Its customary that Trial Takers give thanks to their patron after a successful Trial. I need to give thanks for my survival. You should pick a patron,¡± Alyx said. Cass frowned. ¡°A patron, meaning a god?¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°Do I have to?¡± Cass wasn¡¯t exactly religious, but she¡¯d been raised in enough of a religious household that nonchalantly worshiping another god gave her pause. And she wasn¡¯t exactly atheist, but she wasn¡¯t much for worship of anyone who thought they¡¯d done a good job with creating the current state of the world or anyone unable to do anything about it. ¡°No, I suppose not.¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°But most people pick one.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Cass asked. It was a blunt question, but she wasn¡¯t feeling up to subtlety. ¡°Those favored by their patron sometimes receive a blessing or a boon,¡± Alyx said. ¡°The Goddess of Endurance, She of Twisting Paths and Fortuitous Meetings, blessed my mother. She made my mother an unmatched swordswoman.¡± ¡°And which one is your patron?¡± Cass asked as they entered the temple. ¡°The same.¡± Alyx pointed at one of the smaller rooms. ¡°But I also intend to pay my respects to the goddess of Alacrity, She of Brilliant Lightning and Striking Inspiration. She¡¯s one of the most popular gods in this region.¡± Alyx nodded at the statue in the center of the room. It was a statue of a woman wearing a crown of twisting horns. She towered over her surrounding patrons. Above, the tower was hollow, the light of the stain glass shimmering down over the stone casting dizzying patterns of color over the room. Along the walls were eight arches, each leading into another smaller room with their own statues. I think I will wait outside, Salos said, hopping down from her shoulder and disappearing before Cass had a chance to crack a joke about demons in churches. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Alacrity was an important stat for you,¡± Cass commented. ¡°It isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then, why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my city¡¯s patron goddess,¡± Alyx said. ¡°And the goddess of dragons.¡± Cass was pretty sure she still didn¡¯t get it, but she didn¡¯t stop Alyx as she walked off to kneel at a pew before the statue. Which left Cass alone with her thoughts in a quiet place clearly intended for contemplation. Cass bit her lip and set her entire mind to not doing that. She could think later. For now, it was more interesting to explore a foreign religion. Yes. She was definitely was exploring out of genuine interest and not a desire to not think about earlier today. Quietly, Cass walked through the temple, stopping in each of the side rooms one at a time. They were all set up the same as the main room: a statue in the center, pews around it. But each held a distinctly different atmosphere. One was calming, the walls painted soft blues, a figure with down turned eyes in the center. Another set Cass on edge, the man in the center pointing his sword at the entrance with uncanny accusation. Another felt empty, despite the imposing statue in the center taking up no less space than the others before it. Cass moved quietly from one room to the next, careful not to disturb the worshipers with in each. The second to last room was all black and white with silver embellishment lacing through the stone. In the center was a humanoid statue with the head of a raven. In one hand they held a human faced mask which could never fit over their beak up against their breasts, in the other a single arrow held like a wand. As Cass stepped over the threshold, she felt a ripple in the air. Something twisting around her. She was sure there had been other people a moment ago, yet now there was only a single supplicant sitting in the first pew. A single person staring directly at Cass. Cass stopped in the archway, but found herself unable to step back. ¡°Er, hi?¡± Cass said, not sure what else one should do when a stranger was staring at her as hard as this person was. They were a woman, probably. They had long black hair, streaked in silver strands. Their face was what Cass would have described as feminine: soft and slender. ¡°Hello,¡± the person said, their mouth unmoving. They waved back, their silver eyes shimmering with mirth. Error: Unable to Identify higher order beings. Identify has increased to level 7. Identify has increased to level 8. Identify has increased to level 9. Identify has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [+ 4 Per + 3 Vit + 2 Dex + 2 Ala] Cass¡¯s eyes widened as Identify failed to describe the person in front of her. She¡¯d never had it fail before. She¡¯d never gotten three levels with it off of a single use. What was in front of her? The person clicked their tongue, their lips still immobile. ¡°Look at you, acclimated like a native already, Identifying strangers at the drop of a hat.¡± They clapped their hands together. The skin of their hands did not match. One was as black as night, the other as pale as snow. Neither matched the skin tone of their face. ¡°Though, you should know, it is incredibly poor manners to use Identify in a temple.¡± They leapt up to their feet, their coat flapping around them. It was a layered thing, each section a different shade of grey. ¡°For exactly this reason, actually.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Cass asked slowly. Given where she was, she had a guess, but she had never wanted more to be wrong. ¡°Rude, Cassandra Yuan, rude. Don¡¯tcha know you should introduce yourself before you ask for other people¡¯s names?¡± The stranger¡¯s head tilted back like they were laughing, but their face was still frozen in complete indifference. They knew her name already. Her full name. Cass wasn¡¯t sure Salos even knew her full name. No one else in this world should know it. She hadn¡¯t said it once. She wanted to bolt out of the room and not look back, but she couldn¡¯t make even the slightest movement backwards. It was like there was a solid wall behind her. Not even the air dared cross that boundary. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She forced herself to respond calmly, anyway. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to need me to tell you.¡± The stranger laughed loudly at that. It came out in a squawking laugh. Entirely inhuman. ¡°No. I suppose I don¡¯t. ¡°But, look at you. Look how far you¡¯ve come. Falling apart at the seems but holding fast, anyway. You know, I made a bet with some of the others about whether you¡¯d survive that trial. The one ###### and ###### built in the last age.¡± The stranger spoke fast, like a teenager gossiping among her friends. They said two names, and Cass heard them clearly, yet it was like the sound bounced off her memory. She could not comprehend the names they listed so casually. ¡°She was sure you¡¯d die on the first day. ###### didn¡¯t think you¡¯d make it to level 5. I bet not only would you survive, you¡¯d make a complete clear of the Trial. ¡°Now look at you! Congratulations on getting this far. Almost four times everyone else¡¯s best guesses as to your life expectancy and level, a full set of Concepts, and some promising Traits under your belt? And you aren¡¯t even using everything you¡¯ve been given yet.¡± These people were betting on her survival? No. Betting on her death. Why? Because it was fun? Her heart was pounding in her chest. She could feel herself losing her grip on the situation. ¡°Got to say I¡¯m disappointed that you didn¡¯t go kill the Lord of the Forest after everything.¡± The stranger¡¯s face was as impassive as ever. No, it wasn¡¯t a face. A mask. They wore the mask of a woman, only the eyes beneath were real. Eyes which glistened like a child that had found an unusual bug in the grass and was now gleefully showing their friends. ¡°I really wanted to see ######¡¯s face when you killed her favorite pet! Still, my guess was the closest, so they all had to pay up! ¡°The others are in a real tizzy over you, you know. Most of the rest of the first wave is dead, dead, dead already. We really didn¡¯t expect any of you to make it this long.¡± Like a child that had caught that bug in a jar and was now shaking it to see if it would do anything interesting. ¡°Well, I say that, but I did bet you¡¯d survive, didn¡¯t I!¡± They laughed again, throwing their head back, their hands on their hips. Cass¡¯s mind whirled with the stranger¡¯s words. It was too much. But there was one thing she understood. ¡°You brought me here?¡± The stranger clapped again. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Why?¡± They cocked their head to one side, their mask still. ¡°Why? Why was it again? Oh, right. ###### wanted a champion. He¡¯s quite upset with ###### and wanted to wipe her country off the Continent. Very rude if you ask me, but what¡¯s a god to do? When your peer wants to summon Champions, you jump on the bandwagon because they¡¯re paying and it¡¯s cheaper if everyone does it.¡± Gods? This was a god. Her breath caught in her throat. Maybe her lungs had just stopped entirely. She¡¯d known, of course. That was the only explanation for the sudden isolation of the temple and the appearance of the stranger. Logically¡ªcould she really claim logic in the face of gods? Contextually, maybe?¡ªthat was the obvious explanation. Alyx had all but said they were real, after all. No. Actually. She had said they were real; Cass just hadn¡¯t believed her. Who would believe her? The god was still talking, though Cass struggled to keep up with their rapid chatter. ¡°Oh, you should have seen his face when he pulled you initially. Broken, defective product, right off the bat! Ha! Hilarious.¡± ¡°Defective?¡± Cass latched onto what she could. ¡°Oh, I mean. No offense, but your trait makes you useless to us. Contrary Will? Who wants a pawn with that kind of free will? I mean, it might be fun in a morality game, but an awful choice for a war game. Can you imagine? Your player character ignoring your commands and wandering off on unrelated quests? No, thank you, I say. ¡°And yet, here I am, wondering if you¡¯d like to be my Champion, anyway.¡± They summoned her to be a god¡¯s puppet? Then rejected because they didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be able to control her. Abandoned in the Uvana Valley to die because those same gods thought it would be fun? That was all her life was worth to this thing in front of her. The desire to run had never been so strong. But there was nowhere to go. Somehow, the god had separated this space from the rest of the temple. Not even the air could escape. She was a plaything in front of this creature that wore a human face. An animal to bet on. No different from horses at the racetrack or dogs chasing rabbits. She was the flip of a card on the river. Her worth only relative to the bets already on the table. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me who you are.¡± Cass had no idea if she¡¯d kept her voice level or if it had squeaked out in a panicked whimper. She didn¡¯t need the answer. She knew already. This was a god. Which one was hardly important. But the other option was to crumple into a terrified ball of devolving questions, and Cass refused to give this thing in front of her the satisfaction. ¡°Ah, how rude. How rude.¡± The eyes behind the mask glistened silver. They were eager eyes. Hungry eyes. ¡°The truth is, your little mortal mind can¡¯t comprehend my name unless I make a specific exception for you, which is frankly more expensive than it¡¯s really worth. What you can understand is I¡¯m the God of Perception. They of Shimmering Silk and Sharp Truths. Be appropriately awed. But not too awed, we have more to talk about.¡± Cass¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± The god sighed, visibly sagging. ¡°Were you listening? I want you to be my Champion!¡± They must have seen the lack of recognition on Cass¡¯s face. They tapped a finger to their still lips. ¡°How best to explain it to you? You get to be my agent in this world? I give you some of my power and a Quest. It¡¯s an easy quest. Very doable in your lifetime.¡± ¡°A human lifetime or a slyphid one?¡± Cass asked slowly, her suspicions about this god¡¯s nature growing. There was a vicious grin shimmering from their silver eyes. ¡°Now, what kind of question is that? I said your lifetime! ¡°But I promise it¡¯s a good deal for you! Champions who complete their quests get a wish! You have a wish, don¡¯tcha? A big wish! A wish that you have no idea how to make reality!¡± A wish? Could this god send her home, then? Could it really be that simple? Did Cass dare trust the words of this being? ¡°Isn¡¯t that exciting? You get a whole new set of powers, a purpose here, and a light at the end of the tunnel! Everything you could possibly want and then some. ¡°And as a bonus, you get to represent me in this realm! How exciting!¡± And that was the price, wasn¡¯t it? She had to represent this stranger. This god. Cass didn¡¯t know a thing about them, and what she¡¯d observed so far failed to reassure her. This was a dangerous being to get involved with. A dangerous being to make any kind of deal with. Even speaking with them was probably dangerous. Cass forced herself to breathe. There were a lot of questions, but there was one more important than the rest right now. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°Oh? Is that little head of yours full of thoughts about not being worthy? Completely insignificant before the greatness which is Perception? Lost before the glamor of shimmering silk? Small before the weight of sharp truths?¡± ¡°Why was I summoned to this world in the first place?¡± Cass clarified. ¡°Oh. That. Well.¡± The humor left their voice, complete disinterest creeping in its place. ¡°In part, it was random. You have those random loot games in the place you came from, right? Summon a hero, see what you get? It¡¯s like that. ¡°###### and I did one together. ¡®Guarantee SSR class hero¡¯, the system said! (Not literally, of course, but that was the idea if I mold it into game concepts you¡¯d understand).¡± A snicker snuck back into their voice. ¡°I still remember his face when he got you and compared you to the one I pulled! ¡°I¡¯m a kind and generous soul, though, and it¡¯s not like I am desperate for a champion. I offered him my summon for a very generous price and even promised to clean up the summon he didn¡¯t want. You should have seen him!¡± They were laughing again. Cass could only hear one thing, though. ¡°Someone else was summoned at the same time as me?¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± The god waved off the question. ¡°Truthfully, we did a bunch of summoning after that, but the two of you from that summons were definitely the best.¡± A chill settled over her. ¡°Were we summoned from the same place?¡± ¡°Oh, definitely. Your world is so rich in potential its pooled into physical form. No other way to get such choice summons, really.¡± ¡°No, I mean, the same spot from my world.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, probably?¡± The god shrugged. ¡°Not super important, honestly.¡± But it was the most important thing to Cass. Only three other people had been immediately around her when she was kidnapped. Kaye, Robin, and the elderly camp host. That was a two out of three chance it had been one of her siblings. A two out of three chance, Kaye or Robin was the pawn of another of the gods right now. ¡°Is it possible to quit?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Aw, no commitment?¡± the god whined. ¡°Fair enough. Always have an exit strategy, I always say. Sure, sure. I¡¯ll let you go at any point. No questions asked. I will take back all the powers and boons I gave you, though. That¡¯s just par for the course.¡± ¡°Is every god as magnanimous as that?¡± Cass asked. Perception cawed loudly. ¡°Oh, no. Definitely not. I¡¯ve got an easy come, easy go approach to life. I¡¯m greedy, but I can be convinced generosity is more interesting. Most of my peers are greedy to a fault. One has to be to get to where we are, can¡¯t fault them for it. ¡°This conversation, for example, watching your little mind whirl with every new speck of information, is much more interesting than playing all this close to my chest. I doubt the others will ever understand.¡± ¡°And if I refuse after all this?¡± Cass asked slowly. ¡°Then you¡¯re a fool, but an interesting fool.¡± The god crossed their arms over their chest, dropping back to the pew. ¡°Are you a fool, Cassandra Yuan?¡± The god had said a lot and yet had still failed to mention anything concrete. A lot was implied. A lot was suggested. How much was Cass willing to trust this being in front of her? Could she trust them to send her home? To find Kaye or Robin if they were here? On the other side, could she really expect there to be no consequences for refusing? This god was petty. Cass could feel it in her bones. It was obvious in every word and every intonation. This was a bored and petty god. And if the stories of Earth were any indication, there was little that was more dangerous. Should Cass risk slighting them? Was that a greater risk than agreeing to work for them? If only she knew something about the gods here. If only she had another opinion. If only Salos were here to help her decide. Would he say not to trust anyone, to depend only on her own power? Or would he say not to let the chance for more power to slip through her fingers? Was it his demonic nature that kept him out of the temple, or was it an inherent distrust of the gods? There was no way to know. She could only pick one and hope. ¡°I can¡¯t agree to work with you,¡± Cass said finally. ¡°Oh? A fool then, alright,¡± they said, their voice unconcerned. ¡°Why?¡± Cass hesitated, but they didn¡¯t sound upset. And refusing to answer was unlikely to go over better than lying or the truth. ¡°I can¡¯t trust someone who brought me here against my will.¡± ¡°Oh, right. There is that, isn¡¯t there? Well, alright. But if you change your mind, let me know. Just fervently pray to me, I¡¯ll be there!¡± Space split around Cass, shifting again like gears turning. Neither Cass nor the god moved, yet one moment it was just the two of them in a silent temple, the next Cass stood before the altar to Perception, the low murmur of the other patrons around her. Ch. 11: Break Down Cass didn¡¯t quite run out of the temple, though with her stats and the Concept of Wind on Dexterity making her movement faster, it was easy to mistake her panicked speed walking for a full out sprint. She leaned against the wall outside, her head spinning. It probably didn¡¯t matter that she had held herself together in front of the god. They were probably still watching her. Hell, they had been watching her. The entire time. Since she got here. Because her struggles were amusing? Was her panic that funny? A shiver ran across her skin. She held herself and slid down the wall into a dejected seat. Around her, this world ticked on. People came in and out of the temple, heads bowed in supplication. The wind blew through the trees, their needles whispering as the airs rustled them. Their shade cast jagged shadows over her face, protecting her from the strange sun above. It was just a little bigger than the sun she was used to. Just a little brighter. Just a little redder. Not enough to notice at a glance. Not enough to change anything. Just enough to remind her this wasn¡¯t Earth. This wasn¡¯t just a foreign country. To her right, she could hear the bustle of the docks, now in the full swing of day. To her left, she could hear the shouts of the market. All around her, people continued on with their lives. Unconcerned that the gods could do what they wanted at any moment. Unconcerned that death lurked just around the corner, that they were at the mercy of anyone with more strength than they possessed. Cass squinted up at the sun. Was Kaye or Robin under this sun somewhere? Were they looking for her now? Or were they as lost as she was, just hoping to survive to tomorrow? Would they survive until she could find them? Would she? It was cold. Cold in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature of the air. Cold that the sun beating down on her could do nothing about. She held her knees tighter to her chest, burying her face in them. Salos materialized from the shadows next to her. She could feel his confusion without looking up. She hated it. This wasn¡¯t normal. She wasn¡¯t normal. None of this was normal. His concern rushed over her, overpowering her like a wave. It was warm, but overwhelming. Suffocating. What happened? he asked, his voice ringing in her ears even though they hadn¡¯t been spoken aloud. Ringing in her head like her own thoughts. You disappeared for a second there. And you are¡ªoh. Are you okay? Cass¡¯s hands clenched tighter. Her fingernails dug into her palms. It hurt, but that was a sensation she understood. This much, she understood. ¡°Cass, talk to me,¡± he whispered in that clicking, squeaking language of the depths. It wasn¡¯t English, yet she knew it in her soul. Because he wanted her to know it. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She needed to breathe. She was worrying Salos. She needed to calm down. She needed to stop the drip of tears from her eyes. Nothing had happened. Nothing had changed. Yeah, she¡¯d nearly killed a man. Yeah, she¡¯d watched two people killed on her behalf. Yeah, she¡¯d been in an alley of blood and not a single person beside her so much as batted an eye. This was just how this world worked. Life was cheap. She knew that. This wasn¡¯t new information. Crying about it was really entirely useless. And yeah, she¡¯d possessed(?) Salos. Just ran around shotgun in his head. Should that have been possible? Who knew? Not her. Not Salos. Evidence seemed to suggest it was. Who were they to argue with direct evidence? And really, what was the big deal? Sure, she hadn¡¯t been able to move. She hadn¡¯t done it intentionally. She¡¯d felt trapped. But Salos was stuck like that all the time. He¡¯d been that way for like a week without complaint. Who was she to fall apart over it after less than ten minutes? And yeah, she¡¯d just run into a god. A literal god. Those were real, apparently. And not in a, it¡¯s-real-because-you-believe-kind of way, but in a I-can-kidnap-you-and-the-entire-room-you¡¯re-standing-in-whenever-I-feel-like-it kind of way. In a I-kidnapped-you-and-didn¡¯t-think-you-might-hold-a-grudge-over-it-because-your-petty-mortal-opinions-are-unimportant-to-me kind of way. In a I-make-casual-bets-on-your-life-and-death kind of way. Cass shuddered. Where was she going with this? Oh, right. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. Obviously. For reasons. Definitely. Hell, Salos was still staring at her. She could feel his eyes on her. His paw on her leg, pushing to be let up into her lap. Pushing to let him in. She needed to say something. Anything to prove she was fine. And she was fine. Her status even said so. Full health. Full focus. Full stamina. She was fine. She was in control. She wasn¡¯t breaking down on the spot. She forced her knees down, pushing herself to look Salos in the eyes. Her eyes, glowing blue, met his gold. Her breath caught in her throat at the thought. She forced herself to keep breathing. ¡°I¡ª¡± Lying to him was pointless. Better to just get to the point. ¡°I just met a god.¡± Salos flinched. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The God of Perception.¡± The expressionless woman¡¯s face flashed behind Cass¡¯s eyes. The feel of their silver eyes on her slithered over her skin, stealing the warmth again. Salos¡¯s ears flattened back. ¡°What did he want?¡± ¡°They asked me to be their champion.¡± Salos inhaled sharply. ¡°I refused, if that makes a difference,¡± Cass added. He shook his head. ¡°It likely won¡¯t. If the gods are picking champions, the realm is about to get a lot more dangerous.¡± Cass bit her lip, ignoring the constriction in her chest threatening to squeeze her heart into a pulp. It didn¡¯t matter. She¡¯d been fighting death since she arrived. Why would that change? Why would she imagine something different? ¡°How much trouble is refusing a god going to cause me?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Depends on a lot of things,¡± Salos said. ¡°If they are as patient and passive as they appear in the stories, then you are probably fine.¡± Cass frowned. Nothing was patient about the rapid words of the god she¡¯d met. Very little passive about those eyes burning from behind their mask. She pushed those worries aside. What did she know of the gods? Literally nothing. Salos would know better. ¡°There is one more thing they told me,¡± Cass said. ¡°They mentioned that someone else was summoned with me. Potentially from the exact same place.¡± The words caught in her throat. She didn¡¯t want to voice it. She¡¯d been thinking it just fine, but to speak it into the world felt like she was confirming it. Making it true. But she needed to tell him. If it was true, it changed everything. ¡°One¡ªone of my siblings might be here. Somewhere. Another god¡¯s champion.¡± Her words hung between them. Her worry rolled off her. She could feel it drowning him as much as her. How could he stand to be so close to her while she was like this? He looked away from her, curling into a croissant in her lap. ¡°If they¡¯re here, we will find them, Cass. And we will get you both home.¡± There were waves of unspoken worries there, but she stroked his fur anyway, taking it one breath at a time. That was all she could do. All either of them could do. Ch. 12: The Demon God Cass found herself at the city gates about an hour later, dressed in her new leather armor, her Bag stocked with supplies. Before her were a set of five horses, four saddled and ready to go, one packed with supplies. Cass stared up at her horse, her stomach sinking fast. She glanced at Alyx, who easily pulled herself up into the saddle. ¡°Um, is there maybe a step stool I could use?¡± Cass asked, her face flushing red at the question. Alyx frowned down at Cass. ¡°Step stool? What do you need something like that for?¡± Cass looked between the towering horse and the ground. Without a skill or a stool, she couldn''t comprehend how she was supposed to get up there. And Wind Stepping onto the creature seemed incorrect. And yet, it didn¡¯t look like Alyx had needed either. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get up,¡± Cass said finally. ¡°Sure you can,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Are our saddles that different from what you¡¯re used to?¡± Cass bit her lip. She had no idea. Maybe they were. She guessed not, though. It looked like what she had seen in movies. A saddle strapped to the horse¡¯s back and stirrups hanging from either side. She had had enough of a horse girl phase growing up to know that much. Yet there was a world of difference between fawning over pictures of horses in library books in the fifth grade and standing in front of the living, breathing, towering animal. ¡°Cass?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never ridden a horse,¡± Cass admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get on. Or ride.¡± It didn¡¯t look difficult in the movies, but she knew from the romance novels she read on occasion that there was more to it than simply sitting on the horse¡¯s back and kicking the sides. If it wasn¡¯t, it would make all the ladies riding double with their love interests rather silly. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to ride?¡± Alyx repeated, the disbelief in her voice clipped. ¡°Correct.¡± Cass looked away. She didn¡¯t need to see Alyx¡¯s face to feel the shame and the disbelief. ¡°But how did you get anywhere without a horse?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Did you ride something else? Griffins? Lizards? People don¡¯t just run everywhere, do they?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t you have carriages or wagons or something?¡± ¡°Sure, but that¡¯s too slow over the terrain we¡¯re covering.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s exclusively what we use where I¡¯m from. Carriages that have their own propulsion and can drive faster than horses tirelessly.¡± ¡°I thought you said there wasn¡¯t magic where you were from. How do you have self-propelled carriages?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°But, the wheels? How do you get over rough terrain with wheels?¡± ¡°Would you believe me if I told you there were paved roads stretching from every edge of the continent to every other edge?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°Who maintains that much road? How do monsters not take it over?¡± ¡°My lady,¡± Telis coughed politely. ¡°We need to get going.¡± ¡°Right! You can tell me more about this later. For now, I guess you¡¯ll just have to share a horse with me. We were planning on riding at speed and I don¡¯t want to risk you falling off the back on your own. Come here,¡± Alyx held a hand down as she scooted back off the saddle of her horse. ¡°Your sure?¡± Cass asked. It didn¡¯t look comfortable how Alyx was sitting. And the horse still looked very tall. ¡°Yeah, come on, we don¡¯t have all day.¡± Cass bit her lip and took Alyx¡¯s hand. ¡°Can you get your foot into the stirrup there?¡± Alyx asked. Cass nodded. It took bringing her knee up to her chin to get her toes into the loop for her foot and Alyx pulling her up from the animal¡¯s back, but they got Cass seated on the horse. Alyx reached around Cass for the leads. ¡°I¡¯ll have Telis teach you later. We don¡¯t have time now. Hold tight to the saddle.¡± Cass nodded, her hands clamping around the leather lip of the saddle. ¡°Sorry.¡± Maybe there was a riding skill which would help her pick it up quickly. Alyx kicked their horse into motion, Telis and Marco following on their own horses, the horse meant for Cass led along behind them on a rope. They trotted out of the city into the wilderness beyond. The wilderness beyond the city was open grass lands. The wind rolled through the wild grass like waves over a golden sea. In the distance, dark trees ate up the horizon, a mountain topped with snow rising beyond them still. ¡°We¡¯re in a hurry?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Alyx said. ¡°You¡¯re excited to be going home, then?¡± Cass asked. She was pretty sure she managed to keep the longing out of her voice. It was hard with images of her siblings floating around her head. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one word for it,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Concerned about starting on the back foot is more accurate.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mentioned the Rising Dragon Festival, right?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Yeah, you said something about needing to win the festival to be named heir?¡± ¡°Yes. The Rising Dragon Festival. Except in some unusual circumstances, it is held every nine or so years. It¡¯s a big event for the duchy. It¡¯s a chance to prove your wealth and power to your vassals and a chance to prove loyalty and gratitude to your lord. But most importantly, it¡¯s when the dragonlings select their knights.¡± ¡°What is all this about dragons and knights?¡± Salos asked from Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I kept quiet earlier, but I cannot stand to listen any longer.¡± ¡°What is there to say?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start with when did those arrogant lizards start letting humans call themselves ¡®Dragon Knights¡¯ and we can go from there.¡± ¡°Arrogant lizards?¡± Alyx scoffed. ¡°I said what I said.¡± Salos glared back at Alyx from Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore that,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But my family has always been Dragon Knights. Though my grandmother was the first to tame a dragon in generations.¡± Salos laughed. ¡°Tame a dragon? Oh, Ceriven would have loved to hear you say that.¡± He paused suddenly. Something cold as ice spiked through him, leaking over into Cass over their bond. Salos? What was that? Cass asked. But he continued as if nothing had happened, the mocking laugh still in his voice but now lacking any sincerity. ¡°No, one does not tame dragons. Appease maybe? Impress? Befriend if one is lucky? Unlucky?¡± ¡°Befriend a wild dragon?¡± It was Alyx¡¯s turn to scoff. ¡°Befriending a lord of Uvana would be more likely.¡± ¡°Well, I can hardly argue there. They are an unpleasant, uncooperative sort. Greedy and prideful to a fault. I would sooner attempt to sneak up on an argu than willingly try to befriend a dragon,¡± Salos said. An argu? Cass attempted to interject again. Humanoid, lots of eyes, Salos explained. ¡°I will not have you speak of dragons like that. Wild dragons cannot help their nature. And those partnered with Knights are nothing like that,¡± Alyx said, her tone biting. ¡°You keep calling them that,¡± Salos said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°What is this fixation on ¡®wild¡¯ dragons?¡± ¡°Dragons without a knight?¡± Alyx said like it was the single most obvious thing. ¡°What do you think I¡¯ve been talking about?¡± ¡°Dragons are a people,¡± Salos said. ¡°I don¡¯t care for them, but it¡¯s still only polite to acknowledge the personhood they possess. I know you humanoids have difficulty accepting the personhood of non-humanoids, but still.¡± ¡°People?¡± Alyx scoffed. ¡°A wild dragon is a beast. And you can thank the Demon God for that.¡± Another cold spike burst through Salos and across their bond. ¡°The what?¡± ¡°The Demon God?¡± Alyx repeated. ¡°The god who ascended to godhood by cursing an entire race?¡± ¡°I have never heard of such a deity.¡± ¡°Come on, you aren¡¯t, Cass. You must know the Nine.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s regional?¡± Cass suggested. Salos¡ªand Alyx, Cass suspected, though she couldn¡¯t see her¡ªturned their glares on her. ¡°The gods are not ¡®regional¡¯,¡± Salos said. ¡°How would regional even gods work?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Would they be only worshiped in certain areas? Or only patrons of certain countries? Or are you suggesting their influence stops at some arbitrary border?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Cass started to explain how everyone had their own beliefs and regardless of what you thought of them, those beliefs should generally be respected, within reason, but then remembered her run in with Perception again. Suddenly, the subjectivity of divinity seemed a lot less plausible. ¡°Never mind.¡± Salos picked back up like Cass hadn¡¯t spoken, ¡°There is no ¡®demon¡¯ god. Blood and abyss, next you¡¯ll tell me there are fonts of gold and a bottom to the abyss. ¡°Demons are monsters. They don¡¯t worship. They don¡¯t ascend. You cannot have a demon god any more than you can have a wooden stone or a living corpse.¡± ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what to tell you. The Demon God is one of the Nine. He of Consuming Shadows and Slicing Betrayal? The God of Dexterity?¡± Alyx said. Salos laughed. ¡°Where did you hear a title like that? Everyone knows Dexterity is governed by He of¡ª¡± Salos seized. Pain shot through him and exploded across their bond. He slipped from her shoulder, falling from the horse. ¡°Salos!¡± Cass yelled. She reached for him, yet he slipped past her fingers. Time slowed as he fell, his body still spasming in mid air. Alyx pulled back on her reigns. The horse was still charging faster than any Earth horse could run. Salos fell. What could she do? Would he be okay? At these speeds, a human falling from a horse was sure to be injured. But cats could fall further. Was that because their bodies were lighter or because their muscles were better at cushioning their landing? Would it still work if he didn¡¯t land on his feet? With his spasms, he would not land on his feet. Salos fell. Would their stats make a difference? Salos wasn¡¯t an Earth cat. He wasn¡¯t a cat at all. He was a spirit. Would he survive a fall like this? Or would his head hit a rock and split his brains out on the road, killing him instantaneously? Did spirits have brains? Salos fell. Should she jump off with Wind Step and try to catch him? She couldn¡¯t catch him as the wind. She would have to materialize beneath him to catch him. Would that be any better than him hitting the ground? Or would they both getting injured instead? But maybe they would both be less injured than he would be on his own? Salos fell. But he was a spirit. Why didn¡¯t he¡ªSalos! Dematerialize! She screamed the thought at him. Over and over. Again and again. All in less than the time it would have taken her to scream it aloud. He should be able to hear her. She could feel their bond pulsating between them. His pain surged over it, louder than her screams. Salos fell. He would hit the ground any second. Dematerialize! Salos, please! Nothing happened. Salos! She screamed with every fiber of her being. She needed him to listen. To hear her. To do what she asked. Dematerialize! She could feel the weight as her words flashed over their bond. A Command. But there wasn¡¯t time for regret. He melted, like smoke on the wind. Falling one moment. Gone the next. But not gone. She could feel him. Feel his rolling pain crashing over her. And it was all she could feel. Piercing, lacing pain. Straight to her heart. Like lightning through her soul. There was only pain and a system message flickering in her eyes: Divine Punishment: Knowledge of Taboo Ch. 13: Dragons Cass woke up on a blanket on the ground. Alyx sat next to her in the grass. ¡°What happened?¡± Cass¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°Cass!¡± Alyx grabbed her hand. ¡°Abyss, what was that? Are you okay?¡± Cass blinked. Excellent questions, both of them. She started with the second one. She flexed her arms and feet experimentally as she sat up. There was no pain or stiffness. Stamina: 96/96 Focus: 324/324 Health: 74/78 Her stats weren¡¯t hurting. ¡°I think I¡¯m okay,¡± Cass said slowly. As for the first question, what had happened? She wasn¡¯t sure. She followed the facts she knew:
  1. Salos had been talking about the god of Dexterity.
  2. Mysterious pain hit Salos.
  3. He fell from the horse.
  4. Cass Ordered him to dematerialize.
  5. The pain had consumed her.
  6. She had gotten a message about Divine Punishment.
¡°Is ¡®divine punishment¡¯ what it sounds like?¡± Cass¡¯s stomach sunk. Alyx¡¯s face blanched. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think you and Salos should talk about the gods.¡± Alyx looked away. ¡°That may not be a problem.¡± Cass cocked her head to one side. Alyx stared out at the horizon. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find him. Telis and Marco are still searching, but we aren¡¯t¡ªCass, I¡¯m sorry. He might be¡ª¡± ¡°Who is saying I¡¯m gone?¡± Salos asked, materializing from the shadows behind Alyx. Alyx spun around, her mouth hanging open. ¡°But where were you? How did you get here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know shadow tabbies have nine lives?¡± Salos asked. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Cass asked. He stalked around Alyx and hopped into Cass¡¯s lap. ¡°I am fine. I apologize for the scare. It seems the gods would rather I did not speak of their predecessors.¡± Cass¡¯s heart skipped. Her chest tightened. Was this Perception? Or other gods? How many of them were watching her? What did they want? ¡°Is that what happened?¡± Alyx leaned away from them, her eyes wide and her hand clenched around her sword¡¯s hilt. Salos shrugged. ¡°That or one of them would rather I did not speak positively of your Demon God. Perhaps both, I suppose.¡± ¡°How can you talk about that so casually?¡± Alyx asked. Salos shot her a grin, all needly cat teeth and completely feral. ¡°Because they only punish what they fear.¡± And yet, Cass could feel the pulse of his heart under her shaking hands. She could feel his fear leaking across to her. How often do the gods change? Cass asked him privately. ¡°I¡¯ll call Marco and Telis back,¡± Alyx said, standing. ¡°Wait, we should finish our talk first,¡± Salos said, ignoring Cass¡¯s question. ¡°What do we have to talk about?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°You were telling me about your Demon God. I won¡¯t say more of my God of Dexterity, but nothing is stopping you from telling me of yours. And what they have to do with dragons.¡± Alyx shifted back into a seat, her lips pursed in thought. ¡°Everyone knows the story of Dexterity and the dragons.¡± ¡°Then telling us should be no problem,¡± Salos said. Alyx grunted. ¡°I guess. The sketch of the story goes like this: Alacrity and Dexterity were once as close as twins. So close he was called her shadow. He loved her. And she cared for him deeply in return. ¡°But one day, she met someone else. A dragon. Some versions of the story say they became lovers. Others have them swearing mutual bonds of fealty. Others still suggest the dragon swore to become her protector. ¡°No matter the details, the stories all agree that Dexterity grew jealous of the bond between his Alacrity and the mighty dragon. Jealous enough to curse the dragon.¡± ¡°What was the curse?¡± Salos asked quietly. ¡°They who hold the appearance of a beast should act in kind,¡± Alyx said as if she were reciting an old incantation. If Cass listened to the true words Alyx spoke in Jothi, they held a rhythm and a rhyme which her skill-translated English lacked. ¡°May all who bear the Race of Dragon succumb to the power of blind pride and the madness of hungry greed. ¡°Since that day, dragons have been beasts, not people, acting on instinct and hunger. These are the wild dragons I mentioned.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Salos said. ¡°And ¡®tamed¡¯ dragons are what, then?¡± ¡°The story continues,¡± Alyx said. ¡°With Alacrity discovering what Dexterity had done.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Salos muttered. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°She despaired. Dexterity had betrayed her. She lost both her close friends, Dexterity and the dragon, all at once. The people of her friend were lost to her. She could not let that stand, so she cast a complex counter curse. But breaking another god¡¯s curse was too much. She could only weaken it. ¡°Most dragons would still succumb to the curse. But any who could find another to bind with her blessing could be spared. These partners became known as Dragon Knights. ¡°Dragons born to mothers with knights do not fall victim of the curse until they turn nine years old and they receive their first level from the system. That¡¯s what the festival we¡¯re going to is about. Binding dragonlings to Knights who will protect them from the curse and from those who want to hurt them.¡± Salos shook his head. His body tensed. Cass ran her hand over his back. ¡°This is hard to believe,¡± he said. Alyx shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s the story. I¡¯m not brave enough to doubt the gods personally. But that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. The Vaisom Catacombs open tomorrow. If we¡¯re fast, we can still make it in, blitz to the bottom, collect Alacrity¡¯s Blessing, and present myself to the dragonlings for selection as their knight.¡± ¡°They opened tomorrow?¡± Cass glanced at the late afternoon sky. ¡°Are we going to make it in time?¡± ¡°Not for the opening, no,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Is it alright that you are late?¡± Alyx looked away again. ¡°Its not ideal. There is a bonus on the blessing if you are the first one down to collect it, and the only way you can hope to get that is if you start right away. But I did not expect to win that, regardless.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Alyx chuckled. ¡°Cass, what do you think of my level?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. Human Warrior (lvl 26) It was seven above her own. The goons that had jumped them in town had mostly been in between her and Alyx. ¡°It seems rather high?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°For the common people, maybe. It¡¯s hard to gather levels safely without resources. But for those with means, the Gate is hardly an achievement. My younger brother was already at level 28 when I left. ¡°He isn¡¯t even the primary competition. All my cousins will try their hand at this. Most of them aren¡¯t much of anything, but one of them is a genius. Everyone agrees Fioreya is going to get down first and claim the greater blessing. And since it doesn¡¯t matter if I get the second or twentieth blessing, I might as well improve my chances of winning in other ways.¡± ¡°And that was why you went to Uvana?¡± Cass asked. ¡°What is so special about it, exactly?¡± Alyx sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I forget every time until you ask something like this, but you really, really aren¡¯t from around here, huh? ¡°Uvana is a Trial Ground. A trial left by the gods for their followers. There are three trials within it: the Pass, the Forest, and the Deep. Each has its own Lord and a host of sub-trials, such as the Heralds. We barely scratched the surface.¡± Salos stiffened at that description, but he said nothing. Alyx continued, ¡°One can say they have Conquered Uvana if they gain any of the blessings for killing one of the Lords. One can call it a Full Conquer if one slays all three lords. I¡¯m not sure when the last time someone did that was. There is a lot of prestige for Conquering Uvana. And the rewards for the sub-trials are nothing to scoff at either. Just look at what we got. ¡°Clearing any amount of Uvana is a status symbol in Vaisom. The rewards make you strong, the blessing marks you as someone worthy of watching. ¡°Additionally, it¡¯s easier to level up on Uvana. Potential is denser there. I had hoped to break through the Gate while I was there, but I can tell I¡¯m almost there.¡± ¡°What was the Gate again?¡± Cass asked. ¡°A stage in growth. It goes First Step at level 9, the Gate at level 27. You reach the Accent at level 54, and supposedly there is a Peak out at level 90, not that anyone has reached that kind of level in our lifetime. Maybe not even in this era. ¡°Surpassing the Gate separates the real martials from everyone else.¡± There was a fire in Alyx¡¯s voice. An awe. An excitement. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°People can passively gain levels until level 27. After that, you need to either slay monsters or push hard on gaining insight with your skills. Few non-combatants make it much over 27, and few reach 27 before they are in their 50s.¡± ¡°How does leveling work for non-combatants, anyway?¡± Cass asked. She hadn¡¯t thought about it much, but everyone she¡¯d met in the last town had been at least level 12 or 16 or so and she doubted it greatly that the tailor was out killing giant spiders in his free time. ¡°At age nine, children gain their first level,¡± Alyx explained. ¡°After that, until they reach level 9, they passively gain a level every year. After the First Step, one passively gets a level every other year until you reach the Gate. That¡¯s where the name comes from. It¡¯s the Gate because that¡¯s where passive leveling stops.¡± ¡°So, if you do nothing else, you should reach the Gate by the time you¡¯re fifty-three?¡± Cass asked, checking her math. Alyx nodded. ¡°But, obviously, there are other ways to gain levels, or neither of us would be at our current level. The most dramatic way to level quickly is combat. Fighting and killing monsters is the most time efficient method. The more combat, the more varied opponents, the larger the gap in power, the faster you will gain levels. ¡°But one also gets a small amount of experience for using their skills. This is how most people level up besides passively. It¡¯s a very small amount, though, compared to combat.¡± ¡°How small?¡± Cass asked. ¡°If a guard defending the town against monsters encounters and kills a monster a couple times a week gains another level every year, a craftsman working every day of the year might get another level every four or five years.¡± Cass looked at her own level 19 on her status window. In the Valley, she¡¯d gotten that in less than a month. Granted, she had been fighting ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why I went to Uvana when I maybe should have been preparing for the festival.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°I should let Marco and Telis know that you¡¯re okay. Get yourself ready. We¡¯re going to make another couple of hours while we still have some daylight.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Cass said with a wave as Alyx jogged off. When Alyx was out of earshot, Cass poked Salos. ¡°You okay?¡± He grumbled. ¡°I apologize. I did not think far enough ahead. I should have realized the gods, as I knew them, would be taboo as soon as we discovered there was a discrepancy.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I need to apologize, too. I think I Commanded you again.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fuzzy on everything there, but I think you did.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t mad?¡± Cass asked. Salos hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not pleased. But, no. I am not mad. Distressed, perhaps. But how much that feeling is from your actions and how much that results from our chat just now, I couldn¡¯t say.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry all the same,¡± Cass said. ¡°Given your alternatives, I think I should probably thank you for forcing me to rescue myself. Though, I suspect we may have tipped our hand a little in front of that butler. She won¡¯t have questions for us so much as theories for her mistress.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°I think we can probably trust them, though. They¡¯re Alyx¡¯s people.¡± ¡°And that means nothing to us,¡± Salos said. ¡°Alyx is a temporary companion at best. We haven¡¯t told her anything about me for a reason.¡± ¡°Do you really think it would be that much of a problem if she found out?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Cass, do you know what a curse is?¡± Salos had switched from Jothi to his Depth¡¯s Tongue. Cass frowned at the apparent non sequitur but replied in English, ¡°That sounds like an evil magic? Should that word mean more to me than that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Salos said. ¡°A curse is a magic cast at the cost of part of your soul. Only a broken soul can cast it. In fewer words, only a demon. ¡°She seems to revere Alacrity and dragons. The demon god Dexterity appears to be a clear villain in her tale. What would she do if she discovered she was traveling with one?¡± Cass shifted uncomfortably. ¡°I don¡¯t know. One demon being awful doesn¡¯t mean that all of them are. I think she¡¯s reasonable enough to see that.¡± ¡°Cass, I am the exception here. Not that god,¡± Salos said. ¡°I am the unusual demon.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± Cass said. ¡°We can keep it between us for now. But I don¡¯t think we should hide it if she asks. I think that would look worse.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do what we can to make sure she doesn¡¯t ask, hm?¡± Ch. 14: Smoke and Apes They spent the next several days riding hard across the open fields between Hervet and Velillia. They stopped regularly for Cass and Alyx to switch between Alyx¡¯s horse and the one that had been intended for Cass, but only truly resting when night fell and hurrying on their way again with the rising dawn. It was near the end of that third day, as the day dipped into the gold of twilight, when Cass saw something on the horizon. ¡°Is that smoke?¡± Cass squinted at the rising plume of black coiling its way up into the darkening skies. Alyx followed Cass¡¯s gaze, her lips tightening into a sharp scowl. ¡°Abyss. We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± ¡°That is smoke,¡± Cass said. A lot of smoke. She could smell it on the wind. Was it a forest fire or was it a settlement alight? Who normally handled such things here? It was hard to imagine there were forestry management organizations like those that controlled wildfires back home. ¡°Abyss and blood, blood, blood,¡± Alyx cursed under her breath, but their horse angled toward the smoke, their horses pressing on ever faster. They cut across the countryside, plowing their way through the rippling grass to a town. There had been palisades around the town, but large sections of the stakes were broken or knocked to the ground. Buildings within were on fire. People screamed. Smoke lay heavy in the air, carrying scents of wood and pork in equal measure. Cass¡¯s stomach turned. Alyx stopped the horse sharp, standing in the saddle to survey the scene. Through the wreckage, an ape-looking creature bound through the flames on all fours, howling like a banshee. Its fur was black, like the smoke. Its body hunched, its head lolling. And it wasn¡¯t alone. Bartiang (Lvl 16) [A great ape common to the forests of the peninsula. They are highly territorial, the matriarchs of their clans never stepping foot outside their territory once claimed. They send out raiding parties against nearby creatures to collect both the gathered food of other cooperative species and the meat of those beings. Their arm strength is matched by few other creatures. It is said that if a bartiang grabs you, it won¡¯t let go, even in death.] Another three ran past, chasing a man through the town. Bartiang (Lvl 16) Bartiang (Lvl 17) x2 Human Tanner (Lvl 14) Cass struggled to climb down from the horse, landing on her feet more because of her heightened Dexterity than because she knew how to dismount a horse. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alyx snapped at her. ¡°We¡¯re here to help, right?¡± That was why they were here. If Alyx had planned on leaving this to someone else, they wouldn¡¯t have made this detour. Alyx looked between their horses and the town, her frown only growing. We should leave, Salos said. If there are enough of these things to breach the town¡¯s walls, it has already fallen. But we can help, Cass insisted. You are only level 19. There are far more than just those four, Salos said. And there is also the fire to consider. I can handle this much, Cass said. She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. Caution warned this was more than was wise. ¡°We are here to help,¡± Cass said again, her stare hardening to a glare at Alyx. ¡°That¡¯s why we are here, right?¡± The man tripped, stumbling through the smoke filled air, his scream joining the chorus of screams over the town. The bartiangs raced toward him, pounding forward like a wave through the smoke. Alyx¡¯s hands clenched around the reigns. ¡°Shadows take me. Fine. We¡¯re doing this.¡± She leapt off the horse, the crown from the Caretaker burst to light on her forehead. She pulled her sword from the packhorse, drawing it even as she ran. Cass pulled her staff off the packhorse and followed Alyx toward the burning town. ¡°You sure you want to do this?¡± Marco asked, his sword and buckler already in hand. ¡°No,¡± Alyx said even as she burst forward over the broken palisades, her sword swinging. She inserted herself between the lead ape and the fleeing man. The bartiang howled, swinging one furred arm at Alyx. Its hand ended in large claws, each curling in a razor edge. Alyx dodged the strike and sunk her sword deep in its body. Just as fast, she pulled back, swinging the blood off the blade. ¡°But if the First General isn¡¯t doing her job, then what choice do I have?¡± The ape staggered but didn¡¯t fall. Its companions rushed around it. There was something pleased in the old guard¡¯s eyes, even if he didn¡¯t comment. The approval disappeared as they flicked over Cass. ¡°Maybe the miss should wait back with Telis?¡± Cass gripped tighter around her staff. There was a sense to his words. She wasn¡¯t a fighter. She¡¯d fought. Oh, how she¡¯d fought over the last several weeks. But given the choice, did she want to join the fray? There were other ways to help besides killing. Behind them, Telis was already setting up a tent for the injured that they¡¯d soon see. There were the fires over the town that needed putting out. Elemental Manipulation could surely help with that. The screams echoed over her. All that could wait. That scream needed to come first. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Cass said to the guard as she stepped into the town, a Wind Blade coming to life on the tip of her staff. ¡°I can help.¡± Salos slipped from her shoulder, his form disappearing into her shadow. Not demanifested, but simply out of sight, for the unseen blade cut deepest. The three apes crowded around Alyx. She sliced and diced at them, her sword cutting arcs of amber aura through the smoke filled air. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. One lunged at Alyx. Cass slashed its exposed side with her invisible blade of air. The bartiang howled and twisted, blood dripping from the long gash. There were a dozen similar cuts all over its chest and arms from Alyx¡¯s attacks. Sections of fur had been messily sliced off. Yet the thing still continued its mad assault. Another set of gashes appeared along the creature¡¯s ankles, courtesy of the unseen Salos. Beside her, the guard joined the fight, effortlessly beheading one of the remaining two apes still attacking Alyx. Cass focused on her opponent. It was bleeding heavily and was of a lower level than her. Yet it fought like it was unconcerned about injuries, its clawed hands flailing after her with mad desperation. For all its desperation, Cass had no trouble Dodging its strikes. The Wind happily showed her the arc of the beast¡¯s attacks as they came. It aided her movement, snapping out of her way as she stepped around the creature¡¯s strikes. The Wind was alive and it had named her its master. She slipped between clawing strikes and drove the Mana Wind Blade into the creature¡¯s skull. It still didn¡¯t stop even then, the arms still flailing after her, even as she pulled back, bringing parts of its brain with her. She knocked it down with the shaft of her staff, and only then did the thing finally realize it had died. There wasn¡¯t time to celebrate. There were far more of them where that one came from. The man they¡¯d leapt in to save was already running for the edge of town and the tent Telis set up. Alyx and Marco were advancing, cutting down another set of four. Cass closed her eyes, listening for the screams. Fire crackled all around her, the smoke filled the air. There, the scream came from around the corner. Cass Sprinted toward the sound. She could feel the victim¡¯s panicked flight. Their ragged breath inhaling more smoke than oxygen with every breath. Their feet kicking up dirt and dust as they scrambled over the loose dirt road and stumbled between the buildings. The two apes a step behind them. Cass rounded the corner, time slowing to a crawl as she evaluated the scene. The beasts had their backs to her. The person fell to all fours, scrambling to get back up, to keep up her desperate sprint away. Cass would not reach them before they grabbed the woman. But as fast as Cass was, the Wind was faster. Cass swung her staff, throwing the Wind Blade from the end. It raced down the alley, cutting a clear path through the smoke and cutting with all her Will into the backs of the apes. The back one stumbled to the ground, its spinal cord cut. The forward one was buffeted to the side, away from the woman, its hands grazing her skirts but unable to grab them. The remaining bartiang turned, murder in its glassy black eyes. A shiver ran down Cass¡¯s spine. She hadn¡¯t felt boundless malice like that since the first monster she¡¯d encountered in the Valley. Nothing since that hound had evoked such a certain desire to kill and maul. Status Effect (Broken Spirit) Resisted. Cass glared back, showing the thing all her teeth in a growling grimace. She shot forward, throwing another Wind Blade down the alley at the creature. It dodged. Cass blinked. No monster had ever dodged a Wind Blade before. They were invisible. They¡ª The smoke. They cut a clear path through the smoke, giving away its position. Fine. She didn¡¯t need the ranged attack against these things. Her staff slammed down on its arms, the new Mana Wind Blade she¡¯d attached cutting into its flesh. It screamed, a horrible almost human noise that lived in the depths of the uncanny valley. ¡°Get out of the town, look for the tent!¡± Cass yelled at the woman behind the monster. The ape swiped again. Dodge pulled Cass out of the way, the margin small but more than sufficient for this foe. It was sloppy. Flailing. It was a terrifying attack, but full of openings and easy to avoid. Again, she wove her way through the onslaught and jammed her glaive through one lung. She twisted and pulled it free again. The ape gasped, clawing after her, but tumbled to the ground. She slammed the Mana Wind Blade through their skulls, finishing them. The screams continued. And so did Cass. She ran through town, ambushing another pair. She threw a matching pair of Wind Blades, cutting through their spines as easily as the one before. They toppled over, still clinging to the child they¡¯d grabbed. The little girl cried, her arm crushed in the huge hand of the beast. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Cass said to the child. ¡°Close your eyes and it¡¯ll be all over.¡± The bartiang roared, their free hands clawing toward Cass. The child squeezed her eyes shut. Cass drove her staff into their skulls. Anything short of a head shot seemed to do little against them. Blood splattered over the dirt and the little girl¡¯s clothes. The apes¡¯ hand didn¡¯t release. Cass clicked her tongue. She¡¯d really been hoping the system description had been an exaggeration. ¡°Keep your eyes closed.¡± Cass bent down and pried at the fingers. They moved as much as stone. She scowled. She¡¯d have to cut them off then. She pulled the dagger Salos had won from the epherwing from her Bag and pressed it against the dead apes¡¯s skin. The blade barely penetrated the skin. Why was nothing simple? It wasn¡¯t like the blade was dull. Their skin was just that hard. She added Mana Blade to the edge, feeling the pull of her Focus and the weight of the world on the edge. She pressed the blade into the ape¡¯s flesh again. It cut, but it was still like sawing through stone. If stones bled. The little girl was sniffling, the fear and the relief all bundling up to more than a child in any world could hope to handle. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Just keep your eyes closed. I¡¯ll get this thing off you in no time,¡± Cass said. More are coming, Salos whispered. Be quick. I¡¯ll slow them as best I can. Thank you. Cass focused on sawing the hand off. ¡°Um, miss lady,¡± the girl whispered through her tears. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Is¡ªis my mommy okay?¡± The girl¡¯s voice shook. Cass inhaled. She didn¡¯t know. She had no way to know. What could she say? What comfort could she give? No child deserved to be told their mother might be dead. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s okay.¡± The words slipped from her mouth. A lie Cass desperately wanted to be true. Was this irresponsible? It had to be true. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s okay.¡± A light went on in the child¡¯s face. A hope she hadn¡¯t held a moment before. This had to be right. A minute later, Cass had the hand off. She chucked the bloody appendage aside and pulled the little girl out of the middle of the bartiang corpses. ¡°Okay, you can open your eyes now.¡± Cass pointed in the direction she¡¯d come from. ¡°That¡¯s the way to my friend. She has a big tent where you¡¯ll be safe. Okay?¡± The little girl¡¯s eyes were wide. The smoke curled around them. The sound of yelling hadn¡¯t lessened. Still, she lifted her chin and nodded. Strong because she needed to be strong. Cass looked her over one more time, burning her image into her brain. It was the only clue she had for her mother. She had dark purple hair, almost black in the dark, smoke filled alley. Her skin was a ruddy brown, darker from the soot and the dirt, and splattered with specks of crimson blood. Her eyes were grey and ever slightly down turned. Her nose and face were round, though Cass could only guess if that was an effect of baby fat or a familial trait. There was no way to know if the girl looked at all like her mother. She could take after the father. She could be adopted. But it was all Cass had. No. She¡¯d save all the villagers. If she just saved all of them, that would solve this, too. ¡°Salos,¡± Cass called. He slipped from the shadows. Ready? Do you know how many I took out while you were distracted? Too many, I¡¯m sure, Cass said. ¡°Please make sure this little one makes it out safely.¡± He scowled up at her. Really? Yes, really. Fine, but if you get yourself killed, I will not mourn you. Uh-huh. ¡°Just follow the kitty, okay? He¡¯ll make sure you get out safely.¡± The little girl nodded. ¡°O-okay.¡± Salos ran down the smoky street. He paused at the turn, his gold eyes staring back at his charge. She had barely caught up to him when he took off again. ¡°Mister Kitty, wait for me!¡± The little girl scurried after him. Lead her safely, Cass sent after him. What does it look like I am doing? Salos shot back. Like you are hoping you¡¯ll lose her in the smoke. Make sure she makes it back safely. Salos grumbled something about slowing down in reply. They would be okay. Salos, for all his grumbling, would do as she asked. The child would be okay. And like that, Cass jumped back into the fray. She needed to find that child¡¯s mother. Ch. 15: Salos: Smoke and Shadows Salos slipped through the smoky streets, silent as a shadow, for all the good it did him. Behind him, the little girl Cass saved scurried, her feet loud as she ran over the dirt road, her breathing gasping and choking in the smoke. They needed to be faster than this. Every minute they spent on these streets was another minute the bartiangs might find them. It was another minute Cass might get herself into trouble on her own. But the child was slow. Human Child (Lvl 1) [Humans are a common physical-bodied race with large variation in stat distribution and skill affinity. This is one of their younglings, their system only recently awakened but their path not yet determined.] It was hard to blame the child for their inadequacies. She was only a child. There was only so much she could do. It was not her fault her guardians had not taken her out for leveling yet. ¡°Please, wait for me, Mister Kitty,¡± the girl called. She was so slow. Between her tiny legs and her nonexistent Dex and Str, she moved at a snail¡¯s pace. A clumsy, clumsy snail. He grumbled to himself but stopped at the end of the street. His claws flexed, digging into the loose dirt road. His tail flicked back and forth, back and forth. The world was not kind to children. Too many died before they were granted their system. Too many died before they were given that chance to control their own lives. Too many died before they reached the First Step. His claws dug deeper into the dirt. Cass was well past that point now. She was not a child. She was strong enough to handle this much. When the girl was a pair of steps from him, he bolted off again. Only for a figure lurched onto the street before them. Bartiang (lvl 14) Salos clicked his tongue and slipped into a shadow with Shadow Step. The world slowed as he filtered into that space that was neither outside this world nor properly within it. Here, all the shadows were connected, the space with light cut away as if it did not exist. What was a pair of long leaps in the physical world compressed to but a step, the deepness of the bartiang¡¯s shadow pulling him across the shallow haze of the smoke. He stepped out behind the ape, his claws fully extended. They sunk into the creature¡¯s spine, Hidden Blade increasing the depth his claws dug. He jumped away, back toward the child as the monster staggered. It swung its arms uselessly, trying in vain to catch him with no knowledge he had already leapt to safety. This was the mark of a proper assassin. In and out. Deal damage on your terms and deny the option to the opponent. One hit, one kill, where possible. A toothy grin slipped across his feline face. This was what it meant to sit at the Precipice. To be close enough to kill but far enough away to never be hit in return. The girl froze in the pathway as the near-dead monster teetered out of the smoke and into her piddling Perception. They could run past it at this stage. It was dead, its slow brains just had not figured it out yet. But the girl had no way of knowing either. Simple enough to show her. He stepped around the floundering beast, staying well outside its reach. ¡°M-m-mister Kitty,¡± the girl whimpered. Salos glanced back at her. Her hands were clenched over her heart, her eyes wide and fearful. ¡°Wait, please!¡± He was barely three meters from her. What was she¡ª Oh. Level 1. Right. She probably could hardly see him through the smoke with her nonexistent Perception. He stalked back toward her. As he did, the bartiang¡¯s body finally realized that there would be no more orders from its head and it slumped to the dirt. She scurried to his side. ¡°Thank you!¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Smoke swirled around them. The bartiangs¡¯s howls had not lessened. The screams of the villagers continued unabated. The girl struggled to keep up with him. He let her. Struggle was good for her development. If she tried hard enough, she would find a movement skill to compensate for her low stats. This was the ideal environment for growth. All the more reason he should not be worried about Cass. Cass was strong enough to make the most of an environment like this. If they happened to save some people along the way, all the better. A roar stopped Salos in his tracks. His head whipped around to its source. Behind them, a wooden building exploded in splinters, flaming wood flying in every direction as a hulking beast rammed its way through. Bartiang Silverback (lvl 20) [A powerful male bartiang. Silverbacks lead raids of lesser bartiangs into other territories for their queens. Silverbacks are by necessity far stronger than their subordinates as they are constantly fighting off challengers who would claim their position.] The child turned too, her eyes squinting through the smoke. But even she could see the hulking beast¡¯s approach. Every step reverberated through the ground and up Salos¡¯s legs. It was twice the size of its fellows. Probably twice as strong, too. The child trembled. Her legs shook. The silverback howled, its eyes scanning the smokey street. It locked on the child. It charged forward. The child froze. Under the auspices of his Concepts, Patience and Precipice, the world froze, too. The silverback was far too strong for him to fight alone. He was only level 14. He had gaping holes in his skills list. One of his Concepts was broken, the jagged pieces slicing at his soul. The smart thing to do would be run. Warn Cass there was a creature of this caliber running around the village. No. He should warn Alyx or her guard there was such a monster. It would be only a minor challenge for Cass and less than that for the two humans. But if he did that, the child would die. The child would die regardless. The monster was moving too fast. The girl was frozen in place, the shock too much for such a small child. Had she ever seen combat before today? Was this her first taste of bloodlust and malice? The thought bothered him. But what could he do about it? Perhaps if he were still level 74. If he still had all his skills. If he were humanoid rather than this tiny cat. The child would die. There was nothing he could do about it. Repeating the truth did not make it any easier. He needed to leave. Getting crushed by this monster would help no one. Not himself. Not Cass. Cass. Cass would not run here. It grated. But that was just as much a truth. Cass would stand her ground. Maybe it would mean a bird took off with her. But maybe she would kill the charging beast. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was not Cass. He did not want to be Cass. Cass was an idiot. Cass was going to get herself killed and then who knew what would happen to him. Cass trusted too easily. In herself. In others. In plans that had no business working. He did not want to be Cass. But Cass would find some way to save this child. There was no plan. He Shadow Stepped anyway, appearing on the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°RUN!¡± he yelled in her ear, lighting up a post on the far end of the street with Fairy Fire. The girl flinched, her head snapping to him, her wide eyes widening further. ¡°Run! To the purple post. Stay there. Stay out of the way. GO!¡± He leapt from her shoulder. She took a step back, her head darting back and forth for the post in question. She ran. She could not possibly be fast enough. The silverback pounded down the street. It was fast. At its size, with the Str it must have, there was no way it could be anything else. And the girl was slow. So slow. Salos¡¯s claws dug into the dirt, every bit of him wishing he had another option. He moved his Fairy Fire to himself as he angled away from the child. ¡°Hey, muscle brain!¡± he shouted at the silverback. Its eyes reflected the purple glow of Fairy Fire. The angle of its charge shifted. Salos hated it. But if Cass could make this strategy work, there was no reason he couldn¡¯t. He stood his ground as the beast raced down the street, its attention fixed on him. There was no room for error. Every pounding step brought doom closer. Closer. Four meters. Three. Two. He could feel the beast¡¯s fetid breath on him, unnaturally moist in the dry smoke. Salos dropped Fairy Fire. The beast¡¯s shadow loomed over him. He Shadow Stepped, melting into the darkness. The girl had made it to the post. She cowered behind the rubble of another building. Good. She had some sense then. Salos materialized next to the girl. ¡°Safety is that way.¡± Salos pointed with his body down the cross street away from the silverback. The silverback careened through the space Salos had occupied, not yet realizing he was gone. She flinched. ¡°Mister Kitty! You¡¯re okay? You, you can talk?¡± ¡°No time for that. Get a move on, move quickly. Move Quietly. Keep your body low and put all your focus toward reducing your presence. Understand?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± Salos scowled. ¡°Wish with all your heart to not be seen.¡± There was not time for a more detailed explanation. The silverback pulled itself from the ruins of another burning building, a howl ripping from its lips. ¡°Wait until I distract it again,¡± Salos said. ¡°Then go that way. Fast. Quiet. Inconspicuous.¡± The girl nodded, but fear swirled in her eyes. Ch 16: Salos: Smoke and Silver There were more bartiangs in the buildings and side streets. They were attracted by the calls of the silverback. But telling the child this would not help. All he could do was get her as far from the silverback as he could. He sprinted from their cover, darting across the street and up the silverback¡¯s back. He dug his claws into its flesh with every step, but they left little more than shallow cuts in its thick hide. But it was enough to get its attention. It swatted after him, its huge clawed hands sweeping down its back to catch Salos. ¡°Run now!¡± Salos yelled, his voice echoing directionlessly through the street. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the child run. Good. Now, to keep this thing busy. He slipped around its shoulders to its face. His claws sunk into an eye. It squelched under his paw. The creature roared. A massive paw swatted Salos from its face. Ribs cracked. Salos tumbled down, but his body twisted in midair, landing him on his feet several meters away. Pain laced up and down his chest and his legs. Before him, the silverback stood bloodied. Blood ran down its face and oozed from the cuts along its back and arms. Flesh wounds. Nothing more. Its remaining good eye glared at him. A shiver ran down Salos¡¯s spine. The first of the silverback¡¯s reinforcements lumbered from the side streets. Bartiang (lvl 15) Bartiang (lvl 16) Bartiang (lvl 17) He bolted away from the direction the child had run. The silverback lunged after him, its clawed hands reaching out to crush him. Salos slipped through them, sliding behind rubble and melting into the shadows with Shadow Step. He rematerialized on the opposite side of the street, nearer again to the child. The silverback spun, its eye fixed on him. Abyss, it had some sort of tracking skill? The level 15 reinforcement swatted at him as the silverback charged down the street. Salos leapt over the strike, landing on level 15¡¯s shoulders and digging his claws into its neck. His claws came away with a bloody chunk before he darted away again. The silverback gave chase, its horrible grasping hands always a breath behind him. Salos slipped under the silverback, bolting for the level 17 ape on the far side. He was on it before it noticed he had targeted it, Hidden Blade sinking deep into its neck. He bolted off again before the thing could stop him. But more poured from the side streets. And the silverback had not slowed. Bartiang (lvl 15)x2 Bartiang (lvl 16) Bartiang (lvl 17)x3 Bartiang (lvl 18) There were too many for him to handle at once. Too many to fight on his own. Single-handedly taking out large numbers of targets had never been his specialty, not even with his full kit at his true level. This was not what he was good at. This was too much to expect from him. A child¡¯s shrill scream echoed through the smoke. Salos¡¯s heart pounded in his chest. The girl. He could hardly kill all of them. Not in time. But he would only draw more monsters to her if he ran to her now without killing these. It was all useless. It was time to switch tacts. Either the girl was dead or would be in moments. He needed to prioritize himself. His claws clenched. He did not owe that child anything. Children died all the time in this world. It was the fault of the girl¡¯s guardians for being so weak. Cass would¡­ Cass would what? Understand? Hardly. Cass would cry? Probably. Tonight, when she thought he was asleep. Cass would¡­ Why did it matter? Because Cass would find a way. She would build a wall to keep the monsters back with Elemental Manipulation while she sprinted off with Wind Step. She would force him to Fairy Fire her while she sent him off to help the child. She would awaken some new skill or realize some new application of an existing one. He was not Cass. His skills were not so flexible. They were honed from years and years of use. Refined to specific niches of his kit. A kit that he no longer had the entirety of. All he had was, Shadow Step Abyssal Aura Blade Mastery Stealth Fairy Fire Hidden Edge That and another half a dozen support or non-combat skills. Cass could find a way to use a non-combat skill to turn a fight, but he was not Cass. He could not imagine how Inscribe or Runic Knowledge could help right now. The best he could think of was maybe¡ªif he found the right target¡ªhe could distract most of the bartiang with Fairy Fire. But that would not stop the silverback. Perhaps that would be enough? If he was fast. If he could get to the girl quickly enough, dispatch whatever made her scream, and set her on her way again¡ªas long as the horde was not following him¡ªwould it be enough? If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He was grasping at straws. But it was either grasp at straws or give up on the child. He would grasp. He pulled Fairy Fire to his mind. It would have to be enough. But what to target this time? Not himself; he needed to ditch as many of these beasts as possible. But rubble would hardly hold their attention long enough. Either they would realize the rubble was not a threat too quickly, breaking the effect of the skill, or they would smash the rubble to pieces in no time. Either way, it would win him seconds at the most. But the only other things in sight were the very monsters he hoped to draw off with the skill. Fairy Fire could focus an enemy¡¯s ire but it could not create it from nothing. One could not turn allies against one another with it. Except, maybe¡­ He Identified the silverback again, rereading the description. Bartiang Silverback (lvl 20) [A powerful male bartiang. Silverbacks lead raids of lesser bartiangs into other territories for their queens. Silverbacks are by necessity far stronger than their subordinates as they are constantly fighting off challengers who would claim their position.] Was that enough? Salos grasped at the straws in his reach. He doused the silverback in Fairy Fire and bolted toward the child without stopping to watch. The silverback roared. He could feel the pounding of its feet behind him. But around him, he heard the howl of the other apes. Howling, snarling bloodthirst. He glanced over his shoulder as a bartiang leapt on the silverback. The silverback batted its smaller companion to the side, its single good eye fixed on Salos. Another ape grabbed at the silverback as it passed, its hand fastening like a vice around the silverback¡¯s forearm. The silverback howled and slugged the challenger. Another challenger grabbed the silverback¡¯s shoulder. Another clawed at its side. Another clubbed it from behind. The silverback slogged forward, but every step was accompanied by more bartiang hands grasping at its limbs. The howling grew louder. Salos ran. He did not know if he would be in time. The girl could not have gotten far. Not on her little legs. Not with her tiny stats. Not without skills. She could not survive long on her own. He rounded the corner. A bartiang had her in its grasp, a meaty hand again wrapped around her tiny forearm. It held her off the ground, her legs dangling. Bartiang (lvl 15) Salos burst forward, racing up the ape¡¯s back and latching onto the creature¡¯s free arm. It would be easy enough to kill it now. His claws could tear through its neck or its spine. He could take its eyes and rend its face. But if he killed it while it still held the girl, there would be no way for him to get it off her. Unlike Cass, he had no knife to cut her free. The ape howled, shaking its arm and Salos violently. Salos clamped on, his claws digging deeper into its hide. He lit himself with Fairy Fire. He hissed and snarled. The bartiang let go of the girl, the now free hand sweeping around to strike Salos. But Salos was faster. He rocketed up the arm to the ape¡¯s neck. His claws left a long crescent of red across the throat as he leapt away. A hand grabbed him. It clamped down on his back leg. A yelp escaped his lips. He found himself upside down. The bartiang staggered, but a cruel grin stretched across its face. The neck wound was not deep enough. Abyss. How had he failed this badly? At least the girl was¡ª Salos blinked. Where was the girl? There, behind the ape. Her presence flickered inconsistently in Salos¡¯s Perception. Somehow she had figured out Stealth. Good for her. It was not much to look at yet, but it would likely be enough to get her to the edge of town safely enough. ¡°Get out of here,¡± he barked at her, flaring Fairy Fire over himself to hold the beast¡¯s attention. Its eyes glowed purple, hungry and cruel. The girl hesitated, something glinted in her hands. A knife? No, just a piece of sharp glass. Something she had found in the rubble while she ran? She inched forward, toward him and the ape. ¡°Get going!¡± he shouted. There was nothing a little child like that could do to a beast like this. She inched closer still. What was she doing? Abyss. She was too close. He threw Abyssal Aura over her, shrouding her in darkness and reducing her presence further. Did she have no sense of self-preservation? She took a deep breath. She ran. Toward him and the beast. Her blade of glass shimmered in her hands, blood ran down its edge. Her blood from clutching the razor edge with her bare hands. She was insane. She would attack the monster? She was not strong enough. She was too small. She was throwing away everything. For what? Useless him? He would survive this. Eventually, the creature would let go and then he would dematerialize and return to Cass. Eventually, he would be dragged outside the borders of the town and Cass would notice. She would come to his rescue. Eventually, he would survive. But the little girl had no way of knowing that. All she knew was her savior was in danger. And her stupid, stupid little heart drove her to do something unbelievably stupid. She ran at the monster. It had not noticed her, too busy glaring at Salos and his Fairy Fire. Salos shook his head. It was impossible, but maybe, just maybe, this was still salvageable. He brought Hidden Blade to bare and focused on her blade of glass. Would you like to attempt to apply Hidden Blade to ally¡¯s blade? Ally buffs are outside the normal range of targets for Hidden Blade and will be less effective and consume significant Stamina and Focus. He whispered yes to the system, feeling the skill engage in a way it was never meant to, stealing away Stamina and Focus as it did. ¡°Strike here!¡± Salos highlighted a point on the beast¡¯s spine that he thought she could reach with Fairy Fire. If he was right about the anatomy, that would be between two vertebrae. If she was precise enough, maybe she could disable its legs. She nodded, charging as fast as her little child legs could carry her. Her body disappeared behind the ape¡¯s. He could not see her. He could feel Hidden Blade engage to maximum effect. He could hear glass shatter. The bartiang grunted. It was something like a surprised, ¡°Ooof.¡± The girl backed up, her hands bleeding, her glass shard gone. The ape shifted, its shoulders trying to turn to see what had struck it. But its legs didn¡¯t move. Its knees crumpled. It fell forward with a gurgling howl. As they fell, Salos found himself within reach of the beast¡¯s face. His foreclaws ripped across. Blood exploded around him. They hit the ground. The world spun. The ape landed on top of him. It was heavy. Salos kept clawing. Blood and flesh surrounded him as he twisted and rolled. Its neck had to be here somewhere. Its heart. Its eyes. He would take them all if he had to. The ape thrashed around him, howling in panicked pain. There was a heavy thump. The bartiang froze for a moment. Another thump and a crack. Blood oozed around Salos. Another thump and a splat. The ape stilled. What? ¡°Mister Kitty?¡± The child¡¯s voice shook. He wriggled out from beneath the ape. He managed to get his head out, but his leg was still firmly held in place. ¡°Mister Kitty!¡± Relief flooded her voice as she dropped a heavy, bloodstained stone and ran to his side. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Human Child (lvl 4) ¡°You killed it,¡± Salos muttered, surprise overtaking him. There were fresh blood splatters over her clothing. The ape¡¯s head was smashed in. The girl nodded. ¡°Are you stuck?¡± ¡°It still has my leg.¡± No point in pretending he could not talk at this stage. ¡°You need to get to the camp outside of town. My companion will come for me soon enough.¡± Probably. Cass would eventually notice his distress. Or, perhaps, wander close enough that he could dematerialize back to her. One of the two. He could wait. The girl shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll get you out.¡± ¡°That is hardly necessary.¡± Why did he only run into fools? Was that the state of the world? Or did Cass just attract them? ¡°Miss Lady cut me out with a knife.¡± The girl looked down at her ravaged hands. ¡°I¡¯ll go find one. Wait here.¡± ¡°Wait, no, stop,¡± Salos called after her. She paused. ¡°Do you have a way out?¡± ¡°Well, no, but¡ª¡° ¡°Then I¡¯ll find one. Just wait!¡± ¡°No, stop. Abyss. Why are you doing this?¡± The girl stared at him. ¡°Because Miss Lady saved me. And you did too. And, I¡­¡± Her eyes drifted down to her feet, her voice falling to a horse whisper. ¡°I couldn¡¯t save mommy.¡± Her hands clenched at her sides. ¡°So I¡¯m going to save you.¡± Salos sighed. There was no point in arguing with an idiot. ¡°Fine. I give up. Just¡ª¡° You have surrendered against your will. Non-martial surrender is outside the scope of Assassin¡¯s Yield. Would you like to attempt to use it, anyway? Assassin¡¯s Yield will cost significantly more Stamina. Salos sighed. It seemed he would only use that skill against lower-level opponents. He accepted. Space twisted and his ears popped as he appeared behind the girl, everything sore. ¡°Mister Kitty!¡± the girl exclaimed. Salos sighed again, brushing up against her ankles. ¡°I am here. Turns out I had a trick left.¡± The girl let out a relieved sigh. She bent down beside him and ran the back of her hand down his back. ¡°Oh, thank the gods.¡± Salos pushed her hand away. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you to safety. You have a Stealth skill now?¡± She nodded. ¡°Good, use that. Stay close to me. I will have you out in no time.¡± Ch. 17: Smoke and Mists Around her, the fire was growing. The air was thin, more smoke than oxygen, all of it hot, scalding her lungs and skin. She heard another scream and followed it into a plaza around a well. A group of people¡ªa woman with a sword, two other women, and a man with a pair of small children¡ªstood in the center, surrounded by six apes. The ground around their feet glowed in a gold circle and the apes seemed unable to step over that boundary, not that it did anything to stop them from trying. They howled in frustration as they pressed themselves up against the circle. Their howls drew more from the nearby buildings. Already, two more were watching from the sidelines like Cass. Could she handle eight at once? Maybe more as more of the things approached? But she couldn¡¯t ignore them either. How long would that barrier last? Already, Mana Sense could feel the strain from the ape¡¯s hands on the boundary. It would last a little while longer, but it would eventually fall. How many of the apes would surround those people at that point? There wasn¡¯t time for more consideration. She threw a Wind Blade at the backs of the apes. It disabled the first and left lacerations along apes #2 and #3. They howled. #2 through #4 abandoned the barrier, racing toward Cass, their teeth bared in hungry grimaces. #5 and #6 continued pounding at the barrier, sparing Cass little more than a hissing glare. Cass threw another Wind Blade at the charging monsters, driving the blade at the leading ape¡¯s head. It cut a clear path through the smoke. The ape covered its head with an arm. The Blade sliced a shallow cut in its iron-like skin. Another and another Wind Blade followed the first, each one blocked by their arms. Their backs might be soft, but those arms were anything but. And then they were on her. #2 swatted at her, its massive hands leaving a trail in the smoke from the force. Dodge pulled her out of the way, while Staff Mastery blocked the claws of #3 at its side. #4 swung around, trying to get behind her. She couldn¡¯t let it. She dashed to the right, just as #7, one of the new arrivals, joined from that side. She leapt out of the way of another sweeping claw, its razor-sharp tips passing through her Aura cape as it attempted to grab it. #2 was waiting for her, a claw racing toward her face. Her staff got up in between the two, but the impact of the creature¡¯s strength reverberating through the wood numbed her body. #3 swiped at her. She couldn¡¯t move fast enough. The claws raked across her leather armor and knocked her back toward the waiting arms of #4. Midair time slowed. #4¡¯s hands were open, the fingers spread like the maw of a waiting trap. It would grab her and then she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. She could not let these things grab her. Dodge suggested with Staff Mastery¡¯s help she could dig her staff into the ground to slow her flight and redirect herself to either side. Wind Step asked why bother and to just step into the air rushing past her. Neither had an answer for what she¡¯d do after that. There were too many of them. This was nothing more than a desperate game of tag where everyone but her was ¡®it¡¯. She needed to change something if she wanted to win. Another skill whispered from a corner of her mind. A voice she¡¯d not heard before. Confounding Mists (lvl 1) (Racial) [The Aether is a place of mystery to most, something with few well-traveled paths and much unknown. Not to the Slyphid, though. For the slyphid, it is a true home. You are no exception. Draw a piece of the Aether where you will and confound the senses of those caught within it.] The skill she¡¯d gotten for surviving the epherwing. Her brief tests had shown most people¡ªwell, Alyx and Salos at least¡ªfound being within the aether mists disorienting. She¡¯d only been fighting with Alyx and Salos since then, so there hadn¡¯t been a chance to use it in combat since. That was the only reason she hadn¡¯t used it yet. It definitely wasn¡¯t because this was a slyphid racial skill. She definitely wasn¡¯t still worried about that. That would be silly. She had a slyphid¡¯s soul, anyway. What was a skill in comparison? What did she have to lose? The skill activated and she could feel a thick mist unspooling itself around her. Simultaneously, she twisted her staff, dragging it through the dirt as she sailed back toward the ape behind her, pushing herself in a new direction. She couldn¡¯t have imagined pulling off such a maneuver as Earth Cass. Slyphid Cass, with 39 Wind-affiliated Dexterity, found no difficulty in it. Time found its regular flow as her feet skidded over the dirt. The apes chased after her, even as the mist expanded around her. She could feel its expanding bounds and every inch within it. It was like Atmospheric Sense was thrown into overdrive. Like she¡¯d been in a dark room and floodlights had just been flipped on. She couldn¡¯t see more than a foot or two through the mist, but she didn¡¯t need to. Atmospheric Sense could tell her everything she needed and more. The mist¡ªno, the aether¡ªfilled the plaza the way light filled a room, intangible but self-evident. It was cool on her skin, an instant balm against the heat. It was clean in her lungs. Her body felt far more alive in that moment than it had since she¡¯d arrived in this world. Surprised shouts erupted from both the apes around her and the people in the center of the plaza. Their eyes emptily searched their surroundings, their sight working no better than Cass¡¯s own but not supplemented with superior Atmospheric Sense. She stepped into Stealth, padding around ape #2 to find its back. It and the others grunted in fear, anxiously whipping its head back and forth, its too-large hands twitching in anticipation. She drew a Wind Blade to her staff. It sprung to life faster and with more vibrancy than they had ever come to her before. It went easily through the #2¡¯s back. The ape collapsed without ever knowing she was behind it. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. There was a muted quality to the sound of its body dropping. Yet she could hear its fall more crisply than she¡¯d heard any sound before. To all the sounds, actually. Like the sound wasn¡¯t carried on the air but the aether itself. She was a ghost in the mists. Unseen and unheard. She alone remained unaffected by the surrounding aether. #3 and #4 fell with little more fanfare, her Mana Wind Blade slicing heads from shoulders of both in a single movement. While Cass stalked around to #7, the woman in the barrier stepped out with a Stealth skill wrapped around her body. In the mists, it was useless against Cass, but it was more than enough to sneak up on ape #5, still pounding at the invisible barrier. Her sword found its heart, twisting and pulling back before the creature could react. Cass met #7 head-on, slashing rapidly with her Wind Bladed glaive. The blade cut far deeper amid the mists, slicing down to the bone in the monster¡¯s arms before finding the creature¡¯s neck as easily as the two before. #8 hung back outside the mist¡¯s confines, its grimacing teeth and anxious hands bared but hesitant. But if the monster would not come to Cass¡¯s blade, Cass would just have to take her blade to the monster. She threw the first blade, feeling it grow in strength as it passed through the mist and erupted into the smoke beyond with a speed she¡¯d never managed before. #8 blocked it with an arm but lost a chunk of flesh for the effort. It screamed and screamed again as Cass appeared a step behind her flying blade, another already affixed to her staff. It stabbed into the ape, dropping the beast. Even outside the mist, Cass could feel what was happening within with unmatched clarity. #6 had seen through the mist enough to spot the woman as #5 fell and lunged for her, pressing her away from the safety of the barrier. Long gashes ran up and down the woman¡¯s body from the raking claws, but she didn¡¯t drop her sword. Instead, she pressed forward again, jabbing between the thing¡¯s hulking arms and piercing its chest. The monster shook her off, a hand snaking out to grab her back. But Cass was behind it. Her Wind Blade went through its back before the hand could clasp around the swordswoman. It collapsed in a screaming rage, paralyzed and out of reach of the woman. Cass slammed her staff down on its skull, ending the noise with a crack. The woman stared back at Cass, her eyes wide, her legs shaking. Cass ignored her, taking one more deep breath of the surrounding aether before dispelling the skill. She felt it disperse, like mist burning up in the noonday sun. ¡°T-thank you,¡± the woman stammered. Cass pointed in the direction of Telis¡¯s tent. ¡°Go that way. You should be safe now.¡± The woman nodded and pulled the rest of her group on with her. Before Cass moved, she spent a minute to catch her breath. There were so many voices around her begging for help, but she wouldn¡¯t be good to anyone if she was off balance. First, how were her resources? Stamina: 66/96 Focus: 147/324 Health: 72/78 That was fine. She wished she¡¯d paid closer attention to how much Confounding Mists had used. The skill didn¡¯t list a cost, which suggested it was variable, but variable on what? Duration? Area? Density? If she had to guess, that use just then had been over 100 points of Focus? Less than 150? That felt right. She¡¯d have to sneak off and experiment sooner rather than later. Regardless, too much to use the skill again like that here. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 14. Confounding Mists has increased to level 2. Confounding Mists has increased to level 3. Wind Step has increased to level 9. Wind Step has increased to level 10. Staff Mastery has increased to level 11. Dodge has increased to level 11. Sprint has increased to level 7. Sprint has increased to level 8. Sprint has increased to level 9. Wind Blade has increased to level 9. Wind Blade has increased to level 10. Mana Blade has increased to level 6. Wind Step has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Dex + 3 Res + 2 Wll + 2 Ala] Sprint has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your varied use of Sprint has opened choices.
  1. Gain Skill: Stone Spiked Trails (lvl 9), Forsake: Sprint
  2. Gain Skill: Stormstride Sprint (lvl 9), Forsake: Sprint
  3. Keep: Sprint (lvl 9) ]
Wind Blade has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Wll + 3 Ala + 2 Dex + 2 Res] She¡¯d gotten a lot of skill level-ups from the constant fighting, but no level. In Uvana, she definitely would have gotten a level from this much. Was it because her level was higher than these things? Or because the requirements for the next level went up as the level increased? Or was it just because she was outside of the trial now? A little of all three? Probably. In any case, she needed to decide what to do about Sprint before she ran off to save the next person. She had the option between two new skills or keeping the skill as it was. This was harder to choose between because, unlike previously offered skills, the function of these skills was not obvious from their titles. What was Stone Spiked Trails, anyway? Stone Spiked Trails [Run and let them chase you if they dare! Increase one¡¯s speed the longer one runs. Leaves a trail of stone spikes with every step. Stamina Cost: 1/sec Modified by Dex] Cass stared at the window. Had she always been able to do that? She supposed there hadn¡¯t been a reason to try before. Whatever. She brought up Sprint¡¯s description for comparison. Sprint (lvl 9) (Wind) [Run! Run like the wind! Passively increases your running speed. Actively consume additional Stamina to further increase speed. Association with the Concept of Wind passively decreases the Stamina cost of all running-related activities. Modified by Dex.] Stone Spiked Trails looked like a combination of the trick she¡¯d used on Levina in Uvana and Sprint, though it lost Sprint¡¯s passive increase in running speed and pay-to-super-charge speed capability. It was also unclear if it would keep the Association with Wind that Sprint currently had or how that would manifest. How about the other option? Stormstride Sprint [Run like the coming storm. Passively increases user¡¯s running speed. While active, generates a gust of wind around the user and greatly increases the user¡¯s speed. Stamina Cost: 3/sec Modified by Dex.] This looked like an advanced version of Sprint, though it traded the flexible Stamina cost and speed payout for a fixed one. Stormstride Sprint was less flashy than the effect of Stone Spiked Trails, but to Cass, the effect it did have was more useful to her. Right now, if there was no wind, Cass needed to spend 54 Focus to Wind Step (49 for Wind Step and 15 for a ranged Wind Blade). She also needed to have her staff (or a weapon of some kind) and the time to swing it. Stormstride Sprint would mean Cass could Wind Step from any run for just Wind Step¡¯s cost and three points of Stamina. That seemed much more likely to be useful than leaving a trail of stone spikes behind her as she ran from an enemy. Stormstride Sprint (lvl 9) (Wind) [Run like the coming storm, for you are the howling winds. ¡­ Association with the Concept of Wind passively increases the speed of all wind-based attacks passing through Stormstride Sprint¡¯s summoned gust.] Stormstride Sprint has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Dex + 3 End + 2 Str + 2 Ala] Either way, she couldn¡¯t just loiter. There were more people to save. She raced off after the next scream. Ch. 18: Smoke and Fire There were dozens more people chased by the bartiangs. Dozens more huddled in corners, hoping the fire and smoke would leave them alone long enough for the apes to leave. Fire licked at every building. Eventually, the screams fell silent, with just the crackling fire threatening the village. Cass had circled back to the break in the palisades they¡¯d entered from. A ways back, a collection of tents had gone up behind fire breaks. Within, the survivors huddled together for safety. ¡°I think we got them all,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard their howling in a few minutes.¡± Cass nodded. The bartiang monsters were dead. But the tragedy before her was ongoing. The town burned, smoke billowing off it in a black, writhing mass of malice and choking death. It snaked into the amber sky of the dying day, the last of the sun¡¯s light cast in a harsh crimson as it filtered through the dark smoke. Had it been a kitchen fire out of control in the monster attack that started this? It didn¡¯t matter now. Cass couldn¡¯t summon nearly enough water with Elemental Manipulation to put it out. ¡°There are still people out there.¡± Cass could still feel their shallow breaths on the air. The little girl¡¯s face overtook Cass¡¯s vision. Her big, hopeful eyes stared up at her. Any of them could be her mother. Alyx shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Cass waited. Waited for the words that had to come out of Alyx¡¯s mouth next. A suggestion of how to help. A plan for putting out the fires. A rescue attempt for the stranglers. She remained silent as the seconds stretched on. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to leave them there, are we?¡± Cass asked, barely believing the question or the implied answer. ¡°What can we do?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°It was dangerous enough fighting in those conditions. We got a lot of people out. I should be able to get a lot from my aunt for cleaning up her mess.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My aunt is the First General. It¡¯s her job to make sure this kind of thing doesn¡¯t happen in our lands. I¡¯ve just done her job, therefore, she owes me. Not to mention the general shame I can throw at her for her failure.¡± Cass turned the words over and over in her head, her heightened Alacrity running them again and again. She must be misunderstanding. That sounded like the people here hadn¡¯t been Alyx¡¯s first concern. ¡°You look confused?¡± Alyx said. ¡°Look, don¡¯t worry about Velillian politics. It¡¯s not something you need to worry about.¡± Cass wasn¡¯t worried about that in the slightest. ¡°But the rest of the survivors.¡± Alyx¡¯s face darkened as she looked back toward the burning town. ¡°Are you fireproof, Cass?¡± ¡°No.¡± Slyphids were a lot of things, the minor burns she¡¯d gotten Elemental Manipulating fire and the blistering skin from today¡¯s fighting strongly suggested fireproof wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Then what exactly are you suggesting we do?¡± ¡°But,¡± there had to be something more that they could do. There was so much fire. If she¡¯d taken Summon Water when it had been offered, would she be able to do something about this now? ¡°Come on, Cass.¡± Alyx turned away from the burning town. ¡°We can only do what we can.¡± Was this as much as she could do? Cass followed her back to the tents in a daze, her mind turning over the options. Focus: 98/369 A little less than a third of her Focus remained. It cost a little over 20 Focus to summon water and then direct it as she wanted. She could summon about a balance ball¡¯s volume of water with a single casting. With 98 Focus, that was only 4 uses. Laughably small. Not nearly enough for an entire town on fire. Was that the only way to help? Was that all she had? How did one put out fire? Douse it in water. Smother it with sand. Cover it with a lid. Fire needed air, fuel, and heat. All the methods she¡¯d listed were primarily about removing its access to air, with water having the added benefit of the escaping steam sapping some of the fuel¡¯s heat, too. But this wasn¡¯t some campfire that she could bury under old ashes and loose sand. This wasn¡¯t a scented candle she could screw the lid back on top of. Worse, any plan that might have cut off oxygen would be a problem for the people within as well. They needed that air as much as the fire. But she couldn¡¯t attack the fuel or the heat either. She didn¡¯t have an ice spell, and even if she did, would it be big enough to cover the entire town? Even part of the town? Could she use Elemental Manipulation? Ice was sort of an element. As much as lightning was. Or, if it wasn¡¯t, wasn¡¯t it just water, but cold? She¡¯d once superheated her flames to disinfect something. Could she supercool something too? Was thermodynamics a ¡°natural force¡± that Elemental Manipulation could alter directly? Then again, superheating that fire had burned through her Focus. She didn¡¯t have the energy to experiment with supercooling. Not supercooling summoned water or the air around the flames, at least. She didn¡¯t think she could supercool just any material, either. Unless thermodynamics in and of itself was an element of Elemental Manipulation¡­ The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. They stepped through the fire breaks and into the tent city. A child¡¯s face was waiting expectantly at the entrance. The little girl with the purple hair. She looked back and forth between Cass and Alyx, her eyes wide, the hope in them darkening with every step they took toward her. The girl opened her mouth and Cass froze. If she was here¡­ If she looked like that¡­ If she was alone¡­ Where was her mother? But Cass knew the answer. She knew the answer. The scared breaths from within the flames echoed in her ears. The roar of the fire. The snap of beams giving way under the weight of the flames. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Cass said before the girl could speak. Before Alyx could stop her. Cass Sprinted back to the burning town, the wind whirling at her heels. She couldn¡¯t leave them. She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d been talked into it. What are you doing? Salos hissed from her shoulder. ¡°I have to do something.¡± You are not fireproof! ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out.¡± How many had already died in the fires? How many were still trapped? She stopped short of the first burning building, her rampaging thoughts hitting the wall she¡¯d been circling. What could she actually do? Water? No way to summon enough to make a difference. Air? The area was too open to have any chance of pushing enough of it off the fire to put it out. Also, the villagers trapped within still needed it. Stone? Similar problem as water. Fire? What could she do with fire? She could create it, could she just destroy it? No. Elemental Manipulations description said, ¡°Attune your mana to an elemental force to summon and/or control that element.¡± She wasn¡¯t creating these forces, she was ¡°summoning¡± them. And there was no dispel or dismissal included in the description. Cass, you need to leave. Cass ignored Salos. She needed to save the person trapped within the fire. That was all she needed to do. Save the people. She didn¡¯t care what happened to the buildings. Even if they were put out now, they were damaged beyond simple repair. Probably structurally compromised. They¡¯d require significant work to rebuild, no matter what she did now. She didn¡¯t need to put out the building. She only needed to get in and out again safely. Which meant she just needed to dodge the flames. Or maybe just the heat? You wish to dodge damage type: heat. Would you like to attempt this feat with Dodge? Heat is far outside the normal range of dodgeable damage. Attempting to do so will be minimally effective and consume both Focus and significant Stamina. This was crazy. Absolutely crazy. Earth Cass didn¡¯t think this made any sense. Dodge wasn¡¯t sure this would work but was chomping at the bit to try it. Something stirred in Cass¡¯s core, curious and quiet. ¡°Salos, get off my shoulder.¡± Cass don¡¯t! Salos shouted. Do not go in there. ¡°Salos, off my shoulder.¡± She could barely believe she was doing this either, but the other options were unacceptable. Cass! Cass scooped him off her shoulder, dropping him on the dirt road beside her. ¡°Go back to Alyx. Tell her to prepare to receive burn victims.¡± Do not¡ª ¡°I¡¯m going, Salos.¡± She didn¡¯t look back to see if he¡¯d done as she asked. Instead, she ran toward the building and the fire, accepting the extended range of Dodge¡¯s capabilities. Dodge screamed in her ears. She was inches away from the flames before it pointed out an area of weaker heat. She flitted through the gap. She could feel the breath of a person amid the flames ahead. As clear as day. They wanted to be found. Wanted to be saved. The fire¡¯s heat surrounded her. The crackle and snap of it devouring the wooden supports rang in her ears. The smoke billowed through the building, rushing out on the gusts created by the hot air. The creak of the roof warned her from above as it bowed under the pressure of the damage and heat. But she could do this. Flames licked at her body. Dodge pulled her from the worst, yet her skin still fried. It blistered. The hot air burned her lungs. Every breath was a choking lungful of smoke. The sulfuric scent of burning hair followed her. Ahead, a young man sat curled up within the fireplace, the stone rapidly heating around him, but blessedly not on fire. His eyes widened when he saw her approach and widened further as she danced through the rising flames between them. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Cass yelled through the smoke. ¡°Can you move?¡± He nodded and scrambled up to Cass¡¯s side. ¡°This way. Stay very close to me.¡± Cass pointed back toward the door. She pulled him along. Dodge warned her they needed a wider path to take this man with them. That he would not make it through without burns. That was fine, as long as they both made it out. Dodge screamed for her to freeze. Her free hand snapped out to snatch the man back to her side. Burning roof fell before them, smashing through the wooden floor with a crash. Going out the way she¡¯d come would not work. Fine. If that was how it was going to be, she¡¯d just make her own exit. She threw a Wind Blade through the nearest wall. It crumbled before her, the fires around it wicking out in the gust. But the roof above did not approve of the sudden lack of support. It fell, pieces of burning timber falling all around them. She grabbed the man, Sprinting for all it was worth toward her new exit. She was fast, but so was the burning roof. She wove through it, side-stepping roof and flaming floor alike. Dodge screamed a warning. She¡¯d boxed herself in. Ahead were flames. Behind falling debris. She couldn¡¯t get out. Or could she? Time crept to a crawl. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be here, yet where else could she be? Dodge snapped up the feeling. A system message flared over her vision. Concept Applied: [Liminality - Dodge Bob and weave. The best defense is not getting hit in the first place! Find yourself in the place between the target and the attack. Passively increases one¡¯s reaction time to a small degree. Actively increases one¡¯s speed in getting out of the way and advises on how best to move one¡¯s body to avoid unwanted impacts. Modified by Dex. Association with the Concept of Liminality allows the body to phase through some hits that should have struck. This effect is inversely proportional to how direct the impact would have been and how great the damage incurred would have been. This effect cost Stamina directly proportional to the damage avoided.] Calmly, Dodge told her to step through the flames before her and to hold the man at her side very close. It felt almost like Wind Stepping as she stepped through the flames. Like she was incorporeal, yet there was no whirl of air in her ears like she was used to. Instead, it was like all the color around her inverted and the sound cut out. The world snapped back to normal as she stepped out of the fire again. Behind her, the rubble crashed through the floor. There wasn¡¯t time for reflection. The way out was clear. She could do this. She dragged the man behind her as she Sprinted out. She phased through another wall of fire with Dodge, but it didn¡¯t so much as slow her. She crashed through the opening, throwing the man out beside her. He collapsed to his hands and knees outside, panting through the smoky air. ¡°Thank you. Thank you.¡± ¡°Head that way.¡± Cass pointed him toward the camp. There were so many more people she needed to save. Ch. 19: Smoke and Hearth There were more. There were so many more. Was one of them that child¡¯s mother? Another child¡¯s mother? A wife? A husband? A father? A sibling? A friend? Cass threw herself into building after building. The smoke was choking, but a slyphid didn¡¯t need to breathe. The fire was all-consuming, but Dodge let her flicker through it like it wasn¡¯t there. Every second mattered. Every second was a body suffocating somewhere amid the smoke. Was a body succumbing to the heat. She ran to the next building, the next trapped civilian. The next family cowering in their basement as their house dropped burning floor on their heads. This was the world. This was what ordinary people in this world could look forward to. Monster attacks. Burning lives. Hopeless fear. She wouldn¡¯t let today end with this. Her Stamina was dropping. It fell with every Dodge through the flames, with every Sprint from building to building. Her Focus was flagging. Every cast of Elemental Manipulation clearing the smoke around a suffocating villager biting deep into her dwindling stockpile. Every Wind Blade needed to cut her way out of a falling building. But there were more people. More and more and more. Stamina: 32/105 Focus: 42/369 How many had she saved? How many more were there? Had she found that girl¡¯s mother? The faces were blurring together. Had that last woman had purple hair or brown? Were her eyes green or grey? Was that face sharp or soft? The fire licked at her boots. It scalded her skin. The heat burned in her throat. If she needed oxygen, her lungs would have long since suffocated. Her body was burned and scraped from falling rubble. Stamina: 12/105 Focus: 26/369 Her head hurt. String together her thoughts was difficult. The only thought running through it was a single question: Where was the next villager? She didn¡¯t have the energy for anything else. There was no space for her worries or her fears or the existential dread that had followed her like a storm cloud. There was just one goal. Just this moment. Just that next breath begging through the choking smoke for the next breath would come. Or begging it would end before the fires got them. Salos was on her shoulder. He was saying something. He was insistent. But it wasn¡¯t the answer to her question. It was unrelated. Counterproductive. She dismissed it. Where was the next villager? He was angry. She could feel that crash over her like a wave. His anger clouded her vision and filled her head with a buzzing. ABYSS TAKE IT ALL, CASS! Salos¡¯s voice boomed through her head. She couldn¡¯t hear anything else. Check your God-Forsaken Focus! Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Cass blinked. Why did she need to do that? She¡ª Check the Focus. Cass brought it up. Stamina: 8/105 Focus: 4/369 Health: 72/87 Oh. That was very low. How had that happened? That seemed important. Why was that important again? If that hits zero, you die, Salos reminded her. So turn yourself around and go back to camp. But she couldn¡¯t. She had to save the rest of the villagers. She had to save that little girl¡¯s mother. She¡¯d promised. I swear, why do you get more stubborn when you have low Focus? That is the opposite of how that is supposed to work. His words echoed around her head, though the tone suggested it was meant more as a mutter to himself than a conversation with her. The pain spiked. Her head was only pain. Her skin was only pain. You need to get out of here, Salos said. You aren¡¯t thinking straight. No. No. No. She could feel the breath of more villagers just ahead. Atmospheric Sense promised they were there and still alive. She just needed to get through the next wall of fire. She reached for Elemental Manipulation. The skill slipped through her fingers. Was this as far as she went? Was this all she could do? How many more were there? You can not expect to save everyone, Salos whispered. And you do no one any good throwing yourself at an impossible task. He was right. She could feel it. The certainty he carried. It flowed into her. She was empty of everything. His certainty filled her. And yet, she didn¡¯t want to give up. She couldn¡¯t give up. There had to be more that she could give. But there was no more Focus. There was no more Stamina. Salos was right. She had nothing more to throw at the problem. The face of the little girl flashed before her eyes. Hope turning to despair. A promise broken. The girl¡¯s face became Robin¡¯s, the night she¡¯d been kidnapped, his eyes full of horror at the sight of what was happening to her. The overwhelming fear as the unknown broke the world they thought they¡¯d understood. How long had he stood there after she¡¯d disappeared? How long had he stood stock still, unable to comprehend the tragedy before him? The face melted into Kaye¡¯s. Burning desperation flaring in her eyes as Cass was dragged away. How had she yelled and screamed at the universe? How could she give up on them? How could she just give up? It was all impossible. From start to end. Every part. Wasn¡¯t there something more she could do? There was a spark sputtering in her chest. A burning unrelated to the anger burning in Salos. A promise of a fire just waiting for her to light the match. A promise there was more. Cass took it. Concept Applied: [Hearth - End, Res, Vit The Hearth burns. The Hearth provides. The Hearth protects.] A fire burst to life within. It flickered just under her skin. Not real the way the fire in front of her was, but not imagined either. It burned bright, not raging, but powerful. It was comforting, but not gentle. Kind, maybe, as strange of a word as that was for fire. But most of all, it was as hungry as she was. To do more. To be more. And like a flame, all she needed was to feed it. Instinctively, she understood. She offered it her Health. The flame in her chest happily accepted, chewing through a portion of her Health like it was a log. A burst of warmth shot through her body. Her head was suddenly clearer. Stamina: 23/105 Focus: 49/369 Health: 42/87 30 Health burned for 15 Stamina and 45 Focus? Was that enough? Did she dare burn more? The fire burned happily in her chest, her body relaxing and her mind sharpening. Stamina: 24/105 Focus: 50/369 Health: 42/87 The Health she¡¯d fed the fire was still burning. Her Stamina and Focus were still rising. What did you do? Salos demanded. ¡°Applied my Concept,¡± Cass said as she ran for the next villager. She could feel it. She could keep going. Ch. 20: Camp The sun was the barest sliver over the far treeline when Cass was forced to give up. There was nothing left. Her body was ragged, her mind raw. More importantly, there was none left to save amid the flames. Cass staggered back out to the camp, the sky darkening to the blue-black of night. She hadn¡¯t saved them all. She knew there had been far more than she¡¯d pulled from the flames. But she hadn¡¯t been fast enough. There was no way for her to be fast enough. Maybe if she¡¯d figured out how to apply Liminal to Dodge sooner. Maybe if she¡¯d figured out how to apply Hearth to her Depth Column sooner. Maybe if she¡¯d prioritized those trapped in the burning buildings and left the rescue from the apes to Alyx. The child was still waiting for her at the entrance of the camp. Her eyes were just as wide as before. Just as scared. Just as desperately hopeful. Cass shook her head when she saw her. She hadn¡¯t found the girl¡¯s mother. Perhaps it had been too late even when she¡¯d first found the girl. Perhaps it was nothing but a fool¡¯s errand from the beginning. Cass hurried past the girl as quickly as she was able. Others loitered around the tents, some before low campfires, others squatting along the road. They wore tired faces, all of them. Grim. They¡¯d lost almost everything. Everything but their lives. Cass dropped to the ground beside one of those fires, uncaring of the dirt and smoke that clung to her body. The fire danced before her eyes, an entirely different creature than the flames still burning in the town behind her, yet still missing something she¡¯d come to expect of a campfire¡¯s warmth. Oh, her skill. Beacon of Hearth and Home wasn¡¯t fully active since she hadn¡¯t helped set up the camp. She should go see how she could help and activate the skill for everyone. Telis would know what she could do. Where was she? She pushed herself back up with her staff, her vision blurring from the sudden movement. Cass put a hand to her head, steadying herself with the staff. She was okay. She could still help. Telis would be with Alyx, probably. Telis was always with Alyx. Where was Alyx? Salos too, now that she thought about it? When had she seen him last? When she¡¯d dropped him before running into a burning building? When he¡¯d tried to get her to stop? Her head hurt. She didn¡¯t really want to think. Her connection to him said he was in the main tent. Perhaps he was with Alyx. Maybe they were all together. Cass staggered back to her feet, leaning heavily on her staff. With effort, she pushed herself toward the tent. Inside was far worse. Cots lay in long rows along either wall of the tent, each filled with moaning injured. People hurt defending themselves and others from the monsters. People pulled from the burning buildings. The ones who¡¯d survived. Amid the cots, the less injured hurried from bed to bed, changing bandages and applying poultices. Nurses conscripted from those who¡¯d survived a little better. Salos? Cass called. She could feel him nearby but didn¡¯t see him or Telis. Here, Salos called, the briefest flash of fairy fire lighting him and the butler up in bright purple. Telis stood by the back wall of the tent beside a table laden with supplies and papers, Alyx beside her. Salos sat on Alyx¡¯s shoulders. Cass hurried over. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Is there anything else I can help with?¡± Cass asked. Salos sighed on Alyx¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You look like you¡¯re going to fall over,¡± Alyx said, her eyes hard. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Cass attempted to assure her, but her voice sounded weak even to her ears. Salos hopped onto Cass¡¯s shoulder. You should sit down. I¡¯m okay, Cass repeated. Her Hearth was still burning. Low, but burning. ¡°What can you even do in that state?¡± Alyx prodded Cass hard. Cass teetered in place but kept her feet. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Well, so are we.¡± Alyx waved Cass away. ¡°So go sit down before I make you.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I can still help.¡± ¡°It is unneeded.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡° ¡°I swear by the Nine, I will knock you out, Cass.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°But¡ª¡± Alyx swung her arm over Cass¡¯s shoulder and marched the two of them out of the tent. Over her shoulder, she called to Telis, ¡°Let me know if something comes up.¡± ¡°Of course, my lady,¡± Telis called after them. ¡°Come on, Alyx.¡± Cass struggled to free herself, but Alyx¡¯s arm was like a vice around her. ¡°I¡¯m okay. And if you just give me something to help with around camp, my camp buff can help heal everyone more.¡± ¡°All the more reason not to let you help now,¡± Salos said at a volume only Cass and Alyx could hear. ¡°Do you want to shout your skills to the world?¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Cass, I don¡¯t even care about that part.¡± Alyx shoved Cass into a seat beside a fire. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Cass stared blankly up at the swordswoman. Alyx had her hands on her hips, glaring down at Cass, a campfire burning low behind her. ¡°Why did you run off on your own?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°What?¡± Cass repeated. ¡°In the fight?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Was that a problem? She¡¯d just done what she¡¯d always done. ¡°Do you know how stupid that was?¡± From Alyx¡¯s tone, the answer was ¡®very¡¯. But what else was she supposed to do? Besides, ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone alone. Salos was with me.¡± ¡°What about when you sent him back alone with one of the villagers?¡± ¡°The little girl?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to send a child back by herself.¡± ¡°Then you should have gone together, not jumped into a brawl eight versus one,¡± Alyx yelled. ¡°I was fine!¡± Cass yelled back. ¡°Why did you even get involved? This wasn¡¯t your responsibility. You should have stayed with Telis. You could have easily helped deal with the aftermath that way.¡± ¡°But people were in danger.¡± ¡°Strangers.¡± ¡°You and Marco did it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nobility!¡± Alyx pounded her chest plate. ¡°Marco is my guard. This happened because my aunt failed to cull the monster population back. By dealing with this myself for her without her asking, I can improve my standing by damaging hers. ¡°I had every reason to help this town.¡± ¡°That was why you helped?¡± Cass¡¯s question slipped out in a whisper. ¡°Why would anyone fight monsters for no reason?¡± Words bubbled in Cass¡¯s chest. Accusations and cruel rhetorical questions. But a cold, logical voice held them back. It asked the same question. Why should she fight monsters? Why should she risk her life? What did she get out of it? It was the same voice that had whispered to leave Alyx behind all those days ago in the Deep. It dripped in fear. Not panicked, irrational fear. Not the fear of the dark or spiders on the bedroom wall. Not the fear of monsters in the closet. Or of serial killers in the woods. It was drenched in real, rational fear. Fear of the bartiang¡¯s gnashing teeth. Their slashing claws. Their grabbing hands. Of the flames burning her alive. Of a burning building collapsing on her. What was an altruistic ideal in front of such fear? Could she say to Alyx¡¯s face that such reasonable fears should be ignored? But all the same, ¡°They didn¡¯t ask to be attacked by monsters, did they?¡± Cass looked up into Alyx¡¯s eyes. ¡°They didn¡¯t want their lives overturned like this, did they?¡± ¡°But did you ask to be their savior?¡± Alyx shot back. ¡°No one is asking you to.¡± Cass looked away. ¡°I had the power to do something. Is it wrong to try?¡± Alyx sighed. ¡°And you ran off on your own because you could, too?¡± ¡°I, um, didn¡¯t realize I shouldn¡¯t,¡± Cass muttered. Alyx sighed loudly and performatively. ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t.¡± Her eyes shot to Salos on Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And I suppose you didn¡¯t either?¡± He also looked away. ¡°I may be more accustomed to solo operations. It may not have occurred to me that¡ª¡° ¡°It didn¡¯t occur to you that your MAGE should remain in the back line when there is a perfectly good martial front you can use?¡± ¡°To our credit,¡± Salos coughed. ¡°Cass has primarily operated as a spellsword, not a caster.¡± Alyx pointed at Cass. ¡°Don¡¯t run off on your own if you¡¯re part of a team.¡± She pointed at Salos. ¡°Don¡¯t let her get herself killed.¡± He snorted. ¡°You see what I am working with.¡± Alyx didn¡¯t comment, moving on to the next topic instead. ¡°We¡¯ll be staying the night to keep an eye on the villagers here. Hopefully, the fires will be out by morning, or at least low enough that we can do something about them. I am going to go organize the capable survivors into a night watch. If you would like to be included, sit quietly and recover as much of your Focus as you are able. ¡°Do that and I¡¯ll let you join me for my shift later. Understood?¡± Cass nodded. But, ¡°I should still help with the camp somehow.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Alyx said. ¡°You are going to sit where you are and reflect on all the ways you could have gotten yourself killed this afternoon. And if your Focus and Stamina recover to full before our shift, you can talk to Telis about something small you can help with. Understood?¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Understood?¡± Alyx repeated. Cass nodded. ¡°Good. Now rest, I¡¯ll be back and if you aren¡¯t here, I will knock you out.¡± And with that, Cass was left in front of the campfire. ¡°I am not pleased with you either, you know,¡± Salos muttered from her lap. ¡°I know,¡± Cass said. He didn¡¯t have to say it. She could feel the frustration bubbling against her. It had been building for a while. A long while. ¡°I understand fighting the monsters,¡± he said. ¡°Fighting is how you get experience. It is how you get levels, which is how you become powerful. Power is the only way to protect yourself. ¡°But what was the benefit in throwing yourself into burning buildings repeatedly?¡± Cass grit her teeth. Why was basic human decency such a foreign concept to them? ¡°You wanted to let those people die in the fire?¡± ¡°No, obviously I hardly wish death on strangers, but why would I want to trade your life for any number of theirs?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± She was alive. As were countless villagers who would have died if not for her actions. ¡°That is nothing more than the wisdom of hindsight. You did not know you would survive. There was a long minute there I was afraid you would not.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave them, Salos.¡± How did she explain the faces watching her? The certainty that there was more that she could do? The need to be more? To prove she was still¡­ Still what? Human? Cass? Good? She knew there were arguments she could make that Salos would understand. She could tell him how she¡¯d applied a concept to a new skill. She could share this list of skill level-ups with him: Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 15. Dodge has increased to level 12. Dodge has increased to level 13. Dodge has increased to level 14. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 10. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 15. She could tell him she¡¯d applied Hearth to her Depth Column. These were tangible gains for which he might agree risking her life was worth. But these weren¡¯t the reasons she¡¯d done it. She didn¡¯t care about any of it. She wanted him to approve of it because she¡¯d saved lives. Because she¡¯d made a difference. He sighed, his anger cooling to cold resignation. ¡°Please, just do not get yourself killed for someone else. Don¡¯t even let yourself get hurt for someone else. Please.¡± They both knew that was too much for her. Ch. 21: Alyx: Nightwatch Alyx stood behind her tent, just outside the collective glow of the refugee camp. Night had long since fallen and, by every right, she should be resting. She needed to be in the best possible condition when they got home. There would be no time to recover before she descended into the Catacombs as part of the Festival. But here she was, sword in hand, moving through forms and flaring skills. Restless to her core. Everything about today bothered her. They were too close to Velillia for this kind of attack to have happened. One might suggest that with the Festival, that manpower was down. But part of the Festival was the Duchess recommitting her dedication to protect her people. For this to have happened now was unthinkable. Bartiang raids didn¡¯t just come from nowhere. This implied there was a nest of the things that had gone unnoticed long enough to produce at least one silverback male. Possible reasons swirled around her, none she liked. The easiest was that the First General or whichever one of her subordinates handled this swatch of land had messed up. Incompetence was a simple enough answer. Did she need to ascribe malice? Mistakes could be made at any level, by anyone. The forests here were dense and dangerous. Perhaps there had been patrols, but the nest had just been missed. Her sword swung down, the air parting with a gust from the force. She turned it at the bottom, redirecting it to the right and turning her body with the strike. She did not have enough information to speculate further. So she should not. Was it possible this was a conspiracy? Sure. At the highest level, it could be another country dumping monsters in Duchy lands. Below that, maybe Aunt Ashrel was hiding monster nests to destabilize the authority of the First General. Or it was lower still and this was the conflict of two lesser generals, or even captains. It was worth asking Telis to look into it when they got to the city. Not that it was her business to find out. Alyx¡¯s hands clenched tighter around her sword. She had her own problems. The machinations of others were more than she could handle. Yet fire burned in her veins. Incompetency or the games of the powerful, either way, it was the weak that lost. That wasn¡¯t her concern, either. She wasn¡¯t powerful. Not to the point that she could do anything about it. Stopping this attack was about all she could do. And what if it cost her the Festival? Her sword swung through the air, sloppy and violent, but her mind refused to still. It must have started already. The Festival. How deep had Fioreya gotten? Did she have the Major Blessing already? And Kohen? Had it been open long enough for him to have returned too? There hadn¡¯t been time for this diversion. She forced her hands to slow. Forced her body to settle back into the sword forms. Deep breath. Recenter the self. If she missed the Festival, it would not be because of this town. It would be because she chose to go to Uvana. It would be the time loitering in Hervet after they got back. But she could not have possibly won without having gone to Uvana. Could she win now? Level 26. Granted Blessings from defeating both the Lord of the Pass and Lord of the Deep. Armed with a treasure sword and chest plate. Allied to Cass. No. She could not rely on Cass for this. She owed Cass too much. Far too much. This had to be something she did herself. Could she win without Cass? She had to. Uvana had to have been worth the late start. She inhaled as she pulled her sword up for another strike. She exhaled as she drove it down again. She wished she had gotten one more level. Level 27 was the Gate, and with it came a huge spike in stats. She was almost there. She could feel it in her soul. She had hoped to kill enough bartiangs to break the threshold. It hadn¡¯t. She wished she¡¯d found the Lord of the Forest in Uvana. A full conquer of Uvana would almost make up for missing the Festival. No. She hadn¡¯t missed it yet. And, there was no guarantee meeting the Lord of the Forest would have gone as well as the other Lord fights had. Abyss, they hadn¡¯t even managed to kill the Herald of the Forest. She shouldn¡¯t wish for calamity. Even if she might have gotten her last Concept out of it. Guilt rippled through her. She knew she should have offered Cass the Concept Gem for defeating the Lord of the Pass. It had been Cass¡¯s kill and without Cass, she would have died horribly. But Alyx hadn¡¯t been able to resist. She could still see the gem in her mind¡¯s eye. Blue and sparking within with untold power. Concept Gem (Lightning). There should have been no question. It should have given her the Lightning Concept. She was a Veldor. It should be easy for her. It was the linchpin of the family¡¯s sword techniques. Electricity should spark from her blade as it arched through the air. Her aura should send jolts through her enemies. Fioreya could call down bolts of lightning from clear skies. Kohen wielded lightning in his spells as easily as breathing. All her cousins were integrating the family¡¯s signature Concept into some part of their technique. Even Ahryn had the Concept, though he still struggled to apply it to his skills. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Only she had failed to claim the Concept for herself. Had still failed. Even after stealing that Concept Gem from Cass. She had been offered Surge, Sword, and Clarity instead. Sword had spoken to her, so she had picked it, allowing it to join her existing Concepts Light and Grasping. A full set of Concepts were required to be picked by a dragon. They weren¡¯t the three she wanted, but¡­ But it was her punishment for not asking Cass for it. Simple as that. Cass had yet to mention it. Was it possible that she simply didn¡¯t realize there had been a gem to claim? No. Surely her cat knew and would have told her. Was this just more of Cass¡¯s grace? ¡°Girl, you didn¡¯t sleep?¡± Marco¡¯s voice behind her jolted her from her thoughts. She turned to see the old guard, his arms crossed, his body silhouetted by the low glow of camp. ¡°Is it my turn for watch?¡± Alyx asked instead of answering his question. The chance of the bartiangs attacking again was low, but not zero. The chance of another monster attacking bartiang raided lands was similarly low. It was only good sense to have a scheduled watch over the camp in case something happened. He scowled but nodded. ¡°If you haven¡¯t slept, I can take your shift.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°I can handle this much.¡± He made a grunting noise, which was neither agreement nor argument. ¡°I¡¯m not a little girl anymore, you know,¡± she said. He grunted again. He and Telis had watched over her for as long as she could remember. They¡¯d followed her mother from lands far off, their loyalty outliving her. ¡°Thank you,¡± Alyx said softly. ¡°But, I¡¯ll head off now. You should rest too.¡± He grunted. ¡°Aye. I know to get rest when I can. You be careful out there. The night¡¯s dark.¡± Alyx left him, ducking into the tent she and Cass were staying in. Cass was sprawled across her mat, her blanket splayed out over the ground beside her. She was very asleep. No wonder, either. Cass had a terrifying amount of Focus for her level¡ªfor anyone before the Gate really¡ªand it looked like she¡¯d spent it all several times over to Alyx¡¯s eyes. She did not know how she¡¯d managed that, but she didn¡¯t put it past Cass to have found some method to multiply her available Focus. That kind of impossibility was just the kind of nonsense she¡¯d come to expect. A pair of gold eyes flickered open behind Cass. Deep shadows swirled around him. A shiver ran down Alyx¡¯s spine, even though she knew it was only Salos. ¡°She¡¯s been sleeping the whole time?¡± Alyx asked as she knelt by her bags, retrieving the rest of her armor and reequipping it. Salos stalked around Cass, his eyes unblinking. An entirely cat-like behavior that felt entirely too human to Alyx. ¡°Once I convinced her to lie down, yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Alyx straightened, adjusting the last strap. ¡°What do you think the chances she sleeps through the night is?¡± The cat snorted. ¡°You ever see her wake up before the dawn on her own?¡± Alyx suppressed a chuckle. ¡°Her world seems like it¡¯s much more peaceful than this one.¡± ¡°An understatement in the extreme.¡± ¡°Will you stay here or do you want to join me for patrol?¡± Alyx asked. The cat looked between his mistress and Alyx, his tail swishing with displeasure. ¡°Your guard will be about?¡± Alyx nodded. Salos made a deep, purring hmmm in thought. ¡°The danger is out there.¡± He leapt to her shoulder without asking permission. Alyx let him. He wasn¡¯t heavy and he¡¯d refuse to talk to her if she didn¡¯t. They stepped outside and out toward the edges of camp. ¡°Besides, your servant¡¯s eyes are all over camp, are they not?¡± A moth erupted in purple flames, its glass-like wings shimmering. The flames were gone again in a fraction of a second. With them, Alyx lost sight of the bug, though she was sure it hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°You noticed Telis?¡± Most people assumed Telis had skills like that given her position and Alyx¡¯s continued survival, but few ever actually discovered the mechanisms behind that skill. ¡°You admit the source too easily,¡± he chided. ¡°Though I expected as much. The warrior is too upright to have a spy skill.¡± ¡°Do you consider us allies or not, cat?¡± Alyx said it in jest, but there was a stiffness in both their bodies that belied the truth. He didn¡¯t need to answer. They both knew. Cass considered them allies, so they were. If Alyx ever made the mistake of betraying the slyphid, this cat would not bat an eyelash to exact vicious revenge. Abyss, this cat would probably preempt the attempt so long as he figured it out before Cass could stop him. If Cass was too soft for this world, it was just as well this cat was far too harsh for it. Not for the first time, Alyx wondered who he really was and where he came from. If Cass was the merchant princess that she appeared to be, having such a well-trained Companion would have been entirely reasonable. But Cass wasn¡¯t. And so it didn¡¯t. She had to have gotten him in the Trial, but that wasn¡¯t something that happened. Identify called him a Shadow Tabby. And, at a glance, there was nothing odd about that. Shadow tabby were smart animals. She¡¯d heard they were common animal companions of aether sailors. Well-trained cats could sense the ebb and flow of aether and abyss out in the spaces between Islands and the Content. They were smart animals. But that was all they were. Animals. Animals didn¡¯t have connections to lost Spires and forgotten secret societies. Animals weren¡¯t ancient beyond ancient. But she was smart enough to keep such speculation to herself. And observant enough to see that he¡¯d do what Cass wanted, no matter his opinions on the matter. ¡°She¡¯s having a hard time,¡± he whispered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Cass.¡± Salos¡¯s claws scratched over the metal plate of her pauldron. ¡°I think she might have been putting a lot of stock into our world being like her own.¡± The shadows from the distant fire danced uncomfortably over the dark landscape. ¡°Obviously, it is not,¡± Salos said eventually. ¡°Should you be telling me this?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°No.¡± The word was clipped. Filled with distaste. ¡°But what is good sense before a child¡¯s desperate longing?¡± Alyx raised an eyebrow. The cat refused to meet her gaze, his gold eyes glaring out into the dark. They seemed to focus on the distance well outside the range Alyx could see herself. Was that how he saw Cass? Was that how a Companion should look at their master? ¡°More things I should not tell you, but you should know if you intend to take Cass with you,¡± he continued. ¡°She encountered a god.¡± Alyx froze. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yeah, that is the correct reaction.¡± ¡°When? Which god?¡± ¡°In the temple, the other day. She says it was Perception.¡± Was that why she was sitting outside the Temple? She had said little between the temple and the city gates. But she had said little since the ambush that morning. Alyx had just assumed it was the same shock all the way through. ¡°Why would one of the gods have met with Cass?¡± Alyx asked. Then again, Cass¡¯s entire existence was strange. Perhaps catching a god¡¯s attention was the least noteworthy thing about it. ¡°Cass listed reasons, but¡­¡± If it was Perception, and they were Perception¡¯s reasons, they were probably true but likely entirely incomplete. ¡°Why tell me this?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Because Cass needs more than me.¡± The words dragged from his lips, as if against his better judgment. ¡°But someone who runs at the first sign of trouble is not worth letting get close. If the prospect of the Gods¡¯ attention scares you, leave Cass before she has decided you are more than an ally.¡± Ch. 22: Arrival They left shortly after Cass woke up the next morning. Cass called it morning, but it was almost noon. Alyx had spent the morning organizing the campground into a long-term encampment, taking stock of what the villagers still had and what they would need to get back on their feet. New palisades were already being raised around the campground. The villagers would stay here until the town could be rebuilt, an effort Alyx promised the duchy would see completed. ¡°I would rather they relocate to the capital until real walls can be put up,¡± Alyx muttered as they galloped away. Cass, Alyx, and Salos were once again sharing a horse. Open fields rippled around them, the smudge of smoke above the burned town disappearing behind them. ¡°But I don¡¯t have time to oversee a caravan like that and they have too many injured to easily move, regardless.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done what you can,¡± Salos said lazily. ¡°And promised more besides. Was it within your power to promise all you did?¡± ¡°The duty of the grand duchess and her soldiers is to protect her subjects,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Since the Wing has failed them, it is only right we compensate them.¡± ¡°How honorable,¡± Salos muttered. ¡°If we don¡¯t do this much, how could we claim to be their lords?¡± Alyx¡¯s hands clenched around the reins. ¡°At the end of the day, it will be up to the grand duchess how much aid that town will get.¡± They galloped on, pulling away from the forests and into ever more open land. Ahead, the purple silhouettes of mountains peaked over the horizon, growing taller and taller like pillars of stone. Except they weren¡¯t mountains. They were floating pillars of stone. All were craggy, white-grey stone, anything soft about them stripped away by the vicious winds that snaked between the pillars. Hardy vines clung to the bare stone, sprawling through hundreds of feet of open air from one pillar to another, hanging low below them, reaching vainly for distant soil. ¡°What are they?¡± Cass asked, her eyes never leaving the sky of floating pillars. ¡°Spires?¡± Alyx said. ¡°We are at the edge of the Sea of Spires, one of the highest density areas of Spires. Definitely the densest collection of Spires over the Continent. How did they float? Cass wondered. Perhaps a silly question. The Continent floated too, after all. ¡°Is it the kind of stone?¡± Cass muttered. ¡°What?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°The stone; if I chipped off a piece, would it still float?¡± The answer had to be yes. How else¡ª ¡°No?¡± Alyx looked at Cass like she¡¯d just suggested the Earth was flat. ¡°Why would a stone float?¡± Cass pointed at the pillars of floating stone. ¡°Are they not made of stone? Do they not float?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Alyx said slowly. ¡°Spires float, but what does that have to do with stone?¡± Cass opened her mouth to argue. But how did one argue with nonsense? ¡°Close your mouth, you¡¯ll bite your tongue off,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Salos, can you explain?¡± Cass begged. ¡°Spires float.¡± Salos shrugged. ¡°The sky is up. The abyss is down.¡± *** Cass never got an answer to her question. She was sure there was a reason beyond ¡®because they do¡¯, but either neither Alyx nor Salos felt like explaining, or they didn¡¯t know. She filed the question away for later. Eventually, a tall wall of stone rose from the horizon: the walls of the city. They towered over the landscape, cold and imposing. They slowed as they approached the gate. A line of carts stood waiting for entrance. The guard at the front admitted them one at a time after checking cargo and papers. Alyx didn¡¯t wait in line, trotting their horse up to the front. She pulled back and let Telis take the lead. The butler dismounted and brandished a leather-bound booklet. ¡°This is the Lady Alyx Veldor and her party, returning from the Trial of Uvana Valley.¡± The woman at the gate barely looked at the papers Telis handed her. Instead, she watched Alyx, a malicious grin slipping over her lips. ¡°Miss Alyx Veldor, a bit late, aren¡¯t yah?¡± ¡°I have my own schedule,¡± Alyx replied stiffly. ¡°Your concern over my timetables has been noted. Next time I need someone to run an errand for me to save five minutes, I¡¯ll keep you in mind.¡± ¡°Cute, Veldor.¡± The guard scowled. ¡°Still, you¡¯re in luck. The Festival hasn¡¯t started yet.¡± Alyx scowled back. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate the joke.¡± ¡°Not joking.¡± The guard made a show of flipping through the gate papers. ¡°The duchess wouldn¡¯t have delayed the festival for me. It should have started days ago.¡± ¡°32nd (Tooth?) is still out on a mission. Honorably assigned by the duchess herself.¡± There was a barb to the guard¡¯s tone. One part was the obvious implication about Alyx¡¯s position relative to this other person. But there was also heavy weight on that second word, (tooth?). If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It was said like a name or a title. The system hadn¡¯t flagged names up to this point, even when they weren¡¯t Earth names. So a title then? What kind of title was related to teeth? Cass turned the word over in her head. The system provided context, wordless images and feelings. Connotation: teeth; the jaws of predators; feral; uncompromising; sharp, tearing things. The English word ¡®Fang¡¯ was perhaps closest, although that referred to only the incisors on a mammal and the teeth that injected venom on a snake, not the entire mouth of teeth like this word seemed to. There was a click in the back of her head, like a puzzle piece snapping into place. She felt the skill accept the word ¡®fang¡¯ as an appropriate translation for the word. Jothi Language Comprehension increased to level 6. And she¡¯d gotten a level for decoding a single word? Perhaps it was that she¡¯d actively settled on a translation rather than let the system do all the work? ¡°I see you¡¯ve picked up a couple strays.¡± The guard¡¯s eyes flicked to Cass and Salos, her attention bringing Cass back to the present. ¡°An unusual pair of strays.¡± What did she look like in this stranger¡¯s eyes? What did Identify call her? Slyphid Warrior? Slyphid Mage? Slyphid Wanderer? Was it too much to hope it called her human despite what her stat screen called her? Probably. ¡°I found her on my way home,¡± Alyx said briskly. ¡°She saved my life.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The guard looked Cass over again, her eyes picking Cass apart with renewed interest. ¡°Yes,¡± Alyx said. The guard waited another moment, waiting for more information. Alyx didn¡¯t give it. The guard sighed. ¡°Fine. Where¡¯d she come from?¡± ¡°Beyond the Open Sea.¡± The guard glared. ¡°That isn¡¯t funny.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my guest. Does it matter where she¡¯s from?¡± There was a challenge in Alyx¡¯s voice. A dare she wanted the guard to call her on. The guard¡¯s glare did not lessen as she turned the challenge over. Several seconds passed before she clicked her tongue and tossed the papers back at Telis. ¡°Fine. This is all in order. It¡¯s your problem if she¡¯s got ties to Stross.¡± Telis caught them far more gracefully than they were thrown. ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Alyx waved the guard off as they walked through the gate and into Velillia. Velillia was a riot of color. Like Hervet, the streets were cobblestone, but where Hervet¡¯s streets had been made from simple grey and brown stone, Velillia¡¯s were intermixed with glass-like cobbles in colors as varied as red to green to purple. Some shimmered with swirls of other colors where the sun hit them. Like Hervet, the buildings were all multiple floors, with the upper floors hanging out over the street. But here, nearly every building stretched up three or five stories instead of Hervet¡¯s humble two. And every building was painted in colorful patterns. Cloth streamers hung between opposing balconies, each one a new vibrant color. Most had strings of glass beads hanging in tassels, jingling in the wind. Where the sun poked through the buildings, a kaleidoscope of color was projected onto the street below. At the street level, every building was a shop front. Colorful, semi-translucent windows decorated every shop. Vendors¡¯ doors hung open and they or their greeters shouted to the passersby for attention, advertising their wears or disparaging their competitors¡¯. When they were well out of earshot of the guard post, Alyx started cursing quietly under her breath. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Cass asked. She glanced over her shoulder, but nothing seemed to have changed. None of the guard so much as looked their way. ¡°The festival was delayed,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± They weren¡¯t late now. Which meant Alyx was starting on the same playing field as everyone else. ¡°Yeah, mostly. But, it means that my family will still be in town. I was expecting most of them to be out already. The city is a lot more dangerous than I had planned. "Worse, they¡¯re probably bored waiting around for this all to start. ¡°Telis, see what supplies are still available.¡± ¡°Shall I meet you at the townhouse or the manor?¡± Telis asked. Alyx pursed her lips. ¡°Manor. It would look like I was hiding if I stayed at the townhouse right now.¡± ¡°You would be hiding,¡± Marco pointed out. Telis shot him a glare and he shut up. She continued, ¡°I assume you would like to skip the mercenaries this time?¡± Alyx hesitated. ¡°A guide would be useful, but I¡¯d suspect any guides that you could still hire.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°I should be enough,¡± Marco said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but I followed your mother down there. People call it a maze, but if the only goal is the Blessing, you just keep goin¡¯ straight.¡± ¡°I dislike the idea of the two of you going alone,¡± Telis said. ¡°What other option do I have?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I can come,¡± Cass interjected. Her help wouldn¡¯t be a lot, but it had to be better than Alyx taking on the trials of this festival thing alone. I am sure we have better things to be doing, Salos muttered. Alyx shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to come.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Cass asked. She needs to win this thing to find some information for us, Cass reminded him. Why shouldn¡¯t we help? ¡°I can¡¯t possibly compensate you for helping me with this,¡± Alyx said. ¡°You should stay in town with Telis. Marco and I have done worse.¡± We have other avenues to explore here, Salos added. And I am surprised you seem so eager to jump back into a dangerous situation. ¡°I don¡¯t need compensation.¡± Cass restrained a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re doing this for me, right? I should help.¡± Alyx shook her head. Telis coughed. ¡°I think this can be decided once we have a better feel for the situation. Delaying the opening of the Catacombs is highly unusual. Decisions can be made once the specific cause and the related effects have been ascertained, yes?¡± Alyx didn¡¯t look pleased to be dropping the conversation, but she nodded. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s reasonable. See what you can find out, Telis.¡± The butler nodded. ¡°I shall be back shortly.¡± And the woman vanished, horse included. Cass blinked. There had been no fanfare, no flashing lights, no feeling of space shifting or perception sliding. The butler had been there one moment, the next the town¡¯s crowd was pressing into the now-empty space. Alyx chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s good at that, huh?¡± ¡°How does she do that?¡± Cass asked. Alyx shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s generally considered rude to ask. I believe it¡¯s a skill though. Even I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a manipulation of space or perception or something else. What I do know is that she knows how to be exactly where she¡¯s needed and she takes uncommon pride in doing so. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get to the manor. She¡¯ll probably beat us there, even with her separate tasks.¡± Ch. 23: Velillia They rode down the main street, following its gentle curves through the town. The deeper they got into the city, the less and less of the sky Cass could see above them. Every block, the buildings on either side seemed to hang further and further out over the road, and what open air remained was filled with more and more streamers of cloth and glass. Even at midday, the sunlight above was choked out, with only the occasional beam of colored light refracted through the maze of cloth and glass above. Instead, the street level was lit by lanterns and candles. Most were ordinary flames, yellow and flickering behind clear or painted glass. A fair number were magically lit, burning blues and purples and greens. Between the magic lights, the stained glass lantern shades, and the vibrant paint of the buildings, the street was awash in a dizzying array of colors, glistening even in the gloom. Branching off on either side of the main thoroughfare were a dizzying number of side streets. Some were just as wide and busy as the street they followed, whereas others were dark and narrow things barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. This continued until they reached a wide river. The river had sharp, rocky banks, the cliffs carved away by its power. It rushed through its stone channel, fast and ceaseless, roaring like a beast. The bridge went over it, clearing the water below by tens of yards while barely rising over the road to either side by a foot. On the far side of the river, an entirely different city had been built. On the side Cass had come from, the buildings were cramped, the alleys dark, and even the main street was only bright because of the multicolored magic lights illuminating shop fronts. On the far side was a grassy broadway lined with trees running parallel to the water. Stretching away from the river, the road continued, the sky unobstructed, the buildings separated from the road by greenery and gardens, all enclosed by low stone walls. The road rose as it moved away from the river, twisting as it was wont to do. Rising above the city skyline was a pagoda of glass and stone. It dwarfed all the other buildings on either side of the river. Two buildings came close, though. The first was a tower standing tall above the crowded buildings of the lower city. It proudly reached for the sky, its spire forked like the head of a seam ripper. The building glowed to Cass¡¯s Mana Sense, even from her considerable distance. The second was a building atop a Spire. It floated over the river, far downstream. The river widened around it as if to make more space for the diamond-shaped mass of floating stone. Bridges connected the Spire to the river banks on either side. The building itself was a domed cathedral made of shimmering stone. They glimmered like glass, shining in the sun. Alyx led them further into the city. People walked slower here. Their clothing was nicer and brighter. Some watched them pass from their balconies or gardens. ¡°You should prepare yourself,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°For?¡± Cass asked. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Best case, my family will ignore us. More likely, they will find some fault with me through you.¡± Cass cocked her head to one side. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why what? Why ignore me?¡± Alyx laughed. ¡°Because my father would rather I didn¡¯t exist. I¡¯m what you call an embarrassment. ¡°Why find fault with me? Because it¡¯s the easiest way to curry favor with him to put me down. ¡°Why target you? Because they¡¯re cruel and narrowminded and you¡¯re an outsider and, therefore, an easy target.¡± ¡°They¡¯re really like that?¡± She thought those kinds of family dynamics were only found in trope-heavy inheritance or imperial palace stories. ¡°Just try to keep your head down. We won¡¯t be here long. Once the festival starts, you and Telis can move to the townhouse out of their sight.¡± The surrounding buildings parted at a wide plaza. In the center stood a statue of a stern woman riding what could only be a dragon. It was made of black glass, opaque and towering. The dragon was four times the size of the horse she rode, its head held high, its wings spread back like it was about to take off. The woman on its back was larger than life. She held a sword in one hand and a hanging chain in the other. Opposite the plaza was a hill. A wide road snaked up it. Far above, a castle of white stone and glistening glass crowned the hill. And rising from above its stately walls was the pagoda Cass had seen from the river. ¡°The Dragon Palace,¡± Alyx explained as if that was more than enough explanation as she turned their horses up the wide road. The road twisted up the hill. Smaller roads split off from it, carrying on along its sides. About halfway up the hill, Alyx turned them off the main road for one of these. It took them over a bridge to another hill. No, Cass looked down, it was no hill. This was another low-hanging Spire. It floated above the ground, not that she could tell standing atop it. It didn¡¯t so much as bob in the wind. They wound around the Spire to a manor front carved from the stony side of the Spire. ¡°And this is my father¡¯s home.¡± Alyx¡¯s voice was guarded, completely lacking welcome. Her eyes watched the dark windows of the house the same way they¡¯d watched the monsters of Uvana. Telis waited for them on the front steps. She made a half bow, one hand stretched to the side, one over her heart. Her horse and any supplies she might have collected were nowhere in sight. ¡°Welcome home, my lady.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s home right now, Telis?¡± Alyx asked as she swung herself down from the horse and helped Cass down after. ¡°Everyone except your father.¡± ¡°Could be worse.¡± ¡°Your father could be home,¡± Marco agreed with a dark chuckle. Alyx shook her head. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get settled for the festival.¡± Cass followed her through the main doors and up the right side of the sweeping double staircase. A pane of stained glass was set into the wall on the landing and lit from behind. It depicted a woman and a dragon. The glass segments cut a sharp jaw and stern eyes. Her hair was a cold black, like onyx or wrought iron, and pulled back in an intricate braided crown. The dragon beside her was no less serious. No less judgmental. Cass had no idea it was possible to make so many different shades of black in glass, or that it was possible to do such detailed portraiture this way. Alyx bowed her head to the portrait before passing it, while Telis and Marco bowed at the waist. Cass copied Telis. ¡°My grandmother,¡± Alyx explained, as if that explained everything. It probably did. She didn¡¯t make any further comments as they walked deeper into the manor. ¡°Telis, show Cass to the guest suite and get her situated,¡± Alyx said as they came to a branch in the hallway. To Cass, she added, ¡°Make yourself at home. We¡¯ll talk when I get back.¡± Ch. 24: Unwanted Guest The guest room was an impressive suite, larger than Cass¡¯s entire apartment back home. It comprised three rooms: a sitting room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. That was if one didn¡¯t count the extensive (if rather empty) closet space as its own room, which she probably should. All three spaces could be generously called comfortably large. It could less generously be called unnecessarily grandiose. If this was the guest space, Cass could only imagine what the rooms of the actual residents must look like. The sitting room alone had two full-sized couches set opposite one another around a coffee table. Heavy book shelves lined one wall. Its purpose seemed to be so guests could entertain guests? Cass didn¡¯t get it, but it seemed to be the ¡®public¡¯ facing portion of the guest suite. One had to pass through it to get to the actual bedroom. The bedroom was dominated by a four-poster bed flush with silken sheets and feathered pillows. A fire lay low in the fireplace on the opposite wall, the heat radiating off it in warm waves. The bathroom was in no way lesser to the room she¡¯d used in Hervet, the bath no less of an excitement or highlight for being the second since returning to civilization. Cass had no plans on ever taking baths for granted again. Cass sat in front of the bedroom¡¯s fireplace on a plush armchair. She¡¯d changed into a robe she¡¯d found in the closet. The soft blue fabric folded around her body like a gentle hug. Her hair hung over the back of the chair, away from her back, still dripping from the bath. Salos was nosing his way around the suite, looking for who knew what. Assassins or spies, probably. Just as she was about to doze off in the chair, the door to the suite opened. Salos tensed. A man¡¯s voice drifted through the room. Not Marco¡¯s voice. What are the chances that¡¯s a servant here to bring me tea and cookies? Cass asked. Salos padded up to the bedroom door, peering out into the sitting room. He relaxed a hair. About even with it being an assassin. Cass pursed her lips. But then, the man clearly wasn¡¯t hiding his entrance to the other room, not exactly the actions of an assassin. In fact, it almost sounded like he was talking to someone. Cass sighed. I guess I should go greet my guest? Too late, Salos yelped and scurried away from the door as it swung in. ¡°And this is¡ª¡± the man stopped when he saw Cass sitting by the fire. He was in his early twenties, probably a year or two younger than Alyx. Their skin tone and facial structure matched, dark and sharp respectively, but his eyes were the same onyx as the woman from the portrait in the main hall. Those eyes were currently very wide with surprise. ¡°Who are you?¡± he blurted. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Cass.¡± Cass waved awkwardly. ¡°I was told this would be my room while I stayed.¡± ¡°What?¡± A second man peered over the first¡¯s shoulder. He was a blond man with snake-like eyes the color of limes. ¡°Kohen, you said I¡¯d get the main guest room.¡± ¡°One second, I¡¯ll sort this out,¡± the first man, Kohen apparently, shot back at his guest. To Cass, he hissed, ¡°Who told you could stay here?¡± ¡°Telis?¡± Cass said. ¡°Telis?¡± Kohen repeated, confusion in his voice. There was no recognition in his eyes. A second later he snapped, ¡°(Rat?)¡¯s servant?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. Rat? That wasn¡¯t quite what that word meant, but her skill assured her it was close. Cass could think of few contexts where comparison to a pest or a rodent was said with affection. Or contexts where that tone of voice was used for anything but an insult. No, from the context, she had a pretty good idea what was happening. The question was what to do about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know a (rat?),¡± Cass repeated the word slowly and carefully, repeating it exactly despite not knowing it. She looked down at Salos. ¡°Does that sound like something you might enjoy?¡± He blinked at her slowly. What would I do with that? No idea what it is, Cass assured him. Just pretend to be a cat. It¡¯ll be okay. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think so,¡± Cass said. To the man, Cass continued, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought the Veldor family mansion would have a (rat?) problem. Maybe I should have told Alyx I would rather stay in her townhouse instead?¡± The man¡¯s teeth clenched. ¡°You insult the¡ª¡° Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Cass cut him off. ¡°Who brought (rats?) up first? I don¡¯t think it was me.¡± She sighed and shook her head. ¡°Honestly, you barge into my rooms, demand to know who I am, barely seem to care that I¡¯m not prepared for guests,¡± Cass flicked a wet strand of hair from her face for emphasis, ¡°And start yelling about pests? All without so much as introducing yourself?¡± Cass leveled a controlled glare at him, while her heart hammered in her chest. This was almost certainly Alyx¡¯s younger brother, which made him nobility in this place. In this world, that was likely a very real power. Power over life and death. But, it hopefully also meant that there were certain roles he was expected to fulfill. Roles like courtesy. And hopefully, Cass hadn¡¯t crossed any line with him such that he felt he no longer had to follow such customs. ¡°I am Kohen Delim Veldor,¡± he said, forcibly relaxing his jaw as he spoke, ¡°First son of Warden Thaycer Delim Veldor and grandson of the archduchess of Vaisom, may I have the pleasure of hearing our guest¡¯s name?¡± He held his hand out, palm up, as he spoke. She Identified him as she took his hand, shaking it. Vaisom Noble Lvl 28 [The son of a prominent noble of the duchy of Vaisom. He exudes the expectation of authority, if not authority itself.] ¡°I¡¯m Cass.¡± She was pretty sure she¡¯d already said that. Maybe he wanted a full name? He had given her all of his, after all. ¡°Cass Yuan. Nice to meet you.¡± He had a strange look on his face as Cass pulled her hand away. He wanted to kiss your hand, Salos said. Oh. Gross. No, thank you. Do they do that here? Evidently. ¡°And I am Tiador Ophir,¡± the second man interjected, pushing past Kohen, hand also out for Cass. ¡°Second child of the Ophir Clan of Mystev.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you as well,¡± Cass said, shaking his hand just the same as Kohen. Vaisom Noble (lvl 25) ¡°Please excuse my dress,¡± Cass continued. ¡°As mentioned, I was not prepared to meet any guests.¡± Tiador laughed. ¡°Neither was I, Miss Yuan, was it? Ko, here said the room¡¯d be free.¡± He slapped Kohen on the back with a grin. Kohen shot his friend a glare. ¡°I am sure that Mister Veldor can find you another room in this great manor with little difficulty,¡± Cass said with a smile she was sure didn¡¯t reach her eyes. She didn¡¯t know how much harder she could hint that she was done with this conversation without saying it outright. Kohen actually glared at her in return. Her heart pounded, but she ignored it and him. ¡°I think there has been a mixup in room assignments, actually,¡± Kohen said, his voice highly controlled. ¡°You might not be aware, but this is the primary guest suite. It is for important dignitaries from other cities. People who are here to do business with the family.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Faux interest dripped from her voice like slime. He was going to make this difficult. Tiador leaned back in the door frame, clearly bored. Kohen was playing a game with her then. Probably a political one within the family. Trying to exert some social capital over Alyx. Cass could imagine the outlines of the rules but couldn¡¯t care less about the details. This wasn¡¯t her world. This wasn¡¯t her game. What she did recognize was the stare of a man who thought she didn¡¯t belong here. It was a stare she was all too familiar with. And all too familiar ignoring. ¡°Yes.¡± Kohen¡¯s voice had taken a soft, almost lyrical tone. Unnatural as it was pleasing to the ear. ¡°So why don¡¯t you come with me, and I¡¯ll ensure a servant sees you to more fitting quarters.¡± The words rang with a kind of sense. Obvious and reasonable. Alyx didn¡¯t have the station in this house to give Cass the best guest room. Who was Cass to expect it? These thoughts were nonsense, of course. Cass laughed as a window popped up in the corner of her vision. Status Effect (Noble Suggestions) Ignored. ¡°That is very thoughtful of you.¡± Cass flashed a smile with far too much teeth. ¡°But I see no reason to turn down the room my host has already given me. It seems like it would be rude to turn down what I¡¯ve already accepted. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Kohen¡¯s eyes widened as whatever skill he¡¯d used washed uselessly over her. His guest behind him stood up a little straighter, an eyebrow raised. They both had expected it to end with a little magic then? Just some casual brainwashing? Was that normal, then? Or only normal for those in power on those without? Cass cared little for either of the potential answers. ¡°So, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± some of her distaste leaked into her voice without her meaning to, ¡°I would appreciate it if you both left now. It sounds like you have more arrangements to make to find Mister Ophir a room. No reason to loiter here any longer, hm?¡± She gave them another small wave and sat back down in her chair. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need me to see you out?¡± Wordlessly, the two men left the room, Salos slinking after them to be sure they¡¯d left. It wasn¡¯t until the outer door closed again and Salos slunk back that Cass let out a huge sigh of relief. ¡°What was that?¡± She sunk into an armchair, her head in her hands. ¡°Your friend¡¯s brother, by the sound of it,¡± Salos observed dryly. ¡°And the casual manipulation skill?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Not uncommon, especially among nobles.¡± Cass groaned. ¡°That¡¯s so gross. I can¡¯t express how gross that is.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Cass shot him an incredulous look. ¡°I would have thought you, of all people, would have problems with skills that force someone¡¯s will on another.¡± ¡°A skill like what the brat used is hardly in the same class as a Command.¡± He shrugged. ¡°A Command overrides any free will. It is all but absolute. It affects the target down to their very soul. ¡°A skill like that was a social skill. It alters thought patterns at best. Makes his words sound like a good idea. But they need to be halfway reasonable in the first place. ¡°A true Command could end the target¡¯s life, force them to kill or maim those they care for, or otherwise betray their very core. Social Manipulation is incredibly shallow in comparison. It can¡¯t convince you to do something that you couldn¡¯t already see yourself doing. Not unless the user was very powerful. ¡°Besides, it is not like anyone can make you do anything with a skill like that.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°That isn¡¯t the point. How many people is he able to exploit because of a skill like that?¡± ¡°Very few more that he wasn¡¯t already able to exploit with your garden variety forms of violence and power,¡± Salos said with a yawn. Cass glared at the door, hating every bit that Salos was probably right. Ch. 25: Sparring ¡°So, where is Alyx?¡± Cass asked when they got up to the empty training yard. It was on the top of the Spire the manor had been built into. It was simultaneously natural stone and the manor¡¯s roof. ¡°The lady¡¯ll be along in a bit,¡± the old guard said. He walked up to the rack of wooden training weapons, selecting a short sword and giving it a test twirl. ¡°I thought it¡¯d be best if the two of us had a chat first though, so I figured I¡¯d invite you up a touch early, is all.¡± ¡°A chat?¡± The man nodded. He jerked his head toward the weapon rack. ¡°Take your pick.¡± ¡°Is a weapon needed for a chat?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Why?¡± Marco lowered his sword. ¡°Are you a Martial or a Merchant, girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± That was the strangest dichotomy Cass had ever heard. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m either.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s got a role in this world. Nothing wrong with being someone who¡¯s protected rather than one who protects. Just ask Telis, yeah? Just don¡¯t pretend to be one when you¡¯re the other.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m pretending to be anything.¡± That wasn¡¯t wholly true, but it was true enough in this context. The things she was pretending had more to do with her status as Human and her nature as Cass of Earth. The man grunted. ¡°You survived Uvana. Saved my lady the way she tells it. No merchant or craftsman could do such a thing. You ran into the fires in that village, bloodthirsty as the best of us. Not the actions of a craftsman. ¡°Yet that body of yours has never experienced a day of training. That body isn¡¯t a martial¡¯s body. The way your eyes shirk away from bloodshed, those aren¡¯t a martial¡¯s eyes. The knees knocking together before death,¡± he shook his head, ¡°Not a martial¡¯s reaction, not by a long shot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Alyx mentioned I¡¯m not from around here,¡± Cass said. He nodded. ¡°Says you¡¯re from another world. That¡¯s why I got to know. Are you someone who can and will protect my lady or someone she needs to protect?¡± He raised his sword. ¡°So let¡¯s chat, me and you. Let¡¯s see which is pretend and which is true.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve fought to survive, but I¡¯m not a ¡®martial¡¯, whatever that means.¡± He lowered his sword and raised an eyebrow. ¡°That so?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Hm. I¡¯d like to see how you handle yourself all the same.¡± Why? ¡°If you stick around my lady, it¡¯ll be good to know how well you survive without help. She¡¯d be upset with me if you got yourself into trouble that I couldn¡¯t get you out of.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡± Not that she was any happier about it. She approached the wall of weapons anyway. She¡¯d only taken up a staff in the wilderness because that¡¯s what was available. But with all these weapons in front of her, she was still looking for a staff because it was the only one she knew the first thing about fighting with. Staff Mastery spotted one on the edge of the wall. It was about a hand longer than the stick she usually used, but the weight was familiar in her hands. Marco had found himself a shield while she¡¯d equipped herself with the staff and waited for her in the open sand training yard. He waved her over impatiently. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wear armor or something?¡± Cass asked as she joined him. ¡°What¡¯s your Fortitude?¡± he asked. Cass¡¯s eyes widened and shot toward Salos. You said people didn¡¯t just¡ª ¡°Rough range, girl, no need to panic,¡± Marco assured her. ¡°Um, it¡¯s in the teens?¡± He made a grumbling noise. ¡°I can work with that. You¡¯ll be okay.¡± That did not fill Cass with confidence. ¡°And should you wear something?¡± He laughed. ¡°If you hurt me with that stick, you can boast to any who¡¯ll listen about it.¡± Cass¡¯s confidence continued to plummet. ¡°O-okay then?¡± He nodded. ¡°Basic sparrin¡¯ rules, yeah?¡± He must have noticed the lack of recognition in Cass¡¯s eyes because he elaborated, ¡°We¡¯re just looking at weapon skill first. No magics, no active effects, just mastery and movement skills. And any Concepts you got. ¡°You should go all out. Don¡¯t worry about hurting me. If you have enough Strength to give me bruises, I¡¯ll eat my shoes. I¡¯ll be pulling my strikes, but still expect them to smart a touch.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Cass nodded. Her hands fell into comfortable places along her staff, her feet spreading to a steady stance. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± The guard gestured her forward with his sword. Cass swung down with her staff. Marco knocked it to the side effortlessly with his sword. ¡°Hit me harder. Like you mean to kill.¡± But Cass didn¡¯t mean to kill. Cass didn¡¯t even want to hurt the man. She swung the staff again all the same. He knocked it wide with the same effortless ease as the first, his eyes dead and bored with the affair. ¡°Is this all you have?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Yes?¡± He shook his head. ¡°This was not how you attacked the bartiang. Show me that ferocity.¡± That fight was all a blurred panic now. Just smoke and heat and pain. A desperate need to hit faster and harder. To save one more person. How could he compare now to that? ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go. See what you can deflect.¡± That was all the warning he gave before he leapt forward, his sword snaking past her staff to her ribs. The wood rapped hard against her. Air fled her lungs and Cass doubled over in pain. He pulled back again, shaking his head. ¡°Come on. Make this a little interesting.¡± Cass grit her teeth. Why was she doing this? She wasn¡¯t a fighter. She didn¡¯t enjoy it. Why would she do this in her free time? Why was this something civilized people did? ¡°Is that all?¡± He leaned over her, a heavy scowl on his lips. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Cass shouted back. ¡°Effort,¡± he growled. Cass pushed herself back to her feet. Effort he said. What? Effort to kill him? To hurt him? He was swinging at her again. Dodge was ready this time. It whispered directions. She followed them, slipping around the sword strike. Staff Mastery suggested a follow up strike. She followed through, jabbing the staff forward with all her weight behind it. He deflected with his shield. ¡°Better.¡± Cass swung again, her staff whipping around to his sword side, going for his shoulder. He stepped back, out of the way of the strike, before jerking forward again after the blow, his sword slapping at her hands. Cass hissed in pain, but her hands didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Good, don¡¯t drop the weapon.¡± He nodded to himself and blocked Cass¡¯s next strike and the next. He was better than her. Much better. His sword was always where it needed to be to block her next strike. His shield covered his body, yet was never in his way. He was much stronger than her. She could feel it in the reverberations that rang up the staff as their weapons clashed. And this was while he was holding back. It was to be expected; he was well over her level for one and had a literal lifetime of experience sword fighting for two. It shouldn¡¯t be surprising he could hold her back this easily. She just needed to hold out until he was satisfied. She had nothing to prove. She wasn¡¯t a fighter. She had no stake in this fight. And yet, there was a pounding in her ears. Her heart was pounding. Why? She wasn¡¯t in danger. He was more than skilled enough to ensure that much. But if it wasn¡¯t fear, then what was this that gripped her? The buzzing in her body was just the reverberation of his heavy strikes, right? The burning in her chest was a creeping dread, right? It couldn¡¯t be excitement, could it? That was madness. No. It had to be fear. An association with her weapon eliciting a fear response even though, logically, she knew herself to be in no real danger. That was it. She couldn¡¯t like this. And yet, as she dodged another sword strike, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like she could do more than just dodge. As her staff was deflected wide, she could see the path she needed to make another strike before he could pull his sword back to center. She was faster. She knew it in her heart. The wind whispered it around her. She was faster. Could always be faster if she wished for it. And she desperately wished for it. Another sword strike. She dodged to her right, the side Marco held his shield. Faster than she¡¯d moved so far, she kept going, darting around the shield to his back. Her staff swung down, aiming for his head. His body turned. Fast enough, she missed the back of his head. Not fast enough to avoid her entirely. Her staff smacked into his shoulder. The sound of the impact reverberated through the training yard. She froze. He hissed in surprise, turning to face Cass. ¡°Why¡¯d yah stop?¡± Cass stared at him blankly. ¡°I hit you.¡± Was he okay? He said he would be, but he also hadn¡¯t planned on being hit, had he? He rolled the shoulder and shrugged. ¡°Smarts a bit. But you could¡¯a done a lot more there if you hadn¡¯t stopped. You move pretty fast when you want to, don¡¯t yah?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°I guess?¡± He snorted. ¡°I think I see where you stand, all the same. We¡¯ll spar nightly while we¡¯re both in town. Starting tonight after dinner.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Cass stuttered out. Her hands were still buzzing with that nameless emotion she could only call fear. ¡°You¡¯re scared of hurting people,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna fight people, you need to beat out that impulse.¡± ¡°Beat out?¡± Cass repeated dumbly. ¡°How else you gonna get over it?¡± He walked back to the racks, hanging up his equipment. Cass stood dumbly in the center of the training ring. She didn¡¯t want to beat up anyone. ¡°Besides, you need to work on your weapon mastery skill. Was that a Staff Mastery or a Spear Mastery?¡± He looked back over his shoulder at Cass. ¡°Staff.¡± Cass followed him to the rack and set the staff down. ¡°Hmm. Self-taught?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve picked up a number of spear habits, from what I can tell,¡± he said. ¡°Oh. Well, sometimes it¡¯s a glaive,¡± Cass said. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Show me.¡± Cass picked the staff up again and willed a Wind Blade to the end. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can see it, but I¡¯ve placed a blade of wind on the end there.¡± He squinted. There was no way he could see it. Wind Blade was invisible without Atmospheric Sense or Mana Sight. Cass doubted he had Atmospheric Sense given that was a racial skill she¡¯d gotten for being slyphid. Mana Sense was possible though, she supposed. ¡°Hold it still,¡± he said, reaching out along the shaft with a hand. His hand hovered over the length of the staff up to the Wind Blade and past it. He nodded to himself. ¡°How much control do you have over the shape and size?¡± ¡°This is default,¡± Cass said. ¡°But I can change most of the parameters if I need to. I¡¯ve made it pointier for stabbing or more wedge-y for chopping. It¡¯s better at slicing, no matter the shape.¡± He nodded to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll find a training glaive for you to practice with too, then. We can practice with both.¡± Cass was about to ask why again when the door to the training yard swung open. Ch. 26: All Out Cass turned to see Alyx and Telis step out onto the training yard. ¡°Oh good, you¡¯ve warmed up,¡± Alyx said. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked. Everyone looked at Cass with disappointment. ¡°Why did you think I asked you up here?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Thought you might like to do some sparring before dinner.¡± ¡°Why would I want to do that?¡± Cass asked. ¡°How else do you plan to build your weapon mastery skills?¡± She supposed that made sense, but that didn¡¯t fill her with any more desire to join Alyx in such a thing. Alyx picked up a sword from the training racks and started moving through sword forms. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°With all respect,¡± Marco interjected, ¡°Miss Cass¡¯s skills aren¡¯t up to sparring with you.¡± Alyx paused mid-form, a surprised look on her face. ¡°Really?¡± Marco nodded. Cass looked away, suddenly feeling entirely too self-conscious about it. There was no reason to be embarrassed about it. Before falling into Uvana, she¡¯d never touched a weapon. Fighting was something she¡¯d picked up to survive, not something she put personal pride in. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen her fight. I agree she¡¯s no master of technique, but you saw her in the town. She¡¯s a beast on the battlefield.¡± Marco shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s conservative in just about every way.¡± Cass¡¯s face burned. Alyx¡¯s praise was too much and Marco¡¯s dismissal too sharp¡ªeven if the dismissal was entirely warranted. It shouldn¡¯t bother her, yet all she wanted was to run from it. Alyx hummed to herself in thought. ¡°Nope. I won¡¯t believe that until I see it. Come on, let¡¯s spar.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to.¡± The words spilled from Cass¡¯s lips before she thought them through. There were endless reasons to refuse, yet she regretted them the second they were out in the open. ¡°Nonsense,¡± Alyx said briskly. ¡°We need to show Marco what you¡¯re actually made of.¡± Cass bit her lip. Alyx¡¯s expectations were entirely too high. She had gotten them through a lot in Uvana, but none of it was because she was ¡®strong¡¯. Certainly, none of it was because she was ¡®skilled¡¯. She¡¯d been lucky again and again. She¡¯d found paths to her goals that didn¡¯t require traditional victory. Escape and redirection were her skills, if you made her explain her apparent success. A straight fight between herself and Alyx? That could only end one way. But Alyx¡¯s expectant eyes bore into Cass. Reluctantly, Cass picked the staff back up and stepped out onto the training field. ¡°Okay. How are we doing this? Same as before?¡± ¡°What did you two do before?¡± ¡°Basic sparring,¡± Marco answered. ¡°No active skills. Just movement and mastery.¡± ¡°Well, no wonder you were underwhelmed,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Referee for us. Step in if things are about to get too bloody.¡± He collected a shield and baton from the weapons rack with a nod. ¡°Sure.¡± To Cass, Alyx continued, ¡°Forget all that. We¡¯re going all out. Use every skill in your repertoire. I want them to see everything.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± Cass asked hesitantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about hurting me or property damage or anything,¡± Alyx waved Cass forward. ¡°Marco will make sure we don¡¯t go too far.¡± How far was that? Drawing blood? Breaking bones? She¡¯d suffered worse in Uvana and found herself largely healed by the next day. But, she had been sleeping in Safe Zones and taking full advantage of her camping skill. How much could normal people come back from in a reasonable time? ¡°Ready?¡± Marco called from the side. Alyx nodded before Cass could ask any of those questions. She found herself copying the movement, her stomach churning. ¡°Ardent Aegis!¡± Marco yelled, slamming his baton against his shield. A soft red glow burst from the shield and flashed across Cass and Alyx¡¯s skin. A comfortable weight settled over her. A promise that she would be safe, come what may. Before Cass could ask what that was, Marco shouted, ¡°Begin!¡± Alyx darted forward, her sword swinging. Time slowed as Alacrity kicked into full gear. Dodge, Staff Mastery, and Wind Step all provided suggestions. Side step, block, or flit behind? The sidestep was easiest. Cass started with that. Her body shifted out of the way of the wooden blade with Dodge¡¯s assistance. Staff Mastery swung the staff at Alyx¡¯s side as they passed. Alyx¡¯s sword snaked out, blocking the strike, her body twisting to reorient on Cass again. The blade was glowing in Alyx¡¯s hands. It flashed forward, a streak of light. Staff Mastery yanked her staff between her and the blade. The blade slammed into it, wood on wood. Alyx¡¯s Strength was far greater than Cass¡¯s. Her staff flew back under the impact, slamming into Cass¡¯s abdomen. The air was forced from Cass¡¯s lungs for the second time that afternoon. But Cass kept her feet this time, even as she stumbled backward. Perhaps the recent experience with Marco reminded Cass she didn¡¯t need anything in her lungs. Perhaps it was simply that even holding back Marco¡¯s strikes hurt more. Perhaps it was a stubborn streak even Cass couldn¡¯t control. ¡°I know that isn¡¯t all you¡¯ve got,¡± Alyx yelled as she dove forward again, her sword closing the small gap between them. Dodge pulled Cass out of the way, twisting her body around the incoming strike. But not quite enough. She could see Alyx¡¯s sword would clip her elbow. Color inverted for a fraction of a second as she engaged Liminal Dodge¡¯s extended functionality. She ceased to be in that moment her arm and Alyx¡¯s sword would have struck. She returned to full corporeality with the loss of a chunk of Stamina as the blade sailed harmlessly past her. Stamina: 73/105 Alyx wasn¡¯t phased in the slightest at her missed strike. She turned the edge at the end of her swing, immediately turning it around in another sweep. Cass redirected it off her staff. But Alyx followed it with another. And another. All of them glowed with her amber aura. Staff Mastery and Dodge jerked her around like frantic puppet masters yanking on her strings. The reverberation echoed up the wood, numbing her hands and arms. The wood flexed under every strike. Another strike to her abdomen. Deflected. Her thigh. Her shoulder. Dodged. This was not a winnable position. But Cass couldn¡¯t wrench control of this fight from Alyx. The swordswoman was relentless and tireless. Luckily, winning was irrelevant. Cass simply needed to hold on until this exercise was over. Until Alyx tired of fighting. Until Marco declared continuing unsafe. That thought wasn¡¯t as much of a relief as she had expected it to be. It should have been. She had nothing to gain from winning. She lost nothing with a loss. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. So why did her heart beat so frantically in her chest? Why did the air in her lungs whirl and twist with impatience? Cass¡¯s hands clutched tighter around her staff, deflecting another sweep of Alyx¡¯s sword. She could do more than this. Was it that simple? The wind gusted around her. Every fiber of her being begged to go with it. Wind Step promised this was the answer. Alyx swung again. The wind pulled and Cass let it take her. She Stepped onto it, grabbing it with Elemental Manipulation and sending it across the sand. Alyx¡¯s swing whooshed through the open air, her body thrown off balance with her target gone entirely. Cass stepped off the wind on the far side of the yard a fraction of a second later, her heart hammering with anticipation. But anticipation of what? What now? Distance was only an advantage for Wind Blade. Cass called one to the end of her staff and threw it across the field. But where did she aim it? If she were fighting to kill¡ªshe suppressed a shudder at the thought¡ªshe¡¯d aim for the neck or the face. Depending on the opponent¡¯s armor, she might consider chest strikes as well. But all that seemed too dangerous to attack a companion with, even in a controlled setting like this. But would arm or leg shots be much safer? There were major arteries everywhere. Nick the wrong one and you could bleed out before emergency services could do anything. Cass blunted the blade¡¯s edge at the last second, letting it crash into Alyx¡¯s back. She stumbled forward, her head whipping around to Cass. Alyx grinned and charged across the field. That was not the reaction Cass had expected. Her heart hammered. She threw another Wind Blade and then another. Alyx didn¡¯t slow. She made no effort to stop the racing blades. Could she even see them? Panic shot through Cass. Alyx probably couldn¡¯t. They were going to strike unobstructed. Cass yanked the first one wide. It sliced into Alyx¡¯s arm. The red of Marco¡¯s skill flared to life where the Wind Blade struck, but Alyx didn¡¯t seem to notice. The second blade Cass fumbled, unable to direct both of them at the same time. It raced along its initial trajectory, slamming directly into Alyx¡¯s chest. The red light of Marco¡¯s skill flared again. He grunted from the side. Alyx faltered, her steps slipping, but she pushed on anyway. Stamina: 65/105 Focus: 226/324 Alyx barely slowed, barreling across the training grounds at full speed. In a flash, Alyx had closed the distance. She swung down. Cass Dodged around the swordswoman, Staff Mastery snapping out at Alyx¡¯s shoulders with a Wind-Bladed glaive. Alyx flickered in place, there one moment, incorporeal the next, then behind Cass a moment later. But Cass was already Sprinting away, the gusts from Stormstride creating a powerful tailwind, pushing her faster. Alyx gave chase. Her sword flashed with her amber aura. It trailed behind her, like a shining ghost. She was still several feet back, not remotely in range with that sword. Yet Alyx swung. The amber glow shot from the end of the wooden blade, flying forward even as the swordswoman charged after it. It was faster than Alyx. Faster than Cass. Cass would not make it out of the way in time. Alacrity whirled to find an answer and Cass¡¯s perception of time slowed to a crawl. She couldn¡¯t outrun it, not even with Stormstride and the summoned gale pushing her forward. And yet, that gale roared in her ears. This was what it was for. Cass Wind Stepped. Her body dissolved into the wind. It gusted on. She pulled it right with Elemental Manipulation. Not fast enough. The aura blade clipped the edge of her incorporeal form. Pain spiked through her. She had no body, yet her very existence hurt. She fell from the wind. What was that? Shouldn¡¯t she be invulnerable like that? No. The description of Wind Step flashed before her eyes. Wind Step (Lvl 10) (Racial) [The Slyphid are as much beings of the wind as they are corporeal creatures and can transmute their body and immediate personal effects into wind, making them immune to physical damage and allowing heightened speed in the direction the wind is blowing. You are no exception. Cost: 48 Focus Cool Down: 20 sec] Wind Step only made her immune to physical damage. Alyx¡¯s aura blade clearly did more than that. There wasn¡¯t time to analyze further. Alyx was already swinging again. She was going to be hit. She could Liminal Dodge it, but then what? She¡¯d just be hit by the next one. Or the next. She was going to be hit by one of Alyx¡¯s strikes. The question was which. That certainty should be a kind of relief. She would lose, but the fight would be over. Marco could call the fight. She¡¯d put up a decent struggle. Alyx couldn¡¯t be that disappointed. Instead, something clawed at her guts. It twisted and writhed. Dissatisfaction rolled through her. At what? At losing? She was going to lose. This was just a spar. A spar she hadn¡¯t even wanted. There was nothing on the line and nothing to gain. Just her pride and Alyx¡¯s approval. Fine. Maybe she didn¡¯t want to lose. What did that change? She still was about to. What could she do to stop it? Her usual skills had already declared defeat. What else did she have? Atmospheric Sense? No additional information to share. Elemental Manipulation? It couldn¡¯t grab Alyx¡¯s aura. Cass couldn¡¯t tell if that was because aura wasn¡¯t a valid target or if its proximity to its owner simply made that too difficult at this moment and the skill didn¡¯t feel like explaining. Mana Blade? She couldn¡¯t pull her staff around in time to block. There was no way to turn it around to attack. Soul Guard? It shook its head. Aura attacks might be more like spiritual attacks than most, but it still wasn¡¯t something it could handle. Identify? No. Foraging? No. Mana Sense? No additional information to share. Beacon of Home and Hearth? No. Confounding Mists? Well, maybe. Could she deploy Confounding Mists fast enough to make a difference? Even if she could, would it be enough? It was better than giving up. The skill flared to life, the aether mists swirling out around her. But it would do nothing for the aura blade. Liminal Dodge engaged as Alyx¡¯s blade crashed across Cass¡¯s body. Color inverted even as it abandoned her entirely within the growing mists. Alyx¡¯s feet stuttered, trying and failing to come to a stop before she careened into the growing clouds. She swung wildly into the cloud, her aura flaring to life along her wooden blade. Cass rematerialized within the mist. It was barely enough to stand in. Alyx¡¯s blade was inches from her skin, burning through the aether as it sliced for Cass. But it wasn¡¯t the targeted attack it would have been outside the mist. It was swung early, the angle not quite aligned with Cass. It bought her just enough distance for Dodge to do its job. There was no time for celebration. Alyx barreled through the mist, her sword flying in strike after strike. Confounding Mists kept pumping out a trail of aether around Cass, but Alyx¡¯s aura burned through it too fast to accumulate enough to hide in. Stamina: 21/105 Focus: 116/369 Her muscles burned. She was exhausted, but she couldn¡¯t stop. Cass ducked around another sword strike and tapped her staff to the ground between them. She pushed Elemental Manipulation through the staff, grabbing up stone and pulling. A stone spear shot up. Alyx dodged back to avoid being skewered. Cass backpedaled, throwing a Wind Blade at Alyx as she did so. Alyx sliced through the stone spear and charged after Cass. The Wind Blade slipped around her blade and struck her full in the chest. A bloom of red light flashed across Alyx¡¯s chest. Stamina: 20/105 Focus: 94/369 The strain was mounting. An ache was forming between her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to collapse to the ground. She was no more certain how she could win than she¡¯d been 200 Focus ago. Alyx was still coming. She didn¡¯t look any worse than when they¡¯d started, though there were several glowing red marks along her body where Cass¡¯s skills had hit her. Marco¡¯s skill caused that somehow. Her only options were to give up or keep stumbling on. And she couldn¡¯t stomach the idea of giving up. Cass threw up another stone spear with Elemental Manipulation as Alyx closed the distance and summoned a Wind Blade to her staff. Alyx dodged around it, barely slowed. Staff Mastery deflected Alyx¡¯s sword and pulled Cass around in a sweeping strike to Alyx¡¯s side. Alyx blocked and pushed Cass¡¯s glaive out of position. In a flash of light, Alyx¡¯s sword dove at Cass. The wind gusted. Cass Stepped on it. Alyx¡¯s sword sliced through the space Cass had just occupied. Elemental Manipulation guided the wind up into the air. Cass¡¯s heart soared. The city stretched out far below the manor, its twisting streets lost amid the sprawling buildings. Alyx¡¯s head swept the field, looking for Cass. Cass turned Elemental Manipulation around, driving the wind down. Fast. Faster. A yard above Alyx, Cass stepped back out. She called a Wind Blade to her staff, angling it down. Mana Blade coursed over the leading edge. Worry rippled through Cass in that last second. Was this too much? Would Marco¡¯s skill protect Alyx? What if she seriously hurt Alyx with this? It wasn¡¯t too late to stop. She could angle the blade away. She could land on Alyx in a heap. She couldn¡¯t sacrifice Alyx¡¯s health for a meaningless victory. ¡®Use every skill in your repertoire. I want them to see everything,¡¯ Alyx had said. But had she really meant everything? At full power? ¡®Don¡¯t worry about hurting me ¡­ or anything,¡¯ she had said. Alyx looked up. A grin spread across her face. Her sword rose. Alyx opened her mouth, shouting a wordless battle cry. Light erupted around them. It hit Cass like a wall. But gravity kept pulling Cass down. Her accumulated speed could not be stopped, only slowed. Her glaive hit flesh. Another blade appeared from the flash, jabbing up at Cass. She couldn¡¯t get out of the way. It struck her over the heart. The red of Marco¡¯s skill exploded, the light drowning out everything else. When she could see again, she found herself suspended in midair, her glaive point hovering a millimeter over Alyx¡¯s collar bones, Alyx¡¯s sword tip the same distance from Cass¡¯s heart. Ch. 27: Procession Half a second later, Cass was falling. Alyx was laughing by the time Cass¡¯s feet were on the ground again. ¡°You are way more slippery than I imagined!¡± Cass blinked. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± She had gotten a few skill levels from the fight. Wind Step has increased to level 11. Staff Mastery has increased to level 12. Wind Blade has increased to level 11. Alyx cocked her head to one side. ¡°It was a draw. You almost got me with that drop attack.¡± ¡°But the light at the end?¡± ¡°Oh, well, I saw you at the last second. Just in time to activate my Radiant Aura skill, it creates a wall of aura knocking most things back. That bought me just enough time to line my sword up with you.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve gotten out of the way in that time,¡± Marco interjected. ¡°An opponent making a big attack like that usually implies they are desperate and running out of resources. You are better off letting them waste it and taking advantage of their vulnerable state after.¡± Alyx nodded dutifully. Marco turned on Cass and added, ¡°Remember that if you¡¯re gonna be throwing big attacks like that. You¡¯re vulnerable during and after ¡®em.¡± You should have used Stealth too, Salos added from the sideline. She would not have noticed if you had concealed your presence from the start. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thank you,¡± Cass said. ¡°But that wasn¡¯t what I meant. I meant the red light at the end and the hovering?¡± ¡°Side effect of my Ardent Aegis,¡± Marco said. ¡°It¡¯s a defensive skill which is useful for this kind of spar. It protects others with my Fortitude. It¡¯s not my favorite practical skill, since when it bursts, the person I¡¯m protecting freezes for a few seconds, but it¡¯s good for this kind of thing.¡± That was how they had avoided real injuries and why Alyx had been so confident that Cass wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt her. She wished they¡¯d said as much before the spar but supposed that was on her for not asking. How much Frt do you suppose he has? Cass asked Salos. At his level? Assuming he¡¯s a Frt specialist? I would guess more than 60. Less than 100. It depends on how many opportunities he¡¯s gotten. And how many skills he has. At his age¡­ I would guess he is closer to the upper end of that range. ¡°Anyway, what did I tell you?¡± Alyx said to Marco and Telis. ¡°She¡¯s good, right?¡± ¡°Slippery seems like the correct description,¡± Telis said. Her eyes turned on Cass. ¡°How many methods do you have for escape?¡± There was an accusation there that Cass wasn¡¯t sure she understood. Cass just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve got stone and wind manipulating skills,¡± Marco said. His words carried a note of approval. ¡°Once we get the basics with that staff worked out, I¡¯d love to work on incorporatin¡¯ those skills into your technique.¡± ¡°She can summon fire and water too,¡± Alyx said. Marco¡¯s eyes widened a little at that. ¡°All with skills? Not wizardry?¡± Cass nodded. He whistled. ¡°You plannin¡¯ on developing all those skills?¡± ¡°All? It¡¯s just one,¡± Cass said. ¡°Well, two I guess.¡± Wind Blade was separate from Elemental Manipulation. ¡°Really? You plan on breaking it into narrower skills or are you gonna keep it one general one?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I could narrow it.¡± It¡¯s too early for you to think about that, Salos interjected. When you and it are at the Gate and after you¡¯ve more thoroughly explored its scope, you will likely want to decompose it into a few more tailored skills. Some of which you will likely discard entirely. We¡¯ll see. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Marco nodded. ¡°Narrower skills are generally more resource efficient and more powerful in their specific effects. They also grow faster.¡± At higher levels, Salos amended. General skills grow faster at lower levels. Where is the cutoff exactly? Cass asked. Depends on the skill and how narrow we¡¯re talking, Salos said. But where it makes the most difference is when the skill is about the same level as you are. There are major growth penalties for skills at or above your level. To keep growing them beyond it, highly tailored skills are all but required. But, like I said, you are not anywhere near where that matters. I would not worry about this until you are near the Ascent. Cass was going to ask another question when a horn sounded across the city. ¡°No,¡± Alyx muttered, racing to the edge of the rooftop. More horns joined the first until the air vibrated with the sound. Cass followed Alyx to the edge. Far below, the city was buzzing with noise and movement where it had seemed distantly tranquil a moment before. Colored lights floated over the buildings. Streamers and confetti burst into the air. A train of concentrated movement snaked through the main street, visible even from here. By the time the parade had reached the base of the hill leading up to Alyx¡¯s family manor and the palace, Cass¡¯s Perception could make out the figure leading the procession. It was a woman riding a tawny hippogriff. She wore crimson armor and carried a banner braced against one shoulder. It waved behind her in the wind, proudly displaying the silhouette of a rising dragon in an open set of jaws, black on crimson. The woman stared straight ahead, ignoring the crowds that had gathered to either side. Behind her, a platoon of soldiers followed, all in lockstep, their plate armor accented by matching crimson detail. Behind them, a great cage was dragged, in it an enormous tiger was bound. Even from this distance, Cass could hear it growling. ¡°She¡¯s back,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°She?¡± Cass asked, her eyes still on the giant tiger. ¡°The lead there is my cousin, Fioreya Ahdain Veldor, the 32nd Fang. Looks like grandmother gave her a special job.¡± Cass followed Alyx¡¯s eyes to the crimson warrior leading the parade. It was impossible to make out any details about their figure from this distance through the armor. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°The Fang are the elite of the elite. The most powerful members of the duchess¡¯s military forces. There are exactly 32 positions, which makes dear cousin Fioreya the least of the most.¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes fixed on the procession now climbing the palace stairs. She chuckled, a bitter noise if Cass ever heard one, ¡°32 is more of an honorary position, honestly. ¡®Most promising up and comer.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯d like to say she only has that position because her mother is the 2nd Fang, the Vice-Captain of the Fang and the First General of the Wings, second only to the Duchess herself. And I¡¯m sure that helps. ¡°But she was already level 30 when I last saw her and beating people five or so levels over her own then.¡± She made a face like it was painful to admit that much. ¡°I haven¡¯t checked the betting pools, but I have no doubt that she¡¯s the favorite to win the Festival this year. She will be a dragon knight.¡± Cass watched the woman climb the palace stairs. The woman was over ten levels up on Cass and could fight people five levels up again? Cass shivered. She hoped there would be no reason for her to come into conflict with the woman. Or the monster she dragged along behind her. Its fur was bright red, its stripes almost undulating like tendrils of fire. The cage was probably eight or nine feet wide and double that long, yet the monster looked cramped within, its tail hanging out through the bars, twitching slowly. ¡°What is the monster?¡± Cass asked. It was too far away to Identify. ¡°It looks like a Firepaw Tiger. Probably from the Broakhil Forest. At that size, I¡¯d guess about level 33 or so. Right on the edge of what someone at our level should be able to kill. Well beyond what I have the skill to subdue¡­ ¡°I imagine that was the mission the duchess sent her on. And since the Festival was put on hold for it, I imagine it¡¯s going to be a part of the tournament.¡± ¡°What part, exactly, does a giant tiger monster have in this festival?¡± Cass asked. Did they dump monsters in the Catacombs with the contestants? Cass hoped not, but that was sounding increasingly likely. ¡°There are three stages of the Festival,¡± Alyx answered absently, still staring at her cousin and the procession. ¡°First is Proving. For the city, this is a huge party. It is the duchy proving that our rule is beneficial to the people. Free food. Entertainment. The whole nine yards. All paid for by the duchy. ¡°For those who hope to bind with a dragon, it¡¯s about proving our commitment. The duchess opens the Catacombs and we enter to retrieve Alacrity¡¯s Blessing. Anyone who can return with it has proven their determination to go through with the binding. ¡°Then is the Showcase. The powerful fighters of the duchy fight in a tournament to show off their strength. It¡¯s a chance to see how you rank compared to others and a chance to show the dragon you are a worthy protector. It¡¯s also a chance for the duchy to show off how powerful its military is to the common people. I imagine that tiger will be used in the tournament at some point. ¡°Last is the Binding. The dragon chooses its knight and the people swear their fealty to the duchy again.¡± Ask her what ¡®Alacrity¡¯s Blessing¡¯ is, Salos said. You could just ask her yourself, Cass pointed out. He stared at Marco and Telis. No, I think not. Cass resisted rolling her eyes and repeated his question to Alyx. ¡°It¡¯s the blessing the goddess gave to the dragons. It is part of that counter-curse from the story about how Alacrity saved the dragons from Dexterity¡¯s curse. It is what allows the binding between dragons and other peoples and protects the dragons from madness.¡± Ch. 28: The Ducal Palace Cass followed Alyx up the stairs to the palace. Telis had dressed them in robes of silken fabric, Cass in dark blue with long, wide sleeves and a short train that glided effortlessly behind her, Alyx in deep green thing of a more square or masculine cut¡ªat least, to Cass¡¯s eyes. Alyx wore her hair in tight braids pinned to her head in a twisting design, the excess coming together in a short ponytail. A mask resembling a snarling wolf adorned the side of her head. It was made of an opaque green glass and shimmered beautifully atop her red hair. As always, Alyx wore her swords on her hip, while Cass used her staff as a walking stick. Salos rode proudly on Cass¡¯s shoulder. They were far from alone. Around them, other well-to-dos ascended as well. Most were human. Darker skin tones were as much the norm among the guests as they had been in the town before, as were hair colors Cass had never naturally seen on people before¡ªlots of dark, almost-black purples and deep, forest greens. Intermixed among the humans were a handful of elves¡ªtaller and slimmer than the humans, their pallet shifting more olive, their hair more pink¡ªand dwarves¡ªshorter and stouter by a wide margin, their features rougher around the edges and their hair braided in tight neat knots. They were dressed similarly, some in the sharp square cut Alyx sported, others in flowing gowns and robes. Many wore masks like Alyx¡¯s. Wolves were common. As were apes and cats. All carried some sort of weapon. Swords were the most common by far, but there was no shortage of spears, hammers, daggers, and more. One man carried a whip on his belt¡ªa belt that looked suspiciously like a second whip to Cass. ¡°I know you said that it was expected, but should we really be carrying weapons into the palace?¡± Cass asked again. ¡°Naturally,¡± Alyx said again. That really didn¡¯t explain anything to Cass. At all. ¡°How else are you going to defend yourself or your host?¡± Alyx asked, elaborating on her clipped answer for the first time. ¡°Why would I need to defend my host?¡± Alyx laughed. ¡°I know it seems unlikely in the middle of the city, doubly so in the middle of the palace, but imagine you were visiting a friend in the countryside? How embarrassed would you be to let that friend defend you from monsters? How embarrassed would you be if you could not defend their hall after they opened their hospitality to you?¡± This was a hospitality thing? ¡°But isn¡¯t that backward?¡± Alyx frowned. Cass wasn¡¯t an expert on Earth¡¯s historical stance on this kind of thing, and the lack of monsters on Earth surely made a difference, but, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the host that should protect their guests?¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°Extending a host¡¯s duties beyond food and shelter to physical safety. But then what does the guest contribute? What makes the exchange equal?¡± ¡°Equal? I don¡¯t think they are?¡± ¡°Why would anyone accept guests then?¡± ¡°I mean, they might be your friends.¡± But historically? She only knew about ancient Greek rules on hospitality. They cared for and protected travelers. There were probably a lot of reasons for that, but the only one Cass knew was, ¡°I think there was a fear once upon a time that your guest was a god and you did not want to risk offending them.¡± ¡°Why would the gods want to stay as your guest?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shrugged. ¡°It was something that happened a lot in those kinds of stories. But, more importantly, this isn¡¯t just some friend¡¯s house in the countryside. This is the ducal¡ª¡± Was that right? The most powerful person here wasn¡¯t a queen, so it wasn¡¯t ¡®royal¡¯ but they filled the same social role as a queen as far as Cass could tell¡ª¡°palace. Where I¡¯m from, you can¡¯t bring weapons anywhere near important people like that.¡± Or into public gatherings. Or into events with any number of people. Or anywhere, really. You really weren¡¯t supposed to have weapons anywhere in peaceful places on Earth. Then again, could you really call this place peaceful? ¡°Why would a powerful leader restrict weapons near them?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I think the worry is they¡¯d be used against them.¡± ¡°Then how would they go about enforcing that? Either, they¡¯re strong enough to force others to leave their weapons behind¡ªin which case, why fear the weapons¡ªor they aren¡¯t¡ªin which case announcing they don¡¯t want weapons near them is simply announcing weakness.¡± That made a certain amount of sense, Cass supposed. It wasn¡¯t like royalty on Earth were one man walking armies like it sounded like they were here. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like disarming a person strictly makes them not a threat,¡± Alyx added. ¡°Although most combat skills are tied up with a particular weapon or weapon class, there are plenty that can be used without a tool or are just as powerful with an improvised weapon. Just look at your skill set.¡± That was true too, wasn¡¯t it? Staff Mastery was far from her most deadly skill. At the top of the stairs, a sprawling garden waited before them. A long fountain split the road into two from the stairs to the palace, rising at the far end. Lights danced over the water like fireflies. Carefully groomed topiaries lined the road. Tall trees hung over the road, framing the towering pagoda tower rising from the center of the palace. The inside of the palace was no less impressive. The entryway was enormous, all white stone and shimmering glass. Opposite the entry doors were a series of stained glass murals, each set into the stone and shining from within. There were seven, each depicting a figure in armor with a dragon at their side. Beneath each was a symbol reminiscent of a coat of arms. All except the panel furthest to the left. A heavy cloth hung over it, the symbol beneath had unceremoniously been destroyed, cracked stone the only thing remaining. ¡°What are those?¡± Cass asked. Alyx glanced at them, then looked away. ¡°Portraits of the current Dragon Knights.¡± ¡°There are only six?¡± Alyx nodded, though there was a displeasure in her eyes that Cass couldn¡¯t explain. ¡°Is the covered one going to depict whoever is chosen this year?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No.¡± Alyx didn¡¯t look back at Cass, her pace increasing. ¡°That depicts the knight we don¡¯t talk about.¡± ¡°You have a knight you don¡¯t talk about?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is there a story there?¡± Alyx stopped and shot a glare over her shoulder at Cass. ¡°Which part of ¡®we don¡¯t talk about them¡¯ is not being translated for you?¡± Cass looked away sheepishly. ¡°Sorry.¡± It was a touchy subject then. She¡¯d have to find some other way to satisfy her curiosity then. Instead, Cass asked, ¡°There are only six dragon knights? I thought there would be more.¡± ¡°Dragons have very long lives and they have children very infrequently. Those they do have are very weak until they are three years old. It is not unusual for an entire clutch to have died before then. This year is special because two made it to nine years old. ¡°There are only dragon bindings at this festival once every ten to fifteen years. The last one was well over twenty years ago,¡± Alyx said. ¡°That¡¯s a long gap?¡± Cass said. Alyx clicked her tongue. ¡°Yes. Yes, it was.¡± There was something more here. But pushing now could only end badly. Instead, Cass let Alyx lead her on into the banquet hall. The hall was massive. Bigger than any auditorium Cass had ever found herself in. Bigger than any cathedral. And ¡®cathedral¡¯ was the closest word Cass could think of to describe the room, if only for the glowing stained glass ceiling above. The glass shimmered in a sweeping picture of a night sky, with swirling blues intermixed with the gold of the stars like Van Gogh¡¯s Starry Night. And in this sea of stars, dragons coiled through the image, their image rendered in shimmering glass. The light cast through this impressive scene lit the hall in a blueish tone, casting the whole affair in an otherworldly air. Cass stared at it as Alyx led them to a table near the front. It was one of dozens arranged on either side of a long aisle from the door to the head table. Most had a handful of people already and all were slowly filling in with more. Identify flagged the vast majority of them as some kind of weapons expert. Swordsmen, spearmen, axemen, duelists, archers, the list went on. And all of them held their weapons nearby. Smaller weapons hung from belts or remained strapped to breasts. Larger weapons hung from the backs of chairs or leaned against the table beside them. Cass recognized the two already seated at the table Alyx chose: the men who had tried to pressure her out of the guest room. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Kohen¡ªAlyx¡¯s brother, dark-skinned with darker purple hair and onyx eyes¡ªglared at Alyx across the table. Alyx grinned. ¡°What kind of question is that, young master? It¡¯s the start of the Rising Dragon Festival. Everyone is invited. And, where else should I sit but with the house which hosts me? Isn¡¯t that why young lord Ophir is sitting with us?¡± She pulled out a chair and seated herself directly across from Kohen as she spoke. There were plenty of other tables still open, yet Alyx hadn¡¯t so much as looked at any of them. Cass sighed and sat beside Alyx, leaning her staff against the table beside her. ¡°I invited him. No one invited you,¡± he snapped. ¡°Where is Ahryn?¡± Alyx asked, completely ignoring his jab. Kohen glared at her, perhaps debating if he was going to keep throwing jabs or if he was going to let her change the topic. ¡°Sick again¡¯s what I heard,¡± Tiador Ophir¡ªKohen¡¯s friend and supposed guest from afar¡ªanswered for Kohen. ¡°Then is ¡®mother¡¯ sitting tonight out too?¡± Alyx¡¯s eyes swept the hall for the first time. Much of the room had filled in already. Only the tables at the head of the room remained unseated. There were two of them, both standing on the raised dais at the end of the room. One was obviously the head table, long and imposing and constructed from all black wood. A throne sat behind it, evidently waiting for the duchy¡¯s monarch to arrive. The other was a low-lying table, far smaller and set to the right and a little behind the head table. Perhaps a place for the night¡¯s guests of honor? ¡°Yes,¡± Kohen said, evidently deciding joining Alyx¡¯s conversation was less petulant than ignoring her entirely. ¡°And father is sitting with our aunts.¡± ¡°Uncle Verdin¡¯s still at large?¡± Alyx asked, her eyes focusing on one of the two tables just below the dais. Three people sat there, all impassively ignoring the others, two women and one man, all quite stern-looking. All with dark hair and darker eyes. ¡°Who knows where he¡¯s gone this time,¡± Kohen answered dryly. ¡°I¡¯m surprised Aunt Zaryn isn¡¯t sitting with the Fangs.¡± ¡°Who knows what she¡¯s thinking.¡± Kohen tossed his hands in the air. ¡°But seriously, why are you here? I would¡¯ve thought you would spend the Festival down in the lower city.¡± ¡°Why would I hide now?¡± Alyx asked with an easy confidence. He frowned, but before he could ask further questions, a hum rose over the room. Music swelled. The hall doors swung open. Ch. 29: Banquet A woman stood beside an enormous dragon. Both could be described in a word as night. She wore a gown of flowing black, her dark hair coiled in a crown of braids against her head. Silver pins were woven into the plait like stars in the dark sky. At her side, a silver sword hung from her waist. Over her left shoulder, she wore a lizard¡¯s glass skull like a pauldron. Beside her, the dragon was larger than a semi-truck. Its scales were black, shimmering with an iridescent shine, like oil in sunlight. Its horns curled back against its head, like a crown sitting atop a mane of fluffy ebony. The two had the same eyes, sharp and dark as obsidian. They did not consider the crowd to either side as they strode from the banquet doors to the head table. The woman sat herself in the tower chair in the center. The dragon lay down beside her, its head resting to her left. It was the woman and dragon from the stained glass in Alyx¡¯s house and the statue in the plaza below the palace. That was the Grand Duchess and her dragon. Out of morbid curiosity, Cass cast Identify on the pair. Grand Duchess Lvl 63 [This woman is powerful enough to shake the world where she walks. She has left the concerns of men behind her and rules with the eyes of dragons.] Matron Dragon Lvl 59 [All dragons should be feared, or if not feared, at least respected. This one has made a name for herself both as a vicious combatant and an esteemed mother of her own hoard. She is a queen among a race who holds no allegiance to any but their knights.] Identify has increased to level 10. Those were the highest two levels Cass had ever seen. They radiated power. Cass could feel it in her gut. Level 63 represented over three times Cass¡¯s level 19. Hm, not bad, Salos muttered. Nothing compared to the greats of my time, of course. But I can see how she rules a city like this with that kind of power. Nothing compared to your previous level 74? Cass asked. Obviously, he puffed up a little. But it¡¯s pretty close. Hardly. The gap between 63 and 74 is greater than the difference between a child with no levels and an adult standing at the Gate. Those later levels are worth far more than any number of them where you are now. And the time needed to acquire them only grows as well. Behind the duchess, a pair of much smaller dragons walked, no less proud but their body language more nervous. The pair were pony-sized, with white scales. Something about them seemed soft, more like the skin of a newt than the impenetrable armor of the dragon before them. There was something unmistakably incomplete about the two. They followed the woman to the dais, seating themselves at the smaller table to the left. Dragon Child Dragon Child [A child of the dragon race. As of yet unbound to their second half. Destined for madness should they fail to form such a bond.] No level on the children? Cass commented. Children under the age of nine don¡¯t have levels. Huh, why? Why is the sky blue? Salos countered. Light refraction, Cass answered. What? Light refraction, Cass repeated. At least, that¡¯s how it works on Earth. It has to do with the atmosphere and the wave properties of light, specifically blue light. I don¡¯t remember the details now, but that¡¯s the general gist. Cass thought about it for another moment. Then again, how does your atmosphere work? This world is a series of floating islands, each with a fully functional atmosphere. Is that right? Are they floating in an orb of Earth-like atmosphere or is it more like an infinite plane? Does the scattering effect work regardless of whether it¡¯s being scattered through a sphere or not? How do the sun and moons orbit work, anyway? Cass¡¯s thoughts meandered down the train of thought, entirely distracted. Salos didn¡¯t try to make any sense of it. Before she could dive deeper into that question, the duchess raised her glass, and the music fell to nothing. ¡°Welcome. Welcome all to the Opening Banquet,¡± she said, her voice carrying to the far corners of the room without her having to raise her voice. ¡°Tonight, the city below feasts with us on foods prepared by our sponsored chefs made from the bounty of our lands. ¡°Tonight, they give thanks for the noble protectors of our lands: the shining Scale stationed in their towns, the virtuous Wing that patrols their wilds, and the fearsome Fangs that answer their most desperate calls. ¡°Tonight, we give them another reason to thank us. Tonight, we introduce the next generation of dragons, who will grow to protect them too. It is my pleasure to introduce my Kairdrach¡¯s youngest children: Emenes and Velkora!¡± Their eyes, piercing silver, swept over the room. A shiver went down Cass¡¯s spine as they passed over her. a pair of voices said. The voices did not carry over the air but were projected directly into the minds of all present. It was similar, yet completely different, to how she and Salos spoke, like the difference between a cellphone call and a loudspeaker broadcast. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Later this evening, all who desire it may have an audience with them. May they find their other half tonight. May you find your destiny in their souls,¡± the duchess continued. ¡°I have more to say, but there is no reason you can¡¯t enjoy what our chefs have devised for you while I do. Enjoy!¡± She waved her hand and a full-course meal appeared before them. Oh, impressive, Salos muttered. I can¡¯t tell if that was teleportation, phase manipulation, or simply a host of servants with impressively low presence. ¡°Oh! Look at that! Honeyed cornhen! And is that sauteed pellbenny and rells?¡± Tiador hummed more to himself than anyone else, greedily scooping several spoonfuls of both onto his plate. The other diners took more moderate amounts of a wider variety of dishes. Cass took a sampling of everything. Strictly speaking, she didn¡¯t need to eat, but that would (one) look rude in this context and (two) she was deeply curious about what was considered fine dining here. Identify it all before you eat it, Salos reminded her. I know, I was about to, she lied. She didn¡¯t think that such a public meal would be tampered with. Not when everyone at the table was eating family-style like this. It¡¯s a good habit, he insisted, sensing her skepticism. Cass managed not to roll her eyes. At the head table, the duchess continued. ¡°Besides our young dragons, there are a few other young people I wish to congratulate tonight. First, would the 32nd Fang stand?¡± A young woman in red and gold robes stood at a table across the room. She was tall, probably only an inch shorter than Cass. A long sword leaned against the table beside her, a second dagger hung from her hip. She wore an easy smile despite the number of eyes on her. Vaisom Fang Lvl 31 [A member of the elite strike force of the Dragon¡¯s Duchy, Vaisom.] ¡°Fioreya Ahdain Veldor, 32nd Fang, reporting!¡± ¡°Tell us all of your recent accomplishments in Gelm.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She addressed the hall, straining to be heard over the sounds of eating even in the furthest back of the room. ¡°I was assigned to scout the Wilds of Gelm. My mission was twofold: collect evidence of Kingdom meddling in our territories and to subdue the Crimson Lord for the Festival.¡± To the duchess, she asked, ¡°May I discuss the details of the evidence discovered, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°No, my council and Fangs will discuss the details of what you found at a later date. For now, everyone should rejoice that you were successful in killing a level 34 Kingdom warrior stealing from our country.¡± The room spun with whispers at that announcement. ¡°Level 34, huh?¡± Kohen muttered. ¡°She¡¯s level 31 already,¡± Alyx added in the same hushed tone. ¡°Despairing already?¡± he snickered. ¡°This is a contest for the strong.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not much better off than me,¡± Alyx shot back. ¡°She¡¯s a Fang for a reason.¡± He shoved a forkful of the bird into his mouth, choosing not to bite back at Alyx at that. ¡°Last, but not least, I wish to revisit proclamations made at the Banquet of Storms a month ago.¡± The duchess took control of the room again, her voice silencing the rest. ¡°At that time, we mourned the loss of potential. Not one, but two expeditions into blessed Uvana failed. Both the youngest child of my daughter Ashrel and the eager son of Lord Jenval lost their lives and their futures, striving for the glory of Conquest. It seemed like this year would be marked with naught but death for the young hoping to make their name in our bright duchy. ¡°Lo, my dear granddaughter volunteered to try her hand at Conquest herself, even though the season had passed and the grounds had already been fed twice over. ¡°Alyx Aretios Veldor, stand. Proclaim your conquest to my people!¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Kohen hissed. The crowd flew into a flurry of whispers. Alyx stood. At her side, Cass could see her hands trembled, but her voice was strong as she addressed the banquette hall. ¡°I am Alyx Aretios Veldor. I return with the Blessings of both the Pass and the Deep and the treasures of the Pass and the Forest. I returned with the roar of the Storm falling behind me as I left. Thank you once again for offering me this opportunity.¡± ¡°Blessing of the Deep?¡± Kohen¡¯s eyes bulged out of his head. ¡°You slew that lord?¡± Alyx didn¡¯t bow before the pressure. Her eyes instead met the man at the table below the high table. He looked back with cold disinterest. ¡°Such accomplishments honor your house and your lineage,¡± the duchess said. To the crowd, she continued, ¡°From the embers of loss twice over, I present to you this year¡¯s champion of Uvana!¡± The whispers became cheers. Alyx stood tall, a satisfied smile slipping across her lips. The duchess gestured for the crowd to settle and Alyx to be seated again. ¡°But this has been more than enough of me talking. A guide will direct tables one at a time to greet tonight¡¯s guests of honor. In the meantime, I open the floor to challengers. The 2nd Fang has graciously agreed to oversee them, so fight to your heart¡¯s content.¡± At that, she sat back down, toasting her wine glass and taking a sip. ¡°You can¡¯t have slain the Lord of the Deep!¡± Kohen repeated, louder now that the whole hall¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on them, though plenty of those eyes were still on them, she didn¡¯t need Salos to tell her, she could feel their eyes burning into them. ¡°We did though,¡± Alyx said, leaning over the table with a malicious grin. ¡°Remind me, when you went three years ago, what did you conquer?¡± He glared at her. ¡°You know exactly what I got.¡± She smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was a long time ago. I don¡¯t think I remember now.¡± His jaw clenched. ¡°The Lord of the Pass and the Forest Herald.¡± Alyx nodded to herself. ¡°Right, right. I remember now. You took your entire team¡ªa team of six, was it?¡ªand an entire seven months and that was all you managed. A very average showing. Nothing to be ashamed of at all.¡± ¡°At least I didn¡¯t get my entire team killed.¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°It was foolish of me to expect mercenaries could handle Uvana. There is a reason an invitation is needed to enter, after all.¡± A callous way to respond, perhaps, but that team had been hired to kill Alyx, so perhaps it was warranted. ¡°Still, this one proved worth it.¡± She placed an arm around Cass¡¯s shoulders. ¡°The two of us managed that entire conquer on our own.¡± His eyes darted over Cass again. Disbelief swirled in his dark eyes. Alyx smirked and let Cass go. ¡°You¡¯re trying to make me believe the two of you conquered Uvana alone?¡± he said. ¡°Make you believe?¡± Alyx scoffed. ¡°When have I cared what you believe? We did. Believe or not, as you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s only level 19. Level 19 now. What were you when you went in?¡± Telling him level 1, though true, seemed unlikely to help Alyx¡¯s narrative. Instead, she said, ¡°What level do you think I was?¡± He scowled. ¡°See. If she helped you kill either of the Lords, she¡¯d be much higher level now. If it really was just the two of you, that¡¯d be what, two or three levels a piece? Assuming you fought nothing else, that would have meant you were level 15 when you fought the Lord of the Pass, max. And that ignores the two Heralds you claim to have fought.¡± Cass decided it would be best for everyone if she kept the fact he was right. She had been level 15 when they fought the Lord of the Pass to herself. And also that it had been the last thing they¡¯d fought, not the first. And also they¡¯d handled an assassin simultaneously while they¡¯d done that. Had she gotten experience for Levina¡¯s death? Cass suddenly wasn¡¯t sure. She hadn¡¯t checked her level until well after that fight. How much of the four levels she¡¯d gotten after the fact had been from killing the Lord and how much had been from the assassin? Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about it. ¡°If we factor in the two Heralds, assuming you should have gotten a level a piece for each, that implies you couldn¡¯t have been over level 13 when this all started. No one would have let you into Uvana at that level. No one can do what you¡¯re claiming at that level.¡± Cass shrugged. Alyx had said the same thing when they¡¯d first met. She wasn¡¯t about to argue with him about it now. She also didn¡¯t think she should have survived any of it. He looked between Cass and Alyx, his scowl unmoved. ¡°I should challenge you for trying to lie to me like this. It¡¯s an insult to me and anyone else you try to tell this to.¡± ¡°Do it then,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still bully me now that we both have the Pass¡¯s Blessing and a recognized name.¡± He glared, his hand clenching around his fork. ¡°Afraid to lose in front of so many people?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°As if I could possibly lose to someone like you,¡± he spat back. ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s see if you can actually fight the way you¡¯re boasting. I challenge you. If I win, you need to make a formal apology for lying about your achievements in Uvana.¡± ¡°I accept,¡± Alyx said. ¡°And if I win, you need to get me and my friend here, an audience with our father.¡± Ch. 30: Alyx: Duel Alyx stepped onto the dueling stage, the pressure of high society¡¯s eyes on her shoulders. She stood tall, forcing herself not to look for her father in the crowd again. Two of his children were fighting. If he weren¡¯t watching, nothing she could do now would change that. She just needed to prove it was worth it to watch her. Kohen stood opposite her. He was level 28, two levels higher than her own. The level gap had not been smaller since they were children, yet the gap in their stats likely had never been greater. He was a level beyond the Gate, which meant he had the bonus stats for reaching level 27 and then another level on top of that. That was 27 free points for reaching level 27 and another 12 stat points for levels 27 and 28 (3 for human level ups. 1 additional point to a chosen stat starting at the First Step. 2 additional free points starting at the Gate. All that multiplied by 2 for the two levels). Ignoring any other bonuses either of them might have and that was a 39-point stat difference. And he certainly had other bonuses. Unlike her, he was a favored child of a noble house. He had been trained by distinguished teachers. Their father and his mother had sent him to any and every trial they could get the rights to use. Uvana was just one of many opportunities he had gotten. And yet, she¡¯d goaded him into a fight all the same. ¡°What ruleset do you want to lose under?¡± Kohen asked from across the ring. He¡¯d challenged her, so she got to pick how they fought. If she just cared about winning, she would request just martial mastery to first blood. Kohen was a spellsword, skilled with both the family¡¯s sword techniques and the wizarding his mother specialized in. Individually, he was only middling at both, but taken together he was a formidable opponent. She could take advantage of that and select a dueling rule set that disallowed magic skills. But winning was not sufficient. Beating him in a purely martial duel would be barely noteworthy while losing in such a duel would be highly damaging to her reputation. ¡°I¡¯ll have you lose in an unrestricted duel,¡± she said. That was the only way she¡¯d get the recognition she wanted. ¡°Already planning the excuses for your loss?¡± he scoffed. ¡°Just making sure you have none,¡± Alyx assured him, a wolfish grin spreading across her face. He glared back. ¡°Sure. And what is our win condition? First blood?¡± Another rule that would favor her. A lot of magics dealt damage without breaking the skin. To fight to first blood would favor a bladed weapon like her sword. ¡°Or do you want to give me everything and fight to first touch?¡± he asked. First touch favored ranged and Dex fighters. Anyone who could engage before their opponent or who did not have the Str to break their opponent¡¯s Frt. ¡°I think we¡¯ll fight to breaking,¡± Alyx said, tapping the face of the mask she wore on the side of her head. ¡°You insulted my honor by calling me a liar, after all. I think that¡¯s only fair.¡± He scowled, his hand instinctively rising to the glass boar mask he wore on the side of his head. It was the record of a significant foe he had defeated, likely the Lord of the Pass from his conquest of Uvana. It was a mark of pride. Wearing it was a symbol of his status, his skill, and his power. If it broke in a duel, he lost the right to wear that achievement. An opponent purposefully destroying it in a duel was the same as saying they didn¡¯t think him worthy of that accomplishment. She grinned at him, well aware that her mask was of nothing more impressive than the wolves of the local forest. Even if it broke, she had already defeated more impressive enemies to replace it with. It would still be more embarrassing than losing at first blood or touch, but she would live down the embarrassment where she wasn¡¯t sure if he would. ¡°No?¡± Alyx taunted. ¡°You can give up now if you¡¯re too cowardly to risk it over this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he growled. ¡°But I will only take your apology on your hands and knees.¡± ¡°Sure, if you can win,¡± Alyx said. She was surprised he¡¯d had the presence of mind to demand that now. She had assumed he¡¯d look for a reasonable way to kill her during their duel instead. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t if he was thinking ahead to his victory. ¡°We are in agreement,¡± the referee said. ¡°This shall be an Unrestricted Duel to the Break of Honor between Sir Kohen Delim Veldor and Dame Alyx Aretios Veldor.¡± She gripped the hilt of her long sword, the Reverberating Sword she¡¯d won from defeating the Forest Herald. The sword Cass had won for her. Kohen glared at her as he readied himself. One hand went to the arming sword at his hip, the other¡ªgloved in a caster¡¯s glove¡ªhe held palm out facing her. As a spellsword, he would attempt to break her mask with a long-range spell before she could close the distance. If that failed, he would move to maintain distance and continue pelting her with long-range magic attacks while setting up more powerful ritual spells. Unfortunately for him, she had no intention of letting that happen. ¡°Begin!¡± the referee shouted. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Alyx shot forward, her sword arching out of her sheath into a slashing upward Heaven¡¯s Strike. Her blade glowed with her aura, the edge bleeding amber light as it sliced through the air and clashed with Kohen¡¯s blade. Kohen¡¯s sword redirected her blade wide. She pulled it around and sidestepped to block his repost. But he¡¯d never meant to land that attack. There was no skill on the stab. Instead, his free hand clenched and a burst of force threw her back. Alyx tumbled, skidding to a stop across the ring from him. His gloved hand was making arcane gestures. Lights sparked into existence around the ring¡ªthe setup for a powerful attack. She could not let that continue. She sprinted toward him again. He switched spells, the lights on the floor not dimming, but for the moment not growing either. Instead, bolts of light appeared around his head, all crackling with the power of lightning. He waved his hand down, like a commander ordering his archers to release fire, and the bolts shot forward. She dodged the first. She caught the second on her sword, her blade blocking high to cover her mask. The third struck her chest, sliding under her raised guard. The electricity writhed through her body. Pain laced her vision. It burned. If she had been wearing her armor, she would have shrugged it off, no problem. But this was a duel at a banquet, not a fight for her life in the wilds. The stakes were incomparable. Winning or losing here was so much more important. She could not lose. This was her chance to announce herself to society. To prove she was worth watching. That she was not a ghost lingering after her failed mother. That she was deserving of the name she¡¯d been given. That she was worthy of a dragon. She forced her feet forward. The electricity rolling through her muscles resisted. It was more than just pain. A stun then? Perfect. She activated her newest skill, her one and only Racial Skill. Second Wind! Status Condition (Electric Paralysis) Removed. Stamina Recovered. Her body listening to her commands again, she burst forward before he realized what had just happened. Her sword sliced for his mask. He sidestepped at the last moment, his higher Dex and much higher Ala proving their worth. His sword guided her strike wide, his free hand punched beneath their clashing steel. Alyx disengaged and dodged with Graceful Exit, her body phasing out of existence and slipping behind him as his electrified fist went for her gut. She swung down in another Heaven¡¯s Strike as she rematerialized. He sprinted forward and her strike missed by a fraction of a fraction of a centimeter. Abyss. She¡¯d burned two of her cards just like that. Both Second Wind and Graceful Exit had long cooldowns before she could use them again. Second Wind especially¡ªat once a day¡ªbut even Graceful Exit¡¯s two-minute cooldown was an eternity in a duel like this. But she¡¯d needed both of them. She couldn¡¯t afford to be stunned. That would be an imminent loss. And that punch was certainly going to paralyze her again. But now she had nothing but her natural Dexterity to avoid his attacks. She needed to finish this fight, and she needed to do it now. He was casting again. Was it his arena-wide spell again or something to force her back? Either way, she needed to stop him. She swung again, a horizontal Heaven¡¯s Strike, aiming for his off-hand side, anything to distract the casting hand. He pushed it away with his sword, stepping with the strike. The parry flowed effortlessly into a counter of his own. His sword swung back at her, glowing with his aura and sparking with electricity. Heaven¡¯s Strike (Lightning). The true form of the family¡¯s signature sword skill. The way her sword should look if she¡¯d had the family¡¯s signature Concept. The sparks burned holes in her robes, pricking her skin and alighting her nerves, but she stepped back, out of the range of his shorter sword. She¡¯d dodged it, barely. His hand was still casting. He pointed at her. Bolts of lightning materialized around them, hovering mid-air. His hand waved down. This was how she lost. Her jaw clenched. Graceful Exit was still down. She wasn¡¯t faster than lightning. They¡¯d paralyze her in place. He¡¯d be able to do whatever he wanted while she was stunned, whether that was crushing her mask beneath his sword or tearing it from her hair and throwing it to the ground. But what had she expected? He was stronger than her. Faster than her. He easily pushed her sword out of its strikes. Easily stepped out of the way. And that was while simultaneously having the mental stats to throw magic like this around. She wasn¡¯t Fioreya. She couldn¡¯t so effortlessly ignore the level difference. It had been hubris to think she could. Maybe if her skills were greater. Maybe if she were a genius. Maybe if she¡¯d been given the same opportunities as the rest of them. ¡°Go Alyx!¡± a voice yelled from across the room. ¡°You can do it!¡± Cass. How had Cass done it? How had she survived Uvana at level 1? How had she faced opponents several times her level repeatedly? Her skills were as low as her level. She hadn¡¯t grown up in a world of violence. Everything scared her. Yet she was alive. She was powerful. She was still cheering for her, despite her hopeless situation. Perhaps she didn¡¯t realize how dire this position was? Perhaps it didn¡¯t matter to Cass. Perhaps every fight was equally unwinnable to her eyes. Yet that hadn¡¯t stopped her yet. Why should it stop her then? Alyx jerked forward, her sword stabbing with her entire body weight behind it, with every muscle lurching toward him. Aura built in the blade as she poured her Stamina into it. She was going to lose. His lightning would get her before she could reach him. His hand was still waving down the bolts. But she wasn¡¯t about to lose alone. He pushed her sword wide, stepping past her and out of the way. But she hadn¡¯t been aiming at him. Her lunge had been directed at the floor. As its tip stabbed the stone tile, Alyx unleashed Radiant Aura. Her aura burst around them, far bigger and brighter than she¡¯d ever pushed it. Brighter than she had thought possible. She spun around, the only one not blinded by the blast of light or staggered from the force she¡¯d just unleashed. Kohen staggered, his sword wavering, his gloved hand rubbing his eyes, the lightning bolts dissipating into nothing with his concentration broken. She shoved him, his Fortitude no match for her Strength while staggering from the blast. He tumbled down, his head slamming into the floor. She was on top of him, her foot pressing her entire weight against his chest. She placed the blade of her sword against his neck and leaned down, tearing the boar mask from the side of his head. ¡°Surrender,¡± she commanded. He blinked rapidly, his vision¡ªand the audience¡¯s¡ªreturning slowly. But there was no argument. ¡°I-I surrender.¡± Ch. 31: Introductions Cass blinked to regain her vision, though she could still roughly make out the last moves of Alyx¡¯s fight through Atmospheric Sense. That had been so close. Did Alyx know how many lightning bolts Kohen had been preparing? He had implanted more than a dozen in the arena¡¯s floor and had summoned more with each of those bolt attacks. If Alyx hadn¡¯t gone all in there at the end, never mind losing, Alyx might have died. Was this how duels went? Then again, Alyx had swung her sword with some scary-looking power on the blade and had no sign of holding back, so it may have been fair. Cass shook her head. It didn¡¯t matter. It was obvious people died in these fights. She just needed to avoid getting mixed up in this kind of thing. Alyx removed her sword from her brother¡¯s body, and as he surrendered, sheathed it without fanfare. She dropped the mask on his chest. He snatched it up, holding it tight like a child with his favorite toy. Alyx¡¯s eyes caught on that man at the table just below the duchess¡¯s. They stared each other down wordlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised,¡± Alyx spat at Kohen before stalking back to the table. The entire room¡¯s eyes were on her. The whispers whirled to full force. Alyx grabbed Cass¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cass asked, her head cocking to one side. Alyx shook her head and let Cass go, sitting back down and heaping another helping of the braised pork onto her plate. ¡°Never mind. Just, I¡¯m glad you are here.¡± Before Cass could ask her what that meant, she was speaking to the rest of the table. ¡°I believe there should be no doubting of my accomplishments now?¡± Tiador nodded with a whistle. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare after that performance.¡± He eyed Cass and added, ¡°Though, I would like to hear how the miss here aided you at her level. Whether or not you conquered Uvana, your companion doing so at your side remains unlikely for a plethora of reasons.¡± Cass¡¯s stomach twisted. This shouldn¡¯t be surprising. Kohen had nicely outlined why her claims made little sense. ¡°She¡¯s an exceptional mage,¡± Alyx said without looking up from her dinner. Tiador raised an eyebrow, his lime eyes sparking with interest. ¡°Is that so?¡± Cass shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m really not that impressive.¡± Certainly not compared to what Kohen had just displayed. She could throw a single wind blade at a time. He had held a dozen lightning bolts simultaneously. She couldn¡¯t even hold lightning for a couple of seconds at a time. ¡°I¡¯d like to see for myself,¡± he said. ¡°Care to duel?¡± Cass¡¯s eyes widened. Nope, nope, nope! She did not. How anyone looked at the deadly force on display just now and said to themselves, ¡®yes, I¡¯d like to subject myself to that too, thanks,¡¯ she did not understand. Were they all just crazy? Probably, actually. Cass shook her head, ¡°No. No, thank you.¡± She hoped she¡¯d sounded polite rather than terrified. Alyx had just gone and showed off how cool she was. How bad would it make her look if her companion was running shaking from such challenges? Especially after talking Cass up. But Cass had her priorities well in order, and her life was far, far more valuable than Alyx¡¯s pride. ¡°I see,¡± he said, a strange look on his face. Disappointment, maybe? Maybe in her? In Alyx? Then Alyx snorted. Cass shot her a confused look, but the other woman was smirking at Tiador without so much as glancing in Cass¡¯s direction. Before Cass could voice the confusion, a servant appeared at the end of the table. ¡°You all have been invited to greet the dragons,¡± he said with a low bow. ¡°Please follow me.¡± The other table guests shot up. Neither Alyx nor Tiador were an exception. They all walked as quickly as possible without running. Cass hurried after them, a buzzing in her chest. Excitement? Fear? Both? These were real dragons. Real dragons! Cass wasn¡¯t about to claim she was special. She wasn¡¯t any different from any other woman. She¡¯d been a teenage girl once. She¡¯d gone through all the usual phases. A horse girl phase. A fantasy princess phase. A dragon phase. She¡¯d had no shortage of childhood dreams of riding dragons. But this wasn¡¯t a fantasy. These were real beings. If Alyx was to be believed, cursed beings, liable to turn into uncontrollable beasts if not bound to another by the time they turned nine. Didn¡¯t that make them children? Their voices had sounded quite young, now that she thought about it. The group lined up before the dragon¡¯s table, Cass the very last of their group. She watched as each of the guests approached one at a time. She couldn¡¯t hear what was said to the dragons like a wall of silence wrapped the table and its occupants, isolating them from the rest of the room. Most guests were only given a minute or so to chat. Kohen had somehow gotten ahead in the line. He spoke for a good two minutes with the pair before walking back to the table, his head lowered. Tiador must not have exchanged more than their names because he was walking back almost as soon as he approached. Alyx got a little longer. She seemed to be passionately telling them something. Their heads bobbed in agreement before she too left. And then it was Cass¡¯s turn. She approached the table, stepping over that invisible barrier and finding the murmur of the hall fall away. The dragon pair looked down on her, their silver eyes even more imposing up close. ¡°Er, I¡¯m Cass, hi.¡± She gave them a small wave. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. They¡¯d looked identical from a distance, both white-scaled and silver-eyed, but up close there were differences in their faces. Their horns curled differently. The one on the right had a pointed snout, while the one on the left was more rounded. The right one was staring at Cass. Cass raised an eyebrow. ¡°What? My charge?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Cass said slowly. Does she sense me? Salos whispered. Cass could feel a wave of concern building in him. It pressed against her chest, cold and powerful. Why would a dragon think our bond is like the bond they share with their knights? Cass asked. the first dragon said. The second, rounder-faced dragon chimed in, her voice softer, I don¡¯t know, Salos replied, his concern swirling up around them. But unless you have other secret bonds, I do not know about I don¡¯t know what else she could be sensing. I don¡¯t. Cass forced her body to keep breathing at an even pace, to ignore the emotions creeping over from Salos. What does it mean that our bond is similar? I don¡¯t know, Salos repeated. But the simplest answer would be that, somehow, they are demons too. Quickly, he dismissed the idea. But there are so many problems with that, I hardly think we should consider it. Which is why you¡¯re panicking at the idea of it? Cass asked. They can¡¯t be demons, Salos said. Dragons are their own race. That would be like saying humans are demons or slyphids are demons. You can¡¯t be both. They are their own things. You¡¯re a Nyxdrian Demon, Cass pointed out. Couldn¡¯t they be draconic demons or something? They are not demons, Salos repeated, more for himself than for Cass. They aren¡¯t trying to devour anyone¡¯s soul. Therefore, they can¡¯t be demons. Cass wanted to point out that he was a demon and wasn¡¯t trying to eat anybody either, but she decided that now wasn¡¯t a good time for that. Besides, I have never heard of any other cases of demon bonding, Salos added, another layer of reason plastered over his now quietly churning concerns. How unusual is our bond, exactly? Cass asked. Demons do not choose to make bonds. Honestly, I would not have thought our arrangement could be as stable as it is. Demons devour or are destroyed. Half measures like our existence are improbable. That an entire race of demons would willingly submit to such a bond is even more unlikely. What about under the influence of the gods? Cass asked. Alyx said the gods cursed and blessed the dragons, right? ¡®Demon¡¯ god or not, I refuse to believe any of the gods would be so foolish as to purposefully create demons, Salos said. And even if one did, the other gods would have destroyed such a race. Alacrity would never have ¡®blessed¡¯ demons. A biting fire laced his voice as he spoke. Not if she had even a shred of responsibility left. That was more faith in the gods than Cass expected from him, but he continued talking before she could form a question to press him on it. Besides, what culture reveres demons in any form? No one is that stupid. Therefore, they cannot be demons. the second dragon asked. ¡°I think so,¡± Cass said. Cass couldn¡¯t help the smile spread over her face. This huge lizard just called someone its ¡®mommy¡¯. It was so incongruous, there was no other way to react. ¡°I suppose this means you wouldn¡¯t be interested in me as your knight, then?¡± Cass asked. There was laughter in the first dragon¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± Cass said with a sigh. No dragon for us. Why would you want to bind yourself to something else? You could hardly justify bringing it back to your world. No, I suppose not. That wouldn¡¯t be fair. Also, that would be a huge commotion if I did. Cass imagined the chaos a fully grown dragon appearing in the city would cause. Yes, probably for the best she didn¡¯t. Besides, Alyx needed to impress one of these two. Better she have one fewer competitor. ¡°It was nice to meet you both,¡± Cass said with another bow. ¡°I hope one of you will choose my friend Alyx and we can hang out again another time.¡± the first dragon asked. ¡°No mother?¡± Cass asked. That didn¡¯t sound right. the other dragon added. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± asked the other. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should blame Alyx for something her parents may or may not have done,¡± Cass said slowly. There had to be more going on here. ¡°Alyx herself is very strong. Very determined. I¡¯ve relied on her a lot since I got here.¡± The first dragon looked around Cass to stare at Alyx, who was waiting just out of earshot. the other dragon agreed, though she avoided looking at Alyx instead. ¡°We just came back from Uvana. She killed the Lord of the Deep, which I gather has not been done in recent memory. We fought the Lord of the Pass together and I¡¯m only alive now because of her skills.¡± Would either of them have survived if Alyx hadn¡¯t Commanded her to focus? ¡°More importantly, she¡¯s a good person.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°You¡¯re looking for your other half, right? Someone you share a soul with? Do you really want half your soul to be rotten? Someone who only cares about power?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°It would make me sad, at least.¡± The dragons narrowed their eyes, clearly not quite buying Cass¡¯s words. ¡°I think she cares more than she wants to admit about others. She pretends it¡¯s about power and favors, but,¡± she could have done just the bare minimum if that was all it was. She could have abandoned Cass at any point. She could have ignored that burning town. After slaying the monsters, they could have left. They didn¡¯t have to help with rebuilding the palisades. Maybe it was all for a leverage she could use against her aunt. But Cass didn¡¯t think so. ¡°She cares about people. About honoring debts. About protecting what¡¯s hers,¡± Cass said finally. ¡°I hope you will consider her as your guardian. You won¡¯t regret picking her.¡± they said, looking past Cass to Alyx again. ¡°Just consider her, that¡¯s all I can ask,¡± Cass said and left them to their meal and their thoughts. ¡°Seemed like a long conversation,¡± Alyx said as Cass joined her on their walk back to their table. ¡°Do I have another competitor?¡± The tone was playful, joking, but there was a stiffness in her shoulders that betrayed her concern. Cass shook her head. ¡°No, I thought about it, but turns out they rejected me out of hand. Something about not wanting to partner with a spirit or something, I don¡¯t know.¡± A lie, but easier to say than explaining Salos¡¯s situation. ¡°No. I was talking you up instead.¡± ¡°Talking me up?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Told them about Uvana. And how you¡¯re a good person.¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know how much my words will mean to them, but I figured it couldn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Alyx said. Ch. 32: For Power The banquet continued late into the night. The food seemed as endless as it was diverse. Every time Cass was sure they had cleared a plate on the table, it was replaced with another new dish without so much as a ripple of air displaced. All of it was delicious. None of it was poisoned as far as Identify, Foraging, or Herbal Concocting was aware. And Cass learned that although her slyphid body did not get hungry, it could become overstuffed. When the third dessert tray appeared on the table¡ªa candied fruit dusted with sugar and then drizzled with honey¡ªCass excused herself for some air. The right side of the hall was lined with doors open to the night. Cass slipped through one of them to be greeted by an empty balcony and a sky of stars. Cass sighed in relief as she leaned against the palace¡¯s outer wall, her head tilted to the open sky. She didn¡¯t need to look at it to feel the lack of clouds. She knew the air was clear for miles, the way she knew the distant tree line was green. It was simply something her senses told her and nothing more. But looking at it filled her with a sense of rightness she couldn¡¯t explain. Was it a slyphid instinct or an Earthen human one? Clear night skies were for star gazing. It was that simple. Perhaps it was something both the human and the slyphid could agree on. Though the stars above her were unfamiliar. Colder. Brighter. Their arrangement was foreign. It had been a long time since she¡¯d last looked at the night sky and not been able to find one constellation she was familiar with. The big dipper. Orion¡¯s belt. Cassiopeia¡¯s throne. All absent. What kinds of constellations did they watch here? What stories did they tell? Did Alyx know any of them? ¡°There you are,¡± Alyx said as if summoned by her thoughts. She held Cass¡¯s staff in one hand. ¡°Oh, I guess I left that at the table?¡± Cass took it back from Alyx. It was weird to have a weapon at a party. It was weird to take it with her when she went out for air. ¡°I¡¯m surprised your minder let you wander off without it.¡± Alyx glanced around the balcony. Salos was nowhere in sight. Cass shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s here somewhere.¡± She could feel him in the banquet hall still, probably spying on someone. ¡°Well, as long as he¡¯s staying out of trouble,¡± Alyx muttered. Cass wasn¡¯t sure he was, but then again, it would only be trouble if he got caught. The wind gusted over the balcony. Alyx stepped up to the railing, leaning out over the edge. This side of the palace overlooked rolling hills and low-lying Spires, all dark with the late night. ¡°How are you doing, Cass?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t died yet.¡± That counted for something. Alyx nodded like that was good, informative information. Her hands laced together tightly. They shook. Not much. But Cass could feel it in the air all the same. ¡°How you doing?¡± Cass asked. Alyx spun around, a grin pasted across her face. Her hands clenched around the railing behind her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Better than fine. I¡ª¡± Alyx¡¯s breath caught in her through. ¡°¡ªI beat him.¡± ¡°Your brother?¡± Alyx nodded. It was a sharp, jerky nod. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve beaten him since I was twelve.¡± There was more Alyx wanted to say. Cass waited for her to find the words. Alyx turned back out over the balcony again. ¡°I might have a real shot at this. I might win.¡± ¡°Can you do it alone?¡± Cass asked. Their conversation from much earlier that day echoed through her head. Alyx¡¯s hands clenched tighter around the railing. ¡°I have Marco. It won¡¯t be alone.¡± ¡°Alyx,¡± Cass said softly. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me help you?¡± ¡°Why do you want to?¡± The question had a defensive bite. It shoved Cass back even as Alyx curled tighter away. ¡°Do you even know what the Catacombs are like?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Full of monsters?¡± She didn¡¯t love the idea, but it couldn¡¯t be that much worse than Uvana. ¡°People die in there, Cass. I might¡ª¡± Alyx¡¯s voice wavered. ¡°What? Die?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a possibility.¡± Alyx looked away. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Then I definitely can¡¯t let you go alone.¡± Alyx shook her head and took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her voice was hard. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can handle it.¡± Cass crossed her arms over her chest. Alyx was probably right. Cass was only level 19. Alyx was level 26 and Marco was higher still. If this was going to be difficult for people at their level, was there anything Cass could contribute? And yet, that evaluation stung. ¡°I killed the Lord of the Pass.¡± It came out more defensive than Cass had meant it to. And the words kept coming. ¡°I survived Uvana at level 1. How much worse can the Catacombs be?¡± She¡¯d killed the giant spider that had grabbed Alyx. She¡¯d survived the lightning-phased lion, the ancient centipede, and the caretaker. She¡¯d more than carried her weight against the bartiang apes on the road. Despite everyone in this world claiming the contrary, there was more to fights than level alone. ¡°I know that.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°I know you can handle monsters.¡± ¡°Then what is this really about?¡± ¡°You have no reason to join me.¡± Alyx still refused to look at Cass. ¡°I owe you my life and you casually talk about helping me further. I know you don¡¯t intend anything by it. I keep telling myself that.¡± There was something hollow about that answer, an excuse but not a lie. ¡°Is it so hard to believe I just want to help you?¡± Cass asked. ¡°You should focus on finding your way home,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I can solve my problems and pay you back for everything you¡¯ve already done.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t pay me back if you¡¯re dead,¡± Cass shot back. And she didn¡¯t want Alyx to die for this ¡®debt¡¯. She¡¯d rather Alyx didn¡¯t die at all. ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°You just said that it was a possibility!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die,¡± Alyx repeated, meeting Cass¡¯s eyes again for the first time. ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t come.¡± Alyx made the declaration like it was final. Cass glared back. ¡°You¡¯re out of excuses and so you¡¯re shutting me down now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to explain myself.¡± ¡°So you owe me your life, but not a simple explanation?¡± Cass¡¯s face was hot. Her chest was tight. Her hands curled into frustrated fists around her staff. Is something wrong? Salos asked, his voice distant but his presence approaching quickly. I¡¯m fine, Cass snapped. Alyx looked away. She muttered something. ¡°What?¡± With Cass¡¯s Perception and the bonuses of Atmospheric Sense, she heard the words just fine, but they didn¡¯t make any sense to her. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can handle the people,¡± Alyx repeated, louder. The wind stilled between gusts. The low murmur from the banquet hall filled the empty air between them. Salos appeared at her ankles. His gold eyes glared up at Alyx. ¡°The people?¡± Cass repeated. That still didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°What about the people?¡± ¡°Can you handle people trying to kill you again?¡± Alyx¡¯s words were like ice water in Cass¡¯s blood. ¡°What?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Cass¡¯s mind whirled, trying to square the information she had on this event. The goal was to get to the bottom of the catacombs and return with the goddess¡¯s blessing. There was a bonus for doing so first. There were monsters down there. Was it like the Paris catacombs, dotted with dark corners overeager urban explorers never returned from? It had to be muggers or traffickers. Ugly for sure but¡ª¡°I can handle criminals.¡± Right? The faces of the assassins in Hervet floated over her vision. Her stomach turned. ¡°Criminals?¡± Alyx repeated. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the other contestants. My brothers. My cousins.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There are only two dragonlings,¡± Alyx said as if that explained everything. Ah. Salos nodded. ¡°And people kill over them?¡± ¡°Do you have any idea what it means to be a Dragon Knight? It¡¯s more than just an impressive steed. It¡¯s more than just my family¡¯s approval. It is the difference between irrelevance and power.¡± Cass stared at her. She knew this shouldn¡¯t surprise her at this point. Yet the incredulous words burst from her lips, anyway. ¡°And killing for power is reasonable?¡± Alyx¡¯s hand clenched around her sword¡¯s hilt. ¡°When the alternative is dying for someone else¡¯s power, yes.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how you dress it up. That¡¯s just murder.¡± Alyx stared at Cass, an unspoken ¡®And?¡¯ hanging between them. ¡°And murder is wrong!¡± Cass yelled. It shouldn¡¯t need to be said but, here she was. You are being unreasonable, Salos said. Killing the competition is a time-honored tradition. Don¡¯t you start! Cass hissed. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t take this well,¡± Alyx muttered. She looked away again. ¡°You should stay in the city. Stay with Telis. You¡¯ll be safe here. I¡¯ll pay you back. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± I agree, Salos chirped. ¡°And what about you?¡± Cass demanded. ¡°You¡¯re just going to go kill or be killed? You think I want you to kill for me?¡± ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t for you,¡± Alyx spat back. ¡°Then why?¡± Cass asked. ¡°You mean to tell me power is important enough to you to kill for it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how the world works. People die. There is no authority keeping peace in the catacombs. Your power is all you have to protect you.¡± ¡°And you expect me to just accept that? That¡¯s just how it is? Should I have accepted Levina¡¯s offer to betray you because my survival was more likely that way? Murder is just the way the world is!¡± Should I have just accepted you¡¯re my slave because that¡¯s the way the world is? Treat you as nothing more than a servant to Command as I please? That¡¯s the way the world is! Ridiculous. All of it. Let her go then, Salos said lazily. Let her die for those beliefs without you. We have other leads. We do not need her. She was convenient. That was all. Don¡¯t talk to me like you¡¯re better than her right now, Cass warned. The wind gusted around her. She couldn¡¯t stay here and talk about this. This wasn¡¯t an argument she wanted to have here. It wasn¡¯t an argument she wanted to have at all. Cass forced the heat from her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you back at the manor.¡± ¡°Cass,¡± Alyx called after her. Cass ignored her, Stepping onto the wind and letting it carry her into the night. Ch. 33: Averenis Storehouse Was it unreasonable to be mad? Cass didn¡¯t know. She had known Alyx was callous about death. She had known Alyx had no problem killing. This wasn¡¯t some big betrayal. Alyx had tried to keep her out of it. Cass was the one who¡¯d forced the conversation. Cass flew through the night air, trying to work out her thoughts. They just turned over those same ones. Again and again and again. The wind twisted along the hillsides, dipping and bobbing over the rolling landscape. Was she being unreasonable? It wasn¡¯t like this was a surprise. Alyx and Marco had killed plenty of people in front of her. It was kill or be killed. It was hardly a strange conclusion given life here. Her concerns were an Earth sensibility¡ªan Earth moral. One that would probably get her killed in the long run. The rational part of her brain could see that. Salos wouldn¡¯t always be fast enough to deliver the final strike. Alyx wouldn¡¯t always be able to protect her while she had a mental break over the body. That eventually, it would be her own hands irrefutably stained with another¡¯s blood. Would Earth Cass be really and truly dead when that happened? Would slyphid Cass be the only thing left? Wind Step ran out, the wind finally tiring of carrying her and dumping her back into corporeality. She landed gracefully despite the sudden stop, courtesy of her high Dex. She found herself in a wide coliseum. It was big enough to seat the entire city. The walls stretched up forever, leaving only a circle of starry sky above her. The arena within was dirt and sand and wide enough to play two football games side by side and still have a healthy amount of space for halftime shows to be going on alongside them. The stone walls were scrapped and worn, whether by weather or by hands desperate to flee the arena, Cass could only speculate. There were three entrances to the field. Two were portcullis-covered passages, both leading into dark unknowns. They were built across from one another, likely to let opposing combatants into the arena. The third was a pair of towering stone doors, cold and impassive, set equal distance on the wall between the portcullises. The stone was different around the doors. Most of the coliseum was built with a light, off-white stone, not dissimilar from the Spires in the skies around the city. But the stone of the doors and the surrounding wall were much darker, like the Deep of Uvana. She hadn¡¯t been paying attention to where the wind had taken her. All she knew was she was somewhere on the backside of the palatial hill and that she vaguely sensed Salos was making his way toward her with all speed. And that he was concerned. She ignored him. He¡¯d get here soon enough and Alyx would probably be right behind him. The wind whispered around her. She could keep running if she wanted. Another Step and she could be gone. Salos would catch up eventually, but it could take a long time if that was what she wanted. She stared up at the stars. Was that what she wanted? She took an ordinary step instead, meandering the circumference of the arena. What did she want? She wanted to go home. That was an easy answer but with no clear path. She wanted to know if Kaye or Robin had ended up in this world. If they were okay. If she could find them. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. She wanted to fix Salos. She couldn¡¯t take him back to Earth with her. But she didn¡¯t know how to start on that either. She didn¡¯t want Alyx to die. She didn¡¯t know if she could make a difference. She had in the past, but the past was not a predictor of the future. The catacombs were a different beast. People were a different beast. But she didn¡¯t want Alyx to die. Could she kill to see that through? ¡°Cass!¡± Alyx¡¯s voice jerked Cass from her thoughts. She looked up. Alyx and Salos both stood in the stands of the arena. Salos¡¯s concern rolled off him. Alyx waved stiffly. They¡¯d caught up. Cass Wind Stepped. For a fraction of a second, she considered riding it into the night again. She didn¡¯t. Instead, she rode it up to where they stood, materializing in front of them. She and Alyx stared awkwardly at one another. An apology probably made sense. But she didn¡¯t want to apologize for anything. She wasn¡¯t sorry for yelling or running away to cool off. Alyx opened her mouth. To apologize? For what? For being practical about the risks and the stakes? To tell her off? For running away? For making her chase her down here? For making her leave the banquet early? To¡ª Salos leapt off Alyx¡¯s shoulder, darting along the arena¡¯s walls. ¡°Salos?¡± Cass called after him. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shrugged but chased after him anyway. He leapt down into the arena¡¯s field, coming to a stop in front of the big stone doors. ¡°What¡¯s he want with the Catacombs?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°This is the entrance?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. ¡°This is the Averenis Storehold,¡± Salos said from below. ¡°The what?¡± Alyx asked. He stared up at them, his gold eyes burning. ¡°This is the Averenis Storehold. We need to get in there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± Cass yelled back. ¡°Why is that important?¡± ¡°The Averenis were one of the most powerful families in my time. Their storehouse contained some of the most powerful treasures ever built or discovered. Their d¡ªahhh!¡± He crumpled, yelling in pain. Cass leapt down the wall to him without hesitation. She scooped him into her arms. ¡°What was that? Salos, what¡¯s happening?¡± He spasmed. His claws thrashed, digging into her flesh. He howled. Her heart pounded. Frantic. His panic fed her own. She held him tighter. Her hands stroked at his fur. But he dissolved like mist beneath them. He barely had any substance in her arms. His pain overflowed into her. Like a tide of boiling water, scalding her nerves and scorching her skin. Like lightning, straight to her heart. It was everything. There was nothing. It was eternity. It was over. Salos lay limp in her arms, his chest rising and falling slowly. Alyx was at her side, an arm draped protectively over Cass¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Abyss below.¡± Pain echoed in his voice. ¡°What just happened?¡± Alyx scrambled off Cass, putting a respectable distance between them again. She crossed her arms and looked away. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask you.¡± Salos blinked blearily up at Cass. ¡°My head is swimming. Where are we?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cass said. Her throat was hoarse. ¡°Some storehouse? You got really excited about some Avernis family?¡± He closed his eyes, the pain still swirling around him. ¡°The Averenis Family. Very powerful. I worked for them? For a while? I think?¡± He grit his teeth as a smaller spike jolted through him. ¡°I think I understand.¡± ¡°Enough to explain?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this and not explain.¡± She was doing everything she could to keep the tension out of her voice. The fear. The panic. This wasn¡¯t about her. He was the one in pain. But she was scared. Pretending she wasn¡¯t was pointless, though. He could feel her rising fear through their bond, just as she could feel the echoes of his pain and the distress bubbling beneath it. ¡°Explaining would make it worse.¡± He was certain. Emphatically so. ¡°But we need to go in there.¡± ¡°Why? You need to tell me that much, at least.¡± He looked up at her, his gold eyes dark and tired. ¡°Because it is like Uvana.¡± ¡°Like Uvana how?¡± That sounded more like a reason not to go to Cass. Did he mean it was a god¡¯s trial? Full of monsters that she could kill to make her strong? Salos considered the question for a long time. Answers formed and dissolved on his tongue. Finally, he said, We might find another piece of my soul. Ch. 34: The Delim Library Cass lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep should be easy. It had been a long day. Travel and dueling and banquets. Sleep should be easy. She should be tired. And she was. But useless questions drowned out that exhaustion. Questions she didn¡¯t want to think about. Questions that she did not have answers to and no amount of pondering would derive the answers. She turned over and over, from side to side. The bed was criminally soft, yet she could not find a comfortable position. The room was chilly, but the heavy comforter was too warm. The room was quiet, but after a month of sleeping surrounded by the little noises of nature, the quiet was unnatural. She turned over again, fluffing her pillow as she shifted. Salos had given up trying to sleep on her lap hours ago. He has since found a much stiller spot on the nearby armchair. He appeared dead asleep, in no way troubled as she was. She could feel his consciousness next to her own. It pressed against her like a weighted blanket. Another night, it might have been comforting. Tonight, it was just one more thing she didn¡¯t want to think about. She sat up, throwing the comforters off her body. If she wasn¡¯t going to sleep, she¡¯d find something else to do until she was ready. She activated Stealth and crept out of the room so as not to wake Salos, pulling her night robe tighter around her shoulders. The halls were dim at this hour. All was quiet. Even the servants had turned in for the evening. It was just Cass walking the halls like a ghost. The walls were lined with glass murals. She imagined in the daylight they shone in bright colors and glimmering light. In the dark, they were cold and difficult to interpret. She was pretty sure they were all scenes of battle, though. Armored soldiers raced across the hall¡¯s length into an enemy force. Above the fray, a dragon led the charge, its mouth open in a bestial roar. Upon its back, an armored figure raised a sword. Just bloody glory after gory conquest. How would these look in the light? Would she feel the pride their creators felt or would she simply find herself awash in the red light filtered through the glass? She sighed. Perhaps staring at the ceiling of her room would be a better use of her time. Was it already time to head back? She rounded a corner of the hallway to see a light leaking from a doorway. The door was just barely ajar, casting a thin beam of light into the hall. Cass hesitated. If the light was on, didn¡¯t that mean someone was there? Would they want to be disturbed this late at night? Then again, she didn¡¯t feel the breathing of anyone near her with Atmospheric Sense. Maybe someone had just forgotten to put out the light? Then wasn¡¯t it her duty to investigate and turn it out for them when she was done? She opened the door and stepped in. Beyond was a library, two stories tall, with sweeping shelves covering every inch of the walls in books. The air was still, carrying a faint smell of must and paper. Most of the library was dark, except for a single lamp lit on the far side of the room. Cass walked along the shelves, taking the long way around to the light. The tomes varied, some heavy, hulking thinks as wide as her palm and bound in thick leather, others thin packets of paper with little more than string keeping their pages together. Some wore gems on their spines; others, words in scripts she did not recognize. Cass didn¡¯t dare touch them. There was a foreboding over the room that she couldn¡¯t attribute to any one thing. There was no dust, but the books seemed pressed into their places on the shelves like they rarely moved. A pair of tables stood in the center of the room. Around them, stiff-backed chairs stood at attention, like soldiers on guard. Blank paper sat in neat stacks weighed down by a curling serpent paperweight, writing tools lined up neatly beside it. Waiting, never to be used. Such was the feel of the place until she reached the glow of the lamp. Here, the shelves thinned out, gaps appearing between books. The lamp sat on a small writing desk. On one end was a stack of books, easily a foot high, on the other scribbled notes covered in blotchy ink and a quivering script. There was an indent in the chair¡¯s cushions and a throw blanket hanging over the chair¡¯s back. This corner alone in the room appeared to be used. ¡°Ah!¡± a voice squeaked behind her. Cass spun. A boy hung in the doorway, thin and gangly and not a day over eighteen. ¡°Er, hi?¡± Cass said with an awkward wave. Who was he? He looked a little like Alyx and a lot like Kohen. Another sibling? They had said something about there being another brother, hadn¡¯t they? Was he going to be just like Kohen? All pride and bluster? Cass prepared herself to find an excuse to leave as quickly as possible. But the boy waved back, slow and awkward, from the doorway, almost like he was afraid to approach. He called from the door, ¡°Can I help you?¡± Offering assistance? Maybe he wasn¡¯t like Kohen. Or maybe that was noble speak for ¡®what are you doing here? You aren¡¯t supposed to be here!¡¯ Then again, his voice wasn¡¯t forceful. Rather, it was wavering, like a real question. ¡°No,¡± Cass said. ¡°I¡¯m just wandering. Is this your stuff?¡± He nodded as he scurried toward the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I meant to clean that up but¡ª¡° ¡°No, no need to apologize.¡± Cass stepped away from the writing desk. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get out of your way. Sorry for poking around without permission.¡± He shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t my study. I shouldn¡¯t leave my stuff out like I own the place.¡± The words echoed in his mouth like he was repeating something said to him rather than words he had picked himself. ¡°This isn¡¯t your library?¡± Cass asked. Was he not one of the Veldor children? He looked like he was, even if he lacked the backbone she¡¯d come to expect. ¡°Oh, no. This is my father¡¯s library,¡± he said. ¡°Um. I¡¯m Ahryn Delim Veldor, youngest son of the Warden Thaycer Delim Veldor and Grand Mage Litya Delim Veldor. I would never claim this was all mine.¡± Cass cocked her head to the side. His father¡¯s library, his library? She didn¡¯t see the difference. There were plenty of things that might belong to a parent but not the child and plenty of contexts she might even agree a library was among them, but in this case, she didn¡¯t see the difference. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. This was his home, wasn¡¯t it? That made this his library. ¡°I¡¯m Cass,¡± Cass said with a wave. He stared at her another minute, perhaps expecting her to say more. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Cass said finally, more to break the silence than because she thought it was what he was waiting for. ¡°Nice to meet you too, Lady Cass?¡± Cass chuckled. ¡°Lady? No need for anything that fancy. I¡¯m not nobility or anything.¡± ¡°No?¡± he asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a houseguest?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The boy looked like Cass had just told him the sky was green. ¡°How do you know my brother?¡± he asked. ¡°Kohen?¡± Cass¡¯s eyebrow twitched at the memory of their meeting. ¡°I met him when he¡¯d burst into my room before I¡¯d gotten dressed. He had¡ª¡± Cass paused. Was it wise to vent her frustrations at his brother? The kid might assume it was slander and do who knew what to her. Better take it down a notch for now. But the boy already looked scandalized. ¡°K-K-Kohen did what?¡± Cass looked away. What did she say now? He had asked. It wasn¡¯t like she had been indecent. ¡°I was relaxing in the guest room after a bath¡­¡± Cass explained the incident. The boy¡¯s confusion appeared to only grow at it. ¡°Wait. You met him here? At the manor?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°He invited you before you had met?¡± It was Cass¡¯s turn to look confused. ¡°No. He didn¡¯t invite me.¡± Ahryn inhaled sharply. He stood a little taller and took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I misunderstood. You are my father¡¯s guest, then?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. She shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°But, mother didn¡¯t invite you,¡± he said, his body noticeably relaxing. ¡°I¡¯m Alyx¡¯s guest,¡± Cass explained. He must not have heard. ¡°Alyx has a guest?¡± Cass waved a set of jazz hands at the boy. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°But Alyx doesn¡¯t have any friends.¡± Oof. Cass winced at the boy¡¯s brutal takedown. ¡°And if she did, why would she bring them here?¡± He looked at Cass inquisitively. ¡°She hates it here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s here for the Festival,¡± Cass said with a shrug. ¡°Ah,¡± the boy visibly deflated. ¡°Then are you here to help her with that?¡± Wasn¡¯t that the question. ¡°Are you competing as well?¡± Cass asked instead of answering his question. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough for that.¡± Vaisom Noble (Lvl 23) ¡°You¡¯re a higher level than me,¡± Cass said with a shrug. Though, as a slyphid, she probably had more stats than him. Then again, it wasn¡¯t her business whether a kid was planning on entering the Catacombs. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she was going. And Alyx didn¡¯t need more rivals. ¡°What are you doing up this late?¡± Cass asked, changing the subject. ¡°Studying,¡± the boy said. ¡°Studying?¡± Cass repeated. He stepped around her to the desk, shuffling the papers into a singular pile. ¡°I¡¯m planning on joining the Institute of Arcane Arts in the fall. The entrance exams are coming up after the Festival.¡± Cass smiled sadly at the papers on his desk, bitterly remembering her own application process to undergrad. Some things were the same no matter the world. ¡°What are you planning on studying?¡± Cass asked. Magic, probably, based on the name of the institute. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± he said. ¡°Mother wants to see me specialize in Gestural Combat Magic, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll make the cut for that.¡± Cass couldn¡¯t help herself. She¡¯d heard that tone of voice all too often in the past. That was the classic ¡®my parents want me to be a lawyer/doctor and make lots of money but I hate the idea¡¯ voice. She patted him on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a tough world out there. Even the things they say are sure shots won¡¯t necessarily be by the time you graduate.¡± How many of her peers had forced themselves into tech because everyone had agreed that was where the jobs were, only to end up on the other side in an over-saturated market? ¡°So pick a major you¡¯re interested in. Or at least one you won¡¯t hate for the rest of your life.¡± He was looking at her funny again. Maybe they didn¡¯t call them majors of study here? Well, whatever, he¡¯d figure it out. Or he wouldn¡¯t. And again, it wasn¡¯t really her business to meddle. ¡°I should probably let you get back to it,¡± Cass said. ¡°No. It¡¯s alright, really, sorry for taking up the entire library.¡± He stammered as he scrambled to put his books away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it on my account,¡± Cass said, backing toward the door. It was probably time to try to sleep again, anyway. He scooped up a pile, only to bump into an armchair in the corner. He fell, his books falling around him. ¡°Woah!¡± Cass rushed back over to him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he squeaked from the floor, scrambling to get back up. ¡°Hey, wait, calm down,¡± Cass leaned over and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He blinked up at her. He repeated her slowly, ¡°Am I okay?¡± ¡°Did you hurt yourself?¡± He shook his head. Cass sighed in relief and crouched beside him, gathering his books into a stack. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Good?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t hit your head?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡± ¡°Alright. Be careful though, okay? Concussions are serious.¡± ¡°Ah, okay?¡± The books were mostly thick textbook-looking things, the covers decorated with abstract designs. She couldn¡¯t read any of the titles. Perhaps that shouldn¡¯t surprise her. She had not tried to read anything yet. Jothi Language Comprehension was currently only trained on the spoken word and wasn¡¯t particularly high leveled either. She¡¯d have to ask Salos to teach her later. She refused to be illiterate any longer than she had to. A few books were much smaller and more colorful, closer to fifty or a hundred pages than several hundred. Cass picked up the first of these. It had a very round, armored character on the cover with a long, twisting banner and a drawn sword. ¡°AH!¡± the boy snatched the book from her hands and clutched it to his chest. ¡°That¡¯s not¡ªI mean¡ªYou see¡­¡± his sputtering continued, his face flushing. ¡°What was that book?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Well, um,¡± he looked away. ¡°You saw it.¡± That was true, but she still had no idea what it was for him to be so embarrassed. ¡°I should be past this kind of thing,¡± he murmured. Whatever it was, he seemed convinced she knew what it was and that he should be embarrassed about it. Cass sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t read,¡± she said finally. ¡°I have no idea what that is.¡± His eyes jumped to her. He didn¡¯t quite gape. Cass shrugged, continuing to stack the books for him while he stared. ¡°Right,¡± he said finally. ¡°You said you weren¡¯t a noble. I¡¯m sorry. You just¡ªYou look like someone who can read.¡± Cass shrugged. She could, just not Jothi. ¡°This is a children¡¯s book,¡± he said, holding the book out so Cass could see it again. ¡°A story of heroism. Fiction.¡± She flipped it open. The text within was in a large font and there were pictures every dozen or so pages. On Earth, it might have been classified as a children¡¯s chapter book, but was still too complicated for Jothi Language Comprehension to translate it. It wasn¡¯t something a high school senior looking at college would generally still be reading, but easily something he¡¯d be embarrassed about. ¡°You should read what you like,¡± Cass said, handing the book back to him. ¡°Are there more of these here?¡± He nodded slowly, his expression incomprehensible to Cass. ¡°This way?¡± He led her to the back corner. On one of the bottom shelves, he pointed out a collection of books. Cass flipped through them. They appeared to all be similar chapter books. They¡¯d be good practice once she had the basics, but she wasn¡¯t going to be able to teach herself with these tonight. She¡¯d have to come back with Salos and have him translate for her. ¡°I think the public library has some more beginner books,¡± Ahryn said as she carefully worked the last book back onto its shelf. ¡°And, um, another night, I might be able to help you, if you want.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask you for that,¡± Cass said. The boy was studying for exams. He couldn¡¯t possibly have time for distractions. ¡°I read to¡ª¡± He stopped abruptly and coughed. ¡°I read a chapter or two of these every night, anyway. I¡¯m done for tonight but, if you come out to the back balcony after sunset while you¡¯re here, I don¡¯t mind reading it out loud to you, too.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure,¡± Cass said. She supposed breaks were important too and if he was going to be reading anyway, she would be foolish to pass up a willing teacher. ¡°If I have time tomorrow evening, I¡¯ll look for you.¡± Ch. 35: Magic Academy ¡°The catacombs open tomorrow,¡± Alyx explained to Cass as they walked through the city the next day. ¡°Telis and I have preparations to make. You¡¯re welcome to tag along, take it easy.¡± There was another question unspoken there, but Cass ignored it. ¡°I¡¯m going to follow up on some leads I¡¯ve got,¡± Cass said instead. We need to prepare for the Storehouse as well, Salos reminded her from her shoulder. Cass made a distracted, noncommittal grunt. It is a sealed environment, he continued. The potential should be denser, so you will get more experience from killing monsters, raising your level quicker. The blessing has something to do with the binding of dragons, which our bond, apparently, is similar to. And you want to help your friend. All our interests align. Cass ignored him. Alyx nodded, her expression stiff. ¡°Of course. Best of luck. Meet back here at noon for lunch. You have money, right?¡± Cass nodded and patted her Bag. ¡°Where did you say that Academy place was? And the library?¡± ¡°The Academy of Arcane Arts,¡± Alyx corrected. She gave Cass directions to both before waving goodbye and walking off to handle her errands. And like that, it was just Cass and Salos again. Alone in a sea of people. I¡¯m not overly optimistic about finding anything in the city, Salos warned. What happened to ¡®we don¡¯t need Alyx? We can find what we need in the city without her?¡¯ Salos looked away. If this is about finding the piece of your soul, you can just say that. You don¡¯t need to pretend you care about the other reasons. No. I mean. He sighed. Yes. You are right. That is a large part of my interest. However, that does not make the rest of those reasons lies. Sure, Cass said. But for now, let¡¯s see what we can learn in town. Library or magic academy first, do you think? I hate asking strangers about your business, but I think that¡¯s a better start than hoping to find something in a library, Salos said. ¡°Institute it is then,¡± Cass said. They followed the road through the twisting streets back to the river. They followed it south for a while until they came to a tower. It stood on one end of a long plaza. Its base extended into the face of the river¡¯s stone channel walls. Its spire stretched up into forked tines, one longer than the other, like the head of a seam ripper. People hung in groups around the plaza, some focused on books, others holding wands or staffs. Lights shimmered in midair. Water floated between groups. Fire twisted into unusual shapes. The air glowed to Cass¡¯s Mana Sense. Every single person was doing some sort of magic. Cass wove her way through the sights, to the tower¡¯s doors. Inside, she was met with a wide lobby. Three receptionists stood with long lines of customers. A bulletin board stood awash in notices on one side. A large bookcase packed with books stood on the other side. And the room was packed. Most appeared to be ordinary people, all waiting in line. A few shimmered in Cass¡¯s Mana Sense. I guess we get in line, Cass said. Salos shrugged. ¡°What¡¯cha waiting for?¡± a voice asked. Cass jumped. A big man with a bigger sword strapped to his back was staring down at her. Cass was tall for a woman, not quite 6 feet, but closer to 6 than 5. This man towered over her, easily over 6 and a half. Maybe even 7. Cass craned her neck up at him. He wasn¡¯t human, she realized. His skin was a light greyish color, his hair a dark slate. And his ears were like a wolf¡¯s, not a human¡¯s. Also, was that a tail? A wolfman? Vargher Heavy Knight Lvl 23 [The vargher are well known across the continent for their Strength and Vitality. As a heavy knight, this man specializes in heavy armor and heavier weapons.] A vargher? Is that what that was called then? He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mute?¡± ¡°S-sorry,¡± Cass stammered. ¡°I was just surprised.¡± She was still staring. God, this was rude. She was staring. She needed to stop staring. But she hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility before. There were elves. There were dwarves. Why wouldn¡¯t there be beast people? Was ¡®beast people¡¯ rude? What else would one call them? ¡°This your first time in the city?¡± he asked her. His voice was patient and warm. Cass nodded. ¡°Just got in yesterday.¡± He nodded. ¡°Nowhere on the peninsula is quite like the city, huh? You look a little lost here.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting the Academy to be so busy,¡± Cass admitted, ripping her eyes away from his ears and turning them back to the surrounding crowd. ¡°Are they all mages?¡± He laughed loudly. ¡°No. I can see why that would be overwhelming. No. These are people like us. People lookin¡¯ to hire a mage for one reason or another. I bet most are looking to add a mage to their Delve team.¡± ¡°Oh, for the festival,¡± Cass said. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. The boss was hoping to grab the mage last minute. Didn¡¯t want to pay them until we knew when the thing was startin¡¯. Now I¡¯m not sure what we¡¯ll get.¡± He shrugged, shooting Cass a casual ¡®what are you gonna do¡¯ look. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Um, I had a magic-related question that I was hoping to get answered¡­¡± but she hadn¡¯t expected it to be such a madhouse. He winced. ¡°Bad time for it, I¡¯d say. Most non-combat mages are off for the holidays. Those that are around are probably already booked. And the combat mages aren¡¯t much good for answering questions from my experience.¡± Cass frowned. Was she just out of luck then? ¡°No harm in asking if you got the time to wait in line, though,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Honest, I¡¯m not expecting to manage to hire a combat mage, either. Not a quality one anyway. But, the Boss gave me a task so I¡¯ll give it my best. Not like I got anything better to do today, anyway.¡± ¡°Who is your boss, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Cass asked as she settled into the line behind him. He tapped the badge on his tunic. ¡°You don¡¯t recognize this?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Cass squinted up at it. It was a coiling dragon wrapped around a sun. She shook her head. ¡°You really aren¡¯t from ¡®round here, huh?¡± He whistled. ¡°This is the mark of the Warden¡¯s son, Kohen Delim Veldor, grandson of the Grand Duchess. I¡¯m not one to make a fuss about it, but the noble types tend to, so best remember and not ask it to their faces, yeah?¡± Kohen? Alyx¡¯s brother. What were the chances? ¡°Is everyone in here that important?¡± Cass asked instead. The man laughed. ¡°Hardly. Most are just the hopefuls. The catacombs are open to all for the festival. They¡¯re dangerous, but there is a lot down there besides just the goddess¡¯s blessing. Between a chance at becoming the next Dragon Knight and the untold riches of the catacombs, everyone who¡¯s even slightly strong is thinking of trying their hand at them. ¡°Very few of the people here are expecting to win, but if they find a nice artifact or undisturbed shrine? That could change their fortunes overnight. ¡°Why, you thinking of trying your hand?¡± Cass froze. Wasn¡¯t that the question? He laughed. ¡°Sorry. No, huh? I suppose I should¡¯a figured out that one myself, huh?¡± Cass frowned. ¡°What does that mean?¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re a merchant¡¯s daughter, yeah? You don¡¯t got a fighter¡¯s body but your level¡¯s too high to be a craftsman. How much did your parents drop in monsters to level you this much?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m not.¡± Do I really look like a merchant¡¯s daughter? Cass asked Salos. Well, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve ever starved, but you aren¡¯t strong enough to be a noble. I haven¡¯t ever starved, Cass said slowly. Do people regularly starve here? It happens. Or it did before I was a demon. I can hardly imagine that¡¯s changed. ¡°No?¡± He frowned. ¡°Well, then I think you¡¯re exactly the sort that would want to try her hand then.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Not my business, either way. ¡°What are you here to ask about?¡± the man asked. Cass bit her lip. How much to say? How much was she even willing to share with the mages she was going to ask the questions to? ¡°I have an interest in inter-realm transversal,¡± she said eventually. ¡°I wanted to see if someone could tell me what the current state of research was before I started my own investigation.¡± He had that blank look on his face Cass was accustomed to getting back on Earth when she said something more technical about coding. He blinked and focused again when she stopped talking. ¡°You¡¯re a mage too?¡± ¡°Um, kind of?¡± Cass said with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t have any real training.¡± ¡°That sounded real complicated for someone with no training.¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not. It¡¯s just a simple question. The answer will probably be beyond what I can currently understand, but I have to start somewhere.¡± And I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll understand some of it. Don¡¯t get your hopes up too high, Salos warned. My understanding of this topic is cursory at best. ¡°That¡¯s amazin¡¯. Everyone should approach the unknown like that.¡± ¡°Thanks, it¡¯s really not that impressive.¡± He opened his mouth to say something else when the receptionist called out, ¡°Next!¡± He looked over his shoulder. ¡°Ah, my turn. Pleasure meeting you, miss. Good luck with your question!¡± And he walked up to the window, leaning down to discuss his request with the woman. They spoke for a few minutes. He was highly animated, speaking with his hands the whole time. The receptionist, for her part, looked bored, pointing to a couple of things on the counter repeatedly. A few minutes later, he left with a sigh and a shrug, a paper in his hand. ¡°Next!¡± the woman called, and Cass scurried up to the counter. ¡°Welcome to the Academy of Arcane Arts. How may we help you today?¡± She sounded incredibly bored. ¡°Um, I was told that I could get questions about magic answered here?¡± Cass asked. The woman nodded. ¡°What is your question about?¡± ¡°Inter-realm transversal?¡± ¡°Theoretical, got it,¡± the woman said. She pulled a book from under the table, flipping through it with practiced ease, barely looking at the pages before stopping at one. She turned the book around and pointed at several lines. Cass could not read the language it was written in. ¡°These are the resident mages that are most likely to have research on the topic. These are their prices. These two are out until the beginning of next month. This one will be back in a nine-day. Would you like to make an appointment with any of them?¡± Cass squinted at the words written on the page. Salos? Is that Jothi? He asked. That doesn¡¯t look like any text I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°Um, sorry, but do you have this in another language?¡± Cass asked slowly. The woman¡¯s eyes darkened. She suddenly looked tired and hopeless. ¡°You don¡¯t read Jothi? What language do you read?¡± Abyss, she says that¡¯s Jothi? How far has the language drifted since I was sealed? Salos muttered. ¡°Do you have it in English?¡± Cass asked. She knew the answer already, but they didn¡¯t have another language between the two of them that was any more likely. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Could you quote the price range for me?¡± Cass asked. ¡°The mages here all work primarily in Jothi,¡± the receptionist said coldly. ¡°Much of what they can share will be in written form.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on my reading.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie so much as a new goal. The idea of being illiterate for any longer than she had to be made her skin crawl. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± the receptionist said. ¡°Who can I see soonest?¡± Cass asked. ¡°This one, Tamara Daith. Her prices range from 36 to 47 sliv. A consultation will be 12 sliv.¡± That was within Cass¡¯s budget if she remembered what Alyx had said about money correctly. ¡°I can do that.¡± ¡°That will be two days after the Festival. Is that alright?¡± the receptionist asked. Cass nodded. It was later than she wanted, but apparently, she needed to learn how to read, so perhaps it was just as well. ¡°May I have a name for the reservation?¡± ¡°Cass. Cass Yuan.¡± ¡°Very good, Miss Yuan. On the day, you may go directly to the stairs there,¡± she pointed to the stairs to her left, ¡°And show this ticket to the attendant on the next floor.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Cass said, taking a handful of coins from her pouch and placing them on the counter. She counted them out according to what she remembered and tried to ignore the look the woman was giving her. ¡°Here is the ticket.¡± Cass took it and placed it safely in her Bag. ¡°Next!¡± the receptionist called as Cass hurried out of the way. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± the man from before asked as she exited the tower. Cass jumped again. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. I got a reservation for next week?¡± She¡¯d said a nine-day? Presumably, that meant in nine days, but that was a weird turn of phrase. Did they have nine-day weeks here? She hadn¡¯t thought about it. Seven days in a week was actually pretty arbitrary if you thought about it. How long were their months? They had at least two moons. Which moon was a month roughly based on? Were they? ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not too bad.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°How about you? Did you get the mage your boss wanted?¡± He sighed. ¡°Not the one he wanted, but I got one. ¡®Just as good,¡¯ she said. ¡®All the combat potential with the backing of a robust theoretical understanding,¡¯ she said.¡± He sighed. ¡°If the boss hadn¡¯t said that we absolutely needed a mage, I would have passed on her.¡± ¡°Why was he so insistent?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Abyss, if I know. He said something about his sister getting herself a new pet mage?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Who can understand the minds of those noble types?¡± Cass had a sinking feeling in her stomach. He couldn¡¯t be talking about her, could he? Hell. He was talking about her. Did she tell him that? She probably should, right? He¡¯d been nothing but nice to her, but she¡¯d been keeping this from him. Would he take it as a betrayal? Better to rip off the band-aid quickly than beat around the bush, right? Was she mixing metaphors now? ¡°Where you headed next?¡± he asked. ¡°The library, I think,¡± Cass answered without thinking. ¡°Gonna start on that research yourself then?¡± he asked. ¡°Kind of,¡± Cass said. ¡°I, um, apparently, don¡¯t read the dominant dialect of Jothi, and was hoping to fix that before my appointment with the mage.¡± He laughed loudly but stopped a moment later. ¡°Wait. Are you serious?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°You really aren¡¯t from around here then, huh?¡± Cass nodded again. ¡°Abyss, good luck,¡± he said, slapping her back. Cass reeled forward under the impact. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m headed in that direction. I can¡¯t help you much inside, but I can make sure you don¡¯t get lost in between.¡± ¡°I would like that, thank you.¡± ¡°No problem, no problem. The name¡¯s Daidyn in service of branch Delim Veldor, by the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Cass,¡± Cass said with a wave. ¡°Hi. But, you should know, I¡¯m probably that mage you were talking about. Alyx¡¯s mage.¡± He paused, looking Cass up and down again. He shook his head. ¡°You know the lady Alyx Veldor?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re the mage that has Lord Kohen concerned?¡± Cass shrugged. He shook his head. ¡°No. No offense, but you don¡¯t look like someone anyone needs to worry about.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Cass said. ¡°But I came into town with Alyx. There is no other mage.¡± He sighed, deflating like a balloon with a fast leak. ¡°My lord¡¯s making problems again, isn¡¯t he?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said after another minute. ¡°Either you¡¯re the mage or you¡¯re not. Either way, I had no way of knowin¡¯, yeah? You¡¯re just some girl I met in line. Anyway, library¡¯s this way.¡± He started walking before Cass could argue. Ch. 36: Copper Crescent Cass followed Daidyn through the crowded streets of Velillia¡¯s lower district. As they walked, he pointed out interesting landmarks and his favorite shops: a sandwich place over there that got the ratio of meat to lettuce just right, a tailor here that cut particularly flattering clothes, the statue of the duchess in the plaza there, a spot where a dumpling stand popped up in the evenings. He was pointing out an impressive stained glass window when Dodge screamed in her ears. She felt the press of steel on her back. Time slowed. There was no time to get out of the way. Space twisted. Colors inverted. She was there. She was not. Liminal Dodge placed her beside the dagger meant for her middle back. She panted from the sudden spike of Stamina use. Someone had just tried to stab her. In broad daylight. In the middle of a busy street. Cass turned to see the dagger¡¯s owner. They wore a heavy hood, their figure entirely obscured by the thick, green cloak. ??? Lvl ??? [Target is obscured.] They jerked the dagger toward her. Cass Dodged out of the way, knocking someone over in the process. The assassin followed, their blade darting out again and again. Barely a second had passed. Salos leapt from her shoulder, his claws extended toward the assassin. She gripped her staff, willing a Wind Blade to the end. There were too many people. They were rushing to get away, but they were still all too close. If she swung, she¡¯d hit someone. If they were an ordinary person, she¡¯d kill them. The assassin twisted out of Salos¡¯s way, but Salos¡¯s claws still found purchase on the ends of their cloak. He grabbed on as the assassin attempted to pull away. Cass had to help him. Had to keep her attacker from running away. She needed to believe that the bystanders would get out of the way in time. That Staff Mastery would guide her hand. She swung her staff. It bit deep into her attacker¡¯s shoulder, blood spraying over the street. Salos clawed up their cloak to the opposite shoulder, his claws tearing through fabric and coming away just as bloody as her staff. The assassin screamed, a hand reaching up for Salos, as they turned to throw their dagger at Cass. Dodging would be easy, her skill told her. But Atmospheric Sense warned there were people behind her. That they would be hit if she moved. She couldn¡¯t dodge. But maybe she didn¡¯t need to? She raised her staff and pulled on the air with Elemental Manipulation. She willed it to harden. To hold its place. To stand firm. Air had little interest in such things. It much preferred to roll out of the way of other objects. Much preferred to move and to twist and to twirl. Cass understood that. She could feel every molecule pulling in a different direction. Could feel them trying to sidestep the dagger colliding with the curtain of air she held in place with her Will alone. She held them. And the dagger bounced uselessly off her air wall as if it were made of stone. Meanwhile, the assassin had got their hands on Salos. He hissed like a wildcat, his claws reaching for their face. The flat of a sword slammed into the assassin from behind, longer than the assassin was tall, wider than they were at the shoulders. They collapsed to the cobble street, dropping Salos. Daidyn¡¯s heavy foot slammed down on their back, pinning them in place. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± There was no warmth in his voice. It was a boiling cold. The assassin struggled against the much larger man¡¯s weight, futile. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Cass approached carefully, her breath ragged, her pulse racing. ¡°Why did you attack me?¡± Her attacker didn¡¯t say a word. They struggled. Daidyn pressed down harder. They stopped. Cass leaned down and pulled back the hood. There was no person underneath. Only a wooden dummy waited for them. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked, leaning away. ¡°Abyss, a Substitute,¡± Daidyn cursed, stepping off the body and flipping it over. ¡°Good skill too if they can use it even after being pinned. Abyss. Should¡¯ve made direct contact.¡± He riffled through the clothing, pulling another set of daggers from the folds of the assassin¡¯s clothes. ¡°What just happened?¡± Cass asked, the panic fading to numb disbelief. Had she just been attacked? Why? Daidyn knocked on the wooden dummy. ¡°This is a Substitute. It¡¯s a common enough skill among rogues, especially the type who get up to less than legal activities. They can swap with a preset dummy if things get too dicey for ¡®em. Get out of danger, avoid being caught, that kind of thing. Most can¡¯t do it if you¡¯ve got¡¯em pinned, but, well,¡± he shrugged. Cass looked at the blood on the ground. On her staff. On her clothes. It had been a real person. A real person had just attacked her. ¡°But why?¡± Cass muttered again. He shrugged. ¡°Not my lord¡¯s orders. That¡¯s about all I can say for sure.¡± A likely story, Salos snorted. He¡¯d found his way back up to Cass¡¯s shoulder. His tail was protectively coiled around her neck. If I was Kohen, I would send my man to the scene to provide plausible deniability. ¡®Oh no, it could hardly be me. See, my servant was there. Even helped stop the attack! What? They only helped after the situation was well in hand? No. Definitely not. I promise they acted as quickly as they noticed it was happening.¡¯ You think Alyx¡¯s brother wants me dead? Cass asked. We know he¡¯s wary of you. This oaf told us that much. ¡°You have any ideas why someone would want you dead?¡± Daidyn asked. Cass shook her head. She could count on her hands the number of people she knew in this world. None of them could want her dead enough to send assassins after her, could they? ¡°Hate to say it, but it¡¯s probably your lady¡¯s fault, then.¡± ¡°My lady?¡± Cass didn¡¯t have one of those. ¡°Lady Veldor? Lady Alyx Veldor?¡± Cass stared at him blankly. ¡°Don¡¯t you serve Lady Alyx Veldor?¡± he asked again. ¡°Serve her?¡± No. That was silly. They were friends. You did favors for friends. Serving someone was something that servants did. ¡°I¡¯m not her servant.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re her attendant, yeah?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°What made you think that?¡± It was his turn to look taken aback. ¡°Are you nobility?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. Where was that coming from? ¡°No?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not gonna even try to understand, alright? But if there is no reason to kill you, it¡¯s probably your association with Lady Veldor. You may or may not have figured this one out on your own, but she¡¯s not the most powerful noble in the city by a long shot. Her servants don¡¯t tend to live long for reasons entirely unrelated to the care she puts into them.¡± ¡°Are you telling me people routinely kill her servants?¡± He nodded solemnly, his focus returning to the assassin¡¯s discarded clothes. We should leave, Salos said, his voice cold. Her heart hammered in her chest. Was she shaking? Her arms folded over her chest, her hands clenching tight around opposing elbows. What level were they? she asked. Identify didn¡¯t say. A common rogue skill, Salos assured her. We can talk about it later. We should leave. Cass nodded. Get off the street. Yeah. That¡¯s¡ª No, we need to get out of this city, Salos said. We can¡¯t stay here on our own. You reacted fast enough this time, but I do not think you can remain on alert on the permanent basis you would need to survive this kind of attack routinely. ¡°Any of this look familiar to you?¡± Daidyn asked, pulling Cass back to the present. He had lined up the contents of the dummy¡¯s pockets for Cass to see. Most of it was daggers, all plain and unadorned. There was a wallet, with a handful of small change and nothing else. The only potentially identifying object on them was a ring. A bronze crescent was set in an emerald. She shook her head. ¡°Do you recognize this mark?¡± He looked closer at the ring and shook his head. ¡°Green and bronze are the colors of the Telimel family, but they don¡¯t have a monopoly on the colors. The crescent could be the second moon but,¡± he shrugged again. ¡°None of the houses use the Copper Crescent as heraldry in this city.¡± So he did not know either. Cass slipped the ring into her Bag to ask Alyx about later. She was suddenly very cold and very alone. The buildings around her cast heavy shadows over the street, pooling into dark hiding places where anything might be hiding. Would she be safer by Alyx¡¯s side? Would she be safer in the manor? Or was that more dangerous? Who was trying to kill her? Was this Copper Crescent the only one who would try? What if we joined Alyx in the catacombs? Cass asked. They¡¯d have a harder time assassinating us there, right? Was that crazy? Jumping into danger to avoid danger? At least monsters were a danger she understood now. She wasn¡¯t comfortable with them, but their system prompted aggression was something which she understood. It was gross and twisted, but it could be explained. The danger was obvious. Here on the street, surrounded by strangers, she couldn¡¯t even guess where the next attack might come from. ¡°Come on,¡± Daidyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the library at least, yeah?¡± Cass nodded. Anything would be better than being here. Ch. 37: The Library Cass had mostly calmed down by the time she reached the library. Every sound was sharp and dangerous to her ears, every motion out of the corner of her eye a threat, but she was breathing normally, at least. ¡°Thank you for walking me here,¡± Cass said to Daidyn at the doors. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m glad I did. I hate to think what might¡¯ve happened to you if I hadn¡¯t. You just have to tell me about that research of yours when you see me next.¡± ¡°I think I can do that,¡± Cass said with a wave. ¡°Until then!¡± he called as he walked off. And then Cass and Salos were alone again. Cass held her staff close. Her magic cloak materialized around her shoulders, hugging her body tight. It was surprisingly warm, for being only semi-corporeal. She took another deep breath and entered the library. It was a tall building, books covering every inch of the walls. The ceiling was stained glass, lighting the room like a cathedral. Cass approached the front desk, hoping they wouldn¡¯t notice or care that her clothes were blood-stained or that she had a cat with her. Or that she had a weapon on her, for that matter. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Cass said to the librarian. He looked up from his book. ¡°How may I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m, um, illiterate and I¡¯d like to fix that. Could you find me a picture book or something I could start with?¡± He looked Cass up and down, a frown on his lips. But he nodded after a long minute. ¡°Sure. Let me see what I can find you.¡± He got up and led Cass through the shelves. He stopped in front of a short shelf and a colorful floor mat. He ran his hands over the books until he found the one he was looking for. ¡°Anything on this shelf is for our new readers, but I recommend this one to begin with. Each page has a single word and an illustration of the word. Come see me if you run into difficulties.¡± Cass took the book from him. ¡°Thank you.¡± She dropped to a seat on the mat and opened the book so she and Salos could read it. As promised, it had pictures and single words on each page. Cass had expected the usual Earth picture book items, ¡®apple¡¯, ¡®baseball¡¯, ¡®cat¡¯, ¡®dog¡¯, and so on. It started with a sword, continued with the image of a gobliny-looking creature, and finished with an imposing image of a black dragon. The things in between were not much friendlier looking. ¡°Is this considered basic vocabulary here?¡± Cass muttered in English. These are not the things I would have picked, but yes, pretty much, Salos assured her. Cass sighed and put her head back into the book, trying to memorize the words. It was nice to focus on nothing but the images and the script above them. The letters swooped and swirled into each other. So unlike English characters. So easy not to think about everything else happening to her. Around her. At some point she traded the picture book for another, this one, she was pretty sure, on colors. And then another on weapons. There was a ding of her skill going up. She ignored it, even as the text swirled in her eyes, shifting from Jothi¡¯s swirling letters to the blocky English block print. At some point, Salos left. She could feel him stalking the surrounding shelves. Protecting her the only way he knew how. At some point, the light faded. Cass squinted at the paper before her, her eyes tired, her head pounding. It¡¯s getting late, you know, Salos said. He was sitting in her lap again. Cass looked up, the stained glass was dark above her. Oh. I was supposed to meet Alyx for lunch. How long ago was that now? Hours, at least. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. She put a hand to her head. Reading children¡¯s books shouldn¡¯t leave her this exhausted. Jothi Language Comprehension has increased to level 7. Jothi Language Comprehension has increased to level 8. Focus: 137/369 Well, maybe learning a language over the course of the afternoon should. She was still far from fluent, but she now knew a large number of nouns and adjectives, which was more than she could have said this morning. Or, perhaps more accurately, there was a large number of nouns and adjectives that the system automatically translated for her when she saw them in writing. If she focused, she could see the actual text through the automatic translation and still recognize the words she¡¯d memorized. Something was comforting about that, even if she was pretty sure more words were floating around in her head than she¡¯d actually found in the children¡¯s books today. She put the book away and forced herself to stand up. ¡°I guess I should go find Alyx?¡± Cass muttered. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s still waiting where she said?¡± Cass walked toward the entrance. The librarian on staff at the front desk was different from when she¡¯d come in. She waved goodbye to them all the same. And she stepped out into the street. It wasn¡¯t quite dark yet. The sky was that burnt golden color of twilight, the sun out of sight but not yet resting. Before her, shadows hung heavy over the darkening streets. They were just as busy as they¡¯d been that afternoon, the lanterns in the shop windows burning bright, the only difference being the space between them was even darker in comparison. Salos sat on her shoulder, his weight a comfort. Her staff was comfortable in her hand. Her cloak shimmered in the dark, radiating a cold blue light around her feet. She shouldn¡¯t be far from where she was supposed to meet Alyx, assuming Alyx was still there. Just a few blocks to the main street, then a few blocks down that. No dark alleys. Just proper, main thoroughfares. There would be plenty of people all around her. Not that it stopped the previous attack. She¡¯d survived the previous attack. Dodge had activated in time. She could have escaped even without Daidyn¡¯s help. She had Salos. She wasn¡¯t alone. Which was why she should take that next step into the night. The sooner she did, the sooner she¡¯d find Alyx. The longer she waited, the darker it would be. Not that broad daylight had stopped the previous attack. She took a deep breath. This was irrational, wasn¡¯t it? What was she scared of? Sneak attacks in the dark? Death? Okay, maybe it wasn¡¯t irrational. Maybe those were very reasonable fears. But standing here as night fell would not help. If only Alyx were here. If only Daidyn were here. I am here, Salos reminded her, his body pushing closer to her face. His fur was soft. His body was warm. ¡°I know,¡± Cass whispered back. She wasn¡¯t alone. His presence would not stop an attack, but then, neither had Daidyn¡¯s. And if they weren¡¯t daunted by a big man like that, how much would Alyx¡¯s presence make them pause? There was no helping it. They¡¯d get through this. She stepped off the library¡¯s steps and onto the street proper. She walked, her head held high, her Atmospheric Sense sweeping the surroundings. Every lesson her mother had taught her about walking alone at night was ringing in her ears. Head high, never betray that you¡¯re scared. Walk with purpose, like you know exactly where you¡¯re going. Hands on your weapon, no need for keys here, her staff was better. Look alert. Look confident. Look. There were so many people. The air buffeted around them. It was a noisy mess. But Cass pushed herself to track the movements, anyway. To watch the patterns of the crowd. Who moved with her? Who moved when she did? Who circled around to get ahead of her? Salos was just as alert, his head flicking back and forth, his ears twitching with every sound. They would not be ambushed again. She was no longer in a city. This was just as much the untamed wilderness as the deepest forests of Uvana. Stealth slipped into her steps. She was as uninteresting as the wind. Something there but unseen. A presence felt and accounted for, like the napkins pinned down at a picnic or braced against on a hike, but no particular gust considered with any real thought. Like a ghost, she floated down the streets of the city. Every person she passed was a potential monster waiting to stab her from behind. Not soon enough, she arrived at the plaza where she¡¯d left Alyx. There was no sign of her. It was still plenty busy, but there was no Alyx. ¡°What now?¡± Cass muttered to herself. We are very late, Salos reminded her. ¡°I was still half expecting to find Telis here.¡± I will admit, so was I. People poured through the plaza, some meandering slowly, already drunk or tipsy, some rushed through packages stacked high, intent in their eyes, others still walked with attractive partners, hand in hand. ¡°Should we just walk back to the manor?¡± It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t know how to get there. It was pretty straightforward, walk down the main road until she reached the palace, then don¡¯t walk all the way up to the palace. Lacking better options, Cass started walking. Ch. 38: Alyx: An Audience ¡°The lord wishes to see you,¡± Aldrick said with a bow of his head. He was a narrow-faced man in a fitted suit. He was her father¡¯s head butler. Alyx looked between the darkening sky and the manor¡¯s entrance. Cass wasn¡¯t here either and it was getting late. Still, she couldn¡¯t exactly refuse a summons from him, not when she had worked so hard to get it. ¡°Of course,¡± Alyx said finally. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Now,¡± the man said. ¡°Please follow me.¡± As if she needed help navigating from the front door to his study. As if this wasn¡¯t her home. As if it wasn¡¯t the place she¡¯d lived for the past ten years. She followed him anyway. They walked in silence, Telis and Marco a step behind her. At the study door, Aldrick turned and gave her a courtesy half-bow. ¡°We have arrived.¡± ¡°Thank you, Aldrick,¡± she said, forcing herself to match his courtesy. This was the procedure for guests and they both knew it. But to refuse him here was the same as refusing seeing the lord. This wasn¡¯t Aldrick¡¯s decision to summon her this way, though she doubted he disagreed. No, this was her father¡¯s choice to treat her like this. This was yet another reminder. She was not welcome here. She was not his daughter. Aldrick knocked on the door. ¡°Miss Alyx to see you, my lord.¡± ¡®Miss Alyx,¡¯ he said. ¡®Miss.¡¯ As a daughter of the Veldor family, she should be addressed as ¡®Lady¡¯. As a martial with achievements, she should be addressed as ¡®Dame¡¯. He called her ¡®Miss¡¯ instead. Polite. But only polite if you believed her to be nothing more than a family-less noncombatant. ¡°Send her in,¡± her father called from within. The butler opened the door for her and gestured for her to enter. She did. The door shut behind her before Marco or Telis could follow. Not an accident. Her father did not look up from the papers he was working on at his desk. His quill scratched across the page in no particular hurry. As cool and collected as he tried so hard to appear. ¡°Greetings, father,¡± Alyx said with a half bow in front of his desk and waited for him to acknowledge her. And waited. And waited. Finally, he moved the page he was working on to one side and set his quill down. ¡°Kohen said you wanted a word with me?¡± Alyx¡¯s hand clenched at her side as she straightened. That single sentence dripped with his casual dismissal. If his son hadn¡¯t specifically asked him to see her, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered. That it was true only made it worse. ¡°Well?¡± he said. ¡°I am entering the Festival,¡± Alyx blurted out. ¡°Best of luck,¡± he said. Alyx¡¯s hand clenched tighter. ¡°I will win the bond of one of the dragons. And when I do, you will acknowledge me as your heir.¡± A single slender eyebrow rose. ¡°Will I now?¡± Alyx nodded and forced herself to meet his eyes. They were dark pits, pulling her apart piece by piece, like she was a strange puzzle suddenly dropped in front of him, rather than the daughter he didn¡¯t need. ¡°You assume you will beat Kohen?¡± There was a disbelieving laughter in his voice. Mocking. Thick and disapproving. ¡°Despite our level difference, I have already beaten him in a duel.¡± Despite the difference in opportunities their father had repeatedly given Kohen and not her. She left that unsaid. ¡°You think the dragons will have interest in a man with so little power?¡± His lips curled in a scowl. ¡°And if not me, and not Kohen, who would you make your heir?¡± Alyx asked. Neither of them brought up Ahryn. Neither of them needed to. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°If, somehow, Kohen does not manage to bond with a dragon and you inexplicably do, we can discuss this then.¡± Alyx shook her head. He would just find some other reason to refuse her if she did not pin him down now. ¡°I appreciate the confidence you place in me, being so unwilling to accept a contract contingent on something you claim cannot happen. I can only assume you do, in fact, believe I can do it,¡± Alyx taunted him. His scowl deepened. ¡°Do not mistake my disinterest in making a deal which has no benefit to me with believing there is even the smallest chance you can win.¡± ¡°Then what would make this worth it for you?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°When you lose, I want you to leave this house,¡± he said. ¡°Renounce the name Veldor and leave my city.¡± His city, huh? Her grandmother¡ªhis mother¡ªwas alive and well and probably would be long after he was dead, but it was still ¡®his¡¯ city. She kept the scoff off her face. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t survive a day beyond these walls without our name to back you,¡± he scoffed. ¡°Fine,¡± Alyx said. Truthfully, if she couldn¡¯t claim one of the dragons¡ªif she couldn¡¯t redeem her mother¡¯s reputation¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to stick around, anyway. There was nothing left for her here except the dragon. ¡°And if you win, you renounce your mother¡¯s house,¡± he added. ¡°My heir should belong to my house and my house alone.¡± Alyx¡¯s hands clenched at her sides. This wasn¡¯t an unexpected requirement. But she had still hoped he wouldn¡¯t make it. Not when she¡¯d just gotten it. Could she do it? ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± he taunted. ¡°I saw the way your eyes lit up when the Duchess granted you Aris¡¯s name last night. It¡¯s all you¡¯ve ever wanted, to cling to your disgraceful mother¡¯s rotten legacy. You cling to failures of the past and consider it pride.¡± Alyx¡¯s hands twitched, but she forced them to keep from clenching. She didn¡¯t want him to know he was right. He probably noticed anyway. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°When I win¡ªwhen I beat your sons, when you name me your heir¡ªI¡¯ll renounce her house.¡± ¡°You will renounce her house before I name you my heir, if you somehow manage to become a Dragon Knight and neither of those useless boys do.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± The word ground out of her mouth like gravel. But she had his word. There was no witness, but he was too proud to go back on a deal once made. He nodded and picked up his quill. ¡°Is that all?¡± Her heart sunk. She didn¡¯t know why, but it did. He had called her here for business. Just business. He had never shown interest in her as a daughter. Never so much as looked at her except to weigh how much shame her existence alone brought him. ¡°Announce it.¡± It was a spur-of-the-moment idea. ¡°Excuse me?¡± His quill slammed down on the table. ¡°Announce to Kohen, if no one else, the terms of our deal,¡± she repeated. He looked like she¡¯d slapped him. In a sense, she had. She¡¯d just, unsubtly, implied he could not be trusted to uphold his end of the agreement. It was a wild insult to his honor. But what would he do? The worst he could do to her was challenge her to a duel and kill her. But someone of his level challenging someone like her would only drag his reputation through the mud further. If it was an acceptable method of dealing with her, he would have done so years ago. No. Most likely he¡¯d refuse, but that would just imply he had no intention of following through with the deal, proving her point. She could work with that. ¡°Kohen,¡± he said, cutting off her line of thought. ¡°I will tell Kohen. Perhaps it will light a fire in that boy. Is that acceptable?¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°Good. Then, if there is nothing else, I have one other matter.¡± Alyx froze. She had fully expected to be summarily dismissed at this point. What else could he possibly have for her? ¡°You invited a guest, I have heard.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, but Alyx nodded anyway. ¡°Who is she?¡± What to say? How did one explain Cass? What would he even believe? She started with the lie. ¡°I met her on my way to the Valley. She¡¯s a sorceress. The mercenary team I hired did not have a mage, so she seemed like a good addition. She seemed more trustworthy than the rest of them, at least.¡± It wasn¡¯t a subtle jab, but he didn¡¯t react. ¡°She then saved me several times once we were inside the valley.¡± ¡°But who is she?¡± he repeated. Alyx shrugged. ¡°Cass Yuan. Sorceress.¡± ¡°I heard she resisted Noble Suggestions. You cannot lie to me about this,¡± he snarled. Alyx blinked. This was news to her. Who would have used Noble Suggestions on her and then tattled to her father about it? It could only have been Kohen. The sway of that status effect relied on a couple of things: the difference between the noble ranks of the parties involved, the distance from the seat of that nobility, and the Wll of the skill user against the Res of the target. Kohen wasn¡¯t exactly the highest ranking noble as one of many grandchildren of the grand duchess, but he was still up there and in the center of the Veldor family¡¯s sphere of influence. If Cass could resist him by the weight of some nobility from across realms¡­ Alyx wasn¡¯t sure what her rank would need to be, actually. Queen? Empress? Grand Empress? Were there higher ranks? But that seemed unlikely. Cass had never implied she was nobility, much less royalty. And, although she carried an unusually sheltered outlook, it was one that almost precluded royalty for its very softness. ¡°Maybe her Resolve is just higher than average,¡± Alyx said with a shrug. ¡°She is a sorceress.¡± And Cass¡¯s Focus was monstrous, she knew that much. ¡°Higher than Kohen¡¯s Will combined with his noble rank? At her level?¡± Alyx scratched the back of her head. Okay, when he put it like that, it sounded ridiculous too. Kohen was level 28 and, as a spellsword, Will wasn¡¯t a stat he would have ignored. Could he really have less Wll than Cass¡¯s Res? ¡°Fine. Keep your secrets to yourself,¡± he said finally. ¡°But if she turns out to be a spy for a foreign power, I do not care what achievements you might have made or how badly Kohen may have failed. I will not have a repeat of Aris attached to my name.¡± Alyx nodded, her expression darkening at the mention of that name. ¡°You are dismissed,¡± he said, taking a paper from his pile of work and his pen. He didn¡¯t so much as look up again as she exited the room. Ch. 39: Madam of the House A woman was standing outside the manor when Cass finally found her way to it. Identify called her a level 17 Human Servant, and she was dressed to match in simple, though good quality clothes. ¡°Miss Cass Yuan?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Hi?¡± Cass said with a wave. This couldn¡¯t be an assassin, could it? On Alyx¡¯s front porch? At a level lower than Cass? No. No way. ¡°That¡¯s me. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°The madam has asked you to see her upon your return. I am here to guide you there.¡± The madam, huh? Alyx¡¯s mother? But hadn¡¯t that dragon said Alyx¡¯s mother was dead? A stepmother then? It would be rude to refuse, right? ¡°Okay, lead the way,¡± Cass said. The servant led Cass into the house, ascending the stairs and bowing low at the Grand Duchess¡¯s portrait before continuing higher into the house. She walked with silent steps, her hands folded quietly before her. ¡°Why does the¡ªmadam was it?¡ªwant to see me?¡± Was that the title the woman had used? Cass¡¯s entirely too extensive reading of trashy, historical romance dramas suggested the madam should refer to the lady of the house. It also suggested she should be petty and clinging to her husband¡¯s power. ¡°I could not comment,¡± the servant replied. Cass frowned. You have any guesses? If the nobles of this time are anything like the ones I knew, your presence should not have been noticed. You are too weak to be worth considering, much less inviting to speak with. So nothing good, you think? Cass asked. Was that what I said? Not in so many words. But if you can¡¯t think of a good reason she¡¯d want to see me, that just leaves dumb and petty ones. Cass looked down at her clothes, suddenly remembering the dry blood on her robes. It would wash out thanks to the magic of the material but in the meantime¡­ ¡°Should I have washed up before seeing her?¡± ¡°The madam asked me to bring you right away, miss.¡± Well, maybe it was just her Earth sensibilities that had a problem with blood on her clothes. This was a far more violent world, after all. The people on the street had barely screamed when she¡¯d been ambushed earlier. No one had been concerned about Daidyn pinning a man to the ground. The librarian hadn¡¯t commented on the blood either, now that she thought about it. It must be fine. Though, if this kept happening, she would need to find a combination of applications of Elemental Manipulation to clean herself up. It would bother her, even if it was unremarkable to everyone else. Maybe she could summon water to clean it while the blood was still wet? Or could she blood-bend it off right away? Maybe. It was definitely worth experimenting with. Was blood its own ¡®element¡¯ or would it just be an application of water? You are thinking about something strange, aren¡¯t you? Salos accused her. No. I¡¯m thinking about how to avoid walking around all day with blood on me in the future. That¡¯s entirely reasonable. Do I want to know what you have come up with so far? Cass took a second to explain her current plans. Only you would consider using a combat skill for something like this. Elemental Manipulation isn¡¯t a combat skill. It has combat applications, but face it, I make more dishware with it than I use it to burn my enemies. He sighed on her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t think I caught your name,¡± Cass said, making idle talk as they walked. The woman glanced over her shoulder, an eyebrow raised. ¡°No. I did not give it.¡± ¡°Oh, no worries if you didn¡¯t want to share.¡± Maybe this was a name tag at Target kind of situation, she didn¡¯t want a complete stranger calling her name all familiar like when they weren¡¯t even acquaintances and she just wanted to show Cass where the toilet paper was kept. How big was this house? How many people lived here? Just Alyx and her family, right? Also, their servants, she supposed. ¡°How big is Alyx¡¯s family again?¡± She hadn¡¯t meant to wonder that aloud, but it¡¯d slipped out. The woman was staring at her again with far more concern and judgment in her eyes than was probably professional for a servant, but who was Cass to judge? The servant coughed politely. ¡°The Veldor family can be split into four houses, named for the manors of their respective heirs: Ahdain, Blyn, Sellen, and Delim. This is the Delim Manor. ¡°The Lord Warden Thaycer Delim Veldor is its master. His wife is the madam, Lady Litya Delim Veldor. They have two children: young masters Kohen and Ahryn. There is also the master¡¯s ward, his (bastard?) daughter Alyx.¡± That was an interesting pair of words for Alyx, ¡®ward¡¯ and ¡®bastard¡¯. Cass¡¯s skill stressed that ¡®(bastard?)¡¯ here had a strictly different connotation than the English equivalent but provided no hints as to which ways it was similar or different. She set that aside for now, ¡®ward¡¯ on its own was odd. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be just ¡®his daughter¡¯?¡± Wasn¡¯t that what you called adopted kids? Or was ward a step short of adoption? It was one of those kind of old-timey relations. The kind of thing stories set in Industrial Revolution London used to explain why the romantic leads grew up in the same household without them being siblings. ¡°Miss Alyx is not a daughter of this house.¡± There was a finality to the servant¡¯s tone that Cass was uncomfortable arguing with. She had a mountain more questions, but none seemed appropriate to ask point blank to the staff. Finally, they came to another impressive-sized set of double doors. The wood was a rich mahogany, the grain swirling in delicate patterns that simultaneously did not seem like the sort a tree would naturally grow in but also did not appear to have been painted into the wood later. The servant knocked. ¡°I have brought Miss Yuan.¡± ¡°Enter,¡± a woman¡¯s voice called from within. The servant pushed open the door and gestured for Cass to enter. Inside was a sitting room. A woman in green robes sat beside a roaring fireplace on a plush armchair. Her eyes and hair were dark purple, like the petals of poison nightshade. Those eyes regarded Cass with a flick. Vaisom Noble (Lvl 36) The two women stared at one another, Cass standing just inside the doorway, the woman, Litya Veldor, sitting silently. The minute dragged on. Is there something I¡¯m supposed to say? Cass asked. It was polite for the weaker party to not speak until spoken to in these sorts of situations when I last checked. Salos said. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. So this is hazing then? Cass suppressed a sigh. Likely. Salos agreed. ¡°Well?¡± the woman said finally. Her voice was sharp, a weapon as much as the wand hanging from a strap around her arm was. It was a little less than a foot long, the handle encrusted with gems, the tip adorned with a single jewel the size of Cass¡¯s thumb. ¡°Well, what?¡± Cass asked, only willing to play this game to a certain degree. ¡°Are you not going to greet me?¡± she asked. ¡°Am I supposed to?¡± Cass asked. What happened to not talking until spoken to? How should I know? Salos asked. Things have changed so much the alphabet has gone through a realignment while I have been gone. We should just be happy the spoken language is still the same. ¡°It is polite for the guest to greet their host when invited to their parlor.¡± The exasperation in her voice was monumental. ¡°Oh, well, hi. I¡¯m Cass.¡± Cass accompanied it with her usual wave. I am hardly an expert, but I doubt that is the polite greeting this woman was expecting. The woman met Cass¡¯s wave with a passionless stare. ¡°Welcome. I am Lady Litya Delim Veldor, wife of the Warden of Vaisom, daughter-in-law of the Grand Duchess, and owner of the Kelsorsia Emporium.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Cass said, walking into the room and seating herself across from the woman. Her eyebrow twitched, but that may have been a trick of the lights. ¡°I was told you wanted to see me, but not about what.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± the woman said. ¡°I wanted to meet the guest that has been staying in my house.¡± She clapped and a plate of small cookies appeared on the coffee table between them. ¡°Please help yourself. Would you care for tea?¡± ¡°Yes, please,¡± Cass said. Identify the food! I know, Cass hissed back. Small Cookies [A sweet baked good flavored with trellis nuts.] They seemed fine. She picked one up from the plate and nibbled on it. It reminded her of an almond cookie if it was flavored like burnt caramel. Good, but different. A pair of tea cups appeared on the table beside the plate. A teapot poured itself into the two cups, then disappeared again when the two were full. Litya plucked hers up and sipped it appreciatively. Cass held the cup, admiring the swirling glass design as she Identified the contents. Tainted Mulben Tea [A fruity tea blend mixing black tea from Fairhelm and dried mulben fruit skins. This drink has additionally been laced with Trentel.] Cass couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. No. No way. It¡¯s actually poisoned? Salos asked. Well, don¡¯t sound surprised about it when you were the one who told me to check! I mean, I didn¡¯t honestly think you were important enough to poison. Is it poison or is it just a drug? It says ¡®laced¡¯ with some drug I¡¯ve never heard of. I assume it¡¯s a drug. What do I even do? I can¡¯t just accuse her of poisoning me, can I? The poison is just a polite way to do this. It makes her job easier. She¡¯s way stronger than me. If she wants me dead, she could just kill me. Salos¡¯s unease rippled over their bond. Yes, that is all very true. So? So, pretend to sip it. Just pretend to drink it! And then what? Won¡¯t she notice that it¡¯s still full? The other choice is to hope it¡¯s not poison and that it¡¯s just a truth serum or something of that nature. Cass looked down at the dark tea. Herbal Concocting was strongly insisting that this wasn¡¯t an ordinary tea. Cass poked Trap Detection. It didn¡¯t so much as stir. Either there was no trap or this wasn¡¯t the kind of trap it looked for. Cass suspected it was the second. ¡°What kind of tea is this?¡± Cass asked, stalling. ¡°Mulben. It is a very popular variety in the duchy, imported from the Far Coast.¡± ¡°Oh, interesting,¡± Cass said, still swirling the dark liquid around the cup hesitantly. ¡°Do you get a lot of trade from out there?¡± Cass did not care about the trade practices of the duchy. Cass did not know where the Far Coast was and was hoping it was just as far away as Litya had implied it was. How did she get rid of this drink? She couldn¡¯t just pour it down her sleeve like they did in the movies. Even with her inhuman Dexterity, she couldn¡¯t imagine how characters did that. Also, it was very hot. Best case, she¡¯d leave a puddle under the chair; worst case, she¡¯d scald her arm attempting it. What other options did she have? Spill it? In the movies, the plucky heroine pretended to be bumped by a servant or another lady to perform such a dodge, but right now, she was woefully alone. She¡¯d have to be exceptionally clumsy to pull that off believably and, while Cass of Earth could certainly believably drop her tea in her lap, Cass the slyphid was far too dexterous to believably flounder like that. ¡°Quite a bit, yes,¡± the noblewoman tittered. ¡°You¡¯ll find that Vaisom has excellent variety in both spices and silks, far more so than you might expect for the peninsula otherwise. Why, these robes are¡­¡± She continued talking about her clothes and their pattern and the dyes and, Cass really wasn¡¯t listening. If nothing else, it was good information that the woman was more than happy to talk about herself ad nauseam if given the option. Which meant Cass had another minute to think. Could she get rid of it with Elemental Manipulation? Tea was¡ªas Kaye liked to insist¡ªjust dirty water, after all. Could she use the skill to pull off the pour the water down her sleeve trick? There was still the issue of where to put it after the fact. It would look strange if there was a damp spot in her clothes or if a puddle formed under her chair. There was also the question of whether or not the woman would see her doing it. Cass had no idea how her skills appeared to Mana Sense. She remembered seeing other monster¡¯s attacks with the skill in the past, the cockroach¡¯s wind blades, for example. If Mana Sense was a common skill, Cass would be caught right away. ¡°But you didn¡¯t come to hear me extol the virtues of our lively trade, did you?¡± the woman said with a laugh, re-engaging Cass¡¯s attention. She phrased it like Cass had chosen to visit the woman, not summoned without asking Cass¡¯s opinion. Cass politely shook her head. She wanted this woman in a good mood. ¡°No. But it was fascinating all the same.¡± ¡°Oh, stop, I could tell you were bored out of your mind.¡± The woman laughed. More seriously, she added, ¡°You can stop staring at your tea.¡± Had she been that obvious? Yes. You were very obvious. ¡°Why?¡± Cass set the teacup down on the table, plucking up the tray of cookies as she sat back up. She popped another cookie in her mouth and waited. The noblewoman smirked. ¡°Why lace your cup with a truth serum?¡± ¡°Why did you call me up here?¡± Cass elaborated. She could guess at the whys for the truth serum¡ªif that really was all it was¡ªand she didn¡¯t really care. The woman scowled. ¡°Who are you?¡± Cass cocked her head to her side. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m Cass Yuan.¡± The woman slammed a hand down on the table, their tea glasses clinked as they bounced from the force. ¡°Not your useless name. Who are you? Where did you come from? Did you really help that brat conquer Uvana?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Cass sighed. This was about that. Maybe she should have dueled what¡¯s his name. Maybe, if she¡¯d shown them she was strong in a way they understood, they¡¯d leave her alone. Then again, it probably would have fueled their curiosity all the more. Unless she¡¯d lost the duel, then people could have written her off as a liar and everyone could have moved on with their lives. The idea rankled in a way she hadn¡¯t expected it to. She couldn¡¯t quite believe that was the right answer either, though she couldn¡¯t think of a single logical reason. But what did she tell this woman? The truth? A lie? Did she even have a believable lie? ¡°I¡¯m Alyx¡¯s friend,¡± Cass said finally. She didn¡¯t know why that was the line she¡¯d chosen out of all the things she could have said. Not, ¡®I¡¯m not from here.¡¯ Not, ¡®I¡¯m from Earth.¡¯ Not, ¡®I¡¯m a human who turned herself into a slyphid.¡¯ Not, ¡®I¡¯m a slyphid and so I am much stronger than my level would imply.¡¯ Not, ¡®I was dropped into Uvana against my will.¡¯ Not, ¡®I was kidnapped by gods for their games.¡¯ Any and all of that would have been a more direct answer to her stated questions. Any and all of that would be just as true. But only ¡®I¡¯m Alyx¡¯s friend¡¯ meant anything to Cass. ¡°Why?¡± the woman asked. It was a whip of a question, cracking against raw flesh and expecting to draw blood. Cass just shrugged instead. There were any number of things she could say to that. Instead, what ended up falling out of her mouth was, ¡°Do you all have kindergarten here?¡± Cass could tell right away that the word kindergarten was not automatically translated by her skill, so she didn¡¯t wait for the woman to say no before she continued talking. ¡°In kindergarten, you aren¡¯t worried about things like who your friends are. You¡¯re just two kids in the same place at the same time for reasons entirely outside of your control. You make friends with the kid who likes the same color as you or who sits next to you during story time or who also bounces off the walls at recess. There is no ¡®why¡¯ and there¡¯s definitely no singular ¡®why¡¯. You just are.¡± ¡°If there is no reason, then¡ª¡° Cass cut her off. ¡°I didn¡¯t say there was no reason. There¡¯s just no ¡®why¡¯.¡± That did not make any sense, Salos said as the noble stared at Cass. Well, of course not. You all don¡¯t have kindergarten here. Cass sighed. I promise that isn¡¯t the part that makes no sense. Cass shook her head. ¡°Look, this isn¡¯t nearly as complicated as you seem to think this is. I¡¯m not anybody important. I promise. All I want is information on inter-realm transversal.¡± That wasn¡¯t a secret. She was sure this woman either had already heard or could easily confirm it from the Academy. ¡°Alyx promised she¡¯d help me with that. There is no secret deal or hidden pact or whatever you all are imagining. Can I please leave now? It¡¯s been a very long day.¡± Ch. 40: Guestroom At Last ¡°Oh, Alacrity¡¯s mercy!¡± Alyx exclaimed as Cass stepped into her guest room. The swordswoman shot up from the couch by the hearth and rushed to Cass¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯re alive. Where have you been? Why didn¡¯t you meet up when we agreed?¡± Alyx¡¯s words slowed as her fingers found the bloody collar of Cass¡¯s robes. She rubbed it between her fingers, a frown falling on her lips. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Cass explained her day, how she was attacked on her way to the library, how she¡¯d gotten so distracted with the books that she lost track of time, her getting lost on the way back to the mansion, and finally the impromptu tea with the Lady Veldor. ¡°Assassins?¡± Alyx muttered, falling back into one of Cass¡¯s sitting room couches. Her frown turned into a full scowl. ¡°Any idea who tried to kill you?¡± Cass shook her head and sat herself down across from Alyx. Salos jumped up to sit in her lap. She fished the ring from her Bag. ¡°They had this on them. You recognize it?¡± Alyx turned it over, holding its emerald and copper face to the light. Her scowl deepened. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± she muttered. ¡°This is the mark of the Copper Crescent, a dangerous cult. They were expelled from the city over ten years ago.¡± ¡°Why would an exiled cult attack me?¡± Cass asked. If it had been a noble house, it would have been easy enough to accept Daidyn¡¯s earlier guess that the attack targeted Cass as one of Alyx¡¯s followers. For it to be a cult instead threw all that out the window. Alyx turned the ring over in her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But even association with this cult in this city is punishable by execution. Telis,¡± she handed the ring to the butler. ¡°Report this to my grandmother directly if you can. To Aunt Ashrel, if you must. Then see what you can find out separately.¡± Telis nodded and hurried from the room. ¡°What god does this cult worship?¡± Cass asked. Perception¡¯s silver eyes floated in the back of Cass¡¯s mind. A shiver ran down her spine. ¡°Fortitude. They twist the doctrine of She of Standing Stone and Proper Ends into an exultation of death.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°Most of the details about them are suppressed.¡± ¡°So is Fortitude evil too?¡± Cass asked. Alyx shook her head. ¡°No. None of the gods are ¡®evil¡¯. In Fortitude¡¯s case, it¡¯s just some of her worshipers who take her tenants toward dark ends.¡± ¡°And the demon god?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Is he evil?¡± Alyx inhaled sharply. ¡°Is the abyss evil? What about a raging storm? They are dangerous. He is dangerous. And he¡¯s not well-liked in Vaisom. For his part in the fate of dragons, he is reviled by most here. But he still has worshipers. Many claim him as their patron, even if they don¡¯t like him personally.¡± So, more of an ancient Greek Hades than a Disney Hades? ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe,¡± Alyx said. ¡°When you didn¡¯t show up for lunch¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°You will tell me before you leave, right?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. ¡°Where am I going?¡± Alyx looked away. ¡°When you didn¡¯t show up, my first thought wasn¡¯t that you were in danger, but that you¡¯d decided to find answers on your own. That you might have left the city entirely.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Cass bit her lip. ¡°I know you will not stay forever. Obviously. The Academy will find an answer for you or the Vault will. And then, you¡¯ll go home. Or, you won¡¯t find anything here and you¡¯ll move on to the next place with ancient records. But, if you can, before you leave, say something to me, please? ¡°Don¡¯t just run off on me.¡± Cass nodded slowly. ¡°I think I can do that.¡± ¡°But if an opportunity appears while I¡¯m in the catacombs, don¡¯t miss it waiting for me,¡± Alyx added hastily. ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be a problem,¡± Cass said. ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Alyx said. Cass had been avoiding thinking about it all day because she didn¡¯t want to square the realities Alyx had outlined with the things she wanted. But there was only one choice. Alyx was her friend. Salos was her friend. They both needed something from the catacombs. Cass couldn¡¯t deny Salos the option to find it or let Alyx risk herself alone. Cass shook her head. ¡°I imagine if I find a way home in the catacombs, you¡¯ll be the first to know. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to say goodbye.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alyx said. ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± Cass said, leaning back into the couch cushions. ¡°No, you aren¡¯t!¡± Alyx snapped up, her entire body balanced on the couch seat¡¯s forward edge. ¡°Am too,¡± Cass said calmly. ¡°You can¡¯t. We¡¯ve been over this.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Cass agreed. ¡°But I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°What if you need to kill someone down there?¡± Alyx demanded. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Cass said, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°If you can claim you won¡¯t die, I can claim I won¡¯t need to kill.¡± ¡°That¡¯s entirely different!¡± ¡°How?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I think I have more control over killing than you do over dying.¡± Alyx¡¯s hands wrung in the air in front of her. She clenched them and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I¡¯m not taking you. You can¡¯t make me.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Cass said. ¡°But I heard that there is no shortage of Delve teams looking for a mage, while mages interested in entering the catacombs are a highly finite supply.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t just join a random team! They could get you killed. They could kill you!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Cass melodramatically posed. ¡°Woe is me. Too bad there isn¡¯t a team I already trust that is willing to take me along.¡± Alyx glared at Cass from across the coffee table. Cass smirked right back. ¡°You might as well take her with you, my lady,¡± Marco piped up from by the door. ¡°We know she¡¯s good in a fight and she¡¯s more trustworthy than mercs.¡± Alyx shot him a glare, too. ¡°And we both know that Telis¡¯s been prepping supplies for three, not two.¡± ¡°Insubordination, the both of you,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°Fine. Fine. But I need to make this clear: I cannot promise to protect you down there and I cannot promise I will act as honorably as you might want me to. This is a contest with our lives on the line. I cannot and will not hold back.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°I can live with that.¡± She hoped it was true. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t need to find out. ¡°Abyss,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°There is so little time now.¡± ¡°For?¡± Cass asked. ¡°To make sure you¡¯re ready.¡± Alyx shot up. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have anything in particular you want, but if nothing else, we need to look at your staff.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my staff?¡± Cass asked. ¡°It¡¯s a branch you found on the ground, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well, yeah? But it¡¯s a very nice branch.¡± Alyx rolled her eyes. ¡°Most mages have their staffs engraved with inscriptions. I¡¯ve heard it increases the efficiency of other spells or skills or reinforces the material. Really fancy ones can store spells for immediate use later.¡± Cass looked at the plain branch beside her. ¡°Do I have time to get that done tonight? Aren¡¯t we leaving tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°If we wanted a professional to do it, no, definitely not. But if we do it ourselves¡­¡± Ch. 41: The Workshop Cass followed Alyx out of the manor and up the main road of the palatial hill, only to turn off the road a little further up. The entrance was well kept, but the path quickly became overgrown as they walked further down it, weeds and thistles reaching over the cobble path and growing up between the stones. The path led to a rickety suspension bridge, stretching from the rising earth to one of the many spires floating around the palace¡¯s mountain. Wind shook the bridge as they crossed it. Oddly, Cass had no trouble adjusting to its swing. Given Alyx¡¯s clumsy steps, it was probably more because of her slyphid nature than her high Dex, though there was no reason it couldn¡¯t be both. Looking down, Cass felt no fear at the distance between the bridge and the distant ground. Falling wasn¡¯t something that would happen to her, and even if it did, it wasn¡¯t something she needed to worry about. They stepped off the bridge onto the side of the spire. The path continued winding up the right side. They would come to one end of the stone and the path would cut into the wall with a spiral staircase, depositing them some number of feet up the spire and the path would continue along its side. Plants clung to the stone walls and grew from the gravel path. Vines hung in sheets from overcroppings and the odd flower persevered in the face of wind and exposure. Eventually, they crested a rise of the path around the floating stone. They were met with a small shack seated in a notch of the Spire. It was a small valley, surrounded by cliffs leading up to higher plateaus of floating stone. A tree grew from one of these cliffs, its branches spreading wide and hanging like that of a willow, casting the entire corner in dappled shade. The shack sat against the back cliff side. It was a wooden thing, with thick cylindrical posts decorated with coiling dragons holding up the corners. There were specks of paint on them like they had once been painted brightly, but now the wood was exposed to the elements. ¡°What is this place?¡± Cass asked. Alyx brushed the dirt from a pillar, her hands lingering longer than strictly necessary on the wood. ¡°This is my workshop.¡± She slid open the door, dragging it to the side on its rusted track. Inside was larger than Cass had expected, the shop extending well into the cliff side. A forge dominated the far wall. Long benches filled another, while the opposite wall was covered in shelves and tools. ¡°Your workshop?¡± Cass echoed. ¡°Well, my mother¡¯s workshop,¡± Alyx amended, her hand idly caressing the table beside her. She didn¡¯t look at Cass as she spoke. Cass¡¯s ears perked up at that. Alyx had said little about her mother. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your mother was a craftsman,¡± Cass said. Alyx shook her head. ¡°She wasn¡¯t. Not the way most people understand it, anyway. But, her people believe a weapon is an extension of oneself. And so you should be involved in its construction as much as possible.¡± ¡°Her people?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. ¡°She wasn¡¯t from Velillia. Wasn¡¯t even from the Peninsula. The story goes my grandmother recruited her on one of her adventures.¡± ¡°Does the ruler of the duchy go on adventures regularly?¡± Cass asked. That didn¡¯t seem like the sort of thing a ruler should do. Didn¡¯t they have administrative things to worry about? Alyx frowned. ¡°How would she advance her level if she was stuck in the city all the time?¡± Cass shrugged. That wasn¡¯t something Earth governors had to worry about. ¡°My mother taught me the basics of weapon crafting and modification,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Give me your staff.¡± Cass handed it to her. Alyx laid it over the worktable and pulled a charcoal pencil from a drawer. Cass¡¯s staff was a long branch about as tall as she was from a Zerden Madrone tree. She¡¯d picked it up off the forest floor on her first day in Uvana. It was a white wood with a soft blue undertone that she¡¯d never seen a natural Earth wood possess. One end was twisted into a gnarled knot while the other was tapered. The middle section had taken on a smooth, shiny section where her hands had worn it smooth. She tapped the staff. ¡°This is about where you hold it?¡± Cass nodded as Alyx drew lines separating the staff into thirds. ¡°If we had more time, I¡¯d find you some channel runes to reduce the cast time of your skills. Or, we could go the other direction and find some resonating runes to slow cast time but supercharge each skill.¡± Alyx drew geometric designs over the middle third of the staff as she spoke. ¡°But I don¡¯t know them and there isn¡¯t time to find references. So what I suggest, and what I¡¯m sketching out here, are runes for reinforcement.¡± The lines wound up the shaft of the madrone wood, reminiscent of twisting roads or creeping vines. The pattern was regular, yet it left large blank sections as it twisted along the wood. ¡°It¡¯s a versatile pattern,¡± Alyx explained. She tapped one of the blank spots. ¡°There are a lot of accompanying patterns which you can add to these places later without destabilizing it. Runes for mana channeling, banking, or circling should all fit well enough.¡± ¡°But,¡± Alyx paused, glancing at Cass. Cass waited for her to continue. ¡°I also know the patterns for Strength or Dexterity Enhancement, if you¡¯d rather have that. But they don¡¯t take future augmentations as well.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Cass shrugged. ¡°I think you had it right the first time. I¡¯d rather my staff didn¡¯t break more than I need more Strength or Dexterity.¡± Especially if she could have things to improve her skills in addition. Then again, who could say if she would use this staff long enough to do those additional modifications? With any luck, she¡¯d find her way home long before she had a chance to. ¡°How much would the stat enhancements do?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I can manage about 4% effective Strength and 3% effective Dexterity,¡± Alyx said. ¡°A real craftsman specializing in that kind of thing could probably do about 9%¡± Cass squinted at her stats window. That would be about one point a piece. ¡°Yeah, I think keeping my staff from breaking is the better answer.¡± Alyx nodded and went back to drawing on the staff with the charcoal. Cass looked around the room while she waited. Despite how worn the outside had been, the inside was all in good condition. There was no dust or cobwebs among any of the tools. ¡°Do you spend a lot of time here?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Not really,¡± Alyx said without looking up from the staff. ¡°Once in a while, when my equipment needs work but not so much work I need to take it to a professional.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Cass asked. The place felt homey. Hearth liked it. It didn¡¯t feel abandoned. Instead, it felt more like its owner had stepped out. Like she¡¯d be returning at any time. ¡°Telis comes by to clean sometimes, I think,¡± Alyx added. There was a small shrine tucked in among the tools¡¯ shelving. It was a little hooded space with a statue and candle. The statue depicted a woman with wings in her hair and vines climbing up her legs. Alyx had said that her mother had worshiped Endurance? Was this her? She glanced at Salos on her shoulder. He just shrugged in response. Right. They seemed to have changed since he was sealed. In the corner by the door was a basket of toys. Most were carved wooden animals, but there were also three toy swords and a plush dragon¡¯s head on a stick, sized for a small child. Three like the number of Veldor children in the Delim manor. ¡°Did you and your siblings play here when you were children?¡± Cass asked. Alyx glanced at the corner. ¡°Sometimes. A long time ago.¡± Cass cocked her head. Alyx kept drawing on Cass¡¯s staff. She didn¡¯t look up as she spoke. ¡°Before my mother died, I was on better terms with Kohen. He and Ahryn came up frequently. Other kids too sometimes. Everyone hoped that my mother would take a liking to one of them and take them as a student. ¡°She was a dragon knight. Have I mentioned that?¡± ¡°You did.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°She was my grandmother¡¯s favorite student. Some people said that the grand duchess favored her more than her own children. She was a protector of our city. Of our people. ¡°She never married my father. They courted. I¡¯ve heard he wasn¡¯t confident in his ability to win a dragon, so he was trying to marry the woman he thought would. ¡°She won, but they never married. She said he wanted her to take his name.¡± Alyx paused. ¡°He wanted her to serve him. He wanted her to be an extension of his honor. ¡°My mother had me instead. I was born of her house, of her name: Aretios Veldor. Aretios, which she brought from her homeland. Veldor, which the grand duchess granted her for her success in claiming a dragon. ¡°And he hates it. I am a constant reminder that he failed. Failed to claim a dragon. Failed to claim the dragon knight as his wife.¡± Alyx turned the staff, her charcoal pencil gliding over the white wood. Her shoulders were tense. ¡°She died when I was 12. Killed by the Copper Crescent. She died failing to protect that generation¡¯s clutch of dragonlings. The cult killed them. Killed her. ¡°Her name was stricken from the records for that failure,¡± Alyx said. ¡°It was declared there was no longer an Aretios in Vaisom. And there wasn¡¯t until she gave it back to me last night. ¡°My grandmother decreed I was to live in my father¡¯s house. Was I to be his daughter? A potential heir? No, I¡¯m not a legitimate child of his house. But my grandmother cares more about results than blood and far more than about legacy. If I performed to her satisfaction, she¡¯d force him to replace Kohen for me. ¡°My father knows this. Kohen knows this. She delights in it.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to apologize for,¡± Cass said. ¡°You didn¡¯t know what you were getting into when you followed me home from Uvana,¡± Alyx said. Cass shrugged. ¡°You still don¡¯t have anything to apologize for.¡± Alyx snorted. ¡°Thank you for telling me about it,¡± Cass said. ¡°Everyone in the city but you already knew. None of this was some big secret.¡± ¡°All the more reason I¡¯m glad to know now.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± Alyx grunted. She put the staff and her pencil down. ¡°Either way, this is done.¡± ¡°Done already?¡± Cass asked, returning to the worktable. The staff lay on the table, the middle section covered in charcoal marks, but otherwise no different from when they¡¯d started. ¡°Well, the sketching is done. It¡¯s ready for you.¡± Alyx held out a chisel with a v-shaped blade. ¡°For me?¡± Cass repeated. Alyx chuckled. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was going to do it for you, did you?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Cass said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll show you,¡± Alyx said. She demonstrated chiseling out the first couple of inches of the pattern. The chisel blade glided easily along the charcoal marks under Alyx¡¯s hands, taking out a uniform depth of material with each pass. ¡°The key is putting a little Focus into the tools and the wood and then letting them do their job. Here, you try.¡± Cass took them from her. She held the staff and chisel as Alyx had shown her and pressed. The chisel bit into the wood, but it didn¡¯t go anywhere. ¡°Put a little Focus in it,¡± Alyx repeated. Cass scowled. She wasn¡¯t sure what that meant. She was focusing on the task. No amount of focus would make the hard, madrone wood soft. Would it? She was thinking like this was Earth. Like there was nothing more to focusing than one¡¯s undivided attention rather than a mystic channeling of one¡¯s internal energies. How did she apply Focus? She knew it happened when she used her magic skills. It was part of how she controlled Elemental Manipulation, though the skill usually helped her. Did she know how to do it on her own? She pushed Elemental Manipulation through her staff, pulling at the air around its tip. She focused on that initial feeling of reaching through the staff. She tried the same with the chisel. Elemental Manipulation poured easily through the wood handle and the metal blade to play with the air around it. Cass pressed the chisel against the wood and let go of Elemental Manipulation, but grabbed that feeling of pouring through the chisel and into the wood. The chisel slid forward. A tail of wood curled up as she followed the line Alyx had drawn. It wasn¡¯t nearly as even as the one Alyx had cut, but it followed the design Alyx had drawn well enough. ¡°Nice!¡± Alyx grinned. ¡°I thought you¡¯d pick it up without trouble. Keep it up!¡± Cass looked over the rest of the charcoal marks and then back to the slender cut she¡¯d made. The charcoal wound up the staff¡¯s length, Cass¡¯s one cut realizing only a fraction of it. Cass suppressed a sigh. This was going to be a long night. Ch. 42: Opening Ceremony Cass and Marco followed Alyx into the coliseum¡¯s arena the next morning. Salos sat on her shoulder, his tail curled around her neck. They all were dressed in their armor and armed with their weapons. Marco wore a pack with supplies over his shoulder, his shield strapped across the back. The air buzzed with energy, as thousands of people flocked to the stands. The morning was young, and the high walls still shadowed the arena. Cass and company stood among countlessly many other armed groups. Most were between six and nine members strong. All were just as armored and armed as Alyx and Marco. ¡°There it is,¡± Alyx muttered, staring at the stone doors on the side of the coliseum. ¡°The Vaisom Catacombs.¡± Once known instead as the Averentis Family Storehouse, Salos added. How are you so sure? Cass asked. She hated throwing doubt on his assessment at this stage, especially after his reaction to them the other night, but they just looked like stone doors to Cass and it was better to air this kind of doubt before hopes had risen too high. Well, for one, that section is much older. Salos indicated the stone doors. It predates the rest of the coliseum. How can you tell? Cass asked. The doors were a much darker stone than the walls and floor of the coliseum, but stone was stone to her, and differently colored stone was just that. Racial Skill. The Nyxdra know their stones and hear their stories. He¡¯d said it like she should be impressed, but I don¡¯t know what that means. He sighed. My skill is Stone Memory. I can view the things that stone remembers. Stone isn¡¯t very good at holding specific memories for very long, but excellent at remembering repeated actions: feet passing over it every day, hands tracing their way along their walls, constant battle, the daily taste of blood. You can tell how long a stone has been somewhere by how much it remembers. That darker stone has been here much longer. That was neat, but, That doesn¡¯t make them the Averentis Storehouse doors. That just means they¡¯re old. True, Salos nodded. But also, it says as much on the doors. Cass looked up at the doors. In the light of day, Cass could see the inscription carved in the stone. The script comprised big sweeping symbols, nothing like the words in the books she¡¯d studied the day before. Is that Jothi? Yes, Salos paused. Well, it¡¯s the Jothi I know. Ancient Jothi, I suppose? ¡°If the stories can be believed,¡± Alyx continued, unaware of Cass and Salos¡¯s sidebar, ¡°It is an endless labyrinth of stone corridors, winding infinitely deep. According to the rumors from the last Festival, there is a central corridor that will take you down nine floors to the Shine of Blessings.¡± ¡°Which is where you get what you need to bond with a dragon?¡± Cass confirmed. Alyx nodded. ¡°The blessing is said to be more potent the longer between its granting, making the first one down after the last festival, over twenty years ago, the most powerful.¡± ¡°So we want to be the first ones down there,¡± Marco said. ¡°If we can,¡± Alyx agreed, though there was little confidence in the words. ¡°Does that matter?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the dragon picks their bond?¡± ¡°Yes. But a dragon is more likely to pick the person with the strongest blessing. Additionally, the blessing grants other stat bonuses, and they are supposed to be bigger from the first Major Blessing.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Cass said. Alyx needed to think about the long term as well. For her, this was more than just earning her way into her family¡¯s Archives, this was her future. Cass looked around the arena again. There were a lot of people. ¡°How many of them do you think are trying to bind with a dragon?¡± Alyx snorted. ¡°Only a handful. The vast majority are treasure hunters. They¡¯ll take one of the side doors inside and look for treasure to change their fortunes. Only the nobility really have a chance with the dragons. It would be foolish of them to waste their time with it when there are more tangible benefits waiting.¡± I suspect my soul is one such treasure, Salos whispered. We may need to split off to find it. How do you expect to find it? She just said it is an endless labyrinth. Do you know the layout of this one too? Cass asked. Ah, I wish. No, he said. The Averenis family was horribly jealous of their secrets. Not even their own members were allowed to know the entirety of the Storehouse¡¯s layout. Then the plan? Cass asked. He shifted uncomfortably on her shoulder, his claws pricking her skin through her robe. I may be counting on the pieces of my soul resonating with one another as we delve deeper. That sounds suspiciously like you want us to wander around down there until you sense it? Salos stared off into the distance, suddenly finding the coliseum stands highly interesting. Salos! Is that your plan? He didn¡¯t answer. Cass glared at him. And you say my plans are bad. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. With a sigh, she turned her attention back to Alyx. ¡°So, when do they let us in, anyway?¡± They hadn¡¯t been standing there that long, but there was a restlessness in the air which had only been growing. ¡°Soon,¡± Alyx promised. ¡°First there¡¯ll be some pageantry for the populous. Introducing the dragons to them, that kind of thing. Then, they¡¯ll call the promising contestants and their teams up one at a time and they¡¯ll be let in twenty minutes apart. After all the promising candidates are in, they¡¯ll let everyone else in. That will be a mad dash as all the treasure hunters try to get in before their rivals. We¡¯ll want to get to the front of that as best as we can without wasting too much of our energy on it.¡± Alyx had barely finished speaking when a huge shadow swept overhead. A black dragon, with wide wings blocking out the sky, descended onto the coliseum wall. A woman in shining plate armor sat at the base of its serpentine neck, a spear held high. Behind them, two white dragons flew into the coliseum. They landed on the wall, just above the door. They regarded the gathered warriors in the arena, their eyes sweeping the crowd with careful consideration. Then all three dragons roared into the sky. The sound shook the air and rattled Cass¡¯s bones. Terrifying and primal. Cass flinched back, clutching her staff for support. She wasn¡¯t alone. Most of the crowd was cowed, their shoulders hunched and their feet staggered. Not Alyx though. Alyx stared up at the dragons with wide eyes. Awe the only emotion on her face. ¡°Welcome one and all to the opening ceremonies!¡± a man¡¯s voice called over the stadium. It boomed like a loudspeaker. Cass looked around but could not tell where he was speaking from. ¡°We stand here at the Vaisom Catacombs,¡± he continued, ¡°An ancient network of chambers from the last Age granted to us by our patron goddess Alacrity of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration. Over the next nine-day, our hopefuls will dive deep into these chambers guarded by monsters and more to win her blessing and a chance at the partnership with our youngest dragons. ¡°Here they are before you, the youngest members of our Guardian Kaidrach¡¯s ever-growing horde: Velkora and Emenes!¡± The two white dragons gave the slightest nod at the announcement. one of the two commanded, their voice strong and imposing, projected directly into Cass¡¯s head. added the other, softer, though no less powerful. A third voice ripped through the morning air, a force of nature and destruction: Cass, and countless others, flinched under the force of the black dragon¡¯s voice in their minds. ¡°Tell us all,¡± the announcer continued after they¡¯d recovered. ¡°What are you looking for in your partner and guardian? Velkora?¡± ¡°And Emenes?¡± The dragon hesitated a beat before speaking. ¡°Simple and admirable!¡± The announcer said. ¡°You hear that, contestants? Do you think you have the power these two need? If you think yourself lacking, now is the moment to turn around. Glory and honor await, but only if you have the means to take it. ¡°That said, please allow me to introduce our most promising hopefuls!¡± The spectators cheered. ¡°First, the most powerful woman of the younger generation! A genius with the sword and master of the Veldor family¡¯s Lightning Sword techniques! A woman capable of slicing down enemies of our duchy well above her own level! The 32nd Fang! Fioreya Ahdain Veldor! Level 31. The undisputed favorite to win the favor of both the goddess and dragon. The question is not if she impresses a dragon, but which dragon will impress her!¡± Fioreya stepped forward from the crowd. She wore her crimson armor, holding her helmet under one arm. Her sword hung from her belt in its scabbard. Both the wrap of its handle and the lacquered wood of the sheath were the same crimson of her armor. A team of three trailed behind her. One wore armor similar to her own, carrying an even bigger sword on her back. One was dressed in leathers, a short sword, bow, and buckler on his person. The last wore similar light armor, a short sword on one hip and a wand tipped in a jewel on the other. They walked with easy confidence to the center of the arena. Fioreya ignored the crowds, though the man with the bow waved with a rogue¡¯s smile on his lips. Fioreya stared up at the dragons, perhaps communicating with them privately, perhaps simply imagining the future in which she¡¯d won and was bound with one or the other. Finally, the doors of the catacombs swung open and she and her team stepped into the dark, the stands of the stadium roaring with excitement. ¡°Next, I present Mirzen Sellen Veldor! Daughter of Vaisom¡¯s Steward, the Lady Ashrel Sellen Veldor! Captain of the 23rd Wing. Unmatched with the bow in her generation. Peerless commander. Will this be enough to win a blessing from Alacrity? To win the partnership of a dragon?¡± She was a Veldor for sure. She had the same onyx eyes and sharp features that both Fioreya and Kohen had so confidently sported. She was no less arrogant than them. On her back, she carried a bow and a flag. A team of five stood behind her, most carrying spears and shields. They stepped forward with a cheer from the crowd. She, too, stared up at the dragons for a long time while her team waved to the crowds. A long 20 minutes later, they too stepped into the catacombs. ¡°And now, Kohen Delim Veldor, eldest son of the Warden, Thaycer Delim Veldor. This man is adept in both the family¡¯s swordplay and also his mother¡¯s dominating school of Force Magics.¡± Kohen waved to the crowd. The fine robes he¡¯d worn at the banquet traded for armor like Fioreya¡¯s in an emerald green. Behind him, Daidyn and Tiador walked with easy confidence. Daidyn wore heavy plate mail, all a dusty black. He carried a hulking great sword on his back, as tall as he was. Tiador, in contrast, was dressed in white and gold, each plate shimmering in the morning sun. A pair of scimitars hung from his hips. Behind them, a hooded figure Cass didn¡¯t recognize looked like a rabbit caught between wolves, her head whipping back and forth with every step. She clutched a hefty-looking tome in her arms. She was probably the mage that Daidyn had been talking about yesterday. She certainly didn¡¯t look like a combat mage. Not that Cass could talk, but she certainly understood Daidyn¡¯s doubts now. Twenty minutes later, they entered the catacombs. ¡°Next, also a child of the Warden: a dark horse who only recently made a name for herself for her sweeping clear of Uvana, the first to slay the Lord of the Deep in half a century! Alyx Aretios Veldor!¡± Alyx froze. Marco pushed her forward. ¡°That¡¯s you, girl.¡± Alyx shook herself and took a confident step forward, Cass and Marco behind her. The crowd cheered, their eyes heavy on Cass¡¯s shoulders. Cass waved, but she could barely see the crowds. They were doing this. She was doing this. It was too late to run now, wasn¡¯t it? It would look bad for Alyx, if nothing else. Where would she run anyway? Back to the manor? With Alyx¡¯s parents? Back to the city and its assassins? You can do this, Salos whispered. She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. She needed to remember what this was for. This was for him and Alyx. The two people who had helped her since she¡¯d arrived. For his soul and her future. Maybe they¡¯d even find a hint to get her home down here too, if it really was as old as Salos seemed to think. Alyx looked up at the two dragons. They stared down at her, their expressions impossible to read. What were they talking about? Was it last-minute encouragement? Instructions to earn their favor? Another interview to decide how much they liked Alyx? Alyx didn¡¯t give any indication either. Before them, the catacomb doors hung open. A hallway stretched into the impenetrable dark. Atmospheric Sense whispered that the air was deathly still. That it might stretch on forever or end little more than three steps beyond the light¡¯s reach. Mana Sense warned of powerful energy somewhere far below. Cold and patient and indifferent to the affairs of those above. Cass¡¯s gut screamed that this was a bad idea and that she should never have agreed to any of this. She gripped her staff, trying not to let the fear stop her. Unprompted, Alyx took a step forward. The crowd erupted in another wave of cheers. Behind them, the announcer began another introduction. They stepped over the threshold, the stale air of the catacombs enveloping them like a cold film. Ch. 43: Entrance They stepped over the threshold of the storehouse doors and the change in the air was immediate and stark. The morning air in the arena had been cold but fresh, moist with the dew of a new day¡¯s beginning. The air that surrounded her as she stepped over that threshold carried a touch of the grave. It sent a shiver up her spine that had nothing to do with the bitter chill in the air. ¡°We go straight as long as we can,¡± Alyx said, either unaffected by the dread creeping around them or unwilling to show she was. ¡°The temple of blessings should be down¡ª¡± Welcome to the Vaisom Catacombs! Initializing Limited Quest: Alacrity¡¯s Champion [Turbulent times come to the Fractured Skies. She of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration desires a Champion to face them. Descend to the ninth floor and claim Her favor before your competitors.] Reward: Title (Alacrity¡¯s Champion) Alyx inhaled sharply, her words forgotten. ¡°Did you get a quest, too?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. ¡°No,¡± Marco said. Yes, said Salos. ¡°Is that normal?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No,¡± Alyx said. She looked at Marco and asked, ¡°Did you get one when you entered with my mother?¡± He shook his head. ¡°There was no quest then. What is it now?¡± ¡°See for yourself,¡± Alyx said, waving her hand, presumably sharing the message with him. He frowned at the empty space, his eyes following lines of text Cass couldn¡¯t see. ¡°That¡¯s concerning, if true.¡± ¡°Why did we get the quest, but not Marco?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I have Alacrity¡¯s Blessing from last time,¡± Marco said. ¡°It looks like the goddess wants new blood to represent her.¡± ¡°This changes nothing right now.¡± Alyx clapped her hands together. ¡°The temple of blessings should be down the main path.¡± The interior of the catacombs was much like the doors behind them: dark stone, cold and foreboding. The first room was a wide hall, with lines of empty shelves along the walls and dividing the space. Directly across from the entrance stood another pair of wide doors. On either side, more modest doors lined the walls. Which means any treasure of worth will be down one of the side paths, Salos added. Not that we want to diverge from the main path this early. That is what most of the treasure hunters will have done in years past. The good stuff will be much deeper. Alyx pushed open the doors and peered into the dark hallway beyond. Purple flames flickered to life in the sconces along the walls to either side, casting ghastly pools of light around them. They stepped into the hallway, the doors closing behind them. As they walked forward, the next sconces on the wall flickered to light and the ones behind sputtered out. Cass could see nothing beyond the grim light of the fire, like the world ceased existing beyond the light¡¯s reach. The dark swirled around them, deeper than natural darkness. It had a substance that went beyond a simple absence of light. It hung heavy in the air, dispelled only in shallow pools around the magenta torches burning from the walls. ¡°Its eerie in here,¡± Cass muttered. ¡°Aye,¡± Marco agreed. Nine pairs of sconces down the hall, another door met them. It was identical to the previous door, made of unadorned dark stone. This one was open a crack, that same purple light oozing from the opening. Alyx sidled up to the door, pressing her eye to the crack before opening it and walking through. The room was another warehouse-like room, though the shelves were limited to the walls. They were just as empty as the entryway¡¯s had been. Again, a large door stood opposite them and several more lined either side. In the center, instead of more shelves, was a pile of scrap metal. The pieces gleamed like polished ebony under the torchlight, what looked like metal limbs and fractured plates twisting together in senseless masses. Amid the scrap were animal masks. Rodents with wide eyes. Alligators with dark gems along long snouts. Wolves with snarling grimaces. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°What is that?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Looks like a group ahead has already disposed of a lot of the catacomb¡¯s defenses,¡± Marco said. ¡°The monsters here aren¡¯t natural creatures or simple traps. These were all automated with the souls of the unfortunates who died here.¡± ¡°The what?¡± Cass inhaled sharply. She couldn¡¯t have heard him correctly, because it sounded like he¡¯d said, ¡°The souls of the dead?¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°As in ghosts?¡± Cass wasn¡¯t scared of ghosts. That would be silly. Irrational. Ghosts weren¡¯t real. And, if they were real, they couldn¡¯t touch anything, that was the only way they could phase through objects. Which meant they couldn¡¯t touch her. Which meant they couldn¡¯t hurt her. Which meant it was silly to be afraid of ghosts. So she wasn¡¯t. But this wasn¡¯t Earth. All sorts of impossible things were possible. Did that include non-tangible monsters hurting her? The living shadows of the Deep flickered in her memory. They hadn¡¯t been ghosts exactly, but weren¡¯t they similar? ¡°Ghosts? I suppose, after a fashion,¡± Alyx said. ¡°They are dead souls bound to golem forms.¡± This is well beyond the defenses I was expecting, Salos muttered. Rather, this is bordering on taboo magics. Souls should be allowed to return to the River and flow on. They should not be chained to the catacombs to fulfill the will of the living, not even the will of the gods. Cass frowned. What defense were you expecting? Automated golems, Salos said. But controlled by the Averenis¡¯s impressive golem magics. Complex spells determining autonomous movement. They were famous for their golems in my day. To hear they switched to exploring soul crafting is concerning. Marco knelt beside the pile, shifting through the pile carefully. He tapped one crocodilian mask after another. There were five in easy sight on the pile. ¡°Dreadiron Crocodiles. They shoot beams of lightning. You can tell how powerful the blast¡¯ll be based on the number of the gems it has and the number that are glowing. More means more. This is a lot for this early in the catacombs.¡± He shifted more of the pile. Tapping a rodent mask, he muttered, ¡°Gophers. These things, they appear out¡¯a any sold surface and have blades for hands. Best watch your ankles. Fast and plentiful. Not very strong individually, though. ¡°And Soulbound Wolves,¡± he said as he pulled a wolf mask from the pile. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any this early.¡± Alyx¡¯s frown mirrored Marcos. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Cass asked. ¡°The defenses become more significant the deeper one gets. This is the first floor, the first room. Reports from previous years suggested that there should barely be a handful of goffers this early. For there to be this many, this quickly is already concerning. But the wolves shouldn¡¯t appear until the third floor by the soonest.¡± ¡°There fast and strong. With their humanoid forms and variable armaments, they are the real soldiers of the catacombs,¡± Marco added. ¡°Why are they here, then?¡± Cass asked. Alyx shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Possibly the quest. Possibly because it has been so long since the last Festival.¡± She looked over her shoulder. ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t have time to linger here. The next group will be on our heels all too soon. Why the Goddess would send stronger than average defenses, this year is her business. It doesn¡¯t change anything for us. We still just have to push through.¡± ¡°True enough,¡± Marco nodded. ¡°Should I lead or bring up the rear?¡± ¡°The rear, please,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Cass, you stay in the middle.¡± Cass nodded. That suited her just fine. ¡°Salos, would you scout our periphery?¡± Alyx added. He scowled at her, but leapt off Cass¡¯s shoulder without a word. ¡°He says that¡¯ll be no trouble,¡± Cass lied. Don¡¯t put words in my mouth, he hissed. Answer when people talk to you, then, Cass retorted. He didn¡¯t reply, but she could feel the snort of indignation even if she couldn¡¯t see him. ¡°Smart cat,¡± Marco commented as Salos slipped into the darkness. You sure you don¡¯t want to tell him you can talk? Cass asked. Yes. ¡°Not as smart as he thinks he is,¡± Cass sighed as they followed him into the darkness. The catacombs continued in this way, stretches of dark corridor interrupted by rooms of doors and metallic carnage. ¡°Should all the monsters be dead already?¡± Cass asked on the fourth such room. ¡°While we¡¯re on the main path and close enough to the leader, yes,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Oh, you mean the first group that went in?¡± That made sense now that she thought about it. The group in front would be forced to deal with most of the monsters if they wanted to advance, while the groups behind could simply follow the cleared path behind them. ¡°Is that why the ¡®favorite¡¯ goes first?¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t the groups eventually bunch up, if the front group is constantly stopping to fight?¡± Cass asked. ¡°That is the idea,¡± Alyx said as they entered the next dark hallway. ¡°I see, so in order to keep first place, they need to handle the monsters faster than the groups behind can catch up.¡± Everyone wanted the bonus for being first, after all. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be running to catch up, then? No. Wait.¡± Cass paused. What happened when they caught up? Her stomach twisted. The group ahead of them wasn¡¯t going to just peacefully let them pass. If and when they caught up, it would be a violent struggle. Her hands clenched around her staff. This was why Alyx had tried to stop her from coming. How did one win without killing the group ahead? ¡°There is a lot of Catacombs between here and floor nine,¡± Alyx said. ¡°A lot can happen.¡± That didn¡¯t make Cass feel any better. That was just an oblique way of saying their competitors might get themselves killed in the meantime. ¡°Right now, the main goal is to not let the group behind us catch up,¡± Alyx continued. ¡°We¡¯ll push for the front in good time.¡± Ch. 44: Gophers They continued in silence down the hall. Every room was full of more destroyed guards, their masks dented and beaten, their bodies mangled. Behind you! Salos shouted. Cass spun. Something popped up from the solid stone. A child-sized figure. It was a skeletal creature, glowing green energy for flesh, wearing the metal plates and gopher mask as armor. It was equipped with two pairs of clawed arms. Its feet were unseen, still hiding within the stone floor. Her staff caught the first swipe of its claws. Marco caught the second set on his shield. But there was another creature behind him. The second gopher¡¯s claws raked across the back of his legs. He grunted. ¡°I¡¯ve got this one!¡± Cass yelled. He nodded. A light built on his shield. It exploded off like a wave crashing on the beach, carrying the gopher sprawling backward. More are coming! Salos warned. Cass repeated his warning as she swung her staff down on the reeling monster¡¯s mask. Her staff glanced off the metal. If she¡¯d done damage, she couldn¡¯t tell. Salos was on her shoulder again, his fur bristling. Another to your right! A gopher erupted from the stone floor half a second after his warning. The room was overwhelmed with them. Aventis Gopher (Lvl 19) x 3 Aventis Gopher (Lvl 20) x 4 Aventis Gopher (Lvl 21) x 2 Aventis Gopher (Lvl 22) [A guard of the Vaisom Catacombs. Well known for appearing without warning from any solid surface and taking out knees or ankles. Their preferred method of hunting is systematically cutting their targets from the bottom, working their way up as the target falls. They are dangerous not only for their individual power but also for their tendency to hunt in packs.] That was a lot of them. Most swarmed Marco, bringing up the rear, with two each on Alyx and Cass. Cass Dodged another string of swipes. Their claws were more like scythes than the claws of any natural creature. She swung a Mana Wind Blade into the next one¡¯s side. The blade broke on their metal armor, but the staff dented the panel. The first gopher sliced back, clipping her leg before she could get out of the way. Salos leapt from her shoulder, his claws digging into the glowing energy behind the masks. The rodent screamed. It was more akin to a kettle steaming than any noise an animal should be able to make, and it left Cass¡¯s skin crawling. Aim for the true body, ignore its armor! Salos instructed. Cass swung for the head again, this time focusing on the unarmored side rather than the mask. A set of claws caught her staff mid-flight, and another set plunged forward to strike her back. She didn¡¯t have time to get out of the way. The claws tore through her thigh. Color inverted. An exhaustion sunk into her muscle. Liminal Dodge had saved her. Stamina: 63/105 Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. And it had cost her in the ballpark of 40 Stamina to do it. Better than losing the leg, obviously, but not something she should do repeatedly if she could avoid it. Behind her, Alyx had taken down one of her two. On the opposite side, Marco knocked the things away from him one after another, their armor heavily dented, several missing claws. Salos was busy ripping out the insides of one of the two near her, strands of something not quite solid and glowing green flying into the air with every flex of his claws. Cass had to beat the remaining one and go help Marco. Striking its armor was pointless. She didn¡¯t have the Strength to break through it. Like Salos had said, she needed to target the soft body within. But it was fast to defend those places. Her staff wasn¡¯t fast enough. She had to try something else. She slammed her staff into the ground, willing Elemental Manipulation to grab the stone floor and yanked it up, forming a spear. It went through a joint in its arm, skewering the green ectoplasm like it wasn¡¯t even there. Except, the gopher acted like the spike wasn¡¯t there either. It swung at Cass again, its elbow passing through the spike. Cass¡¯s eyes went wide as she stumbled back. The gopher followed, another swing of its claws sliding through the pillar like it wasn¡¯t even there. Cass parried with her staff, cursing. Perhaps that should have been obvious. The things were sitting up to their waists in stone without issue after all. What else could she do? Unaffected by stone spikes. Too fast to hit its weak points with her staff. Too sturdy to hit its armored points. It was too close to throw a Wind Blade. But then, why was she fighting so close to it? Sure, it had appeared next to her and initially she¡¯d wanted to keep it off of Marco, but he had his situation handled now. The gophers ran at him repeatedly, repeatedly knocked back. What would one more on him mean? Especially if she was thinning other members of that herd? Cass leapt back. The gopher surged after her, but as fast as it could strike, it was still far slower in chasing Cass across the room. She threw a Wind Blade as she ran, pulling its path into an arc, swinging around behind her. She directed it into the back of the monster¡¯s head. It cut deep into that fleshy ectoplasm and through the skull within. The thing collapsed, like a puppet with its strings cut. Cass grinned. It was that easy? What had she been doing? She threw another blade at the mess rushing Marco. #3 and #4 went down just as easily, their back¡¯s unguarded. #5, pealed off Marco, its eye less mask turning to face Cass. Something glinted in those empty sockets. With a scream, it raced toward her. Suddenly, Alyx was in between them, her sword¡ªglowing amber and trailing light¡ªslashed into it. Behind her, the two (#6 and #7) that had attacked her lay in a battered pile, dark and dead. #5 staggered back, a clawed hand holding her sword back from its neck. The claw was noticeably dented from the attempt. Salos disappeared from his gopher (#8) as its lights went out, reappearing on the opposite of #5. His claws found that unarmored space in its elbow and one of its four arms fell uselessly to the ground. Cass threw another Wind Blade over Alyx¡¯s shoulder, arching it into the back of #9 as it lunged for Marco. It collapsed into scrap as his shield knocked #10 flat on its back. He stepped on its chest and rammed his sword through an eyehole in the mask. It screeched as it died. Alyx and Salos had removed another limb from #5. It scrambled after Alyx, desperate and screeching. Alyx deflected the strike, while Salos leapt on its shoulder, his claw digging deep into its flesh. Its scream turned from rage to abject terror as his claws raked through the ectoplasm, silenced only by the monstrous downward strike Alyx inflicted on its body, severing it in two. Staff Mastery has increased to level 13. Wind Blade has increased to level 12. Mana Blade has increased to level 7. Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Wll + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Cass breathed in the elation of a new level. It was the first since Uvana and as powerful as ever. Her 4 free points she dropped directly into Wll. She had a team finally. She didn¡¯t have to fight on the front lines anymore. That meant it was finally time to focus on her ranged magic attacks, Wind Blade and Elemental Manipulation, both of which were affected most strongly by Wll. Wll 54 -> 58 Expanding Wll was always a little strange. The physical stats had obvious effects: faster and stronger movements, greater physical stamina. Every point in Fortitude dulled the pain in her all too common wounds. Every point in Perception sharpened the world around her. But Wll wasn¡¯t like that at all. She didn¡¯t feel any more stubborn, but rather, like there was more force behind what she wanted. Like the world needed to bend more to her unreasonable demands of it than it needed to a moment before. Perhaps that was just a stubborn impulse fed by that growing Will. Perhaps it was nothing more than the manifestation of magic in her. ¡°Injuries?¡± Marco asked as he hobbled over to Cass and Alyx. Cass shook her head. Her armor had taken a scrape, but her body was fine, if only because of Dodge. ¡°Lacerations, right leg,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Not deep. I can walk.¡± Marco nodded. ¡°Lacerations, back of both legs. I¡¯ll live. Hurts like a demon, though.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Alyx said. She glanced toward the door ahead of them. ¡°Are the groups ahead purposefully leaving threats for us or are things wandering out of the sides?¡± Marco shook his head. ¡°Could be either. Could be both.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Keep your eyes out for ambushes.¡± Ch. 45: Conflict The tang of iron hung in the air of the next room. A body lay slumped against one wall. The stone doors across the way hung open, stairs leading down waiting beyond. ¡°The stairs, finally,¡± Alyx said with a relieved sigh. Cass froze in the doorway. The body was still breathing shallowly. It was a woman. Her armor was rent and twisted, plates missing from the abdomen and from her limbs. ¡°First floor complete!¡± Alyx said. Long gashes ran from the woman¡¯s shoulder to her pelvis. A lot of blood pooled around her body. More blood than a human body should be able to contain. ¡°We made good time,¡± Marco said. Her spear lay broken at her side. A shattered shield lay in splinters around her. Was this the work of gophers? No, they weren¡¯t tall enough to have made a strike across her body like that. Her thighs would be worse off if they had. ¡°Should we rest here, or do you want to push on?¡± Marco asked. Maybe that Wolf Marco had mentioned at the entrance? Or was this the work of one of the other groups? Her own group? Betrayal or ambush? Who was she? Her armor wasn¡¯t the crimson of Fioreya¡¯s group, and she wasn¡¯t the mage from Kohen¡¯s. Then one of the many spearmen from Mirzen¡¯s? Probably. ¡°We should push on,¡± Alyx said. ¡°The next group is probably not far behind us.¡± Why had they left her here? Left her for dead. Just like she was about to. What could she do? Escort her out? The woman was a stranger. They had other things they were occupied with. Alyx had a time limit. Would she even survive being moved? ¡°Cass?¡± Alyx said. Cass jerked back to attention. Alyx and Marco stood on the landing of the stairs. It was time to go. ¡°What about¡­¡± Cass¡¯s words died in her throat as the last breath died in the spearwoman¡¯s. ¡°What?¡± Alyx asked. She hadn¡¯t so much as glanced at the woman. Perhaps she¡¯d taken one look at her when they¡¯d entered and assumed she was already dead. Cass might have made that mistake if she hadn¡¯t felt her shallow breathing. There was nothing they could do for her now. ¡°Nothing,¡± Cass said, hurrying to catch up. People died, and she needed to get used to that. Apparently. They crept down the stairs. The stairs curled down and to the right. Like the hallways, it was dark, lit only by the purple sconces on the walls. It was quiet, the only sound their footsteps on the stone. They slowed as they approached the bottom of the stairs. Ahead were the sounds of conflict: the crash of steel and the buzz of energy. ¡°Damn, they¡¯re still fighting,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°Wasn¡¯t enough bodies up there to expect otherwise,¡± Marco said. Alyx grimaced. ¡°Mirzen must have waited for Kohen at the stairs.¡± ¡°Underestimated him, it seems. What should we do?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait here,¡± Alyx said. ¡°The last thing we want is for the group behind us to catch up, too. A four-way fight is more than I want to deal with this early.¡± ¡°A side passage then?¡± Marco asked. I wouldn¡¯t advise it this early, Salos said, though only Cass could hear him. The good stuff will be lower still. ¡°Can¡¯t we sneak past?¡± Cass asked. She didn¡¯t like the idea of fighting if they could avoid it. ¡°That¡¯d be great if we can,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But we aren¡¯t exactly rogues, you know?¡± ¡°Salos, could you see if we could slip through?¡± Cass asked. If the room was wide enough, or had enough shelves to use as cover, perhaps it would be possible. Fine. He hopped off her shoulder and scampered down the last steps. He was back a minute later. You and I probably could. Your friends, on the other hand? I doubt it. It should be safe enough for you all to check for yourselves. Cass grimaced and relayed the information to the others. They crept down the last steps and peaked around the corner. It was a wide room, far bigger than any of the rooms they¡¯d passed so far. And completely lacking cover. Instead, the room was a wide chasm, dotted with floating platforms and connected with bridges of stone. There wasn¡¯t so much as a handrail in sight. The fight raged over that chasm. Mirzen and Kohen¡¯s teams fought atop the floating platforms, both angling toward the doors on the far side of the chasm. Mirzen¡¯s spearmen held a handful of bridges, their shields glowing with unnatural light. Mirzen stood behind them, shooting over their shoulders at Kohen and his people. Her arrows trailed green and gold through the air. Kohen and Tiador knocked them from the air with their swords. Where the deflected arrows struck stone, they exploded in lightning or melted the stone with a disturbing hiss. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Daidyn swung his sword into the wall of shields, the black blade crashing into the glowing wall with an ear wrenching screech. His swings pushed them back a step, but their spears jabbed out for the gaps in his armor all the while. Both sides were plenty bloodied. Behind Kohen¡¯s swordsmen, his hooded mage stood hunched over an open book. Light gathered around her and her voice slowly grew over the chasm. She was chanting something, though Cass couldn¡¯t say what with her limited knowledge. ¡°We aren¡¯t sneaking through that,¡± Alyx said flatly. Cass could only agree. At least there were a pair of side doors on their side of the chasm they could slip into until the fight ended. It might not be fabulous treasure, but it had to be better than joining that¡ª ¡°But I think we can break through,¡± Alyx continued. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Mirzen¡¯s team is slow,¡± Marco said with a nod. ¡°And very good at stalling out another group occupying Kohen. She won¡¯t be able to turn her full force on us and will probably choose to keep her focus on Kohen, who she¡¯s already caught, rather than redirecting for us and risk losing both.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Alyx said. She pointed to a string of bridges along the edge of the room. ¡°We stick to the edges and avoid Kohen and Mirzen, and we make it across before either of them stops us.¡± ¡°And after?¡± Cass asked. ¡°We keep running until we catch wind of Fioreya.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Then we hope that Mirzen and Kohen want to deal with her about as much as I do.¡± Cass did not like this plan. But turning around was not an option anymore. Alyx was already walking out onto the first bridge. Cass hurried after her, Marco again bringing up the rear. Cass looked out over the ledge into the inky darkness. There was no way to tell how far down it went. Not even Atmospheric Sense could give her a guess. Forever and nowhere, it seemed. What would happen if they fell or a bridge broke beneath them? Would she be able to Wind Step to safety? Probably. Salos could come with her by demanifesting. But Alyx and Marco would be out of luck. It was fine. They just needed to not fall. Easy enough. Get off this one! Salos hissed, sprinting forward off Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Run!¡± Cass yelled, pushing Alyx forward as the bridge CRACKED under their weight. It gave way beneath Cass¡¯s feet as she stepped off. She turned, watching Marco leap after them. He wasn¡¯t going to make it. He reached out for the platform. He was going to miss it by inches. His eyes met Cass¡¯s. A resigned plea swirled within them. Time slowed. Elemental Manipulation sprung to life. Cass forced the stone floor beneath her out. It was slow. So slow. Why was stone so slow to move? She pressed harder. The lip needed to be just a little longer. He needed just a little more. He caught it. Alyx scurried to the edge, grabbing his wrist before the fingers that had found purchase could slip. Cass grabbed the other hand. Together, they pulled him back up. He nodded his thanks as he found solid stone beneath his feet. ¡°Down!¡± He shouted, raising his shield and pushing past Cass. An arrow trailing green struck the raised shield. It hissed as a splatter of acid burned into its surface and bit into the floor. The other combatants had noticed them. ¡°Keep going!¡± Marco yelled. ¡°Cass, you and Salos lead the way,¡± Alyx ordered, drawing her sword and striking another arrow from the air. Can you tell which ones are safe? Cass asked Salos as she hurried to the next pair of bridges. Mostly. I think. He hopped off her shoulder again, taking a step onto each bridge before yelling, This one! She ran across the bridge he¡¯d chosen, Alyx and Marco close on her heels. They followed Salos across far faster than was safe to run near bottomless pits. One of Mirzen¡¯s spearmen broke away from Kohen¡¯s group, sprinting to intercept Salos. Alyx pushed to the front, her sword swinging. It trailed the amber glow of her aura and slammed into the man. He took it on his shield, grimacing under the force. Another arrow raced for Cass¡¯s head. She dodged to the side. Lightning burst behind them as the arrow struck the floor, but sparked harmlessly out of range. The archer was a problem. Cass could dodge just fine, and Marco and Alyx could block them well enough. But they had to be skilled or lucky every time; the archer only needed to hit once. Alyx dueled the spearman ahead. The path was too narrow for either Cass or Marco to meaningfully help without risking getting knocked off. Salos was making a nuisance of himself around the spearman¡¯s ankles. Marco blocked another arrow. Across the room, Daidyn staggered one of the spearmen blocking their path. Tiador took the opportunity to burst through and landed a deep stab in the gap in their defenses. The mage continued chanting. The Mirzen continued pelting everyone with arrows. Lightning burst in the air. Acid rained down on bridges, weakening them further and burning exposed flesh. Cass was the only one who could do something about it. She readied her staff, calling a Wind Blade to the end. She bit her lip. She had a clear shot across the cavern. There wasn¡¯t time for hesitation. Every second was another arrow. Cass swung. The Wind Blade ripped across the chasm, unseen by anyone but Cass. It struck Mirzen. Cut a gash in her armor. Blood oozed down her chest. She looked down, shocked. Then up, her eyes scanning the field for her attacker. To Cass. To the hooded mage. Back to Cass. She raised her bow, drawing back slowly. It glowed with mana. Gold and fierce and growing. Cass did not want that attack to go off. Cass threw another Wind Blade, then another. The first added another laceration across Mirzen¡¯s side. The second broke on the shield of a spearman who¡¯d stepped between just then. Mirzen charged her shot. The mana gathered was unlike anything Cass had ever seen. What was that going to do? Could she dodge it? If she did, what would happen to Alyx and Marco? But she also did not know how to block it. She couldn¡¯t just stand here. Cass glanced across the room. If there were no good options, she¡¯d just need to pick a bad one. Anything was better than indecision. She Stormstrided forward and Stepped onto the summoned gust flying over the chasm and reappearing behind Kohen¡¯s mage. The mage stiffened, but kept chanting, perhaps even faster than she had before. Kohen turned to defend his mage, but he was too far away to get to them in time to do anything. Mirzen¡¯s eyes went wide, her body pivoting to Cass and the mage in a fraction of a second, releasing her arrow the moment she had locked on again. Alyx knocked her opponent aside. Salos jumped for his neck. Daidyn¡¯s sword found a gap in the shield line, burying itself in a spearman¡¯s shoulder. Tiador burst forward into the other spearman, his swords glowing with anticipation. The arrow rocketed toward Cass and the mage. Kohen¡¯s free hand went up, a wall of crackling electricity springing into existence between Mirzen¡¯s arrow and the mage. The mage screamed the last word in her chant, her book snapping shut with finality. The entire room shook. The platform Mirzen was on collapsed. The arrow struck Kohen¡¯s wall. Electricity exploded in every direction. But the arrow kept flying. It struck the floor in front of the mage, cracking the stone beneath their feet. The mage screamed and grabbed Cass¡¯s arm. The floor crumbled and the two of them fell into the abyss. Ch. 46: Falling Falling was only a problem if you couldn¡¯t fly, as Cass was finding. She had fully expected the stomach twisting drop of the floor falling out from beneath her and nauseating free fall to follow. Earth, human Cass certainly would have felt it. She¡¯d gone on a drop tower once at an amusement park and that had been one time too many for her tastes. Slyphid Cass had no problem with the sensation of dropping like a stone. Her body was entirely unconcerned, as her mind acknowledged falling into the dark chasm was less than ideal. But slyphid Cass also understood that a simple Wind Step should fix the issue. Except, Kohen¡¯s mage was clasping onto her arm for dear life, screaming bloody murder into Cass¡¯s ear. And Wind Step didn¡¯t work if someone else held her in place. ¡°Let go!¡± Cass shook her arm, to no avail. The mage kept screaming and, if anything, gripping tighter. The wind whooshed around them as they fell, rubble and stone in the air all around them. It called for her. Cass wanted to join it. Every fiber of her being wanted to pull away into the wind. Yet, this person gripped her tight. ¡°Save me!¡± they screamed, pulling Cass even tighter, burying their face in Cass¡¯s chest. There was no removing them. Cass had no idea how far down they would fall. Or how well slyphid bodies handled sudden impact with solid stone. She was willing to bet the answer was ¡®poorly¡¯. Slyphids were meant for zipping over the ground, not collisions with it. But did she have another option? She tried to Wind Step again. Her body didn¡¯t so much as shimmer. She could feel the mage¡¯s hands holding her in place. At least the Focus for Wind Stepping hadn¡¯t been consumed by the failed attempts. Focus: 251/369 Above, she could feel Salos panicking and their bond weakening with distance. She could feel the ground approaching swiftly, even though she couldn¡¯t see it through the inky blackness of the chasm. If she couldn¡¯t Wind Step, what else could she do? A parachute would help, but she didn¡¯t have one of those either. She shook her head. This wasn¡¯t Earth. She didn¡¯t need an Earth suggestion. She needed a video game idea. Something that magic could accomplish. How did one avoid fall damage in games? Land in water? No way to know what was below her, no way to know if the world¡¯s physics were quite that forgiving, no way to put enough water down there, regardless. Double jump near the bottom to reset momentum? A little too video gamey. Kill an enemy on the landing, assassin style? Again, no way to know if there was an enemy down there. Also, no way to know if the world¡¯s physics were quite that skewed. Maybe if she had a specific skill for it. No, there had to be something a little more reasonable that she could actually try. Something she could do with Elemental Manipulation. Something with air. Could she use the surrounding air to slow her fall? It was worth a try. She closed her eyes, feeling the air screaming past her. Her Focus grabbed onto it, pulling on the tendrils racing around her, marshaling them back beneath her. She imagined a cushion beneath her. She imagined sinking through it slowly. But she couldn¡¯t make it thick enough quickly enough. She blew through the cushioned space before it had slowed her much and, once through, she was quick to pick up speed again. Focus: 167/369 Cass winced. That had worked, kind of. She¡¯d slowed them. But they¡¯d already hit terminal velocity again. And it had chunked her Focus. This wasn¡¯t how air liked to move. It tolerated being compressed into blades or walls, but both were over a small area and for a short time. Forcing a denser area beneath her and keeping it that way for the duration of her fall was too much for Cass. And yet, Cass knew this was possible. Air kept airplanes up. Lifted air balloons. Allowed air hockey pucks to float just off the table. She didn¡¯t need to fly or even to hover, she just needed the air to take the worst of the momentum from her. So how did all those things work? Surface area, for one. All those things had a much wider area for the air to work on. Cass angled her body, like a skydiver, stretching her arms and legs out flat as much as her still screaming passenger would allow. ¡°Spread out!¡± Cass yelled at the mage. ¡°We need to increase our surface area!¡± They screamed into Cass¡¯s chest, pulling even tighter. Cass sighed and went back to ignoring them. Area increased as best as she could, what else? The hot air balloon was the simplest but also the least applicable idea. Hot air rises. Enough hot air could lift a balloon into the sky. But Cass didn¡¯t have a balloon to fill and changing the temperature of something via Elemental Manipulation was one of the least energy efficient things she could try. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. What about airplanes? They generated lift through the shape of their wings. Something about the air passing under the wings faster than the air over the wings, creating a pressure difference, forcing the whole plane up. She didn¡¯t know if that was right or not, but either way, she didn¡¯t have a wing to test that with. That left air hockey pucks. They floated over the table because of the table. Hundreds to thousands of holes blew a stream of air up, creating a surface of air the plastic puck could sit on. Could Cass do that? The air wasn¡¯t any denser over the air hockey table, yet the puck still floated. It was just blowing air upward. Could she pull enough up fast enough? Cass tried it. She grabbed as much as her Will could hold, yanking as hard as she could upward. The gust buffeted her. For a second, her fall slowed. And then they were falling again. Focus: 153/369 That was better, much better. The air wanted to move. It took far less Focus to make it rush toward her than it had to bunch it up. The only question now was could she do this long enough to keep them from splatting into the fast-approaching, very solid floor beneath them? The timing was important. If she started Elemental Manipulation too soon, she¡¯d run out of Focus before landing and they¡¯d just pick up speed again. Too late and she wouldn¡¯t slow them enough before they crashed. At 14 Focus per second, with her remaining Focus, that meant something like 10 seconds of air? And it would leave her with just about nothing there at the bottom. She¡¯d deal with whatever was down there with whatever was left. The ground was fast approaching. Atmospheric Sense could feel a draft floating over it. It was now or never. Elemental Manipulation! The air gusted past her. It fluttered through her robes. Her braid whipped behind her. Her heart raced. Her body slowed. Her Focus dropped. Focus: 139/369 Focus: 125/369 They were still speeding toward the ground. Had she waited too long to start? She thought it would slow her more than this. Focus: 111/369 Focus: 97/369 She was slowing down. Would it be enough? It had to, right? Focus: 83/369 Focus: 69/369 They slammed into the ground, fast enough to knock the wind from Cass¡¯s lungs, but not so fast they splatted into the stone. The mage groaned beneath Cass, their own fault for holding Cass so close. Cass pushed herself up. A headache was filling in behind her eyes¡ªtoo much Focus spent all at once¡ªbut she was otherwise unharmed by the fall. It was pitch black. Around her, she could hear the slam of rubble landing around them and could feel the displacement of the air as they landed. Luckily, her slowing their fall meant most of the big pieces were already grounded and not careening toward her head. Nothing else was moving around them. ¡°Ow¡­¡± The mage groaned as they sat up. There were some patting noises. ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡± The words came out in a shocked whisper. Then louder, ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Cass didn¡¯t quite keep the bite out of her voice. ¡°Oh¡­¡± the mage said slowly. ¡°You¡¯re alive too.¡± ¡°No thanks to you.¡± ¡°No thanks¡­¡± they repeated slowly. ¡°Oh! Oh¡­ Um. S-sorry?¡± Cass would have stared in disbelief if she could see them. But it was too dark, so she settled for a belabored sigh. Are you alive? Salos¡¯s voice whispered, his voice faint and spotty. Yeah. Cass sent back. How are things up there? Your friend and ¡­ guard are alive. ¡­ ¡­ her brother and most ¡­ ¡­ team. Salos¡¯s voice cut in and out. What? Your friend and her guard are alive, Salos repeated slowly and with focused intent. I got that. What was the rest of it? Should ¡­ back to ¡­? Stay with Alyx. You can lead her to me, can¡¯t you? I am ¡­ back to ¡­. Cass couldn¡¯t tell what he was trying to say. She could only hope he could hear her better. Lead Alyx and Marco to me. I¡¯ll try to find my way back to you. ¡°Um¡­ Where are we?¡± the mage said, bringing Cass¡¯s attention back to their immediate predicament. There voice was a tentative squeak. ¡°Bottom of the chasm?¡± Cass said, but it was actually a good question. Was this chasm floor a part of the second floor, or was this part of a much, much lower floor? ¡°Is anyone else down here?¡± the mage yelled. ¡°Lord Kohen? Sir Tiador? Sir Daidyn? Anyone?¡± Cass didn¡¯t feel any breaths around them. If anyone else had fallen, they hadn¡¯t survived the fall. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± The upside was that also meant there were no monsters around them. Unless the monsters here didn¡¯t need to breathe. That gave Cass a moment¡¯s pause. They were undead constructs, weren¡¯t they? Did they breathe? She hadn¡¯t been paying attention to that earlier. Hadn¡¯t thought to make a note one way or the other. They probably didn¡¯t? Neither the undead nor golems usually breathed in the stories. Why would a combination of the two be different? For all she knew, they were surrounded. Did undead constructs need light to see? Did they see at all or use some other sense for navigation? Like Mana Sense or¡ª Mana Sense. Right. Cass could use that to check. They might not breathe, but things powered by magic and souls should definitely glow. Cass flared Mana Sense. Lights appeared along the walls. Most were completely still, but all of them brightening. As if they were gathering power. A light pricked on in the dark, visible in Cass¡¯s ordinary vision. It was dim, like a star in a light polluted sky, and right about the same place the nearest mana source was glowing from. ¡°This was a mistake. I never should have come,¡± the mage moaned, either oblivious or unconcerned with the light. Cass ignored them, focusing on the light. What was it? Her hand slipped into her Bag and withdrew her flashlight. Was this wise? Pointing her flashlight at whatever it was? She clicked it on, the beam cutting a swath of light in the dark. It reflected off a metal crocodile skull, the first of four jewels in its snout glowing. Dreadiron Crocodile Lvl 25 [A guard of the Vaisom Catacombs. These large lizard-like constructs are known to cling to walls and ceilings. They possess powerful lightning magic and delight in blasting their prey from the shroud of darkness.] The second gem on the crocodile¡¯s snout began to glow. Oh. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± the mage stuttered beside Cass. ¡°We need to go,¡± Cass said. More lights flickered on from the dark. ¡°Are those all¡ª?¡± ¡°Definitely, time to go!¡± Ch. 47: Crocodiles Cass started running. She didn¡¯t know where she was going, just that she couldn¡¯t stay here. A bolt of lightning ripped through the air, sparking blue and white and illuminating the chasm for a fraction of a second, revealing the walls and casting strange shadows through the rubble. It landed behind Cass, the air smelling of burned ozone and crackling with unspent energy. Another bolt. Cass ran faster. Another and another. The mage was running as fast as they were able behind her, a shriek slipping from their lips as another bolt rained down from the walls. They were all around them. Continuous. The room was awash in the crackling blue light. The shadows danced around them, the light source constantly changing. Ahead was a door. Cass Sprinted for it, her arms pumping, the gusts of wind pushing on. Dodge pulled her head down. A bolt shot over her, scorching the wall beside her. Another forced her to sidestep. Another had her jumping back out of the way of a bolt from directly above. She slammed into the door, yanking on its handles when it didn¡¯t swing open with her impact. A circular pattern of sigils glowed to life over the door¡¯s surface, but they didn¡¯t budge. No! Another burst, another dodge. The lightning scorched the door. It was far from the only such mark on the stone. Cass pounded on it, but it was pointless. Every pound of her fist on the doors renewed the glowing sigils. It would take significantly more than Cass¡¯s 18 Str and her bare hands to break it down. She couldn¡¯t stand here pounding on it either. A trio of lightning bolts snaked from above, forcing Cass back. Standing still was dangerous. ¡°Open the door!¡± the mage yelled. ¡°Its stuck!¡± Cass yelled back, pushing the both of them out of the way of another lightning bolt. What now? Was there another exit? With a quick scan of the room, she didn¡¯t think so. She could Wind Step, but she didn¡¯t have enough Focus to guide the wind out with Elemental Manipulation. There were way too many crocodiles to kill them all. Not by herself and not with the Focus she had remaining. But she had to do something. Her Stamina would only last so long before she became too tired to keep Dodging. Could she hope her Stamina lasted longer than the crocodiles¡¯ Focus? There had to be more she could do. The mage ran up to the door, pushing at the handle with the same panic running under Cass¡¯s skin. It swung open. The mage glanced over their shoulder, their face obscured by their hood, but their shock in their body language obviously mirroring Cass¡¯s. Another bolt struck the upper corner of the door. Both Cass and the mage jumped and ran through the door, slamming it shut behind them. Purple sconces flickered to life along the walls, illuminating the space in that ever-present eerie glow, barely brighter than the darkness they banished. The room was still and quiet, save for the panicked panting of the mage and the pounding of Cass¡¯s heart. ¡°It wasn¡¯t stuck,¡± the mage said as their breathing steadied. ¡°It was stuck.¡± Cass wouldn¡¯t have made such a simple mistake. The door had glowed like it was magically locked and everything. ¡°It-it wasn¡¯t,¡± the mage stuttered. ¡°I barely pushed on it.¡± ¡°I ran into it full force and it didn¡¯t open.¡± The mage frowned. Their lips were thin to the point of barely existing. Their skin was a dark grey. The top half of their face was still obscured by their hood, though they seemed able to see without issue. ¡°Maybe you jammed it when you ran into it?¡± Maybe. Cass didn¡¯t think so. There had been no give when she¡¯d run into it. But what were the other options? The door was locked for her specifically? Why? How? Alternatively, it was only unlocked for the mage? Again, why? How? Maybe it was on some sort of timer before it could be opened? What started the countdown? When they entered? From when Cass touched it? Again, why? Maybe it was a trap? People walked in and then had to survive in the crocodile infested room for a set amount of time? It was possible; it was a common enough video game dungeon feature. But it didn¡¯t feel like they¡¯d been trapped in that room strictly long enough for that to be a worthwhile trial, if that was the point. Were these more likely than Cass having jammed the door when she¡¯d run into it and unjammed it when she¡¯d tried to yank it open? It sounded like four equally unlikely theories to Cass. For now, it didn¡¯t really matter. They¡¯d gotten out and were now¡­ somewhere else? They were in another room, much like the ones they¡¯d passed earlier. On the left and right walls were a large pair of doors¡ªthe main path. On the walls in front and behind them were a handful of smaller doors, including the one they¡¯d just come out of. Cass rubbed her temples. Now that the immediate danger had passed, her Focus headache was announcing itself without mercy. She needed to rest. ¡°Suppose we¡¯re safe here?¡± Cass asked. The mage shook their head. Their shoulders were trembling. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± They were a small person, and they looked even smaller standing in the dim room, staring back and forth between the many doors. They were maybe as tall as Cass¡¯s shoulders. Probably a couple of inches shorter, actually. In their hood and robes, they could have been a young boy or a modestly proportioned woman. Cass plopped herself down along the wall, pulling some fire starting stuff from her Bag. Whatever happened next, she needed to recover some of her Focus before she dealt with it. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Cass started the fire with the flint and steel that she¡¯d gotten for these times when she didn¡¯t have the Focus to spend on magic. Beacon of Hearth and Home, the evolved version of her old Set Camp, guided her hands, making it easy. Immediately, the flames sprung up, radiating Beacon¡¯s healing warmth through the room. Cass sighed with relief and leaned back against the wall. The mage was still standing in the center of the room. ¡°Come sit down,¡± Cass called. They looked back and forth, as if Cass might be speaking to someone else. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Do you have a way back to your group?¡± Cass asked. They shook their head. ¡°Me neither,¡± Cass said. That wasn¡¯t strictly true. Once she¡¯d recovered her Focus, she could reenter the crocodile room and Wind Step up to where she¡¯d fallen. Probably. There was just the issue of the crocodiles. And the question around the door. Would she get locked in again? Was the door the only mechanism that would keep her from leaving? There was also the question of how far Alyx might have gotten and how many groups might have gotten in between them by the time Cass had recovered. More than one or two, for sure. Could Cass sneak her way past all of them back to Alyx? Or was it better to wait here for Alyx to catch up? They seemed to still be on the main path, so Alyx had to get here, eventually. Right? Unless she died in between. Cass set that thought aside. Salos was with her. Marco was with her. She¡¯d be okay. Rather, it was Cass, all but on her own, who should be worried for her life. ¡°How far do you suppose we fell?¡± Cass muttered. ¡°What floor are we on now?¡± It was supposed to get more dangerous the deeper one went. There had been lots of level 20~ish monsters on the first floor. And far too many level 25~ish monsters in the room she¡¯d just left. She hadn¡¯t actually thought to Identify more of the crocodiles, so she couldn¡¯t say if 25 had been high, low, or average. Lacking more data, she¡¯d just assume 25 was the average for this floor. Did difficulty increase by one level per floor? If so, did that put her on the sixth floor? In real buildings, a floor was something like 10 feet? So six floors would be about 60 ft? She was pretty sure she¡¯d fallen over 60 feet. Did that mean they were even lower? The eighth floor? The ninth? There were only supposed to be nine floors. Could there be more secret floors? Or floors unrelated to gaining the goddess¡¯s blessing? Could she be even lower? ¡°I think,¡± the mage said slowly, ¡°That this is probably the fifth floor.¡± Cass cracked an eye open to look at the mage, an eyebrow raised. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± The mage pointed at the side doors. ¡°There are only two on each wall. I read that, um, The number reduces with each floor. The first floor had seven doors on either side.¡± Cass didn¡¯t remember how many there had been before, but it was more to go on than her own speculation. ¡°Seemed like we fell further than that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that the books are wrong,¡± the mage said. ¡°But, um, we can¡¯t be deeper than nine. The books say that the catacombs change a lot after nine. Unless the books are very wrong, I suppose.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°No, I believe you. If the books say it¡¯s the fifth floor, you¡¯re probably right. I was just thinking there was a lot of space between these floors. Now that I think about it, the stairs between one and two were pretty long for only covering one floor.¡± Much too long. Why was there so much space between the floors? ¡°Oh!¡± the mage snapped their fingers. Their fingers were long, their nails black. ¡°I think I read that the side paths sometimes have multiple floors but that they rarely cross floor boundaries. So, that¡¯s probably it?¡± Cass nodded. That seemed possible. She certainly didn¡¯t have a better theory. ¡°I¡¯m Cass, by the way,¡± Cass said, realizing she still didn¡¯t know a single thing about the mage. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Oh! I am Pellen Ioptes (I-op-tes),¡± they said. They bit their lip. Were their teeth pointed? That mouth was very wide, now that Cass thought about it. Like almost ear to ear wide. Slowly, they lowered their hood Cass was not ready for what was underneath. Eyes. So many eyes. More than eight. More than Cass could quickly count. They were all different sizes, protruding at different angles around the otherwise squat face. A single, larger eye filled the center of the face, surrounded by more smaller ones. All of them were a deep blue, like the depths of the ocean. Below the eyes was just a wide mouth, stretching from one side of the face to the other. Their teeth were pointed, like a shark¡¯s. Above their eyes was a head of dark hair. So black it was purple, or perhaps that was just the lighting? They wore it in a braid pinned flat to the back of their head. Cass was staring. Rudely. But she couldn¡¯t stop. She knew she wasn¡¯t on Earth. She was a slyphid with magic and everything, after all. She¡¯d seen elves and dwarves and beast people. But never¡­ Agru Mage Lvl 27 [The Argu are natives of the Aegic Archipelago in the Southern Skies. They are well known for their sharp eyes and deft hands. It is said that they were created by the God of Perception in the Second Age. Little goes unseen by their eyes. As a mage, they command powerful magics, frequently of light or projectiles.] ¡­ an Agru. She hadn¡¯t seen it listed among her options when she¡¯d picked a new race. Perhaps it had been listed among the uncountably many she was initially offered and she just hadn¡¯t seen it. Cass shuddered at the thought. She was having a hard enough time with what was essentially a human body. How would she have handled transforming into a race so obviously foreign? ¡°Um, I can put my hood back up,¡± Pellen said quickly. ¡°Most people of the Peninsula have a hard time with¡ª¡° Cass shook her head frantically. ¡°No, no, no. Make yourself comfortable. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve made you uncomfortable. I just remembered something entirely unrelated.¡± Pellen frowned, but lowered their hand from the hood. ¡°O-okay.¡± Cass stared pointedly into the fire. It was awkward now. But she couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say on the subject which would make it less so. Perhaps it was better to just push along like nothing had happened. What came next? What were her options? 1. Wind Step back up the chasm and attempt to catch up to Alyx. 2. Sit tight until Alyx caught up with her. 3. Try the doors along the Main Path in order to¡­ 3a. ¡­regroup with Alyx. 3b. ¡­find the next floor down and beat everyone to the blessing. 4. Explore the side rooms looking for treasure. Cass set option 1 aside for now. She¡¯d already explored it, and she didn¡¯t like the idea of trying to fight her way through the other contestants to catch up with Alyx. The primary virtue of that option was it was unlikely there would be many monsters in between them that way. Option 2 was promising. It was what one was supposed to do if one was lost, and well, wasn¡¯t she lost? But what would she do if monsters wandered in here? This was¡ªapparently¡ªthe fifth floor. That meant monsters strong enough to thrive on the fifth floor. Could Cass handle them alone? Assuming she could, there was also the question of if it would be Alyx that got to her first. Fioreya was in the lead as far as Cass knew. Cass didn¡¯t know how Alyx¡¯s cousin would handle running into Cass here. Would she kill her on sight? Ignore her? Either seemed equally likely. Option 3 had identical problems to option 2. Either way, there would be floor five monsters and the threat of running into Fioreya. Getting back to Alyx faster would be nice (option 3a), but Cass didn¡¯t have any reason to rush down to the blessing by herself (3b). Option 4 was much the same, though running into Fioreya was replaced with the worry of missing Alyx entirely. Then again, Salos was with Alyx. He could probably sense if she was in a side room. Probably. As it was, Cass could vaguely feel him above her. He should be able to feel the same. Add his Stone Memory skill, he should have no trouble tracking her down. Cass frowned. Did that make Option 4 the best? That didn¡¯t seem right? But it would probably be a while until Alyx got this far down. Cass could cut that in half if she met up with her, but she didn¡¯t actually know which way would take her toward Alyx. If she picked the wrong direction along the main path, she could accidentally end up deeper in the Catacombs, increasing the time they spent separated. ¡°Do you have any idea which door we¡¯d want to go back up?¡± Cass asked Pellen. They seemed to know more about the Catacombs than Cass, so maybe¡ª They shook their head. ¡°No, sorry.¡± Well. Alright. That made trying to get back to Alyx a coin flip, potentially increasing the time they were separated, potentially decreasing it. That meant options 2 and 3 had the same payoff and the same risk. Option 4 had similar risk as the 2 and 3, but had the benefit of potentially finding treasure? That made it strictly better, didn¡¯t it? Cass closed her eyes and leaned up against the wall. She had a while still to think about it. She could put off the decision until her Focus had recovered. Ch. 48: Locked Doors Focus: 369/369 The time had come. Cass had to decide. No matter how she ran the risks and benefits, Option 4: ¡°Go Find Some Treasure¡± came out the best. The only questions now were: was she going on her own and which door was she going to try? The fire had burned low, little more than a single log, more charcoal at this point than wood. Pellen dozed against the wall beside Cass. They stirred as Cass stood. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m rested,¡± Cass said. ¡°And I think I¡¯m going to try exploring one of these side rooms. Do you want to come with me?¡± Cass had gone back and forth on offering to let Pellen come with her. On one hand, Cass barely knew the mage. For all Cass knew, they¡¯d stab her in the back before they¡¯d gotten anywhere. It didn¡¯t seem likely to Cass, but it was the kind of thing Salos would have told her to worry about. On the other hand, Cass could use all the help she could get surviving down here. The idea of exploring this place on her own was deeply unappealing. Pellen frowned, their brow furrowing over their primary eye. Were they running similar analysis? ¡°One of the side rooms?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Best option would be to get back to our respective groups faster. But, I don¡¯t know which way that would be. So finding treasure while we wait is the next best option.¡± Pellen¡¯s frown didn¡¯t lessen. ¡°And why can¡¯t we stay here?¡± Cass walked them through her thoughts on the matter. They nodded slowly as Cass spoke, refraining from interrupting until the end. ¡°But what if they pass us?¡± Cass had left out the part about Salos being able to find her, since that was sensitive and she hadn¡¯t wanted to explain how that worked. But without that assurance, she could understand the greater reluctance. ¡°We have a long while before they get down here,¡± Cass said finally. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit tight that long with nothing to do. You?¡± Pellen looked between the dying fire and Cass, still far from thrilled with the prospect. Finally, they nodded. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Cool,¡± Cass said. ¡°So, since I¡¯ve strong armed you into coming, why don¡¯t you pick a room?¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes widened at the suggestion. ¡°M-me?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°No pressure. Just pick one. Or I can spin my dagger and we can just go into the one it¡¯s pointing at?¡± Truthfully, Cass was hoping they¡¯d have some other factoids about the Catacombs, which might lead them to better treasure. Seemed like they didn¡¯t, but that was okay. Cass¡¯s luck was good, but always seemed accompanied by calamity. She¡¯d rather someone else give it a shot instead. ¡°That one maybe?¡± Pellen said, pointing to the door directly across the room from the two of them. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Cass said, striding across the room with confidence. She put her hands on the door and pushed. They glowed with purple sigils and didn¡¯t budge. Cass frowned at them. ¡°What?¡± Were they supposed to be locked? She glanced over her shoulder to Pellen. Pellen¡¯s eyes had widened again. They shook their head, they didn¡¯t understand either. Cass went to the next door. Again, it glowed and refused to open. Cass crossed back to the third door. Glowing sigils met her. She circled back to the door they¡¯d entered from. Again, glowing sigils and stuck doors. ¡°They¡¯re all locked?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Are they supposed to be locked?¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the side doors being locked. M-maybe they¡¯re pull doors?¡± Cass bit her lip and pulled on the handle of the nearest door. Again, the sigil glowed and, again, it didn¡¯t move. Cass shook her head. ¡°You try!¡± Nervously, Pellen approached the door. They put their hand on the handle and pulled. Nothing happened. They pushed, and it swung open with ease. The two mages stared at the open doorway. ¡°What did you do?¡± Cass asked. ¡°N-nothing!¡± ¡°Why did it open for you?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t it open for you!¡± Cass stepped back. Was it actually her then? Were all the doors locked for her? Why? Because she was from another world? Because she was a slyphid? Because she was bound to a demon? Because she ¡®belonged¡¯ to a different god? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cass said. ¡°But I think I might need you to open the doors for me.¡± ¡°Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t rather stay right here?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°Come on, the side rooms aren¡¯t any more dangerous than staying put. Who knows when something will wander down the Main Path?¡± Pellen glanced at both sets of main doors, her eyes splitting between the two of them equally while her central eye stared at the door in front of them. ¡°That makes some sense.¡± The two stepped into the side hall, the purple sconces springing to light on either side of them and the door swinging shut behind them. The hall opened into a large room filled with snakes. They were about as wide as Cass¡¯s arm and as long as she was tall. Their bodies were silver metal ribs wrapped around the same green ectoplasmic flesh. Their heads were grimacing skulls. Silversoul Snakes (lvl 18) x 12 [A security measure common to the Vaisom Catacombs middle levels. They possess the ability to stun and restrain intruders.] That was a lot of them. They were all lower level than Cass, but not that much lower. Each one curled around a pedestal lining the room, their tails hanging out onto the walkway. ¡°Should we turn around?¡± Pellen whispered. Cass pursed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any AOE attacks?¡± Pellen was a proper mage. In video games, they usually had big skills for handling large numbers of weaker enemies, like Fire Ball or Ice Storm or Earthquake or something. Pellen just looked at Cass, confused. ¡°Ay-Oh-Ee?¡± Oh, the abbreviation must not have translated from English at all. ¡°I mean, wide ranging, area attacks? Something to kill all of them at once?¡± It was Pellen¡¯s turn to purse their lips. ¡°Maybe? But would it be wise for me to use that much Focus this early? Who knows how many rooms there are after this one.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Cass frowned. Right. Resource management was important here. They could rest if they started getting tired, but time was as much a resource as anything else. If they wanted to get back to the Main Path about the time their respective groups did, they only had so much time. A lot of time, but limited. ¡°What can you do without expending too much?¡± Cass asked. She needed a better understanding of their capabilities if she was going to plan anything. ¡°I majored in spatial magic,¡± they said. ¡°But, um, it doesn¡¯t have many practical offensive capabilities. And, my particular subfield is mostly theoretical in nature. But I brought the school¡¯s primer on combat chants.¡± They held up the tome hanging from their shoulder. ¡°Combat chants?¡± Pellen nodded. ¡°They are mostly force and fire magics. But there are some physical buffs as well.¡± ¡°Was one of them what you used upstairs?¡± Pellen nodded again. ¡°That was Telli-ai¡¯s Explosion, Third Edition. I was, um, trying to destroy the platform that Lady Mirzen was standing on.¡± There face paled a shade. ¡°Do you think I succeeded?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Did you see her in the chasm?¡± Pellen asked. Cass frowned. It had been chaotic down there and dead bodies did not stand out to Atmospheric Sense any more than rubble did. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°D-do you think she survived?¡± It was a far drop from the second floor to the fifth where she and Pellen had landed, and the two of them had only survived because of Cass¡¯s magic. But Cass could understand hoping not to have killed a person. Still, Cass wasn¡¯t going to lie about this. ¡°I think it¡¯s unlikely she survived the fall.¡± Pellen sighed, their shoulders slacking. ¡°Oh, good.¡± ¡°Good?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. That hadn¡¯t been the response she¡¯d expected. ¡°If she¡¯d lived and was on this floor with us, she might be angry with me for trying to kill her. But she can¡¯t hurt us if she¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Cass said. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± They¡¯d gotten sidetracked. The snakes were still in front of them, seemingly uninterested in the pair in the doorway. ¡°Anyway, can you use that Explosion on them in there?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I think that would be a bad idea,¡± Pellen said. ¡°Telli-ai¡¯s Explosion works by causing the structure of certain kinds of stone to rapidly destabilize. The released potential is a side effect of that reaction. So, it would probably destroy the floor. I¡¯m not sure how thick the floors are here. But we might blow through it. ¡°It is also one of the more Focus expensive spells I have available.¡± ¡°Alright, what do you suggest, then?¡± Cass asked. ¡°And turning around isn¡¯t an option,¡± Pellen checked again. ¡°Do you really want to turn around?¡± They sighed. ¡°Not really. Okay. Um. I think that Lord Kohen and his swordsmen would kill them if there were this many at such a low level.¡± Cass frowned. ¡°I think it¡¯s a few too many for me to handle on my own.¡± ¡°I suppose there are three of them and only one of you.¡± That left them back where they¡¯d started. ¡°Let¡¯s see how they react to me approaching them,¡± Cass said. ¡°Stand back and be prepared to run if things go poorly.¡± Pellen nodded, flipping her tome open. Cass took a step into the room. They didn¡¯t budge from their perches. Encouraged, Cass approached the nearest snake. Its head rested atop a cube, its body coiled around the pedestal beneath it. Up close, Cass could see the box was semi-transparent. Something was inside. ¡°They¡¯re guarding things,¡± Cass called back to Pellen. ¡°Can we walk through?¡± Pellen asked. The snake¡¯s eyes flicked toward Pellen, then back to Cass. Cass stepped back to the middle of the room and tried walking deeper. One of the snake¡¯s tail hung out onto the walkway. It hissed as Cass approached, but it curled tighter around its pedestal rather than attacking. Cass made it all the way across without the snakes stopping her. ¡°Seems safe?¡± Cass called back, though it remained to be seen if they would have a problem opening the door. ¡°But if we¡¯re looking for treasure, I think they each have something.¡± Cass walked back to Pellen. ¡°I¡¯m going to try opening this one,¡± Cass said, pointing to the snake and box nearest to the entryway. ¡°O-okay,¡± Pellen said. Cass eyed the box. The snake eyed her back. Salos had said this was a storehouse, so it made sense there was security on treasure. Would the snake give it up easily if she¡¯d been the proper owner? Or if she had some sort of key or identification? She didn¡¯t, so it didn¡¯t matter. She called a Wind Blade to her staff. The snake didn¡¯t react. She raised the glaive. The snake¡¯s eyes narrowed. Its body sparked with electricity. A warning. Cass swung down. The snake lunged. Her Wind Blade caught its body, slicing a section of ectoplasmic flesh from its side. It darted around the staff, its jaws latching onto Cass¡¯s shoulder. Lightning burst through its fangs, burning down Cass¡¯s arms. Pellen shouted something behind Cass, and the snake was enveloped in a red glow. It convulsed, releasing Cass¡¯s shoulder. Cass slammed her staff into its skull. Wind Blade had failed when the snake bit her, so the blunt end of the wood crashed into the snake¡¯s head. It oozed green liquid, but rallied as whatever Pellen had done faded with the red glow. It slipped around Cass¡¯s ankle, pulling her off balance. Cass fell. It lunged for her neck. Her Dexterity caught the thing¡¯s neck instead. She held it tight in her bare hand, her staff dropped. It writhed, electricity sparking off its body. Cass called a flame to her free hand with Elemental Manipulation and pressed it into the snake¡¯s face. Its writhing turned from angry to desperate as it tried to pull away. Cass held its hissing body until the ectoplasm evaporated under her hands, leaving only the metal plates which had lined its body. She huffed and stood back up. ¡°That¡¯s one. Shall we see what it was guarding?¡± None of the other snakes had moved from their positions, thankfully. After handling that one, she was reasonably sure that she could have handled two or three at once, but not more than that. Cass and Pellen turned their attention to the box the snake had been guarding. It was a box made of a semi-translucent glass. Through it, Cass could see a gem about the size of a large marble. There was a handle on the box with a square of polished, black stone at the base. Cass pulled on the handle as Pellen spoke, ¡°Oh, darn. These are sigil-locked¡ª¡° The stone glowed purple and the door swung open. ¡°¡ªboxes. Only their owner can¡ª¡± Pellen stopped, staring at the open box and then Cass. ¡°Only the owner is supposed to be able to open these?¡± Cass frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Pellen eyed Cass. ¡°Did you do something to open them?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I just pulled on the handle.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s impossible.¡± Cass gestured to the box. ¡°Are you seeing something I don¡¯t?¡± Pellen shook their head. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just see what¡¯s inside? Maybe this one was left unlocked or something by mistake?¡± Pellen nodded. Cass inspected the object within. Crystallized Skill Experience Gem [Generalized skill experience crystallized into a consumable form applicable to any skill.] ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s crystallized skill experience!¡± Pellen stuttered. Cass nodded. That¡¯s what Identify said. ¡°Is that¡­ unusual?¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes widened and they nodded fiercely. ¡°I¡¯ve heard legends of these, but I didn¡¯t actually think they were real! Definitely not an unattuned crystal!¡± ¡°Are they usually attuned?¡± Pellen scowled. ¡°Do meteors usually hit land?¡± Cass¡¯s confusion must have still been obvious. ¡°They are too rare to comment on what they are usually like. The means of making them was lost in the last age. The surviving ones I¡¯ve heard of all only apply to a single skill or, occasionally, a small category of skills. Is that because it was hard to make truly generalized ones, because the more generalized ones were used up already, or something else entirely? No one knows.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Cass said. ¡°Then these are super valuable?¡± Pellen nodded. ¡°Think we should see if the rest of these are the same?¡± Cass gestured at the other boxes. They were. About an hour later, they had twelve crystallized skill experience gems, six a piece. Pellen stared at their handful of marbles, their eyes all hungrily watching the way the purple sconce light flickered over their dusty surfaces. Cass wasn¡¯t much different, rolling them around in her palms. They were far heavier than they looked. More real than the space around them. They begged to be used. Or perhaps it was her skills that were clamoring for them? ¡°Are you going to use yours right now?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Pellen said slowly. ¡°Supposedly, they are good for an entire level, regardless of current level or progress.¡± They licked their lips. ¡°So it might be better to wait until I bring the skill up to my current level, or at least until I level one naturally.¡± That made sense. But, on the other hand, bringing a skill up a level might reduce its resource cost, increase its potency, or decrease its cooldown a critical amount to make the difference between life and death. Then again, Cass did not know which one she should use it on. Was it better to use it on her highest level skill to maximize the gain? Or would it make sense to use it on a useful but low leveled skill? Or if she should give some to Salos. Could Salos even use them with his skills capped by his level? Cass slipped them into her Bag. This was a decision for later, after consulting Salos about it. Pellen held one up. It exploded in their fingers. A euphoric smile slipped across their lips. The expression was gone quickly, and they slipped the rest into their bag. They glanced sheepishly at Cass. ¡°I couldn''t resist using at least one.¡± Ch. 49: Reinforcements Cass and Pellen settled on either side of the side room¡¯s door, their fire set between them in front of the door, recovering their Focus and Health under the benefits of Beacon of Hearth and Home. ¡°So, why do you suppose the boxes unlock for you?¡± Pellen asked. Cass shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re sure they¡¯re locked?¡± Pellen nodded. ¡°I would have believed if one or two hadn¡¯t been, by complete chance. But for 12 in a row? That seems unlikely.¡± ¡°Maybe the whole room was unlocked?¡± Cass suggested. Pellen hummed an entirely unconvinced noise. Cass didn¡¯t really believe it either. But she didn¡¯t have any new theories. If anything, she was even more confused. The doors were locked for her, but the treasure was hers for the taking? How did that make sense? Maybe it had something to do with the fact she¡¯d been summoned to this world? Or that she was a slyphid? Otherwise, she was an ordinary person, wasn¡¯t she? She certainly had no connection to ancient catacombs or storehouses. She¡¯d only been here like a month, after all. The only other option was this was somehow Salos¡¯s fault. He was old enough and had some history with the previous owners of the catacombs, but enough that they¡¯d be locking the doors on him but leaving the treasure unlocked? It was possible, she supposed. But even if it was related to Salos, why would it affect her like this? Speaking of Salos, she could still feel Salos far above her. He was anxious about something. Was it just that he was separated from her or had they run into some trouble? She hoped things were going well for them. He could make things more complicated than he had to. The door beside her swung open. Her fire sputtered out as a chilling wind blew through the door. Cass and Pellen jumped to their feet. A tall, bipedal creature strode in between them and the door slammed shut behind it, a purple sigil glowing on the door. Soulbound Wolf Lvl 25 [The primary foot soldier of the Vaisom Catacombs. They are powerful soldiers possessing a wide variety of blade skills and a thirst for the blood of intruders. They are known to show up shortly after other defenses of the Catacombs have been injured or destroyed.] It looked more like a man in a wolf mask than an animal, though like the other creatures of the catacombs, its flesh was the glowing green ectoplasm. Its body was covered in shining metal plates, like full plate armor, though its steps into the room seemed unimpeded by the weight or bulk. Its head was that of a wolf mask, snarling like the one Cass had seen above. It drew a sword from its side, turning and slashing at Pellen before either of them had time to react. Pellen screamed, leaning away from the creature, but too late. Blood arched through the air behind the sword. Pellen fell backward, body rag dolling over the stone floor. Cass launched herself forward, fueled by a fury in her chest and guided by Staff Mastery¡¯s expertise. Strike the back of the head, it cried. Make it pay for violating her camp. The staff sunk into the thing¡¯s flesh. Its head knocked forward, its face crunching into its chest. See that? That¡¯s what intruders got! Except, the thing didn¡¯t fall down like it should have. It turned, its sword hanging at its side, blood dripping from the tip, the crimson sinister in the purple lights. Its head rose back up, its snarling mask unaffected, its eyes glistening with malice Cass had not felt since her first moments in this world. Cass was alone in a strange glowing forest again. The sky was overcast. The beast before her was five times her level, five times as powerful. Her feet were lead. Her blood was ice. The wolf before her was the Kilton Hound, back to slay her where she stood. And it would relish the chance. Her heart thumped in her chest. She was going to die. The hound ripped her to pieces in her imagination. Its jaws tore her limbs from her body. Blood dripped from its snarling maw. Her entrails trailed behind her corpse. And Pellen would be next. Accosted and unable to defend themself. A scared spell shot at its snout as it lunged. Blood exploded from their neck as jaws sank into flesh. Cass¡¯s chest burned at the thought. Hot. Angry. How dare it walk into her camp and hurt her? Hurt her guest? How dare it inflict this Fear on her? The illusion snapped. Status Condition (Tormented Dream) Broken She wasn¡¯t in the Uvana Valley. She was not level one. She wasn¡¯t so powerless as to let this beast kill her in her own camp! Wind Blade flared to life on her staff. Mana Blade wreathed it thick enough she could see its energy with her natural sight. Staff Mastery slashed her blade down across the beast¡¯s chest, leaving an oozing green gash in its silver armor. It howled and lunged for Cass. She blocked, her staff effortlessly catching its sword and throwing it back. It swung again, this time the bloody blade leaving a trail of light in its wake. Dodge pulled her right, ducking under the rising sword. But she was too close to use her staff effectively, her skills warned. Luckily, her staff wasn¡¯t her only weapon. Her right hand released her staff, curling into a claw. Elemental Manipulation summoned a ball of fire before it and she jammed it into the monster¡¯s chest. The wolf howled, swinging down again. Dodge pulled Cass back, the colors of her world inverting momentarily as the sword sliced through her momentarily immaterial shoulder. The hit to her Stamina from using the Liminal Dodge felt like her chest had been kicked in. She didn¡¯t need to breathe, but she desperately tried to catch her breath all the same, Dodging to the left as another sword strike sought to impale her. A chant echoed through the room, ending as abruptly as it began, with the wolf locking up in place, a red glow outlining its body. Cass didn¡¯t wait for Pellen¡¯s explanation. She drove her staff forward, Wind Blade spearing through the torn chest plates. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The crimson faded and the wolf howled, jerking to the side and knocking Cass¡¯s grip on her staff loose. Still impaled, the wolf lunged for the unarmed Cass. Bad! Very bad! Cass scrambled out of the way, her feet suddenly less sure with no staff in her hands. What was she supposed to do without her weapon? She needed it for both her blade skills. Elemental Manipulation wasn¡¯t much of an attack without the guidance of her staff. She ducked under another sword sweep, Dodge firing on all cylinders to make up for the lack of Staff Mastery¡¯s help. How many more could she dodge before her Stamina gave out? Stamina: 32/108 Not that many. She couldn¡¯t run that much longer. They were going to die here. Why was this happening? Where had this monster come from? Would this have happened if¡ª She cut off that line of thought. Alacrity enhanced speed of thought or not, she didn¡¯t have the time for self pity. She had enough presence of mind to realize she was panicking. She darted away from another attack and took stock of everything: Stamina: 29/108 Focus: 277/369 Health: 77/88 Equipment: - staff: impaled on enemy - dagger: in Bag - light armor: undamaged - Bag: on hip, full of useful things Potentially Relevant Skills: - Confounding Mists: potentially useful to buy her a minute to regroup? - Wind Step: could she escape with it? - Staff Mastery: required a staff to activate. Was there any method of acquiring a staff? - Stealth: if perception of her could be broken, perhaps she could escape with it? - Dodge: doing its best - Stormstride Sprint: could she run away faster than it could chase her? - Elemental Manipulation: minimal damage potential without a weapon - Wind Blade: unusable without a weapon. - Mana Blade: unusable without a blade. - Mana Sense: was there anything else she could learn about her enemy with this? - Beacon of Hearth and Home: flaring at full power for some reason? Concepts: - Wind: Empowering her Dexterity. Likely contributing to why she wasn¡¯t bleeding out from a sword strike yet. - Hearth: Able to trade Health for more Stamina, increasingly likely this would be needed. - Liminal: Who knew? Not Cass. A fraction of a second had passed, but she was going to need much more to figure this out. Confounding Mists billowed around her and she activated Stealth as she slunk deeper into them. The wolf howled again, lunging after her but find only Aether and air where it had last seen her. Pellen shouted in alarm too, still on the ground where they¡¯d fallen. Cass ignored them for a moment, stalking out of range of the Soulbound Wolf¡¯s sword. She had a few more second now. What did she do next? The easiest answer was she should run. Salos would approve. Cass had claimed some treasure but had safely removed herself from danger when things proved more than she could handle. It was cold. It was practical. It was reasonable. Except, every method of running left Pellen behind to their fate. A gruesome, bloody fate. Unacceptable, she decided, the decision echoing in her heart with all her Resolve. But that meant keeping up the fight. For the moment, the wolf was contained within her mists. Would it stay that way, or would it grow wise and step out again? Could it? Fighting it within her misty domain would give her the edge, no question. But that implied she had something to fight with. Could she pull her staff out while surround in mist? Worth a shot, she supposed. She Stealthed up to the creature, her hands clenched around the shaft of her staff and she pulled. The Wolf lunged forward with the effort, its sword leading the charge. Cass dropped her staff and Dodged out of the way, cursing under her breath. The wolf was smart enough to realize she would return for her staff and to use that action to target her despite being unable to find her on its own. That meant staff was out of the question, which meant no Staff Mastery. But her staff wasn¡¯t her only weapon, was it? She drew her dagger from her Bag. It was a curving blade, a couple of inches longer than Cass¡¯s favorite kitchen knife at home. The metal was as dark as the shadows beyond the light of the scones. Black leather wrapped the handle, ending in a pommel made of the same dark metal. Erizen¡¯s Blade [Class: Dagger (Bladed) The dagger made for Erizen, for his acceptance into the Arcanum Custodia. May he stand at his mistress¡¯s side, ever bolder. Reduced perception of blade. Minor reduced perception of wielder.] It had been Salos¡¯s reward for defeating the Epherwing back in Uvana. It was heavy and foreign in her hands. Could she use this? She didn¡¯t have a dagger mastery skill. She didn¡¯t know what it would take to gain one. She didn¡¯t know if she really wanted to gain one. Her hand tightened around the blade. Now wasn¡¯t the moment to be worried about skills. Now was for surviving. All she had to do was stab it and that would be enough. Right? She padded toward it, creeping up on its back. She called Mana Blade to her dagger¡¯s edge. A step behind the man shaped wolf, she stabbed. The blade sunk in between the shoulder blades, Mana Blade slicing through its armor like it wasn¡¯t even there. It howled. She pulled her dagger back, the wound dripping with green ooze. The wolf whirled around, somehow, some way, still alive. Still clawing at her. Her colors inverted as Dodge phased her wrist out of the way of the wolf¡¯s sword. Her body was heavy as she stumbled back, her legs made of lead. Stamina: 4/108 That would not work. She needed more. The fire in her chest leapt to life, burning with furious intent. Stamina: 19/108 Focus: 222/369 Health: 47/88 It still wasn¡¯t enough, but she couldn¡¯t burn more right now. And the fire in her chest would feed her Stamina more over time if she was just patient. If she could just be patient. If there was time to be patient. Her limbs were still heavy, but she could still move. She just needed to properly Dodge completely out of the way of the next attacks. Or kill that thing with her next attack. Why wasn¡¯t it dead? She¡¯d caved in its head, spear it through the chest, run her blade through its spine. It couldn¡¯t be indestructible. She¡¯d seen the mask of a dead one on the first floor. Unless they shed their masks like snakes shed their skin? No. Not useful. They had to be mortal; they had to be killable. The alternative was she died here attempting an impossible task. But how did she kill it? Was there a secret weak point that she needed to hit to disable it? Atmospheric Sense didn¡¯t have any clues. It recognized it was alive in the mists, but it didn¡¯t breathe like a truly living thing. Through the mist, she couldn¡¯t see it with any of her other senses. Which meant she had to keep guessing at where she should strike next or she needed to risk something. She pushed Mana Sense to the max anyway, hoping she¡¯d spot something through the mists to target. Everything was hazy through the Aether mists. The air itself, or perhaps the Aether, glowed like background radiation. It was like looking at it through a heavy veil. She could tell it was there, and that it was powerful. But Cass couldn¡¯t pinpoint any particular concentrations in its body like this. She would need to drop Confounding Mists if she wanted to check properly. And if she did that, who knew how quickly that thing would strike? But the other option was to stab blindly again and risk the counter attack. There was no safe option. Cass flared Stealth as much as she could make it work and padded around to its back again. With a resigned breath, she recalled the Confounding Mists. The wolf stiffened as the world came into clarity around it. A glow coalesced in its chest, a hand above Cass¡¯s staff. Cass Sprinted forward. Wind Blade swirled to life on her dagger, glowing with Mana Blade. Cass stabbed, throwing the Mana Wind Blade into the back of its chest. The wolf turned, its sharp senses detecting Cass through Stealth. Cass¡¯s attack went wide. Cass couldn¡¯t stop her momentum. The wolf lunged, its sword glistening as it approached. She swung her dagger through the air, her hand moving painfully slowly compared to the speed the wolf¡¯s sword approached. The Wind Blade on her dagger was not forming fast enough. Not flying away from her fast enough. Cass pivoted, pulling at Wind Step, but even that was too slow. She couldn¡¯t phase into the wind fast enough to avoid the coming impaling. Pellen¡¯s Chant echoed through the air. Cass found herself a foot to the right. The wolf¡¯s sword sailed through the empty space where Cass had been a moment before. Cass spun on the wolf. It was committed to the lunge. It couldn¡¯t get out of the way. Erizen¡¯s Blade, wreathed in wind and mana, sunk into the core of energy at the wolf¡¯s center. Like air rushing out of a balloon, the wolf¡¯s armor collapsed in front of Cass. Finally, it was dead. They had survived. Ch. 50: Ship of Theseus Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Wll + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Confounding Mists has reached level 4. Stealth has reached level 10. Dodge has reached level 15. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 16. Mana Blade has reached level 8. Mana Sense has reached level 6. Mana Sense has reached level 7. Beacon of Hearth and Home has reached level 8. Beacon of Hearth and Home has reached level 9. Beacon of Hearth and Home has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Vit + 3 End + 2 Res + 2 Frt] Cass collapsed to her knees, the exhaustion from Stamina use overwhelming her. Her core was warm, that warmth still drip feeding her strength. Put it was a drop of water on parched stone. Stamina: 18/120 Focus: 187/387 Health: 61/104 The urgency gone all Cass wanted was to lie here in muted pain. Technically, she was barely injured. But she¡¯d traded so much of her Health for Stamina and there was so little Stamina left¡­ But Pellen was actually injured. So there was no time for lying here. Cass pushed herself up, dragging herself over to Pellen¡¯s side. ¡°You okay?¡± Cass asked. Pellen nodded, wincing. There was a long gash from their right shoulder to their left hip. It cut through their robes, leaving tattered fabric and bloody flesh. It was gruesome, but not deep. ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay,¡± Cass promised. She prodded their fire back to life. Its embers hadn¡¯t quite gone out when the Wolf had burst in, and so it lit easily with a little kindling and some fresh air. Once that was in place and Beacon of Hearth and Home was running at full power, Cass retrieved the first aid kit from her Bag. She applied the poultice along the wound and wrapped her entire chest in bandages. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. Cass nodded. There wasn¡¯t anything else she could do. Just wait for wounds to heal and resources to tick back up. ¡°I think you might have saved me too,¡± Cass said. ¡°That was you, right? Moving me out of the way of that last sword attack?¡± Pellen nodded. ¡°Can I ask how you did that?¡± Cass asked. Pellen shrugged and winced at the movement. She pulled a small notebook from the folds of her robe. A dull, grey gem was set in the cover. ¡°This is my tome. I mentioned I specialize in Spatial Magic? And that most of it is theoretical? Well, at the cost of a whole lot of Focus, or even more mana, I have a sigil inscription that can move an object horizontally a couple yards. At the cost of even more Focus or a shocking amount of Potential, I can do the same with a Chant. 2 out of 3 times the entirety of the object moves the same distance.¡± Cass blinked at the mage. That sounded like, ¡°You can teleport people?¡± Pellen bobbed their head from side to side noncommittally. ¡°A couple of yards at a time with a lot of prep work. And only horizontally. In one particular direction relative to the Chanter or Inscription.¡± ¡°You teleported me?¡± Pellen nodded. ¡°It was ill-advised. I was preparing to use it myself. The chant is kind of long. If I saw you died or if that thing came after me again, I was going to try to teleport myself through the wall back to the previous room. But, when I saw you still fighting, but about to get stabbed, I figured our survival chances went up if I used it on you then instead.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Two out of three times¡­¡± Cass said, slowly chasing down the rest of what the mage had said. ¡°Oh,¡± Pellen paused. ¡°Yes. The inscription works far more often. I have yet to determine if it¡¯s a flaw in the Chant or if it¡¯s user error. Um. But 1 out of 3 times some parts of the object materialize at different distances.¡± ¡°Different distances?¡± Cass parroted. ¡°As in, my feet might have ended up a couple inches more to the right?¡± ¡°Or more. And potentially detached from your ankles. As an example.¡± ¡°Or my head?¡± ¡°I ran that possibility by a Healing magic specialist,¡± Pellen said. ¡°He suggested it would be very fatal very quickly if the head or heart was teleported with more than a few micrometers differential but that it would be near instantaneous and not at all painful.¡± Cass stared at the mage. ¡°Did you just gamble with my life?¡± The mage coughed. ¡°Um. Maybe? They were favorable odds, though?¡± ¡°For racing maybe?¡± Cass shouted. ¡°Not for betting my life on!¡± ¡°I mean, it was that or watch that thing stab you in the heart?¡± Pellen said, her head down, refusing to meet Cass¡¯s eyes. Cass sighed. She had no idea if being stabbed through the heart would kill her or not and, frankly, didn¡¯t care to find out through experimentation. Where did Health prevent fatal injuries and where did it allow for miraculous healing? How much of her body was even critical as a spirit bodied slyphid? ¡°Um, can I ask a question too?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°Sure,¡± Cass said. ¡°Are you really a slyphid?¡± ¡°Define ¡®really¡¯,¡± Cass said with a snort. ¡°But short answer, yeah.¡± Probably. If she just read what her Status Screen said. And listened to her skills. And ignored her common sense. Which was a thing that was becoming increasingly more reasonable the longer she was here. Pellen bit their lip, their eyes all watching Cass closely. ¡°Then, could you tell me about the Aether Realm?¡± ¡°The Aether Realm?¡± Cass asked. She wasn¡¯t an expert on other realms, but that sounded made up to her. ¡°Or whatever you actually call it?¡± Pellen stammered to add. Cass shrugged. ¡°I doubt I¡¯ve ever been there.¡± ¡°But you had to have,¡± she said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the home of slyphids?¡± Cass shrugged again. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡° Cass cut them off. ¡°My past is complicated. Let¡¯s just say there were no slyphids were I¡¯m from and leave it at that, please?¡± Pellen nodded. ¡°Then you are from another realm?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Cass admitted. Her many eyes shone with excitement. ¡°I have so many questions. How did you get here? Why did you come? What is the inter-realm space like?¡± Cass shook her head. Weren¡¯t those the questions? ¡°I was kidnapped. I don¡¯t know anything about the how or the why. Inter-realm space? Void-ish?¡± Pellen had produced a pen from somewhere and was furiously jotting down Cass¡¯s words in their notebook. They looked up at Cass expectantly when she stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a level up or something to look at?¡± Cass asked, shoving the conversation away from herself. Pellen frowned. ¡°No. I think I might be close to level 28, but¡­ Oh! You got a level! Oh! You¡¯re so low leveled?¡± Cass snorted. Given where she had started, it was strange to think of 21 as low, but given where they were and the average level of the participants, she could understand it. ¡°Just focus on resting,¡± Cass said. Pellen nodded and put their book back in their pocket, their mouth shutting, though a few of their eyes lingered on Cass. Cass sighed and ignored her. She had a lot to think about, least of all the Free Points from her most recent level. Those were pretty easy to apply. What she needed most right now was more Stamina to use Liminal Dodge more often and more Health to trade for more resources with the Concept of Hearth. Cass split the stats between End and Vit. End 40 -> 42 Vit 28 -> 31 (23 -> 25 without bonus 25% Vit) That came with another boost to her Stamina and Health. Stamina: 18/120 -> 24/126 Health: 61/104 -> 67/113 It wasn¡¯t a lot, but Cass already felt better. Like she wanted to sit here without moving for another hour or two, but better. Cass closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall, running over the last battle again in her mind. She¡¯d been so awkward without her staff. It was easy to just accept the changes Staff Mastery made to her movements when it was all that stood between her and certain death. No, not easy exactly, but it was easier. Easier to ignore her discomfort when she compared it to death. Easier to accept it was necessary. But if all it took was disarming her for that skill to fail¡­ If that magic competency could be robbed from her so easily¡­ Cass took a deep breath. The thoughts swirled around her, biting at the confidence she¡¯d forced around herself. Losing her staff wasn¡¯t the only oddity about that last fight. Before that, she¡¯d already been acting strange. Why had she been so determined to protect Pellen? Perhaps that in and of itself wasn¡¯t strange, but her thoughts around it were¡­ unusual? What had she been thinking? ¡®How dare it (the wolf) walk into her camp and hurt her. Hurt her guest?¡¯ That was a strange way to frame that concern. Would it have mattered less to her if it hadn¡¯t been at her camp ground? Beacon of Hearth and Home squirmed in her chest. It had been active during that last fight, even though the fire had dropped to embers. Camp and campfires were not technically a one-to-one correlation. You could have a camp without a fire, but a camp with one was just better. Was Beacon the reason she felt like this? Was her need to see Pellen recovered simply a by-product of Beacon wishing her campground guests would be safe and cared for or was it her own thoughts that wanted that because it was the common and decent thing to want? Where did the things her skills wanted start and her own will end? Was the clawing at her guts to retrieve her staff from the remains of the wolf just good sense to rearm herself in case of another attack or was it Staff Mastery begging to be enabled again? Cass¡¯s guesses picked at the edges of her mind, peeling up the corners and leaving flapping edges. If she dug too deep at this, would she find she was nothing but a collection of skills in an empty husk? Would she find the Cass of Earth had been replaced piece by piece, Ship of Theseus style, every substitution made to further her survival here, yet all the substitutions taken together leaving nothing of who or what she was? Ch. 51: Silversoul Snake Time passed slowly as their resources recovered point by point and Pellen¡¯s injuries closed up. They took turns dozing, but neither was truly comfortable enough to sleep. ¡°What now?¡± Pellen asked many hours later. ¡°Should we return to the main path?¡± Cass reached out for Salos. He was still above them. Cass shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think our allies have caught up yet.¡± Pellen frowned but didn¡¯t ask how Cass knew. ¡°Then you want to risk another room?¡± Cass nodded at the door at the far end of the hall. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see what else there is here?¡± ¡°N-not more than I want to avoid another Soulbound Wolf,¡± Pellen said. Cass nodded. That wasn¡¯t unreasonable. ¡°Did that one come because we killed the snakes?¡± Its Identify description suggested it might have. On the other hand, it was possible they just patrolled the halls at random and they¡¯d gotten unlucky. Pellen shrugged, clearly of the same opinion. ¡°But imagine if we find more skill gems,¡± Cass said. Pellen¡¯s eyes glistened hungrily. ¡°I suppose looking won¡¯t hurt.¡± The next room had a single snake about twice the size of the twelve in the previous room. It hissed at the sight of Cass and Pellen but did not immediately launch into an attack. Silversoul Snake (lvl 23) It was bigger than the ones in the previous room. Its body was as wide as her chest and three times as long as she was tall. Its underbelly was the soft green of the exoplasm, while its back was lined in silver scales and exoskeletal rib bones. Around them, the walls were lined with shelves, every shelf bursting with books. Pellen¡¯s eyes widened, glazing over the snake like it wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Do you suppose those are tomes?¡± Pellen asked quietly. ¡°They look like tomes.¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably in ancient Jothi,¡± Cass warned. Given the writing on the doors and the catacombs dated back to Salos¡¯s era, it seemed unlikely they¡¯d be anything else. Pellen¡¯s face scrunched up, consternation at war with hope. ¡°They still might have readable spell forms, if not the notes around them¡­¡± ¡°We should continue, then?¡± Cass asked. Pellen blinked, perhaps noticing the hissing snake in the center of the room for the first time. ¡°Oh. Right. Um. Yes. Like before, I¡¯ll support you from here.¡± Cass nodded. Old books didn¡¯t exactly excite her, but unlike Pellen, she had an angle on actually reading one. Maybe she¡¯d try out Chanting too. Any spells the Averenis family thought were worth locking up had to be pretty good, right? If nothing else, Pellen couldn¡¯t be the only mage hoping to get a peek at them. She didn¡¯t have an income, so any she could sell would be nice. Cass tightened her grip on her staff and stepped forward. The snake hissed more forcefully. A final warning. A Wind Blade flew from her staff, catching the snake across the face. It sliced into the soft flesh between the metal skull. The snake snapped forward, its body bristling with electricity. Cass Dodged its snapping jaws, slicing along its side as she moved. Her glaive¡¯s blade caught on the first rib of its metal plates, yanking her off balance. She spun as the snake coiled around her. The narrow tip of its tail looped around her ankle, yanking her off-balance body to the floor. She tumbled, rolling aside as the jaws came at her again. They missed her by inches. She shoved herself to her feet, spinning around to drive her glaive into the snake¡¯s eyes. The snake twisted its head, her Wind Blade striking the silver scales of its face instead. It glanced off the plates, sparking as it skidded. The sparks slithered off its body, dancing into the air and forming a snake of lightning. Cass pulled back, her staff in a high guard as the lightning snake dive-bombed her. She swatted it to the side, cutting the stream of lightning in two. The front half disintegrated into harmless light, but the back half zipped toward Pellen. Pellen stood back near the door, their tome open, chanting. Without stopping, they lifted the book and swung it at the incoming lighting, swatting it like a bug. The snake wasn¡¯t idle while its summoned spell chased Pellen. It snapped at Cass again, its tail slipping behind her ankles. Cass Dodged forward to avoid tripping, leaning in with her glaive, Staff Mastery stabbing at the snake¡¯s underbelly. It hissed in pain, sweeping its head through Cass. It took her full in the chest, knocking her across the room to her knees. It didn¡¯t wait for Cass to get up again, racing after her far faster than a thing with no legs should move. The jaws snapped. Dodge pulled her away at the last second. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Lightning burst from the snake¡¯s body as she scrambled away, slamming into her back. Her scream froze in her throat as her muscles seized. The snake snapped after Cass, jaws open. She needed to get out of the way. She couldn¡¯t feel her legs. Pellen shouted the end of her Chant. A wall of force appeared between Cass and the snake. It rammed headfirst into the barrier. It shook itself, turning its glare on Pellen. Pellen flinched back. Cass needed to get up. Her foot twitched. Pellen started chanting again. The snake swirled around the barrier, its body sliding past Cass as it approached the argu. Damn it all. There wasn¡¯t time to be stunned. She needed her body to move. To help Pellen. Pellen¡¯s eyes flicked between Cass and the snake, their lips speeding through the syllables of the Chant, the snake sliding closer with every passing second, Cass entirely unable to move. There had to be something she could do. Some skill she could push beyond its ordinary scope. Some trick she hadn¡¯t tried yet. She couldn¡¯t move. But maybe she didn¡¯t need to? Elemental Manipulation had no vocal or gestural component. It was just her and her Will. Couldn¡¯t she do something with it? But what? She¡¯d done most of her Manipulation around her hands or staff. What about when she¡¯d run from Levina? The stone spikes she¡¯d pulled up had originated beneath her feet. And she¡¯d continued pulling on them even after she¡¯d moved away from them. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. So starting the skill around her hands was far from a hard constraint. Could she do it under the snake? Was that close enough? She reached with her Will for the stone beside her. She¡¯d made spears so many times now. The only difference was it wasn¡¯t under her hand. She could do this. What was the point in extended range if not for this? She didn¡¯t get the usual message, but she could feel her Will grasping a section of stone. She yanked it upward, into the snake¡¯s underbelly. It hissed, writhing off the spike, leaving a trail of glowing green ichor. But it didn¡¯t turn away from Pellen. Pellen kept Chanting. An energy was building around her that Cass could feel without even looking at her. That the snake could no doubt feel. Another wave of lightning erupted from its body, expanding through the room. But Cass was ready for it this time. She grabbed it. It resisted her grip. It hated being held. It wanted to run. To fly. She understood. She understood in a way that she could not quantify. She held it anyway. Not all of it. There was so much of it, bursting in every direction off the snake¡¯s body, there was no way she could hold all of it. Not the slice that was rushing toward her. She was already paralyzed. A little more would only hurt. She¡¯d survive. No, she reached as far as her Will would let her and snatched the section racing for Pellen. Several of her eyes were screwed shut, braced for the lightning coming. But her main eye kept to the tome, her mouth continued the Chant in rapid but precise order. Cass pulled the lightning wide, like splitting a veil. It fell to either side of the Chanting mage. Pellen didn¡¯t have the luxury of sighing in relief, but a few of her eyes popped open again as the lightning turned away from her, her Chant uninterrupted on her lips. They could not relax entirely, however. The snake continued its charge, unphased that its lighting had been redirected. Nothing had changed. Cass had only bought Pellen a couple of seconds before the snake swallowed her whole. Stabbing it with stone spears had barely slowed it. Cass could barely redirect its lightning. She couldn¡¯t move. There had to be more¡ª Pellen¡¯s book snapped closed, all her uncountable eyes snapping on the snake as they Chanted a critical word of their spell. The energy in the air twisted. It rushed in from around them, funneled through Pellen, and blasted out at the snake. It coiled around the beast¡¯s coiling body, manifesting as binding ribbons of white light. The snake hissed and thrashed, but the ribbons pulled tighter. It threw off another wave of lighting, but the energy was caught along the ribbons, and they glowed all the brighter for it. They kept squeezing, tighter and tighter and tighter. Pellen was still Chanting, but it was the same arcane phrase over and over again. With every iteration, the bonds squeezed tighter, accompanied by a pulse of energy. Of Focus. They dug into its flesh. Green ichor dripped from around the bands. The snake¡¯s head thrashed. Its tail flailed. It couldn¡¯t move more than that. And the binding tightened again. And again. Until flesh popped. The bonds cut the ectoplasmic flesh through to the metal scales. Green ichor flooded out and the body slumped in bindings, suddenly loose. Pellen fell silent, their body slumping as the tension and urgency faded. Cass struggled to her feet, jerky and unsteady, leaning heavily on her staff. Dodge has increased to level 16. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 17. Wind Blade has increased to level 13. ¡°We did it,¡± Pellen said, her voice rough from the prolonged chant. ¡°I did it.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°How did you redirect the lightning?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°Skill,¡± Cass said with a shrug. ¡°What was that last spell?¡± ¡°Everholding Bands, fourth edition,¡± they hesitated before adding, ¡°Modified.¡± ¡°Modified?¡± Pellen looked away. ¡°It¡¯s just supposed to hold a target in place. But we needed more than that. I realized as I was preparing it that if I tripled the core section and then reversed the order of the last two instructions, I could repeat the commands for ¡®tighten¡¯ instead of ¡®hold¡¯. Um, it was much less Focus efficient than I expected though. And I think if it were any more powerful than me, it would have broken out immediately.¡± ¡°Is that how real mages cast magic?¡± Cass asked. Pellen shook her head. ¡°Um, no. Not really. It¡¯s really dangerous to rewrite spell forms on the fly. If you hadn¡¯t gotten knocked down, I would never have tried that.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you did,¡± Cass said. ¡°Come on. We shouldn¡¯t linger any longer than we have to.¡± They glanced back at the door behind them, remembering the wolf they¡¯d fought in the previous room. ¡°But we can search the shelves a bit first, right?¡± Pellen asked. Cass nodded. ¡°That was the whole point.¡± Pellen immediately ran to the nearest shelf, her hands running along the spines of the books. Every couple of tomes she pulled one from the wall, creating a stack on the floor beside her. Cass returned to the previous room, scooping up the salvageable wood pieces from their old fire and starting another camp in the center of the snake¡¯s library. They would not be here for long, but any Focus Pellen could recover before they moved on would be worth it. Only then did Cass join Pellen at the shelves. Again, Cass wished Salos was here. He wasn¡¯t a mage, but he could probably read the spines, right? Cass¡¯s crash course in the city library wasn¡¯t cutting it. Pellen hummed to herself from her side of the room, her pile growing. How was Pellen deciding on which books were interesting? She shouldn¡¯t be able to read Ancient Jothi either. Cass could ask, but she didn¡¯t want to distract the mage when she was enjoying herself and their time was limited. But there had to be some process to it. Cass watched her for another minute. Pellen¡¯s eyes flickered up and down the shelf, each moving independently of the others. Her hand traced the spines of the shelf at her chest level, but she pulled books from shelves above and below just as often. Was it something she could see? It probably wasn¡¯t the words themselves. Then maybe¡­ Cass activated Mana Sense. The room burst into brilliant color. The books were glowing. The shelves were glowing. The ceiling and floors were glowing. Cass took a deep breath. That was a lot of magic. Was the entire building like this? She stepped into the previous room. It had far fewer magic sources. Just the doors and the boxes that had held treasure. Interesting. Then the library here was special? Cass queried Trap Detection, wondering if there was some other secret trap waiting to be sprung. It declared there was nothing to be worried about with all the confidence of a level 2 skill. That said, Cass was inclined to agree with its assessment. If it was a trap, wouldn¡¯t they have already triggered it by now? They¡¯d killed the guard (admittedly, that was a kind of trap, summoning more monsters to reinforce the slain) and tromped around the room, touching all the books and pulling them from their shelves. If there was a trap, at least one of those things would have been the trigger. But if not a trap, what were all the lights? That the tomes were sources of magic made a kind of sense. That had been Cass¡¯s suspicion when she¡¯d activated the skill after all. The books glowed in widely varying strengths and with a dizzying variety of colors. Pellen¡¯s pile was all shades of deep purple or blue, like the color of the dark horizon at dusk. There seemed to be no real pattern in the strength of their glow. Did the color have to do with the kind of magic then? That seemed likely. Pellen was a scholar, after all, with a highly specific field of interest from the sound of it. Taken together, Cass guessed that the particular purple color had to do with the spatial magics Pellen was interested in. But that did not answer what the magic on the shelves, floor, and ceiling did. Cass glared at them for another minute. They had a minty color, bright in a way that had nothing to do with light intensity and entirely to do with color shade. But no amount of glaring at the shelves would answer her question. Would she know if her skill was Mana Identification instead of Sense? Would she know if Mana Sense was at a higher level? Perhaps Pellen knew, and she could ask later. Regardless, Cass started pulling the brightest glowing books from the shelves. She could not read any of their titles, as they were all written in that same script she¡¯d seen inscribed on the catacomb¡¯s entrance. But Salos could translate them for her later. Maybe she¡¯d end up a cool wizard like Pellen when this was all done. Would that mean she could finally stand on the back line instead of darting around enemy attacks like a madman? She probably should stop getting separated from Alyx if she wanted that. Pellen stood in the center of the room, her eyes darting in every direction. She nodded to herself and packed as many as would fit into her bag. And then a few more into pockets in her robes Cass hadn¡¯t noticed and still couldn¡¯t find visually from the outside. And then another into yet another pocket in their pants. Somehow, they got all but two into a container on their person. They looked longingly at them. ¡°Give it here,¡± Cass said, gesturing for them. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t!¡± Pellen said even as she held the two books out to Cass with endless hope in her countless eyes. ¡°And where would you even put them?¡± Cass shrugged and slipped them into her Bag. Pellen¡¯s brow furrowed, but she didn¡¯t say anything about it either, instead bombarding Cass with countless thank yous. ¡°Do we keep going from here or double back now?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°Do you have room for more books, do you think?¡± Cass suppressed a chuckle. Salos was still above them, nearer now, but still a way off. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s ahead and go from there.¡± Pellen nodded, a hungry greed glinting in her eyes. She pushed the next door open and she and Cass entered. Ch. 52: Hide and Seek The next room was filled with snakes. They coated the floor in a writhing mat. Silversoul Snake (lvl 15) x 57 Silversoul Snake (lvl 16) x 33 Silversoul Snake (lvl 17) x 9 Silversoul Snake (lvl 18) x 4 Entirely too many. Identify has increased to level 11. Even Identify agreed. Pellen shook her head. ¡°Maybe if I still had a big spell ready? But I don¡¯t have much Focus left.¡± Was that it, then? This was as far as they went? They had found some good loot. The books could very well be priceless. And those skill gems were highly promising. Now, the smart thing to do was to backtrack to the main path and wait for Alyx to catch up. And hope that Fioreya¡¯s group had either already passed, been overtaken by Alyx, or would leave her and Pellen alone if they bumped into her. None of the above seemed likely to Cass. Cass shook her head. That was a problem for later, whether or not they pushed forward a little more. They could wait and see if Pellen recovered enough Focus for one of her area of effect spells. But they had just killed that other snake and the possibility of another Soulbound Wolf coming to investigate only increased the longer they loitered. Could they push forward without risking too much? The snakes slithered over each other, filling the room. But there were gaps in their formation. Not large gaps, but she had considerable Dexterity. There was more than enough room for her feet. Could she Stealth through the monsters? Could she bring Pellen with her? The argu mage wasn¡¯t the most dexterous person, but even the most clumsy person in this world was comparable to a trained athlete of Earth because of their stats. So, maybe she could avoid stepping on the snakes. What about hiding her from their perception? Cass wasn¡¯t sure her Stealth would be enough. Did the mage would have a stealth skill better than her own? No, no, no. This was silly. They should turn around and¡ª A door swung open. Cass spun. They hadn¡¯t been closing the doors in case she needed to get through them quickly and Pellen was unable to open them. None except the door separating the main path from this side branch. Soulbound Wolf (Lvl 27) A Wolf stepped through, a sword hanging from either hip. Its snarling mask glinted in the dark. Another one, already? They¡¯d taken their time searching the books, but not that much time. Cass had thought they¡¯d have at least another hour. Pretty safely another two! Why now? Why already? Was it reinforcing the first wolf they¡¯d killed? No. That couldn¡¯t¡­ But the timing worked out better that way. It didn¡¯t matter. It was walking toward them, its gait slow and methodical. Inevitable. They had nowhere to go, and it knew that. ¡°Can you do that teleportation trick again?¡± Cass asked Pellen. ¡°No. I used up the mana I set aside for it and I don¡¯t have remotely enough Focus to do it without external reserves supplementing the spell.¡± ¡°What do you have left?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Maybe one more Hold?¡± Pellen said, though their voice shook at the suggestion. Cass looked over her reserves. Stamina: 103/126 Focus: 286/387 Health: 68/113 All together, not bad. More than she¡¯d had for the first fight. But she¡¯d had Pellen¡¯s support then. And the wolf had been two levels lower. And wasn¡¯t level 27 special? Alyx and Salos had called it the Gate. It was like the First Step. It represented a dramatic increase in stats. Did that apply to monsters, too? Could she handle a monster six levels greater than her own? Did she have another option? Her eyes flicked around the room. The wolf was behind. The snakes were ahead. A rock and a hard place if Cass had ever seen one. Maybe she could kill the wolf. And maybe they¡¯d recover enough after to handle the wolf undoubtedly summoned to investigate the snake¡¯s death. And maybe then they¡¯d recover enough after that to handle the wolf summoned to investigate this wolf¡¯s death. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. And eventually, Alyx had to show up, right? Was that the only option? Another idea flickered through her head. She eyed the small mage at her side. Could she do it? ¡°How heavy are you?¡± Cass asked. ¡°What?¡± Pellen asked. Cass shoved her staff into the mage¡¯s hands. ¡°Hold this.¡± And scooped the smaller woman up in a princess carry. She was an entire person¡¯s worth of weight. Earth Cass could never have managed it. Level 21, slyphid-Cass had no problem. ¡°Whah!¡± Pellen shouted in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Keep quiet,¡± Cass said and activated Stealth. She could feel the skill protesting. It was meant to hide her. Hide her from things that didn¡¯t already see her. It didn¡¯t know what to do about a struggling passenger or the wolf staring directly at them. But Cass didn¡¯t care. It had no problem hiding her clothing or her Bag so it could suck it up and reduce the presence of Pellen too, that was only reasonable. And whether the wolf saw her or not was irrelevant. All that mattered was the snakes, and they hadn¡¯t been paying her any mind a minute ago. Cass stepped forward into the mess of snakes. Her foot settled in a gap between their bodies. She could feel the buzzing in the air created by the electricity running down their spines. If they brushed into her, it would hurt. It might paralyze her again. She¡¯d probably drop Pellen. They would both probably die. Cass took another step, moving as fast as she could find a path. Slow was dangerous; stay in one place too long, the snakes might shift and brush up against her. Fast was dangerous; too quick and she might sloppily brush against one as she moved. Behind her, she could feel the wolf still approaching. Its steps increased in speed with every second. She could feel its eyes burning at the back of her head. The gaze pulled at her, threatening to throw her back to that first moment in Uvana Valley again. Threatening to make her a sniveling level one afraid of everything, knowing nothing. She refused. She wouldn¡¯t let it intimidate her again. Still, its very real danger approached ever faster. Pellen shook in Cass¡¯s arms. Perhaps also affected by the wolf¡¯s skill. Perhaps justifiably terrified to be adrift amid dangerous enemies with no autonomy over the situation. Stealth was still loudly protesting the abuse of its abilities. This was not how it was supposed to work. One was not supposed to be able to bargain with a skill. Cass queried what would make it happier. Cover! Not carrying an entire additional person! Maybe some shadows to slink through? And wait! She still wasn¡¯t supposed to¡ª Cass activated Confounding Mists, wrapping it around her and Pellen before spreading it slowly through the room. Was that cover enough? She could feel Stealth sputtering, but yes, it was much happier to advise in this situation. Focus: 162/387 Behind, the wolf howled, breaking into a sprint. It hadn¡¯t liked that Cass had just disappeared from its sight. It ran straight into the snakes. They writhed around it, trying and failing to get out of the wolf¡¯s way. They ran into each other and tied themselves up in knots. The wolf ran straight, apparently unconcerned by its inability to see, more concerned with its inability to see her. It wouldn¡¯t need to do anything else. Cass was still directly in front of it. She was moving fast, but not faster than the wolf running full tilt. So redirect it, Confounding Mists suggested. Immediately, Cass understood what the skill meant. With a concentration of Will, she could shift the space within the mist. Not a lot. But a few degrees at a time. Focus: 112/387 The effort gobbled through her Focus. But she¡¯d turned the wolf entirely around. It barreled out of the fog only to find itself standing where it had started at the entrance of the room. It howled and charged back into the fog. She spun it around again, slower this time. She was almost entirely across by the time it exited the fog again. Focus: 74/387 There was just one problem. She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do next. She¡¯d started this expecting¡ªhoping¡ªthe wolf could not cross the mat of snakes. But clearly, it had no problem with that. It easily stepped back into the mist, the snakes hurrying to get out of its way yet again. Which meant escaping this way was perhaps ill-advised. But what now? She had, at most, two more goes at turning it around, but Cass felt like no matter how many times they did this dance, the wolf would not give up. Did she need to turn it around? She just needed it to not touch her. What would happen if it made it across and didn¡¯t find her? It couldn¡¯t hurt to try. Cass let it go straight across this time. Its repeated loops had put it off her direct trail, so it ran past her with a good yard between them. It reached the far side and flinched. Perhaps even it expected to see the entrance again at this point. Its head whipped back and forth. Searching for her? It stomped forward to the far door. It put a hand on the handle. The door glowed purple but did not open. It tried again. It glowed again. It roared, its head whipping around the room. But Cass was still safely wrapped in the aether mists. It stomped back into the mist, howling. It rushed around at random, its swords drawn and swinging wildly. Most of its strikes hit nothing. A few clipped snakes as they tried to get out of its way. It howled as it stepped out of the mists again on the side it had entered from. It still had not found them. It gave the room one more frustrated look before stomping back to the entrance and walking out of the side passage. Meanwhile, Cass stepped out of the mists past the snakes and set the still-shaking Pellen down. Confounding Mists has increased to level 5. Stealth has increased to level 11. ¡°Is it gone?¡± Pellen asked, her voice a shaking whisper. Cass nodded. ¡°For now, at least.¡± Pellen eyed the wall of mist still hanging over the middle of the room. ¡°Is that your skill, too?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Has anyone told you it¡¯s awful in there?¡± Cass nodded sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s like up and down and left and right are reversed,¡± Pellen said. ¡°Like the world stopped existing and there is only aether forever in every direction.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Cass said. Seemed like it was going to be a skill for solo use only. Pellen shook her head. ¡°It seems like it worked?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°For now. I think we can expect another wolf in an hour or two, assuming that one doesn¡¯t come back in the meantime.¡± ¡°Why? Oh. Do wolves investigate the death of wolves?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°The timing matches up better if they do.¡± Pellen sighed. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°Poke our head in the next room and see if there is any unguarded treasure?¡± Cass suggested. ¡°What are the chances of that?¡± Pellen whined. Cass shrugged again and tried the door. Like previous doors, Cass had tried¡ªand just as it had responded to the wolf¡ªthe door glowed purple and refused to budge. ¡°Your turn.¡± Pellen pulled it open easily. This wasn¡¯t in and of itself surprising at this point, but Cass had questions. Why did the doors react to her more like she was a monster guarding the place than an intruder looking to loot it? Questions for later. Ch. 53: Pellen A chest sat in the center of the next room. Sigils glowed around it in a wide circle to Cass¡¯s ordinary vision and her Mana Sense. Trap Detection and Atmospheric Sense both had words to share as well. Trap Detection informed her stepping over that ring was likely highly ill-advised while Atmospheric Sense reported that there was no airflow over the sigils, that it could just as easily have been a solid wall there. Pellen¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the chest. ¡°A trove?¡± ¡°A what?¡± Cass asked. ¡°A trove!¡± She gestured at the chest in front of them. ¡°Anything could be in there. The gods left it as a reward for a trial.¡± Had the orbs she¡¯d gotten from the heralds in Uvana been troves then? ¡°Are they always chests?¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°No. I think it¡¯s the most common option, but I¡¯ve heard the Livianth Trial uses books.¡± She had a positively starving look in her eyes at the thought. She shook her head, ¡°Not that the manifested rewards are usually books, but still¡­¡± They approached the circle slowly. There wasn¡¯t anything else in the room. ¡°Do you think we can just step over this?¡± Cass asked, pointing at the circle. It still seemed more like an invisible wall than a trap. Pellen shrugged. Trap Detection suggested throwing something over the circle first. Cass took a stick from her bag, one of the many she¡¯d gotten for starting fires, and tossed it over the circle. It arched through the air, unobstructed. The stick landed beside the treasure chest without issue. Cass and Pellen exchanged glances. Maybe it was safe? Cass poked at the space with her staff. There was no resistance. The mana in the circle didn¡¯t fluctuate. Nothing exploded. ¡°Well, either it¡¯s not a trap, or it isn¡¯t set off by inanimate objects,¡± Cass said. Pellen blanched. ¡°Are you suggesting we need to test it next?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Stand back?¡± Pellen nodded and scooted all the way back to the door. Cass inhaled. Maybe this was nothing. Maybe the glowing circle was aesthetic and wouldn¡¯t explode when she stepped over it. Maybe it wasn¡¯t an impenetrable trap, designed to lock a would-be thief in place until one of the catacomb¡¯s guards could collect her. Maybe Trap Detection was wrong and there was nothing here. Cass exhaled as she took that step forward. There was no resistance, but she could feel the air as she crossed the boundary. It was like she¡¯d stepped from water to oil. The two layers didn¡¯t mix, and there was something different about the air inside. What exactly it was, Cass couldn¡¯t pinpoint. Atmospheric Sense acknowledged it was different, but was more concerned with the lack of movement over the barrier than the nature of either side. As best as Cass could explain it, it was like the air outside was blue while the air inside was cyan. But that made as much sense as saying one texture smelled like garlic and another sounded like crinkled paper. She glanced back at Pellen by the door. Pellen¡¯s mouth was open. She was saying something, but Cass couldn¡¯t hear her. The sound was no more able to transfer across the boundary than the air was. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked anyway, more to check if the silence went both ways or not. She could hear herself, but Pellen¡¯s head cocked to one side, indicating she probably hadn¡¯t. Cass took a step back, crossing the boundary again. Again, nothing stopped her. ¡°Looks like sound doesn¡¯t cross the circle.¡± ¡°Oh, interesting, a Silence Field,¡± Pellen said, scurrying forward to inspect the sigils. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s intended to keep those inside from performing Chants?¡± ¡°I could hear myself inside it.¡± ¡°Then not a Field? Just a wall?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like an impressive trap.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think so either.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s safe, then?¡± Pellen stared longingly at the chest. Trap Detection still whispered that it wasn¡¯t safe, but it had also run out of things to check. ¡°I guess?¡± Pellen stood beside Cass, the eyes on the right side of her face anxiously glancing her way, even while her central eye stared at the treasure. ¡°Together?¡± Cass asked. Pellen nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°On three then?¡± Another nod. ¡°One.¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Three.¡± They stepped over the threshold. Again, nothing happened. Pellen¡¯s eyes looked around wildly, but she relaxed as it became clear nothing had happened. ¡°Nothing happened?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°It sure seems that way.¡± ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t a trap, then?¡± Pellen suggested. Cass shrugged again. Trap Detection still thought it made the most sense if it was. She ignored it and pointed at the chest in the center. ¡°Shall we?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Pellen nodded. Together they approached the chest and put their hands on the lid¡¯s lip. The circle glowed brighter and a screen appeared before Cass. Begin Game (King of the Hill)? [Keep at least one team member inside the ¡®Throne Room¡¯ (demarcated zone) for ten minutes or until all challengers have been defeated. Reward: 1/3rd Experience of Slaying the highest threat Survived during game. Appropriate Treasure manifested from Averenis Deep Stores.] Pellen frowned, presumably looking at the same screen superimposed on her vision. ¡°What do you think?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Think we can do it?¡± ¡°Ten minutes is a long time,¡± Pellen muttered. Cass could only agree. ¡°Should we just go back?¡± They didn¡¯t know where the Wolf had gone or if another would join him soon. Perhaps it would be better to get out while they could. Or perhaps it was better to lie low until they were sure it was gone. Perhaps they should rest and prepare for the next time they ran into it. ¡°But this is a God¡¯s Game,¡± Pellen said. Cass was surprised by the hesitation in her voice. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to be fair,¡± Pellen continued. It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than Cass. ¡°The difficulty is supposed to be tailored to the challenger and the reward to the difficulty. Isn¡¯t this my chance? My break? If not now, then when? If not this, then what? Why am I here if not for this?¡± Her questions hung in the air unanswered. ¡°How about we take a break, recover some of our Focus, and then evaluate again?¡± Cass asked. Pellen nodded, but her eyes were absent as she followed Cass away from the chest and the center of the room. Nothing stopped them as they stepped out of the ring. Nothing happened as Cass set up another fire in the corner to the right of the door. All was quiet as their campfire sprang to life and empowered Beacon of Hearth and Home. Above her, she could feel Salos, closer than ever. Could she reach out to him? She pushed out with her Will, stretching to reengage their bond. He hovered at the edge of her consciousness. No thoughts crossed over, but she could feel his acknowledgment of her presence. And the comfort of knowing she was alive. They¡¯d be reunited soon. ¡°Um,¡± Pellen broke the silence. ¡°Can I ask why you are challenging the Catacombs? Or would that be too much?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just here to support my friend.¡± Friends, plural, actually. This was for Alyx and Salos. Funny, given they¡¯d gotten separated. But it was for Alyx¡¯s future and Salos¡¯s past. Perhaps there was also a treasure to help her survive this world in it for her. Perhaps it was a fear of being left behind pushing her onward. But that was much too much to share with a stranger. ¡°What about you?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No offense, but you don¡¯t exactly look like the type who does this kind of thing.¡± ¡°Greed, I suppose?¡± She sighed and buried her face in her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight for sure. But I thought this might be my chance.¡± ¡°Chance for what?¡± ¡°To be more than an assistant?¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have figured it out by now, but I¡¯m not exactly a combat mage. I don¡¯t even have my degree yet either. I¡¯m just an assistant. I¡¯ve been stuck at my current rank for years. I thought I might get the Concept I needed here. It¡¯s too expensive to buy a gem off the open market.¡± Cass frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t follow. What do Concepts have to do with your academic rank?¡± Pellen frowned back. ¡°I¡¯m a student. I don¡¯t have the Arcane Concept, so I can¡¯t progress to professor. I can barely call myself a mage.¡± ¡°Mages have to have a particular Concept?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Sure,¡± Pellen said with a nod. ¡°How else can they have enough Focus to do the work they need to? Arcane applied to Resolve is the single biggest Focus modifier known to modern Conceptist. There are hosts of other benefits too. Applied to research skills, it almost always provides expanded insights. Applied to Chant, Gesture, or Inscription, it increases speed, accuracy, or fidelity, sometimes all three. There is no end to the benefits. No one hires a mage without an Arcane Concept.¡± ¡°I was under the impression,¡± Cass said slowly, ¡°that Concepts were highly individual? That it was unusual for two people to have identical Concepts even when they went by the same name?¡± Pellen¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°How would anyone choose their Concepts if you didn¡¯t know what they did?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± Cass said. But Concepts hadn¡¯t been presented to Cass as something chosen. They were something that happened to you. Wind and Hearth had both just shown up. Liminal she¡¯d chosen, she supposed. But that had been from a short list. She hadn¡¯t exactly been given a chance to research and debate the merits of each one. She wished Salos was here to comment. But she had a feeling he would be having a conniption fit over what Pellen had just said. ¡°So you need Arcane as a Concept to progress,¡± Cass said, bringing the conversation back into focus. Pellen nodded. ¡°And you can¡¯t afford to buy a gem, for it, you said,¡± Cass repeated. Pellen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the usual way of getting the Concept you want. You buy gems known to manifest that Concept until you get it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m in Vaisom, actually. Gems that drop Arcane are more common in this area. Or, more common than back home, anyway. ¡°The academy offers a stipend for getting gems for this purpose, but um, I¡¯ve used up mine already.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Every gem has several Concepts as options. I tried five or six gems and none of them gave me Arcane. I¡¯ve failed to get it so many times, my cohort is starting to think I¡¯m not suitable to be a mage.¡± She looked down, her cheeks flushed. ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder if they are right. If I¡¯m incompatible with the Arcane Concept.¡± She stared at the fire, all her eyes avoiding Cass. ¡°The responsible thing to do would be to get myself tested,¡± she continued. ¡°The church would do it for a fee. And then I¡¯d know. But, if I did that, and I wasn¡¯t, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do. But, if I keep going as I have been, and it turns out I am incompatible, I¡¯ve just been wasting time and taking up a spot another student could better use.¡± Pellen froze. Her head shot up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You don¡¯t care about any of this. This is all my problem.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°No, I asked. Thank you for sharing. I¡¯m still not sure I understand what that has to do with coming in here, though?¡± ¡°Oh! Well. You see. I need another gem. Another Concept Gem. Ideally a very pure gem. Most ideally, a Ritual Concept Gem. Which, supposedly, on the seventh floor, is a potential core of the Obsidian Golem. Lord Kohen agreed to help me find and fight one as part of our contract.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Cass said. To summarize, Pellen was here for treasure. Treasure to make the future she dreamed of possible. ¡°But any Gem would be good,¡± Pellen added hastily. ¡°I can always trade it for the one I need back in the city. Or sell it if I can¡¯t find a direct trade and buy the one I want.¡± ¡°And if you don¡¯t get Arcane again?¡± Cass asked. Pellen¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I¡¯ll think about giving up, I suppose.¡± The fire crackled between them, the wood shifting as it burned. Cass shook her head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right. You seem to be getting on just fine without that Concept. I don¡¯t understand why you can¡¯t be a mage without it.¡± ¡°What school would accept me as a professor without it?¡± Pellen sighed. ¡°No. I need it. Thank you for your confidence. But it really isn¡¯t optional.¡± Cass crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I¡¯m a mage. I don¡¯t have it.¡± Pellen cocked her head to one side. ¡°Are you?¡± It was Cass¡¯s turn to scowl. ¡°Did you not see the Wind Blades? Me starting the fire with magic? Controlling the air to slow our fall?¡± Pellen shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re a sorcerer. Not a degreed mage. That¡¯s completely different.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Well, you¡¯re,¡± Pellen gestured at Cass instead of finishing their sentence. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what you are. You act like a mercenary after treasure, but you¡¯re loyal to your lord. You look like a merchant¡¯s daughter, but you don¡¯t seem to have any knowledge of the market or society someone like that should have. You do magic but you also fight with your staff, so you¡¯re a spellsword, I suppose?¡± Pellen shook her head, staring at her hands. ¡°But, I¡¯m just me. I¡¯m just a poor scholar who desperately wants access to an Academy¡¯s libraries so I can keep researching spatial magic.¡± Ch. 54: Trove Trial Time passed slowly, their Focus ticking up point by point. Cass? Salos¡¯s voice flickered at the edge of Cass¡¯s awareness. Salos? Cass called back. Oh, you are still alive. Good. Couldn¡¯t you feel me? Cass asked. Cass got a distinctly disgruntled pulse from him. For all we know, we can sense one another¡¯s dead bodies, too. I suppose, Cass said. She thought that was unlikely. She was pretty sure if something happened to him she¡¯d know, and if something happened to her, something catastrophic would happen to him. How are Alyx and Marco? Hmp, he snorted. Not going to check how I am first? I can tell you¡¯re just fine, she said. Are the other two okay? They¡¯re fine. They¡¯re fine. Honestly, no concern over me in the slightest. Cass snorted. What floor are you on? The fourth. You are just above us then. ¡°Us¡±? Salos asked. Who is ¡°us¡±? Ah, I met someone down here. Cass said. On my way down, I guess. Noooooo, Salos groaned. You did not befriend the thing that latched onto you? Maybe¡­ Cass said. He groaned again. Hey, I¡¯m only alive because of her. He groaned louder. Please sit still until we get to you? Please? ¡°I think I¡¯m about ready to try this next trial,¡± Pellen said, unknowingly interrupting Cass¡¯s conversation. Cass checked her stores. Stamina: 126/126 Focus: 263/387 Health: 68/113 ¡°Already?¡± Cass asked. Pellen nodded. She must have a lot less Focus than Cass if it was already full again. Then again, she hadn¡¯t had to expend any in the last encounter. That had been all Cass. Cass? Salos called. Cass? I¡¯m still here, Cass assured him. I¡¯ll finish up this last thing and then we¡¯ll sit still as we can waiting for you. Promise. After? Last thing? What thing? Cass? ¡°Alright,¡± Cass said, standing up with a stretch. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready.¡± Waiting a little longer would have been better, but they didn¡¯t have infinite time. They only had until their groups caught up with them or the Wolves found them, whichever came first. If Pellen was ready and Cass was mostly ready, that would have to be enough. Cass left their fire burning, and they stepped back into the central circle. ¡°Are we ready?¡± Cass asked. Was there anything else they could prepare to improve their chances? She did not know what enemies the trial would throw at them or even where they would come from. Would they come through the door? Spawn spontaneously around the room? Phase through solid stone? What defenses would be a valuable investment of her Focus and what would be hazards to her maneuverability? Given that gophers seemed to phase through solid stone, Cass didn¡¯t think setting up stone barriers would help. Pellen paused. ¡°Wait. I have an idea.¡± She rummaged around in her pockets until she found some chalk. She pulled Cass into the center of the existing circle, then began furiously scribbling over the stone floor. Swooping runes formed a gap-less circle in minutes. ¡°What is that?¡± Cass asked. The trial¡¯s sound-blocking circle was probably about four yards across in diameter, with the treasure chest offset from the center just enough so that whoever opened it would be in the exact center. Pellen¡¯s chalk circle was smaller, centered on the pre-existing circle, and just big enough to also encircle the chest. ¡°An Inscription Circle,¡± Pellen said. She was still on her hands and knees, now inching her way around the perimeter, her eyes meticulously checking every sigil before scooting forward another inch. ¡°And that is?¡± It looked like a magic circle, but that didn¡¯t answer Cass¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s King of the Hill,¡± Pellen said distractedly. ¡°So we need to hold this spot. This is a barrier. It should keep nasty things out. We should be able to survive the time limit with it. Probably.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Probably?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Pellen repeated, still focused on checking every sigil. ¡°In laboratory settings, I can keep a perfect circle running for an hour.¡± ¡°But?¡± Cass could feel the qualifiers coming. ¡°But that¡¯s with an expert with a skill for Barrier Circles drawing the circle and nothing trying to break it.¡± ¡°Ah. I take it that the quality of the circle affects how long you can keep it up?¡± Pellen nodded. ¡°And its general effectiveness. And a host of other things.¡± ¡°Then how long do your barriers usually last?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Twenty minutes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite the difference.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty standard for the difference between a specialist and a general practitioner.¡± Pellen stopped at one rune, smudging it out with the hem of her sleeve before redrawing it. It looked the same to Cass, but Pellen nodded to herself before moving on to the next one. ¡°And how much is the ¡®definitely stuff trying to break it¡¯ part of this equation going to alter that time?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Pellen glanced up at Cass. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t think you can last the entire ten minutes?¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°No. Definitely not. Not a chance. Not against anything we couldn¡¯t kill easily enough, anyway.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the plan?¡± Cass asked. She doubted Pellen was putting all this effort into the circle for no reason. ¡°I see two options,¡± Pellen said as she scratched out another rune and redrawing it. ¡°One: I activate this immediately and you take out the enemies from safety inside. Two: I hold this in reserve and we activate it at the end to wait out the last couple of minutes.¡± ¡°Can I¡ª¡± Cass cut herself off, shaking her head. ¡°Even if I could shoot through it from our side, my Wind Blades can¡¯t cross the trial¡¯s boundary circle.¡± That created a very narrow kill band between Pellen¡¯s barrier and the sound/air barrier around the trove. ¡°Do you have any other spells?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°Not ranged,¡± Cass said. Maybe one of these days she¡¯d figure out how to use Elemental Manipulation to throw fire or stone projectiles. In any case, she didn¡¯t have that skill right now. ¡°What are the chances we can take down the existing circle?¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°I think doing so might invalidate the trial and destroy the trove.¡± ¡°Alright. Then I think we¡¯re going with Option 2,¡± Cass said. Pellen nodded. ¡°I was afraid that might be the case. Okay. You should know, it requires three seconds to activate, during which I can¡¯t be Chanting anything else. Also, the more spells I use before activating the barrier, the less time the barrier will last.¡± ¡°Sure, that makes sense. Anything else I should know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m terrified?¡± ¡°Noted,¡± Cass said and stepped up to the chest. She placed her hand on the lid and the system notice appeared again. Begin Game (King of the Hill)? [Keep at least one team member inside the ¡®Throne Room¡¯ (demarcated zone) for ten minutes or until all challengers have been defeated. Reward: 1/3rd Experience of Slaying the highest threat Survived during game. Appropriate Treasure manifested from Averenis Deep Stores.] ¡°I¡¯m starting it,¡± Cass warned as she willed her assent. No sooner had she done so than the lights in the room went out. A thick darkness enveloped the room, deeper and darker than a simple absence of light. Cass felt her campfire in the corner sputter out and Beacon of Hearth and Home shut down. The darkness stopped sharply at the edge of the trove¡¯s circle. It kept out the dark as decidedly as it kept out air or sound. Cass and Pellen tensed, watching the darkness with a rising fear. They couldn¡¯t hear anything out there. Couldn¡¯t see. Cass couldn¡¯t feel beyond the confines of the magic circle with Atmospheric Sense. ¡°Down!¡± Pellen yelled, shoving Cass aside and beginning a chant. Cass saw the bolt of lightning half a second later. It shot through the space where they had been standing. It was followed by another and another, each flying from a different direction. Cass grabbed the first with Elemental Manipulation. The lightning wriggled in her grasp. Cass¡¯s Will squeezed tighter as she yanked it off track, sending it flying wide of them. Pellen¡¯s chant finished and a dinner plate-sized circle appeared between her and the second bolt. The lightning struck and fizzled out on the floating wall of force. Pellen started Chanting again. Cass still couldn¡¯t see what had shot at them, but she couldn¡¯t wait for it to shoot again. She had to go out and kill it before it killed them. She stepped over the threshold of the trove¡¯s circle. A chill cascaded over her skin as she stepped out into the dark. It was wrong. So innately and deeply wrong. Like trying to breathe water. Like swimming in oil. Atmospheric Sense said there was nothing wrong with the air, not that Cass, strictly speaking, needed to breathe. There wasn¡¯t time to dissect the nature of the air. Even outside the circle, Atmospheric Sense wasn¡¯t doing much. Something about the darkness inhibited her ability to make sense of the air flows, too. All she had was the location the lightning bolts had been shot from. Cass ran blindly through the darkness toward the first of these three positions. She could only feel a foot or two around her. But Mana Sense was crystal clear, like nothing stood between her and her targets. She wasn¡¯t surprised to find a Crocodile hanging from the wall. In her Mana Sight, a ball of magic glowed in the center of its forehead, between the eyes and beneath the metal mask. Crocodile (lvl 21) It had two gems on its snout. Its beady eyes glared at her as she approached. The gems lit up. Cass drew a Mana Wind Blade to her staff and stabbed forward with all the force she possessed. She aimed for the core glowing to her Mana Sight, remembering the effect that had had on the Wolf. The Wind Blade skated along the monster¡¯s metal skull, sparks flying in the dark. The second gem glowed. Its jaws opened toward Cass. A bolt exploded from its mouth. Cass ducked left and jabbed her glaive again, this time aiming for the glowing green ectoplasm between its metal skull and plated shoulders. The Wind Blade sunk through the glowing flesh. Had it been an ordinary animal, its windpipe would have been cut and that would have been the end. But this wasn¡¯t an ordinary animal. This was a necromantic golem of metal and malice, and its entire body glowed an eerie green as it choked on her blade. An energy was building. And Cass was pretty sure she didn¡¯t want to find out what it was building to. She pulled her blade out. The crocodile continued its buildup, impossibly bright in the inky blackness around them. The jewels on its snout shone like the sun. It hurt to look at it. She needed to kill this thing. She needed to kill it now. She struck it again and again, her staff sliding off the metal and cutting deeply through the flesh. But the thing just kept glowing. Brighter and brighter. She needed to hit that core. She was certain. Anything less would only enrage the monster. A bolt of lightning flew at her from across the room. She Dodged at the last second, the bolt disappearing back into the dark. It was a reminder this was hardly the only enemy out here. Just more reasons she needed to kill this now. The crocodile opened its jaws again, again pointing them at Cass. Time slowed as Alacrity pressed into overdrive. Cass could see the answer. The inside of its mouth was the soft ectoplasmic flesh. The inside of its mouth was a direct path to the vulnerable core. The inside of its mouth was also where the death beam was about to pour out from. Was she fast enough? Was she right? Would Liminal Dodge save her if she wasn¡¯t? Every microsecond she spent thinking was one more she needed to pull this off lost. If she was going to try this, now was the moment. She¡¯d barely made the decision and her body sprang forward with all 53 Dexterity aided by her Concept of Wind. Wind and Dexterity laughed at her doubt. They drove her glaive deep into the mouth of the crocodile. The Mana Wind Blade split flesh, digging deep into the core. Her wrists twisted the staff, rending the core to ribbons. The crocodile collapsed, falling from the wall into a pile of inert metal. One down. Two or more to go. Ch. 55: Time Remaining Cass raced back toward the Pellen and the central circle. Only to run into a horde of gophers in between. Aventis Gopher (lvl 17) x3 Aventis Gopher (lvl 18) x2 Cass¡¯s staff swept through them, dismembering the arms of the nearest two. Cass looked for the cores again, certain now that was the answer to killing these things, as she backstepped out of the slash of the third. Their cores were uniformly in the center of their chests. Metal rib bones and their spindly blade arms acted as defense, but Cass was faster than them. She threaded their attacks, dancing with Dodge to drive her glaive through their cores. One. Two. Three. Dead. Dead. Dead. Each one was easier than the last. If she stopped to check her stats, she was sure her skills were rising to match, but there wasn¡¯t time now. Four. Five. Dead. Dead. She ran through them as their metal bits fell to the floor. A moment later, Pellen was in sight. She had a snake at arm¡¯s length. A shield appeared in time to block another lightning bolt from the black as the little mage ducked right out of the strike of the snake¡¯s jaws. Cass¡¯s staff announced her return, slicing the bottom jaw off the snake¡¯s face as she slid through the circle. It made a sputtering hiss, lightning sparking off its body. Silversoul Snake (lvl 15) Cass¡¯s Wind Blade went through its head before the lighting could form its signature electric snake. ¡°You doing okay?¡± Cass asked. Pellen nodded another Chant already in progress on her lips. It formed another force shield as a lightning bolt rocketed into them. ¡°I am still alive. Please kill that thing.¡± Cass nodded and Sprinted back out into the dark. She ran into another horde of gophers, taking them out before they could raise their blades now that she knew where their weak point was. The crocodile was waiting for her on the far wall. It had three gems, two already shining brightly, the third at about half brightness. Before Cass could attack, a snake slithered around her ankle, sending a jolt of electricity up her spine. Cass screamed, not quite paralyzed but also not quite in control of her muscles. The crocodile¡¯s mouth opened as the last gem glistened to full brightness. The snake wrapped tighter around her ankle. She swung her staff, throwing the Wind Blade for the croc¡¯s gullet. She willed it narrower, sharper, faster. Electricity bristled the air. Sharp and metallic and buzzing. It threatened to burs, just waiting for the croc to release it in a deadly bolt. Her Wind Blade sank deep into the croc¡¯s head, breaking the core. It dissolved before her. The electricity buzzed. Disappointed. Grudgingly fading. But what if it didn¡¯t? Cass grabbed after it with Elemental Manipulation, pulling it from the air. It danced along her arms. It wanted to run. She wanted to run. She just had to let it. Across the room, she saw another mana core with her Mana Sense. She pointed at it with her staff and let the electricity run. It burst from her staff, flying across the room in an arc of blue and white. It disappeared from her sight almost immediately, but she could feel the impact as it collided with the mana source on the far wall. She could see the core fade to nothing and the thrill of the experience rush into her. The snake was still wrapped around her leg. It was climbing up, trying to seize her body in its grip. But with the electricity in the air funneled across the room, it was just a snake. Cass summoned fire to her hand and pressed it into the creature¡¯s skull. It hissed a scream of pain and fell from her, writhing. She followed it with her staff, separating its head from its tail. It fell still, becoming nothing but a pile of twisted metal. Cass looked around. The dark was all-encompassing, but Mana Sight could see that the number of cores had not decreased in the slightest. How long had she been at this? It felt like ten minutes easily, but there had been no notification they¡¯d won¡­ [Time Remaining: 7:30] Cass winced. It had been 2 and a half minutes. That was it? How much Focus and Stamina did she have left? How much longer could she keep this up? Stamina: 106/126 Focus: 317/387 Health: 68/113 There wasn¡¯t time to worry about that. She needed to take out as many enemies as possible to keep them off of Pellen. Cass ran into the densest group of cores. It was more gophers. Eight or nine of them. She Dodged. She stabbed. Two went down. Another got a hit in, slicing across her leg. Another down. Dodge out of the path of one blade. A nick to her elbow. Another down. Another. A lightning bolt exploded past her as she Dodged another blade. It struck the gopher behind her, flooring it. Mana Sight said it was still alive and well, just knocked down. Cass wove around another and leapt on the fallen gopher, her staff driving between its ribs and destroying its core. Another gopher sliced at her. She stepped out of the way, then rammed her staff through it and the gopher behind it. More had approached while she fought. Snakes slipped through their ranks. They were all small, two or three feet in length. They snapped at her ankles and attempted to wind up her legs. She swept them back with a spinning Wind Blade. Another lightning bolt shot from the dark. Cass felt it coming this time, her Atmospheric Sense pressing as hard as it could against the dark to buy even another second of warning. Elemental Manipulation grabbed it. She didn¡¯t try to stop it. There was no stopping lightning in motion. But she pulled it around, sling-shotting it back at the croc that had released it. She didn¡¯t have time to observe if she¡¯d hit or if it had been effective. A snake snapped at her ankle. Time slowed as its head approached, its jaws wide and bristling with electricity. Elemental Manipulation greedily snatched up that energy, pulling it from the snake¡¯s fangs and drawing it along her staff. Cass kicked the approaching snake and swung her now electrified staff at the next gopher. Both crumpled to the ground. But there was no end in sight. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Cass had lost count of how many gophers she¡¯d killed. She did not know how many snakes she¡¯d crushed. She could only guess at the number of crocs she¡¯d destroyed with their own lightning. She was covered in shallow scrapes where Dodge hadn¡¯t quite been fast enough or where sheer numbers had left her with limited options for avoiding damage. Electricity burns covered her legs where the snakes had been faster than Elemental Manipulation. Stamina: 87/126 Focus: 232/387 Health: 68/113 [Time Remaining: 4:28] Over halfway through. A little less than five more minutes. She could do this. They could do this. She just had to ignore her flagging Stamina. Her swiftly dropping Focus. She could still burn Health. She could still keep this up. A blade went through her chest as the world¡¯s colors inverted. Cass flickered out of existence, reappearing a little to her right. To her left, where she had been standing, an all too familiar sword hung in the air at the end of an all too familiar enemy. Soulbound Wolf (lvl 27) Cass Stormstride Sprinted away before it could swing that blade again, her body screaming from the exertion. Stamina: 37/126 She couldn¡¯t do that again. Using Liminal Dodge to avoid fatal damage was cripplingly expensive. She couldn¡¯t believe the trial had summoned a wolf. Or was it the same one they¡¯d dodged earlier? Or yet another looking for them because of the monsters they¡¯d killed? Depending on the answer, there could be another 2 wolves lurking around. She pushed the questions aside. Future Cass could worry about that. Right now, all that mattered was killing this one. Could she? Maybe. With the resources she had left? While also dealing with everything else? Cass doubted it. She ran back to Pellen, bursting through the central ring. ¡°There is a wolf!¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes went wide. She pointed at the nearest gopher as it stepped over the ring as she finished her Chant. A bolt of blue energy burst from her finger and melted the skull of the offending gopher. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wolf!¡± Cass repeated, slicing down another pair of gophers and kicking a snake out of the trial¡¯s circle and back out into the dark. ¡°Out there!¡± Cass could see its core now that she was looking for it. It blazed red and angry, immensely more powerful than her. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long my barrier will be able to keep that out,¡± Pellen said. She flipped through the pages of her tome, perhaps looking for another solution. [Time Remaining: 3:58] A bolt of lightning flew into the circle. Cass slingshot it around at the Wolf. The advance of its soul through the darkness did not slow in the slightest. ¡°How long do you think you can hold it?¡± Cass asked. ¡°With the wolf?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°A minute? Maybe?¡± ¡°Without the wolf?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Three minutes? Less with every lightning bolt I have to take from the crocodiles.¡± Could Cass keep the wolf distracted for three minutes? She didn¡¯t think so. It was fast, almost as fast as her. The last time she¡¯d fought one, she¡¯d used a lot of Liminal Dodges just to survive. She¡¯d already used one. She didn¡¯t have another left in the tank without burning Health for more Stamina. Cass cut another snake in two and impaled another gopher. There were so many things here. Why a wolf too? This was way too much for her and Pellen on their own. If only Alyx and Salos were here¡­ Salos, how quickly can you get directly above me? Cass asked. He was already very close to her. There couldn¡¯t be more than the ceiling of this room and the floor of the level above in between them. That would take us into a side room, he warned. Why? So you can do it immediately? I suppose? Do it! Cass said. To Pellen, Cass asked, ¡°How quickly can you cast that stone-melting spell? The one you used upstairs to take out the platforms?¡± Pellen blinked, actually stopping mid-chant. ¡°About thirty seconds? Why?¡± ¡°And do you need to actively chant to keep the barrier up?¡± Cass asked. Pellen shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s the point of the circle.¡± ¡°Assuming you did the stone disintegration spell, how long could you hold the wolf off?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Uhhhhh,¡± her eyes crossed while she thought, ¡°About thirty, maybe thirty-five seconds? Where are you going with this?¡± Cass explained her plan. Pellen blinked. ¡°That¡¯s not a good plan.¡± ¡°You have a better one?¡± Cass asked. Pellen shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re sure that your team will be up there?¡± Cass nodded. Pellen opened her mouth, then closed it, shaking her head. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s do this. Barrier first, stone disintegration second.¡± Cass nodded. Pellen inhaled sharply and started Chanting. [Time Remaining: 3:15] A dim, dusty blue light glowed from Pellen¡¯s chalk marks, their light gradually increasing into pinpoint beams, solidifying and brightening with every syllable of Pellen¡¯s chant. The beams arched overhead, forming a hemisphere of shimmering light, flecked with specks of white and purple. As the barrier formed, the wolf emerged from the darkness. [Time Remaining: 3:12] It stood staring at them through the shield. It howled and raised its swords. They struck the shield and the entire surface shook. Sparks leapt from the point of impact. Cass could feel the energy bleeding off. Pellen grimaced and started the next Chant. The wolf struck again and again. The gophers and the snakes pressed themselves up against the walls. Cass threw a Wind Blade through the barrier. It knocked the snakes back and sliced the gophers, but more poured into the open spaces. Pellen kept chanting, though her voice was more and more strained with every syllable. We are in place, Salos said. Cass could feel him directly above her. What now? Just stay right there and brace for impact. Impact? Salos repeated. What is the plan exactly? Cass explained again for him. Abyss and blood, he muttered. You are fighting what? A wolf? Cass said. By yourself? I¡¯m trying not to? I hate everything about this plan. He sighed. Hurry up. It¡¯s going as fast as it can, Cass agreed. Pellen Chanted as fast as she could. Stamina: 31/126 Focus: 217/387 Health: 68/113 [Time Remaining: 3:03] A bolt of lightning streaked out of the dark. It hit Pellen¡¯s shield and the whole thing flashed red for a moment. She shook her head, still Chanting. She shot Cass a look that said all that she needed to. Another lightning bolt like that and this shield would go down too soon. Cass watched the dark, ignoring the gophers and the snakes. They couldn¡¯t do anything to the shield. Ignoring the wolf, she couldn¡¯t do anything to it. She watched for the crocodiles. Inside the trial¡¯s barrier, she couldn¡¯t sense their lightning soon enough. Not with Atmospheric Sense anyway. But what about Mana Sense? She could see the crocodiles¡¯ cores. She could see their energy gathered in the gems on their snouts. If she just waited for¡ª There! The lights went out as a crocodile released the energy it was storing. Cass burst across Pellen¡¯s barrier in a Stormstride Sprint. Half a second later, the lightning appeared at the edge of the trial¡¯s barrier. Cass met it another fraction of a second later. Elemental Manipulation reached for it, pulling it wide around the barrier instead of into it. She pulled it into the Wolf on the far side. Electricity ran up and down its body. Its head arched back in a soundless howl. It was outside the trial¡¯s barrier. Cass and Pellen couldn¡¯t hear it. For a moment, it howled into the dark. Everything outside the barrier froze as it did. All too soon, it was back to pounding away at the barrier. Another bolt of lightning. Another desperate Sprint and deft Manipulation pulled it around the barrier. [Time Remaining: 2:49] Almost there. Almost there. Just a little more. A spider web of cracks formed on the barrier. It flashed red with every other sword strike. Pellen was pale, her chant coming no slower, but her voice was weak. Just a little more. Another lightning bolt. Another moment of respite as the wolf howled silently from the attack. Just a little more. Stamina: 25/126 Focus: 172/387 Health: 68/113 [Time Remaining: 2:36] Pellen screamed the last word of her Chant, pointing with a force Cass didn¡¯t think she still possessed at the ceiling above them. Her shield exploded into a mist of shards as the ceiling dissolved above them. Rubble fell and the monsters rushed in. Cass spun in place, throwing the largest gust of Wind she¡¯d ever managed with Wind Blade and Elemental Manipulation working in concert. For a second, the monsters could not approach. For a second, the two humanoid figures falling from the new hole in the ceiling were slowed. Alyx¡¯s blade shone as she fell. She landed amid the staggered gophers with an explosion of light and aura. They were crushed beneath her skill. Marco slammed into the ground on the far side of Pellen, taking another lightning bolt to his shield with ease. Salos appeared on Cass¡¯s shoulders, a familiar weight and a familiar disapproval in his gold eyes. The cavalry had arrived. Ch. 56: The Cavalry The wolf didn¡¯t wait for them to regroup before lunging the nearest person. That was Alyx, who parried with an aura-shrouded blade. Their blades locked for a moment while the gophers and snakes rushed back in around them. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of ¡®em down here,¡± Marco observed with the slash of his sword. He took down three gophers and pushed back another two. A bolt of lightning raced into the circle. Cass directed it around her party and into the wolf. ¡°Cover your ears!¡± The wolf howled, a wave of dread filling them. Pellen crumpled to her knees, entirely exhausted and unable to further handle the emotional weight of the wolf. Alyx grit her teeth and shouted, ¡°Stand tall! We can beat this!¡± Cass felt the rush of her command fill her, chasing off the wolf¡¯s dread. Salos had slipped from Cass¡¯s shoulder and had appeared behind the wolf. His claws racked through the soft cracks in its metal armor, dripping green ectoplasmic ichor with every strike. ¡°Aim for the chest!¡± Cass called to Alyx. In the meantime, she and Marco kept the gophers and snakes back, Cass redirecting the lightning bolts back into the crocodiles along the walls and into the wolf as opportunities arose. Stamina: 25/126 Focus: 97/387 Health: 68/113 [Time Remaining: 2:00] ¡°Just two more minutes!¡± Cass yelled, unsure if Alyx and company would get the notification, having joined late. Alyx¡¯s sword impaled the wolf, just missing the core. It howled again, rocking the combatants on both sides. An energy started building around it. ¡°What¡¯s it doin¡¯ now?¡± Marco muttered, slicing another snake in two. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cass replied. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t look good.¡± He grunted and slammed the edge of his shield into the ground. ¡°Buy me a minute.¡± Cass glanced at him. Energy was collecting around him too now. Cass shrugged and gathered another Wind Blade. With a spin, she sent it sweeping out around her, pushing everything back another step. She raced after the wind, stabbing and slashing as many off-balance enemies as she could reach. [Time Remaining: 1:43] Marco¡¯s shield was glowing bright red. He turned and shouted, ¡°Clear!¡± Alyx leapt back, her sword raised in a guard. Marco burst forward like rockets had been launched from his shield. He rammed into the wolf, knocking it over. It snarled, pushing the squat man off with ease. But Alyx didn¡¯t waste a moment. She was already back on top of the wolf, her sword sinking into its flesh. It glowed and a hundred Reverberating Strikes exploded across its flesh. Still, the energy built. ¡°Brace!¡± Alyx shouted, her words again carrying the weight of command. Marco slammed his shield down again, placing himself between Cass and the wolf. Alyx¡¯s sword traced a complicated pattern in the air, trailing aura in a tangible weave of light. Salos dematerialized, slipping back into his necklace around Cass¡¯s neck. Pellen struggled back to her feet, just outside the shadow of Marco¡¯s shield. Marco¡¯s skill would not protect her. Alyx¡¯s command echoed in Cass¡¯s head. She should stay put. She was safe behind Marco. But Pellen wasn¡¯t. What are you doing? Salos asked. He could see where she was looking. He knew her well enough to answer his own question. Cass darted from the shadow of Marco¡¯s shield, pushing aside Salos¡¯s rising complaints and Alyx¡¯s combat command. The wolf roared and a wave of pitch-black flames rolled off it, exploding in every direction. Alyx flickered as the wave rolled past her, momentarily insubstantial. She reappeared untouched and resumed her attack on the wolf. The flames poured forward, burning up the remains of Pellen¡¯s chalk runes and leaving a thick layer of soot over the floor. Cass pulled Pellen to her feet. The flames burned closer. Cass Sprinted back. The flames swept over Marco. A ghost of his shield enveloped him, ten times larger than the shield he carried. It turned the flames aside, pushing them to either side with all their fury intact. Cass pressed the Wind for all it was worth. She could feel the flame¡¯s heat now. She threw Pellen into the shadow of Marco''s shield. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Cass jumped. She skidded across the stone, rolling to a stop behind him. The flames whooshed around them. She¡¯d made it. Most of the other monsters, however, had not. The remaining monsters had been reduced to charred scrap metal, their soft ectoplasmic flesh melted away in the heat. It was just the five of them and the wolf. Salos wasted no time, darting out to slice at the wolf¡¯s ankles with his claws. Alyx drew another long slash across its chest, reverberation duplicating the wound across its body. Marco was up again, his sword shining in anticipation. Pellen lay where Cass had thrown her, too tired to move. Cass wanted to do the same, but she didn¡¯t have the luxury. Cass summoned a Wind Blade on her staff and sent it flying between Alyx and Marco, burying it deep in the wolf¡¯s shoulder. Marco stabbed low. Alyx swung down from on high. Cass threw another Wind Blade, wrapping it around for its back. The wolf blocked Marco¡¯s sword with its good arm. But its injured arm could not stop Alyx¡¯s powerful downward chop. She pushed the sword out of the way with ease, continuing down well into its chest. Cass¡¯s Wind Blade, unseen and unobstructed, sliced around the spine and through its core. The wolf crumpled and the four stood ragged over the dissolving corpse. [Trial Complete! Time Remaining: 1:03 Claim Trove to accept reward.] At the same time, the unnatural darkness dropped from the area, leaving just the room and the chest in the center. Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Wll + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 16. Staff Mastery has increased to level 14. Dodge has increased to level 17. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 11. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 12. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 18. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 19. Wind Blade has increased to level 14. Mana Sense has increased to level 8. Mana Sense has increased to level 9. Mana Sense has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Per + 3 Wll + 2 Ala + 2 Res] ¡°We did it,¡± Cass said with a sigh. She collapsed to her knees, exhaustion warring with the elation of a level-up. Stamina: 16/129 Focus: 56/405 Health: 69/114 She didn¡¯t need to breathe, yet her lungs burned for sustenance. Her muscles ached. Her mind ached. But she¡¯d done it. They¡¯d won. She¡¯d found a way through. A grin spread across her face despite the exhaustion. ¡°What the hell was all this?¡± Alyx snapped, turning on Cass with a glare. Cass¡¯s grin disappeared. Did you not tell her? Cass asked Salos. I told her what you told me. ¡°I¡ª¡± Cass opened her mouth. Alyx cut her off, storming up to her, pointing an accusing finger at her chest. ¡°You got yourself separated and when we finally catch up with you, you¡¯re neck deep in monsters over 5 levels over your own?¡± ¡°Only the wolf¡ª¡± was that much higher, Cass tried to say. ¡°Did you even try to get back to us?¡± Alyx asked. Cass opened her mouth to explain her logic, but Alyx blew through her before even the first syllable had made it out. ¡°You have that wind movement skill. How did you even get separated? I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about you falling! Do you have any idea how worried I¡¯ve been about you? How worried Salos has been about you?¡± Cass hung her head, waiting for Alyx to finish. ¡°Then when we get a cryptic request from Mister I¡¯m-a-cat-I-definitely-don¡¯t-talk,¡± she shot Salos a glare for good measure, ¡°to duck into a side room and be prepared to fight a wolf. No warning about the floor dropping out on us. Or that we¡¯d be falling into darkness. Or that there would be nine million other monsters also down there.¡± Alyx shook her head, the energy leaving her body. Quieter, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t just run off on me. Please.¡± Cass wanted to argue that nothing she¡¯d done was that unreasonable. She¡¯d had a solid reason for everything. If she had known which way was up, then perhaps she should have chosen to get back to Alyx sooner. If she¡¯d known that killing monsters attracted Wolves, perhaps she would have chosen to sit tight where she¡¯d landed. She hadn¡¯t though, so she¡¯d done her best with the information she had. But now wasn¡¯t the time to argue this. Alyx would not care if it was a harebrained scheme or a well-thought-out plan. That wasn¡¯t what she was upset about. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Cass said. ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± Alyx nodded, her vulnerable face again hidden behind a disapproving scowl. ¡°Good. I can¡¯t stand to listen to that one worry about you again.¡± She nodded at Salos. He bristled on Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I was not worried. I certainly was not worrying aloud.¡± ¡°You finally told them you can talk?¡± Cass asked. Well, told Marco. Alyx already knew, of course. He bristled further. ¡°You hardly gave me much choice, did you? ¡®Stay with them and protect them¡¯ I think you said?¡± He snorted. ¡°I should have just come back to you. Would have been smarter for sure than sticking with that woman.¡± Cass rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m glad you two get along so well.¡± Marco chuckled. He patted Cass on the shoulder. ¡°The two were quite worried for you.¡± Cass nodded. She knew. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s this about completing a trial?¡± Alyx asked, changing the subject abruptly. ¡°Pellen and I found a trove,¡± Cass said, pointing at the treasure in the center of the room. ¡°The wolf was one of the monsters guarding it.¡± ¡°Pellen?¡± Alyx asked, her eyes dropping to the fainted mage on the floor. ¡°Where¡¯d she come from?¡± ¡°She fell in the hole with me. Your brother hired her.¡± Cass summarized Pellen¡¯s story for the others. ¡°Kohen hired a non-degreed mage?¡± Alyx¡¯s eyebrow went up at the collapsed mage. ¡°His budget must be tighter than he lets on.¡± She shook her head. ¡°And I suppose you want me to recruit them too, since you¡¯re telling me all this?¡± Cass paused. What did she want? She rather liked the little mage after everything they¡¯d been through. Did she want them to team up, though? What did she expect to happen next? ¡°We can¡¯t leave her here,¡± Cass said finally. ¡°We should take her with us until we get out or we can reunite her with your brother.¡± Alyx frowned. ¡°I¡¯d rather not give him back his mage, all things said and done. She wants to fight the Obsidian Golem on the seventh floor? We can promise to do that on the way back up if we don¡¯t run into one on the way down.¡± ¡°Will that be enough?¡± Cass asked. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t like it, she can stay here,¡± Alyx said with a shrug. Oh. Well, hopefully, Pellen would find that reasonable and Cass wouldn¡¯t need to do any more negotiating. ¡°Let¡¯s see this treasure,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait until Pellen¡¯s up again?¡± Alyx grumbled. ¡°We did skip an entire floor,¡± Cass reminded her. ¡°Fine. Make us a camp then, rest and recover. But then we¡¯re leaving as soon as we can after.¡± Ch. 57: Rewards Cass fixed up the remains of the campfire while Marco carried Pellen closer to the fire and laid her atop a sleeping mat from his pack. In a few minutes, all of them were seated around a blazing little flame, warm and comfortable in the glow of Beacon of Home and Hearth. Cass even broke out the tea. Everyone settled, Cass finally turned her attention to the waiting Free Points. The last set had been split between End and Vit, in other words, between Stamina and Health. If her most recent adventures were any indication, she could never have too much of either. But was that the best use? The set before that had gone into Wll and she¡¯d needed every scrap of it to yank the lightning off its trajectories. Name: Cass [Race: Slyphid Lvl: 22 Str - 20 Dex - 54 End - 43 Wll - 63 Ala - 59 Res - 45 Frt - 17 Per - 32 Vit - 31 Free Points: 4] Concepts: [- Wind (Dex, Ala, Per) [The Wind is Ephemeral. The Wind is Speed. The Wind is All.] - Hearth (End, Res, Vit) [The Hearth burns. The Hearth provides. The Hearth protects.] - Liminal (Unapplied)] She¡¯d come a long way since the day she¡¯d been dropped in Uvana without so much as a Concept. Looking at the current spread, she split them between Res and Wll. She had enough defensive stats to survive on her own and she was once again back with the team, so focusing on increasing her combat potential was the move. Wll 63 -> 65 Res 45 -> 47 With the important things taken care of, she settled back with her tea and Salos on her lap, safe in the knowledge her friends were here. *** Cass dozed for a while before Pellen woke up sometime later. The little mage shot up, her arms flailing wildly around her, her head whipping back and forth in confusion, her many eyes darting around their sockets. ¡°We¡¯re alive?¡± Pellen muttered when she realized there was no danger. Cass yawned and nodded. ¡°Everything went exactly to plan.¡± Pellen looked around the gathered group slowly, nodding. ¡°So it seems.¡± Her eyes froze on Alyx. ¡°Ah, Ma¡¯am. My lady. Dame! I am Pellen Ioptes. Thank you for your magnanimous arrival in saving us from our foolishness.¡± Alyx¡¯s eyebrow rose. She glanced at Cass. Cass shrugged. To Pellen, Cass said, ¡°Everything okay?¡± Pellen glanced between Cass and Alyx. She scooted around the fire to Cass¡¯s side. In a hushed whisper, she said, ¡°I was working for her rival. Technically, we¡¯re probably enemies.¡± Louder, so Alyx could hear her, she added, ¡°But as a member of the Academy, I am a neutral party. I definitely do not hold any opinions on the rights of succession of Vaisom¡¯s good and righteous nobility.¡± Alyx snorted. ¡°Cass has already negotiated for your safety. This is all highly unnecessary. I trust you will agree to work for me in exchange for the promise of slaying an Obsidian Golem and the guarantee of your safety in my presence?¡± Pellen nodded fiercely. ¡°Good, then cut that out.¡± Pellen continued nodding. Alyx rolled her eyes. To Cass, she said, ¡°Can we open the Trove now?¡± ¡°You waited for me?¡± Pellen squeaked. She immediately put a hand over her mouth. Cass nodded. ¡°It seemed rude to open it while you were unconscious, especially since we couldn¡¯t have won without you.¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t claim credit for anything,¡± she stuttered, all of her eyes suddenly very interested in her knees. ¡°Come on,¡± Cass said, pulling her to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go open it!¡± Cass led them to the chest in the center of the room. The trial circle was no longer active, air flowed easily across it. As soon as Cass touched the lid, a screen popped up. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Beginning Treasure Manifestation [Calculating Need¡­ Calculating Trial Difficulty¡­ Modifying based on last Claim¡­ Modifying based on Participant Level¡­ Modifying based on Contribution¡­ Achievement Calculated. Applying Achievement and Need Modifiers to Reward Pool¡­ Manifesting Rewards] The lid opened on its own with a glow of light and triumphant music. A crystal the size of Cass¡¯s fist floated out of it, the color of dusk, with a matte finish like tumbled sea glass. Cass plucked it out of the air and Identified it. Stormcaller Stone [Class: Focus (Unrefined) A crystal formed in the ever-rolling storm that is the Elysian Gyre. It is a manifestation of condensed potential, bristling with the energies of the storm it was formed in.] In her hands, blue sparks flickered beneath its surface. She could feel power there, heavier than the stone¡¯s appearance would suggest and which had nothing to do with its physical weight. ¡°I got a rock?¡± Cass said. An arcane focus, Salos corrected. Attuned to storms. There is nothing wrong with it as a reward. Once we get out of here, we should look into having it refined and made into the core of a new staff. What¡¯s wrong with my staff? Cass asked. He sighed. It seems to me it was not that long ago you bemoaned not getting a ¡®cool¡¯ new sword out of a trove. Now there is nothing wrong with the literal stick you picked up off the ground? It seems to me, Cass countered, It was not that long ago I was told by someone who is never wrong that with my skills I didn¡¯t need anything fancier than my stick. That was then, this is now, Salos said. ¡°That looks like an arcane focus,¡± Pellen said, unaware Salos had already explained. ¡°It should make it easier to attune your mana to forces of storms.¡± ¡°That looks nice. You¡¯ll want a professional to process that for you. We¡¯ll find you a proper craftsman after this,¡± Alyx promised. ¡°In the meantime, you can probably use it as it is just by channeling your skills through it,¡± Pellen added. ¡°The same way I channel through my tomes?¡± ¡°Is that why you have the books out when you¡¯re casting? I just assumed you didn¡¯t know all the words,¡± Cass blurted. Pellen looked away. ¡°One can hold a tome for multiple reasons.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Alyx coughed. ¡°Are you going to loiter in front of the chest, Cass? Or are you going to let the rest of us have a go?¡± ¡°OH! Right, sorry,¡± Cass scooted out of the way and Pellen stepped up next. The lid closed and the chest looked unchanged. When Pellen touched it, it again opened with glowing and music. Out floated a book. Book of Spacial Reconfiguring [Class: Tome Author: Eldherenis of Belltoris] Pellen¡¯s eyes got big at the sight of it. She snatched it from the air and flipped it open, only for her face to fall at the pages. ¡°It¡¯s in ancient Jothi. Why is it in ancient Jothi?¡± She shuffled away from the chest. She muttered to herself, ¡°Was my contribution not that good? Or was the challenge not high enough? How high does it need to be to award Concept Gems?¡± Cass pat her on the back. ¡°Perhaps the trial knows you have a good lead on the gem you need, so it didn¡¯t feel you needed it here?¡± Pellen nodded glumly. ¡°But what do I do with this?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you do what you were going to do with the other books we found? Study the spell forms?¡± Pellen shrugged, flipping through the pages. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many spell forms. This looks more like a theory book. Which would be great, if I could read it.¡± Could you help her? Cass asked Salos. Why would I? Salos asked. We could¡­ sell the service? Cass suggested. She didn¡¯t know. It just seemed right to offer to help if she could. Let¡¯s hold off on offering such a thing right now. Better not to advertise the fact you can read a ¡®dead¡¯ script unless that is all you want to do for the foreseeable future. ¡°Well, maybe you¡¯ll figure out some of it from studying the other books?¡± Cass said finally. Pellen nodded and slipped the book into one of her many pockets. Alyx went next, the chest spitting out a ring. Soulspark Ring [Class: Accessory (Ring) Accentuates the effects of Concepts in the Electricity family on skills using aura.] Alyx glowered at it. ¡°I know troves are supposed to pick things you need, but this really feels like it¡¯s making fun of us now.¡± She didn¡¯t even bother putting it on, slipping it into her bag instead. Marco went next. For him, the chest provided a helmet. Guardian¡¯s Helm [Class: Armor (helmet) A component of the Averenis family¡¯s guardian¡¯s armor. Said to have been worn in the battle of Falling Silver while defending their master from the Ebony Traveler. Provides minor increased effective Frt. Provides increased effective Frt while defending another. Provides significant increased effective Frt while defending the wearer¡¯s sworn master.] He smiled down at the helmet in his hands. ¡°Seems to be workin¡¯ correctly to me.¡± Alyx snorted. Salos hopped onto the chest last. It glowed, and he hopped off the lid again as it opened, revealing a cowl. Shadow¡¯s Cowl [Class: Armor (hood) The headgear of a rogue of the Averenis family. Said to have been granted by their master on their acceptance into the family¡¯s ranks. Provides minor decrease in presence. Allows partial sharing of presence modifiers to one other. Allows significant sharing of presence modifiers to wearer¡¯s sworn master.] Salos sighed down at the article of clothing, shaking his head. ¡°No, the need allocation is definitely broken.¡± No matter how Cass looked at it, there was no way for him to wear the very human-sized cowl as a cat. He could probably wear it while possessing her, if they ever had to do that again. But at that point, would the sharing of presence modifiers be relevant? And, unlike Marco, Salos didn¡¯t have a sworn master. Unless the System was counting her, she supposed. But she wasn¡¯t his sworn master, she was his System-mandated master, and she felt that should be different. Pellen stared at Salos, her mouth hanging open. ¡°He talks?¡± Salos glanced at her. ¡°Right. You had not yet heard me. Well. Oh, well.¡± ¡°He¡¯s talking,¡± Pellen repeated, several of her eyes zipping toward Cass while the majority stayed focused on Salos. Cass nodded. ¡°He does that occasionally.¡± ¡°Salos,¡± he said, nodding at her, ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°P-Pellen Ioptes,¡± she replied. ¡°So I gathered,¡± Salos said, settling onto Cass¡¯s shoulder. To Cass, he said, ¡°You might as well wear it.¡± Cass shrugged and pulled it over her head. The fabric, though heavy, was comfortable on her head and shoulders, and despite covering much of her face, she had no difficulty seeing out of it. Like magic, the edges avoided obstructing her field of view. Her aura cloak fell over it, covering all of her body. Ch. 58: The Sixth Floor Loot collected, resources reasonably recovered, the group¡ªnow made up of five¡ªbacktracked to the main path. With Alyx and Marco, they had little difficulty with the nest of snakes in the previous room. Standing in the main hall again, Cass looked between the doors. She still didn¡¯t know which way was forward, and now, they didn¡¯t even have Alyx and company coming from one direction to narrow it down. Salos hopped off her shoulder walking directly to the one to her right. ¡°What are we waiting for? You have a time limit, yes?¡± ¡°Is that the right way?¡± Cass asked, looking between the two largest doors. He turned, an eyebrow raised. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°They look the same?¡± Salos frowned. ¡°No. They do not.¡± Cass looked between the doors. ¡°Yeah, they do, Salos.¡± Alyx and Marco nodded beside her. Salos sighed. ¡°Really? How do you all get anywhere? Look. Above the doors.¡± Cass stared at the space above the doors, but nothing happened. He sighed again. ¡°Look. With your Mana Sense. Cass cannot be the only one of you with the skill.¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have it. Only mages have it usually.¡± Marco nodded. Yet another sigh slipped from Salos¡¯s lips. ¡°How do you expect to fight mages without it? You know, never mind. I don¡¯t know what I expected. Anyway, you two, Cass, mage lady, look.¡± Cass activated Mana Sense. Above the door was a green, glowing script. She turned around and looked at the opposite door. That had more of the script, this time in purple. Each of the side doors had their marks over them. Most were green. The door they had just come out of was grey. The room she and Pellen had fallen into had a red X over it. ¡°Yes, there are lots of symbols over the doors,¡± Pellen said. ¡°But they don¡¯t mean anything. At least, not to me.¡± ¡°Abyss,¡± Salos muttered. ¡°You mean Rogue Script is out of fashion too?¡± ¡°Rogue Script?¡± Cass asked. ¡°It is¡ªperhaps was¡ªa shorthand frequently painted on walls to provide direction. The story goes it was originally invented by a gang of thieves who used it to scope out their targets and provide their allies with instructions. But, by my¡ª¡± He caught himself. ¡°By the end of the previous era, it had entered the common dialect and was a favorite method for providing non-intrusive directions into buildings.¡± He nodded his head at the door in front of him. ¡°So this one simply says ¡®lower level¡¯.¡± He nodded at the door behind them. ¡°And that one ¡®higher level¡¯. Ergo, we go this way.¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes had gone wide again. A hundred questions were poised there, all at war trying to get out first. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Salos said, trotting up to the door before Pellen could ask any of them. There were four rooms and four hallways between that door and the stairs down. Each of those rooms had a few monsters in them, mostly snakes. One had a horde of gophers. Another had a pair of crocodiles as well. The five of them mowed them down with little trouble, with Marco and Alyx acting as their front line, Pellen supporting from behind, Cass filling the space in between with Wind Blades, and Salos striking down vulnerable targets where he could. The enemies of this quality and in these numbers were unimpressive. ¡°We must have passed Fioreya,¡± Alyx said as they rested in front of the stairs leading down. ¡°Since we have not seen any monster corpses.¡± Marco nodded. ¡°She¡¯ll catch up fast with us clearing the way, though. This was probably too early to break ahead.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Alyx shrugged. ¡°If we¡¯d had control over it, I¡¯d be more concerned about it. But, since this position¡¯s fallen in our lap, we¡¯ll do what we can to keep it.¡± ¡°Is there anything we can do to slow her down?¡± Cass asked. ¡°We could try leaving some monsters alive,¡± Marco said. ¡°But she¡¯ll blow through most of this type unless there¡¯s a lot of ¡®em and we¡¯re not getting through unless there isn¡¯t.¡± There wasn¡¯t much arguing with that. The group continued down shortly after. The next floor caught Cass off guard. Instead of the endless halls of dark stone, they entered a wide cavern of natural stone filled with glowing, pink crystals. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked. ¡°The crystal farm,¡± Salos answered like it was the single most obvious answer. ¡°The what?¡± Alyx asked. Salos looked up at her. ¡°The crystal farm?¡± ¡°Are you implying that the creators of the Vaisom Catacombs knew how to propagate magic crystals?¡± Pellen asked, her eyes again wide and hungry. Salos cocked his head. ¡°Is that not a well-understood technique?¡± Alyx and Pellen shook their heads. ¡°Huh,¡± Salos muttered. ¡°How do you get anything done?¡± ¡°Then this is not a natural formation?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°No. Of course not,¡± Salos said, walking deeper into the cavern. ¡°Does this look natural?¡± It looked natural to Cass, but Salos kept talking as they walked. ¡°See the striations in the stone? Clear indication that it was worked with a stone shaping skill. And there,¡± his tail twitched toward a seam in the wall. ¡°That likely opens and closes for the maintaining staff. And¡ª¡° Salos froze. A shiver ran down his spine and continued down Cass¡¯s. Something was approaching. Something familiar. Something desirable. Something hers. ¡°Salos?¡± Pellen scooted closer, still greedily waiting for him to finish his thought. Salos blinked. ¡°Apologies. That is a shortcut.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Alyx asked skeptically. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a shortcut anywhere in the Catacombs.¡± ¡°Would you have, though?¡± Salos asked. ¡°And have we not ¡®found¡¯ two already?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we should count Cass blowing up the floor between floors as ¡®finding¡¯ a shortcut.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t blow it up!¡± Cass protested. ¡°Are you suggesting it was Pellen¡¯s plan?¡± Alyx asked. Cass scowled but let the argument ride. ¡°My point still stands,¡± Salos said. Alyx scowled down at him, her eyes flicking between the seam in the wall and the cat. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a shortcut?¡± Salos leapt onto Cass¡¯s shoulder to look Alyx in the eyes. ¡°This floor meanders through ¡®natural¡¯ caverns for a long time. Good for the accumulation of potential needed to grow these crystals. Bad for efficiently maintaining them. So what would you do as a designer?¡± He waited half a second as if he was looking for an answer. ¡°OH! You make servant¡ª¡± Pellen started to say. ¡°You make servant passages for your workers,¡± Salos spoke over her. ¡°And those are highly efficient with a centralized staff and materials room so one can quickly get between sections of the cavern. ¡°In fewer words: a shortcut.¡± ¡°And you can just open this shortcut?¡± Alyx asked. Salos shrugged. ¡°Cass should be able to pry it open if nothing else.¡± ¡°And what if you¡¯re wrong about it being a shortcut?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°It could be a dead end. We could waste a lot of time and end up right back where we started.¡± That was a valid concern, but they needed to take this risk. ¡°You wanted to put more monsters between us and Fioreya, right?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a good way to do it?¡± Cass couldn¡¯t explain why she wanted to go that way so badly. But she did. Something was there. Something was waiting for her. For them. ¡°If he¡¯s right,¡± Alyx repeated. ¡°Which we don¡¯t know.¡± Cass bit her lip. But they knew. What they needed was that way. It was the right way. It had to be. That was irrational. Unreasonable. Ridiculous. But true. Claim it. ¡°Salos can sense the history of stone,¡± Cass blurted. ¡°He can feel past people walking through this way. What he¡¯s saying isn¡¯t a guess based on logical construction. It happened.¡± It was half a lie. Or perhaps half a guess on her part. He could sense the memory of stone. Whether he knew what he was saying was true from what the stone was telling him or from his memories of walking these corridors in the past age or if he was making things up to get where they needed to be, Cass didn¡¯t know. It bothered her she didn¡¯t care if it was true. It bothered her she was so willing to do this. But they needed this. They had to go that way. They had to. ¡°Yeah?¡± Alyx asked, her eyebrow rising. Cass could feel Salos¡¯s displeasure at one of his skills having been shared, but it was tempered by the shared need to go that way. He nodded. Alyx sighed. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see where this takes us. Open it up, Cass.¡± Cass nodded. She put her hand on the wall. She could feel that the stone wanted to move, that it especially wanted to move for her. It was unnatural. It parted easily, with barely any Focus expended with Elemental Manipulation. Ch. 59: Madness The space beyond was more dark, stone corridors. It went straight away from the opening Cass made. She closed the entry behind them so Fioreya couldn¡¯t follow and they set out down it. They were getting closer. Her body was shaking in anticipation. Her mouth watered. A feast was coming. That thought gave her pause. What was that? Was she hungry? When was the last time she¡¯d been hungry? Slyphids didn¡¯t get hungry. At least, she hadn¡¯t up to this point. Salos had said they were fueled by storms. So, maybe she would eventually? There wasn¡¯t a storm brewing over the city to feed her here. Was that all this was? But then why was she so sure there would be something to eat ahead? The corridor ended at another seamed wall. Cass opened it to reveal a large warehouse-sized room. Vats of colored glass lined one wall. Tables of tools and crystals took up much of the middle. ¡°The staff room,¡± Salos said as a matter of course. Exactly like he¡¯d said. He hadn¡¯t been lying about this. A dozen seams lined the walls, all passages off the staff room, likely leading to different parts of the cavern. Rogue Script was written over each one. Salos could lead them the right way when they were done here. But first¡ª ¡°It¡¯s coming,¡± Salos said, his voice low. His eyes turned on the nearest seam to their right. ¡°It?¡± Alyx asked. But Cass knew. She could feel it coming closer still. Alyx and Marco¡¯s eyes scanned the dark, their hands on their weapons, looking for what Cass and Salos could already feel. It was hot. Hot in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature of the air. Her heart pounded in her chest. Unmistakably excitement, not fear. Blood pulsed in her ears, loud and pounding and all-consuming. She could barely hold still, but she knew she needed to wait. It was approaching. It would come to her. Salos¡¯s tail twitched. ¡°Cass, are you alright?¡± Alyx edged closer to her, concern in her eyes, even as she scanned the walls. ¡°What is happening?¡± Why couldn¡¯t Alyx understand? Couldn¡¯t she feel it? No, of course not. It wasn¡¯t Alyx¡¯s to claim. To reclaim. It was hers. It belonged to Cass. To Salos. To them. Alyx couldn¡¯t possibly know. She was whole. She was already complete. She had no room to grow. No edges left unfinished. A glimmer flickered in the corner of Cass¡¯s vision. Red and dim. A System notification. Sunder (Lvl ?) (???) [You could teach her.] A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A skill? For her? Where had this come from? Cass reached for it. It was easy to hold. Like it had always been there. ¡°Cass?¡± Alyx said again. Her voice was sharp. Angry? Flustered? Scared? ¡°Shh,¡± Cass whispered. She was a hunter, wasn¡¯t she? Didn¡¯t she know not to scare off the prey? The prey so quickly coming now. It was just beyond the seam. She knew it innately. The same way she knew which way was up. The same way she knew her name. Salos disappeared in a poof of smoke, settling back in her necklace. Or perhaps not the necklace. Perhaps in their Soul Well. It¡¯s here, Salos whispered to her. The seam widened into a passage. A spider-like creature stepped out. It stood on long spindly legs with a small central body, like a harvestman. It towered over them, easily twice her height. From that central body, a humanoid torso hung off the front, so its skinless skull of a head hung at about her eye level. Its head was craned forward at an unnatural angle, its eyeless sockets glowing with purple fire. Its arms hung limply from its sides, its skin the same slate grey as the spider legs and just as spindly. Prey [The object of your desire. Devour its soul. Grow stronger. Grow complete.] Cass¡¯s stomach growled. She was starving. When was the last time she¡¯d been hungry? She couldn¡¯t remember. Or had she always been hungry and simply not noticed? Devour it. Salos hissed. Or was that her thought? Both of them? But she didn¡¯t need the encouragement. She leapt forward, her staff clenched in her hands. ¡°Cass!¡± Alyx shouted after her. She wasn¡¯t listening. Her staff slammed into her prey¡¯s leg. The spindly leg was sturdier than it looked. Her staff bounced off it. The impact reverberated up her arms and numbed her muscles. ¡°Blood and abyss, Cass!¡± Alyx shouted. ¡°Stand down!¡± Alyx¡¯s command washed over her. There was a spark of sense in that order. A flicker of recognition. It was drowned in an instant. How dare she give her orders? How dare she Command and Compel? How dare she try to separate her from her prey? Kill it. Devour it! Make it ours! The creature swung its torso at her, its hands grasping. She Dodged out of the way, her staff flaring with another Wind Blade and slicing after the hands, leaving shallow cuts along the knuckles and over the back of the hands. Purple ichor dripped from the cuts and splashed across her face. It was cold. Like ice. Like the breath of winter. Like the grave. But it also sparked with power. With potential. She could feel it at its core. She could see it already. Its body in pieces below her, ichor pooling around her as she dug through its corpse, her hands ripping that core from its flesh. How sweet would that soul be on her tongue? How filling in her stomach? ¡°What do we do?¡± someone squeaked somewhere behind her. Another voice was cursing. ¡°We¡¯re doing this, I guess. Marco, protect the mage. Pellen, try to keep the worst of its attacks off that idiot.¡± ¡°Y-you mean Cass?¡± ¡°If you see a bigger idiot, feel free to protect them instead!¡± the cursing voice growled. Then there was another sword in the mix, striking at the spindly legs as its owner rushed into the melee. She drew another Wind Blade, sending it spinning through the air as she dove in again. The blade slashed across its softer sides while her staff pounded after its knees. The creature screamed, and its hands flexed in arcane and twisted positions. Suddenly, the air was full of floating crystals. They hovered around its body in a cloud of glowing shards, most no bigger than a finger¡¯s width. All of them were razor-sharp. The creature swung its arm and the cloud burst forward. She put her head down and Sprinted into it, throwing more wind ahead as she ran. Not a shard hit her as a wall of force appeared before her, shimmering dark blue before her eyes. It flashed red with every larger projectile that rammed into it. She was invincible. The heavens themselves protected her. She threw her head back, laughing. Kill it! Her laugh transformed into a snarl and she swung at the monster again, her staff aiming for its demented skull. It connected, ringing loud over the other sounds of battle and resonating up her arms. More crystal shards whipped past her¡ªaround the barrier that had appeared above her¡ªand sliced through her cheek. She swung again on its knees. On its ankles. At its elbows. Ichor exploded out of the joints as she struck them. It splatted over her skin, cold and sticky and tempting. It buzzed with energy. With Potential. Crystals rained on her, most blocked by barriers provided by others or the heavens, but many still slicing through her clothes, cutting rend after rend in her skin. She did not care. Every cut was one closer to laying her prey low. Every slice was one closer to seeing its soul in her hands. A crystal smashed through a barrier with a splintering crack and didn¡¯t stop. It slammed into her shoulder, sending her flying backward into the wall. Her head slammed into the stone with the impact. The air was ejected from her chest. Her shoulder was pinned in place. Ch. 60: The Crystal Keeper Someone shouted her name. Her vision spun. What was happening? Kill that thing, Salos hissed from her chest, feral and forceful. Devour it whole. Cass blinked, her vision clearing to see Alyx and Marco in battle against a giant spider-man. Storehouse Crystal Keeper [The care and propagation of magic crystals is a lost art, known now to few outside this storehouse. As a construct left in charge of maintaining the Crystal Caverns of the Averenis Storehouse, it is an avatar used to address irregularities and issues.] Cass blinked again. That wasn¡¯t what it had said last time, was it? Slay it! Salos insisted again. ¡°One second, Salos,¡± Cass muttered, her head still ringing. It was happening again. This was exactly what had happened when they¡¯d encountered the Caretaker in the Deep. Which meant¡­ Cass winced, the pain in her shoulder announcing herself as she shifted her weight. Hell. She¡¯d been impaled! She¡¯d figure out the rest in a minute. The first thing she needed to do was get herself unstuck from the wall. She grabbed the crystal projectile with both hands. The left, the side with the crystal, was weak. Both hands bled as the crystal¡¯s sharp edges cut into them. Cass pulled. With all her Strength, she pulled. The crystal didn¡¯t budge. There was only pain from the attempt. Cass screamed. Kill it! Salos howled with her. ¡°Not helpful, Salos!¡± Cass growled. Brute strength wouldn¡¯t work. Then what? The crystal was stone, wasn¡¯t it? Or a kind of stone, probably? It was as much earth as stone was, right? So then, she should be able to manipulate it with her skill. She wrapped her hand around it again and pressed Elemental Manipulation through the crystal. The skill grabbed it, but no amount of pulling or pushing would change the arrangement of the crystal¡¯s form. It refused her at every turn. Cass pulled again, blood dripping down her hands. Kill it! ¡°Salos, I am trying my very best, but unless you have any ideas on how to get me out of this, your yelling is not helpful.¡± He fell silent a moment before saying, Destroy it. ¡°Thank you, again, already the plan. More details would help.¡± How could she destroy it? What did she have that she could use? A skill? She ran through her skills mentally: Atmospheric Sense? No. Wind Step? Not while pinned, and really, that was the problem. Staff Mastery? No. Stealth? Far too late for that. Dodge? Can¡¯t dodge what¡¯s already impaled in her shoulder. Perhaps she might have avoided it if she¡¯d been in her right mind initially, but again, too late for that now. Stormstride Sprint? No. Elemental Manipulation? Probably technically possible, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how directly right now. Wind Blade? No. Mana Blade? Probably not? Could she cut the crystal with a Mana Bladed knife and then pull herself off the portion stuck to the wall? That was what she was looking to do, wasn¡¯t it? Ugh, gruesome. She put Mana Blade in the ¡®maybe¡¯ category. Soul Guard? No. Identify? Crystal Shard [A glowing crystal sharp enough to slice flesh and hard enough to pierce stone.] Helpful. Foraging? No. Mana Sense? It glowed to her Mana Sense even brighter than to her ordinary eyes. The color wasn¡¯t quite uniform, there were striations and places where the light concentrated. Where the dimmer places weak points in the crystal¡¯s structure? Maybe. Beacon of Hearth and Home? No. Poison Resistance? No. Herbal Concocting? Definitely not. Trap Detection? Once again, far too late for that. Jothi Language Comprehension? Not unless magic crystal shards could be convinced to move verbally. Cass scowled. That was not a promising brainstorming session. The only feasible plan was to jam a blade into a presumably weaker section of crystal and hope it shattered, or at least broke enough that she could pry her body off the remains of the shard. There were several issues with the plan. The most notable being it would transform her problem from being pinned to the wall to bleeding out in the middle of the room. But one thing at a time, right? Cass pulled her dagger from her Bag and coated it in Mana Blade. She inspected the shard again with Mana Sense and picked out a spot near her body with little magic glowing. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Here went nothing. She drove her dagger into the crystal. A piece flaked off and her knife skidded into her shoulder. The whole crystal jolted, its sharp edges cutting into her flesh. Cass screamed again. Damn. She probably should have realized that would happen. Was it at least loose now? She slipped the dagger back into her Bag and pulled on the crystal again. It wriggled up and down, every twist shooting fresh pain into her shoulder, but it remained fixed in the wall behind her. This wasn¡¯t working. What else did she have? Was there some creative use of Elemental Manipulation she could use? The crystal refused her manipulations entirely, but maybe there was something else she could manipulate? The wall behind her, maybe? If she couldn¡¯t manipulate the crystal out of the wall, could she manipulate the wall off the crystal? It was worth a try. She pushed on Elemental Manipulation. It didn¡¯t really want to grab at the material behind her. Why not? She¡¯d gotten it to pull on stone under her feet or at the end of her staff before. Why was behind her back different? Was it that her feet were not too dissimilar to her hands? Maybe. But then what about her staff? It was a focus, like Pellen¡¯s books or the storm crystal she¡¯d gotten. Could she use the crystal sticking through her as a focus? She pushed the skill through the crystal. It resisted her, draining her Focus into the crystal¡¯s lattice. But she could follow it back into the ordinary stone of the wall. Now came the next challenge. She¡¯d never pushed stone into itself. And, with some experimentation, she found she couldn¡¯t. Stone refused to compress. Hardly surprising if she was being honest. Pushing a solid thing into another solid thing was unlikely to go well. Instead, she needed to pull the edges of the puncture out and away from the crystal, slowly increasing the size of the hole it had made behind her and increasing the thickness of the wall around the hole instead. Some 80-odd Focus later, Cass crumpled to the ground, her crystal pin freed. Pain rolled through her. Hot and feverish and mixing with Salos¡¯s cries for blood. The shard was still in her shoulder, but that might be for the best, as painful as it was every time she moved. If she removed it, who knew how much blood she¡¯d pour out? And bleeding was the fastest way to drop Health. Cass pushed herself back to her feet. Alyx and Marco were admirably holding off the Crystal Keeper. Pellen stood back, throwing barriers between them and the still-flying shards. However, they were all covered in abrasions. A long cut ran across Alyx¡¯s forehead, bleeding down the side of her head. Several crystal shards protruded from Marco¡¯s armor. ¡°We¡¯ve really done it this time,¡± Cass muttered. Kill it! Salos hissed. Her stomach growled with him. ¡°I¡¯m getting to it,¡± Cass said. But charging in blind would do nothing. Its limbs were all stone hard, its head invulnerable to damage. Its joints bled, but no amount of pounding on them so far had broken a limb to the point it failed to support the creature¡¯s its weight. Alyx had left many cuts on its body, Reverberating Blade propagating them further. Pellen was tied up blocking as many of the flying crystals in the air from striking the others or Cass. And they were still targeting Cass, even now. But nothing was over yet. Cass activated Stealth, her presence dropping like a stone in her new hood. With the others to throw crystals at, it didn¡¯t seem to notice that Cass had disappeared. Cass stalked around it. Every step was agony, the crystal in her shoulder jostling with even the smallest movements. Make it pay for hurting you, Salos hissed. Devour it. Grow stronger. She would. She had every intention of doing so. As she stalked around it, she watched the creature. Atmospheric Sense didn¡¯t detect breathing. It was no natural being. That meant, like the wolves, bleeding it dry was unlikely to be effective. But then perhaps it had a vulnerable core they could exploit. Mana Sense showed a set of three glimmering points in its body: the head, the humanoid chest, and the center of the thorax. Attacks against the head had been ineffective up to now, which left two new targets. Cass snuck underneath the creature. She Dodged a crystal flying past her. It was undirected, just part of the surrounding maelstrom, but it was also unblocked by Pellen. Underneath the Keeper, she summoned a Mana Wind Blade to her Staff and thrust it into its thorax. The Keeper screamed as the blade pierced its grey skin. Ichor splashed over Cass. The scream raked at Cass¡¯s body. It echoed around her soul. Salos screamed with it. Primal. Pain. The crystal in her shoulder resonated with the sound. Her shoulder burned. Her body shook. Her arms trembled. Her knees gave out. Her hands slipped. The pain was too much. She crumbled to the floor, every cell in her body vibrating in painful time with that thing¡¯s demented scream. She needed to make it stop. Needed to be stronger. Alyx winced at the sound, her body faltering mid-strike. A shard of crystal spun into her side, lodging itself in her armor. Marco hoisted his shield, a glow emanating from its silver surface. He stood firm. Pellen was behind him, shaking but still chanting. One of the Keeper¡¯s hands grabbed the stunned Alyx. At its touch, she pulled away, but it held fast, dragging it into its space instead. She hacked at it with her sword, but it deflected off its skin. A crystal sword materialized in its other hand. It raised it slowly, methodically, the sea of flying crystals still swirling around them. And still, it screamed. It echoed in her head, pushing out every other thought. Pushing out everything except the pain. The pain and the certainty that Alyx was about to die. Something swelled at that thought. The image of a girl flashed before her eyes. She stood in a spring, her white dress fluttering around her knees over crystal water, her hands clasped together in prayer, her crimson hair rolling down her shoulders, her face upturned in the sunlight streaming down through the trees. It wasn¡¯t Alyx held by the Keeper anymore. It was that girl. It wasn¡¯t Cass collapsed in pain on the ground anymore in the Shadow¡¯s Cowl. The wearer of the cowl pushed themselves to their feet. Pain racked every inch of their body. But what was the point of a body if that girl was to die? They could not allow that. They activate Stealth, disappearing as the shadows swallowed them whole. Even the memory of their presence was temporarily suppressed. They sped between the flying crystals. Dodging and weaving. Making space between them with Elemental Manipulation where there was no room. The slyphid Cass might have struggled to move them with that skill, but stone and mineral and all that lay in the deep dark places of the world was their domain. They moved it as easily as Cass moved air. As the Keeper before them moved them. They drew their dagger from Cass¡¯s Bag. It was comfortable in their hand. It was sharp. It sliced through the elbow of the Keeper with practiced ease, Hidden Blade multiplying the damage it might have done many times over. The girl fell backward, off balance, as the arm holding her detached from the Keeper¡¯s body. She disappeared from the perception of everyone as the wearer of the Cowl caught her. ¡°Alyx!¡± Marco shouted in concern as the girl disappeared. His worry was short-lived. They reappeared behind him a moment later. The girl looked up at the wearer of the Cowl, her eyes wide and confused. They set her down, dropping to a kneel in front of her. Their soul soared to venerate their mistress again. The only thing greater than having saved her would be to have not needed to at all. But then, she was not out of danger, was she? Their hand clenched around their dagger¡ªtheir precious gift from her¡ªand stood to face the beast again. It rushed Marco, its spindly legs tapping over the stone floors with a grotesque clack clack clack, screaming and trailing a stream of ichor all the way. It had not for a moment stopped. The wearer of the Cowl Stealthed again, slipping around behind the creature. They leapt, Cass¡¯s Strength more than enough to push them into the air above the beast¡¯s body. With Cass¡¯s considerable Dexterity, they landed easily on its galloping back, riding the rise and fall with ease. Their dagger, sheathed in Mana Blade, dug into its thorax and buried up to the hilt before the Keeper knew they were there. It didn¡¯t stop its charge, though it shook its whole body, attempting to throw them from its back. Again, Cass¡¯s Dexterity was more than enough to keep them right where they wanted to be. They pulled their dagger free with a fountain of ichor and drove it down again. Again. Again. Every stab cut deeper. Every stab brought the blade closer to that mana core Cass had spotted earlier. They would slay this beast and protect their mistress. Nothing would stop them. Not this beast. Not the family. Not the gods. Pain rippled through them. It burned with a fury that erupted from deep in their soul. It blazed into the dagger, ripping flesh from the Keeper¡¯s thorax. They screamed with the Keeper, their rage unspeakable, drowning in the pain, pain made greater with every single stab. Something shattered. The Keeper¡¯s body buckled under them. Its scream faded to a dying gurgle. The body collapsed, the wearer of the Cowl with it. Ch. 61: Aftermath Cass woke with a killer headache. Alyx, Marco, and Pellen all leaned over her. She was covered in the glowing purple ichor and still lying on top of the Keeper¡¯s corpse. ¡°Good, you¡¯re alive,¡± Alyx said, reaching a hand down to help Cass up. Cass¡¯s first instinct was to ignore her hand and dig into the monster¡¯s flesh for her prize. Cass pushed aside that impulse and took Alyx¡¯s hand, anyway. She winced as she moved, the pain in her shoulder overtaking every other sensation as the crystal shifted, digging deeper into her flesh. ¡°Abyss,¡± Alyx muttered. ¡°What did you do to yourself this time? Come on.¡± She helped move Cass away from the corpse to the far side of the room. Moving slowly, Cass prepared a fire from her supplies. ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°A minute or two,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Unless you want to count from¡­¡± she hesitated, looking for the right description before settling on, ¡°¡­ when that thing started screaming.¡± A spike of pain stabbed through her head at the mention of that. Her heart pounded in her chest. What was that? It felt similar to when Salos possessed her, but that was not Salos. Not the Salos she knew, anyway. She¡¯d felt an overwhelming desire to protect¡­ Alyx? Not Alyx. Someone who looked vaguely like Alyx, in that they were both women with red hair. Any idea what that was about? Cass asked. The campfire sprang to life, and the others settled around it. A groan floated over their connection. What happened? How did we¡­ Oh. Abyss. It happened again, didn¡¯t it? Depends on what you mean by ¡®it¡¯ exactly, but yes. ¡°Care to explain?¡± Alyx asked, standing across from the fire. Her arms were crossed over her chest. It wasn¡¯t an order, but only because Alyx did not have the authority to make it one. Cass looked away. She could feel their eyes on her. Just like she could feel the Keeper¡¯s soul beneath her whispering for her to dig it out and claim it. ¡°Can I tell you later?¡± Cass asked. Alyx¡¯s displeasure was tangible in her stare. What do we tell them? Cass asked. How would they handle traveling with a demon? Cass couldn¡¯t imagine being pleased about it. Salos materialized behind Cass and poked his head out around her. Alyx¡¯s glare flicked toward Marco and Pellen before settling back on Cass and Salos. ¡°Fine,¡± Alyx said. There was no pleasure in the single word. Just unhappy acknowledgment. ¡°Can you help me get this out?¡± Cass asked the others, gesturing to the crystal. ¡°Is it wise to try?¡± Marco asked. ¡°You¡¯re going to lose a lotta blood all at once if you pull that out.¡± Cass winced, imagining the outflow of blood a whole this sized in her shoulder would produce. ¡°But I can¡¯t just leave it here either, can I?¡± ¡°Suppose not,¡± he grunted. ¡°Let me see.¡± He sidled up around the fire, inspecting her shoulder. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve got any movement in that arm.¡± Cass resisted the urge to shrug. ¡°My body¡¯s weird.¡± He snorted. ¡°So it seems. How¡¯re you gonna plug it when I pull this out? You got any bandages in that bag o¡¯ yours?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Give it here,¡± he said. Over his shoulder, he grunted at Alyx, ¡°Girl, stop glowering and come help me.¡± Alyx¡¯s frown intensified, but she did as he asked and came around to help. She knelt beside Cass. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Take those,¡± he nodded at the bandages Cass had retrieved from her Bag, ¡°And be ready to shove a fist full into the opening.¡± To Cass, he continued, ¡°Do you have any herbs or ointments for this? Pull ¡®em out if you do.¡± Herbal Concocting immediately jumped to the forefront, suggesting herbs that would have been useful in this situation. Callimeer Willow for the pain. Hudsmith Moss to promote clotting. Artallin Anise for anti-bacterial. She didn¡¯t have any of that, though. She shook her head. Marco sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll make this work. Don¡¯tcha worry. Why don¡¯t you make us some clean water we can flush the wound with, then I¡¯ll pull this out, yeah?¡± Cass nodded. She took the pot she¡¯d bought in town from her Bag and held her hand over it, summoning water into it with Elemental Manipulation. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try this then. Ready?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for Cass to nod again. He just pulled. Pain arched through her as the crystal shard ripped from her body. A scream leapt from her lips. Her world flashed white. She felt water splash over her shoulder and heard Marco yelling about bandages. Salos pressed himself against her side, his body warm against her soul. When her vision cleared up and she could feel something besides the pain, Marco was already half-done wrapping her wound. ¡°Good, you¡¯re doin¡¯ good.¡± He repeated that over and over, while Alyx braced her body. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Cass said. Her voice was weaker than she¡¯d expected. Hoarser. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Marco nodded. ¡°Almost done now.¡± ¡°Is everyone else okay?¡± Cass asked. ¡°No one else was impaled,¡± Alyx said sharply. ¡°I have a few scrapes. Marco¡¯s armor has a few new punctures and a lot more dents. Pellen is fine.¡± Cass sighed in relief. If she was the only one badly injured from this, then that was a small blessing. ¡°What is your Fortitude?¡± Alyx asked. Sharing numbers was frowned upon, wasn¡¯t it? But there was no room for debate in Alyx¡¯s tone. ¡°Uhhh, 17?¡± Alyx scowled, her mouth snapping shut. Cass couldn¡¯t tell if she was displeased with that answer or not. ¡°That¡¯s better than I expected. Increase it to your level, at least if you want to fight at the front with me and Marco. And we¡¯re getting you more armor when we get back. Significantly more armor.¡± Cass nodded mutely. ¡°There ya go,¡± Marco said, tucking the tail bandage in on itself. ¡°Thanks,¡± Cass said, flexing the arm. Moving it hurt, but was otherwise unrestricted. Was that just a spirit-bodied thing? Probably. Stamina: 32/129 Focus: 56/423 Health: 34/114 Cass frowned over her stats. That had gone poorly. Her Health was especially low. Perhaps it was time for tea? Cass set her pot beside the fire and refilled it with water. When it began boiling, she added a handful of herbs and pulled the pot away from the fire to steep. A few minutes later, she had Cass¡¯s Medicinal Tea [Although brewed by an amateur with little experience mixing their own tisanes, this combination of herbs is a potent brew with a delightfully earthy flavor. Minor increased resistance to illness Increased resistance to symptoms of diseases Increased Health, Stamina, and Focus regeneration] She fished a couple of cups from her Bag. ¡°Anyone else want tea?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Alyx said. Marco nodded. ¡°Tea?¡± Pellen asked, looking down at the pot. ¡°It¡¯s good for you,¡± Cass said. Pellen shrugged and nodded. Cass handed out a cup to everyone before settling back and sipping it herself. It was more bitter than the last batch she¡¯d made in Uvana, but then, this wasn¡¯t sweetened with Dreamberry leaves, was it? Pellen grimaced with her first sip. Then her eyes widened as her primary eye focused on something only she could see between her face and the cup. ¡°This helps recover Health?¡± ¡°Not much,¡± Cass said. ¡°You have a medical skill?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°Is that uncommon?¡± Cass asked. ¡°For a person who does combat as much as you seem to, yes.¡± ¡°Why? It wasn¡¯t difficult to get it.¡± She¡¯d literately thrown a handful of random herbs in a pot for the skill. It couldn¡¯t possibly be an unknown skill. ¡°Its theorized possessing some categories of skills significantly decreases the chances of unlocking a skill in other specific categories,¡± Pellen said. ¡°Skills for healing and skills for combat are two such categories.¡± Cass shrugged and immediately regretted it as pain shot down her side. ¡°I don¡¯t have many combat skills and I¡¯ve only got the one ¡®healing¡¯¡ª¡± she paused. No, that wasn¡¯t true, was it? ¡°I¡¯ve only got two skills I¡¯d classify as ¡®healing¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, the fire thing!¡± Pellen snapped her fingers. ¡°Right. Perhaps the combat skills are the things which should be surprising to me then?¡± She hummed in thought. How much of this is true? Cass asked Salos. There is a correlation, but nothing I studied suggests that it¡¯s anything like a hard rule. If anything, it is more likely an issue of skill suitability than skill synergy. Salos said. He lay loaded up in her lap, his tail twitching from side to side. Skill suitability? Cass asked. Sure. Every person has skills they learn more easily than others. If not, every child would have something like Sprint, Wrestle, and Puppy Dogs Eyes before they reached level 2. There is a skill for everything, but you will only get skills for things that resonate with you. With that in mind, it is hardly surprising most who willingly claw after power and jump into violence do not have suitability with the healing arts. Interesting. What did that say about her then? Marco downed the entire cup Cass had handed him, then set about pulling the last crystal shards from his armor. None of them appeared to have penetrated his skin. Alyx sipped hers slowly. Herbal Concocting has increased to level 4. The skill whispered that her tea would be more effective if she toasted the seeds of the Verid¡¯s Aster rather than using their dried leaves and that it would taste better if she pealed Pillow Root and then soaked it in vinegar before adding it to the concoction. Cass shook aside the ghostly information the new level brought her. Had she gotten any other levels from the fight? She checked her notifications. Dodge has increased to level 18. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 20. Wind Blade has increased to level 15. Mana Blade has increased to level 9. Identify has increased to level 12. Mana Sense has increased to level 10. Beacon of Hearth and Home has increased to level 10. Mana Blade has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your consistent use of this skill has opened options:
  1. Fuse Mana Blade and Wind Blade creating Tempest Blade (lvl 12).
  2. Gain Skill: Manifested Blade (lvl 6), Forsake: Mana Blade
  3. Keep: Mana Blade (lvl 9)]
Not bad. Mana Blade had finally hit the First Step. Cass compared the effects of the two offered skills to her existing ones. Mana Blade (lvl 9) [A blade of steel cuts flesh and bone. A blade wreathed in mana cuts deeper still. Sheath your blade in your mana to increase damage inflicted by your bladed attacks, reduce speed damage inflicted heals, and damage incorporeal bodies. Modified by Ala. Focus Cost: minimum 1/sec] Wind Blade (lvl 15) (Wind) [Through study of the winds, you have discovered how to shape them into a weapon of your will. None can stop the wind. Condense the air into blades with your mana and Mind. Direct with a melee weapon or send them at your targets with your Will for an additional mana cost. Association with the Concept of Wind increases the speed of the blades and allows for greater control of shape and direction. Modified by Wll. Focus Cost: 5 (melee), 15 (ranged)] Tempest Blade (lvl 12) [Gather the tempest itself to be your blade and lay low all who dare to stand before the coming storm. Condense elements of the raging storm into blades and fill them with your mana. Direct with one¡¯s weapon or unleash them upon your targets with your Will. Subsequent blades in quick succession are faster. May damage incorporeal bodies. Modified by Wll. Focus Cost: 10 (initial blade), 3 (subsequent blades)] Manifested Blade (lvl 6) [A blade wreathed in mana cuts at soul and spirit, a blade made of mana cuts deeper still. Manifested a blade of mana in a form you are familiar with. Blade gains Unhealing Rend (Status Effect: Reduce regeneration of Health) and Ever-pouring Cut (Status Effect: Reduce healing of inflicted wound). Manifested blade remains in existence as long as it is within the skill owner¡¯s possession. Modified by Res. Focus Cost: 100] Now which to pick? Ch. 62: Identity It was an interesting set of choices. Tempest Blade sounded like a better version of what she already had. Like Wind and Mana Blade, she could continue transforming her staff into a glaive. Better yet, it sounded like it would be both cheaper and more powerful than the combination of Mana Wind Blade was currently. The line ¡°Condense elements of the raging storm into blades¡± was also interesting. That suggested she could manifest glaive blades of more than just wind. What counted as an element of a raging storm? Lightning, surely? Water or ice? Maybe. What about sand or fire? Sand storms and fire storms were both things, right? The system did not answer her question. Manifested Blade was interesting too, though it took Mana Blade in a completely different direction. Rather than augment an existing weapon, it would allow her to create one from nothing but her own Focus. That meant, with the huge amount of Focus she possessed, no matter what happened, she would always have a weapon on hand. The question was if that weapon would be any good to her. Mana Blade had been valuable to her for two reasons: the additional damage the mana inflicted on the strikes of her Wind Blade and the ability to cut the incorporeal. As a blade made of mana, she assumed it would keep the ability to cut the incorporeal, though it did not list that explicitly. But it would lose the ability to increase her primary weapon¡¯s attacks. Could she replace her staff with a mana blade? It said a ¡®blade of mana in a form you are familiar with¡¯. Would that include the wind glaive she fought with now? Or would it be specifically knives and swords? Again, the system provided no answers to her questions. Any chance you know? Cass asked Salos, showing him her two offered skills and explaining her questions. His eyes widened at the windows. Abyss, you were offered Manifest Blade? Is it good? Cass asked. He sighed. It was one of my skills once. I had a blade for every job. Stabbing, slicing, chopping. Daggers for small spaces. Long narrow blades for narrower openings. Okay, but can I create a glaive with it? Cass asked impatiently. Oh. No idea, he said. I used daggers. And swords, to some degree. I was never familiar enough with a spear or axe or anything like that to have bothered trying it. Given it is being offered, I would assume it does. But then, you have a little experience with daggers, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t think carrying your reward from the epherwing should count for dagger experience, Cass said. He shrugged. What about ¡®elements of a storm¡¯, Cass asked, Any idea how reaching that might be? He shook his head. That language is similar to your Elemental Manipulation, and you are still teasing out the capabilities of that. All I would be willing to say confidently is it covers more than just wind. That was Cass¡¯s guess as well. Opinions on which I should take? Cass asked. She was leaning toward Tempest Blade, but that meant she lost out on the threshold bonuses of leveling up another skill. I would take Manifested Blade, but you are not me. Salos said. What does that mean? Cass asked. That means that my priorities are not your priorities. Salos said. And that you need to start thinking about what your priorities are. What are your victory conditions in a fight? Personally, he continued, I win if I get in close to my target without them noticing, Salos continued. I win if my dagger makes it through their heart or across their neck. Conversely, I lose if they ever remove my mobility. I will die if I cannot dodge. This means I focus on skills that will make the first strike more powerful, reduce my presence or direct attention elsewhere, or increase my mobility. Toward that end, a dagger I can shape to handle whatever foe is in front of me is ideal. A blade that makes healing difficult increases the chances that, if I am forced to give up for the moment, my target will still be in a weakened condition the next time I see an opportunity. Tempest Blade does nothing for me while Manifested Blade does much. Ergo, I would pick Manifested Blade. That was a complicated way of saying I shouldn¡¯t, Cass commented. Salos looked away. I did no such thing. Uh-huh. And should I be worried about losing a skill from combining Mana and Wind Blade for this? Cass asked. I would not, Salos said. Knowing you, you¡¯ll develop another skill to fill that slot before you know it. That was enough reassurance for her. She wanted to be a ranged fighter. She didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near the enemy and their claws or swords or what have you. She won by keeping her distance and observing her opponent. Finding a win condition that may be outside the conventional kill. Manifested Blade didn¡¯t do that. Tempest Blade, with its ranged attacks and promise of potential elemental variation, did. Skill Earned: Tempest Blade (lvl 12)If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Wll + 3 Ala + 2 Dex + 2 Res] Cass frowned at the window. She hadn¡¯t been expecting to get a First Step mastery bonus for this skill. Is this normal? Yes, Salos said. Even though I already got one for Wind Blade, which I no longer have? Yes. Even though I¡¯m getting it at level 12, not 9? Cass confirmed. Sure. Okay then. Sometimes it was better not to complain when the universe¡ªor the System in this case¡ªthrew her a bone. That left was the loot from the monster. Cass could still feel the pull toward the corpse. Souls were waiting for her there. We need to talk about what just happened, Cass said. Salos stiffened in her lap, but his head rested back on her knee with a sigh. Yes. Where did she even start? Where is the battle mania coming from? I think it might be demonic instincts, Salos said slowly. Your demonic instincts? Cass repeated, stressing that they were his despite notably affecting her. He looked away. When he didn¡¯t elaborate, Cass voiced her unspoken question, Why are your instincts affecting me? Salos hesitated, his claws flexing anxiously over her pants. They shouldn¡¯t be able to affect me, Cass pressed. Contrary Will shouldn¡¯t let it. Salos looked away. It wouldn¡¯t do a thing if that Will was compromised to begin with. A shiver ran down Cass¡¯s spine. What does that mean? Pull up the description of Contrary Will, Salos said. Contrary Will (Inborn) [You have a contrary nature. It''s fine, we won¡¯t hold it against you. But may the gods help any who try to make you do something you do not want to do. You may apply Will defensively when resisting any Social, Coercive, or Manipulation related actions. Additionally, it counts for 10 times its listed value when used this way. Additional resistance provided proportional to the difference in level between you and source.] Notice it references ¡®resisting¡¯ certain classifications of ¡®actions¡¯, Salos said. As far as I can tell, your trait is about rejecting outside influence. It can do nothing to impose self-discipline or resist your innate nature. I don¡¯t need it to, Cass said. I don¡¯t want to rip constructs up in a feral rage. That isn¡¯t me. Those are your demonic instincts! Salos¡¯s gaze remained firmly on his feet. We may be bound more closely than I initially thought. That didn¡¯t answer her question. She glared at him, waiting for him to explain. You might, technically, be a demon, too. Her heart stopped. What? He didn¡¯t move, but she could feel his anxiety swirling around him. Swirling through them. No, that¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯m not a demon. My status says I¡¯m a slyphid. See. She pulled up her status screen and shared it with him. Name: Cass [Race: Slyphid Lvl: 22] See, not a demon. I still have my whole soul. Probably. Did she know enough about souls to comment? I think our souls are merging, Salos said. And the demonic tendencies are the most obvious result. Cass sat, her mind whirling. What did this mean? What was a soul, anyway? A broken soul was a demon. Demons devoured more souls, becoming amalgamations of more than one. Was that what she was? If their souls were fusing, what would happen to them as individuals? Am I becoming you? I don¡¯t think so, he said but uncertainty welled under his words. Are you going to disappear? At this stage, I don¡¯t think so. You don¡¯t think so? I don¡¯t know, he snapped. I remember I knew some people researching this before. All very taboo. All very secret. But important, useful work. But, I never heard the results of that research. I don¡¯t know if it was ever completed. No. She shook her head. No, no, no. There are other explanations. Her mind whirled looking for them. Maybe it¡¯s that your demonic impulses aren¡¯t ¡®actions¡¯. Or maybe they aren¡¯t considered one of the categories my trait effects. A nervous laugh bubbled over their connection. I¡¯d hardly call demonic impulses a ¡®social action¡¯ after all. Though, would ¡®coercive¡¯ or ¡®manipulative¡¯ be that far off? I probably just need to try harder, Cass added. The wording is ¡®may use¡¯. In other words, its an optional effect. The manipulations of others always pressed against her before she threw them off. She probably just needed to actively stop it. Maybe. Salos did not sound convinced. Cass bit her lip, her chest tightening and her hands twisting around her staff. Was it his anxiety choking out the air around them, or was that her? If my soul was absorbing yours, she asked despite herself, How would I stop it? Salos shook his head. I don¡¯t know. Her heart pounded in her chest. She had more questions. An endless number of questions. But he didn¡¯t have any answers either. All asking them now would do was wind them both up further. She shoved this bomb aside for now, balancing it precariously on top of the pile of everything else she was trying not to think about. But there was one more thing she needed to understand. What was that part at the end? That wasn¡¯t me. And it didn¡¯t feel like you. He shifted. Salos? I don¡¯t know. He said finally. I don¡¯t know. It was me? It wasn¡¯t me? I don¡¯t know. They used your stats and your Elemental Manipulate, but that was my Hidden Blade skill, and the way they used their stats was nothing like you. And what they cared about¡­ The thought trailed off, tinged in a sorrow Cass didn¡¯t expect from Salos. What did they care about? Cass prodded. You know I have a broken Concept. Cass nodded. She¡¯d seen it when he shared his status screen with her in Uvana. She¡¯d asked about it then and he¡¯d said not to worry about it. It was at one point the Concept of Loyalty, he said. It was a foolish thing. A childish thing. Softer, he whispered. But perhaps a beautiful thing. He shook his head, his claws clenching her robes as he spoke. Loyalty is not something to stake your identity on. It is asking to be betrayed. Only a fool swears his undying allegiance to another. But the point I was getting at is that it felt like how I used to be. Long before all this. Back when things were simpler. Much simpler. Then, I was possessed by a ghost? Cass asked. I don¡¯t know. A sharp note crept into his voice. Frustration with her and their situation and his lack of knowledge overflowing. Ch. 63: Loot No longer possessed by the single-minded focus of demonic impulses, Cass finally had enough presence of mind to look around the room. The backroom reminded Cass of the science lab back in high school. Oh, it was a fair bit nicer than the permanent portable building they¡¯d dropped the poor chemistry teacher in, but it had that same, over-cramped vibe to the space. Tables¡ªnow overturned¡ªfilled most of the middle of the room in two rows and four columns. Each had been covered in vials and tools and burners. Now glass shards lay over the floor with what remained of them. The Keeper lay in a crumpled mess amid the tables. The pink crystals grown in the chamber beyond lay scattered about, most summoned by the Keeper, but some undoubtedly had been here before. Alyx set her teacup down and stood. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if that thing had any worthwhile loot. As big as it was, it should have.¡± Cass nodded. A flicker in her chest whispered she shouldn¡¯t let anyone else near the corpse. That someone else might steal what was hers. Cass ignored it. Alyx hadn¡¯t noticed or been interested in the Caretaker¡¯s Core back in the Deep. It was unlikely she¡¯d feel differently about any similar items from the Keeper. ¡°I can do that!¡± Pellen shot up to do so. ¡°Someone in your position shouldn¡¯t need to¡ª¡± Alyx waved her off. ¡°I can handle it. You don¡¯t look like someone who spends much time with your elbows in monster guts.¡± Pellen made a face. ¡°You do, my lady? But isn¡¯t that what you have¡­¡± Pellen waved roughly at herself, Marco, and Cass, ¡°people for?¡± Alyx snorted. She pointed at Marco. ¡°My shield.¡± He smirked and nodded. Alyx pointed at Pellen. ¡°Support magic.¡± Pellen cocked her head to one side but didn¡¯t interrupt. Alyx pointed at Cass. ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Cass interjected. Alyx continued, unconcerned, turning back to Pellen, ¡°That¡¯s what each of you is ¡®for¡¯. That¡¯s all I expect. I can handle the rest. Go sit back down and recover your Focus. Or look through the tools back there. I can handle this.¡± Pellen pursed her lips but nodded. Alyx bent over the corpse while Pellen walked to the back of the room. It was lined in vats of colorful liquids, all lit from below by magic. Most were empty, but several contained crystals in various states of growth, from slivers no bigger than Cass¡¯s pinky, to ragged shards, to many pronged spiked things larger than Cass¡¯s head. Pellen moved from vat to vat, her eyes and grin growing wider with every successive sample. The sounds of cutting came from across the room as Alyx dug around in the thing¡¯s body for treasures. Every minute, Cass grew more anxious. More fidgety. Maybe she should go over there too. Maybe Alyx would pocket them and not tell anyone. Maybe¡ª ¡°What exactly are those for?¡± Cass asked Pellen, trying to find anything to think about that wasn¡¯t paranoidly accusing Alyx of stealing Salos¡¯s soul shard from the Keeper¡¯s corpse. ¡°Magic crystals,¡± Pellen said, waving Cass over excitedly. Cass joined her in front of one particularly large example. ¡°They are one of the most efficient forms of mana storage. Just imagine how big a ritual one could coordinate with a crystal of that size.¡± She sighed and said, ¡°Too bad it¡¯s tainted.¡± ¡°Tainted?¡± Cass asked. Pellen nodded. ¡°It¡¯s got some Concept imbued in its mana. Only the person who injected that mana could use that. Or maybe someone with closely matching Concepts?¡± Pellen shrugged. ¡°Do all the crystals in this room have concepts?¡± Cass asked. Pellen nodded. ¡°Looks like someone was experimenting with imbuing concepts into crystals once. Or maybe it was a required step in propagating crystals?¡± Her eyes drifted to Salos, big and pleading. He ignored her, pointedly not looking at her from Cass¡¯s shoulder. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Or,¡± she continued the disappointment in her voice. ¡°I suppose they became tainted at some point between the abandonment of these facilities and now. I¡¯ve heard of that happening, too.¡± ¡°Is there anything else of value in here?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Not the seeds, unfortunately,¡± Pellen said, nodding at the vats. ¡°If we had infinite carrying capacity, it would be interesting to take them and study them, but they¡¯re outside my area of expertise or interest, so it would be a side project at best for me. And I can¡¯t think of any of my colleagues who would be interested in it either. If you could convince someone else that you can grow crystals, you might get more interest, but I suspect you¡¯d rather not?¡± Her eyes drifted back to Salos with that last question. He nodded but didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Even though the ability to grow them would revolutionize the field of engineering?¡± He ignored her still. She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten what there was to get,¡± Alyx called as she walked back to the fire, shaking her head. ¡°There wasn¡¯t a lot.¡± Cass and Pellen hurried back to the group. Alyx held her hand out to reveal three perfect orbs and a bracelet. The orbs were each a dusty opaque color, one green, one purple, one maroon. Cass¡¯s chest clenched at the sight of them. Keeper¡¯s Cores (A-C) [The crystallized fragment of a soul used to power and control the Storehouse Crystal Keeper. A: Primarily Aracellian in composition. B: Primarily Nyxdran in composition. C: Primarily Vamphelish in composition.] Only one of these is your soul? Cass asked. Salos¡¯s hunger echoed her own. Yes, but the others might be good too. Good how? Cass asked. Power? They may fill the edges, fill the voids, complete me. Complete us. There was a rapturous edge to his voice. I don¡¯t think we should consume any of them right away, Cass said. Last time you fainted for over a day. I don¡¯t want to be down here on my own. Sure, sure, he whispered, though Cass felt he was barely listening, his eyes fixed on the orbs and how the firelight danced on their dusty surfaces. The last item was the bangle. It was made from bronze and studded with the same pink crystals as the keeper had controlled, though shaped and shined to glistening tears along the band. Cherryblossom Blizzard Bangle [Allows the wearer to summon a field of crystals to impede the movement of those within] ¡°How do you want to divide them?¡± Cass asked. ¡°You get last pick,¡± Alyx said with a glare. Cass bristled at the declaration, but there was no argument in her tone. This was another punishment for running in without warning. Possibly a punishment for pushing them in this direction in the first place. Definitely a punishment for keeping the why and what to herself. Cass kept her mouth shut. She could argue if someone tried to take the cores. Alyx held the loot out to Marco, ¡°You first.¡± ¡°Miss,¡± Marco shook his head. ¡°I insist,¡± she said. He nodded and selected the bangle. ¡°As you command.¡± Alyx looked between Cass and Pellen before holding her hand out to Pellen. ¡°You did an admirable job protecting us from that thing¡¯s attacks. Pick one as a bonus.¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes widened, looking between the gems. ¡°Really? I get a share of the loot?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me rethink this,¡± Alyx warned. Pellen¡¯s mouth snapped shut and she picked the red orb from Alyx¡¯s hand. Cass had to force herself not to protest. She only needed the purple one. The Nyxdran one. She could share the others. Alyx glared at Cass. ¡°And that leaves you.¡± ¡°I can have the rest?¡± Cass asked. Alyx¡¯s glare sharpened. ¡°No. You get one.¡± That was all she needed, and yet¡­ ¡°Can Salos pick one too?¡± ¡°Did Salos fight?¡± Alyx asked. Cass opened her mouth, then stopped. That was a question, wasn¡¯t it? To all appearances, the answer was ¡®no¡¯. Salos had disappeared before the fight started. By all accounts, ¡®no¡¯ was correct overall. The wearer of the Cowl wasn¡¯t Salos either. But it was more Salos than it was Cass. If she said yes here, Cass would be admitting as much. Should she? ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Alyx said to Cass¡¯s hesitance. ¡°Take one.¡± Cass picked up the purple one, the one she was sure was Salos¡¯s soul, and slipped it into her Bag. As soon as she did, the pull on her disappeared. Cass breathed a sigh of relief. She could still feel the pull of the one Alyx and Pellen held, but it was manageable. Alyx looked at the last core in her hand, rolling it around her palm. She opened her mouth, then shut it again, shaking her head. She shoved it in a pocket and then turned to the group. ¡°Are we ready to move on?¡± ¡°My Health is in the gutter,¡± Cass said. Alyx scowled. ¡°Yes, I bet it is. But we don¡¯t have time to wait here for several weeks for you to recover.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to refill my mana gem still, if that¡¯s okay?¡± Pellen chimed in. ¡°Do we not remember that there is a time limit?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°But my Focus is recovering much faster than I would have expected,¡± Pellen said. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take too much longer. Please? I promise it will be useful to us if I have it as a reserve.¡± Alyx scowled. ¡°A dull sword doesn¡¯t cut,¡± Marco quipped without getting up. If anything, he settled more firmly into his spot by the fire. Alyx threw her hands up. ¡°Fine. But we can¡¯t wait for your Health to fully recover!¡± She pointed angrily at Cass. To Pellen, she added, ¡°Let me know when your Focus is full. Every minute, Fioreya is another step closer to the goal.¡± Ch. 64: The Seventh Floor ¡°I¡¯m full,¡± Pellen announced a little while later. Cass¡¯s Focus has recovered too, but her Health was a long way off. Stamina: 129/129 Focus: 441/441 Health: 41/114 ¡°Let¡¯s get moving then,¡± Alyx said. To Salos, she added, ¡°Lead the way.¡± He nodded and hopped down from Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This way.¡± They followed him through the dark corridors of the Storehouse. Another couple of hallways and they found themselves in front of the stairs leading down again. ¡°After you,¡± Salos said to Alyx. ¡°The way down, as promised.¡± Alyx snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that this side jaunt was about the shortcut.¡± ¡°But it was a shortcut.¡± Alyx glared at him, but let him have the last word. They traveled down another floor, arriving in a wide room with a cavernous ceiling. It was easily the biggest room she¡¯d seen down here, at least as big as the arena field in the coliseum above. Several pillars stood throughout the room. Each was wider than Cass was tall and made from glistening black stone. Runes ran up and down their length, glowing visually in greens and purples and blazing the same to Cass¡¯s Mana Sense. ¡°Stop!¡± Marco barked, grabbing Pellen¡¯s collar and pulling her back while the rest of the group froze. Lightning arched off the pillar, filling the room with the smell of burnt ozone. It settled back into quiet as if nothing had happened. ¡°What was that?¡± Pellen squeaked. ¡°Pillar o¡¯ Lightning,¡± Marco said. ¡°There are a couple on this floor. They go off if you get too close to ¡®em.¡± They were still standing five or six yards away from it, barely inside the room. This was too close? ¡°How do we get through?¡± Cass asked. She could probably get through on her own with Wind Step, Dodge, and Elemental Manipulation, but she didn¡¯t think she could keep that much lightning off a group this large for as long as it would take to cross the room. ¡°I was hoping Fioreya would have taken them out already. I didn¡¯t expect to beat her down here,¡± Alyx admitted. ¡°But I think I can destroy the pillar from here.¡± She drew her sword, the amber glow of her aura coating the blade. She held it, letting the light surge around her. When it had grown too bright to look at, she swung, throwing the blade across the room. The amber crescent arched through the air, striking the center of the pillar with a crash of light and sound. The stone cracked and the pillar crumbled. The lights glowing along its length dimmed as it fell. ¡°Easy,¡± Alyx said, striding forward. ¡°Your wanton destruction is as impressive as ever,¡± Salos said, stalking forward behind her. But something was off. It itched at the back of Cass¡¯s mind. The hairs stood on end along her neck. ¡°Did you have a better idea?¡± Alyx asked him.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Salos bristled. ¡°If not for your highly conspicuous presence, I would have slipped across without so much as setting off their sensors. Trap Detection whispered something was coming. What was it? What was coming? Nothing was moving. There were no new mana sources. The air was still. But something was coming. ¡°A shame we had to destroy it,¡± Pellen said, looking longingly at the rubble in the center of the room. Cass¡¯s eyes widened as she saw it. ¡°Pellen get back!¡± Trap Detection has increased to level 3. Cass Sprinted forward. Pellen¡¯s head tilted as she turned toward Cass, confusion dominate in her eyes. The rubble shook. It rose. Cass threw herself forward, throwing all her Strength into her leg muscles. She threw Pellen down as the rubble exploded over them. Pellen screamed. Alyx and Marco¡¯s alarm joined the air. ¡°Cass, get out of there!¡± Salos shouted. Above her towered an enormous golem, lightning arching off its body in every direction. Obsidian Golem [The Averenis family was once famous for their autonomous constructs. The Obsidian Golems were once their signature guardian, powerful enough to stop Ascending warriors in their tracks and able to reconstruct themselves from even the smallest shards. Though the years and successive reconstruction have significantly degraded these capabilities, they remain steadfast guardians of their master¡¯s most valuable treasures.] It lifted a foot over them, wider across than Cass was tall. It was all she could see. Hell. She rolled, dragging Pellen with her. Pellen¡¯s scream had transitioned into a frantic chant. The foot came down. Marco rushed the golem, his shield striking its stationary leg with a crashing impact. The golem shook, off balance. Cass took the chance and swung her staff. She instinctively grabbed at Wind Blade, only to remember the skill was gone. It was like walking down a flight of stairs she¡¯d traveled a hundred times, certain she knew the number of steps, only to find one more than she thought at the bottom. Her heart skipped a beat as her metaphorical foot expected to find solid ground, only to find empty air. The golem¡¯s foot fell. Cass scrambled. The metaphorical foot landed. She found Tempest Blade. A gale roared to life along her staff, the blade forming from twisting wind all slicing at the surrounding air, begging to be released on a foe. Cass threw it with all her Will. It and the golem collided. The golem staggered back. Alyx leapt, her sword striking it across the chest. The foot came down, delayed only a handful of seconds, but delayed enough to land on Pellen¡¯s summoned shield. The shield glowed red immediately, no match for the golem¡¯s immense weight and power. Cass pulled them out of the way just as the shield failed. It crashed down behind them as they scurried out of the way. Cass gave the little mage a push, sending her running before turning her attention to the golem. It was a towering creature, standing at half the height of the original pillar, humanoid in form, with clubs for arms and pillars of broken stone for legs. It was a construct of glossy black stone and wreathed in electricity. Its head was a ball of writhing lightning. Mana Sense said that the head was the core. She activated Tempest Blade again, drawing the surrounding air into a vibrating blade. Wind Blade had been content to sit on her staff indefinitely, but Tempest Blade had no such patience. It wanted to fly, to expand, to cut. That was fine. She wanted the same. She threw the gathered blade of wind at the golem¡¯s head. Then another. And another at its chest. Tempest Blade wanted to keep going. For the winds to keep flying. Yet, they passed harmlessly through the golem¡¯s lightning-ball head and buffeted off its chest, leaving only the thinnest spiderweb cracks in the obsidian. Meanwhile, it swung at Alyx, one of its clubs for arms crashing into the stone floor as she dodged out of the way. Her sword returned the attack, biting into the golem¡¯s arm, a large flake of black stone breaking away with her sword. The golem didn¡¯t notice, sweeping its arm over the ground at Alyx. Marco stepped between them. His shield flared with red light as the club hit it, but the golem stopped in place. Alyx darted around him, leaping onto the golem¡¯s arm and running up its length. She swung down on the ball of lightning, her sword wrapped in her amber aura. The lightning exploded as the sword pierced the ball, filling the room with lightning. Cass grabbed the lightning near her with Elemental Manipulation before it could strike her, sending it back at the golem. Marco blocked with his shield. Pellen was standing far enough back. Alyx took it at point blank, her body going limp. She dropped from its shoulder. Hell. Ch. 65: Obsidian Golem The golem continued sparking as Cass ran toward it and Alyx. She redirected arch after arch of lightning to the side. Where the lightning struck stone, monsters rose from the ground or emerged from the walls. They were gaunt creatures, their form hazy and indistinctly humanoid, ghostly and glowing electric blue. Living Lightning Lvl 15 [A piece of living storm, given body on a physical plane. Trapped in a lightning trap, they have been forced to guard this pathway until their spark expires.] One got in front of Cass. She swung her staff through it. She didn¡¯t have time to fight it. Alyx was falling. Her staff passed through it with barely any resistance. It lunged for her. Cass dodged around, its electric body buzzing over her skin. Another materialized before her. She summoned a Tempest Blade. Maybe like the living shadows of the Deep, only mana attacks could harm them and, like Mana Blade before it, Tempest Blade was imbued with her mana. She sliced through the living lightning. Its form flickered in the gust. Enough for her to barrel through the thing. Cass was almost there. Alyx was so close to the ground. Could she throw up a gust to slow her fall? There wasn¡¯t time to second guess herself. She pulled up a gust with her staff and Elemental Manipulation, duplicating the trick she¡¯d used to stop her fall earlier. Alyx alighted softly on the ground a moment later. A gentle landing, but she wasn¡¯t moving. They were between the golem and the living lightning. Focus: 325/441 Pellen shouted something arcane and the golem froze mid-swing on Marco. The guardsman switched from a guard to a wild series of sword strikes on the nearby lightning monsters. His sword shone red just before it struck the things. They exploded as his sword sunk into them, spraying sparks of electricity over everything around them. Most hit his shield. He grit his teeth through the rest. Cass was similarly surrounded. Behind her, the golem and Alyx, ahead, countless living lightning. One of the living lightning charged. It moved. One moment, a yard in front of her. The next, it materialized in front of her in a spray of sparks and light. Its hand raked through her. It burned where lightning claws touched slyphid flesh. Her muscles seized, but it wasn¡¯t enough to paralyze her in place. She swung her staff, the Tempest Blade at the end ripping through it. It sputtered out of existence, clearing the way for the next spirit. Cass swung again and again, cutting them down one after another. Or maybe not? They reappeared at the back of the crowd. Was it the same ones simply teleporting themselves to safety or were there simply an endless number of monsters? One snuck around her, angling for Alyx, still prone behind her. Salos appeared from nowhere, shadows clinging to his body. He swiped through the lightning, his claws glistening in the dark. The living lightning exploded in sparks. Another appeared beside Marco. This wasn¡¯t working. Whether it was the same ones teleporting or an endless number, they wouldn¡¯t last like this. They would be overwhelmed eventually. It was just a matter of time. But what could they do about it? Pellen was preoccupied with holding the golem in place. She and Marco were just treading water. Alyx had gone for the core and had been incapacitated for the attempt. Cass had thrown Tempest Blade at it and it hadn¡¯t done a thing. Another Lightning spirit dissolved before Cass¡¯s blade. Another. How did one destroy a giant rock monster? Did they need to destroy it? The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The thought hit her like lightning. She froze, the swing of her glaive catching in midair. They actively didn¡¯t want to destroy it. Every monster they left alive was an obstacle for Fioreya and Kohen. They just needed to get across the room to the doors without the living lightning catching them or the golem crushing them. If Pellen could keep up what she was doing, that just left the lightning. The endless lightning. Go tell Pellen to move toward the far door, Cass ordered Salos. There are more pillars between us and it, you know, he warned. Cass cursed under her breath. She had forgotten, too focused on the immediate problem. Best case, it was just another lightning trap. Worst case, they were more golems. Either way, Pellen was not making it through on her own. How is Alyx? Cass asked. Breathing, Salos answered. I can tell that much, Cass shot back as she cut down another pair of living lightning. How soon until she can move? I think she is conscious if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. No idea how long the paralysis effect will last, though. Cass grimaced. How did they get out of this one? Retreat the way they¡¯d come and regroup? And then what? That put them no closer to killing or sneaking past these things. Could you get Pellen across the second pillar? Cass asked. Maybe if you took the cowl and had her wear it? She could feel him thinking it over as he slashed through another spirit. Not without a distraction, he said, which would also set off the pillar, so it would not help. What about the golem? Could you hide her from it? It does not seem particularly perceptive. Probably. The ghost of a plan was coming together. Step one: make everything a lot worse. ¡°Protect Alyx,¡± Cass said aloud and burst away before Salos could argue. What do you mean, ¡®Protect Alyx¡¯? Don¡¯t just run off! I know you can hear me. Cass sliced through another wave of spirits, their bodies dissolving into sparks before her as she ran toward the next pillar, the gust of Stormstride Sprint announcing her presence. There was not one but two pillars between them and the exit, to her dismay. But it would be fine. She leapt into the range of the pillar, sharpening the Tempest Blade along her staff into a spear, narrow and piercing. Tempest Blade resisted the shape. A storm was sweeping. A storm was all-encompassing. Precision was not the business of storms. Cass forced its shape anyway, her Will compressing it as she desired. The pillar sparked, glowing with energy and gathering lightning from the air. She stabbed at the monolith. It bit into the pillar¡¯s face. A crack ran across it and the glassy surface shattered. Chunks of obsidian fell around her, but she didn¡¯t have time to wait to see if they formed another golem. She Stormed on to the next one, the next Tempest Blade already howling on her staff. Cass! Salos hissed after her. There are too many for me to handle alone! What are you doing? Another minute, Cass said. The next pillar was already building lightning around it. Cass could feel it in the air. Like it knew what was coming and was preparing ahead of time. Or perhaps it had grabbed onto the energy the previous pillar had built but hadn¡¯t gotten to use. All Cass knew was there were seconds left before it went off. Could she break it before it did? Maybe. Her staff buzzed, the Tempest Blade vibrating as she ran. Lightning sparked around her. She would not make it. She needed to protect herself with Elemental Manipulation and grab the lightning. Could she do that and hold Tempest Blade as unruly as it was? There wasn¡¯t a choice. She pulled the lightning along her staff, pulled it away from her skin, corralled it along her blade. It strained. The wind wanted to fly away. The mana wanted to spill out. The lightning wanted to explode in every direction. Her Will burned with the effort. Her Focus strained. Focus: 276/441 But she held it. And she slammed all of it into the pillar. It exploded into a sea of shards. Lightning burst out uncontrollably from her blade and coursed down the pillar. Cass! Salos shouted. He was overrun. There were too many spirits crowding around him and Alyx. She needed to get back immediately. Already, the second pillar¡¯s rubble was rumbling as a second golem woke. She threw another Tempest Blade and stepped onto it, racing across the room back to Salos. Rather than step off immediately as she approached, she rode it, slicing through the gathering crowd. Tempest Blade laughed manically as the spirits dissolved into sparks before her. ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± she said as she rematerialized and let the tempest die. ¡°Where did you go? Why did you go wake up more golems?¡± Salos asked. ¡°We are struggling with the one!¡± ¡°I have a plan,¡± Cass said. He groaned. Cass pulled off her hood and held it out to Salos. ¡°Go to Pellen, get her to the far doors, and tell Marco to get over here.¡± ¡°Fine, fine, fine,¡± Salos said, snatching the cowl from her hands in his mouth. But you better not die. ¡°Of course,¡± Cass said as he disappeared. Now she just needed to wait for Marco. And hope he got here before the two new golems. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Salos reappear on Marco¡¯s shoulder before disappearing again with Pellen. Ch. 66: Dance on the Wind Cass struck down spirit after spirit, every sweep of her staff destroying two or three or more. Yet they kept coming. Above her, she could feel the first golem shaking, pressing free from the bindings Pellen held it in. Marco cut his way toward her. ¡°Abyss and blood,¡± Alyx wheezed, pushing herself up. ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Cass said. It was a stupid thing to say. She already knew Alyx was alive, but she was just so surprised to see Alyx moving, albeit poorly, that it just spilled out. Alyx grunted. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Cass spun around, her staff stabbing over Alyx¡¯s shoulder, slicing down a spirit that had snuck around. This was harder without Salos here to cover her back. ¡°Cass, is that two more golems, or am I seeing triple?¡± ¡°Two more golems.¡± Alyx sighed, struggling to her feet. Her leg twitched and she collapsed again. She cursed repeatedly under her breath. ¡°Marco¡¯s coming,¡± Cass said. ¡°When he gets here, the two of you need to move as fast as you can toward the far doors. Salos and Pellen are already halfway there.¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shot her a tight smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°That fails to reassure me.¡± I would also like to know what the next step of your plan is, Salos said. Cass cut down another wave of spirits instead of answering. The golem above them was shaking a lot. Worryingly so. Had Pellen already used up all her Focus? Was it harder to hold over larger distances? Both? She wished she knew more about spells. ¡°How much can you move?¡± Cass asked. ¡°A little?¡± Alyx said, pushing herself to her feet again. She shook like a leaf, her muscles barely listening to the commands of her body. She leaned on her sword in its sheath, using it as a cane. ¡°Start walking toward Marco,¡± Cass said, pointing behind them in between swings of her staff. Alyx nodded, hobbling in the indicated direction. Cass orbited around her, slicing through every spirit within two yards of Alyx. ¡°Real quick, what happened when you tried to cut the golem¡¯s core?¡± Cass asked. Alyx groaned. ¡°I used Heaven¡¯s Strike to protect my blade from the lightning, but without a Lightning Concept, my aura wasn¡¯t enough to insulate me or the blade before I could cut the obsidian core.¡± ¡°The obsidian core?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded weakly. ¡°At the center of the ball of lightning is a stone about as big as your fist. That¡¯s the golem¡¯s core. Destroy it and the whole thing should come down.¡± She looked down at her sword. ¡°Or that¡¯s what I was told.¡± That was good to know. That meant the lightning itself wasn¡¯t the core and that Alyx¡¯s failure to cut it had nothing to do with it being immune to aura attacks. Cass¡¯s messy Tempest Blade had probably missed the dead center, too. ¡°Miss,¡± Marco called as he reached them. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Get her across the room, Marco,¡± Cass cut off Alyx¡¯s answer. He looked between the far doors, the three enormous golems, and Cass. ¡°I¡¯d like to but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep them off you,¡± Cass promised. Salos! What? Salos asked. Finally ready to talk to me, huh? Hit me with Fairy Fire as soon as I¡¯m away from Alyx. Blood and Abyss, Cass, is your plan to be bait again? Do it, Salos, Cass Sprinted away from Alyx and Marco. Alyx draped an arm over the older man¡¯s shoulder, the two hobbling away as quickly as Alyx could along the wall. Marco slashed at anything that got close with his free arm.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Fine! Salos grumbled. Cass¡¯s body lit up in magenta flames. The golems had no eyes, but she could feel their gaze settle on her all the same. At the same time, Pellen¡¯s spell failed. The first golem¡¯s bindings broke. Perhaps it was simply bad timing. Perhaps it was the new bloodlust instilled from Salos¡¯s Fairy Fire. It didn¡¯t matter. The whoosh of air as its arm swung down on her was her only warning. Cass leapt out of the way, dashing back toward the doors they¡¯d entered from. Leapt into a horde of Living Lightning. Their hands grabbed at her, sending volts of electricity down her spine and over her skin. She pulled away, but there were more. And more. Cass swung her staff, scattering those nearby long enough for her to step out of the golem¡¯s next slams. A crazy thought bloomed in her mind¡¯s eye. A memory of how the wearer of the cowl had moved earlier. Those had been her stats, hadn¡¯t they? How high had they jumped? How elegantly had they moved? Could she do that too? Could she move like that? She leapt before she¡¯d thought it through. Before she had time to convince herself that those movements were due to some skill or training or natural grace she lacked. The air embraced her as she floated through it. The wind wrapped around her and settled easily beneath her as she landed atop the golem¡¯s arm. It shook as it lifted again, but her legs easily compensated for the movement. She could have danced on it. Another golem caught up, its arm swinging down on her atop the first. She Dodged further up the arm, skipping as the second¡¯s arm crashed into the first. A huge chunk of both splintered off, black obsidian falling in sheets from the impact. She kept running up its arm, amazed at how easily her body maintained its balance without a thought from her, even as the arm lifted and swayed with the golem¡¯s movement. She reached the shoulder and jumped as the second golem swung at her again. She floated out of the way, slowing her fall with a quick gust at the bottom and breaking the last of the impact with a bend of the knees. She rolled out of the way of a golem¡¯s stomp and sliced free of another cloud of living lightning. They couldn¡¯t catch her. She was the wind. This was what the wind meant. Air swirled around her. She was intangible. Always just out of the grasp of the living lightning. Always just outside the strikes and stomps of the golems. The third golem had joined the fray. But they were having no better time pinning her down with the added body than they had a moment before. What could one more lumbering construct do when none of the hundreds of lightning-quick hands could before? It didn¡¯t matter how many she did or didn¡¯t kill. It didn¡¯t matter how many chased her. As long as it was just her, they couldn¡¯t touch her. The door swung open. Cass froze. That wasn¡¯t the doors leading deeper into the catacombs. Those were the doors leading back the way they¡¯d come. And that wasn¡¯t Pellen or Alyx or Marco standing in the doorway. That was Fioreya Veldor in all her crimson glory at the ready, sword in hand, violence in her eyes. Behind her stood her team: a large woman with a larger sword, a man with a bow and shifting eyes, and a slight man with a short sword and wand. Power oozed off them. Fioreya had caught up. Salos, switch your fire to Fioreya, Cass commanded. The fire around her winked out and Salos materialized on her shoulder. A moment later, Fioreya burst into purple flames. Immediately, the eyes of every living lightning shifted on her and the golems all turned toward the door. Cass dropped into Stealth and ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She could see Pellen on the far side of the room. She looked exhausted, sagging against the wall. Alyx and Marco were most of the way there, Alyx walking with more strength than when Cass had last watched her, the effects of the lightning wearing off slowly but surely. Stamina: 63/129 Focus: 257/441 Health: 41/114 Cass was doing better than either Alyx or Pellen, but she and Marco couldn¡¯t fight Fioreya on top of everything else. A shadow slipped around Cass as she hurried away. Abyssal Aura, Salos explained, to aid your Stealth. Let¡¯s get out of here. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of conflict. The wave of living lightning had descended on the Fioreya¡¯s party. They focused on her, swarming her with a madness of zombies. Her blade sliced through them, but they were no less endless on her blade than they had been to Cass or Alyx¡¯s. The large woman cleaved them tens at a time. The archer and the mage stood behind them, ignoring the living lighting in favor of the swiftly approaching golems. They both peppered the golems with projectiles, no two quite the same. Most bounced off harmlessly until one mage bolt¡ªglowing green and pulsing sickly¡ªstruck the golem¡¯s chest and left a dull discoloration on the otherwise shining surface. Every projectile from that point had that same characteristic, and it wasn¡¯t long before that golem had slowed behind the other two from the effects of the spell. Alyx had reached the door and Cass wasn¡¯t far behind. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Alyx said, gesturing for Pellen to open the door. As the doors opened, Cass saw Fioreya leap into the air, easily clearing the golem¡¯s head in a single bound. On her downward arch, her blade glowed with lighting, crashing down on the nearest one¡¯s lightning-wreathed head. It was the same skill Alyx had used, but backed by Fioreya¡¯s Lightning Concept. The blade trailed lightning as she fell toward her target. It sucked up the lighting around the golem¡¯s core as it sliced down, crushing the obsidian stone in the center. The golem collapsed as the doors slammed shut again behind them. ¡°We need to run,¡± Alyx said, pushing herself off Marco. She was unsteady on her feet, but she didn¡¯t immediately fall. She looked at Salos and added, ¡°And if you have any other shortcuts, now is the moment to tell me.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a straight shot from here.¡± ¡°Then we go!¡± Alyx said and without waiting for anyone to respond, she took off down the stairs. The others exchanged a look. A loud bang from Fioreya¡¯s side of the door ended any argument before it started. They took off sprinting after Alyx. Ch. 67: Run They ran down the halls. The lights flickered on and then off again as they ran past under the effects of Salos¡¯s Abyssal Aura. Cass, who had begun at the back of the group, had quickly caught up with Alyx at the front. Marco brought up the rear, carrying Pellen over one shoulder. ¡°The golems won¡¯t keep Fioreya long,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Heaven¡¯s Blade, when backed by a proper Lightning Concept, can easily split their cores. Hopefully, the Living Lightning gives her some pause.¡± ¡°We waded through them pretty easily though,¡± Cass pointed out. ¡°And my Fairy Fire will wear off quickly if I get too far away from them,¡± Salos added. Could they stay ahead? It didn¡¯t feel like it was possible. Not as tired as they all were. Not when Fioreya could take down monsters like those golems in a single strike. Was there anything that could turn this in their favor? Cass flipped through her notifications quickly. Wind Step has increased to level 12. Wind Step has increased to level 13. Dodge has increased to level 19. Dodge has increased to level 20. Dodge has increased to level 21. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 13. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 14. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 21. Tempest Blade has increased to level 13. Tempest Blade has increased to level 14. That was much more than Cass was expecting. But nothing that changed their current situation. A group of gophers appeared in the room ahead. Alyx slashed through the first two as she ran past. ¡°Keep running!¡± Marco readjusted his grip on Pellen and barreled forward. A gopher appeared on his far side, blades swinging. Cass Stormstride Sprinted across the room, her Tempest Blade slicing for its core. Her staff caught its blades and Salos appeared behind it, his claws sinking through its chest. Cass spun into the next one while Marco kept running. They fled the room, pushing forward as fast as Alyx could clear the way. Stamina: 57/129 Focus: 247/432 The next room was snakes. Cass Sprinted ahead and blasted a path clear with a gust of wind. The smaller snakes were pushed to either side while Alyx decapitated the largest one that had resisted Cass¡¯s attack. Marco didn¡¯t slow a single step as they ran through. Stamina: 53/129 Focus: 237/432 How close was Fioreya? Could they stay ahead of her? Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Should she Elemental Manipulation the doors closed? They were stone. Was it possible to fuse them? It had to be worth trying on the next door. Alyx burst through them and into the next room, this one empty save for a pair of crocodiles hanging from either side of the opposite door. They shot off bolts of lightning as Alyx entered. Cass grabbed them with Elemental Manipulation and bent them down the hall into the distant dark. She had no idea if it hit anyone and wasn¡¯t sure she really wanted it to. Alyx and Marco bolted through the doors on the other side of the room before the crocs had time to charge another shot. Cass hesitated. If she could seal both sets, that would be better, right? But the crocs were already charging their next shots, their maws aimed at her. Hell. She had to try it. She slammed them shut behind her and shoved her hand up to the crack in the door, forcing Elemental Manipulation through it. The stone resisted her. It had a shape. It liked its shape. What are you doing? Salos demanded from her shoulder. Improvising, Cass answered, shoving more Focus into the skill. The stone resisted. You can¡¯t reshape Kultorn-craftsmen-shaped works, Salos protested. I don¡¯t know what that means and I don¡¯t have time for you to explain, Cass snapped back. She glanced over her shoulder. The crocodiles¡¯ gems were glowing. Two of four on the first. Three of five on the second. She was running out of time. How close was Fioreya? If she couldn¡¯t shape the doors directly, what could she do? Was it just the doors? They opened in. Could she brace them? She slammed her staff into the floor, spreading Elemental Manipulation wide, looking for stone she could manipulate. The stone directly around the door was resistant, but a foot into the room, it moved with the ease she¡¯d come to expect. She yanked it up, slamming the mass of stone against the door. Was it enough? Could it stop Fioreya? What about her big swordswoman? Would it be enough to slow them at least? Behind her, she felt the blast of lightning released from the mouth of the first crocodile. She leapt to the side, the lighting flying past her. It exploded into sparks as it hit the wall behind her, the buzzing energy filling the air and brushing against the back of her neck. It was time to go. She sprinted out of the room as the next croc released its attack. Stamina: 51/129 Focus: 162/432 She slammed the door behind her, barring the door again. And then she ran. They kept running. Room after room. Stamina: 48/129 Focus: 138/432 After room. Stamina: 43/129 Focus: 116/432 Exhaustion was mounting. She could feel her muscles protesting. A headache was building at the edges of her mind. Behind, she could hear the sounds of fighting. Of explosions and impacts and destruction. Fioreya was catching up. Quickly. They entered another room like so many before. However, in the center of this one was a Wolf. Its eyes glinted cruelly in the torchlight. Soulbound Wolf (Lvl 27) Alyx signaled Marco, still carrying Pellen, one way while she ran the other. Go with them, Cass instructed Salos. Hide them, focus its attention on me and Alyx. Salos leapt to Marco¡¯s free shoulder, shrouding them in his Abyssal Aura while Alyx lit up in his magenta Fairy Fire. Cass shut the door again, bracing it with as big a mass of stone as she could pull from the floor and push against them. The wolf howled and charged Alyx. She parried its sword with her own, returning the strike with her own. It bent out of the way, dancing back a step before lunging forward again. Cass Stealthed behind it, striking with a Tempest Blade. It screamed and turned to look for her. Alyx took advantage of the distraction to jam her sword between its ribs. The wound was reflected across its body, green ectoplasm leaked from countless wounds. And then the door exploded. Rock flew in every direction. Chunks pelted Cass. They cascaded off the wolf and Alyx and over the floor. Fioreya strode into the room. Her sword dripped in green goo. Her armor was stained in the stuff. Salos! Cass called, but he didn¡¯t need instruction. His Fairy Fire flickered back onto Fioreya. Alyx pulled her blade from the wolf and turned to run for the far doors where Marco and Pellen already waited. Cass Sprinted after her. The wolf charged Fioreya with a howl. Her sword snaked out. Silver flashed across its neck. The wolf¡¯s head fell to the stone floor, its body collapsing beside it. Fioreya had caught up. Ch. 68: Ones Place Alyx and Fioreya stared at one another, neither moving. Behind the other noblewoman, her team gathered, all as ichor stained but none particularly winded. Vaisom Fang (Lvl 32) Vaisom Swordsman (lvl 30) Vaisom Ranger (lvl 28) Vaisom Mage (lvl 29) Marco had set Pellen down beside the far door. Salos had disappeared, but Cass could feel him nearby. She and Alyx stood in the center of the room, their weapons drawn, their breathing ragged. Stamina: 40/129 Focus: 107/432 Health: 40/114 Both sides waited for their leader to make a move. Was this going to be a battle or a conversation? Would Alyx give up quietly, or was she about to start a futile fight? ¡°You¡¯ve done well,¡± Fioreya commented, the tip of her sword resting on the end of her armored foot¡ªat ease but not sheathed. ¡°Thanks,¡± Alyx said, her sword resting over her shoulder. ¡°But this is as far as you go,¡± Fioreya said. ¡°I recommend you acknowledge your position and let us pass.¡± ¡°What position is that?¡± Alyx asked. Fioreya snorted. ¡°There is no need for bravado. You know as well as I that you are undeserving of a dragon¡¯s bond. Let¡¯s not waste the major blessing on you. Step aside now and I¡¯ll take you up under my banner. Clearly, you have potential to have made it this far.¡± Alyx laughed. ¡°You¡¯d do me that favor, huh? You¡¯ll let me work for you?¡± ¡°I am a true daughter of house Veldor, an heir of the Grand Duchess. The most promising warrior of our generation.¡± The air flexed and twisted around Fioreya as she spoke. There was a weight to her words. They were intrinsically true. They hung with authority. ¡°Just think what you would receive working for me you have to claw and fight for on your own? Think about what I can give you simply for supporting my path. ¡°There is no shame in admitting your place is not at the top. You are a lost child of a disgraced house, grudgingly taken in by your blood father on the orders of our grandmother because it would have been a greater embarrassment if you¡¯d starved to death on the streets. ¡°This is not in and of itself shameful, but there is only so far you can go. Trying for more than you can handle, that¡¯s the shame.¡± Alyx¡¯s hand clenched around her sword. ¡°That so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simply how it is.¡± Fioreya shrugged. ¡°Accept my favor. Let me raise you beyond the sad circumstances of your mother.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°If that¡¯s all you see, then I can¡¯t accept.¡± ¡°You¡¯re refusing?¡± Fioreya asked, her sword rising to a low guard. The sigh in her voice was resigned, but not surprised. Alyx¡¯s arm engaged, holding her sword ready, though it hadn¡¯t moved more than an inch off its resting place on her shoulder. ¡°I am Alyx Aretios Veldor, daughter of Dragon Knight Aris and heir of the Grand Duchess. I will defeat you here and I will claim the major blessing of Alacrity.¡± Alyx¡¯s crown and sword flared to life with her aura. She glowed amber, brighter than the cold purple lights of the room. They were doing this then. Cass gripped her staff, a Tempest Blade springing to life at the end. Salos stalked around to their flank. She could feel him waiting for an opening. Marco stepped forward, his shield and sword ready. Pellen forced herself to her feet at the far door, her eyes wide and her head flicking back and forth between Alyx and Fioreya.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Last chance,¡± Fioreya said. ¡°Any who lay down their arms now will be spared.¡± The noblewoman¡¯s words rang with good sense. The average level on Fioreya¡¯s side was much higher than on Alyx¡¯s. Fioreya was only two levels lower than Marco, while her Ranger¡ªher weakest companion¡ªwas twelve levels stronger than Salos¡ªthe lowest leveled member of Alyx¡¯s team. This was a losing battle. More so than Alyx¡¯s struggles with the assassins in Uvana, more than against the Boar, more so than her and Pellen¡¯s fight with the Wolf. We should back out, Salos whispered. This isn¡¯t our fight. We aren¡¯t at our best and that woman could beat us even at her worst. That good sense twisted around Cass. It was sticky and cold around her mind. Inevitable and yet? Was she going to give up on Alyx at this point? Status Effect (Noble Suggestions) Ignored. ¡°She¡¯s using a social skill,¡± Cass announced. ¡°Ignore her.¡± Fioreya raised an eyebrow, regarding Cass for the first time. Be that as it may, Salos muttered. We aren¡¯t abandoning Alyx here, Cass told him. Fine, fine. ¡°W-wait! Are we doing this?¡± Pellen squeaked. She looked like a meerkat, her head jerking every which way for a way out. ¡°Flee if you must,¡± Alyx growled, ¡°But I will not help you out of the Catacombs if you betray us now.¡± Pellen¡¯s face blanched. ¡°And I will personally find you the Concept Gem you wanted if you stay,¡± Alyx added. Pellen¡¯s knees shook, but she flipped her tome open with a nod. ¡°I-I understand. Thank you!¡± Fioreya snorted. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Last chance to let us go peacefully,¡± Alyx said. Fioreya laughed. It was a cold, bitter thing. ¡°You are in no position to negotiate such a thing from me. I should be offering that to you.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d have to refuse,¡± Alyx said. ¡°So be it.¡± Fioreya burst forward. Her sword clashed with Alyx¡¯s, their auras exploding in a sea of amber and electric blue. Fioreya¡¯s mage flicked his wrist, his wand tracing an intricate pattern in the air, and a set of twelve obsidian shards materialized above him. With another flick of the wrist, they shot forward, the vast majority of them aimed at Cass and Pellen. Pellen was already chanting, but Cass had no idea how quickly the little mage would be done or if she could block all the projectiles. They moved slow enough Cass was confident she could Dodge them all. But could Pellen? Time slowed as her Alacrity kicked her thoughts into high gear. She could see Marco was pulling up his shield. It was glowing. He would block many of them with his skill. Not all of them, though. Salos had disappeared, though she could feel him through their bond, stalking around behind the mage. He¡¯d prevent the next casting, but it was too late to stop this one. Alyx was engaged with Fioreya, their swords locked in a contest, neither willing to break so soon. That left Cass to do something. She knew from the fight with the Keeper that Elemental Manipulation was not good at grabbing crystalline structures¡ªor, at least, she was not adept in using it for that purpose. Add the fact she had yet to make stone float, Cass didn¡¯t have any confidence she could meaningfully redirect them with that skill. But that didn¡¯t mean she was entirely out of luck. She was undoubtedly faster than the projectiles. Her Wind-fueled Dexterity made sure of that. If she was fast enough to Dodge, could she possibly be fast enough to deflect them? It was as good a plan as any other. Her body was already in motion toward Pellen, skirting out of the path of the ones aimed at her. Four struck the floor, missing her. Five more were caught on Marco¡¯s shield skill. They exploded into razor shards on impact, natural shrapnel. That left three more still flying unerringly at their trembling mage. Cass swung her staff, the Tempest Blade at its tip roaring to strike down her target. The first stone went down, shrapnel exploding around her. Cass¡¯s eyes snapped shut instinctively to protect them, but Atmospheric Sense could still pinpoint the exact location of the last two. Another swing, another explosion of obsidian shrapnel. And then there was one, just outside Cass¡¯s reach. She leapt, reaching for it. Her staff connected, inches from Pellen¡¯s face. Except, if it exploded here, the shrapnel would be worse than if she¡¯d let the entire projectile skewer the mage. But she couldn¡¯t stop her staff now. It had already made impact. The obsidian projectile was already shattering. Pellen¡¯s eyes flinched, her hands flew up over her face, impossibly slow to Cass¡¯s Alacrity sped perception. Each piece was tiny. There were hundreds of them. There was no way for her to catch them all. But catching was the wrong framing. They just needed to go somewhere other than Pellen¡¯s face. And the tiny fragments were plenty small enough for a strong wind to blow them off course. Cass blasted Elemental Manipulation through her staff, directing her summoned gust down and to the right. It was a torrent of air. The shards scoured the floor, leaving a section of stone with intense scrapes. Cass¡¯s shoulders relaxed as the immediate danger passed. Only for Atmospheric Sense to scream a large body was approaching at speed. Pellen shouted the last words of her Chant as Cass spun. A barrier of dark blue force sprung into the space between Cass and their attacker. It was Fioreya¡¯s swordswoman. Ch. 69: Melee Fioreya¡¯s swordswoman was a head taller than Cass, if not more. Frozen in shock below the woman¡¯s arrested sword, it felt like much more. She wore crimson plate armor. A serpent was etched into the plates, winding up her body. It was the kind of pattern one might not notice unless you were up close and personal with the wearer. And her sword was even bigger. The blade must have been longer than Cass was tall. Was it taller than its wielder? Maybe. It was a huge chopping instrument, its width easily as wide as Cass¡¯s shoulders. Energy coiled up and down the blade like rabid dogs foaming at the mouth to be released. An Earth human could not have held the thing. Not if it was even half as heavy as it looked. Not if they were a professional weight lifter. Certainly not lift and then swing it like this woman seemed to so easily. But the swordswoman wasn¡¯t an Earth human. She belonged to this world and was level 30¡ªeight levels greater than Cass¡¯s own¡ªwith all the Strength that came with that. But now wasn¡¯t the moment to be impressed. Now was the time to get out of the way. Pellen was already scuttling away, sweat beading along her forehead from holding the swordswoman back. Cass Dodged around Pellen¡¯s shield, her glaive stabbing at the woman¡¯s chest. It skidded over the crimson plate. Pellen¡¯s shield broke. Faster than a blade that size should move, the swordswoman pulled it around into Cass. Cass Dodged out of the way, the blade phasing harmlessly through the end of Cass¡¯s aura cloak. Meanwhile, Marco joined Alyx against Fioreya. He caught a sword strike on his shield while Alyx returned the attack with a stab of her own. Fioreya easily pulled her sword into a parry, redirecting Alyx¡¯s strike wide, simultaneously turning her body away from Marco¡¯s swing. An arrow appeared from nowhere, stabbing deep into Cass¡¯s injured shoulder. She screamed and Dodged back as the swordswoman¡¯s blade chased her again. The archer was peppering everyone with arrows. They filled the air, glancing off Alyx and Marco¡¯s armor and piercing the leather of Cass and Pellen¡¯s. By the door, Fioreya¡¯s mage was struggling with Salos. Salos was repeatedly leaping from the shadows onto the man, leaving deep claw marks over his armor and face, before darting back into the shadows. The mage had traded his wand for the sword at his hip, swinging it wildly after Salos. Against another humanoid opponent, it might have even been effective. Against Salos¡¯s guerrilla tactics, it was much less so. Another chop of the swordswoman¡¯s blade reminded Cass she didn¡¯t have time to worry about the others. The swordwoman¡¯s blade split the space Cass had occupied. Cass didn¡¯t even try to block. She just Dodged out of its path. The air rushed out of the blade¡¯s way, screaming it moved so fast. With Cass¡¯s Strength and Fortitude, she had no illusions she could block the swordswoman¡¯s immense Strength. If Cass¡¯s staff was hit, it was splitting, the reinforcement runes she and Alyx had put on it or not. If Cass was hit, bones were breaking and sinew was tearing. Cass returned the attack with a staff strike of her own. It struck across the swordswoman¡¯s chest, Cass¡¯s Tempest Blade skidding over the metal without so much as staggering the other woman. The swordswoman twisted her wrists and her blade was pulled after Cass, far faster than a blade that size had any business moving. Cass ducked under it, sweeping at the swordswoman¡¯s legs with her staff. However, it was Cass that was pushed in the impact between wood and metal. Cass pulled back, throwing a pair of Tempest Blades from her staff in rapid succession. One she sent flying for the woman¡¯s face, the other she wrapped around striking under the arm. The swordswoman followed Cass, not giving Cass even an inch more distance. Her sword slashed straight through the first Tempest Blade. The swordswoman couldn¡¯t have seen the Tempest Blades¡ªthey were as invisible as their Wind Blade predecessors had been¡ªbut she still blocked the one aimed at her face. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Perhaps she guessed. Perhaps she possessed some form of danger sense. Perhaps it was just poor coordination on Cass¡¯s part that the woman¡¯s blade, the Tempest Blade, and Cass¡¯s face had lined up so well. But the underarm strike drew blood. The armor was not designed to block strikes from that angle. But it couldn¡¯t be a deep wound from the way the swordswoman was still moving. Stamina: 32/129 Focus: 52/441 Health: 40/114 Cass skirted out of the way of another sweeping strike. She could keep dodging. She could. Her Stamina was flagging, but there was still enough for now. But how long would her skill and luck outlast the swordswoman¡¯s patience? Cass needed to dodge every attack. The swordswoman only needed to line up one to cut Cass in two. And that was to just keep treading water. Cass couldn¡¯t waste any more Focus on attacks that wouldn¡¯t work. There just wasn¡¯t enough left for that. She could burn some Health for more, but that was only worth it if she knew what she was going to use it for. Something had to change. Alyx and Marco were barely holding Fioreya in check. They hadn¡¯t so much as scratched her. Salos was keeping her mage distracted, his claws finding patch after patch of exposed flesh to dig into. But Fioreya¡¯s archer was doing much the same with his arrows, pelting Alyx and Marco even as Pellen did her best to shield them. This wasn¡¯t a fight they could win. It was already impressive they could hold their own this long. If any of them broke, the rest would follow shortly. Cass couldn¡¯t meaningfully hurt her opponent. The swordswoman just had too much armor for Cass to cut through. Maybe if she were fighting the mage or the archer things would be¡ª Without her impressive mental stats, Cass might have stumbled at the thought. It was so obvious she could have laughed if she wasn¡¯t too busy dodging yet another sword strike. This wasn¡¯t an honorable duel. This wasn¡¯t an anime fight: one-on-one, with each pair of combatants running off to their own solitary conflicts. This was a bloody melee. Everyone was fair game. Cass might not be able to hurt the hulking swordswoman in front of her, but there were three other potential targets entirely distracted by other things. Another slash missed her by inches as Cass dodged back. Her staff whipped out, a Tempest Blade darting across the room. Cass Dodged yet another attack as she directed the Tempest Blade into the mage. He bled from multiple wounds over his face and both hands were covered in scratches. The mage noticed Cass¡¯s Tempest Blade coming¡ªlikely sensing the mana in the flying blade¡ª and turned to block it with a spell and his wand. Salos punished him for it, leaping from behind and burying his claws in the back of the man¡¯s neck. He screamed and fell to one knee, his sword and wand dropping as he reached for Salos. A mistake. One Cass punished with another flying Tempest Blade. It raced across the room, cutting deep into the man¡¯s chest. Salos¡¯s claws flexed deeper. The man¡¯s scream became a strangled groan as his body slumped. There wasn¡¯t time to process that. Focus: 22/441 Another sweeping sword strike chased Cass as she Dodged out of the way again. Her vision spun. Her Focus was dangerously low, her thoughts clouding. This would not work. She needed to focus. She needed Focus. The flame in her chest burst to life. Stamina: 47/129 Focus: 67/441 Health: 25/114 There was an ache in her body. It went deeper than a soreness from physical overexertion. It was a frailness. For the moment, the warmth in her chest assured her it was nothing and the infusion of Focus had chased off the worst of the fog. There was still a headache, but she could think more than one thought ahead again. They¡¯d taken out the mage. That was a good first step. It had just cost about all the resources Cass had left. Salos had transitioned to harassing the archer. Alyx and Marco were still occupied with Fioreya. Pellen was chanting something. Another shield? An attack? Cass would have killed to know. Maybe if she was a real mage like Pellen, she would. Cass shoved that thought aside. She was a real mage, just not a trained wizard. Cass Dodged again. She didn¡¯t feel any closer to escaping. Fioreya was no worse off than when they¡¯d started. Cass had barely scratched the swordswoman. Arrows weren¡¯t raining them, she supposed, but she was having a hard time believing that would change anything. They couldn¡¯t beat Fioreya. Not with what they had left. She was just another opponent far outside Cass¡¯s ability to handle that the universe had decided it was reasonable to throw at her. But then again, Cass had come out okay in the past. She hadn¡¯t slain the Herald of the Deep, after all. She hadn¡¯t slain the real Lord of the Deep. She hadn¡¯t slain the Herald of the Forest. It hadn¡¯t been her that killed Levina. And yet, Cass had ¡®won¡¯ every time. Not because she¡¯d found some clever way to kill them, but because her win condition was different. They didn¡¯t need to kill Fioreya or any of her people. They needed to get Alyx to the blessing. That was all. How far is the Blessing from here, Cass asked Salos. If it is what I expect, it is the only thing on the ninth floor. And how much further do we need to go on this floor to get to the stairs? Should be just past those doors. Cass Dodged another sword strike, dancing out of the way. The sketch of a plan danced in Cass¡¯s eyes. Could it work? Ch. 70: Spells There was just one problem with her plan: it required coordination with Pellen. Coordination Cass did not have the freedom to arrange. If she could just pull away from the swordswoman long enough, maybe she could. But Fioreya¡¯s swordswoman was relentless. Cass ducked under another sweeping blade, the air screaming to get out of its way over her head. There was no way to disengage. If she knew what spell Pellen was preparing, maybe she could take advantage of a summoned shield to dart away and explain what she needed. But Pellen¡¯s tome was enormous. She could be casting anything. A barrier. A binding. A stone-melting explosion. It could be something new. It could be a remix of something old. And, since Cass didn¡¯t know any chants, there was no way to know. Well, Cass could ask, but the only way for Pellen to answer while chanting would be to cancel their chant, explain, and start over. Cass could shout a command for the spell she wanted next, but then everyone would know what was coming. Maybe she could send Salos? It would leave the archer free for the time it took him to pass Cass¡¯s message along, but maybe that would be alright? Maybe if Cass timed it with Pellen¡¯s barrier spell? But that brought her back to the beginning. If she just knew what Pellen was casting¡­ Her heart twisted. Would another mage recognize Pellen¡¯s chant? Would she know if she were a wizard with all the training it involved instead of this strange hybrid spellblade fueled by System Skills? If Cass had been born to this world, would she have studied magic like Pellen? Cass¡¯s vision swam. She could see another life. Days spent studying by candlelight over dusty tomes and worn scrolls. Teachers and classrooms in towers overlooking this world of floating stone. Assignments procrastinated until the last minute then rushed over the finish line. Ill-advised all-nighters and cram sessions. Circles drawn in chalk and arcane words echoing through her ears. The satisfaction of mastery over a subject so fundamental to the universe in which she lived. Concept Applied: [Liminality - Mana Sense Through careful observation of the forces of unspooled potential, you have come to see it in all its glory. In another life, perhaps, you may have devoted yourself to understanding these forces. Intuitively sense the position, type, and movement of mana. Modified by Per. Modified by understanding of what is being sensed. Association with the Concept of Liminality allows one to use their highest leveled skill as this skill¡¯s level for the purposes of parsing the nature of observed mana.] Mana Sense flared into full effect, the colors of the combatant¡¯s auras overwhelming Cass¡¯s sight. The swordswoman radiated an angry orange, buzzing like bees. Alyx¡¯s burned around her, shining the color of sunlight through amber, clashing with Fioreya¡¯s crimson, the same color as her armor. And Pellen shone. Her mana pulsed through the room, filling it with a deep, midnight blue. But it glowed brightest from her tome, held open before her, shining like a golden sun in her hands. That sun sharpened into circles of runes and symbols. Most of them still meant nothing to Cass. But a few of them, Mana Sense read to her. Or was Cass reading them like they were simple English? The swordswoman¡¯s blade¡ªnarrowly missing Cass¡¯s arm as she instinctively Dodged out of the way¡ªreminded Cass she didn¡¯t have time to unravel the mechanisms by which her brain understood the new information her skills were giving her. This was what she needed. She could figure out the details later. She read Pellen¡¯s spell while ducking under the swordsman¡¯s next strike. [Unknown Ranged Barrier Estimated time to completion: 3 seconds] Perfect. That could protect them from the archer. Salos, in three seconds, I need you to run over to Pellen and tell her to use a spell on Fioreya. Cass told him the spell. Then as quickly as possible, tell Alyx to run for the stairs on my command. That is ill-advised. I am the only reason that man has not shot one of you, Salos said. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. It¡¯ll be okay, Cass promised as she wove around another of the swordsman¡¯s swings. Just make sure you get the timing right. ¡°Stop dodging!¡± the swordswoman growled. ¡°Stop trying to cut me and sure!¡± Cass yelled back. Now, Salos! He was already in motion, darting across the room. The archer took the opportunity. In a flash, his bow was up and arrows launched after Salos and at Pellen. Simultaneously, Pellen finished her chant. A barrier of force appeared between Salos and the first of the archer¡¯s arrows. It struck, the barrier flashing red for a moment before disappearing and reappearing between Pellen and the next arrow. Again, the arrow struck and again the barrier flashed. Salos had barely alighted on Pellen¡¯s shoulder before he was gone again, slipping into a shadow. Pellen¡¯s barrier appeared before another of the archer¡¯s arrows as Salos emerged from the shadows on Alyx¡¯s shoulder. He didn¡¯t linger with Alyx any longer, leaping at Fioreya¡¯s face after barely a fraction of a second. You told them properly, right? Cass poked him. Time is of the essence, is it not? He twisted around Fioreya¡¯s arm, his claws racking across her face as he flew past and into the shadows. Pellen began her next chant, the mana around her book shifting to a steely grey, while her free hand still directed her summoned shield. [Everholding Bands (fourth edition) Estimated time to completion: 5 seconds] Five seconds. That was how much longer they needed to survive, then they¡¯d win. The swordswoman swiped across at Cass. She dodged right, but not fast enough. A blue barrier appeared between Cass and the blade. The barrier shattered, but not before Cass got the rest of the way out of the blade¡¯s path. The swordswoman¡¯s eyes flicked toward Pellen, a simple calculation running in them. Not good. Salos, I need Fairy Fire, Cass yelled. Why? he asked, even as her body erupted in magenta flames. ¡°Rethinking fighting me? Tired of missing? Maybe I should zip over to your archer while you¡¯re distracted,¡± Cass taunted, more to keep her attention than because she thought it would be effective. She was relying entirely on Fairy Fire for that. Sure enough, the swordswoman¡¯s eyes reflected the magenta of the Fairy Fire. She growled and swung her sword through Cass with a ferocity that Cass hadn¡¯t expected. It clipped her shoulder as Cass scrambled out of the way. Cass¡¯s vision inverted as Liminal Dodge engaged. Stamina: 23/129 [Estimated time to completion: 3 seconds.] Just a little longer. The swordswoman didn¡¯t expect Cass to be uninjured from the attack and wasn¡¯t quick enough to recover from the violent chop. Cass took the opening and stabbed the swordswoman¡¯s shoulder. Tempest Blade rammed into the woman¡¯s armor, but if it hurt the woman, she didn¡¯t show it. [Estimated time to completion: 2 seconds.] The archer drew back his bow, the arrow pointed at Cass. The swordswoman chopped at Cass again. [Estimated time to completion: 1 second.] Salos lunged from a shadow, his claws raking up the archer¡¯s exposed side. He screamed as his arrow released wide. Cass dodged the swordswoman¡¯s blade and sidestepped the ill-aimed arrow. She inhaled and shouted, ¡°Alyx now!¡± Alyx stepped back. Marco stepped forward, his shield flaring black as it expanded in front of them. Pellen shouted the critical word of her Chant. Glowing white bands sprang up around Fioreya¡¯s body. They pinned her arms to her sides and forced her to her knees. Alyx turned and ran for the doors. Fioreya strained against the bindings, her eyes burning as she watched Alyx run. ¡°Coward!¡± Salos¡¯s claws found the backs of Fioreya¡¯s knees, where her armor was thinner. They came away with blood. Go with Alyx, Cass commanded. Let me know when she¡¯s got her blessing. I¡¯d rather stay with you, Salos said, but fine. Be careful. The archer and the swordsman both stopped at their master¡¯s shout, the purple fading from their eyes. Those eyes flicked from Cass to Pellen. The archer drew back. The swordswoman charged forward. Pellen staggered on her feet, her hand outstretched, pointing at Fioreya, all her eyes on the noblewoman. The eyes around the edges of her face flickered closed. The mana glowing around her faded with every second. Marco appeared in front of Pellen, his shield blocking the arrow flying for her face. He slammed the flat of his sword against his shield, both bursting with a crimson light. The swordswoman faltered, her steps stumbling to a stop. Alyx reached the doors just as Salos leapt onto her shoulder. She pushed them open and revealed the stairs leading down. ¡°Get back here!¡± Fioreya yelled, her Bands flexing against her struggles. ¡°Fight me! You coward!¡± Alyx didn¡¯t look back, sprinting down the stairs. Fioreya shouted again. A wordless battle cry. Her body sparked with electricity. Pellen fell. She caught herself on her knees, one hand still pointed at Fioreya. All of her shook. The Fioreya¡¯s swordswoman shook her head, shaking off whatever Marco had done to her. She raised her sword, ready to charge again. The archer shot off another round of arrows. They struck Marco¡¯s shield, each one resounded louder than the last. Everyone was converging on the door. There had to be more Cass could do. More to give Alyx the lead she needed. She had been counting on Pellen lasting longer, but that just wasn¡¯t going to happen. It was up to her and Marco against all of Fioreya¡¯s team. Stamina: 21/129 Focus: 57/441 Health: 25/114 Ch. 71: Confounding Mists She just didn¡¯t have enough resources left to stop Fioreya. If she just had more Focus, she could throw down a Confounding Mists. It needed about 100 to activate and then more to further redirect her opponents within. What was that? Like 150 Focus? She was just 100 points short. Far more than the single burning of Health at her Hearth could provide. Maybe if she had more Health left. If she was just a little stronger. If she had just rationed her Focus better earlier. If she was more¡­ But she couldn¡¯t accept that. She refused to lose. Even if it was impossible. She would see Alyx win. How much more did she need, exactly? She could get 45 more Focus from her Health. That would bring her up to 102. Technically enough to use Confounding Mists. But she would probably also faint within moments from lack of Focus. How else could she get Focus? Level ups? She didn¡¯t have a way to force a level-up. But what about skill milestones? She had six skill experience orbs. Six levels worth of skill experience. Which skills could she bring up to their next milestone? Confounding Mists (lvl 5) - 4 levels to the First Step Dodge (Lvl 21) - 6 levels to the Gate Elemental Manipulation (Lvl 21) - 6 levels to the Gate Soul Guard (lvl 7) - 2 levels to the First Step Foraging (lvl 7) - 2 levels to the First Step Poison Resistance (lvl 3) - 6 levels to the First Step Herbal Concocting (lvl 4) - 5 levels to the First Step Trap Detection (lvl 3) - 6 levels to the First Step Jothi Language Comprehension (lvl 8) - 1 level to the First Step And which of those did she think might offer Res on their milestone? Confounding Mists (lvl 5) - 4 levels to the First Step Elemental Manipulation (Lvl 21) - 6 levels to the Gate Soul Guard (lvl 7) - 2 levels to the First Step Poison Resistance (lvl 3) - 6 levels to the First Step Jothi Language Comprehension (lvl 8) - 1 level to the First Step Which was most likely? Elemental Manipulation had given her 1 Res at the First Step. Would it reward the same set of stats? And if so, by how much? Soul Guard seemed a likely candidate, as souls seemed to be directly related to Focus. What about Confounding Mist? If nothing else, leveling it might reduce its cost to use. She eliminated Poison Resistance as an option. If she spent all six gems on one skill, it would be Elemental Manipulation instead. Finally, there was Jothi Language Comprehension. Cass mostly left it on the list because she didn¡¯t know what stats it would give her when it reached level 9. Res seemed as likely as anything else. But, if she was wrong, upgrading it now would be the least useful option. That meant her options were really:
  1. Elemental Manipulation to the Gate or,
  2. Soul Guard and Confounding Mists to the First Step.
There was too much she didn¡¯t know. Too much she could only speculate on. But she had to make a choice. She pulled the gems from her Bag. They dissolved in her hand, sensing her intention. Confounding Mists has increased to level 6. Confounding Mists has increased to level 7. Confounding Mists has increased to level 8. Confounding Mists has increased to level 9. Soul Guard has increased to level 8. Soul Guard has increased to level 9. Confounding Mists has reached the First Step! Congratulations!This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Wll + 3 Res + 2 Per + 2 Vit] Soul Guard has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Res + 3 Frt + 2 End + 2 Vit] Seven points of Resolve. That was 63 points of Focus. The power of those stats cascaded through her. Her headache was gone. The ache in her body lessened. Her heart beat stronger in her chest. It felt like she had been a pond transformed into an ocean. Stamina: 27/135 Focus: 120/504 Health: 40/129 That had to be enough. Cass Stormstride Sprinted past Fioreya and the swordswoman. She planted herself in front of the door. Fioreya forced herself back to her feet. The bindings flexed around her. Cass held her staff up and willed her skill into being, pulling on the forces of aether she knew waited just beyond the veil. The mists poured through, surrounding her and Marco and the space before the door. Focus: 20/504 Cass staggered under the effort. Her head pounded, the headache slamming back into her brain with a vengeance. But the aether promised it would be well. That this would work. Fioreya¡¯s binding snapped in an explosion of white light. Pellen collapsed. Fioreya charged into Cass¡¯s mists. They wrapped around the noblewoman, her breaths coming faster as she realized she couldn¡¯t see. As she realized it was worse than that. Her swordswoman barreled in after, her scream of rage lost to the mists as she struggled to find her way to the door. The archer hung back, unwilling to sacrifice his sight for a chance at finding his way through. Marco trembled at her side. ¡°That you?¡± Cass leaned up to his ear, knowing full well that true sound was lost to everyone within the mists, barely transmitting more than a few inches before dissipating into nothing. ¡°Yes. Walk back with me, take Pellen, join Alyx.¡± He nodded, but there was no hiding how he was unnerved. Cass took his hand and guided him to Pellen. He lifted the little mage from the ground and carried her to the doors with Cass¡¯s guidance. ¡°Are you going to be okay here?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Cass said. ¡°Just go. Help Alyx.¡± He nodded, and the doors closed behind him, leaving just Cass and the remains of Fioreya¡¯s team. Fioreya powered through the mist, walking with a projected confidence. A confidence Cass could see through. Space twisted within the fog, drawing her in a large circle. If she could have seen through the mists, she might have seen how she had gotten within touching distance of the doors, instead, she walked in an endless circle. Focus: 12/504 The swordswoman raged, turning wildly and running in random directions. Every step was accompanied by screams and taunts, all aimed at a Cass she could not see or hear. Meanwhile, Fioreya sprinted ¡®forward¡¯ at an endless pace. She required continuous adjustment of her trajectory to keep her within the mists. She should spit them out of the aether. But then they might regroup and come up with a counter together. No. Better to keep them separate. Better to keep them trying in vain. Focus: 6/504 But Cass couldn¡¯t hold this much longer. Her head swam. The aether cradling her was the only reason she hadn¡¯t already collapsed. But she had a little more to give. She could still do more. Her Hearth flared as another bundle of Health was added to the fire. Focus: 51/504 Health: 10/129 The archer inched closer. No. Please stay where you were, she begged him silently. The space covered in aether was only so big. Keeping Fioreya and her swordswoman apart was hard enough. He stepped in, his steps slow and purposeful. Cass nudged the space around him. He walked straight on anyway. His eyes glowed in the aether. A skill. Something to prevent him from becoming lost? Focus: 43/504 No. That wasn¡¯t fair. This was her space. Only she should be able to navigate it. She drew a Tempest Blade to her staff and slipped into Stealth. She slunk around him. She swung, aiming for the small of his back. At the last second, he twisted around to face her. He avoided her staff with impossible grace while lashing out in retaliation with a dagger. It went straight into her guts. Cass stumbled back into the aether. In four steps, his eyes unfocused on her, though they kept scanning the mist for more. His Perception or his skill was too good. She couldn¡¯t ambush him and she didn¡¯t have the resources to fight him in a straight fight. She could, potentially, throw ranged attacks, but she wanted to minimize how much she disturbed the Confounding Mists. If she accidentally blew them away, she did not have the Focus to replace it or stop Fioreya in any other way. It was fine. Even if he got across, Marco could handle him. She just needed to hold the other two. That would be enough. She could do it. How long had she been at this? Had Alyx won yet? Did she have a big enough lead? Or had Cass burned herself out for nothing? Salos? Cass called over their bond. They were probably close enough. He might hear her. Cass? Salos¡¯s voice echoed back. It was far away. It was faint. She was so tired. Is it over yet? Cass asked. Focus: 24/504 Are you still there by yourself? Salos asked. Maybe? Cass replied. Why? Has Alyx got her thing yet? Cass asked in return. Focus: 19/504 Yeah! Sure, just, stop! Salos said. Oh good, Cass whispered back. She¡¯d done it. They¡¯d won. The tension dropped from her body. Her skill sputtered out, the aether still hanging loosely around her and dispersing. In a handful of heartbeats, it had cleared enough to see through. Well, cleared enough for Fioreya and her people to see. The noblewoman stared at Cass. Cass stared back. She couldn¡¯t think of a time she¡¯d felt this tired. There were probably more words for it. Better words. She couldn¡¯t think of them right now. ¡°You can go through now,¡± Cass said weakly, just as her legs gave out beneath her. Stamina: 42/135 Focus: 19/504 Health: 10/129 Ch. 72: Alyx: Blessing Alyx ran from beam to beam, leaping with all her Strength and Dexterity over the gapping chasm below her. They were in a long room. Far behind her was the door leading back up the stairs to Cass and Fioreya. Marco waited there with Pellen, his head flicking back and forth between Alyx and the stairs. Just as far ahead stood Alacrity¡¯s altar. It was a gazebo on a stone outcropping hanging from the room¡¯s far wall. The wall was rough like a natural section of a larger cave, where the walls to either side were smooth brickwork. In the gazebo was an altar set before the statue of Alacrity, resplendent in her Dragon¡¯s crown and lightning robes. Around the gazebo, a tree grew. Its roots embraced the gazebo¡¯s base and its branches shrouded the gazebo¡¯s glass roof. This tree was no plant, however. Instead of leaves, it had blossoms of shimmering crystal, all soft pink and lilac. Their glow lit the room. In between the altar and the door, most of the floor was missing, leaving only a yawning pit of endless and dark stretching down forever. Narrow beams crisscrossed the space in between, most running parallel to the room¡¯s length, but none forming an unbroken path from one end to the other. It was on one of these that Alyx now ran. Crossing from one side to the other would have been simple enough if it weren¡¯t for the endless barrage of lightning shot across the room at random intervals. Alyx had to make split-second decisions, leaping from one beam to the next to avoid the bolts. Alyx ducked around another lightning bolt. ¡°Cass!¡± Salos hissed from Alyx¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Cass! I swear to the broken gods and the deepest abyss!¡± ¡°Is Cass okay?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Expect company soon,¡± Salos said instead of answering her question. Ominous and vague as usual. But likely correct. Alyx pushed herself faster. She didn¡¯t have a Sprint skill or a Concept to aid her movements like Cass, but she had considerable Strength. In most contexts, she was plenty fast for someone who didn¡¯t specialize in it. ¡°She will be here any minute,¡± Salos growled. ¡°Fioreya or Cass?¡± Alyx asked. Salos made a frustrated growling noise that answered that question all too well. ¡°And where is Cass?¡± Alyx asked. Salos¡¯s claws scraped against Alyx¡¯s armor. Through grit teeth, he said, ¡°I think we will need to pick her up after this.¡± ¡°Is she okay?¡± ¡°Define ¡®okay¡¯.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Behind them, there was a clash of metal and a slam. Alyx glanced over her shoulder. Marco had been thrown against a wall. His shield lay on the floor beside him. Fioreya¡¯s swordswoman stood over him, her sword threatening but unraised. Fioreya and her archer burst across the abyss, running along the beams after Alyx. They were catching up quickly. ¡°GO!¡± Salos hissed. Alyx didn¡¯t need the encouragement. She put her head down and ran. ¡°If you let them catch you, I will kill you myself.¡± He sat on her shoulder, looking back at their pursuers, his tail swishing violently. A lightning bolt split the room. Alyx leapt to the beam to her right, her feet skidding over the smooth stone. ¡°She is catching up!¡± Salos flailed on her shoulder. There was a sound of wood snapping. ¡°And they are shooting at you now. Go faster.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as fast as Cass,¡± Alyx said between labored breaths. Her considerable Stamina was dropping fast. The altar was only a few meters away. She was almost there. Just a little more. She could hear Fioreya behind her. The sound of lightning ripped through the space behind her. Targeting Fioreya? Her beam ended just ahead. But she was close enough to the outcropping to jump. She leapt. Falling through the air, she had a second to look over her shoulder. Fioreya was only a dozen steps behind her. Lightning shot from the ceiling onto her cousin, but Fioreya didn¡¯t slow, duck, or dodge. Instead, she lifted her sword. Lightning coursed down the sword and through her body, but she didn¡¯t slow. Instead, she was even faster, her muscles bulging and her eyes glowing. As Alyx scrambled to her feet on her landing, Fioreya followed, leaping from the last beam directly for the altar. Alyx sprinted on. She couldn¡¯t fail here. Not now. Not after everything. She didn¡¯t know what Cass had done. She didn¡¯t know how Cass could have held Fioreya as long as she had. But Cass had delivered this win to her. It was up to Alyx to follow through. She skipped the steps up the gazebo, leaping onto the platform in a single bound. She heard the impact of Fioreya behind her. The altar stood before her, just as her mother had described it. An orb glowing soft gold lay atop it. Alyx reached for it. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Fioreya¡¯s hand reached around her. Past her. NO! Salos leapt off Alyx¡¯s shoulder, yowling with the rage of an alley cat. Alyx stretched. She pushed. Her fingertip brushed against the orb¡¯s surface. The world went white. Alyx blinked. She stood in a much larger temple of white marble and glowing gold crystals. Before her, the statue of the goddess Alacrity moved. ¡°Congratulation, Trial Taker,¡± the image of the goddess said, her voice soft like the satin cover she used to store her mother¡¯s armor. ¡°You have done well to arrive here. The first in over 20 years. I grant you my Blessing.¡± The image of the goddess reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. Where the stone form touched Alyx¡¯s armor, an indescribable heat shot through Alyx¡¯s body. It burned and cut and burrowed. Like lightning through her chest. Alyx grit her teeth, trying to ride out the pain. This was a gift. A gift from the most powerful being in all the realm. Perhaps in all the realms together. She could take it. The pain was spreading. It clutched her heart and slunk down her arms. Down her legs. There wasn¡¯t a part of her that wasn¡¯t on fire. And the pain kept increasing. It consumed her skin, burned through muscle, and shattered her bones. And still, it burrowed deeper. Someone was screaming. Was that her? She was no stranger to pain, but this was something else entirely. Like every fiber of her being was being scoured. Pulled apart and then shoved back together again in no particular order. And then it was gone. Alyx found herself panting on hands and knees before the image of the goddess, her head bowed, her throat stripped. A Window floated before her face. Major Blessing of Alacrity granted [You have proven yourself worthy of She of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration¡¯s attention. She has granted you the right to bind with her chosen people: the dragons. Additionally, she has granted you the following boons: + 27% Ala + 9% Str + 9% Dex + 9% End ] The statue stared down at Alyx. Something about her gaze was more forceful. Like the weight of the sky pressed down on Alyx¡¯s shoulders. She couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Your achievement is impressive,¡± the goddess said, her voice more real than it had been a moment before. ¡°Worthy of my name, perhaps. Tell me, how do you evaluate your chances of claiming a dragon?¡± Alyx inhaled sharply. ¡°I have your Blessing, can I lose?¡± The goddess laughed. ¡°An excellent answer. You have taken my blessing, but I sense you do not hold me as your patron. I am willing to hear your oath should you like to rectify this now. I am prepared to reward you handsomely.¡± Alyx¡¯s hands curled into fists against the floor. She still couldn¡¯t push herself up. Was it the aftereffects of the pain or the goddess¡¯s presence that held her low? ¡°Thank you for your offer,¡± Alyx said, her words slow and measured. This was madness, what she was doing. It wasn¡¯t every day that a god personally offered to become a person¡¯s patron. And it wasn¡¯t like Endurance had ever granted Alyx anything specifically. There was no real reason to remain faithful. And yet¡­ ¡°Hold your hand over your heart like this,¡± Alyx¡¯s mother said to young Alyx. They stood in the city¡¯s temple, just the two of them in the alcove for She of Twisting Paths and Fortuitous Meetings, the goddess¡¯s statue stood in front of them, her wings spread wide, her body breaking free of a nest of vines. Young Alyx followed her mother¡¯s example, placing her right hand on her chest, just below her neck. ¡°Do you feel your heartbeat?¡± her mother asked. ¡°The rise and fall of your lungs?¡± Little Alyx wasn¡¯t sure, but she nodded all the same. Behind her, she could hear the rustle of movement in other parts of the temple. They were the only ones here for Endurance, yet the temple was full of motion for Alacrity. ¡°That¡¯s the movement of life,¡± her mother said. ¡­and yet, Alyx couldn¡¯t bear the thought of abandoning her mother¡¯s goddess. Alyx shook her head. ¡°I cannot accept your gracious offer.¡± The goddess clicked her tongue. ¡°Really?¡± Alyx nodded again. ¡°I appreciate your guidance and care, but I cannot devote myself to your way.¡± ¡°Stubborn child,¡± the goddess muttered. ¡°Like mother, like daughter, I suppose. To lose two ceremonies in a row, to Endurance both times?¡± Louder, more directly to Alyx, she said, ¡°You are certain? I have more than simple patronage in mind.¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I am looking for a Champion,¡± the goddess continued. ¡°Surely you¡¯ve noticed things are stirring in the world? Things are about to change. Become my Champion and stand at the forefront of that change.¡± The quest notification popped up again. Limited Quest: Alacrity¡¯s Champion [Turbulent times come to the Fractured Skies. She of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration desires a Champion to face them. You have descended to the ninth floor of Her unhallowed halls before your competitors and earned Her favor. You need only accept.] Reward: Title (Alacrity¡¯s Champion) Champion. It was a title of honor and power. Real and considerable. By accepting, she would immediately become one of the most important people in Vaisom. Perhaps second only to the Grand Duchess herself. Her voice would be that of the goddess. Refusing was unthinkable. And yet. ¡°What would you ask of your Champion?¡± Alacrity smirked. ¡°That they do my will. That they slay my enemies. That they collect renown in my name. Any more is for my Champion alone to know.¡± And yet. Nothing was free. Could she bind herself to the goddess¡¯s service? Could she do that and regain the honor of her mother¡¯s name? Could she do that and repay Cass? Conventional wisdom said power should make it easier. Power should place her every desire in her reach. And yet, ¡°Thank you for this honor, but I cannot accept. I cannot swear myself to any god in that way right now.¡± ¡°Hm, fine,¡± the goddess muttered. ¡°You will not receive a second chance.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Alyx assured her. ¡°Then take your blessing and go,¡± the goddess said. The world twisted around Alyx and she was again standing before the altar to Alacrity at the bottom of her Catacombs. Fioreya shoved her aside, pushing her from the orb and touching it herself. Her eyes flashed blue, her body tensed, and then it was over. Something was different about her in a way Alyx couldn¡¯t name. Fioreya looked down at her hands. They trembled. ¡°Amazing.¡± Her head swiveled to Alyx, still lying in shock on the floor. Confusion flashed across Fioreya¡¯s face. ¡°You won?¡± Alyx nodded, swallowing a rising tension in her chest. ¡°But she offered to make me her Champion?¡± Fioreya said. Ah. Alacrity hadn¡¯t been joking when she¡¯d said she would not offer it again. ¡°You refused?¡± Fioreya asked, putting together the pieces. Alyx nodded. ¡°Why?¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°I have other things I need to do.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± her cousin asked. Alyx shrugged. She didn¡¯t know how to explain her decision to herself, she didn¡¯t even try to explain it to Fioreya. Alyx pushed herself back up to her feet. She and Fioreya stared at one another for a long moment. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here,¡± Fioreya said. ¡°You won this challenge. But we¡¯ll have to see who can impress the dragons in the tournament.¡± Alyx nodded, her hand relaxing off her sword¡¯s hilt. Fioreya and her archer hopped back the way they¡¯d come. Alyx looked around for Salos but didn¡¯t see him anywhere. Knowing him, he¡¯d gone straight back to Cass. Alyx groaned. What exactly had Cass done to hold Fioreya back? Ch. 73: Salos: Guard Salos did not wait for Alyx to finish her business with Alacrity. He¡¯d done as Cass wanted, kept her safe up to the altar, and now it was time to do as he wanted, which was to hurry back to Cass¡¯s side. He Stealthed across the chasm, not setting off a single lightning trap on the way, sprinted past Marco and Pellen and back up the stairs. Cass lay in front of the door. The color in her skin was faded. Her usual rosy hue had fallen to a soft blue. Pretty, but not a sign of good health in humans. He put a paw on her throat, feeling for her pulse. To his relief, her heart still beat. The mana in her body was still circulating strongly, even if there was far less of it than there should be. There was a fresh wound in her gut and her shoulder was bleeding through its bandages again. But none of these were critical as long as she still had the Health to heal it. He activated Stone Memory, looking into the stone to get a feel for what had happened while he¡¯d been gone. The stone showed three women running in circles. Cass used Confounding Mists then. She must have expended most of her Focus again. Which she recovered plenty quickly. She¡¯d be okay. Except she was pale and cold. Like Death hung waiting over her. The other noblewoman, Fioreya, and her grunts were the first to return. Stupid Alyx. She got there first, and she knew Cass was hurt, but she still wasn¡¯t hurrying back. The group hung in the doorway at the sight of him and Cass. He stood on Cass¡¯s chest, his fur standing on end, his ears flaring back, snarling. He had no illusions that this would dissuade them, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. In the noblewoman¡¯s place, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to finish Cass off. Cass had proven she was a potential threat. She¡¯d cost the woman her contest. Who knew how Cass would stand in her way in the future if left unchecked? Abyss. Had she killed Alyx already? Was that why Alyx hadn¡¯t come back yet? Had he failed Cass, after all? No. Not yet. He could still do something. At his level, he couldn¡¯t kill them all by himself¡ªa pang of regret at his lost level echoed through his soul¡ªbut he could make them regret taking this fight. How to do it? The archer was fast, but his armor was poor and with his Fortitude, the armor he had was almost irrelevant. He¡¯d start there. Claws to the groin as he clawed his way up to the eyes. From there, he¡¯d launch off toward Fioreya. The woman had the highest stats by far. Her noble background, her reputation as an elite of her generation, and her higher level all implied she¡¯d have the stats to block all but the best of his attacks. But even her neck had to be soft, didn¡¯t it? And he had loosened it in the earlier melee. He doubted he¡¯d get further than that, but if he did, he¡¯d immediately shoot for the swordswoman¡¯s left hand. There was a gash in her gauntlet. If he could make that wound bad enough, she might be forced to fight one-handed. Fioreya walked right past them. Her people followed her. They didn¡¯t so much as kick him or Cass on the way. A ploy to lower his guard? The truly wise didn¡¯t go easy on any opponent, even one they drastically outclassed. He watched them as they moved across the room to their fallen mage. The man breathed shallowly. Killing was hard when the opponent was a higher level. Health could heal so much. If Salos had still been humanoid in form, he would have left his dagger in the man¡¯s neck to prevent the healing. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But, since his claws were unfortunately attached to his paws, he¡¯d had to detract them when he switched targets. There hadn¡¯t been time to make sure the kill stuck. Removing combatants from the melee had been more important. The archer put an ear to his chest and listened. A moment later, he nodded and stepped back to make room for the swordswoman. She picked up the mage and threw him over one shoulder. Then the four left without so much as looking back at him or Cass. Ah. Naturally. Their ally was injured. Their mage. A mage was a much more valuable resource. It was only reasonable that they would rush to get him the aid he needed now that their objective was complete. Though this could still be a ploy. He watched the walkway they¡¯d retreated down. He needed to get Cass out of here. Could he possess her? He pushed across their bond, feeling out the boundary between them. It was wobbly. And porous. More so than he had expected. He was certain he could slip across, however, he could feel her soul on that side. It was wound tight, ready to lash out at anything that got too close. Without Cass¡¯s consciousness to guide the process, he didn¡¯t think he could subdue it into letting him lead. Not with Cass¡¯s ever-growing Will and Resolve. Both had far outstripped his own. In either case, it was too soon to try that. He didn¡¯t know for a fact Alyx was dead yet. Fioreya may truly have left them alone, in which case, perhaps Alyx was fine too. It was a strange scenario, but modern people were a strange bunch. Had Fioreya really left? He stepped off of Cass, skirting up to the far doorway. He stared down the hall through the supernatural gloom. She wasn¡¯t waiting just outside the light of the nearest torches, where the less informed might assume he could not see. She appeared to have left. The stone whispered all was quiet. He stalked back to Cass, his ears rotating to pick up even the slightest sound. No one would sneak up on them. Footsteps scuffed along the stairs from the floor below. So all of them hadn¡¯t died, it seemed. Good. Cass would probably be upset if one of them had died and that kind of emotional turbulence would be bad for her recovery. All three of them appeared in the doorway a moment later: Alyx, Marco, and Pellen. Marco still carried the tag-a-long mage over one shoulder. The argu was still out cold. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Salos said, his tail flicking back and forth as he turned away from them and settled on Cass¡¯s chest. ¡°How is Cass?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°She will live,¡± Salos said. Probably. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can carry ¡®em both,¡± Marco said. ¡°You could leave the baggage behind.¡± Salos shot a look at the tag-a-long in Marco¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯ve already offered her compensation for her services. I can¡¯t just abandon her here,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I¡¯ll carry Cass. She can¡¯t be that heavy. You can find us a safe side room to recover in, can¡¯t you?¡± Salos snorted. ¡°Obviously.¡± It was a decent plan. Alyx bent down, scooping Cass up in her arms. ¡°Gently!¡± Salos hissed as Cass¡¯s head lolled to one side. ¡°I¡¯ve got her,¡± Alyx said, shifting Cass¡¯ weight but in no way addressing the problem. He could feel his tail bristling. If he were humanoid, he could carry her instead. It was a useless thought. He needed to find a safe harbor for her to recover in. A Safe Zone would be ideal. But the nearest one was much deeper in the storehouse, if it still existed. Too deep for this group to reach. If he were still level 74, he could have easily led them there. He shook the thought aside. Cass was alive. She wasn¡¯t deteriorating further. Rest would be enough. Salos stalked up to the door on the far left of the room. ¡°This one should be safe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Alyx asked. He nodded up at the writing over the door. ¡°Janitorial. Should be unguarded.¡± Alyx pressed her shoulder into the door, pushing it open. Jostling Cass the entire time. Salos grit his teeth. Wasn¡¯t this what she had her guardsman for? Inside was a small room, entirely empty. Any janitorial equipment had long since been looted or destroyed. It would suffice. Ch. 74: Logs Cass came to on the floor with a pounding headache and a deep-seated exhaustion. Oh, she¡¯d passed out again. She sat up and immediately regretted it. The whole world spun around her. Her body was heavy, and there was a soreness that was entirely sourceless but also all-encompassing. She didn¡¯t usually wake up feeling this bad. Stamina: 102/138 Focus: 47/504 Health: 7/130 Hmm¡­ She usually woke up with more resources than that. ¡°She¡¯s up,¡± Salos said from her lap. He was loafed up on top of her, his tail coiled around her knee. They were in a small room in the catacombs. Pellen leaned against a wall with a book in her lap while Alyx and Marco sat in the center of the room, several pieces of their armor spread over the floor between them. They all looked up at Salos¡¯s words. ¡°About time.¡± Alyx¡¯s arms crossed over her chest. ¡°How yah feeling?¡± Marco asked. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Pellen asked. Cass nodded and again regretted it immediately as her brains sloshed about in her skull. ¡°I¡¯m alive. Did you win?¡± Alyx smirked. ¡°Of course. How could I lose when you were holding back my competition?¡± ¡°Good,¡± Cass said. She held her head, hoping it would stop the spinning. And the aching. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Alyx asked, repeating the question of the other two. ¡°I could sleep for a month,¡± Cass said, ¡°But we still need to find Pellen concept gems, right? We should¡ª¡° ¡°You are going to sit where you are,¡± Alyx cut her off. ¡°And you will do as little as possible to activate your camp skill. And you are going to recover before we move on. I¡¯ve won. We can take our time from here.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you need to go impress a dragon or something?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Sure. But I have the time-sensitive thing. They¡¯ll pick me for sure,¡± Alyx said, though there was a slight hesitation in her voice. Cass didn¡¯t push it because, frankly, it was too much energy to argue further. She pulled a log from her bag and lit it with one of her firestarters. In a few minutes, she was shrouded in Beacon of Hearth and Home, and the world was a little bit warmer. The immediate issues dealt with, she opened up her notifications. Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Wll + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 17. Confounding Mists has increased to level 10.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Confounding Mists has increased to level 11. Staff Mastery has increased to level 15. Dodge has increased to level 22. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 15. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 16. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 22. Tempest Blade has increased to level 15. She¡¯d gotten a level? But she hadn¡¯t killed anything. Why had she¡ª Recent Experience Log: [For your part in slaying Obsidian Golem, experience has been awarded (x3) For your part in slaying Gophers, experience has been awarded (x12) ¡­ For increasing your skill level, experience has been awarded (x26) ¡­ For defeating the 32nd Fang in a game of Cat and Mouse, experience has been awarded. You played with your life on the line. The 32nd Fang played with time on the line. Unequal stakes have awarded you 1/16th experience of Slaying 32nd Fang. For defeating Vaisom Swordswoman in a game of Cat and Mouse, experience has been awarded. You played with your life on the line. Vaisom Swordswoman played with pride on the line. Unequal stakes have awarded you half experience of Slaying Vaisom Swordswoman.] Well, that was interesting. She hadn¡¯t known there were logs. She supposed she had never looked. More interestingly, she appeared to have gotten experience from helping Fioreya kill the golems even though she hadn¡¯t been there for the final blow for most of them. She wondered how much she had gotten for that. But the logs didn¡¯t give any specific numbers on how much experience was earned. Increasing her skills had also given her experience. Alyx or Salos had mentioned it happened but that it provided very little. She¡¯d leveled up a lot of skills all at once, though. Perhaps that many all at once added up. But the last two entries were the most interesting. The system had decided that her stalling Fioreya and her team had been a game. A game Cass had won. Cass wasn¡¯t sure how that tracked. She was the one who¡¯d passed out at the end there. Then again, perhaps her stalling had been the difference between Alyx getting the blessing or Fioreya beating her to it. In which case, it was definitely Fioreya¡¯s loss. Though, Cass still wasn¡¯t sure whether she had actually been ¡®playing¡¯ with her ¡®life on the line.¡¯ They hadn¡¯t killed her in the end, after all. Was that because she¡¯d won? Her blood ran cold. Was that why they hadn¡¯t killed her? Was it the system enforcing the results of their contest? If she had lost, would they have killed her on their way down as part of their prize? No. This was silly. They just hadn¡¯t had the time to finish her off. She¡¯d already wasted too much of their time. It couldn¡¯t have been the system¡¯s tendrils deciding for them she should keep her life as her prize for winning. But it had dictated what the lords of Uvana could and couldn¡¯t do, hadn¡¯t it? Salos had said once she defeated the Lord of the Deep, no other Lord of the Deep could fight her. Wasn¡¯t that the system pushing things around as it pleased? But those were ¡®nameless¡¯ monsters. Fioreya was Fioreya. Presumably, her soldiers had names of their own, even if Cass didn¡¯t know them. The system shouldn¡¯t be able to control people like that. Her hand clenched into a fist over her chest. She was worrying about nothing. This wasn¡¯t an indication of anything. It was just a reflection of the fact they had been ready to kill her to get through. Once they could, there was no reason to do so. That was all. In any case, she had four points to allocate. Her limited mental Focus was better spent deciding what to do with those than wildly speculating on the nature and powers of the system. That last fight would have been much easier if she¡¯d had more Focus. She had three times as much as someone her level should have, and she was still running out. How did ordinary mages cope? Perhaps that was why there weren¡¯t many combat mages at their level. Was she going to put all of it into Res? It was tempting. It wasn¡¯t even entirely unreasonable. But there was also the matter of her Health¡­ Health: 7/130 Yeah. That wasn¡¯t good. She was pretty sure it was lower now than it had been before she¡¯d fainted. But then again, Health was consumed as the body healed, and she had no shortages of injuries. The wound in her shoulder was still a gaping hole, for example. How much Health would a wound like that take to close up? Maybe she should put all her points into Vit. It would bring her up to 19/142, which would be a welcome boost in the short term. In the long term, though, she wasn¡¯t sure. Health and Focus did not have equal value. Focus recovered faster than Health did. Much faster. But Health kept her from dying, and the more of it she had, the faster Focus would recover in turn. Also, with Hearth applied to her Depth column, she could burn the Health for Focus and Stamina in emergencies. Though, perhaps it would be better to have that in Focus in the first place. She¡¯d split it, she decided eventually. Most would go into Res; one would go to Vit. Res 56 -> 59 Vit 36 -> 37 The single point of Vit was little more than a drop in the bucket, but it would be a little more she could burn if it came down to that later and a little more Health now. Stamina: 102/138 Focus: 74/531 Health: 10/133 Ch. 75: Blessings for Everyone Over a day later, they finally left the closet they¡¯d camped in. Cass¡¯s health was only up to 16, and she felt it. There was a hollowness to her. Like something integral had been scooped out of her. Like she was a ghost among the living. According to Salos, this was quite a fast recovery, given she still had open wounds and they were in the depths of a dungeon. Cass attributed it to Demonic Vitality doubling her Health regeneration and Beacon of Hearth and Home increasing it further. But it would be a while before she got back to 100% again. At least she had full Stamina and Focus again, so she didn¡¯t feel like she would fall over immediately. As long as she didn¡¯t have to fight anything. Cass followed Alyx back down to the ninth floor. She had no intention of attempting to bind with a dragon, but the other bonuses from Alacrity¡¯s Blessing were supposed to be pretty good. ¡°We just need to cross this?¡± Cass asked, standing at the chasm¡¯s edge. ¡°Yeah,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Be careful, though. It¡¯ll start shooting lightning at you once we start crossing.¡± ¡°We?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I need to go too,¡± Pellen said meekly. An above-average number of her eyes were fixed on the chasm. ¡°I¡¯m not going to make you go alone,¡± Alyx added. Cass shrugged. It would be trivial for her to cross on her own, but if Pellen needed to cross too, it made more sense to cross together. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then.¡± She jumped onto the first beam. It was wide enough to stand on easily without turning her body, but not wider. Pellen followed, her jump a fair bit less graceful than Cass¡¯s. But she landed without too much flailing and¡ªmore importantly¡ªwithout falling, which was important. Cass led the way, walking at a comfortable pace for Pellen. Slow enough that she had plenty of time to notice the warning of Trap Detection. ¡°Wait,¡± Cass said. Pellen stumbled to a stop behind her. Alyx and Marco stopped with more grace. ¡°What?¡± Pellen asked. Cass scanned the beam before her, forcing herself to really look. The ground shimmered. ¡°There.¡± She tapped it with the end of her staff. Across the room, from behind the altar, a bolt of lightning burst into existence, racing down the room for her. Cass redirected it easily with Elemental Manipulation around them. ¡°Oh,¡± Cass said, ¡°That¡¯s how that works.¡± ¡°The lightning is triggered by traps?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just random?¡± ¡°Looks like it,¡± Cass said as she continued walking. Now that she was looking, she could see more trapped points along the nearby beams. The lightning wasn¡¯t a worry for Cass, even if she triggered them, but, ¡°How did you get through this?¡± ¡°I ran. They shoot straight, so¡­¡± Alyx shrugged. Simple enough, Cass supposed. ¡°Please warn me before you set that off,¡± Pellen squeaked from behind Cass. ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Cass said. It was good practice for Trap Detection, but the rest of the crossing was uneventful. Cass warned Pellen each time she purposefully set off the lightning and minimized the number of times they had to change beams. Trap Detection has increased to level 4. She and the others ended up before the strange crystalline tree and Alacrity¡¯s altar. ¡°So I just touch the glowing gold orb?¡± Cass asked, staring at the object in question. It looked a lot like the orb she¡¯d found in the Shadow Hall of the Deep¡ªthe one where not-Salos had given her Mana Blade. Alyx nodded. ¡°And just me and Pellen?¡± Cass asked. Marco shrugged. ¡°I did it back with Lady Alyx¡¯s mother. One can only get it once.¡± I¡¯m not touching that, Salos said. Why? Cass asked. Should I not touch it? He shifted on her shoulder, his eyes not leaving the orb. Call it intuition. I get a strong feeling it would be best if I did not. It is probably safe enough for you, though. What does that mean? Cass asked. ¡°Did you want to go first?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°Ah, I mean,¡± no. No, she did not. If you plan on taking Alacrity¡¯s Blessing, you should go first, Salos said. But you implied I shouldn¡¯t? Cass shot back. Well. Maybe. Salos! ¡°Come on, Cass,¡± Alyx said, slapping Cass on her good shoulder. ¡°No need to hesitate. You are the reason I got down here. You go first.¡± ¡°R-right,¡± Cass said, stepping toward the divine orb. Just accept it, he said. Get it over with. What is going to happen when I touch this? Probably nothing special. You¡¯ll get the Blessing. But what might happen? That depends entirely on how closely that bitch is watching her trial. That did not make Cass any more comfortable. But the bonuses Alyx had gotten were significant. They weren¡¯t something she should turn down just because Salos was acting cryptically, and her guts were rolling. She stretched her hand out and touched the orb. It was cold to the touch. ¡°Should something¡ª¡± Lightning burst up her arm as she spoke, and the world shifted. Abyss, Salos cursed, his claws sinking into her shoulder. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The lightning curled through her, and she could feel herself falling. Salos fell from her shoulder, though she could still hear him cursing over their connection. When Cass¡¯s vision cleared, and the lightning through her arm had subsided, she stood before a woman. She was a head taller than Cass, crowned in a twisting tiara of horns. She wore storm grey robes with long sweeping sleeves that hid her hands. Her eyes glimmered electric blue and her hair fell in a cloud of curling red. At Cass¡¯s side stood a man. He was about her height with dark blue-purple skin, the color of the creeping dusk sky. His face was all sharp angles, a face not accustomed to smiling. And they were dressed in the same clothes, Ephemeral Robes over leather armor. She had never seen him before, and yet there was something undeniably familiar about him. Him and his gold eyes. ¡°Congratulations, Trial Taker,¡± the woman said. Her voice was soft, like a falling rain. Yet thunder lurked in the distance, waiting to be unleashed. ¡°You have done well to reach this place. I assume you wish for my blessing?¡± Her blessing. Cass¡¯s hands clenched at her sides. Then, this was a god. Alacrity herself? The patron of Vaisom. The protector of dragons. Her voice had the same weight as Perception. Her eyes glimmered with the same power. Cass nodded. The goddess placed a hand on Cass¡¯s shoulder, and lightning jolted through Cass¡¯s body. It burned. It laced its way through the wounds on her shoulder and raced up and down her body. There was only heat and pain. At her side, the man yelled. Cass couldn¡¯t hear him. She couldn¡¯t hear anything over the pain. Alacrity was speaking, her hand unmoved from Cass¡¯s shoulder. The man was yelling back. There was pain. So much pain. Splitting pain. Cracking, creaking pain. Like someone had shoved a crowbar into her soul and was twisting it open. She fumbled for Soul Guard. It slipped through her fingers. She just wanted it to stop. For everything to stop. Cass crumpled to the floor. The woman¡¯s hand didn¡¯t follow her. The pain did, though it had shifted from that of a twisted blade to that of an aching gash. ¡°You need to stop!¡± The man yelled, his voice reaching her brain for the first time. It was a voice she recognized. Where had she heard it? God, everything hurt. ¡°I¡¯ve stopped,¡± the woman said. There was something amused about her tone. ¡°I must say, I didn¡¯t expect you to care so much. I even gave her a little extra because it¡¯s you.¡± A Window floated before Cass¡¯s face. Blessing of Alacrity granted [You have proven yourself worthy of She of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration¡¯s attention. She has granted you the right to bind with her chosen people: the dragons. Additionally, she has granted you the following boons: + 18% Ala + 6% Dex + 6% Wll + 6% Per] ¡°This is cruel,¡± the man said. ¡°Do you do this to all your followers?¡± ¡°This is what we do. What do you think we get in return for our blessings? Your goodwill?¡± ¡°That used to be enough.¡± What were they talking about? Cass couldn¡¯t move. The pain was too great. Her body felt far away. Like it was a puppet with cut strings while her consciousness was its master, gasping for air behind the stage with a dagger in her heart, uselessly shaking the puppet¡¯s controls. The woman laughed. ¡°Hardly. This isn¡¯t new. This was always how this worked. I¡¯ve just found ways to do it more efficiently. You should thank me. I¡¯ve just made your master that much more powerful. You think my predecessor would have granted even close to this much?¡± ¡°You are intentionally damaging souls!¡± he shouted. Why did his voice seem so familiar? Her head was spinning. ¡°That¡¯s everything we stood against! Or have you forgotten that?¡± ¡°Are you still hung up on that? Even now? I would have thought your self-preservation would have papered over those beliefs by now. Or your hatred for me. Are you just drowning in self-loathing instead?¡± She laughed. It was a laugh like lightning, sharp and striking. ¡°Oh, no, ######, you used to be far more practical than that. Since when have you been so principled?¡± She said his name. For a moment, it sparked familiarity. For a moment, Cass was sure she¡¯d heard it before. And yet, immediately, it was gone. Denied. Taken. By the goddess? By the System? He was talking again. ¡°There are lines even I would not cross. Lines I once thought we agreed on.¡± God, why did it hurt so much? She reached for Soul Guard again. It wrapped around her this time. A comfortable pressure holding her soul in place. Hell. What had that goddess done to her? ¡°Oh, please,¡± the goddess snapped. ¡°We¡¯ve always done what needed to be done. That¡¯s how this world works.¡± ¡°The Custodia¡ª¡° ¡°Had pretty ideals, but only our dear Captain cared about them. The rest of us were just there to keep one another in check while looking for a way to break off on our own. Don¡¯t tell me you, of all people, bought the public line?¡± Cass forced herself to sit. Her head spun with the movement. ¡°More than one thing can be true,¡± the man growled. ¡°It could exist to protect souls and keep the true powerhouses from leveling continents because they could.¡± ¡°Cute. It¡¯s cute you think that so passionately.¡± She chuckled. It rumbled like distant thunder. ¡°Which version of him are you? You seem so young. You couldn¡¯t be the first splinter, could you?¡± ¡°Which splinter?¡± The man recoiled, his question a breathy gasp. She grinned. ¡°Oh. You are. Interesting. That explains these views, then. So young. Still, I don¡¯t think I took you for an idealist even then.¡± ¡°Young? You¡ªAre you suggesting you broke me multiple times? That I let you do this to me multiple times?¡± She laughed. ¡°Oh. That is very cute. ¡®Let¡¯? Dear, dear, ######, when has what you wanted ever mattered? Have you forgotten what you are? Or should I say what you were? Who I was to you?¡± He stiffened. She shook her head. ¡°Nothing has changed. Not really. Oh, you have a different master now, but you are once again nothing but a small animal in the palm of their hand.¡± The goddess turned, her smile falling on Cass. Cass¡¯s heart stopped. Lightning didn¡¯t scare her the way it was supposed to, and yet she felt like a lightning rod before an incoming storm. ¡°How do you like my blessing, Traveler?¡± the goddess asked. Cass found her mouth dry. Her lips didn¡¯t want to move. Still, she forced the words out. ¡°Thank you.¡± The goddess snorted. ¡°You did well. Your tolerance for soul pain is high. Perhaps that shouldn¡¯t be a surprise given what it¡¯s already been through.¡± Her eyes snapped back to the man. ¡°See, repeated damage, allowed to heal, is a powerful tool. Just look at your new mistress.¡± ¡°Soul damage?¡± Cass repeated. ¡°Sure. I can see the fractures running up and down your soul, this way and that. Not a pretty set of scars, but what scars are? I wish I had been watching since the beginning. To have seen what gave you all that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have scars,¡± Cass said. ¡°No?¡± The goddess asked. ¡°What do you call all that?¡± The goddess snapped, and the world shifted. Cass stood alone on a pedestal, naked save for a thick blue cape. A spotlight shone down on her from above. Blackness stretched out in every direction beyond her. ¡°Ah, let¡¯s remove that for a moment. Really see what lies beneath, hm?¡± the goddess¡¯s voice rang out. There was another snap. The cape disappeared, and Soul Guard ground to a halt. The pain it had been blocking rolled back over her. ¡°No hiding it now,¡± the goddess said. She could feel herself leaking. Like what she was getting thinner by the second. She was lightheaded. She looked down. It wasn¡¯t her body she saw. Not exactly. It was the plastic thing she¡¯d conjured when she¡¯d first fought Salos. The thing that looked more like a doll¡¯s body than a living, breathing person¡¯s. But then, she wasn¡¯t a breathing person at all. Long rends were drawn across the plastic skin. Blue sparks leaked from the gashes, her Focus spilling out. Between the bleeding sparks, there were duller lines, ever so slightly raised. Rippling in places, razor straight in others. Scars. Hundreds of scars. ¡°What is this?¡± Cass asked. ¡°A manifestation of the damage you¡¯ve done to your soul,¡± the goddess said. ¡°When?¡± There was a snap, and Cass was again standing (clothed) before the goddess, the man at her side. The goddess gave a casual shrug. ¡°I won¡¯t pretend to have been watching you the entire time. Surely, my shadows gave you a good number of those.¡± Her shadows? As in, ¡°The ones in the Shadow Hall?¡± ¡°Ah, I do miss the days when we built that place, don¡¯t you, ######? Things were simpler then.¡± He flinched under her attention. ¡°In any case, this has been fun. I seem to have missed you. Or this version of you. If I had any good sense, I would kill you both here. But as a favor to Perception, I suppose I¡¯ll let you go. Run along now. Dance for us. Remember, you won¡¯t live long once Perception is bored with you.¡± The world twisted, and Cass again stood before Alacrity¡¯s altar, Salos on her shoulder. ¡°Well?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°How did it go?¡± Cass pulled her hand back, trying to ignore the shaking. Terror was rising in her chest. Terror that was not wholly her own. She plastered a smile over her face all the same. ¡°I think that went well.¡± Ch. 76: The Way Out Pellen accepted her blessing without fanfare. It happened instantaneously. Apparently, Cass¡¯s blessing had been just as quick from Alyx¡¯s perspective. They climbed back up the stairs, Pellen humming happily to herself. Do you want to talk about what just happened? Cass asked. No. Salos¡¯s answer was swift but retracted just as quickly. But we probably should. Cass waited a moment for him to begin. She climbed a step. And then another. Okay, Cass said with a sigh. Well, how about we start with how you seem to know one of the gods? Personally? Yes. That seems to be the case. His words were lazy, but a flame raged at his core. And she splintered your soul? Cass prompted. Salos sighed. I don¡¯t know what else I can tell you. She is my old master. She was my summoner. I served her since she was a child. I was her shadow. She was my world. She betrayed me. The fire leaked into his voice for those three words. And she¡¯s a god now, Cass observed, tiptoeing around the real question. Yes. I assume she wasn¡¯t when you knew her? She was not. Cass sighed and asked the question. How did that happen? I don¡¯t know! he shouted back, his fur bristling. He shook again, forcibly settling himself. Don¡¯t¡­ Please don¡¯t ask me that. Please. Cass¡¯s lips drew into a thin line. She could feel there was more there. A lot more. She wanted to press further. He might not know, but he had guesses. Guesses related to the state of his soul? She forced herself to leave it alone for now. How Alacrity became a god wasn¡¯t important. Interesting? Definitely. Dangerous? Probably. But useful to her and her goals? Not at this time. Instead, she asked, Is this going to be a problem for us? Yes. The bit about letting us live as a favor to Perception? More than that, Salos sighed. Not that that isn¡¯t particularly worrying. But if she knows about our adventures in the Deep, she¡¯s been watching us for a while. The gods don¡¯t waste their attention on things that don¡¯t concern them. Perception implied they were bored, Cass said. The gods have better things to do than be bored. How do you know? Cass asked. He shot her a glare. Fine. Let¡¯s pretend they¡¯re bored. Does a collection of bored gods staring at you sound more or less appealing than ones with unknowable goals shifting unseen around you? Fair point. Those were both bad. *** Back on the seventh floor, the golems lay in rubble where Fioreya had left them. There was no sign of the living lightning. Whether Fioreya had found some method of destroying them or they¡¯d dissipated with the destruction of the last golem, Cass couldn¡¯t begin to guess. They stopped to rummage through them to look for concept gems for Pellen. It seemed that Fioreya had been in too much of a hurry to stop to loot the bodies, because all three still had their gems. Concept Gem (Lightning) [Class: System A crystallized Concept distilled through the death of a significant foe. This particular gem holds the concept of Lightning, as brilliant as the noonday sun, if only for a fleeting moment.] Concept Gem (Obsidian) [Class: System ¡­ This particular gem holds the concept of Obsidian, as mysterious as the darkest night.] Concept Gem (Ritual) [Class: System ¡­ This particular gem holds the concept of Ritual, steeped in traditions unknowable.] ¡°Which of these has the best chance at the Concept you are looking for?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I can pick first?¡± Pellen asked, all her eyes going wide, filling her face. ¡°I mean, technically, this is stolen loot,¡± Alyx said. ¡°And this is part of the compensation I agreed to. So which one?¡± Pellen picked the gold orb from Alyx¡¯s hand. It shimmered, reflecting light that did not exist. ¡°Ritual. Thank you. This has the absolute highest chance. Arcane, Ceremony, and Profane are the three most common options. Nearly everyone who¡¯s used a Ritual Gem is offered at least two of those three. This has to work.¡± She was muttering more to herself than the group, her endless eyes fixed on the orb to the exclusion of all else. She bit her lip, her hands trembling. Slowly, she clenched her hand around the orb, and it disintegrated into a haze of gold. Pellen¡¯s eyes flicked up, reading something only she could see. Cass shifted back and forth. What had she gotten? Would she say afterward? She wanted to know. Pellen¡¯s shoulders sagged. She shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s no good.¡± ¡°You really didn¡¯t get it?¡± Alyx asked. Pellen waved her hand, and her status window appeared for everyone else to see. Absorbing Concept Gem. [Open Concept slot available. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Decomposing Gem into compatible Aspects. Select Aspect to fill slot:
  1. Ceremony
  2. Service
  3. Rune]
¡°None of them are any good?¡± Cass asked. Pellen shook her head. ¡°I need Arcane if I want to be offered a professorship.¡± Salos bristled. ¡°What¡¯s this about needing specific Concepts?¡± Pellen looked up over her system window. ¡°Yes? All professors of the Academy have the Arcane Concept. It is the objectively best choice. There are multiple studies proving as much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how Concepts work,¡± Salos said. ¡°Here we go again,¡± Alyx muttered, rolling her eyes. ¡°That isn¡¯t how they work!¡± he repeated. ¡°Concepts are personal. No two Concepts are the same. How can they be the same? They are a manifestation of your beliefs.¡± ¡°No,¡± Pellen said, her head tilting to one side in confusion. ¡°They are ideas crystallized from the cultural collective.¡± ¡°The cultural collective?¡± Salos scoffed. ¡°Who is claiming that in this day and age? Even the Concepts from Concept Gems don¡¯t display the same characteristics from person to person.¡± ¡°They do, too!¡± Pellen said. ¡°Halbrin and Eberval¡¯s paper ¡®Concepts and Culture: The Ways in Which Culture Defines the Manifestation of Concepts¡¯ proved that for a given cultural group, the manifestation of a Concept had a negligible degree of variance. Since ¡®The Individual: A Look at the Intersection of Individual and Concept,¡¯ it has been accepted that this variance is more accurately explained and predicted by individual physique, stat allocation, and skill application than fundamental differences in understanding of Concept.¡± ¡°That¡¯s!¡± Salos¡¯s words sputtered into nothing as he reeled against Pellen¡¯s listed studies. ¡°Ridiculous!¡± he settled on after a minute. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anything so ridiculous in my life!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hearing any counterargument,¡± Alyx taunted him. He shot her a glare. ¡°Because it should be understood that Concepts are highly individualized. True power from a Concept only reveals itself when understood and in tune with the individual. Even if they start as a ¡®crystallized cultural collective,¡¯ as you claim, they inherently must change and adapt to better fit the user. How else do you expect to evolve them into more natural forms?¡± Pellen blinked. ¡°Evolve them?¡± ¡°Evolve them!¡± Salos repeated. ¡°As in mutation?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°Is that what you call it?¡± Salos huffed. ¡°Why would you purposefully mutate a Concept?¡± ¡°To reach a more natural state!¡± Salos repeated. ¡°It is easier to use. Easier to pull more power from. Properly cultivated, it can increase one¡¯s abilities a hundredfold.¡± ¡°You must be exaggerating,¡± Pellen said. Salos scowled. ¡°Only a little. The point is, one starts with a prescriptive path; one does not stay on it. Not if one wants to be a power in their own right.¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know about being my own power. I just want to be recognized as a professor.¡± Salos looked between Cass and Alyx. ¡°Surely you two understand?¡± Cass shrugged. She knew nothing about cultural collectives. She didn¡¯t know if she could tap into those for her Concepts even if she wanted to. All she knew was, ¡°I have an easier time with the Concepts I developed on my own than the one I got from a gem.¡± Alyx had a contemplative look, but she shook her head all the same. ¡°A good military force has a uniform Concept spread. This helps synchronize troops and organize large-scale assaults. Could you imagine the logistics if every soldier was wildly different?¡± He snorted. ¡°This is the difference in mentality between masters and grunts.¡± He curled around Cass¡¯s neck and shut up. ¡°Are you going to pick any of those?¡± Cass asked, gesturing at Pellen¡¯s status window. Pellen read them over again before she shook her head. ¡°None of these will get me closer to where I need to be.¡± The window closed and was replaced with another. No Concept Selected. Fragment of Ritual added to collection. What does that mean? Cass asked Salos. As one discards Concepts to make room for new ones or rejects new Concepts that do not meet one¡¯s needs, one accumulates fragments of Concepts that may be forged into a new Concept. How many do you need to make a Concept from fragments? Cass asked. That¡¯s not the right question. As few as two could be enough if they are the right two. ¡°Would you like to try a second one?¡± Alyx asked. Pellen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I promised I would get you the gem you needed as payment for standing beside me in front of my cousin.¡± Pellen¡¯s face paled at the mention of Fioreya. ¡°If I can get you what you need without having to buy a bunch of orbs, all the better,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But what if I¡¯m not compatible?¡± Pellen asked quietly. ¡°I seriously doubt a mage of your apparent skills is incompatible.¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°Go ahead. I don¡¯t want to owe you if I don¡¯t have to,¡± Alyx said. Pellen reached out and took the black orb. It reflected the purple torches, ominous and grim. ¡°Th-this one.¡± It exploded in Pellen¡¯s hand, her wide eyes widening further before focusing on the new System Window. She nibbled at her bottom lip. She crumpled, her knees giving out below her. She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s no good. I¡¯m sorry. I-I don¡¯t think I¡¯m compatible with Arcane. I¡­ You shouldn¡¯t waste any more time on me. I¡¯m just not meant to be a professor. I¡ª¡° ¡°No,¡± Alyx said, cutting off Pellen¡¯s melting tirade. ¡°I refuse to believe anyone is incompatible with a Concept.¡± Salos snorted. ¡°Most people are incompatible with most Concepts.¡± Alyx shot him a death glare, and he shut up again. She continued. ¡°We will find you another Concept Gem and see you get the Concept you need. I promise.¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that. That¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°You stood up to Fioreya, 32nd Fang of Vaisom, in armed combat for me. I promised you this. I will make it happen.¡± Pellen nodded mutely. As Alyx helped Pellen back to her feet, the door to the floor above opened. Kohen and his team walked through. Kohen looked down on Alyx, his eyes flicking between his sister and Pellen, who was supposed to have been his mage, and he scowled. ¡°Not content with your mage, you felt the need to steal mine?¡± he asked. He held his wand with his arms crossed over his chest. The gems on his dueling gloves glimmered in the low light and pulsed with power to Cass¡¯s Mana Sense. ¡°Not my fault you lost your mage,¡± Alyx taunted back. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your people poached, don¡¯t let them fall to their deaths.¡± His scowl deepened. His swordsmen tensed at his side, putting their hands on their weapons. ¡°We can duel again later,¡± Alyx said, waving him off. ¡°I have what I want, and I don¡¯t think you want to fight me now. Or do you want to fight four on three?¡± ¡°How are you so sure that¡¯s how the sticks will fall?¡± His attention fell on Pellen. ¡°I hired you through the Academy guild. It would look bad for you if I reported you as having willfully broken your contract.¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes exploded into softball-sized orbs. Her mouth opened to plead, but Marco was faster to the plate. ¡°¡¯Scuse the interruption, my lord,¡± he said. ¡°But I would not take this to the guild if I were you. Unless you wrote up a special contract, the contract usually requires you to make sure no danger befalls your mage. Last I checked, let¡¯n ¡®em fall into a pit and wander the bottom four floors of the Catacombs for days at a time is pretty clearly ¡®danger.¡¯¡± Kohen¡¯s glare redoubled on the old guard. If it bothered Marco at all, he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Even if you have Pellen,¡± Alyx said, ¡°Do you want to fight the winner of the Major Blessing and the team that stopped Fioreya?¡± ¡°You have the Major Blessing?¡± Kohen exclaimed. He squinted at Alyx and threw his hands in the air. ¡°No. That must be a trick. Do you really think I will believe you beat Fioreya? Should I believe there is a bottom to the Abyss, too?¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°Who can say? Fioreya, probably, if you¡¯re brave enough to ask her. That I¡¯m even willing to brag about this, maybe? The mage you hired, perhaps?¡± All eyes fell on Pellen. She shrank under their gaze, but she nodded. ¡°We fought her. We aren¡¯t dead. I-I can only call that a win.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯ll it be?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Fight us now and find out exactly how outclassed you are before you have a blessing, or wait until the tournament, where I can beat you publicly in front of the dragons?¡± ¡°Alyx,¡± Cass hissed at a volume she hoped Kohen couldn¡¯t hear, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alyx waved her back as if to say she knew what she was doing. Cass didn¡¯t think so but didn¡¯t know how to diffuse the situation. ¡°You really think things will go that easily for you during the tournament?¡± he asked. ¡°Well, I beat you before I had the Major Blessing, and that wasn¡¯t even that hard. Now that I¡¯ve passed the Gate and have all these buffs from the blessing, I can¡¯t imagine taking you here and now would be all that difficult.¡± Kohen¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°You¡¯re that strong now, huh? You want to go then?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Alyx said, a bored air floating in her tone. ¡°I don¡¯t want you using your lack of Blessing as your excuse as to why I beat you. Go get your minor blessing, and we¡¯ll fight again during the tournament.¡± Kohen opened his mouth, but Tiador stepped in front of him with a fake smile plastered over his lips. ¡°How magnanimous of you, Lady Alyx. I think we will take you up on that. Thank you. Will you be keeping our mage on your way out, or will you be returning her to us?¡± Alyx glanced at Pellen, who looked every bit like she was trying not to be seen. ¡°I¡¯ll honor my promise to see you out if you¡¯d like to leave now,¡± Alyx said, ¡°And either way, I will make sure you are compensated for holding Fioreya as long as you did.¡± Pellen looked between Alyx and her brother, her head swiveling back and forth. ¡°I-I should complete the contract Lord Kohen petitioned the Academy guild for. Thank you for your help.¡± She bowed and scurried away into the shadow of Daidyn. ¡°Until the tournament, then,¡± Alyx said, leading their group past him. ¡°Until the tournament,¡± Kohen replied, his words gravelly, but he did not level his wand at any of them as they passed. Ch. 77: Pellen: The Vamphelish Core Pellen¡¯s heart pounded as she walked away from Lady Alyx¡¯s party. The danger should be minimal at this stage. Lady Alyx and company had just fought their way through those floors. It should be safe. And, she was with the dependable Sir Daidyn and also Lords Kohen and Tiador. They had a contract to bring her safely back to the city. She would be just fine going back down and fighting whatever had crawled back up. Pellen took the tiniest peak over her shoulder through one of her corner eyes. It was wrong to wish that she could go with them instead. It was foolish to hope one of them would look back after her. Lady Alyx walked with her head held high. There was no indication she was worried for her, as there shouldn¡¯t be. Her eyes were set on her promising future. The lady would be a Dragon Knight. There would be little reason she would concern herself over a competitor like Lord Kohen, much less a little apprentice mage like herself. Her guardsman walked to her left, behind her just a step. It probably wasn¡¯t obvious to a casual observer, but he was watching Lord Kohen out of the corner of his eye as he walked. His every sense was focused on his lady¡¯s rival and his party. He watched her with just as much wary concern as he watched Lord Tiador and Sir Daidyn. She existed as nothing but a potential threat to his lady. As was right and reasonable. She picked at the skin around her fingernails. They were dried and cracking. They¡¯d bleed if she wasn¡¯t careful. Sir Salos, the cat¡ªprobably¡ªrode on Miss Cass¡¯s shoulder as he was wont to do. Like Lady Alyx¡¯s guardsman, his senses were doubtlessly watching Lord Kohen and his party for treachery, though Pellen couldn¡¯t have explained the method through which he did so or how she was as sure that he was. His tail wrapped around Miss Cass¡¯s neck, almost as if pushing her to look forward. To watch where they were going. But she wasn¡¯t. Miss Cass was staring at her. Pellen stiffened. Another corner eye darted back to double-check. Yes. Miss Cass was watching. Watching not Lord Kohen and not Lord Tiador and not Sir Daidyn. Miss Cass was watching her. And with concern in her eyes. Why? ¡°Glad to have you back, Lady Mage,¡± Sir Daidyn said, slapping her back and shaking her from her thoughts. The slap, though probably little more than a gentle and friendly nudge from the perspective of a giant like Sir Daidyn, sent her staggering forward. She kept her feet, but only just. ¡°And I¡¯m happy to see you again, sir,¡± she replied. It was largely true, despite his roughness. ¡°Did you and that sorceress really survive down here on your own? You really fought the 32nd Fang? And won?¡± he asked. His voice was loud and boisterous, the questions coming too fast for her to give answers. All she could do was nod her head. ¡°Give the poor woman time to breathe, Daidyn,¡± Lord Tiador said, ribbing the much larger vargher with his elbow. To Pellen, he continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us all about your adventures with Lady Alyx and Miss Cass at your own pace as we descend?¡± Pellen nodded and began telling the lords and Sir Daidyn of her tribulations without them, stopping only when they encountered monsters. If they understood exactly how dangerous it had all been for her, they would surely understand why she had joined their rival and would choose not to pursue her punishment with the guild, right? Right? She kept most of Miss Cass¡¯s skills to herself and largely omitted mentioning Sir Salos. It was an obvious courtesy she owed her protectors. She had recapped about all of it by the time they reached the ninth floor. Once again, she stood before the chasms separating the door of the ninth floor from Alacrity¡¯s Altar. ¡°Interesting, very interesting,¡± Lord Tiador said as her story concluded. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Ko?¡± Lord Kohen grunted an acknowledgment. The lord had not spoken once except to give orders during combat the entire way down. Even now, he looked more like he wanted to tear something apart than converse. Lord Tiador shook his head and sighed. ¡°Well, I thought it was a well-told story. Thank you, Mage Pellen. You have your blessing already, so I don¡¯t see a reason you should have to cross this gap again. What do you say, Ko?¡± ¡°Come or don¡¯t come,¡± Lord Kohen grunted and jumped out over the chasm to the first beam. Lord Tiador shrugged. ¡°Well, you heard the boss. Feel free to rest here for the rest of us, my lady mage.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Back soon,¡± Sir Daidyn promised. The two men followed their lord across. They all ran recklessly fast, in her terrified opinion. She pulled up her blessing while she watched them. Blessing of Alacrity [You have proven yourself worthy of She of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration¡¯s attention. She has granted you the right to bind with her chosen people: the dragons. Additionally, she has granted you the following boons: + 9% Ala + 3% Dex + 3% Wll + 3% Per] It was a perfectly average blessing¡ªan 18% increase to her stats. More Will and Alacrity were always welcome as a mage, and, as an inscriptionist, it was hard to go wrong with more Dexterity. The added Perception was not¡­ unwelcome, even if she would have preferred Resolve instead. Across the way, Lord Kohen touched the orb. He held his hand against it for a long time. Much longer than Miss Cass had. Probably much longer than she had. When he finally took his hand from the orb, he was finally grinning. Lord Tiador touched it next, barely brushing up against it before stepping out of the way for Sir Daidyn. And like that, the three men had their blessings. They ran back across the chasm in a few minutes, avoiding all the lighting and death. She shivered, thinking about her crossing again. ¡°How does my sister¡¯s blessing compare?¡± Lord Kohen asked without prompting, sharing a system window with her before she could answer. Blessing of Alacrity [¡­ Additionally, she has granted you the following boons: + 18% Ala + 6% Str + 6% Wll + 6% Per] Pellen¡¯s eyes boggled at the blessing he received. That was way stronger than the one she got. She could only shake her head. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªI didn¡¯t¡ªLady Alyx didn¡¯t show me her blessing, my lord. I couldn¡¯t tell you how your own compares to hers.¡± His eyes narrowed as she spoke. His eyes were hungry. Dangerous. Pellen forced herself to stand still. To hold eye contact with her primary eyes even while the rest spun around the room looking for some way out. Lord Tiador sighed and shook his head. Sir Daidyn just shrugged. There was nothing they could do about their lord, either. ¡°You have something,¡± Lord Kohen said. The pupils of his eyes widened as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Pellen¡¯s feet shuffled back. ¡°You must have gotten all manner of treasures after abandoning me,¡± Lord Kohen said. His voice was suddenly soft. Sweat. Hurt? Pellen bit her lip. She hadn¡¯t meant to break her contract¡ªto leave his party so early in the dive. He must know that. That was why she¡¯d rejoined him when she was able. It was only right. ¡°Ko, what¡¯s this about?¡± Lord Tiador interrupted. Lord Kohen waved him off, his eyes never leaving Pellen. Lord Tiador made a show of rolling his eyes. Lord Kohen continued speaking, his words pulling her in like a whirlpool. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should compensate me with some of that treasure, given you would not have gotten any of it had you not abandoned me?¡± No. But, maybe. Was this right? It was true she would have none of it if he had not hired her and if she had not then abandoned him. She was supposed to render a service for him. She had not yet done so. ¡°Show me the treasures you¡¯ve collected,¡± Lord Kohen said. It was a simple command. A simple means of making up for the ways she was lacking. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Pellen said, nodding dumbly. Her hands riffled through her clothes. She stacked her books on the floor. Lord Kohen looked unimpressed by the tomes. The crystallized skill experience gems came out next. They sparkled like pearls in the purple light of the catacombs. Lord Kohen didn¡¯t so much as flinch at the sight of them. Last, she presented the Keeper¡¯s Core. It was a crimson marble about three times the size of the skill gems, yet far heavier. She hadn¡¯t thought much of it when Lady Alyx had given it to her. She¡¯d just been happy to have been included in loot distribution. But now, there was something pretty about it. Keeper¡¯s Core [The crystallized fragment of a soul used to power and control the Storehouse Crystal Keeper. Primarily Vamphelish in composition.] Had it said that before? She wasn¡¯t sure. Had she even looked? ¡°That,¡± Lord Kohen said, plucking the core from her hand before she had a chance to set it down. ¡°I will take this and consider your dereliction of contract forgiven.¡± Pellen blinked at him. She wanted to argue. She did not want to give him that. It was hers. She hadn¡¯t meant to be separated from his party. It wasn¡¯t her fault she was. She shouldn¡¯t need to give him anything. ¡°Be glad I am leaving you everything else,¡± Lord Kohen added, his voice a ringing warning. ¡°And that I still intend to uphold my end of the contract.¡± Pellen shivered. He could abandon her here if he wanted. Lord Tiador would only roll his eyes. Sir Daidyn would be unable to refuse the order if he wanted to remain in Vaisom. She squashed her complaints. They would be unproductive, and the lord was right. If he were more willful, he might have taken everything instead. Better he satisfy himself with a strange curio rather than the things whose value she knew. ¡°Now, I believe we agreed on Obsidian Golems?¡± Lord Kohen said. The tension in his voice was gone. Almost like the entire conversation had not happened. ¡°That was the contract,¡± Lord Tiador agreed. ¡°Seventh floor, right? There has to be more in one of the side rooms.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Pellen asked as she hurriedly shoved her treasures back in her pockets. Lord Kohen shot her a tired look. ¡°I just said I intend to uphold my end of the contract. What do you think that means?¡± Pellen blinked. That hadn¡¯t been a threat that he would leave her behind? That was a reminder that he would still pay her in Concept Gems? ¡°R-right! Yes, my lord. Obsidian Golems, seventh floor.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on!¡± He strutted toward the stairs. Lord Tiador rolled his eyes again but followed him. ¡°Come on, Lady Mage,¡± Sir Daidyn said, holding a hand out to her. ¡°We don¡¯t want to get left behind.¡± Epilogue The trip back was slow but uneventful. The monsters were notably fewer now than they had been going down, a side effect of so many other teams of divers clearing the path as they searched for treasure in side rooms. If Cass¡¯s Health had been higher, they would have made quick progress through the dark halls of the catacombs. As it was, it took them four days to climb from the seventh floor to the first. In total, they had been in the catacombs for a little over a week. Only a week? It felt more like several months. Cass sighed. It had been over a week of hard physical activity and no bath. Her body was caked in the dirt and dust of the catacombs, the residue of monster ectoplasm, and her own blood. Not to mention, it had been over a week since she¡¯d last slept on a mattress with blankets and pillows. Over a week since she¡¯d last gotten a solid block of sleep, uninterrupted by the worries of being ambushed in the dark or the need to regroup with her friends. Yes, it would be nice to be back in the city, with its beds and baths and the beautiful lack of monsters trying to kill her. Yes, a long nap was warranted when they got back to the manor. A long nap and a long shower. By the time she¡¯d recovered her Health, Alyx would have her dragon and access to the Vault. There would be time for Salos to absorb his new soul core piece. They would face the next hurdle in getting Cass home, rejuvenated and ready. Was there going to be more conflict between her and her answers? Between her and her sibling? Between her and fixing Salos? Probably. That was the nature of this world, after all. But Cass had conquered Uvana. She¡¯d survived the lower floors of the Catacombs. She¡¯d beaten Fioreya and her soldiers. She¡¯d done all that and come out stronger for it. Was there anything she could not do? Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. They finally exited the catacombs, stepping into the light of day and a gust of fresh air. Cass breathed in deeply. After days of the cold, stagnant air of the catacombs, the warmth of daylight and the movement of the open world was like coming alive again, like Cass had stepped out of a coffin and been reborn. She barely even noticed the crowds in the stadium around them or the armed fighters and large monster standing in the center of the arena. Wait. What? The crowd exploded with a roar of excitement. ¡°Folks, it looks like one of this year¡¯s candidates for Dragon Knight has returned from the deep! Alyx Aretios Veldor has returned! Just in time, too, the Silver Serpents Treasure Company is on the ropes. Can she defeat the dread Alke and rescue the Treasure Company from their greed?¡± the announcer called out over the arena. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked. Before her, a two-headed elk reared back, its forelegs easily twenty feet in the air, its four antlers sparking with mana and filling the air with an impending dread. It had grey fur and black eyes like voids into the depths of space. Around its back legs, more of that energy circled, nameless and building. Black-Antlered Alke Lvl 26 [Hailing from the forests of Nevren, this beast is known for controlling shadows. Accounts of it stalking intruders of its domain for miles, all the while oozing dread, are well documented. This beast prefers to sap the strength of its foes rather than face them directly, but it will fight viciously when cornered.] Opposite the monster, a group of five humanoids ran in a panic. Several had large bags still strapped to their backs. Another held a sword in shaking hands between the group and the beast. Human Warrior (lvl 21) Elven Thief (lvl 20) Dwarven Medic (lvl 17) Human Warrior (lvl 23) Orcken Shopkeep (lvl 26) None of them looked like the kind of people that should be in an arena fighting monsters to Cass. ¡°The exit trial,¡± Alyx said like this was the most obvious answer in the world. Cass did not like the sound of that at all. ¡°Do we need to fight that thing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alyx drew her sword. Cass rubbed her face. All she wanted was a bath and a bed. Was that too much to ask? B.3-Ch. 1: Victorious Return A roar of excitement met Cass and company as they stepped out of the Velillia Catacombs and into the stadium. The crowds were packed and cheering from the stands, their voices a physical force over the arena. An announcer yelled over the crowd, ¡°Folks, looks like one of this year¡¯s candidates for Dragon Knight has returned from the deep! Alyx Aretios Veldor has returned! Just in time, too, the Silver Serpents Treasure Company is on the ropes. Can she defeat the dread Alke and rescue the Treasure Company from their greed?¡± Before her, a two-headed elk reared back, its forelegs easily twenty feet in the air, its four antlers sparking with mana and filling the air with an impending dread. It had grey fur and black eyes like voids into the depths of space. Around its back legs, more of that energy circled like mist, nameless and building. Black-Antlered Alke Lvl 26 [Hailing from the forests of Nevren, this beast is known for its control of shadows. Accounts of it stalking intruders of its domain for miles, all the while oozing dread, are well documented. This beast prefers to sap the strength of its foes rather than face them directly, but it will fight viciously when cornered.] Opposite the monster, a group of five humanoids cowered. A tall man stood at the front, his sword and shield shaking in his hands. Human Warrior (lvl 21) Beside him, an archer fired arrows at the beast from a black longbow. The arrows shimmered through the air, slicing through the alke¡¯s dark energy and burying themselves in its coarse fur. She wore heavy bandages along her arms and fresh wounds along her sides. Elven Thief (lvl 20) Behind them, an elderly orc had an unconscious woman slung over her shoulder and a bulging bag hanging from the other. Orcken Shopkeep (lvl 26) Human Warrior (lvl 23) At their side, a dwarf with a mace frantically looked between the monster and his companions, an expression Cass was entirely too familiar with on his face. Dwarven Medic (lvl 17) All had prominent bandages and scuffed armor. Several had stuffed packs, and more lay discarded at the arena¡¯s edge. ¡°What is happening?¡± Cass asked. ¡°The exit trial.¡± Alyx said it like this was the most obvious answer in the world. Cass did not like the sound of that at all. ¡°Do we need to fight that thing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alyx drew her sword. Cass rubbed her face. She was exhausted from the trials and tribulations of the catacombs. She had recovered some of her Health on the trip back, but it was still low. Her body ached down to her bones, protesting even the idea of more fighting. Stamina: 138/138 Focus: 531/531 Health: 50/130 All she wanted was a bath and a bed. Was that too much to ask? But no. This came first. And they clearly needed the help. ¡°Marco, protect the Treasure Company. Cass, see if you can take down any of its antlers. Salos, Fairy Fire on me,¡± Alyx ordered. ¡°With pleasure,¡± Salos said far more quickly than Cass liked, and Alyx¡¯s skin burst with purple flames. Marco raised his shield. ¡°Group up behind me.¡± The treasure company startled, but the orc woman wasted no time dragging her charge and her bags behind her for Marco, the dwarf quick on her heels. Cass skated along behind Marco. If Alyx was going to draw the aggro, she¡¯d sit quietly behind the tank and throw Tempest Blades like a good little mage. Her whole body hurt too much for anything else. Alyx burst across the field, her body flaming, her sword glowing, her crown blazing. Every eye in the stadium followed her and her alone. The alke¡¯s hooves slammed down on the stadium floor and the black mist exploded in a ring. Alyx leapt over it, her sword burying itself into the beast¡¯s front thigh as she landed. A hundred similar cuts appeared along the beast¡¯s body, all wet with dark blood. The alke thrashed. Its antlers bristled with dark energy. The remaining treasure company members¡ªthe archer and swordsman¡ªscrambled out of the way, sliding behind Marco¡¯s shield as the expanding mist struck it. Alyx dodged around the alke¡¯s attacks, her sword nicking its neck and slashing along its flank. It reared back again, a wailing sheik emanating from both heads. Cass shot off a pair of Tempest Blades, angling them for the base of the right head¡¯s antlers. The first hit the shrouding, black mist, only to break as they collided, but not without blowing the fog out of position. Cass re-angled the second blade for the clear spot. It flew true, taking a chunk out of the antler. The alke slammed down again, the black mist exploding in rioting waves. Alyx sliced through the stuff, cutting a break that closed behind her. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Marco¡¯s shield burst to light, and a shimmering wall formed between the monster and his charges. The treasure company¡¯s less combat-capable members huddled in the middle while the archer shot arrows after the beast. The swordsman clenched his sword, anxiously watching the battle unfold. The mist around the alke was less dense after its attack, though Cass could feel it already re-accumulating on its antlers. She threw another flurry of Tempest Blades, pairing them up and aiming for the base of each antler. Alyx cut deep into its other flank as she dodged a sweep of those antlers. Cass¡¯s Tempest Blades cut through the broken antler, and it fell to the ground. The head that lost the antler thrashed, throwing the creature¡¯s body off balance as the uninjured head tried to chase Alyx. Another set of Tempest Blades ripped through the mist and chopped off the injured head¡¯s second antler. It screamed. The antlerless head pulled toward Cass while the other head thrashed after Alyx. It pulled against itself. ¡°Now¡¯s your moment if yah want to help,¡± Marco said to the company swordsman. The swordsman raced from behind Marco¡¯s wall and joined Alyx before the beast. The mist gathered slowly around the monster. With half the antlers, it had half the power to collect it. What mist it had hung loose in the air, pushed and pulled in ineffective strikes. Like it was trying to use all of it to strike Alyx and Cass simultaneously and getting neither effect instead. The company swordsman sunk his blade into the beast¡¯s hindquarters. The antler-less head snapped around to bite him, stretching around, exposed before Alyx¡¯s sword. Vulnerable. She swung and sliced clean through, decapitating it. The remaining head, still antlered, screamed. It reared back again, throwing its head back, blood fountaining from the stump and dripping from the countless rends across its body. The mist swirled around it, but Alyx¡¯s amber-glowing blade cut through it like it wasn¡¯t there and stabbed up through its chest. The alke¡¯s scream sputtered. The creature fell limp. It collapsed to the ground. A cheer resounded through the watching crowds. Alyx pulled her blade from the beast, raising it high. Her aura enveloped the sword, growing brighter, bright enough to drown out the purple of the Fairy Fire still licking her skin. With a victorious shout, Alyx shot the aura into the air in a beam of light. A system window accompanied it. It was huge, big enough so everyone in the stadium could read it no matter where they sat. Major Blessing of Alacrity [You have proven yourself worthy of She of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration¡¯s attention. She has granted you the right to bind with her chosen people: the dragons. Additionally, she has granted you the following boons: + 27% Ala + 9% Str + 9% Dex + 9% End ] The crowds went wild. ¡°Velillia! I give you your Champion!¡± the announcer shouted over the crowds. ¡°Alyx Aretios Veldor, bearer of Alacrity¡¯s Major Blessing! Sear this image into your memory, folks. This is the beginning of something we haven¡¯t seen in twenty years! Will this be the redemption of House Aretios?¡± Alyx¡¯s aura dimmed, and Salos¡¯s Fairy Fire flickered out. Alyx bent over and chopped the remaining antlers from the beast, then sheathed her blade. ¡°These are for you, Cass.¡± Alyx handed Cass the antlers. They were enormous twisting things, still steeped in the dark mists that the alke had summoned. ¡°Thank you?¡± Cass shuffled them in her arms for a better grip. Marco retrieved the other pair, though Cass wasn¡¯t clear if those were also for her or if he was collecting them for Alyx, and she was too embarrassed to ask either way. The treasure company looked relieved, if disheartened. The swordsman¡¯s shoulders slumped. The noncombatants behind them still shook. ¡°Thank you for arriving when you did,¡± the lead swordsman said. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with ill-fitting armor and a simple sword. ¡°Let¡¯s move off the field before we¡¯re interpreted as wanting to rechallenge the Catacombs, yeah?¡± Alyx nodded and led the entire group out of the spotlight and through one of the other two doors on the arena¡¯s perimeter. Another group of people were waiting in the wings, an anxious air floating around them. ¡°Best of luck,¡± the swordsman said to the group. They nodded back. Alyx led them into a side room with a wide table in the middle. Do you know what¡¯s happening? Cass asked Salos. Not a clue. ¡°Alright, what are you offering us?¡± Alyx asked. The treasure company set their bags down and started rummaging through, placing a number of strange objects on the table. A great many were orbs, gems, or metals, but there was a mix of unusual trinkets among them, too. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Cass whispered to Marco. ¡°This group¡¯s a treasure company,¡± Marco said. ¡°One of hundreds that tried their hand at the catacombs this year, I¡¯m sure. But you can¡¯t just come and go as yah please. Entering¡¯s easy enough; just be invited like our lass or join the mad rush into the dark on the first day. If you weren¡¯t invited or you don¡¯t have the confidence to make it through the crowds, you can win yourself a spot to enter later in the week through the tournament they hold while the rest of us are down there. ¡°But then, on the way out, invited or not, you¡¯ve got to defend your winnings. They keep big monsters like that alke in the arena, throwing other challengers or monsters at each other while the crowds wait for divers like us to return. It¡¯s a good, fun show. But, when divers come out, they got to beat whatever¡¯s waiting for ¡®em. ¡°Win, and you keep everything you found down there with the duchess¡¯s blessing. Lose, and best case, the city guard stepped in to save you, and you forfeit everything you brought back. Worst case, you die before anyone can save you and the city gets your loot, anyway. ¡°Except if another team happens to come out while you¡¯re still fighting. If another team saves you, giving ¡¯em the first pick of your loot is customary. More loot, depending on how dire the situation was.¡± Alyx looked over the loot on the table, setting pieces aside in a small pile. ¡°Is that okay?¡± Cass asked. The whole thing sounded ridiculous. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s better than dying or losing everything to the city. And most of the loot is redistributed as prizes for other tournaments, so it makes its way into good hands, eventually.¡± While Marco explained, Alyx spoke to the treasure company. ¡°What floor did you make it to?¡± ¡°We were primarily on the third,¡± the swordsman said. Alyx nodded, still looking through the loot. ¡°A team like this made it to the third floor?¡± Cass whispered. None of them looked fit for fighting monsters to Cass. She wasn¡¯t one to talk, but most of them looked even less martially inclined than Cass. Their highest leveled member was the orc shopkeeper¡ªa green-skinned woman with hair silver from age and yellowed tusks protruding from between the corners of her lips. Like Cass, she carried a staff, though hers was a long metal rod with a mallet-like head about the side of the woman¡¯s fist. She leaned on it like a cane rather than a weapon. Behind them, the diminutive dwarf¡ªtheir lowest leveled member at lvl 17¡ªfussed over their unconscious member¡¯s wounds. The woman labeled ¡®thief¡¯ by the system flinched. Evidently, Cass wasn¡¯t quiet enough for advanced Perception to miss. Cass flushed, her head ducking. ¡°Three¡¯s pretty ambitious for this lot, yeah.¡± Marco scratched his chin. ¡°But clearly, things didn¡¯t go too poorly for them. Look at their equipment.¡± Cass followed his gaze to their clothes and armor. There were almost no metal plates on their armor. Rather, their equipment was mostly thick leather. ¡°That¡¯s all Ridian leather, highly resistant to electricity and fairly slash-resistant. Now, think about the beasties in the catacombs?¡± Cass nodded. The gophers were a lot of slashing. The crocs and snakes were all electricity. And on floor three there shouldn¡¯t have been wolves yet, as far as Cass had gathered from Alyx and Marco¡¯s discussions. ¡°With all fights, it¡¯s not just relative power but also proper preparation. Besides, I imagine if they¡¯d been full strength, they¡¯d have handled the exit better.¡± He nodded toward the unconscious fifth member they¡¯d laid over the back table. ¡°Thank you again,¡± the swordsman said as Alyx pulled her small pile from the table. She shook her head. ¡°I had to kill it the same as you. I¡¯ll take this, but that just makes us even, understood?¡± He nodded. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Alyx said, waving for Cass to follow her. ¡°Get anything good?¡± Marco asked. ¡°They had little of value, and I wasn¡¯t going to just take everything they had.¡± Marco nodded. Salos rolled his eyes. ¡°But this should go a long way toward our new equipment.¡± B.3-Ch. 2: Friends Telis, Alyx¡¯s butler, awaited them when they exited the coliseum. She stood at easy attention, her hands folded in front of her, her suit neat and pressed. Cass wasn¡¯t even surprised. While she might have raced over at the commotion when Alyx''s blessing was announced, Cass was all but certain Telis would have been waiting for them even had they snuck out of the arena in the dark of night without even the whisper of fanfare. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, my lady,¡± Telis said, holding a hand out. ¡°Welcome back.¡± ¡°Good to be back, Telis.¡± Alyx handed her the loot bag she¡¯d taken from the treasure company. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Shall we head back to the manor?¡± Telis asked. ¡°Please.¡± Telis led them away from the coliseum. The road was crowded. Stands had popped up all along the road, with vendors selling fried foods, cold drinks, and trinkets to the eager civilians here to watch the coliseum fights and the returning delvers. Other stands were targeted at those delvers, selling last-minute supplies to any still thinking of entering or buying materials found within the catacombs from any leaving. And between the stands was the populace of Vaisom. They were packed on the broad street, clamoring for the goodies at the surrounding stalls or watching the street performers. Children ran through the throng with paper dragon puppets and toy swords, all of them yelling about being the next dragon knight. And yet, the crowd parted before Alyx, her blessing still displayed for all to see over her head. The clamor quieted to murmuring as they passed, every eye turning to see the winner of Major Blessing. The crowds thinned as they left the coliseum behind and wrapped around the front of the palatial hill and up to the Veldor family manors. Yet, the festival was thick in the air. The entire road was lined with streamers of silk and bells, fluttering in the wind and filling the air with their sweet sound, mixing with the ever-retreating sounds of excitement from the coliseum. The Delim Manor¡ªthe house of Alyx¡¯s father¡ªwas exactly as they had left it. The house¡¯s facade had been carved from the spire upon which it sat, the white stone polished into smooth walls. No one waited for them at the door. Telis threw them open. ¡°Alyx Aretios Veldor has returned victorious from the Catacombs. Prepare a feast in her name!¡± A dozen servants appeared from thin air as their stealth skills failed them, staring in visible shock at their group and Alyx¡¯s blessing still displayed over her head. Telis ignored them all, either trusting them to inform the correct people or planning on preparing the entire thing herself regardless, and led their party directly to the stairs. Alyx followed her, her head held high. Finally, they arrived in Alyx¡¯s room. ¡°Congratulations again,¡± Telis said as the door closed firmly behind Marco. ¡°I can hardly believe you claimed the Major Blessing.¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Cass.¡± Cass smiled sheepishly. ¡°Happy to help.¡± ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Marco asked as he set his pile of antlers down by the door. Cass followed suit. ¡°Next, we take the rest of today off.¡± Alyx dropped into her armchair, a satisfied sigh slipping out as she settled into it. ¡°We get cleaned up. We enjoy the banquet the family feels obligated to throw me, and then tomorrow, the real work begins.¡± ¡°What does that entail?¡± Cass asked. ¡°For you? Not a lot. For me? This is where everything happens. I need to enter the tournament in the coliseum to keep showing off for the dragons. I need to see if I can get an audience with them and probably my grandmother. Maybe her dragon?¡± ¡°I will make arrangements,¡± Telis said. ¡°In the meantime, this is probably a good time to consider upgrading your equipment. That was why I wanted you to have the antlers.¡± Alyx pointed at the pile by the door. ¡°Alke antlers have a high magic conductivity, from what I¡¯ve heard. They will probably be useful in commissioning a new staff or whatever other equipment you want. ¡°You both can use any of this for that.¡± Alyx tossed her collection of treasures on the table in her sitting room. Most were the materials they¡¯d taken as prizes from the Treasure Company, but Marco and Alyx added other things from their bags that they¡¯d collected in the catacombs. They had a pile of plates taken from the corpses of the gophers, snakes, crocs, and wolves, a small collection of obsidian from the bodies of the golems, and a number of pink crystals taken from the crystal caves. She¡¯s rather generous with all this now, Cass noted. Not that she was complaining, but Alyx had been stingy in the past about loot. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. You are a member of her retinue now, Salos said. It is her duty as your ¡®lord¡¯ to provide for your equipment. Also, she almost certainly thinks she owes you a life debt. What are a few baubles before her life? ¡°We¡¯ll find some time in the next couple of days to go to a smith to get this processed,¡± Alyx said. ¡°But for now, we should get cleaned up for dinner.¡± Her words were a dismissal, but her tone implied there was more on her mind. Cass hesitated to leave. Alyx fidgeted with the pommel of her sword. Her eyes drifted over her retainers, Marco and Telis, her lips pursing in thought. She has something else she wants to talk to you about, Salos observed from his spot on Cass¡¯s shoulder. What do you think it is? Cass asked. Ask her, not me. ¡°You should rest,¡± Alyx said abruptly, her eyes lasering back to Cass. ¡°Thank you again for your help. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten the Major Blessing without you. I mean it.¡± Was that it? ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help,¡± Cass said instead of asking. She hesitated before adding, ¡°Isn¡¯t this what friends do for one another?¡± Alyx froze. Was that presumptuous? They were companions of chance, after all. Perhaps Alyx only considered Cass a debt that needed to be repaid. Perhaps it was entirely one-sided¡ª ¡°Of course,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Thank you. I¡ªI don¡¯t deserve a friend like you. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll let you go rest. I will get you into the Vault. Don¡¯t you worry. Telis, would you show Cass to her rooms?¡± ¡°See you in a bit,¡± Cass called as Telis escorted her away. Alyx waved back as the door shut behind them. That was weird, Cass whispered to Salos over their bond as Telis led them down the halls. She seemed to have something more on her mind, Salos agreed. Do you think I embarrassed her? Maybe. Telis stopped before Cass¡¯s door, opening it and gesturing for Cass to enter. ¡°Thank you,¡± Cass said as she entered. It was the same room she¡¯d used before. The same one Kohen had tried to manipulate her into giving up. The sitting room looked unchanged in the couple days they¡¯d been in the Catacombs. ¡°Call if you need anything. Dinner will be at the next bell,¡± Telis said and disappeared back down the hall. Cass let the door fall shut and dropped onto the sitting room¡¯s couch. Her body was heavy, and she was tired. Salos climbed down from her shoulder to her lap. Her hands slipped into his fur, running down his silky back. A sigh escaped Cass¡¯s lips as she continued her conversation with Salos. ¡°Do people not talk about friendship or something here?¡± ¡°I doubt that was what she meant to tell you,¡± Salos said. ¡°But also, no. The powerful have followers, not friends.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t exactly ¡®the powerful,¡¯¡± Cass pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m not even at the Gate, and Alyx is only just past it.¡± ¡°If one wants to be powerful, it¡¯s best to act like one will be.¡± Cass rolled her eyes. ¡°So, no friends?¡± ¡°Allies, sure. Sworn brothers in arms? Maybe. But something as nebulous and inconsistent as a friend? I wouldn¡¯t recommend it, no.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends?¡± Cass poked him between the eyes. His ears flicked back in annoyance. ¡°Are we?¡± ¡°I distinctly remember beating you and explaining the sacred rules of ¡®beat ¡®em to befriend them¡¯ to you.¡± ¡°You are the worst,¡± Salos muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s a real thing. You must have made that up.¡± Cass chuckled. ¡°Why would I lie about something like that?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Whatever makes you happy, I guess.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Me?¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve told you what I think about you. What do you think about me? Do you consider me a friend?¡± He looked away. She could feel his emotions swirling across their bond. It was murky and mixed. Confused and chaotic. But warm. ¡°You need to understand, trust is not something to give freely.¡± His tail flicked. ¡°It is hoarded. Doled out in small pieces. Offered with the understanding it will be broken, eventually. Inevitably. ¡°I¡ª¡± The words caught in his throat. ¡°I appreciate you. Your willingness to trust me is perplexing but appreciated. But I¡¯ve been betrayed by people who held my unconditional loyalty. I can¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°By Alacrity,¡± Cass said slowly. A spike of panic burst through Salos, his whole body tensing. Nothing happened, and a moment later, he nodded. ¡°She wasn¡¯t a goddess then. She was just my master.¡± He paused again, his eyes lingering on the fire in the hearth. ¡°Though, at the time, I¡¯m not sure I would have felt there was a difference.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much of this I can talk about, how much of this is a taboo of the gods.¡± ¡°She made you a demon,¡± Cass said. His conversation with the goddess in her trial confirmed it. It wasn¡¯t a question. He nodded anyway. ¡°Why?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t tell you if that¡¯s a feature of my memory loss or if I was simply blindsided by her betrayal.¡± ¡°Could she fix you?¡± He snorted. ¡°If she could and she wanted to, she had plenty of time to do so. No. It sounds as if she did this to me more than once. Like this was intentional and desired. She will not reverse it even if it was within her power.¡± ¡°We could still ask.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give her the satisfaction.¡± Cass crossed her arms with a sigh. There was an element of that she understood even if it was more practical to ask. But then again, Alacrity wasn¡¯t exactly their friendly neighborhood expert. She was a goddess. One that seemed entertained that her blessing hurt those who received it. Asking her a favor wasn¡¯t something that Cass was eager to try. Maybe next time Perception showed up, she could ask them? A shudder ran down Cass¡¯s spine at the thought. She didn¡¯t really want to ask them anything, either. Her hands clenched in her lap. Someone besides the gods had to have answers. She just had to find them. B.3-Ch. 3: The Core Still, she wasn¡¯t entirely without leads. For one, there was the Keeper¡¯s Core they¡¯d collected in the Catacombs. Cass pulled it from her Bag. The orb glistened in the firelight, a sea of misty stars within. Salos sat up a little straighter. His desire pinged at her senses and pulled at her own. She wanted to shove it in her mouth. Would it dissolve like sugar on her tongue? Or pop like a grape, the outer membrane bursting and releasing those misty oceans down her throat? Would it taste like the stars or the darkest oceans? She shook her head, pushing those thoughts away. These weren¡¯t her real thoughts. Those weren¡¯t her. They weren¡¯t even really Salos. ¡°This is yours, right?¡± Cass said. He nodded. ¡°There were two more that the Keeper had,¡± Cass said. ¡°Do you know what those were?¡± He stared at the orb, his gold eyes big and empty. ¡°Hey, eyes on me.¡± Cass snapped in front of his face. He blinked and refocused on her. ¡°Yes. Only this one was mine. The other two looked like pieces of other souls.¡± ¡°Why did that Keeper thing have any souls, much less yours?¡± He shrugged. ¡°It appeared to be a demonic construct. My skills alone apparently weren¡¯t enough to power it. They needed parts from other souls. I suppose I should be glad it distilled down into three clean parts instead of properly merging into one amalgamation.¡± ¡°Was that common back then?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Among certain crowds,¡± Salos said. ¡°The kind the Custodia hunted relentlessly. They are a perversion of nature. Using souls to power golems.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s sick.¡± ¡°So neither the Keeper nor the Caretaker were demons themselves?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Correct,¡± Salos said. ¡°Instead, someone took parts of a soul and used them as a material in a construct, in other words, a demonic construct.¡± ¡°Are there non-demonic constructs?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Sure. Those obsidian golems we fought were perfectly ordinary golems. Their cores were clean Concept Gems. Constructs aren¡¯t alive, so they don¡¯t have levels. The same way walls and traps don¡¯t have levels.¡± ¡°Plants are alive, but they don¡¯t have levels,¡± Cass said. ¡°Plants aren¡¯t alive the same way people or monsters are alive,¡± Salos said dismissively. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Cass¡­ Do we really need to debate this now?¡± Cass scowled. She supposed it wasn¡¯t important. ¡°Fine. But plants are alive.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± he said. ¡°Anyway. Constructs don¡¯t have real intelligence. They usually follow a few directives and have a master who can control them. Demons, generally, are uncontrollable beasts.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Generally!¡± Salos reiterated. ¡°Generally, they aren¡¯t captured by the first person they encounter. When created intentionally, they are dropped on their makers¡¯ enemies and naturally destroy everything in their path. When they are created naturally, you can expect the tragedy which created them to be about to become significantly worse.¡± His emotions rolled across their bond, heavy and dark. ¡°You really hate demons, don¡¯t you?¡± Cass said, the words a quiet breath in the silent room. ¡°It was a good thing you tamed me.¡± There was no relief in the words¡ªjust bitter acceptance. Cass didn¡¯t know what to do with that either. She didn¡¯t like her power over him, but if the other option was madness and destruction, perhaps it was for the best. But there had to be another option. Someway to make him not a demon any longer. Perhaps the organization that had spent so much time hunting them might know. Perhaps she could find answers to that alongside her questions about going home. Perhaps collecting all the pieces of his soul would be enough. Perhaps she had already stumbled across the answer. Cass picked up the core again. ¡°So, should we absorb this now?¡± Salos hesitated. ¡°I want to. But I¡¯m worried about leaving you alone in this place while you are still recovering.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Cass said. Health: 50/133 It was more Health than she¡¯d had when she¡¯d first arrived in Uvana. But now, it was a little less than half her total. Her body ached like she was going to collapse under the weight of the world. ¡°And Alyx is here too. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m on my own,¡± Cass added. Salos didn¡¯t look impressed. ¡°Hey, I survived just fine before I met you!¡± ¡°Did you?¡± He squinted at her. Cass crossed her arms. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I believe that for a moment.¡± Cass rolled her eyes. Really, things hadn¡¯t been that bad before she¡¯d met him. ¡°All things considered now is probably the best chance. Before things become complicated again.¡± He glared up at her. ¡°Do me a favor and stay in bed as much as possible and recover more of that Health while I¡¯m out?¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Cass said. ¡°How should we do this?¡± ¡°Cass, I am serious.¡± Salos scowled. Cass nodded. ¡°And I promise I¡¯ll be careful.¡± He sighed. She didn¡¯t need to feel the overflow of resignation over their bond to see he was not at all reassured. But he moved on anyway. ¡°How did you absorb it last time?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I held it up to the necklace.¡± ¡°Then do that again?¡± he said. That was almost certainly the correct answer, ¡°But I kind of want to eat it?¡± ¡°DO NOT!¡± Salos sprang to his feet, hissing. Cass recoiled. ¡°Okay. Got it. Why?¡± ¡°We are not sure whether you really are a demon now,¡± he said. ¡°Absorb that directly, and you certainly will be.¡± ¡°What exactly happens when demons absorb souls?¡± Cass asked. ¡°You went to sleep and woke up with a new power, but it seems like it would be a big weakness if a demon didn¡¯t have someone to retreat into while they slept off the meal.¡± Cass could only imagine a big scary demon curling up for a nap after every victim and all the demon hunters stabbing it as it slept with their swords. It was an anticlimactic end for such a feared monster. ¡°Past demons I¡¯ve encountered immediately get exponentially more powerful when they devour another soul. This happens as they absorb the potential of that soul, burning it for all its worth and then some. But this is a highly inefficient use of power and their souls are always tattered messes. That power burns up quickly, and much of what remains leaks away. They keep only a fraction of what they eat long term, but that fraction, over enough victims, is enough to create monsters far more powerful than anything a non-demon could dream of. ¡°That sounds nothing like what happened to you,¡± Cass said. Salos snorted. ¡°No, I seem to be unique in that regard. Is it because of the necklace that binds me? Maybe it happens because I am reclaiming parts of myself rather than devouring someone else. I do not know.¡± ¡°And we are sure you are a demon?¡± ¡°You saw my Identify tag, did you not? I can still see it in my status window.¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Can either be wrong?¡± ¡°No. Not really. Identify is always accurate, though not always as specific as it could be. And the status window is absolute. It is a description of truth.¡± That was weird. An objective truth? Cass supposed with the System to arbitrate it was possible. It still rubbed her wrong. Not just because hers still said she was a slyphid. ¡°And after they¡¯ve eaten another soul, they get more insane?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Like I said, they attempt to absorb the souls they eat. But their souls are such precarious things it isn¡¯t unusual to lose existing parts of themselves as they try to make the new parts fit. Between what they lose of what they already had, what they burn away in that initial absorption, and what leaks away later, they can only end in a worse state than where they started, even if it comes with more raw power.¡± ¡°All of them?¡± Cass confirmed. ¡°Everyone I¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°How many have you seen, exactly?¡± ¡°Too many.¡± He stood up and walked in a tight circle before settling in a tighter ball of cat. ¡°Far, far too many.¡± The fire in the hearth crackled beside them. He closed his eyes, his mind far away. Cass stroked the top of his head, waiting for him to come back. He shook his head, pushing her hand away. ¡°Anyway, I think I should demanifest back to the necklace, and you should have it absorbed that way. Same as the first time.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Cass said. Salos disappeared in a cloud of black mist, settling over her heart. Go ahead. Cass fished the necklace from beneath her clothes and held the soul gem to the pendant. They both flashed, and the soul fragment disappeared. Necklace Evolving Time until complete: ??? The room was suddenly very quiet. Like someone had been playing acoustic background music on low for the last while, only to have turned it off with a screeching record stop. This was how the world was supposed to sound, but the juxtaposition was unnatural. ¡°Salos?¡± Cass called into the empty room. She held the pendant up. Azorth Necklace It was a plain thing. Made of simple metal¡ªmaybe iron, maybe steel¡ªthe pendant was about palm-sized, with an eye embossed on the outward-facing side and a wide swirl etched into the other. It was cold in her hand, sucking away her body heat without warming in the slightest. Salos was in there. He¡¯d be back soon. The next day or two, probably. She dropped the necklace, letting it fall against her robes, and pulled her cloak tighter around her body, the transparent fabric becoming more opaque. Doubt whispered that they should have waited until she was fully healed. The pain in her shoulder pinged as if to agree. She rubbed the spot the Keeper¡¯s crystal projectile had gone through her shoulder. It had healed considerably from a gaping hole to tender muscles in the four or so days it had taken them to return from the bottom of the Catacombs. That was impossibly fast without the magic inherent to this world. It was, according to Alyx, Salos, and Marco, improbably fast even for this world. She wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d live back on Earth once she lost the super speed healing. Well, perhaps she¡¯d just go back to avoiding getting injured. Like a normal person. She shook her head. Even with magic healing, it would be days before her Health fully recovered. Salos couldn¡¯t wait that long to reclaim that piece of his soul. It had been too much just asking him to wait until they¡¯d gotten this far. Cass flopped over, sprawling across the couch. The cushions were plush, conforming around her body to cradle her. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t take care of herself. She had come a long way since leaving Uvana. Lvl: 19 -> 23 (+4) Str: 18 -> 20 (+2) Dex: 39 -> 60 (+21) End: 32 -> 46 (+14) Wll: 47 -> 78 (+31) Ala: 45 -> 74 (+29) Res: 36 -> 59 (+23) Frt: 15 -> 20 (+5) Per: 24 -> 36 (+12) Vit: 20 -> 37 (+17) Total Stat Points: 276 -> 430 (+154) It wasn¡¯t anything like the jump from level 1 to 19 she¡¯d seen in Uvana, but she had also been in Uvana for over twice as long and basically on death¡¯s door the entire time. It was still an increase in total stats of about 50%. With this much, she had been stronger than most of the delvers she¡¯d seen today. And, given her slyphid nature, she probably had stats comparable to most at the Gate at level 27. She could take care of herself. Really. And Alyx was around to help keep her out of trouble, too. Really, Salos had no reason to worry about her. He was locked at a lower level than her, anyway. It wasn¡¯t like he could rescue her. She shook her head. She was strong enough to survive this world. That was what mattered. She didn¡¯t need to be any stronger than that. Just strong enough to find Kaye or Robin¡ªwhichever was stuck here somewhere¡ªand strong enough to find a way home. Just strong enough to fix Salos. Any other power was just a convenient bonus. She sighed. She said that, but was she any closer to any of those goals than when she¡¯d arrived? The empty room screamed no. But that wasn¡¯t entirely true. She knew Kaye or Robin was here now. She hadn¡¯t known that when she¡¯d fallen into Uvana. How awful would it have been not to have found that information until she made it home? To meet the other sibling¡¯s hope-filled face, only for it to fall upon realizing it was only Cass returning. Her sibling, if Perception was telling the truth, was selected as a Champion by one of the gods. She would hear about it sooner than later. That wasn¡¯t gossip that could remain quiet for long. Once the Festival was over and the local gossip died down, the selection of a new Champion would surely be all people would want to talk about, right? She¡¯d found two soul pieces for Salos. She had no idea how many were still out there, but that was two more than he¡¯d started with. That had to count for something. And maybe fixing him was as simple as collecting them all for him. Alyx had her Major Blessing. She would be selected by one of the dragons. Her father would pick her as his heir, and she¡¯d get access to the magic archive Vault place. There would be an answer to how to send Cass home or a clue to point them toward the Scholar¡¯s Spire. There were answers. They were close. And if something went wrong, the Festival would be over shortly after that. She¡¯d get to talk with the Academy of Arcane Arts mage. They would have answers. Some research on transportation between realms. They would have other leads Cass could follow up on. She was getting closer, even if it didn¡¯t feel like it. If nothing else, there was Salos¡¯s wild story about reaching level 99 allowing people to travel between realms. She was a whole four levels closer than she had been when she left Uvana. She was doing what she could. Right now, she needed to rest. Recover. Heal. She wasn¡¯t good to anyone with her Health like this. When the Festival was over, when her Health had recovered, she would renew her efforts. She would find them. She would fix Salos. She would get home. She would let nothing in this world stop her. B.3-Ch. 4: Family Dinner That evening, the banquet was held in the family manor rather than the palace. Cass came down dressed in the borrowed robes Telis had provided. They were a gorgeous sapphire blue, with voluminous sleeves and embroidered with silver stitching and glass beads swirling like gusts of wind up and around the body. It came with a large broach depicting the Lord of the Deep snarling in an almost opaque blue-black glass. Against the common sense of Earth, she carried her staff. That was just one of those things they did here. The dining hall was a large room, too large for anything but a formal dinner. There was an emptiness to the space that the long table running from one end of the room to the other could never fill. The ceiling was stained glass, like the palace¡¯s had been, though the scene above was a swirling cloud of lightning and stars rather than the display of dragons of the palace. The light filtering through the excess of grey glass cast a gloomy light over the room. The magic sconces along the wall did little to mitigate it, their light coming off in a green-yellow that only added to the sickly atmosphere. At the head of the table, a tall-backed chair bigger than the rest presided over the room. The madam of the house was already seated to the chair¡¯s right. She was no less of an imposing woman in her dining room than she¡¯d been in her drawing room the other night. Tonight, she wore a robe of midnight purple, only a few shades darker than her hair. A gold spider clip held her hair in a twirling bun while a web of gold chain was woven into her locks. A slender wand rested beside her fork and knife on the table. Cass froze in the doorway. Had she come too early? Telis had said to come down when she was done dressing and the servant girl Cass had ambushed for directions hadn¡¯t suggested dinner was still unready. But then, where was Alyx? ¡°Good evening,¡± Cass said with an awkward wave. The madam didn¡¯t quite scowl. ¡°Good evening.¡± She said nothing more, her attention immediately snapping away from Cass to pointedly inspecting the far wall. Cass hung in place. The room was unmistakably unwelcoming. It wasn¡¯t so much that Cass specifically was unwanted, so much as all were equally undesired. This wasn¡¯t a place where one could simply sit down and eat. There were rules. She could feel it in her bones. But she would not divine those rules by loitering in the doorway. She forced herself to take a step forward despite the foreboding. She¡¯d just sit opposite the madam and let that be the end of it. Someone could yell at her if she were wrong. Footsteps behind her filled Cass with relief. Alyx would know what the rules here were. She turned, only to find it was not Alyx but Kohen and Tiador approaching. They were dressed for dinner in fine silken tunics embroidered with twisting patterns in gold and silver thread, respectively, and armed like any proper dinner guest of this world, swords swinging from hips. A large glass lion broach was pinned over Kohen¡¯s breast, the figure glistening in the ghastly lighting. A snake made of alternating glass and silver segments hung over Tiador¡¯s shoulders, the serpentine head pinned open in a perpetual hiss on his right. Vaisom Noble (Lvl 30) Vaisom Noble (Lvl 28) [The son of a prominent noble of the duchy of Vaisom. He exudes the expectation of authority, if not authority itself.] Cass¡¯s disappointment slipped out. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s you.¡± Kohen scowled. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Cass shook her head, quickly backpedaling her impulsive words. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t expecting you to be back already.¡± Then again, there wasn¡¯t a lot of catacomb between where they¡¯d seen him on the eighth floor and the goddess¡¯s blessing on the ninth. He and his team had probably been behind them the whole way up. If they were waylaid at all, it would have been to fight more golems for Pellen. Given the slow pace at which she and Alyx had returned, it was possible he¡¯d even beaten Cass and Alyx back. ¡°Looking down on me already?¡± he scoffed. Cass shrugged. ¡°Did Pellen get the concept she wanted?¡± ¡°The mage you stole? How should I know?¡± ¡°You hunted a golem or two for her, right?¡± Cass pressed. What if he hadn¡¯t because he considered their separation a breach of their contract? ¡°We slayed the golems she wanted. She got the concept gems. For all I know, she sold them after.¡± Cass breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn¡¯t her business, but she liked Pellen. Kohen pushed around Cass and sat himself down opposite his mother in a huff. ¡°Pleasure to meet you again, Mage Yuan,¡± Tiador said, lingering beside her and the door another moment, his lime eyes¡ªunpleasantly slitted like a snake¡ªevaluating her as they moved up and down her body. ¡°I must say, you were most impressive out there.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. This was likely nothing but empty flattery. Their parties had only fought briefly, during which he should have been focused on his immediate opponents and which ended with her and Pellen falling into a chasm, not to be seen by him until things were well and truly over. But empty flattery warranted polite acknowledgment. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°May I ask what you are doing after this?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. ¡°After dinner?¡± ¡°After the Festival.¡± ¡°I have business in the city.¡± What that business was was none of his. ¡°And after that?¡± he pressed. ¡°That depends on how my business goes,¡± Cass said. ¡°But I expect to still be busy.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He chuckled, but his good-natured tone failed to reach his lime-colored eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s sit. I¡¯d love to hear more about your business.¡± He held his hand out to Cass. A wave of comfort floated over her. Something about his arm was appealing. A safe harbor in this unfriendly room. Cass clicked her tongue and stepped away from him. Status Effect (Charismatic Charm) Ignored. ¡°I would appreciate if you didn¡¯t try that again anywhere near me,¡± Cass said. These noble brats. More manipulation skills? How often did he use that to lure women off with him? His eyebrows went up. ¡°Try what?¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t play dumb.¡± Cass kept her voice steady. Polite. Though, her ¡®please¡¯ still came out as a sharp barb. ¡°I assure you, I don¡¯t know how I might have offended¡ª¡± His words poured over her, warm like lemonade left out in the sun the entire afternoon¡ªunpleasant and entirely unnatural. Status Effect (Charismatic Charm) Ignored. ¡°That!¡± Cass snapped. ¡°That skill, stop it.¡± Just because it didn¡¯t affect her didn¡¯t make it any more pleasant. Tiador stared at her. The entire room was staring. Cass bit her lip. Did none of them see the problem? Well, it was probably too much to hope Kohen would find something wrong with using skills like this, given he¡¯d used one on her already. Perhaps it shouldn¡¯t be a surprise his mother shared that opinion. If this were the norm, she¡¯d just have to spell it out for them then. ¡°Where I am from, social skills are very rude.¡± Tiador raised an eyebrow. ¡°Interesting. I¡¯d love to hear more about that. I¡¯m surprised you even noticed I had a social skill active. What is your Perception?¡± ¡°My understanding is that it is rude to ask about stats here.¡± Cass narrowed her eyes. Tiador laughed. There was something more genuine about that one, though, for all she knew, he had switched to an acting skill instead. ¡°True. True. My apologies, my lady. It¡¯s just been a long time since someone my age called me out on things like this. Please excuse my curiosity.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it again, and sure,¡± Cass said, still moving no closer to him. ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll do my best. I¡¯m afraid I use some of these skills habitually. But I¡¯ll hold back as much as I¡¯m able.¡± He retracted his hand and gestured at the table. ¡°Come, let¡¯s sit.¡± He seated himself beside Kohen, leaving Cass the unenviable choice between sitting beside him or Alyx¡¯s stepmother. Thankfully, that was the moment Alyx entered. She was in crimson robes, a swirling abstract pattern climbing up the fabric reminiscent of Asian dragons. A bird mask of black glass was pinned to her red hair. ¡°Kohen, you¡¯re back already,¡± Alyx said as she glided into the seat beside the madam. Cass hurried to sit next to her. ¡°Yes. Is everyone going to act surprised?¡± He scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°People are going to be surprised by surprising events.¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°How fast did you have to walk to get to the manor in time for dinner?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I got home over two hours ago,¡± he said. ¡°From what I gather, I was only an hour after you, and that was with several stops on the way back up.¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°Good for you. I got all my business in the Catacombs done on the way down.¡± He glared but bit his tongue. Tiador smiled like a snake from his side, picking up the conversation as Kohen refused to continue it. ¡°Lady Alyx, congratulations again on your accomplishments. You are a blessing to your house.¡± Alyx raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± The madam pointedly ignored him. ¡°I would love to hear¡ª¡± He stopped as the dining room¡¯s doors opened again. A boy stood in the entry. He had a long gash along the left side of his face, but it was already scabbed over. Vaisom Noble (Lvl 25) ¡°Ahryn?¡± Kohen shot up from the table, hurrying to Ahryn¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡± Ahryn smiled and nodded. ¡°I heard we were having dinner?¡± ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± Kohen¡¯s hands hovered between them, poised to brush away the younger boy¡¯s wounds but held back by the knowledge his hands could do nothing for the scabs. ¡°You went into the Catacombs? Without me?¡± Ahryn looked down, nodding. Kohen¡¯s mouth hung open like he had more questions. He shook his head. ¡°When did you get back?¡± ¡°Just now,¡± the boy said. ¡°Now?¡± Alyx asked. Ahryn nodded. ¡°Someone at the arena said we were celebrating Alyx¡¯s major blessing and that if I hurried, I might make it in time. It looks like I¡¯m not late?¡± He wasn¡¯t dressed for dinner. He still wore the leathers of his armor, and his tunic was the quilted gambeson worn under metal protection. The beadwork on the fabric was not ornamental but intended to increase the outfit¡¯s defensive properties. He wore no mask or other mark of past conquests. Hesitantly, Ahryn stepped into the room past his brother. His eyes gravitated to his mother. His voice trembling, he said, ¡°I won, mom.¡± A system window floated above his head as he displayed his blessing for all to see. Alacrity¡¯s Blessing [You have proven yourself worthy of She of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration¡¯s attention. She has granted you the right to bind with her chosen people: the dragons. Additionally, she has granted you the following boons: + 9% Ala + 3% Dex + 3% Wll + 3% Res] The madam gasped. ¡°Oh, my baby boy. Good job. Come sit down. Let¡¯s show your father when he arrives. This will be so useful to your brother.¡± Ahryn¡¯s shining face darkened at that last sentence, but he nodded and sat himself opposite Cass. Kohen¡¯s expression darkened further. He crossed his arms over his chest and followed Ahryn back to the table, slumping into his chair. ¡°I don¡¯t need his help. I succeeded as well.¡± ¡°I know, dear,¡± Litya said, patting his hand on the table. Her words did nothing for his expression. ¡°You¡ª¡± Kohen started to say as the doors opened yet again. A tall man strode through. Everyone at the table stood. Cass scurried to follow suit. He was a stern-looking man. Like a person carved from stone rather than flesh. All sharp edges like broken obsidian. His eyes cut across the room, dissecting each person before him as he walked to the large, unoccupied chair at the other. Thaycer Delim Veldor, the Delim branch patriarch. B.3-Ch. 5: Lord of the Manor The Warden (lvl 41) [Keeper of the secrets of the Vaisom duchy and its past. Few know as much as he of the inner workings of Vaisom. His combat skills are considerable despite his lack of dragon.] Cass¡¯s chest contracted at the sight of his level, and her hand clenched over her chest. Over Salos¡¯s necklace. The duchess and her dragon had been higher, but they¡¯d also been much further away. There had been countless other people. The duchess¡¯s attention had not been so focused on Cass. He was nearly double her level and well passed the Gate, in addition to being a lord of this land. What other bonuses to his stats might he have won? He wasn¡¯t a young man. Streaks of grey hair touched his temples but had otherwise not yet touched his night-black hair. The lines around his eyes belied both age and his tendency towards scowling. On Earth, Cass would have guessed he was in his late forties. Here, with Vitality stats, Cass could only assume he was older. As he reached the head of the table, he unstrapped the long sword from his back and hung it over the tall back of the head chair. He seated himself, staring down the table with his chin raised, his expression perfectly matching the distasteful glare of the ape-faced pauldron he wore on his left shoulder. ¡°Be seated,¡± he commanded with a wave of his hand. ¡°Welcome, Lord,¡± the members of the Veldor family said and retook their seats. Tiador simply sat, and Cass hurried to follow suit. As the family and guests sat down, plates appeared in front of each place setting. Cass could feel the movement of people around her, even if she couldn¡¯t see them. Servants serving unseen. The lord raised his glass. It filled with a ruby liquid as he lifted it, the contents swirling in the glass but not spilling a drop. ¡°All my children have returned, I see. I have heard one of you stole Ahdain¡¯s Major Blessing to boot?¡± ¡°That was my honor,¡± Alyx said, a grin creeping across her face. Her father raised an eyebrow, his eyes darting to Kohen opposite her. ¡°Is that so? You will have to tell us how you managed that.¡± Alyx nodded and began recounting some of their exploits of the Catacombs. Kohen scowled the whole way through while Tiador kept an amused smirk on his face the entire time. Cass identified the food, though she doubted such a meal would be messed with at this stage. Venison Treli [A rare steak of veniveni braised with a ruby flaise wine and accompanied by mashed potatoes and sauteed carrots.] Cass didn¡¯t know what kind of animal a veniveni was or what flaise wine might be, or what kind of potato was pink and what kind of carrot was green, but since no one else was commenting on the food, she supposed that was just how it was here. Identify didn¡¯t seem to think it was poisoned, so Cass took a bite. The steak reminded her more of lamb than beef in flavor, while the texture had more of the bounce of chicken thighs than the marbling of steak. The sauce glazing it was sweet like honey but simultaneously had something akin to the bite of ginger. She didn¡¯t think she liked it on the first bite but had to take a second to double-check. By the fifth bite, she had decided the flavor had grown on her and that she would probably finish the whole thing despite not needing to eat. Alyx was just about done describing how she had outraced Fioreya. She was going light on all the details. ¡°I am impressed your companion was able to slow someone as formidable as Fioreya Ahdain to that degree.¡± Thaycer¡¯s obsidian eyes fell on Cass as Alyx¡¯s story ended. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Cass shrugged. There wasn¡¯t much to tell. She wasn¡¯t about to explain how Confounding Mists worked or that she¡¯d burned most of her Health to power it. It probably shouldn¡¯t have been possible. ¡°Tell us how you did it,¡± he prompted, throwing a weight Cass was beginning to recognize behind his words. For a flicker of a second, it seemed like it might be fun to regale them with the details. The Dodging, the redirecting. She could imagine their faces lighting up at the tale of bravery and sacrifice. But then Cass flicked aside the impulse. Status Effect (Noble Suggestion) Ignored. Did these people just do it out of habit? Did they know they were doing it? Were they incapable of just asking for things like a normal person? She had been content to eat her meal and let Alyx do the talking. What now? She could just ignore him, she supposed, but she wanted a favor off him soon, so that was probably not her most diplomatic move. There was also the fact he was nearly double her level, with that many more stats at his disposal. Would he use them on a house guest at a social event? It was possible, but Cass couldn¡¯t imagine a polite society surviving long if such a thing was common. But she would rather not test that theory if she didn¡¯t have to. Cass forced a smile to her lips. ¡°I was just lucky I only needed to hold her for a little while. If I had needed to kill her or stop her any longer, I never would have managed. As it was, I fainted right after.¡± His lips curled into a scowl, his eyebrows knitting between his eyes. Was it anger with her non-answer or just irritation that she wasn¡¯t falling over herself to fulfill his ¡®noble suggestions¡¯? ¡°I got my blessing, too, father!¡± Ahryn interrupted, saving Cass from needing to guess what else she should share. The lord looked down his wineglass at his youngest son. His voice was unimpressed as he said, ¡°So I heard.¡± There was no follow-up. There was no interest in Ahryn¡¯s adventures. Just simple disinterest. Instead, his dark eyes landed on Kohen. ¡°I heard you returned third?¡± Kohen nodded, his chin rising in pride. ¡°But you entered third, as well.¡± The disapproval in his voice sucked the pride out of Kohen¡¯s body. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± Kohen said. ¡°But I had matters to attend to on the way back. If I had not, I would have been back yesterday.¡± ¡°If would-be¡¯s were wishes, we all would be Dragon Knights,¡± Thaycer said. Is that a saying? Cass asked, only to remember Salos wasn¡¯t awake to have a sidebar with her. She sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on our Kohen.¡± Litya put a hand on her husband¡¯s. ¡°He did well. So well. Both of them did. Surely this deserves a prize?¡± Thaycer smiled down at his wife¡¯s hand. ¡°Perhaps. What kind of prize did you have in mind?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the dragons be more impressed with our son if he held a title, dear?¡± Litya said. ¡°I imagine if you named him your heir before the ceremony¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Thaycer¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°It is too early to be thinking about heirs.¡± ¡°Come now, I know you have been.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t name Kohen heir yet,¡± Alyx butted in, a shark¡¯s grin on her lips, all teeth and bite. ¡°Not until our bet is over.¡± ¡°Your bet?¡± Litya repeated. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her?¡± Alyx leaned back in her chair, an eyebrow raised. ¡°I thought you would have at least told your wife.¡± ¡°It is none of her business, or anyone else¡¯s,¡± Thaycer growled, his fork stabbing into his steak with just a touch more force than was strictly necessary. ¡°But you told Kohen, at least, right?¡± Alyx¡¯s taunting tone grew with every word. ¡°You promised you would tell Kohen.¡± Kohen stared down at his plate. ¡°Tell him what?¡± Litya demanded. ¡°Tell me what?¡± Alyx leaned back in her chair, excessively, aggressively casual. ¡°Father and I have a little bet going. He thinks I have no chance of becoming the Knight. I think it¡¯s all but guaranteed.¡± ¡°What happens if you are selected?¡± Litya asked. Alyx grinned. ¡°Dear father will name me heir.¡± ¡°Thaycer, you didn¡¯t!¡± Litya exclaimed. Thaycer didn¡¯t quite grind his teeth together. Alyx¡¯s grin grew. Kohen¡¯s hand clenched tighter around his fork. ¡°You¡¯re looking at the Warden¡¯s Heir,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Not yet,¡± Thaycer snapped. ¡°No dragon has picked you yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Hardly.¡± Thaycer¡¯s glare turned on Kohen. ¡°Be selected by a dragon, and I shall make you heir, Kohen. Surely, with the advantages I¡¯ve given you over the years, you can¡¯t be so much of a failure as to lose now. Alyx laughed. ¡°The game is already over. I hold the major blessing. Nobody compares to Fioreya, and even if they somehow did, she¡¯s Alacrity¡¯s Champion. The Dragon Knights have been chosen in every way, but officially. Do yourself a favor and save your efforts for the next contest.¡± Thaycer slammed his hands on the table as he stood. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I think this dinner is over.¡± Cass looked across the half-eaten plates with a raised eyebrow. But sure, why not? ¡°Congratulations to our Alyx for her major Blessing,¡± his voice was forced and growling, filled with barely controlled frustration. ¡°May the strongest candidate win the eyes of our dragons. May the rightful heir distinguish themselves before our grand city. All are dismissed.¡± He stormed away from the table, his head held high, but an unmistakable shame swirling around him all the same. B.3-Ch. 6: Demons ¡°Well, that went well,¡± Alyx said as she fell back onto Cass¡¯s sitting room couch. Cass raised an eyebrow. Had it? ¡°Really?¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°You call that well?¡± Cass repeated. ¡°Sure, Kohen didn¡¯t try to stab me at the table, and father ran out of the room with his tail between his legs. I¡¯m not sure it could have gone better!¡± She laughed, reclining further into the chair. Cass grimaced. It had hardly been the family dinner she¡¯d expected. She knew Alyx wasn¡¯t close to her family. There was the constant antagonism between her and Kohen, as well as the whole assassination thing supposedly by her father after all. All things considered, perhaps tonight was tame. That she would have killed to see Kaye and Robin and celebrate their accomplishments over dinner was irrelevant. That it was a waste to antagonize loved ones and purposefully push them away was irrelevant. Cass shook her head. She had to remind herself that Alyx¡¯s family wasn¡¯t her own. She couldn¡¯t use her desires to judge how Alyx interacted with her family. ¡°In any case, keep your eye on Kohen. He might try something drastic now that he¡¯s been pushed into a corner,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Was it a good idea to push him, then?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Alyx said. ¡°I want him to do something drastic.¡± ¡°Like what exactly?¡± Cass regretted the question as it left her mouth. Alyx grinned. ¡°He might try to assassinate me.¡± A sigh slipped from Cass. ¡°You look happy about that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the most foolish thing he could try now. With my blessing, I have a definitive advantage, and I¡¯ve shrunk the level gap. If he does it personally, I¡¯ll kill him in self-defense.¡± ¡°And if he sends someone else?¡± Cass asked. Alyx sighed. ¡°He won¡¯t send one of his people. It would track back to him too easily, and they are all weaker than him, besides. Which means he¡¯d need to hire out. Finding an assassin crew that will kill a Major Blessing holder this time of year will be difficult and expensive. He might still do it, but if he did, he¡¯d be admitting that I¡¯m out of his league. I think he¡¯d rather die than admit that.¡± Cass didn¡¯t know what to do with any of that besides helplessly picking at it. ¡°Assassin crews? You mean actual kill-people-in-their-sleep-assassins this time, right? Not major-single-target-damage dealers like last time we talked about this.¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°And there are just whole ¡®crews¡¯ who do assassination?¡± Cass hoped¡ªprayed¡ªshe misunderstood. ¡°Sure, the merc group I hired for Uvana was apparently one,¡± Alyx said entirely too nonchalantly. ¡°Most have covers as treasure companies or mercenaries or the like.¡± ¡°And no one has tried to arrest them?¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°What is there to arrest?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t murder illegal?¡± ¡°Yeah, generally.¡± ¡°So wouldn¡¯t a group that murders for money be very illegal?¡± ¡°But how do you prove the treasure company takes that kind of job?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°More importantly, if the powers that be cleaned them up, who would they hire to remove their rivals when it came time?¡± Cass shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Alyx shrugged again. ¡°And I don¡¯t like you purposefully trying to get your brother to kill you.¡± Alyx sighed, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t love it either. I¡¯d rather he just got out of my way and left me alone. But that won¡¯t happen. So, failing that, I¡¯d rather know for sure he¡¯s trying to kill me than spend my time wondering whether he is.¡± Cass didn¡¯t get it. She didn¡¯t think she wanted to either. Silence stretched between them, the fire in the hearth crackling quietly. Alyx looked around the room, her bright eyes searching for something. ¡°Where is Salos?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± that was what she was looking for. ¡°Ah,¡± What was she supposed to say? ¡°Out?¡± ¡°Cass.¡± Alyx sighed. ¡°Out?¡± ¡°Out.¡± Cass nodded. It was, objectively, a bad excuse. But it was the one she¡¯d picked. Lies were best when one stuck to their story and added as few details as possible. And, from a certain angle, this wasn¡¯t even a lie. He was ¡®out¡¯. ¡®Out of commission,¡¯ more specifically. Alyx rubbed her temples. ¡°I need more from you than that, Cass.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to tell you,¡± Cass said. Alyx sighed. ¡°He¡¯s your familiar, isn¡¯t he?¡± No. Cass had never bothered to straighten out what exactly the difference was, but technically, he was her demon bond, not a familiar. But Cass couldn¡¯t exactly say that, could she? No, it was better to redirect the conversation instead. ¡°Did you need him for something?¡± Alyx fiddled with the end of her pommel. Her eyes bore into Cass. Cass, for her part, did her best to match her stare. She had nothing to feel guilty for. She hadn¡¯t lied, and she wasn¡¯t obligated to explain Salos¡¯s situation to anyone. ¡°No. I guess not.¡± Under her breath, she muttered, ¡°This might actually go better without him here.¡± Again, to Cass, she said, ¡°I asked you a question in the catacombs. Do you remember?¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. A question? There had probably been a lot of questions. Which one in particular¡ª ¡°After the Keeper,¡± Alyx supplied. Oh. ¡°To which you asked if you could answer later.¡± Oh, no. ¡°Now is later,¡± Alyx said, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°What was that about? Why did we fight that thing? Why did you fight it the way you did?¡± Cass had no more answers now. Salos would caution her to say nothing, to admit to nothing. Salos would not trust Alyx with this. But Salos wasn¡¯t in charge. Though, he might be right about this. Would Alyx understand Cass¡¯s position? Would she be upset? Would she abandon Cass? Alyx pulled an object from her pocket and set it down on the table between them. ¡°What is this, Cass?¡± The last soul they¡¯d collected from the Storehouse Crystal Keeper shone on the table. It took everything Cass had not to lunge forward and snatch it up. ¡°Why do you and Salos want these things? Why does reason seem to leave you entirely where they are concerned?¡± Each question came faster. More forceful. Cass swallowed. How did she explain? Could she even explain? This was Salos¡¯s secret, not her own. And it was much more dangerous than any of the secrets she¡¯d shared with Alyx so far. ¡°What is the connection between the Keeper and the Caretaker? You said you would explain later. It is later.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°I just thought Salos would be around when we did this.¡± ¡°Then call him over. I¡¯m sure whatever he¡¯s snooping around in can wait.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s not going to be around for a couple of days, probably.¡± ¡°Where is he, exactly?¡± Alyx crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± Cass shook her head. The only way through this conversation was forward. If she wanted to keep working with Alyx, she would have to explain. That was only fair. Secrets, at this point, would only look worse. Alyx deserved more than lies. Cass pulled her necklace from beneath her clothes and held it out so Alyx could see it. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Here?¡± Alyx eyed the necklace suspiciously. ¡°How much of the item description can you see?¡± Cass asked. ¡°It¡¯s on your person, so not a lot, just that it¡¯s called an ¡®Azorth Necklace.¡¯ Should that mean something to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cass admitted. ¡°But this is the full description.¡± Cass shared the full Identify with Alyx. Azorth Necklace [The home of a once powerful Nyxdran Demon, now your humble servant. As you have survived the demon¡¯s attempts to possess you, you have been granted ownership of the demon, giving you some bonuses: ¡­ This item has Unbound Growth and may absorb compatible items to gain functionality. This item is Soul Bound to the Initiate Cass and may only be removed on death.] Alyx¡¯s face darkened as she read the window. She shook her head. ¡°This is ridiculous, even for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Cass said, unsure what else to say. ¡°Salos is a demon?¡± Alyx¡¯s voice dripped in disbelief. ¡°Really?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°And he¡¯s in the necklace right now?¡± Alyx¡¯s voice rose. Cass nodded again. ¡°Abyss and blood.¡± Alyx slumped back in the chair. ¡°You must be joking. This is a bad joke, Cass. Tell Salos to come out. Tell me what¡¯s really going on. You¡¯ve leveled my expectations. Literately, anything would be better.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± ¡°But neither of you are crazy!¡± Alyx shouted. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Demons and their contractors are mad. Power hungry. Broken.¡± Alyx waved in Cass¡¯s general direction. ¡°And you¡¯re anything but.¡± ¡°Except when there is a soul nearby.¡± Cass glanced down at the soul fragment still sitting on the table between them. Alyx scowled. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Then the Caretaker in Uvana had soul pieces, too?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°I can feed it to the necklace to empower Salos. Specifically, I can feed him pieces of his soul. We haven¡¯t tried other souls yet. I think we both want to avoid that. Probably.¡± It was highly tempting to try it now, though. What was the worst that could happen? Just the corruption of their souls or something. As she¡¯d pointed out before, it wasn¡¯t like she really even understood what a soul was. What did she care if it was different from the one she¡¯d had before or if it got corrupted or tarnished or something? Cass shook her head. ¡°Can you put that away?¡± Alyx nodded quickly, shoving it into a pocket. Cass could still feel it on her, but the desire to shove her hands in Alyx¡¯s clothing, looking for it was far easier to ignore than the one to pounce on the table had been. ¡°Okay, so Salos is a demon, and he¡¯s mostly sane?¡± Alyx¡¯s hand clenched around her sword¡¯s pommel. ¡°He¡¯s made of just one soul,¡± Cass explained. ¡°He¡¯s pretty sure that¡¯s why he¡¯s so put together.¡± Which was an excellent reason not to go around swallowing other things, Cass reminded herself. ¡°Right. I suppose that should explain why he knows things about a past age? Because that¡¯s when he¡¯s from?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Basically.¡± ¡°And you are a demon contractor?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shrugged. ¡°I guess. The system gave him to me as a reward for beating the Herald of the Deep.¡± ¡°But you are his master?¡± Alyx said. ¡°I don¡¯t like that term, but yeah, I guess so.¡± ¡°Since the Herald of the Deep¡­¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°Then you¡¯ve had him since before you met me? Where was he before¡­¡± Her eyes drifted back to Cass¡¯s necklace. ¡°The necklace?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°The soul fragment we got from the Caretaker let him use Separate Form. Before that, he was suck in my head.¡± Cass paused. ¡°Well, he would probably interrupt to insist that it wasn¡¯t my head but the necklace. He¡¯s a stickler for those kinds of details. I don¡¯t know how important the distinction is.¡± She was rambling, Cass could feel it. But Alyx wasn¡¯t saying anything. Instead, she was staring at the necklace. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s what I needed to tell you,¡± Cass said lamely, pushing the necklace back under her robes. Alyx blinked. ¡°I see. I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°This wasn¡¯t what I expected to hear.¡± ¡°What were you expecting?¡± Cass asked quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Alyx stood up abruptly, walking away from Cass toward the fire. ¡°A berserker innate trait? A secret lead on realm traversal? A blood thirst for constructs that goes beyond rational understanding? I don¡¯t know, Cass. As a rule, you don¡¯t make any sense, but this? This goes beyond that.¡± Cass¡¯s heart pounded in her chest. Alyx was going to abandon her. Who would willingly spend time with a demon? She should have made something up. She should have lied. Salos had said not to trust her. To depend on no one but herself. The silence was unbearable. She had to break it. Even if the words that came next would be worse. ¡°You¡¯re not scared of us, are you?¡± The question slipped from Cass¡¯s lips. Alyx threw her hands up. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Cass. I don¡¯t know what to do with any of this. You¡¯ve just told me you are incredibly dangerous. But you are still you. Ridiculous, implausible you.¡± But would that be enough for Alyx to stay? No way, right? As much as Cass liked her, Alyx was more concerned with obligation and debt than personal feelings. Would those obligations be valid if Cass and Salos were demons? Better to let her go than to cling to an unwilling companion. As much as that hurt. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to have anything to do with us going forward¡ª¡± ¡°I just said I don¡¯t know!¡± Alyx shouted. She shook her head, her shoulders sagged. She leaned against the fireplace. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand what you¡¯ve told me, Cass. People don¡¯t really believe in demons. I mean, no one is going around claiming they don¡¯t exist either, but they¡¯re something out of the stories. You know? Something from the fall of the last era. Not something that wanders the world today. ¡°They¡¯re in the same class of things as sentient spirits and Travelers and people living to be a thousand years old. They all exist, but not here. Not now.¡± The breath caught in Alyx¡¯s throat. She shook her head. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to do with any of this. Okay?¡± B.3-Ch. 7: Alyx: Demons Alyx didn¡¯t really remember the rest of her conversation with Cass. It was all a blur after Cass had confirmed Salos was a demon. She walked down the halls of her house, the passageways passing in a blur. That cat was a demon? A pain in the ass, but a demon? Did he have some weird skills? Not more than Cass. Abyss and blood. Cass. Cass was a demon¡¯s master? Cass? Cass, who cried for the assassin? Cass, who jumped into burning buildings to save children? Cass? It didn¡¯t make sense. It would make more sense for the sky to be green and the abyss to rise up and swallow the world. She pushed open the door to her room, blowing past Telis, who was waiting for her as usual. Telis said something. She responded, but even as the words left her lips, she¡¯d already forgotten them. She hated admitting it, but she¡¯d always known there was something wrong with Cass. The fight in the Deep against the Caretaker and the Lord hadn¡¯t been normal. The woman she¡¯d fought beside there had been an entirely different animal to the one who had lured off the Herald of the Forest or who had attempted to scare off the Herald of the Pass. And had been identical to the thing that had thrown itself against the Keeper. And that thing wasn¡¯t Cass. It was reckless. It was desperate. It was violent. Telis left. Alyx shed her garments autonomously, her hands finding her night clothes where Telis had left them for her on the bed. Sure, Cass could be reckless. Cass was often reckless. But not in combat. Not like that. Cass made reckless decisions where the alternatives were to give up quietly or to fight to a bitter end. That thing didn¡¯t decide anything. It just threw itself at the enemy with no regard for Stamina, Focus, or Health. It was feral. Alyx fell onto the bed. That was what she had to worry about. That Cass. The Cass that only existed for the moments around shards of souls. Shards like the one she carried. She shot up, rushing back to her pile of clothing and fishing around the pockets for the gem. She found it in the right breast pocket. It was the size of her thumb. Perfectly round. Shimmering a soft green in the firelight. Pretty, but utterly worthless. She hadn¡¯t even bothered Identifying it when she¡¯d picked it up in the catacombs. She had just known by looking at it. The same way she knew the pebbles on the side of the road were worthless. The same way she knew Concept Gems were indescribably valuable. It was obvious. Would she have even picked them up if Cass hadn¡¯t been there, desperately trying to take something from that monster? No one else had so much as looked at them when they¡¯d been offered as prizes, either. And yet, looking at it now, she could hardly believe she¡¯d willingly handed over the other two. It shone more preciously than gold or crystalized experience. She wanted to hold it tight in her hands. To crush it and absorb what it held. What would that even do? Did she dare find out with what she knew now? How long had she felt like this? Its presence had been weighing on her since the Catacombs. When exactly? Not when they¡¯d collected them. Later. Not during the fight with the golems or their flight from Fioreya. After that? Since her blessing? Keeper¡¯s Core [The crystallized fragment of a soul used to power and control the Storehouse Crystal Keeper. Primarily Aracellian in composition.]Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Alyx blinked at the description. Had she Identified it before? It claimed it was a soul right there. She shook her head. Such an inconspicuous thing was a piece of a soul? She had always assumed souls would be grander affairs. Big and swirling, overflowing with power and determination, not small and quiet. Not this. She forced herself to set the gem on her nightstand and lay back down. What was she going to do about Cass? Cass wouldn¡¯t attack her for this, would she? Was it better to just give it to her and be done with it? But she didn¡¯t want to give it up. Alyx¡¯s hand clenched over her chest. Just the thought of giving it up filled her with distress. Why? Rationally, she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with it or demons. She should get rid of the thing. But did she want Cass to have it, either? Cass had said something about Salos being a demon made up of one soul. And that was why he was so un-demon-like? This wasn¡¯t a part of that soul. If it was, Cass would have taken it as her prize or tried harder to claim all three. Would they become dangerous if they got this? Was it too late already? Abyss. Had she unleashed a monster on the city? Was she going to have to kill Cass? Alyx¡¯s stomach twisted at the thought. Was that how she would repay her debt? Her saved life for Cass¡¯s ended one? She squirmed in her comforters. The fabric twisted around her, constricting. Suffocating. She sat back up, throwing it all off in a heap. She couldn¡¯t do this. There was too much boiling inside for sleep. She strode across the room, throwing the closet doors open and finding a set of training clothes. She pulled them on and left the room. The house was still awake. She could feel the presence of other servants hurrying through the halls around her, even if her eyes slid off them without registering their appearance. She could feel their eyes on her. They whispered. She could feel their whispers, even if her ears felt their presence too low to listen to. For once, the eyes and the whispers were because she¡¯d succeeded. Because she had proven herself. They were for the blessing she¡¯d earned, not the blood she¡¯d inherited. She should be celebrating. Not worrying over the nature of her closest ally. Alyx climbed the house¡¯s stairs, climbing all the way to the roof. She threw open the door and walked out onto the roof and the training area. The night sky expanded above her, free and unobstructed. The wind gusted over the roof, pulling at her hair. Her hand found a training sword off the rack. It was a little shorter than her Reverberating Blade, the weight a little further down the blade, the guard a little wider. But it would do. The weight was a familiar one if nothing else. She stepped onto the sand of the training area. It crunched under her slippers. She¡¯d been in too much of a hurry to find her boots. She swung the sword. The form was a mess. This wasn¡¯t how she was taught. This wasn¡¯t how she¡¯d found it worked best. She took a deep breath and centered herself. Her arms shook for reasons entirely unrelated to the weapon¡¯s weight. She clenched her hands around the handle and swung again, anyway. Better but still sloppy. How had she beaten Fioreya like this? How did she expect to beat Kohen? Again. She¡¯d come so far from when she¡¯d left for Uvana. Her level had gone from 20 to 29. Kohen had been past the gate for months. Fioreya for over a year. She had finally caught up. She was finally standing on their stage again. And it would all come crashing down around her if anyone else found out about Salos. She swung her sword. The safest thing to do would be to kill Cass now, while Salos was out of commission and Cass was badly weakened from the nonsense she¡¯d done in the Catacombs. Alyx could claim it was self-defense. That Cass had tried to steal a larger share of their loot and had gotten violent over it. Alyx had the status now, and Cass was unimportant enough that it would be feasible. But she didn¡¯t want to do that. She liked Cass. She still owed Cass. If anything, she owed Cass more now than she had when they¡¯d left Uvana. Besides, she¡¯d been raised better than to exploit her status like that. She didn¡¯t have proof Kohen had done as much, but she was sure he¡¯d made people disappear in the past for less. No. She didn¡¯t need to kill Cass. Cass wasn¡¯t actually the problem. Rather, it was just the cat. The demon. Her sword traced another arc through the air, slicing down invisible enemies around her. Could she convince Cass to kill him? To let her kill him? She obviously didn¡¯t understand what a demon was. If she did, there was no way Cass would just let one stay at her side. Demons were cruel. And bloodthirsty. And liars. He must have fooled her. He¡¯d fooled Alyx, after all. She never would have expected it. Now would be the moment to convince Cass. While the demon was dormant. They could plan something now and prepare for his return. Would a blade through his heart be enough? The stories said demons were unfeeling beasts. That they could survive decapitation and their hearts didn¡¯t beat. But even demons had to have Health, right? And if they bled, it was possible to drain it. Would Cass listen? Cass was stubborn. Cass was dumb. ¡°You¡¯re not scared of us, are you?¡± Cass¡¯s question from earlier cut through Alyx¡¯s thoughts. She froze mid-swing. ¡®Scared of us,¡¯ Cass had said. Alyx¡¯s hand gripped tighter around the blade. She wasn¡¯t scared. Not of Cass. Certainly not of the dumb cat. But there was the concern of what her grandmother would do if she found out. Consorting with demons wasn¡¯t something that could be ignored. Not among Alacrity¡¯s faithful. They¡¯d kill Cass for sure if they found out. They might kill Alyx for association, too. A demon was too dangerous. But how was she supposed to convince Cass? B.3-Ch. 8: A Day Off Cass groaned as a beam of sunlight peaked between the curtains of her window and shone into her face. She rolled over, curling into a ball and dragging the comforter over her head. ¡°Salos,¡± she mumbled, ¡°Is there any chance I can convince you to close the curtains?¡± There was no answer. Oh. Her hand went to the necklace. It was cold against her chest. A heavy sigh escaped her as she curled up tighter. Right. She didn¡¯t want to be awake. But that was purely for strategic reasons. Obviously. Her Health was low. Health: 55/133 Salos would be back soon. In the meantime, she should focus on healing. Which meant sleep. All the sleep she could get and then some. It had nothing to do with the conversation she had with Alyx yesterday. This was about improving her health. That was all. It was coming along¡ªalmost half of the way back to full. And hadn¡¯t she earned a vacation? She could spend the entire day lounging in front of the fire, swaddled in blankets and pillows. Nothing trying to kill her. No monsters she had to kill. Just gentle dozing, with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company. Thoughts like: when would Salos wake up? Or: what was Alyx going to do with the knowledge Salos was a demon? And: was it Kaye or Robin trapped in this world? Where were they? Cass rolled back onto her back. The ceiling stared down at her sprawled form. Hmm. Okay. Maybe not. Maybe she¡¯d slept enough. She still needed to rest, though. What she wouldn¡¯t give for a book. She thought fondly of her To-Be-Read pile sitting on her bedside table. There were books here, of course, but they were all in Jothi, and her reading skills were still woefully low. She could spend the day practicing. That might be a nice restful activity to keep her occupied and out of trouble. She nodded and slipped out of bed. The only downside was she¡¯d have to leave the room. Which meant getting properly dressed. That was definitely why she was hesitating. Not because she was afraid of running into Alyx. It was definitely because she didn¡¯t want to ruin a lazy day in her pjs by getting dressed. But it seemed like a bad idea to wander around a stranger¡¯s house in her PJs. Cass looked down at them. They were soft, silken things. She¡¯d worn more revealing sun dresses. And she¡¯d been in less when Kohen and Tiador tried to manipulate her into another room and they hadn¡¯t seemed fussed. Perhaps this level of dress was fine? She snapped. She¡¯d practice Stealth while she was at it. Her level of dress didn¡¯t matter if they didn¡¯t notice her. She¡¯d just Stealth down to the library, grab the books she wanted, and then Stealth right on back. If she did it right, no one would even know she was still in her nightclothes. Bonus, Alyx wouldn¡¯t see her even if they crossed paths. Cass nodded to herself and activated the skill. The wind flared around her, swaddling her like an old friend. Ready to skulk about, she asked it. The skill flickered in acknowledgment as she stepped out of her suite and into the hallway. It appeared deserted, but she knew that was misleading. The staff walked with purpose under stealth in this household. Better unseen and unheard seemed to be their motto. She felt out for them with Atmospheric Sense. It would be less than ideal if she bumped into them, neither of them able to see and avoid the other. She could feel the displacement in the air as a body hurried along the far wall. It didn¡¯t feel like they¡¯d noticed Cass. Cass grinned to herself and followed the near wall in the opposite direction. This would be good practice using Perception to its max, too. These were the kinds of stakes she wanted to worry about: would a stranger see her in her pajamas, not would the monster eat her? Now, where was that library? Cass found the library pretty quickly. It hadn¡¯t moved. Rooms tended not to do that. Ahryn had said there were some good picture books on the right wall¡ª Cass blinked at the scene she¡¯d walked in on, falling out of Stealth in surprise. Then blinked again. Her eyes said a large, white lizard took up the entire far side of the room. Ahryn¡¯s desk was pushed as far as it could to one side. The table previously in the center of the room was barely outside the door¡¯s clearance. The dragon lay curled around the boy, her head on his shoulder, an open book in his hands. Both of them stared at Cass, their eyes wide and panicked. ¡°Sorry?¡± Cass said slowly. Ahryn jumped up. ¡°Uhhhhh. Hi!¡± The dragon¡ªthe size of a large pony with almost translucent white scales and a thick mane of white fur down its spine¡ªcurled tighter, as if it could somehow curl itself out of existence. It was a much more bashful reaction than she would have expected from a dragon, but¡ª Dragonling [A young dragon not yet inducted into the full powers of the System.]Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡ªit was one of the dragonlings. And despite their size, they were only a child. ¡°Ah, hi,¡± Cass said. Alyx had said something about wanting to get an audience with the dragons. Was this what this was? A hang-out to see if they were compatible? That made sense. It had sounded like strength was the only requirement for choosing their knight, but that was obviously silly, thinking about it. Compatibility was much more important for group work than individual member skill. ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± Cass repeated. ¡°I¡¯m just here for one of those children¡¯s books. You said they were over¡­¡± Cass paused. The spot she expected to see them was empty. Instead, there was a familiar pile of books beside the dragon and another still in Ahryn¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh. I guess you¡¯re using them?¡± The dragonlings were nine years old, after all. It tracked Cass¡¯s reading level was about even with a nine-year-old. That was what? Middle of grade school? Oof, that hurt her pride a little, but that was probably right. Ahryn looked between the books and Cass. Or maybe the dragon and Cass? ¡°Could you not tell anyone you saw us here?¡± he asked. Cass frowned. She wasn¡¯t sure who she¡¯d tell. Or why someone would find that interesting. Unless they weren¡¯t supposed to be here? But that was silly. This was his house. The dragon was obviously his guest. But Cass shrugged. ¡°Sure. I can do that.¡± He had his reasons, she was sure. And it wasn¡¯t like someone would actually ask her where he was. That really would be silly. ¡°Thank you,¡± Ahryn said, handing Cass half the book stack. ¡°Can you¡ªDo you think you¡¯ll be okay with these?¡± Cass riffled through the stack. They had nice big pictures. She nodded. ¡°Thanks. Have a good time, you two. Sorry for interrupting.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks. Remember. We aren¡¯t here,¡± he called after her as she walked out of the library and reengaged Stealth. What a strange situation. She had books now. She should return to her room with them. But lounging with books was only properly done with snacks and tea. But that meant a trip down to the kitchens. That was a bit more of an endeavor than borrowing books. She¡¯d probably actually have to ask somebody for them. Ugh, she should have gotten dressed. Well, she¡¯d start by scoping out the kitchens. Perhaps there would be a teapot she could discretely borrow. She could figure the rest out from there. Questionable decision made and books stowed in her Bag, she ghosted along the halls toward the dining hall. Presumably, it would be near the kitchen, right? Her route took her past the front doors. They flew open with a bang and shouting. ¡°What do they mean the younger dragon wasn¡¯t available today?¡± Kohen yelled as he stormed in. ¡°I made an appointment. I was told both of them would be there!¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Tiador said in a tone that suggested this was not the first time he had attempted to calm the other man and also long past the last time he had tried it with any sincerity. ¡°And to tell me they don¡¯t know where she¡¯d gone?¡± Kohen yelled as the two climbed the stairs. Cass hurried to one side to get out of their way. ¡°How do you lose a dragonling? That¡¯s how tragedies start! Obviously, that was a bald-faced lie!¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Tiador repeated. ¡°I skipped the arena fights today for that appointment! I¡¯m still a contestant! What right do they have withholding the dragonlings from me?¡± His ranting continued as they disappeared deeper into the house. Hmm, that answered a few questions, didn¡¯t it? Not that it was any of Cass¡¯s business. She continued down the stairs, her prospective teapot still calling her name. Which way was the dining hall from here again? ¡°What are you doing?¡± Telis asked. Cass jumped and turned around. ¡°Ah! Where¡¯d you come from?¡± Telis raised an eyebrow. Cass shook her head. ¡°I was looking for tea.¡± Telis was here now, might as well go all in. ¡°Maybe some cookies?¡± ¡°I believe my lady asked you to rest properly,¡± Telis said. But she had also stepped past Cass, unmistakably leading them deeper into the house. ¡°I am,¡± Cass said. ¡°Which is why you are practicing Stealth skills in the house?¡± ¡°I am trying to rest,¡± Cass amended. ¡°It¡¯ll go better once I have tea.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Telis said without looking back at Cass. ¡°You should know that using Stealth skills like that in someone else¡¯s home is poor manners. One might assume you are up to no good.¡± Cass grimaced. She hadn¡¯t thought about that. She probably should¡¯ve just gotten dressed then. ¡°Sorry. I saw everyone else using them and figured it¡¯d be good practice.¡± ¡°The staff is part of the household. The way they use Stealth is to ensure a quiet and harmonious atmosphere. Not to pilfer sweets from the kitchen.¡± Telis pushed open the kitchen doors, dumping them into a room of chaos. People moved in every direction, pots and pans flying from stoves to ovens, all filled with dishes Cass didn¡¯t recognize. And yet, there was a kind of order to the madness. Like a dance with too many steps, every person moved in time to some unheard rhythm. ¡°Wait here,¡± Telis said before stepping into the dance, slipping around the room from one stove top to the backroom and back, returning with a basket. She held it out for Cass. ¡°There you are. A teapot, three varieties of cookies, and lunch. You slept through breakfast.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Cass said. ¡°Stay out of the kitchen in the future. Your meals will be delivered to your room.¡± Cass glanced around the chaos around her and nodded. It was probably best she stayed out of the way. Telis escorted Cass back to her suite. There was nothing special about Telis¡¯s pace or gait, but Cass had this gut feeling that no one else saw them on their way back, though she was sure they passed other servants under stealth. Cass was equally sure that Telis didn¡¯t want questions, so she kept her speculation to herself. ¡°Please don¡¯t cause trouble,¡± Telis said as Cass stepped through her suite¡¯s door. ¡°Yes. Sorry again,¡± Cass said. ¡°Um, did you want to come in?¡± Telis shook her head. ¡°I have other business. I just came to check on you.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Cass hung awkwardly in the doorway. It seemed wrong to just send her off like that. But then again, Alyx probably needed her. Alyx. The memory of Alyx fleeing Cass¡¯s room yesterday evening jumped to the front of Cass¡¯s mind. Had she been angry? Scared? Overwhelmed? ¡°What is Alyx doing today?¡± Cass asked. It was genuine curiosity. Not a request for confirmation that Alyx wasn¡¯t avoiding her. Definitely. ¡°She is currently fighting in the arena. The dragonlings are watching the matches to choose their partner,¡± Telis said. Right. That was definitely what was happening. ¡°She said something about appointments with them?¡± And Kohen had shouted about it coming in. ¡°The dragonlings have a place of honor over the arena to watch from. Contestants can arrange a time to join them and watch alongside them. She has one such arrangement this evening.¡± ¡°Do they ever do other activities together?¡± Cass asked. ¡°There are formal audiences with dragonlings and their mother, the Matriarch, some evenings as well,¡± Telis said. ¡°But no activities,¡± Cass clarified. ¡°Like, outings to family manors or town or¡­¡± Telis shook her head. ¡°The dragonlings are precious. It is best they do not wander far from their caretakers. Did you wish to accompany Alyx to meet the dragons?¡± Cass shifted in place. Did she? ¡°I don¡¯t want to get in the way. I was just curious.¡± Watching monster fights wasn¡¯t that high on her list of things she wanted to do, even if she¡¯d be doing it with a dragon, and formally standing around in front of the dragon matriarch sounded even less pleasant. ¡°I will leave you to your tea then,¡± Telis said. ¡°Call if you need anything else. There is no reason to leave your suite.¡± Telis¡¯s comment was flat, but the underlying command rankled. Cass bit her lip. She should ignore it. But the words came out, anyway. ¡°That sounds like you don¡¯t want me wandering around by myself.¡± ¡°That is because that is exactly what I want,¡± Telis said. Cass bit her lips again. This was for her own good, she was sure. And yet, ¡°That sounds like my room is my personal cage.¡± Telis did not comment. Instead, she nodded and said, ¡°I will check in on you again this evening if my lady does not.¡± Cass clicked her tongue as she watched the woman leave. Was this Alyx¡¯s order, or was this simply Telis¡¯s wish? Was it for Cass¡¯s recovery, or to give Alyx time to decide what to do with her? What was Alyx going to do? Cass¡¯s stomach turned. Was she wise to stay here? Salos would have screamed for her to run already. He would never have let her divulge his secrets in the first place. Cass shook her head. For now, she was fine. She had her books. She had her tea. She even had cookies and lunch. The plan was to stay put for the rest of the day anyway to heal. For now, this was fine. ¡ª Jothi Language Comprehension has increased to Level 9! Jothi Language Comprehension has reached the First Step! Congratulations! [Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats: + 4 Per + 3 Wll + 2 Ala + 2 Res] Jothi Language Comprehension has increased to Level 10! B.3-Ch. 9: An Afternoon Out Cass lay on the bed staring at the ceiling and her stats window. Stamina: 138/138 Focus: 549/549 Health: 101/133 The value had increased in the last 3 days since they¡¯d returned from the catacombs. In that time, she¡¯d barely seen Alyx. Alyx was busy. It was that simple. Alyx had a dragon to impress. It had nothing to do with Alyx avoiding her. It had nothing to do with Cass avoiding Alyx. Salos¡¯s necklace lay cold against her chest. He was still asleep. He still had no idea Cass had told Alyx about him. About them. She should try to sleep. Sleep would raise her Health faster than staring at it. She closed her eyes but wasn¡¯t tired. And she could still read her Status window with her eyes closed if she wanted to. Health: 101/133 She rolled over onto her side. A small book pile was stacked on the far side of the bed. She could read. The levels of Jothi Language Comprehension were coming slower now. Did she need more complicated books? But there were still so many words in these that she was still guessing. Maybe if she had a teacher? She groaned and rolled over to stare at the ceiling again. Health: 101/133 Nope. This wasn¡¯t happening. Cass popped up. Mopping around like this wasn¡¯t working. She refused to lie about again today. Her Health had improved a lot. Over two-thirds full. She could use an outing. Maybe she could tag along with Alyx on dragon impressing. Cass dressed and grabbed her staff. And if Alyx didn¡¯t want Cass around, then Cass would find something else to do today. She was strong enough to start looking for more leads. Cass pulled open her suite door to see the back of Alyx¡¯s head. The swordswoman was pacing the hall outside Cass¡¯s room. She spun on her heels as Cass¡¯s door swung open. ¡°Oh, Cass!¡± Alyx¡¯s hand clenched around her sword¡¯s hilt. Her eyes flicked back and forth, looking for something. ¡°Alyx?¡± Cass raised an eyebrow. What was she doing outside her room? Telis stood against the wall opposite the door, a silent, suffering expression on her face, her arms folded over her chest. ¡°I told you.¡± Alyx shot her butler a glare. Telis didn¡¯t quite roll her eyes, but she said nothing else. ¡°Did you need something?¡± Cass asked. Had Alyx and Telis been arguing about something outside her door? Why? About Cass? Did Alyx tell Telis about the demon thing? Alyx looked away. ¡°I had some free time today. I thought I might check on you.¡± Cass cocked her head to one side. But Alyx had been walking away when she¡¯d opened the door. Had she changed her mind? ¡°I¡¯m doing better.¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Were Alyx¡¯s eyes lingering on Cass¡¯s chest? About where Salos¡¯s necklace rested? Or was Cass just being too sensitive? ¡°Did you¡ª¡± decide how you feel about me and Salos, she wanted to ask. But Telis was here. They were in the manor¡¯s hallway. Who knew how many servants were passing by under stealth? This wasn¡¯t a conversation she wanted to have with so many eyes. It wasn¡¯t a conversation she wanted to have at all. ¡°¡ªwant to do something today?¡± Cass asked instead. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Alyx froze. ¡°You said you had some free time,¡± Cass continued, suddenly finding the wall much more interesting. Why was her heart pounding? She already had plans for if Alyx rejected her. ¡°But, if you don¡¯t have that much¡ª¡± ¡°I was going to invite you to come with me to the smith¡¯s,¡± Alyx interrupted. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling up to it.¡± Alyx¡¯s hand gripped her sword¡¯s pommel, her eyes on her feet. The smith¡¯s? For equipment. That was the only reason to go to the smith¡¯s. And they only needed equipment if they were going to continue traveling together. Which could only happen if Alyx had set aside her concerns about Salos. ¡°I would love to go,¡± Cass said, her entire body releasing the tension she¡¯d been building for days. Alyx returned the smile, relief mirrored in her eyes. *** The upper district was busy as they passed through it. There must have been hundreds of people on the street, most carousing from open garden to open garden, greeting well-dressed hosts and partaking in sparkling drinks or rich appetizers. Most wore brightly colored glass masks and sumptuous silk clothes brocaded to the nines. Over the street, the sounds of string instruments played loudly, half a dozen different songs drifting together in the street between their countless venues and mixing with the chatter of the festival goers and the chime of the wind chimes hanging from every balcony and overhang. ¡°Could we get some of that?¡± Cass asked as they walked past yet another open garden with tantalizing appetizers on offer. These were some sort of sliced and toasted bread loaded high with what might have been a buttered egg and tomato mixture. ¡°No,¡± Alyx said without looking. ¡°That¡¯s for allies and vassals. I don¡¯t have the standing to become an ally, and I will not become just anyone¡¯s vassal. Besides, we aren¡¯t dressed for that kind of party.¡± Cass pouted but left it alone. She had no interest in sticking her nose in the duchy¡¯s politics. Certainly not over free food. They crossed the river. The bridge was decked out in silk ribbons and endless glass wind chimes. Their chime was insistent enough to match the roar of the river below. From the bridge, Cass could see both the Academy tower, today decorated with billowing flags and a magic light show, and the spire floating over the river crowned in a building of glass bricks. Hundreds of people loitered on the bridge, watching the light show on the Academy tower. The crowd here was mixed. Many wore glass masks and silken robes, but others wore simpler cottons and either wore no masks or masks carved from wood or sculpted from clay. Alyx walked fast and with purpose, one hand on her sword¡¯s hilt, the other in her pocket. Her eyes scanned the crowds. Those crowds only increased in the lower city. Cass had to walk quickly to stay close to Alyx, or the crowds would squeeze into the space between them. The only gaps in the crowds were the bubbles of space around street performers, people throwing fire or juggling knives. Some did coordinated cartwheels while others spun into the air via magic or wires or both. Street vendors shouted through the crowds, promising deals in honor of the duchess, the dragons, or the festival. It was a madhouse and all thoughts Cass had of scooping up a snack evaporated in her desperate need to stay close to Alyx. Eventually, they moved away from the city¡¯s main street and into a quieter district. The buildings spread out some, still not to the degree of the upper city manors with their sprawling gardens, but enough that most lots had a dirt yard. Most of these were filled with racks or work tables. There was a distinct smell of sulfur over the street. Not that the celebrations had ended. Just as many yards featured bonfires and barbecues as were empty, it was just less overwhelmingly busy than the city proper had been. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we heading to your workshop for this?¡± Cass asked. The last time they¡¯d upgraded her staff, they¡¯d done it themselves. Cass had thought Alyx liked to make her own equipment. ¡°There is a big difference between modifying an existing sword and forging a new one. Besides, I don¡¯t know how to work with most of the materials we gathered.¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°When I don¡¯t know what to do with something, I take it to a friend of mine.¡± ¡°You have other friends?¡± Cass blurted before she could think better of it. Alyx glowered at Cass. ¡°Hurtful. But yes. Surprisingly, I know other people. Some of them I¡¯m friendly with.¡± Cass shrugged. That was fair, she supposed. ¡°Is there anywhere else you want to go when we¡¯re done with the smiths?¡± Alyx asked. Cass shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t thought of anywhere specific that might have more information. If I weren¡¯t with you, I¡¯d wander until something caught my eye.¡± ¡°Information?¡± Alyx paused. ¡°Oh. About going home.¡± ¡°Or my siblings. Or Salos.¡± Cass said. Alyx being in the know meant she could finally ask someone besides Salos for ideas on fixing him. Not now, of course. But later. When they were alone. Alyx looked like she wanted to say something, but her eyes flicked to her retainers behind them. So she hadn¡¯t told Telis or Marco about it yet. That was good. Cass had worried she had. But if she hadn¡¯t, that meant she understood, right? ¡°I was actually thinking of more mundane shopping,¡± Alyx said finally. ¡°Shopping?¡± Cass echoed. She supposed there were probably more supplies to buy. They¡¯d exhausted most of her medical herbs, after all. ¡°You know, clothing? Personal effects?¡± Alyx prodded. ¡°Unless you want to exclusively wear things borrowed from the manor.¡± Cass hadn¡¯t thought about where the robe she was wearing had come from. Telis had left a small collection of clothing in her closet so she would have something to wear beside her Ethereal Robe. ¡°Is this yours?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s from the hospitality closet. It¡¯s for guests.¡± She frowned at Cass. ¡°Do you not provide clothing to your guests where you¡¯re from?¡± Cass shook her head. She had no idea how things were in ye olden days, but in her modern day, people brought their own clothing when traveling. ¡°Anyway, if you are going to be here for a while, you should have clothing made for you that you like,¡± Alyx said. There was an emphasis on ¡®here¡¯. Alyx wasn¡¯t just referring to the city or even the duchy when she said it. She meant this world. Cass frowned down at the dusty dirt road. She didn¡¯t want to plan on staying that long. She wanted to believe the duchy¡¯s Vault would solve the returning home problem and that finding Kaye or Robin would be straightforward. She hoped separating Kaye or Robin from the god that claimed them would be simple. She desperately wanted an answer that didn¡¯t involve throwing herself into dangerous fights until she reached level 100. But what had been easy so far? If the only way home was amassing levels, she¡¯d do it. If the only way to bring her sibling home with her was to fight a god¡­ Cass grimaced at the thought. Well, more levels would certainly help. They¡¯d brought her here. They¡¯d dragged her into this. The least she could do was make it their problem. B.3-Ch. 10: Shopping Alyx led them to a simple two-story building with an enclosed front yard. ¡°Tabith, I hope you''re¡ª¡± she stopped mid-sentence as they entered. Inside was a homey shop, made of warm-toned stone, proudly displaying numerous examples of swords and axes. Two doors stood on the opposite wall. By the entrance stood a long trough of water. Was there ice in it? A tall, scaled person stood behind the stone-topped counter, inspecting a short sword¡¯s handle with a jeweler¡¯s loop. Their face was largely human, except it was covered in tawny scales and their forehead rippled into a crest of scaled ridges. Behind the ridges, a mane of blond hair was corralled in a tight plait down their back. Xerenth Engraver Lvl 24 [The xerenth are a race of lizard people far more common to the Archforn Deserts than the Sea of Spires. They are well known for their tolerance to extreme heat and extreme distaste for humidity. As an engraver, this one has spent much of her life studying how runes may be applied to commonplace objects and materials to make them more than the sum of their parts.] The xerenth¡¯s eyes flicked up from her loop and shot a scowl at Alyx. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Good to see you too, Xri,¡± Alyx said with far more mirth. ¡°Where¡¯s Tabith?¡± ¡°Killing herself in the heat back there as usual,¡± Xri said. ¡°Go back there at your own risk or wait patiently for her to come out. It won¡¯t be long.¡± The words had barely left her mouth when a blur of white bolted from the back room. Larktem Smith Lvl 26 [The larktem are a beast people reminiscent of rabbits. They are known for their affinity for sensing ambient mana and their intolerance to heat. Despite this, this one appears to have dedicated a significant portion of her life to the study of smithing and weapons crafting.] The larktem stopped in front of the trough and dunked her head in the icy water, splashing Cass and Alyx, who were still in the doorway beside it. ¡°You doing okay, Tabith?¡± Alyx asked the smith. The larktem, Tabith, pulled her head out of the trough with a satisfied sigh. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just fine. Much better now that I¡¯ve cooled off.¡± The larktem was a short woman with slender shoulders but wide hips. Soaked as she was, her white hair stuck to her head, much like a wet cat¡¯s. Her ears were long like a rabbit¡¯s, drooping down an inch or so above her shoulders. They were decorated with countless piercings, mostly gold studs, but also shimmering loops and delicate, dangling chains. Tabith ran a hand through her wet hair and smiled up at Alyx. ¡°Congratulations, by the way, little sprout. I heard about your Blessing. Your mother would be so excited!¡± Alyx grinned back. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°But who¡¯s your friend?¡± ¡°This is Cass,¡± Alyx said. ¡°She¡¯s the new party member I was telling you about.¡± Cass waved. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Oh, you finally found yourself a proper peer?¡± Tabith squealed, running up and grabbing Cass¡¯s hands and inspecting Cass¡¯s face. Cass was too surprised to pull away. The woman had bounced back to Alyx before her thoughts had caught up with the shock. ¡°Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with Mr. Koris or Ms. Telis, of course,¡± Tabith continued. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t spend all your time with us old-timers!¡± ¡°Tabith,¡± Xri warned from the counter. ¡°We aren¡¯t that old.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a craftsman at level 26. I must be ancient.¡± Tabith pretended to faint, dramatically pressing the back of her hand to her forehead and leaning back. ¡°You have combat experience. You¡¯re only 43.¡± ¡°Ancient!¡± Tabith repeated, leaning even further back, even more dramatically. Alyx snorted. ¡°Do you have my package ready?¡± Tabith pouted, making a show of slouching. ¡°You¡¯re here on business? But it¡¯s the Festival! It should be social calls today!¡± ¡°Tab,¡± Xri warned. Tabith shot a forlorn look over her shoulder at the scowling xerenth. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lady Alyx is very busy.¡± Tabith sighed. ¡°I suppose. Alright, let me go get it.¡± Xri shook her head as Tabith disappeared into the backroom. ¡°Sorry about her. You know how she gets.¡± Her eyes skipped to Cass. She put a hand out to Cass. ¡°Cass, was it? The name is Xri Revlan. That was my wife, Tabith. Tabith was the weapons smith for Alyx¡¯s mother¡¯s party. There have been altogether too many Veldors in Tabith¡¯s shop as long as I¡¯ve known her.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Cass said. The place didn¡¯t really look like the kind of place that got much noble patronage, but there was no disputing there was a noble in the lobby as she spoke. ¡°I know you are too old for festival candies,¡± Xri said. ¡°But as the hosts, we should have some snack for you.¡± ¡°It might be a holiday, but it wasn¡¯t meant to be a social call,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Don¡¯t break anything out on my account.¡± ¡°That was more of a warning that Tabith is almost certainly going to come down with festival snacks in addition to your package.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Alyx sighed. ¡°She¡¯s going to be a few minutes then, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Xri nodded. Alyx shrugged. To Cass, she said, ¡°You should look around at the weapons they have on display and start thinking about what you want.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in the market for a new weapon?¡± Xri asked. Cass shrugged. She had grown rather attached to her staff, even if it wasn¡¯t anything in particular. It was her first possession in this world and had helped save her life on multiple occasions. ¡°Any idea what you want next? You are a mage? So, you¡¯ll be looking for a spell focus?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Most of those are on that wall.¡± Xri pointed to the right. Cass drifted along the wall, looking over the pieces. It was a varied collection, ranging from slender wands to staffs taller than she was, to dull blades. A circlet hung next to a pair of bracelets. A crystal orb encased in metal wiring hung amid the more obvious weapons. ¡°Those are some of the more common form factors and, admittedly, the ones we¡¯re more comfortable making,¡± Xri said. ¡°If you want something more esoteric, you¡¯d be better off at a specialty workshop, though I¡¯d be happy to fine-tune the runes for you.¡± Cass shook her head. She needed a weapon to activate her primary skill, Tempest Blade. She couldn¡¯t fire it off from just any magic focus, though it was a little fun imagining herself decked out in glittering jewelry and casting spells from them. ¡°Can I touch them?¡± Cass asked, pointing to the wall. ¡°Sure, just take them outside if you want to fire off any skills or spells. I don¡¯t need you breaking anything in here.¡± Cass looked over the wall again. Was there something she wanted to try? She had only picked up the staff because it had been a stick on the ground or literally nothing. Given the choice, the stick had been a clear winner. But now, she was spoiled for choices. She started with a wand.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Sample Wand Class: Magic Focus (Wand) [Crafted from merwood and inlaid with sagegold and engraved by a craftsman approaching the Gate. A mana crystal embedded in the pommel can contain one spell form.] It was weightless in her hands. It would be easy to flick about, but she didn¡¯t think she could build much of a Tempest Blade along its length. She also doubted it would be much use in close combat, and as much as Cass would rather not be in close combat, she sure found herself there a lot. She set it back and took down one of the dull blades next. Sample Ritual Blade Class: Magic Focus (Rapier) [Crafted from moonsilver and rose iron, the blade allows two spells to be simultaneously twinned down the length of the blade. The guard is embedded with a mana reservoir, allowing 40 Mana to be stored for later use. The edge may be sharpened to allow for physical attacks or further rounded to facilitate the flow of Focus.] It was lighter than Cass had expected, about the same weight as her staff. For a moment, she imagined herself dressed as a knight with a sword held high. A smile flickered across her face as she shook away the image. She didn¡¯t know the first thing about fighting with a sword. Maybe she should learn? Right after she had properly mastered the staff, you know, the weapon she actually had bonuses in. She put it back up on the wall. ¡°Are there advantages to different forms?¡± Cass asked. Xri raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re the mage, aren¡¯t you? I would have thought you would know better than the rest of us.¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly formally trained.¡± Or trained at all. ¡°Well, this is what I¡¯ve heard from our clients. I don¡¯t know how much this is true. But you know there are three general methods of magecraft? Chant, Gesture, and Inscription?¡± Cass was pretty sure Pellen had mentioned something about that, but they hadn¡¯t gotten into the details. She nodded anyway. The names seemed descriptive enough. ¡°Wands, gloves, and ritual blades are common choices among gestural mages because they are easily moved through the intricate positions required of the form. Staffs are more common among Chant mages, as they can augment them with more bonuses than smaller wands or blades and the user rarely needs to do more than point with them. Incriptionists rarely bother with casting equipment, but when they do, they usually pick smaller, worn objects to be out of the way. It¡¯s all about what kind of focus will best facilitate your chosen spells.¡± Or skills, in Cass¡¯s case. ¡°I¡¯ve got snacks!¡± Tabith said, interrupting the conversation. She had a tray of fried disks arranged around a bowl of dipping sauce. ¡°Thank you, Miss Relven,¡± Cass said. ¡°My package, Tabith?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°OH!¡± Tabith placed the plate on the counter and bolted into the back room. Xri and Alyx both sighed. ¡°Well, help yourselves,¡± Xri said. ¡°She¡¯ll be right back this time. Probably.¡± Fried Vineroot and Dip [A common fried snack made from thinly sliced vineroots drenched in a fena flour batter and fried to perfection. Served with a cream-based dip.] Cass hesitated. She remembered the many vineroots she¡¯d eaten in Uvana. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry to eat more of them, no matter how golden brown and delicious they might look here. Alyx helped herself, though, dipping them in the dip in the middle and chowing down without complaint. Alyx didn¡¯t even make a face. Maybe it was fine? Hesitantly, Cass took one too. She followed Alyx¡¯s lead and dipped it, then took a bite. It was nothing like the raw version. This was soft and sweet, the sauce creamy and savory. Cass quickly grabbed a second and third fried coin. As promised, the smith was right back, this time with a bulging package. She plopped it on the counter and looked expectantly at Cass. Cass shot Alyx a raised eyebrow. ¡°Well, open it.¡± Alyx nudged her toward the package. ¡°Me?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I ordered it before we left. Before I knew you were coming with me. If I had just agreed with you earlier, I would have made it a rush job, and you might have had it in time for the Catacombs, but, well.¡± Alyx shrugged. Cass pulled aside the fabric wrapping to find a cuirass of blue-tinted metal. Cass picked it up to find it shockingly light. Beneath it were additional pieces for her shoulders, arms, and legs, as well as a mesh of fine chain. ¡°This is for me?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded. ¡°Go try it on. It may need fine-tuning.¡± The smith helped her carry all the pieces into the other room. Tabith walked Cass through the different pieces in detail before walking out the backroom¡¯s door, saying, ¡°Holler if you need help with any of it.¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to put on. The inner fabric layer fit well. The chain draped over her without difficulty and was belted into place without fuss. The cuirass folded open and then closed again around her, the buckles securing it shut simple enough. The leg pieces went on much like soccer shin guards but with leather straps and buckles rather than elastic and velcro. She needed help with the straps on the pauldrons; they weren¡¯t quite symmetrical, and she wasn¡¯t sure which went where or how to get them to sit right on her shoulders. But with a little help, she had it on. Bluesteel Armor Class: Light armor (Armor) [Crafted from bluesteel and inscribed with protective runes by an engraver approaching the Gate, this is a set of lightweight armor designed for a low Fortitude wearer. + 2 Effective Fortitude to covered areas. + 3 additional Effective Fortitude to areas covered by both mail and plate.] ¡°Well, how does it look?¡± Cass asked as she stepped back into the main room. Alyx nodded. ¡°Much better. How does it feel?¡± Cass swung her arms and flexed her body. ¡°It¡¯s not as heavy as I expected.¡± ¡°The weight is being distributed over your whole body,¡± Tabith said. ¡°You had a set before, didn¡¯t you?¡± Cass nodded. They had gotten her a leather set in Hervet. ¡°Off-the-shelf armor will never fit well. And leather armor is just as heavy or heavier as good metal equipment for a fraction of the defensive capabilities. And it is abysmal for holding enchantments.¡± Tabith shook her head. ¡°No, if you can afford it, a good, well-inscribed set of a steel variant is the way to go. Now, hold still. I can see a few adjustments still need to be done.¡± Tabith fussed over the straps and buckles. A few minutes later, Tabith stepped back with a nod. ¡°That¡¯ll do it.¡± Cass pinned her aura cloak¡¯s broach to the inside of the cuirass and felt the aura fabric fall around her. Aura Cloak Class: Accessory [A broach which manifests the wearer¡¯s aura in a defensive cloak. This is an artifact from another age, knowledge of its construction has long been lost. Increases Effective Frt by 20% in areas covered by the Aura. Increases Effective Frt by 5% over rest of contiguous body. Increases the effect of Aura, Movement, and Defensive skills.] Cass had a Fortitude of 20 these days, so if someone tried to stab her in the back through the cloak and the plate metal of the backplate, she¡¯d get a bonus of 5 from the new armor and another 5 from the percent bonus from her cloak, bringing her up to 30 Frt. That was a 50% increase. Not bad at all. ¡°No more getting impaled,¡± Alyx said, prodding Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Okay,¡± Cass said dutifully. Shockingly, she also had no plans to be impaled. Or injured in any other way. It wasn¡¯t entirely her fault it kept happening. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°It should be slender enough to wear under your robes, though an observant eye will probably be able to tell you¡¯re wearing it,¡± Tabith said. ¡°Alternatively, if you plan on wearing it on top, we could add some decorative engraving. I¡¯m sure Xri would love to have at it.¡± Cass ran a hand over the surface of the plate. There were already small engravings around the edges. They thrummed with power to her Mana Sight. There were more on the inside. It made sense to put as much of that out of sight of potential opponents. Did she want it decorated? What would she put on it? ¡°What is popular?¡± ¡°Among the nobility, picking things related to your house¡¯s symbol is common,¡± Xri said. That didn¡¯t help. She didn¡¯t have a family symbol and wasn¡¯t about to invent one without Kaye and Robin¡¯s input. That said¡­ ¡°Are there robins here?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± the xerenth said. Is that what she wanted? ¡°Could you put a robin holding a key on it?¡± ¡°An interesting choice.¡± Xri tapped her chin. ¡°Not the most fierce design. Are you sure?¡± Cass turned the design over in her mind, tracing her vision over the metal plates with her eyes. Did her armor need to be fierce? She wasn¡¯t. Would it help if she was? What else would she pick? Fioreya and her swordswoman¡¯s armor sprang to mind. Fioreya¡¯s had been decorated with a dragon, while her swordswoman¡¯s had snakes curling up the plates. Were animal designs common? What animal would she pick? Her hand drifted up over her chest. ¡°Would a cat be better?¡± Cass asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Alyx said entirely too quickly. Her hand twisted around the pommel of her sword. Cass cocked her head at her. Why was this a bad idea? Oh. ¡°Salos would think it¡¯s dumb, huh.¡± Putting Kaye and Robin on her armor was one thing when they weren¡¯t around. But he¡¯d be embarrassed by such a show of affection. Would he warm up to it eventually, or would he cringe whenever he saw it? ¡°No, I mean, maybe. Just,¡± Alyx sputtered, ¡°Are you sure you want to put him on your armor?¡± Cass frowned. Was there a reason Cass wouldn¡¯t want him drawn on her armor? ¡°Are cats an unusual choice?¡± Xri shrugged. ¡°A house cat? A little. That is not any fiercer than your first idea. Big cats, on the other hand? Very common.¡± Was that Alyx¡¯s concern? But she hadn¡¯t protested the first idea which had the same problem. ¡°Would it be possible for you to incorporate both ideas into one?¡± Cass asked the engraver. Xri tapped her lips in thought. ¡°Depends on your goals. I think I could come up with something appropriately elegant if that¡¯s satisfactory.¡± Cass nodded. Elegant sounded much more her speed. ¡°Cass,¡± Alyx sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t make any rash¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s rash about this?¡± Cass snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to look fierce. I think even if I tried, I¡¯d look rather silly. I¡¯m not exactly a big scary martial. I know that. You know that.¡± Alyx looked away. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°What is your real concern?¡± Cass glared at her. Alyx froze. She glanced between Cass¡¯s chest and the craftsmen. Ah. It was like that. The others stared at them. She could feel their eyes. She could feel the questions. Cass shook her head. To the smith and engraver, Cass said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll take it as is today, thank you.¡± Tabith nodded, her pursed lips clearly holding back questions. ¡°I think we¡¯re done here, Alyx?¡± Cass asked. Alyx nodded without looking at Cass. To the smith, she said, ¡°Thank you for everything, Tabith.¡± ¡°Of course, sprout,¡± the larktem nodded, her eyes big and questioning. ¡°Anything you need. We¡¯ll be here.¡± Alyx nodded again. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon.¡± The two left the shop, stepping out into the yard. They stood silently, the tension between them only rising. ¡°I think we need to talk,¡± Cass said. B.3-Ch. 11: Trouble in Paradise Cass followed Alyx out of the city. They¡¯d sent Marco and Telis ahead with made-up tasks. It hadn¡¯t fooled either of them, but they also hadn¡¯t argued or pried into why Cass and Alyx were¡­ at odds. Early evening descended over the city, though the festivities had not lessened with the sunlight. If anything, the city was even more riotous as the sun disappeared behind the buildings. The noise of the crowds didn¡¯t fade even as they climbed the palatial hill. The city¡¯s revelries carried on the wind far and wide, the lights of the festival shining like stars over a darkening landscape. By the time they crossed the rope bridge from the palatial hill to Alyx¡¯s mother¡¯s workshop, the horizon was a riot of crimson clouds, the sun dipping below the world¡¯s edge. Alyx pushed open the workshop doors, holding them open for Cass. Cass crossed her arms and planted herself in the grassy courtyard outside. She¡¯d humored Alyx enough. ¡°Why here?¡± ¡°Just come inside,¡± Alyx said. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Why here?¡± Cass folded her arms over her chest. Alyx sighed, stepping back out of the workshop and letting the door swing shut behind her. ¡°You know why we¡¯re here.¡± Cass glared at her. She knew why, but Cass still wanted her to say it. Alyx met her glare with her own. The wind gusted between them. Alyx broke contact first. ¡°Can Salos hear us now?¡± Cass shook her head. She didn¡¯t think so. At the very least, he hadn¡¯t remembered any of what he¡¯d missed last time. ¡°There is that at least,¡± Alyx muttered. Her hand clenched around her sword. Louder, she said, ¡°Look. I don¡¯t like this any more than you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± The false courtesy Cass used with Kohen and his ilk leaked into her voice. ¡°Do you understand what he is?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°You made it clear,¡± Cass said. ¡°Demons are monsters from your myths.¡± ¡°Monster?¡± Alyx shook her head. ¡°Cass, demons make monsters look tame. Monsters are malicious, but they¡¯re just beasts. Any martial worth their weapon can kill monsters by the hundreds before they¡¯re forced to put that weapon down. ¡°A demon is a thing apart. Demons devour. They devour everything. They devour what belongs to the gods. And they are never full. Set a demon loose in a city and it¡¯ll slay everything that moves before the day ends.¡± ¡°Salos isn¡¯t like that,¡± Cass said, crossing her arms over her chest. A chill settled over her skin, cold against the heat building in her chest. Her voice was rising. ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Don¡¯t I?¡± Cass asked, still not yelling, but only just. ¡°Skip the justification, Alyx. What do you want?¡± But she knew. ¡°You need to get rid of him!¡± Alyx yelled. Cass¡¯s hand clenched tighter. ¡°Say exactly what you want. ¡®Get rid of him?¡¯¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± Alyx shouted. ¡°Do I need to spell it out for you? He¡¯s only getting more powerful, isn¡¯t he? Wasn¡¯t that the point of the soul piece he threw you into madness to collect? You need to kill him now. Before he claims your sanity permanently.¡± Cass¡¯s teeth ground together. There was a kind of sense to Alyx¡¯s words, and she hated it all the more for it. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Salos had power over her. His influence wrapped around her in ways they couldn¡¯t explain and which her Contrary Will didn¡¯t affect. They had no idea when his demonic impulses would rear their head and consume them both in his madness. Just because it had never happened outside the context of a fragment of his soul didn¡¯t mean it would always be that way. Just because they¡¯d never attacked anyone in that madness before didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t eventually do so. Were they just a ticking time bomb? A rabid dog on a breaking chain? Would this stop if Salos were gone? Or was it too late? Salos had suggested she was also a demon. Would killing him just throw her off balance, setting off the bloodthirsty madness Alyx was worried about from him? There was no reason to believe it would. But there was also no reason to believe they¡¯d fall into madness for any other reason, either. Where did reasonable precaution end and paranoid persecution begin? ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡± The words dripped from Cass¡¯s lips. Her chest tightened. ¡°You don¡¯t know any of that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it¡ª¡± Cass cut her off. ¡°You have legends and rumors and stories told to scare children. You don¡¯t actually know anything about demons. ¡®No one believes in demons,¡¯ you said. How can you claim to know anything when you didn¡¯t even think they existed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to know the specifics to know what my father would do if he found out!¡± Alyx shouted. ¡°He¡¯d use it as an excuse to execute me and you. You think my grandmother would protect us from that? You think my aunts would call for less? ¡°Whether or not he¡¯s a danger¡ªand he is!¡ªmy family will draw him up as a threat. Best case, they execute you and call it a day.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s enough for you to advocate for killing him?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Alyx roared. Should she be happy it was out of concern for her that Alyx wanted to kill Salos? Should she be pleased that it wasn¡¯t just because she feared Salos? What would Alyx say if she knew their speculations? Would she be just as scared of Cass? ¡°Is this all you wanted to talk about?¡± Cass¡¯s voice was frigid because the only other option was raging. ¡°You can¡¯t just pretend we didn¡¯t have this talk!¡± Alyx shouted back. ¡°I¡¯m not hurting Salos,¡± Cass said. The fire within raged. Her voice rose with every syllable to match. ¡°That isn¡¯t a discussion. That¡¯s a fact.¡± ¡°Cass, you need to¡ª¡± Cass cut her off again. ¡°Not long ago, I would have said the same thing about you without hesitation. Don¡¯t force me to rethink that.¡± She couldn¡¯t stay here. She couldn¡¯t keep looking at Alyx. Cass stormed out of the courtyard and back down the Spire. Alyx yelled behind her, but Cass ignored her. Her hand wrapped around Salos¡¯s necklace. Its cold leached the warmth from her hand. Salos would call her an idiot. She shouldn¡¯t have told Alyx. She should have made something up. She should have waited until Salos was back before telling Alyx. He would have talked her out of it. That was why she hadn¡¯t waited. Because she hadn¡¯t wanted to keep secrets. She had wanted Alyx to accept her. Accept all of her. But this was what honesty got her. He was going to say he told her so when he came back. Her hand clenched harder around the necklace. He would tell her she was na?ve for being so trusting with their secrets. That she was an idiot. That she was going to get them killed. The wind ripped around her. She wanted to step into it and disappear. If it would just take her home. If it could just take her to Kaye and Robin. But it couldn¡¯t. She stopped on the bridge, the wood planks swaying beneath her. To her right, the city sprawled, corralled by the high walls and the roaring river. To her left, the palace waited atop its rising mountain, ringed in floating spires of stone. Where was she supposed to go from here? Back to Alyx¡¯s house? Alyx¡¯s family didn¡¯t exactly welcome her. And after everything just now, Cass couldn¡¯t believe Alyx would either. But if not there, then what? The clothing she was wearing wasn¡¯t even her own. Her hands clenched tighter around her staff. Was this what she got for blindly trusting? Stranded in a foreign city? She was right back where she¡¯d started. Alone again. The winds gusted, pulling at her clothes and hair, whispering she could run further. She could disappear and never think of any of it again. What did any of it matter? Alyx was a companion of convenience. There were other people. Velillia was just a city. There would be others. There would be other places with answers. She repeated that to herself, staring down at the city. She wasn¡¯t stranded. She had money. There were inns. Even if there weren¡¯t, she could survive in the wilderness for a night. She would make something work. Cass pulled her aura cloak tight around her body, the night air like ice. She¡¯d survived Uvana. She¡¯d survived the lower levels of the Catacombs. What was a city, after all that? B.3-Ch. 12: The Inn Night had long and truly fallen before Cass stepped into the tiny closet of a bedroom. The smell of must and alcohol battled for dominion of the space. The only furniture was a single bed and a chest at the foot. The room was only wide enough for the bed and a person to shimmy alongside it. Cass sighed, dropped her few things on the chest, and then collapsed on the bed. This had not been the first establishment she had tried to get a room with. She¡¯d started in the upper city, only to be refused again and again. No one had space. The city was overflowing with travelers visiting for the Festival, and all the good rooms were taken. This was the ninth place she¡¯d tried, and this was one of two available rooms, according to the proprietress. The musty smell was stronger with her face in the sheets. Were these clean? She grimaced and tried not to think about it. But the only other thing on her mind was Alyx¡¯s face. Her blood boiled again at the thought. She shouldn¡¯t have stormed off. That hadn¡¯t accomplished anything. She¡¯d just burned whatever goodwill she¡¯d had. Would Alyx turn her in to her family to save herself? That¡¯s what Salos would vote for if their positions were reversed. Negotiation had failed. Cass wasn¡¯t someone willing to listen to ¡®reason.¡¯ Didn¡¯t that mean it was time for more drastic measures? Would Alyx have her killed quietly? That¡¯s what nobles did, wasn¡¯t it? That seemed like a stretch for Alyx. But turning her in to her grandmother for clout seemed plausible. Hell. Should she have left the city entirely? But then what? She rolled over to stare at the ceiling. The wood had some interesting discolored spots which looked suspiciously like black mold. Black Mold [A mold common to damp, ill-kept buildings. Allergies to its spores are common and unpleasant. Prolonged exposure is not advised.] Damn it all. Cass buried her face in her pillow and screamed. She needed to find somewhere else tomorrow if she planned on staying in the city. Hell. What was she supposed to do now? Salos would have told her to kill Alyx to keep their secret. Just the thought made Cass sick to her stomach. It was pointless to think about. She wasn¡¯t going to, and it was too late to boot. Besides, there were a lot of logistical problems with murdering a noble. Nope. It might be what Salos would recommend, but it wasn¡¯t something she would do, even with him urging her on. But that meant she should flee, right? How far would she need to run to get away from accusations of demons? She¡¯d need to leave the duchy, at least. How quickly did news travel in this world? She had no idea how far she¡¯d have to go. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. She didn¡¯t even know what other places were out there. She shook her head. What she needed was information. A lot more information. There had to be somewhere with answers. Concrete plans could wait until she had them. Her stomach turned. She just hoped there would be time before Alyx told her family. Or before they found her when they inevitably sent out a warrant for her arrest. Did they do arrest warrants here? Or did the local law enforcement just grab people off the street when they felt like it? If there was no judicial system, was there a difference? Cass pulled the blanket over her head and tried to push aside useless questions like that. She¡¯d find her answers, they¡¯d arrest her and execute her, or she¡¯d run from the city and die in the wilderness. The sounds of the Festival outside filtered through the room¡¯s thin walls. She could easily hear drinking songs and the murmur of partygoers and the shuffle of bodies along the street. Thumps and bumps echoed through the walls and ceiling of her room as her neighbors navigated their own small rooms, some assuredly with company, from the sound of it. She closed her eyes and let the sounds fill her. Let them drive out the thoughts. They were loud and discordant, but not more so than her worries and fears. If she didn¡¯t think about it, it was easy enough to pretend she was back in the dorms in undergrad. Much louder, more rambunctious dorms, but dorms all the same. Perhaps she could pretend that she wasn¡¯t lost in a fantasy universe. That there weren¡¯t people trying to kill her. That she hadn¡¯t just been abandoned by one of the few people she had called friend. *** Cass woke to a knocking on her door. Why or how she couldn¡¯t explain because it wasn¡¯t significantly louder than the sound of footsteps on the floor above or the festivities starting up again on the street outside. She pushed herself out of bed, feeling no more put together than she had the day before. Salos was still as silent as a stone. Health: 104/138 Cass squinted at her Health. Was that supposed to go up that slowly? She was pretty sure that was only a three-point increase from the day before. Maybe wandering around the city distraught was not very good for her recovery. She shook her head and shuffled to the door. Telis waited on the other side. ¡°Oh, what are you doing here?¡± Cass asked before the implications caught up with her sleepy surprise. Wait. If Telis was here, that meant they knew where she was. Which meant they could come arrest/execute her at any time. Maybe she should risk running back out into the wilds right away. ¡°My lady wished me to invite you to watch her match in the arena today. She will take the field starting at the second bell after noon. She also wishes me to re-extend your invitation to stay in the Delim manor.¡± Her eyes made a disapproving pass over the space they stood in. ¡°Unless this is more to your tastes.¡± ¡°Alyx said all that, huh?¡± Cass asked. Surprising. That implied she hadn¡¯t gone to tell her family about Salos yet. Or it was a trap. But if Telis could find her this easily, they didn¡¯t need to trap her. Did that mean Alyx was still hoping to talk Cass into killing Salos? Cass¡¯s hand clenched around the hem of her sleeve. She was going to say something she shouldn¡¯t if Alyx tried that again. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Cass said, forcing her voice to come out calm and collected. Telis matched her icy tone. ¡°May I tell the lady she can expect you?¡± Cass shrugged, wincing as her arm screamed in pain again. ¡°You can tell her what you like.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Telis said. ¡°I will let her know not to expect you then.¡± ¡°Probably for the best, yeah,¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Is that all?¡± Telis didn¡¯t quite roll her eyes, but she pulled a bag out of a pocket and held it out to Cass. ¡°This is your share from selling the materials gathered from your Catacombs dive.¡± Cass hesitated. On one hand, she didn¡¯t want anything Alyx was giving her. On the other hand, she had legitimately earned what was offered. For another, it was difficult to claim some purity of intentions while still wearing the clothing Alyx¡¯s family was lending her. She took the bag. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°That is all,¡± Telis said. ¡°Again, the arena, the second bell. If it interests you.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Cass said, waving her off and closing the door. Once Telis was gone, Cass combined her money sacks. It tripled the coins she¡¯d gotten from the assassin. She also changed out of the clothing she¡¯d gotten from the manor and put her Ephemeral Robe back on. The blue fabric was soft against her skin, implausibly clean and tidy even after everything she¡¯d been through while wearing it. Now, she just needed to decide what to do next. She needed information, and she was in an inn. A tavern? Cass wasn¡¯t sure what the distinction was. Either way, there were plenty of people downstairs chatting. Someone had to know something if she just listened closely enough. At least, that was what her fantasy novels would imply. B.3-Ch. 13: Alyx: Appraisal Alyx pushed her way through the streets of the lower city. It was already busy despite the sun barely rising over the horizon. Already, Festival goers were celebrating. Or perhaps, still celebrating from the previous night? The smell of alcohol was heavy in the air, mixing with the heavy spices of festival treats and overpowering the usual unwashed smell of the lower districts. ¡°My lady, are you sure we have time for this today?¡± Telis asked as she followed Alyx. Marco bumbled behind the both of them, his eyes alert. ¡°Should you not be preparing for the final showing?¡± It was the last day of the Festival. Each finalist would get one more arena fight to show off their skills, and then they would all be presented to the dragons this evening. Two of them would be selected as Knights, and their lives would change forever. ¡°I have plenty of time. We already arranged for the monster last night. I¡¯ve interviewed as much as I can with both my grandmother and the dragons. My sword is sharpened. My armor is in top shape. We even picked up the clothes for the after-party. You know all that as well as I do.¡± ¡°Then you should be resting and focusing your soul, not pushing through the crowds like a madwoman on a mission,¡± Telis said. ¡°I am not. I am walking at a perfectly normal,¡± though perhaps brisk, ¡°pace. I have purpose.¡± ¡°Why exactly are we goin¡¯ to the Academy again?¡± Marco asked from the back. ¡°I seem to have missed that explanation as well,¡± Telis said. Alyx bit her lip. There was too much she couldn¡¯t explain. ¡°I need to get something we found appraised.¡± ¡°Does it need to happen before the tournament?¡± Telis asked. No. Probably not. It was a mystery she¡¯d left alone plenty long so far. And yet. Her hand clenched around the orb in her pocket. The whispers grew louder. The impulse to shove the orb in her mouth grew. She forced her hand to relax. It was getting worse. She hadn¡¯t felt anything off about the Keeper¡¯s Cores when she¡¯d picked them up in the Catacombs. She had barely considered picking them up. Only the vague memory of Cass collecting one from the Caretaker in the Deep had prompted her to do so. She¡¯d mostly forgotten about it until the other night when she¡¯d interrogated Cass about it. But, since she¡¯d dug it out of her pack, she¡¯d realized that the whispers she had been hearing had started inside the Catacombs. When exactly? After the blessing. Some point on the way back up? And the whispering had only gotten worse since then. Almost like discovering the source had increased the thing¡¯s activity. The whispers stopped if she walked away from it, but she could feel herself becoming less and less willing to step away from it as time went on. Worst of all, it had something to do with Cass. Or Salos, she supposed. Which made it demonic. But why did she want it so badly? That was what she was here to find out. The tower poked out between the crowded buildings, and Alyx¡¯s steps sped up. ¡°I have some free time,¡± Alyx said, finally answering the question. ¡°Why waste the time?¡± She pushed open the tower doors before they could argue further. The morning of the day of Binding, there was no one inside. Alyx quickly made her way to the receptionist¡¯s desk. ¡°I need to get an object appraised.¡± The receptionist looked up at Alyx, a dead look in their eyes. ¡°Really?¡± Alyx nodded. ¡°Today?¡± Alyx nodded again. ¡°Did you just get out of the Catacombs or something? You know appraisals are double price until the end of the Festival due to reduced staff availability?¡± Alyx nodded. The receptionist shrugged. ¡°What kind of object?¡± Alyx hesitated. She didn¡¯t know how worried she should be about it. Was it safe to show it off here? Marco had already seen it. Alyx herself hadn¡¯t initially thought much of it. She set it on the counter. ¡°This.¡± The receptionist reached out for it. ¡°May I?¡± Alyx nodded. The receptionist turned it over. ¡°Huh. What are the odds of seeing two of these today?¡± ¡°Two of them?¡± Alyx asked. The receptionist shrugged. ¡°Natural magic manifestation. You¡¯re in luck. We have an appraiser for that today. Someone is with them right now, but if you¡¯ll wait a minute¡ª¡° Kohen walked out of the room behind the counter.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Oh, that was the customer. Go ahead back,¡± the receptionist said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Kohen asked. ¡°Could ask you the same thing,¡± Alyx said. He smirked. ¡°Desperately chasing any last leads to find an edge?¡± ¡°Why would I need to?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°I have the Major Blessing. Between me, with the Major Blessing, and Champion Fioreya, I think this year¡¯s dragon knights have already been decided. Why are you still sneaking around? Just relax and let the inevitability happen.¡± He clenched his jaw. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Alyx rolled her eyes as he huffed out of the room. He wasn¡¯t fooling anyone. Her victory was certain. Everyone else was playing for second place. ¡°This way?¡± Alyx asked, pointing at the door Kohen had come out of. The receptionist nodded. ¡°Wait here,¡± Alyx said to Telis and Marco and went in. Inside was a small room, barely bigger than a closet, predominantly filled with a table and a pair of chairs. A man sat inside with his back to the wall. ¡°Oh. Another customer? Already?¡± ¡°I have something I need appraised,¡± Alyx said as she closed the door and slipped into the second chair. She set the orb down in front of the man. ¡°Can you tell me what this is, what its value might be, and what uses it has?¡± His eyebrows went up. ¡°Oh. Look at that. Another one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the receptionist outside said, too,¡± Alyx commented. ¡°Ah, excuse the comment, lady. I¡¯d never seen one before this morning, so getting two, one right after the other, is unusual.¡± ¡°Kohan, the man before me, brought one in too?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°You know the gentleman? Yes. He came asking about a very similar orb. It looks a lot like a Concept Gem in form and general make-up, doesn¡¯t it? Yet, it is certainly not one. Isn¡¯t it interesting?¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting ahead of yourself,¡± Alyx said. ¡°Start at the beginning.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Apologies,¡± the man said. He tapped the orb and said, ¡°This is a ¡®core.¡¯ It is a crystallized ball of Potential, just like a Concept Gem.¡± ¡°But it isn¡¯t a Concept Gem,¡± Alyx said. The man nodded. ¡°Not even remotely. It looks like someone took the premise of a Concept Gem, storing a highly condensed and aspected collection of Potential, and applied it to¡­ well, I¡¯m not sure what. Not a Concept, though. I can tell you that much. ¡°More interestingly, it has a remarkably low presence. In fact, if it was not so highly condensed, we might not be able to perceive it at all. I would speculate its natural state has next to no presence.¡± A literal soul if Cass was to be believed. ¡°As for value, it¡¯s hard to say,¡± the man continued. ¡°My previous client claimed his was harvested off a monster in the Catacombs, which might make it of interest to curio collectors, as it¡¯s so rare. But, given that rarity, I can¡¯t say I know of any uses for it.¡± Alyx frowned. It would be just like Cass for it to be useless to everyone else. But no, Kohen had one too. He¡¯d seemed pleased with himself when he¡¯d left a minute ago. There must be something else they could do with these. ¡°You said these were crystallized Potential?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be used as a power source for an enchantment?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, the Potential is not nearly orderly enough for that. ¡°How much do you know about physical structure? About the difference between, say, glass and a crystal, like quartz?¡± Alyx shrugged. ¡°Ah, too bad. That would have helped. Let me try to summarize. Quartz is a true crystal. Its internals are orderly and laid out in repeating patterns in every direction. Most consumable gems and the like follow a similar pattern in their potential structure. ¡°On the other hand, despite looking very much like quartz under the right circumstances, glass is not a crystal. Its structure is internally messy. There may be repeated motifs, but you cannot describe the entirety of the structure with any single sub-pattern. That¡¯s what we are looking at here.¡± He tapped the core for emphasis. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Alyx asked. ¡°It means that the structure is too irregular internally to be used to power an enchantment. How much do you know about enchanting?¡± Alyx shook her head. She knew the little bit which was common knowledge, but not much more. ¡°Well, let¡¯s put it like this: when a mage lays down runes to be powered by an external source, they need to describe where to find that energy. Mana Crystals are excellent because you can shape them to pool that energy in a single place because of their regular structure.¡± ¡°And you can¡¯t do that with this?¡± Alyx asked. He shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to try.¡± ¡°There must be some way to extract the power from this thing,¡± Alyx said. He shrugged. ¡°Runes aren¡¯t the way to do it. You need something much more flexible.¡± He hesitated, then added, ¡°I don¡¯t recommend this because who knows what¡¯ll happen if you do, but it¡¯s possible your body might be able to extract the energy inside it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He tapped the table, his brow furrowed. ¡°A body¡¯s primary job is absorbing potential. That¡¯s how you level up. This thing,¡± he tapped the core again, ¡°isn¡¯t particularly stable as far as I can tell. Under the pressure of your aura, it might burst. If it bursts inside your body, that potential will have nowhere to go but into you. Maybe.¡± ¡°What happens then?¡± Alyx asked. He shook his head. ¡°If I¡¯m right, this is possibly a natural experience stone. Perhaps that is what the ancients modeled their mysterious experience stones after. If I¡¯m right, you should get a burst of experience. Enough to level up several times, probably. ¡°If I¡¯m wrong though¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe you¡¯ll explode. I don¡¯t know.¡± Alyx tapped the table, thinking. A level booster, then? Was that all this was? Was that why her body was hungry for it? It was plausible. The Blessing was supposed to have opened her up for the binding between her and her dragon. Part of that would change her stats and skills as she and her dragon paired. Perhaps, unlisted among its effects, it also increased the ease at which one gathered experience. Plausible. But that didn¡¯t explain Cass¡¯s reaction to it. Or Cass¡¯s explanation of it. Cass could be wrong. Salos could be lying. But if this was the truth, she didn¡¯t see how an elaborate lie like the story those two were spinning was useful to them. ¡°The item description when I Identified it said something about ¡®crystallized fragment of a soul,¡¯¡± Alyx said. ¡°Do you know what that means?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Occasionally, the System provides fanciful descriptions. Let me assure you crystallizing souls is impossible. It certainly wouldn¡¯t happen naturally on the death of a monster.¡± ¡°Humor me,¡± Alyx said. ¡°What would the ramifications be of consuming this like you described if this was a soul? Or part of one?¡± His face blanched at the thought. ¡°An unpleasant idea, certainly. I don¡¯t know. I will profess souls are quite a ways outside my area of expertise, and, you may not know this, but in truth, they are a highly restricted, almost taboo, area of research. I can pass your question on to a colleague who might have speculation in another department, but she¡¯s out until next week, and even then, it would only be speculation.¡± Alyx shook her head. She didn¡¯t need this speculation being spread around more than necessary. She didn¡¯t have the answers she wanted at all. But how did she ask about her cravings for it without raising alarms? There wasn¡¯t a good answer to that. For now, she¡¯d leave it alone. She could ignore the whispers. B.3-Ch. 14: The Temple of Velilia Cass heard little in the tavern that she didn¡¯t already know. All the gossip was about the Festival, which, in retrospect, wasn¡¯t surprising. The expectation among the populous was Alyx, as Major Blessing Holder, and Fioreya, as Alacrity¡¯s Champion, would be the two winners this year. Cass didn¡¯t want to hear about that, though. She left the tavern in favor of finding the city¡¯s temple. There had to be one around here somewhere, and who would know more about Champions than the priests or devout patrons? The temple sat on the river between the sides of town. Literally, over the river. It sat on a spire floating in the space between the cliff-sided banks. It was shaped like a stereotypical diamond, the tip maybe three yards over the surface of the rushing water below, the flat ¡®face¡¯ the top of the spire, upon which a domed building of glass rested. Sizable suspension bridges connected either side of the river to the spire. Were they still called spires if they were wider than they were tall, like this one was? Cass let her idle thoughts run as she crossed the bridge. It was better than worrying about Alyx and Salos. The building itself was like nothing Cass had ever seen. Cass was a modern woman. Glass was a commonplace element of her world. It belonged in every window, and she held little wonder for the endless walls of glass that made up the skyscrapers of the cities. This was different. Glass, in Cass¡¯s world, was a flat thing. A clear thing. A fragile thing. This building turned all that on its head. The glass here had been fashioned into bricks and then stacked tall and wide into a towering cathedral. The bricks shimmered in the sunlight, largely opaque but still casting colored shadows over the surrounding grounds. Sculptures decorated the walls, dancing glass swirling into figures from legends Cass didn¡¯t know. More statues lined the path. Some were humanoid figures, presumably in mythologically significant poses. Others were abstract twists of color and pattern that rose from the gardens. The walk up was short from the bridge to the Temple¡¯s doors. The doors were set in a wall of more glass, all colored and thick enough to obscure what waited on the far side. Twisting dragons had been sculpted into the glass around the doors. The doors hung open, allowing the continuous flow of people. The temple was busy. Perhaps they held some significance to the Festival as well. That seemed likely. Standing in the doorway, Cass realized she didn¡¯t know what to do from here. Lacking better ideas, she followed the flow of the crowds inside. Like the temple in Hervet, this one had one big central room with a large statue of Alacrity in the center, adorned in her dragon-horned crown. This one had a crimson dragon twisting around her waist. Around the room were seven alcoves, each with a statue of one of the other gods. One was missing, unless Cass was miscounting. But no, counting Alacrity in the center, only eight of the nine gods were represented here. Cass wasn¡¯t familiar enough with their iconography to figure out who was missing with any confidence, but she was willing to guess it was Dexterity, the demon god. From what Alyx had been saying, there was beef there. She walked around the room with the crowd. Most went and knelt at one of the benches before Alacrity. Many split off for the smaller alcoves, bowing before the others. It was quiet inside, but not silent. There was the low murmur of people and a shuffle of clothing and feet all around. Cass kept her eyes peeled for a priest. Instead, she spotted a familiar hood and diminutive stature along the far wall. Pellen stood before a closed door, visibly hesitating. ¡°Pellen!¡± Cass pushed toward the little mage, getting several glares from other patrons. The mage startled, her head jerking over her shoulder toward Cass, all of her eyes widening. ¡°Miss Cass? What are¡ªYou are¡ªAre you here to pray for Lady Alyx¡¯s success?¡± Cass bit her lip. Was that what most people were doing here during the festival? Maybe that was expected of ¡®retainers¡¯ like her. She didn¡¯t want to explain her falling out with Alyx right here, so she just nodded. ¡°Among other things. What are you doing here? I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯re particularly hoping Kohen will win?¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°I have no quarrel with him, but no. The choices of the dragons are well outside my worries. No. I, um.¡± Her eyes flicked back to the door and the sign pinned to it. ¡°I¡¯m here to check something I should have had checked ages ago.¡± Cass squinted at the door as if her low Jothi Language Comprehension could be compensated for like failing eyesight or low light. There was a sign on the door. Her language skills had been improving, already up to level 10, but her mastery of the written language was still riddled with holes. She was pretty sure the sign said something about knocking for help, but what kind of help was less clear. If she knew more, she could probably divine what Pellen was here for from these clues, and this would be the end of the conversation, to Pellen¡¯s relief. Cass¡¯s curiosity warred with her courtesy. Clearly, Pellen wanted to move on as quickly as possible. If she were willing to spell it out, she would have done more than gesture at the door. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Cass suppressed a sigh and let it go. It wasn¡¯t her business. Instead, Cass changed the subject. ¡°Any idea where I can go to talk to a priest?¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes widened again. She glanced at the door beside her and then back to Cass. Cass sighed. ¡°They¡¯re through that door, aren¡¯t they?¡± The sign had said to knock for help. Talking with the priests was probably the help they meant. Pellen nodded. Cass shrugged. Nothing for it but honesty at this point. ¡°I can¡¯t read that.¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes widened even further. ¡°No?¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°Then¡­ Oh. Um,¡± Pellen stammered. Cass shrugged. ¡°No worries. Is there a procedure? Am I cutting in line?¡± Pellen bit her lip and shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t be long.¡± And she knocked on the door. It opened a moment later. A man in a grey robe stepped out. ¡°How may I help you this fine morning?¡± ¡°I need to have my affinity checked,¡± Pellen said quietly. He nodded. ¡°Of course, right this way.¡± He gestured for Pellen to enter the room before glancing at Cass. ¡°Are you in need of help as well?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°I was looking for information on Champions?¡± ¡°Ah, inspired by the Champion selected in our very city? Many are. Wait over there and I shall send a faithful to answer your questions.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Cass said, following his finger to the nearest alcove. Cass stopped suddenly, spinning around to shout after Pellen, ¡°Meet me in front when you¡¯re done! I have some stuff for you!¡± Pellen¡¯s eyes widened before she nodded, perhaps remembering as suddenly as Cass the books Cass had stashed for her, perhaps just hoping to melt out of sight to avoid the eyes staring at them. She scurried after the priest, disappearing deeper into the temple. Cass continued toward the indicated alcove. It was awash in grays. Green-grays, mostly. And yet, it wasn¡¯t drab. Rather, it was subdued. Quiet. Quieter than the rest of the temple, though no wall or anything separated this space. A glass statue of a broad-shouldered woman in full plate armor stood in the center, a hefty shield worn on one arm and a mace in the other. The goddess¡¯s eyes almost seemed to follow her as Cass sat down in one corner as far away from the handful of other patrons in the room. But that would be ridiculous. Right? Then again, two other gods had already shown an interest in Cass. What was a third? Cass took a deep breath and did her best to ignore it. A few minutes later, another man¡ªthis one robed in soft green and brown¡ªcame and slipped into the seat beside Cass. ¡°I heard you had questions, miss?¡± Perception had suggested that Identifying people in a temple was rude, but she needed to double-check what she was working with before she went any further. Priest of Fortitude Lvl 27 [A man dedicated to his chosen divinity: the Goddess of Fortitude, She of Unyielding Might and True Endings.] That was all very above board. It looked like he was an ordinary priest. Definitely not a god in disguise. He was a younger man than she had expected. His hair was still well and dark, his skin smooth and wrinkle-free. Even accounting for Vitality doing de-aging things, she would have guessed his age closer to her own than her parents¡¯. Perhaps priests being old men was just a stereotype. ¡°Yeah,¡± Cass said. ¡°I was curious if there were other Champions right now?¡± The priest raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Yes, there are. Each of the gods may pick one. Currently, four do: Alacrity, Strength, Will, and Fortitude.¡± The three Powers and Alacrity? Was that a coincidence? ¡°How long have they each had Champions?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Alacrity, as I¡¯m sure you know, has only had her champion a few days. Strength summoned an (Angel?) about three years ago. Will selected his head priest as his Champion shortly after. Fortitude announced her Champion last year, selecting one of her promising Paladins.¡± Cass frowned over the described options. None of them sounded like Kaye or Robin. An angel, a head priest, or a paladin? Not likely. And the timing was wrong on all of them. Even the most recent was a year ago. She¡¯d only been here about a month. She¡¯d been kidnapped first. If they had been summoned by one of the gods, it must have been one of the others. That left Dexterity, Endurance, Resolve, and Vitality. ¡°How is one selected as a Champion?¡± Cass asked. The priest laughed gently. ¡°Hoping to be picked by your god?¡± Cass shook her head emphatically. She was certainly not! She had a standing offer she did not want. ¡°They pick who they think are worthy of representing their interests,¡± the priest explained. ¡°Usually one who holds a high value in their chosen stat. Usually, one who holds a similar role in this world as they do.¡± That didn¡¯t sound right. Of the Champions, Cass had only met Fioreya, but Cass was a candidate for Perception as well. Neither she nor Fioreya exactly exemplified the gods that had picked them. Fioreya almost certainly used other stats more than Alacrity, given her highly physical attack style. And Cass needed to only glance at her stat sheet to confirm that Perception wasn¡¯t even top three for her. But Cass wasn¡¯t exactly going to tell this random priest all that. Instead, she asked, ¡°Do the gods just pick someone from anywhere?¡± He frowned at her words. ¡°They might pick from any believer of theirs anywhere on the continent or any of her many isles and spires.¡± ¡°So it was just a coincidence that Fioreya was chosen in a city that strongly worships Alacrity?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Who can say? Perhaps it was simply odds. Perhaps she only considered those in this city. The gods are unknowable, after all.¡± Cass didn¡¯t think so. Alyx had said Alacrity had offered her the position too. Alacrity had granted everyone who entered the Catacombs a Quest to become her Champion. She wanted a Dragon Knight for a Champion. Did that mean she should dive into the places that held the potential gods dear when looking for her siblings? Maybe there were other contests like this one she should be looking for. No. Alacrity had held this tournament because she didn¡¯t have a summoned Champion. Any god holding a contest for the position couldn¡¯t have one of her siblings ready to take the role and could be ignored in Cass¡¯s search. ¡°None of the other gods are looking for a Champion then?¡± Cass asked. He shrugged. ¡°If they are, their call has not reached our fine city.¡± ¡°Is Velillia considered Alacrity¡¯s seat of power?¡± Cass asked. A playful smile crossed his face. ¡°I suppose it is. Though the other gods are no less powerful here.¡± Cass waved him off. ¡°Sure, sure. But one of the gods here is standing in the middle of the room, and one of them is just missing. That¡¯s not a coincidence, is it?¡± ¡°No, I suppose it is not.¡± He straightened and continued, ¡°Velillia is not the only place that holds the Goddess of Alacrity, She of Brilliant Lightning and Striking Inspiration, in the highest regard. She is also wildly celebrated in Trell and Filador.¡± ¡°What about Dexterity, Endurance, Resolve, and Vitality?¡± Cass asked. He quirked an eyebrow at her. ¡°You truly are not trying to become the Champion for one of these four?¡± Cass shrugged. She wasn¡¯t, but what was it to him? He stood. ¡°Follow me. We have a map in the back which might help you.¡± B.3-Ch. 15: Halls of Fortitude Cass followed the Priest of Fortitude deeper into the temple. Inside was made of the same glass bricks, most the opaque blue that had dominated the outside, though certain hallways leading off the main one took other colors. The colors of the other gods, perhaps. The man before her was dressed in a dull green, the hem trimmed in a tawny bronze. Were those the colors of Fortitude? Then, was the blue the color of divinity in general? Or just of Alacrity since this was primarily her temple, with everyone else seeming to be secondary? They continued deeper, the air becoming more stale with every floor they descended. How much of the spire had been hollowed out for the temple? How much space did they need? Before long, they turned down a corridor made of dull green glass. If Cass was right, this was Fortitude¡¯s wing. Another priest in green and grey robes walked in the opposite direction on some other business. Something buzzed in her ear. An unease settled over her. One of her skills pulled at her sleeve for attention. Trap Detection? Cass frowned. Why? This was an actual temple. A place people worshiped. Real people didn¡¯t put traps in places they spent time in. Could you imagine accidentally setting off a trap at your place of work? No, that was silly. This wasn¡¯t a video game. But it was flashing at her all the same. ¡°Um, how much further do we have to go?¡± Cass asked. This was rather deep in the temple. Was it normal to bring the uninitiated this far? Over a question like hers? The priest flashed a smile over his shoulder, one Trap Detection did not like in the slightest. ¡°We are almost there.¡± His voice was reassuring. Soft and warm and unnatural. Status Effect (Practiced Assurance) Ignored. Cass¡¯s teeth ground together. A social skill? Now? Here? There were lots of times when such a skill might be innocuous. When something legitimately distressing happened, for example, and as an authority figure, one wanted to keep the populous from stampeding. When a child was crying. To assure her they were nearly to the map he¡¯d promised her? That was less reasonable in Cass¡¯s mind. Almost like¡­ She didn¡¯t like it. She pressed out with her senses, pushing Atmospheric Sense down the corridors. The hallway opened into a wider hall. It was some sort of open space where multiple halls met. Maybe a gathering place. Maybe a central hub. All she knew for sure was there was a lot of breathing happening in that room. A lot of bodies in hard or close-fitting clothing. Not priest robes. Not enough flapping fabric. Mana Sense peered ahead. The walls glowed with mana. Something had them enchanted. Perhaps it was as simple as a precaution against what she was doing now. Perhaps it was what made the glass such a viable building material. Perhaps it was something else entirely. Either way, it meant she only had the vaguest sense that there was more mana in the direction they were walking¡ªlined up with that hall Atmospheric Sense had found?¡ªthan in any other direction. Trap Detection didn¡¯t like it. Cass was inclined to agree. But what kind of trap was this? Why was there a trap waiting for her? She shook her head. She could figure out the why later. What she needed to determine was how to get out of it. She slowed her steps. Not much. She just shortened her stride and slowed her pace a little. Simultaneously, her Alacrity kicked her thoughts into high gear. Not-priests were waiting for her in the room ahead. The priest in front of her was leading her to the trap, and he was in on it. Was the map he promised a lie, then? Simply the first ruse he¡¯d come up with to lead her down and out of the eyes of the public? Unfortunate. She was going to have to assume the map didn¡¯t exist. She¡¯d ask someone else about the gods¡¯ strongholds later. What to do then? Run or Fight? Run meant she would not find out why they were ambushing her. Fight was willingly walking into danger. She glanced at her guide again. Priest of Fortitude (lvl 27) He was at the Gate, not past it, so probably not a combatant, right? But that didn¡¯t change the fact he had 4 levels on her. Not a huge amount given her unusual race and his likely human-ness, but enough she needed to be careful. What about the people ahead? If they were waiting to ambush her, they were combatants? Their levels would be higher. At least the ballpark of Marco? Higher? That wasn¡¯t a fight she could take. Not alone. Not without Salos. She slowed her step again, her thoughts returning to more ordinary speeds as she engaged Stealth. ¡°Miss, I must ask¡ª¡± he said as he turned to check on her, perhaps noticing her presence dropping and interpreting it as her wandering into a room she didn¡¯t have business in. Cass didn¡¯t give him time to finish his sentence. Her staff swept into him. She had every intention of knocking him off his feet and running. Instead, his hand flashed out and caught the staff. He didn¡¯t so much as flinch. ¡°¡ªyou to behave in the illustrious halls of Fortitude.¡± Cass tried to pull away. Her staff didn¡¯t move. What was this Strength? She knew her Strength wasn¡¯t great, but even Alyx''s muscles flexed more when they fought. It was like this man¡¯s muscles were made of stone. ¡°May I ask what this is about?¡± he asked, his voice lacking the warmth it had contained in the temple above. ¡°Let go.¡± Cass tugged futilely at her staff. To her surprise, he did. She pulled it back into a ready position. ¡°Now, again, what was that for?¡± he asked. Cass kept her eyes on him but sought out with Atmospheric Sense. The bodies in the room ahead were moving. Moving toward them. No time to play dumb, then. She¡¯d get what information she could, then Wind Step her way to safety. ¡°Why are you leading me into an ambush?¡± His eyebrow quirked up. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The bodies in the hall moved faster. How many were there? Four? Six? Eight? The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Cass said. ¡°What do you people want from me?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Little demon, what do you think the righteous of Fortitude want with you?¡± Cass¡¯s blood ran cold. They knew? They knew! She took off, Sprinting back the way they had come, pulling the Wind around her to increase her speed. ¡°She¡¯s running!¡± the priest yelled, his voice echoing through the halls from every direction. Cass didn¡¯t slow to figure out how he¡¯d done that, instead pushing herself all the harder. Her feet slid across the slick, glass brick floors, but she ran through the stumbling. There wasn¡¯t time to fall. She used the surrounding air to hold her up when she inevitably slipped. Turn here, Trap Detection whispered, flashing warnings up and down the corridor ahead. Cass bolted to the right, down a side corridor, just as a paladin-priest-pair stepped out of a room a little ways down the path Trap Detection had warned her off of. Hide, whispered Stealth. Cass toggled it on and pressed herself against the wall as a big man in plate armor stepped into the crossroad ahead of her. Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin Lvl 31 [A member of the martial arm of their goddess. As devoted to her as any priest, they enforce her will through force of arms, ready and willing to throw their life at her alter should it serve her cause.] Cass¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Stealth swirled around her, suppressing her presence, Willing him to look away. To not notice her. He looked up the hall away from her, but undoubtedly searching for her. There was nothing to hide behind. Every bit of Earthly common sense told her she would be seen. Stealth told her to keep walking toward him. To keep moving. Slowly. Around her, the wind turned, slow and deliberate, as if pulling her very essence away from her body and diluting her presence through the hallway. Would it be enough? Stealth hadn¡¯t been enough against the spider in the Deep. But her Dexterity then hadn¡¯t even been half what it was now. And this was a human, not a spider with extra senses. Unless he also had some sort of detection skills. Or he specialized in Perception. Or if the level difference was enough to tip the scales back in his favor. His head turned, checking her direction. His eyes passed over her. They burned with intensity. Her heart pounded in her ears, yet her feet kept pulling her toward him. She was an uninteresting tree in an open field. A ghost in the water. She wasn¡¯t here. His eyes slid past her, her presence successfully suppressed by Stealth. He continued down his hallway, rushing on in search of her. Cass inhaled sharply, her legs shaking. Run, run, run! squealed Stormstride Sprint. But quietly, added Stealth. Cass bolted in the opposite direction. The hallways twisted and turned around her, all in the same green glass bricks. Ahead, the hall widened into an open space before a pair of massive doors. Five hallways met here, two on either side of her plus the one she was currently running down. A banner hung from the ceiling displaying a crescent moon in shimmering bronze on a field of green fabric. And in the center, in front of the doors, stood a pair of armored men as if they were waiting for her. Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (lvl 30) Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (lvl 31) They were hulking figures, armed with shields as wide as doors and short swords. All gleamed in a bronze glow. Both were more than 5 levels over Cass¡¯s own. Behind her, she could feel the rush of heavy bodies through the air as more such men chased after her. How many were there? Atmospheric Sense pointed out more in the hallways to her right and another in the nearer of the two to her left. Anyone else would have been trapped here. There was no natural way to run past them. But Cass was slyphid. She ran at the men before her, Stormwind Sprint gusting around her. She Stepped onto it, dissolving into the wind, blowing through the pair ahead of her, unstoppable and free. ¡°She disappeared!¡± one of them yelled as she left them behind. ¡°Get the captain!¡± yelled another. Her heart pounded as she rematerialized down the empty hall and reactivated Stealth. Had they felt which way she¡¯d gone? The skill emphatically encouraged her to find better cover. She grimaced and kept moving, holding close to the walls, ducking out of sight of Paladin after Paladin, slipping around corner after corner. She could feel them moving around her. They were getting closer. She was a fox trapped in an ever-tightening net. But this didn¡¯t make sense. She was sure she had been moving in the direction she¡¯d come from. She should have found an exit by now, even with her twisting path around the paladins. She hadn¡¯t gone that deep into the green-walled halls before discovering the priest¡¯s trap. So why was she again standing in front of a pair of massive doors and paladins where five halls met, with two on either side of her? Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (lvl 30) Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (lvl 31) Was this the same room or just a similar one? How many hubs with five connected halls in front of huge ornamental doors could there be down here? She could feel their footfalls rushing from every direction. Cass shook her head. She didn¡¯t have time to figure it out. She Sprinted down the least occupied hallway, away from the majority of her pursuers, and again Wind Stepped over the shoulders of those ahead of her. She pressed out with Atmospheric Sense, searching for the way out. There had to be a flow of fresh air from the floors above. And yet, the air was lethargic. It rolled slowly, around and around the hallways, never turning, yet still returning to her, anyway. How was that possible? And she could feel the paladins drawing closer around her. All around her. Down every hall, there were more. She kept running until, again, she found herself in front of those doors. She stopped dead in her tracks. This couldn¡¯t be right. This couldn¡¯t be the same room again. She¡¯d run straight or as straight as her pursuers would allow. She was certain she hadn¡¯t been pushed in a circle. And yet, there were those doors, imposing and dark, staring down at her. And to either side were a pair of open hallways. And in the middle was the pair of paladins, levels 30 and 31. ¡°The demon¡¯s back!¡± lvl-30 yelled, his voice echoing around her. ¡®Back,¡¯ he had said. This really was the same room. Could they have turned her around without her noticing? She would have been more willing to believe that if she were standing in any of the other four hallways. For her to have been herded back into the central one seemed improbable to the extreme. ¡°It¡¯s pointless to run.¡± Lvl-31 sneered, raising his sword and taking a step toward her. Cass took half a step back and raised her staff. He couldn¡¯t catch her, could he? She was fast, but they were higher levels. Salos would have a better estimate of their capabilities if he were here. She grit her teeth. He wasn¡¯t here. She could survive on her own. She still had Wind Step. They couldn¡¯t catch the wind, no matter how they tried. Stamina: 119/138 Focus: 453/549 She had plenty of resources left. Plenty for Wind Steps. She could keep running. But that assumed there was a way out if she did. Was there? These doors. These paladins. How did they keep appearing in front of her? How did she continue to find herself standing here, in the central hall of five? It could be they were skilled in funneling their prey where they wanted her. But, if it was as mundane an answer as that, why couldn¡¯t Atmospheric Sense find a flow of fresh air? Why did the air circle through these corridors without ever turning? Unless space itself was looping? Could they do that? Was that easier to believe than the other options? Were there other options? There had to be another option. Because if space was truly looping, how could she possibly escape? No! It had to be something else. She swung her staff, throwing a Tempest Blade in the approaching paladin¡¯s face. He raised his shield to block. But the blade was never intended to connect. She Stepped onto it, pulling it wide and around to the left, darting down another hallway. This way. Surely, this way would be a way out. The paladins were closer. How were they getting closer? She ran, refusing to turn for anything. Every paladin she encountered, every priest she passed, she Wind Stepped over instead of avoiding. They shouted warnings down the surrounding halls. All the while, Atmospheric Sense reached out in every direction, desperately looking for the exit. Desperately searching for any whisper of fresh air. And yet. There they were. Again. The doors. The paladins. The stupid banner hanging from the ceiling. The hallways to either side all leading back to this same spot. She was trapped, and no amount of running would change that. B.3-Ch. 16: Forced Scuffle So she couldn¡¯t run. Fine. How else did she get out of this? Fight her way out? How many opponents were there? Two in front, at least. Atmospheric Sense found four more in close proximity, all approaching quickly, and more, too indistinct to count, beyond them. How many were truly more opponents, and how many were double-counted from the looping air? But, even if it was just six or so, that was still too many. She was only level 23. These enemies were all 30 and up. That was a difference of at least seven, all over the Gate. And she¡¯d already spent a large chunk of her resources running. Stamina: 113/138 Focus: 299/549 And what would beating them even do? For all she knew, space would keep looping, whether they were conscious or not. Whether they were alive or not. But what else could she do? Ask nicely? Cass raised her staff and squared her shoulders. Her aura cloak flared to life around her. ¡°Let me go, and I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± she said. Somehow, that had come out as a confident command rather than a shaking plea. Was it too much to hope he¡¯d just back down at the threat of violence? ¡°Cute,¡± lvl-31 said, raising his shield and sword in return. Lvl-30 raised his as well. Her stomach rolled, but she pushed forward anyway, calling Tempest Blade to the end of her staff. Wind sprang to life in twisting blades, begging to be released on her foe, eager even if she was not. Lvl-31 stepped toward her while lvl-30 circled. They were both big men, the kind Cass expected did football or wrestling, with wide shoulders and square heads, made to look more angular by their helmets. They wore heavy armor under green tabards emblazoned with a copper crescent. The design was repeated on their shields, honking rectangular things as wide as their bodies and tall enough to cover from shoulder to knees. Two on one. Two on one, while she was under-leveled and more reinforcements were coming? She did not want to fight them. But investigating the loops would be difficult while there were guards at the loop¡¯s nexus. Her options were to take them out before reinforcements arrived or puzzle her way out while also dodging every guard looking for her here. They weren¡¯t enviable options. Cass threw a Tempest Blade at lvl-31. The blade of wind slammed into his raised shield, not even scuffing the metal plate. He stepped toward her. She threw another, wrapping it around his shield and aiming for his unarmored face. She braced herself. There would be blood. Maybe bone. The blade of wind roared across the distance, invisible and slicing. It struck his cheek, only to break against his skin. What? Cass threw another and another in quick succession. They broke one after another. They shouldn¡¯t break like that. Her Will of 81 held the blade all the way into her target. Her attacks hadn¡¯t glanced off unarmored skin since Uvana and Tempest Blade was even more vicious than the Wind Blade that preceded it. He charged her, shouting, ¡°That all you got, demon?¡± Her heart pounded in her ears. Lvl-30 continued to creep around the edge of the room, looking for her back? She backpedaled, throwing another blade in his face as he charged her. It didn¡¯t even slow him. He swung. She Dodged right, his sword passing inches from her body, and darted across the room, away from both paladins. Lvl-31 chased after her, but he was slow. Far slower than she expected. His stats must be in something other than Str or Dex. That was good. He couldn¡¯t hit her if he couldn¡¯t catch her. Except she couldn¡¯t hurt him either. Did they intend to make this a battle of attrition? Perhaps they expected their Stamina reserves to last longer than hers. That seemed a reasonable bet. She looked like¡ªno, she was¡ªa mage. They¡¯d assume her stats were focused on the Mental row. They couldn¡¯t know she got free points in End with every level. The only question was if their slow and deliberate movements and higher levels meant their Stamina would outlast her necessarily faster ones. Or if their allies would arrive to relieve them before they tired themselves out completely. And those allies were coming. She could feel their lumbering approach drawing nearer down the corridors. She¡¯d deal with them next, somehow. Out of the corner of her eye, Lvl-30 raised his shield. It glowed a dark, forest green to her Mana Sense. What was he¡ª Liminal Mana Sense answered her question, her understanding of mana and similar energies expanding to match her mastery of her highest-leveled skill: Aura Bash [A Skill concentrating one¡¯s aura into an object to empower a weapon or tool. Estimated time to execution: 2 sec] Oh. But what could he do with that all the way over there? Cass sidestepped another of Lvl-31¡¯s sword strikes. [Estimated time to execution: 1 sec] That really only made sense if he could throw his aura like Alyx. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Oh. The glow brightened to a physical light, visible even without Mana Sense. As it reached its zenith, he swung his shield arm forward as if shield bashing the air. Only a wall of green aura burst from it instead, flying far faster than Alyx¡¯s aura swords ever did. Cass darted out of the way. But lvl-31 was suddenly in front of her, in the way. His shield glowed a slate grey to Mana Sense. [Unknown Spatial Warp Skill] That didn¡¯t tell her much, just enough to be sure it wasn¡¯t her senses playing tricks on her. He hadn¡¯t been in the way when she¡¯d started moving. He was now. She tried changing directions, ducking backward. She almost Dodged it anyway. Almost. Another inch, and she would have been clear. Instead, the wall of aura clipped her shoulder. Color inverted as Liminal Dodge fixed her mistake at the cost of her Stamina. Her body sagged under the sudden expenditure. Stamina: 61/138 Cass gasped as the color returned. 50 Stamina consumed for such a glancing hit? Liminal Dodge¡¯s cost was directly proportional to the damage it avoided. How strong were his aura attacks? How much trouble would she have been in if Liminal Dodge hadn¡¯t negated it? There wasn¡¯t time for this worry. Lvl-31 was still advancing. She couldn¡¯t let this continue. Her chances of outlasting them had just gone up in smoke. She had to turn this around. Her ranged attacks hadn¡¯t worked so far, and she doubted throwing more would change that. Would it be different at melee? Wind Blade had been stronger at that range, and Tempest Blade was functionally similar. She had to try. Tempest Blade surged along her staff, the winds turning like saws. She lunged, stabbing her glaive around lvl-31¡¯s shield. His shield swung out, batting her spear wide as he stepped in, his sword following his momentum. Cass Dodged out of its arc, the blade sweeping through empty air with a rush of wind past her ears, and pulled her staff up and around, swinging it back down. His shield caught it, forcing it along a glancing path away from his body. She darted back, only to find lvl-30 behind her. His sword stabbed for her middle back. Dodge twisted it into a glancing blow, her body contorting out of the way as the metal of his blade cut through the aura of her cloak and passed through her Ephemeral Robes to grate against the plate beneath as it slid off. Lvl-31 didn¡¯t wait for her to recover, his sword swinging across for her neck while she was still distracted by lvl-30. She pulled her staff up to block. His sword chopped into the staff¡¯s hardwood, the reverberations running up and down her arms. He tried to pull away, but his edge caught, pulling her with him. His Strength effortlessly yanked Cass forward, but she didn¡¯t let go. She would not be disarmed. That never went well. But this left her open to lvl-30 behind her. She couldn¡¯t let herself remain on the hook like this. What else could she do? Time slowed as Alacrity sped her thoughts and she looked for an answer. She couldn¡¯t pull her staff free. She refused to give it up. Could she pull stone spears from the ground? She pressed Elemental Manipulation out through her feet and into the surrounding glass. It slipped from her grip like water through a sieve. And something else sparked through it, warning that trying anyway would have consequences. No glass spears, then. What else? Fire, maybe? She let go of her staff with her left hand, reaching forward to lvl-31¡¯s sword hand. She summoned fire to her open palm and snatched his wrist. It was armored. Of course, it was armored. But metal conducted heat, didn¡¯t it? The metal glowed, the heat increasing as she held it. Lvl-31 just stared at her. Not screaming, not fussed in the slightest. Lvl-30 swung at her. She was out of time. But she refused to drop her staff. There had to be something¡ªanything else¡ªshe could do. All 76 points of her Alacrity ground time to a crawl as she frantically looked for another option. She could Liminal Dodge. That would cost a lot of Stamina, but she had plenty left for now. It might give her the extra seconds to wriggle her staff free of 31¡¯s sword. Or she might be in exactly the same position, minus another chunk of Stamina. A decent backup plan, then. What else could she do? They were so much stronger than her. She wasn¡¯t meant to face off against opponents like this yet. How was she supposed to compete? How was she supposed to survive? She needed more power. A lot more power. Like lightning? The thought startled her. But why not? Elemental Manipulation could redirect it. She¡¯d never summoned it herself, but really, how was it different from fire, which she summoned easily? The thought burned in her mind. Lightning. Like the crocodiles of the Catacombs. Like the shockwave of the Lord of the Pass. Like the raging storm over Uvana. Her staff buzzed in her hands. She was again standing on the boat leaving Uvana. Lightning rained from the heavens. The atmosphere buzzed. The air tasted of ozone. A blade of blue lightning sprang to life along her staff as Tempest Blade jumped at the image. It pulled at her Will, barely controlled, demanding to be released. And who was she to stand in its way? 31¡¯s blade intersected her new lightning-infused Tempest Blade. His metal sword blade. Held by his metal-plated armor. A grin slipped over her face as she pulled the lightning from Tempest Blade down his sword with Elemental Manipulation. The lightning happily ran down its length, gleefully jumping at her command from blade to metal gloves. He flinched, his entire body seizing as the lightning ran rampant through him. But did nothing to stop lvl-30¡¯s sword behind her. The colors inverted as Liminal Dodge transmuted the direct hit into a near miss, placing her an inch to the right of his blade. Stamina: 28/138 Focus: 250/549 And taking a chunk of Stamina and the wind from her lungs with it. But it gave her the second she needed. She twisted, pulling her staff free of his sword, a chunk of wood coming away with the blade. She darted away, already drawing another lightning-infused Tempest Blade to her staff. It pulled against her control, the lightning demanding to be unleashed, like a rabid dog pulling against the chains of her Will to bury itself in the paladin¡¯s body. She released it on lvl-30. The blade crackled in the air, its leading edge sharp even as sparks fell from the trailing one. It was solid in a way lightning had no business being. And it was fast. It crossed the room before she¡¯d even thought to arch the attack around her opponent¡¯s shield. It slammed into that shield, burning black scorch marks into the green and copper design, the sparks hungrily looking for more places to run and finding nothing but the insulation padding along the back. Shield shots would do nothing, not at this range, at least. Maybe if she was closer, she could pull the electricity across to his body with Elemental Manipulation, like with lvl-31 and his sword. But if she wanted to keep her distance, her lightning blades would need to hit the man himself, not his shield. Speaking of lvl-31, he was already pushing himself back to attention, shaking off the effects of the electricity she had pumped through him. What were these people made of? She didn¡¯t have time to speculate; she drew another Tempest Blade to her staff and let it fly. She was ready for its speed this time, holding it tightly the whole way. Lvl-30 raised his shield to block again, but she pulled the attack wide, arching it around him to hit his chest. The lightning burned through his fabric tabard and sparked as it hit the plate metal beneath. He spasmed as it made contact, tendrils of lightning escaping their blade form to run rampant through his flesh. But Cass¡¯s Will held most of the lightning in the shape of a blade, stabbing into his plate. Will-backed lightning burned at Fortitude-reinforced steel until steel gave way. The chain mail beneath the plate split before her blade. The fabric and flesh below burned. It was going to kill him. Like a spell released, the lightning blade exploded, lighting bursting in every direction, leaving scalding black spots over his tabard and exposed armor. Cass released the breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding. Had her Tempest Blade broken because her Will wavered, or was that just the extent of a single blade? Only more experiments could answer that. The next Tempest Blade was already mounted upon her staff. She swung to throw it. ¡°Fortitude¡¯s Aegis!¡± A voice rang out over the halls, deep and heavy and filled with power. A green force field appeared between her and the paladin. Her Tempest Blade shot into the barrier and exploded into a sea of blue sparks. Behind her, another paladin¡ªthe owner of what Cass could only assume was the skill Fortitude¡¯s Aegis¡ªhad arrived. With him, half a dozen other paladins stepped out of their respective hallways, their shields raised and ready. Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (lvl 29-33) x8 Order of the Copper Crescent Captain Lvl 40 [The leader of a devout order of paladins. This tauran stands stronger and more beloved by his goddess than any other in his order. Defy his goddess at your peril, for he shall be the one to see you regret it.] B.3-Ch.17: Twisty Little Hallways If the paladins had all been big, this man was gargantuan. He was easily two heads taller than Cass and twice as wide at the shoulders. A pair of bull horns protruded from either side of his forehead. His skull bulged under his skin, and his nose was flat like a cow¡¯s. His equipment was much like his men¡¯s: heavy armor, green tabard, shield, and sword. However, the details were taken to the next level with each element. It wasn¡¯t enough to have heavy plates of metal like his men. The pieces of his armor interlocked with each other, creating a gapless defense, and were covered in tiny runes glowing with defensive energy. It wasn¡¯t enough for his shield to cover from shoulder to knee. No, his shield stretched from his ankles to his chin like a mobile fortress. It wasn¡¯t enough to have a short sword, not by a long shot. His sword was huge too, at least as tall as his shield and a blade width greater than her open hand. On Earth, it could only have been a two-handed sword. Here, with his stats, he twirled it effortlessly with one hand as he stepped toward her. She didn¡¯t stand a chance. She turned and ran. She was uncomfortably familiar with impossible odds: the Centipede, the Keeper, the Lightning-phased Lion, the Lord of the Pass, Fioreya. Each had been well above her level. Each one she¡¯d beaten, escaped, or outlasted. So she knew this wasn¡¯t a fight she would win via conventional methods. If she were going to ¡®win,¡¯ it would be through one of the latter options. ¡°Stop her,¡± the captain grunted, his voice deep and low. His men charged after her, spreading through the room. She Stormstride Sprinted for the furthest hallway from the captain, Stepping onto the gust before any of them could get close enough to strike her. Focus: 191/549 She dematerialized, slipping into the wind. Behind her, the Captain slammed his shield against the ground, and a shockwave of energy burst from him, racing out in every direction. It rolled through Cass. Her guts twisted. She fell out of the wind, corporeal again. What? She hit the ground, stumbling, too shocked to make use of her Alacrity. What did he do? He¡¯d knocked her from the wind? How? What skill was that? How often could he use it? How many times? The paladins were catching up. She had to run. She Sprinted, her eyes fixed on her escape, the hallway opposite the paladins. The gust built around her. She just needed to Step¡ª The skill fizzled in her mind. Like a candle drowning in melted wax. Everything was right for it to ignite, but it sputtered out anyway. She spammed the skill. Willing, wishing, it would activate. It didn¡¯t. What had he done to her? Was it permanent? Cass pushed that possibility aside. There wasn¡¯t time. They were still chasing. She was still faster. But she had to run. Behind her, a mass of energy grew. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She stepped over the threshold of the room and into the hallway. Whatever they were doing, she would leave them far behind. The energy burst, and with it came a gust of air. All of it shooting toward her at incredible speeds. She glanced over her shoulder. It was the captain. He charged forward, his shield raised and glowing. Shield Rush [Charge forward at double your top speed with your shield raised. Crush any in your path.] No, no, no, no! There wasn¡¯t room in the hallways to dodge that attack. She had to outrun it. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Stamina: 19/138 But there wasn¡¯t much left in the tank. Her legs felt like jelly. Her lungs burned. And even running Stormstride Sprint at full tilt, he was catching up. Ahead, she saw her answer¡ªa crossroads, three yards ahead. The captain was six yards behind her, and gaining. There was no way he could make a ninety-degree turn at his speed. Not with his size. Not with the way his skill was propelling him forward. Or so she hoped. She¡¯d made similar assumptions with the Epherwing, and that had gone poorly for her. But, no. With his equipment, his speed must come from an incredible Strength, not Dexterity. He couldn¡¯t make this turn. She just needed to make it to it. Two yards away. The captain four, and gaining. One yard. The captain one. She whipped around the corner, barely avoiding ramming into the wall with her momentum. A whoosh of air passed behind her as he careened past her turn without stopping. She didn¡¯t wait to watch, Sprinting away as fast as her legs could carry her. Atmospheric Sense told her he continued for half a dozen yards before grinding to a stop over the slick floors. It showed him pounding down the halls after her, now running ¡®normally¡¯ with no skill propelling him faster. It showed her a familiar room ahead. A room filled with paladins she¡¯d left behind only moments ago. Four of them were waiting for her at the hall¡¯s mouth, their shields pressed together to create a wall before her. And why wouldn¡¯t they be? Where else would she appear but in the center hallway in front of those double doors? She wanted to kick herself. She should have seen this coming. She should have found another answer already. But what else could she do? The captain chased her. His grunts waited for her ahead. She pressed at Wind Step, begging for it to work. It didn¡¯t. Fine. What else could she do? She couldn¡¯t run through the mess of them ahead. There were no more turns between her and them. There was no way to let the captain behind her run past without him grabbing her. They were bigger, heavier, and likely stronger than her; she couldn¡¯t just bowl them down. But she had lightning now. Could she do something with that? Their shields protected them. She couldn¡¯t just stun them and run through. No, through was impossible. But what about over? The ceilings here were high. Maybe half again as tall as that in a standard building? And while the paladins were tall, all of them were crouched behind their shields, minimizing the exposed area of their bodies. She put her head down, putting everything she had into Stormstride Sprint. Tempest Blade whirled to life on her staff, sparking with electricity. Ahead, the paladins hunkered down, bracing for the attack they imagined she was preparing. There was only a step between her and them. Their captain was only a handful behind her. Cass jumped. With her Strength and Dexterity, she practically flew. This was little different from how she¡¯d jumped onto the arms of obsidian golems in the catacombs, her body light as air. Except, this time, instead of landing on the shifting body of her opponent, she twisted mid-air, throwing her Tempest Blade down at them. It struck the middle paladins, their bodies convulsing as lightning ravaged their muscles and nerves. The rest turned to close in on her. Two remained ready behind her, their captain quickly closing behind them. Two spasmed but would recover all too quickly to join them if past experience was to predict the future. One more stood at each of the other pathways, a total of four, all moving to surround her. And here she was in the middle of it all, not any closer to escape. Alacrity burned as she looked for another answer. How did she get out? Atmospheric Sense scanned the halls, finding only looping, stagnant air and more bodies converging on this location. This last attempt had been the shortest loop. Was this a Lost Woods puzzle? A maze of twisty little hallways, all alike? If it was, how big was the pattern to get out? How long would it take her to map it and escape? How many times would she have to try before she could conclude it wasn¡¯t? And could she do it while chased by these people? Already, they¡¯d worn her resources down. Stamina: 13/138 Focus: 182/549 Health: 86/133 Her legs begged for relief, and the rest of her body sagged with exhaustion. How much longer could she keep outrunning the paladins? Even if Wind Step returned, she only had enough for three more Steps. She had Health to burn, but that was a last resort. Something she only wanted to do if she had a plan or there were no other options. She refused to give up, but she was running out of time. The nearest paladin¡ªlvl-33¡ªwas already close enough to swing at her. She Dodged around his sword, stepping past him and away from the others. She needed more time. There had to be an answer here somewhere. Some way out. The next paladin, lvl-29, was close. Two steps and he could swing at her too? 33 turned, his sword chasing her. Did she dare run again? Run and find herself caught between the paladins waiting for her here and the ones that gave chase? Would that be better or worse than being surrounded here like she already was? The paladin furthest from her, one of the two lvl-31s, raised his shield. It glowed with aura as he charged another Aura Bash. One of the two lvl-32s charged her. The other circled behind her. A lvl-30 was charging an Aura Bash. Another ran at her. Lvl-33 swung again. The others were too close. There was no space to Dodge. She raised her staff to block, the edge of Tempest Blade igniting in a crescent of lighting along its end. The metal blade slammed into the wood of her staff. There was the smell of burning metal as the lighting bit into the blade. And then came the crack. A sharp noise Cass recognized as the splitting and splintering of wood. A noise that didn¡¯t make sense here. A noise that perfectly accompanied the visual of her staff snapping under the weight of the paladin¡¯s sword strike. B.3-Ch. 18: Priestess of Fortitude Wood splinters flew through the air and sparks of lightning exploded around her. Tempest Blade broke with no weapon to support it. The paladin¡¯s blade sliced toward her through the maelstrom of shattered staff, nothing remaining to block its path. She needed to move. A piece of broken wood remained in her clenched fist. It was, maybe, two feet long? Across the hall lay the upper third, lightning burn marks scorched into the gnarled top. The entire middle section was just gone. Reduced to splinters around her. She should run. It was just a stick. She should run. Pain cut through her thoughts as the paladin¡¯s blade sliced into her arms, still up and raised from blocking with her staff. She screamed as the blade exited her arm, leaving a long laceration through her left forearm and the thin metal plates that had protected it. Blood poured from the wound. So much blood. When had she last¡ª One of their shields slammed into her back. She staggered forward, off balance. Another sword struck her back. Pain radiated up her spine as the force pushed her down. She was falling. Her staff was broken. Her arm was bleeding. She had next to no Stamina and only a quarter of her Focus left. She was losing. She was surrounded. What did she have left? Tempest Blade? It blazed to life along the staff fragment, the lightning forming a sword¡¯s blade in her hands. That was better than nothing, but only just. She could feel Staff Mastery trying and failing to connect with the weapon. She could swing it at her enemies¡ªif she could stand up again¡ªbut there would be no skill in the movements. Elemental Manipulation? What was left to manipulate? To what end? Wind Step? Still deactivated by the captain¡¯s skill. Was it permanent? It couldn¡¯t be. Could it? Confounding Mists? Expensive. But maybe it would buy the seconds she needed to catch her breath? She¡¯d barely decided to use the skill when the Mists burst from her body, exploding around the surrounding men. She hit the floor as the mist filled the room. You are safe, the aether whispered. It was a calming voice against her frantic nerves. They can¡¯t get you. People were shouting around her¡ªsurprise and confusion and fear. Stamina: 8/138 Focus: 76/549 Health: 83/133 Her blood pooled around her. Her body begged to lie where it was, to pass out into quiet oblivion. But the paladins were still all around her. Three were close enough that they would step on her if they stepped forward. The other five weren¡¯t much further away. Mist or no mist, she couldn¡¯t lie here. She needed to sit up. Stand up. Fight. Her body staunchly rejected that idea. Stamina: 7/138 Her head swam. Every muscle felt like it was liquefying. She couldn¡¯t move like this. She fed her Hearth some of her Health, 30 for 15 Stamina and 45 Focus. She could have used more Stamina this time, but it wasn¡¯t a ratio she had any control over. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Stamina: 23/138 Focus: 121/549 Health: 74/133 She gasped as the Stamina shot through her body. Everything still hurt. A prevailing soreness laced every action, but she could move again. She just needed to ignore the hollow exhaustion that came with Health falling below 50%. What next? The blood. Her arm was bleeding. Bleeding fast enough that her Health was actively draining. Health: 73/133 And quickly at that. No wonder, either. The paladin¡¯s blade had cut right through the metal of her arm armor and continued well into her flesh. Atmospheric Sense could feel the bone exposed. She might have seen it too if not for the thick mists and the welling, pouring, pooling blood. Had the metal even done anything, or would his blade have gone through her bone, too, if it hadn¡¯t been there? Better question: could she stop the bleeding? She fished around her Bag for bandages as she dimly acknowledged Atmospheric Sense reporting on the actions of the surrounding paladins. Some had run, making it out of the mists and into the connected corridors. Some still hung far too close to her, their swords stabbing into the aetheric oblivion around them, questing for her. Some watched the emptiness, eyes wide and ears straining for the sensory input Confounding Mists had robbed from them. She twisted the perception of space within the mists as she wrapped the bandage around her bleeding arm, Willing them to walk around her instead of through with an expenditure of Focus. Stamina: 24/138 Focus: 110/549 Health: 72/133 Arm wrapped, the question again became, what next? The paladins had not been idle while she¡¯d patched herself up. Another had escaped the mists, leaving just five. Their captain stood at the edge of her skill, angrily squinting into it. Could he see inside? Did he have a skill for that? Or was it just a stubborn determination to try, anyway? He tapped his foot. Impatient for something? What? Her skill to expire? Her to bleed out? Something else entirely? Nothing good for Cass, she was sure. She had no new ideas on how to get out of the paladin¡¯s looping area. Best case, it was like a video game puzzle, with a set solution she could eventually uncover. Middling case, it was like Confounding Mists, a space (or perception of space) the skill-user could reshape at will. Worst case, the loop was absolute as long as the user had it active. A pattern she could eventually break. A skill manipulated by another she might trick or outmaneuver. But in the last case, she could only hope it would eventually turn off. She would assume it was one of the first two options for now. How did she¡ª The commotion outside her mists caught her attention. A woman surrounded by two priests had joined the captain. Priest of Fortitude (lvl 29) Priest of Fortitude (lvl 25) High Priestess of Fortitude Lvl 35 [As spiritual leader of a temple cult, this woman has dedicated her life to the service of her chosen goddess and to the care and wellbeing of all who claim to share that devotion. She is blessed by her goddess with powers to better serve this role.] ¡°Honestly, Talus,¡± the priestess said to the captain. ¡°I thought you martials would have handled a single ¡®apprentice¡¯ leveled girl by now. Even if it¡¯s a demon.¡± ¡°We¡¯re handling it,¡± the captain snapped back. The priestess raised an eyebrow at the wall of mist before them. ¡°Is that what you call this?¡± ¡°If the priest had done his job properly and hadn¡¯t tipped it off, it wouldn¡¯t have come to this.¡± ¡°Or perhaps you should have let mine handle this all the way through. It¡¯s more likely it noticed your paladins, which gave the plot away.¡± Arguments? Amongst her enemies? Cass listened closer. Maybe one of them would let slip the details of how the looping space worked. Or their discord could be something she could leverage against the other to let her out. ¡°As if it would have just walked into the confinement circle you prepared,¡± the captain sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you have more circles to prep?¡± ¡°Did you want me to remove this or not?¡± The priestess gestured at the mist again. A low, unwilling grumble of agreement ground out of the captain¡¯s throat. ¡°Dispellment is your area of expertise.¡± Cass¡¯s eyes widened at the word ¡®dispellment¡¯. Could this woman remove her Confounding Mists? ¡°And wanton violence is yours,¡± the priestess muttered as she drew a wand from her robes. She flicked it through the air, a circle of mana forming in its wake. The priests at her sides joined her. Together, they wove a spell. Unknown Major Dispellment [A wizard spell from a practice of magic not known to you. From the mana taken to weave it, few mana constructs or similar skills will survive. Estimated time to completion: 5 seconds] Would that include Confounding Mists? The priestess must think so, at least, if she was trying this. Best to assume it would. What did she do about it? She had no method to stop the spell itself. None except interrupting the casting? Cass clenched what remained of her staff, her heart twisting at the sight of it. It was just a stick, she repeated to herself. A stick she could still use to bludgeon someone with, she added, for the system¡¯s benefit. She moved out from between the paladins, still searching for her amid the fog and up to the edge of her skill. Tempest Blade flared to life along her ¡®bludgeon.¡¯ [Estimated time to completion: 4 seconds] She swung it, throwing the lightning from the mists. They had no warning. The priestess was unarmored. It should have hit her. It could have killed her. Cass¡¯s imagination could see the lightning burning cuts through the woman¡¯s clothes and skin and organs. And with her death, Cass would have been safe for another minute. She would have bought another chance to find a way out. To find another way to escape. ¡°Fortitude¡¯s Aegis,¡± the captain¡¯s voice rang through the room instead. Green flashed. Lightning struck a barrier, exploding harmlessly into a fountain of blue sparks. The priestess and her underlings were unharmed. B.3-Ch. 19: Unstoppable Force The captain stood before the priestess and her priests, his shield raised, a green force field separating Cass from them. Fortitude¡¯s Aegis [A skill bestowed by the goddess Fortitude to protect her faithful followers. Only a truly unstoppable force could break this.] No. How could he have reacted in time? There had been a fraction of a second between the blade of lightning exiting Confounding Mists and the captain stopping it. If he had outstanding Dex or Per, she might understand. But everything she saw suggested he was focused on Str and Frt. Was that a ploy to mislead, or was that just the difference in nearly twenty levels¡¯ worth of stats? Salos would know. [Estimated time to completion: 3 seconds] Time was wasting. Liminal Mana Sense suggested she wouldn¡¯t be able to break his skill. But she had to try, didn¡¯t she? What else could she do? She threw another barrage of Tempest Blades. The first struck his force field and exploded like the one before. The second she angled high. The third low. His shield rose and fell to meet them, his reaction speed more than enough to protect his charges. [Estimated time to completion: 2 seconds] Stamina: 27/138 Focus: 91/549 Health: 72/133 She was running out of time. This wasn¡¯t working. Was there anything else she could try? Tempest Blade was blocked. She had no other Elements to Manipulate. Even if she wanted to fight them at melee, her staff was broken. Also, she really didn¡¯t want to. Those were her attacks. That left running. But even running was running out of options. How far would she get before the loops pulled her back? Wind Step still failed to activate. Though she recovered a little from this break, her stamina wouldn¡¯t last long if she Stormstride Sprinted. Atmospheric Sense still couldn¡¯t find a way out. Was there a secret third option she wasn¡¯t seeing? If there was, she couldn¡¯t find it. She had to run. Atmospheric Sense found people down all five of the halls. The one with the captain and high priestess was the worst, but the other four seemed the same. Was she rolling the dice, then? Hoping the one she picked would turn out okay? Her hand clenched around the remains of her staff. This was insanity: repeating the same action and expecting a different result. But what else could she do? What about the big double doors? She¡¯d ignored them until now because she¡¯d been trying to get out and knew she hadn¡¯t gone through them coming in. But getting out seemed out of reach, so her goals needed to shift. Not dying and not getting caught were priorities one and two now. Running down any of the halls would get her caught¡ªit was only a matter of time. Her fate on the other side of those doors was entirely unknown. [Estimated time to completion: 1 second] Hell with it. She turned and Sprinted for the double doors behind her. What if they were locked? What if it was a dead end behind them? What if there were more enemies? This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She slammed into them. They didn¡¯t budge. She yanked on the handles. The doors were heavy. It took all her Strength to pull them open, inch by inch. Stamina: 21/138 ¡°Spell-cutting Wind!¡± the priestess¡¯s voice intoned, resonating with power. Gusts of wind sliced into Confounding Mists, like blades cutting away at the aether. Cass could feel her skill melting before the priestess¡¯s spell. She pulled at the door. She needed to get through before her mists were entirely removed. Inch by inch, the door opened, her Stamina dropping with every won inch. Yard by yard, Confounding Mists evaporated. Cass redoubled the skill, forcing more aether mists into the air as she pulled open the door. Cass¡¯s Focus drained even as the Spell-cutting Winds cut away more and more of her cover. Stamina: 14/138 Focus: 67/549 But the door was open enough. Cass slipped through, yanking the door shut behind her. Was she safe? Was this enough? She was in a cathedral. High vaulted ceilings soared above her, adorned in stained glass scenes of armored figures, bulls, and mountains. A stone altar stood in the room¡¯s center, empty for now but with an air that promised it would not be for long. Across the room stood a tall statue of an armored woman, a heavy shield in one hand, a mace in the other. It was the goddess Fortitude if Cass was to guess. Large circles were drawn in a silver powder to either side of the room. Mana Sight didn¡¯t see any power in them, but they looked arcane to Cass. The beginnings of magic circles, maybe? But for all that, she didn¡¯t see another way out. Atmospheric Sense confirmed the only door was the one behind her. This was a dead end. She was still trapped. The doors flew open. Cass jumped. The captain was behind her. His hand clamped down on her shoulder. Her bad shoulder. Cass screamed. She pulled away, but he held her like a vice, the metal gloved fingers digging into her mostly healed wound from the Catacombs. She jabbed the remains of her staff at the paladin¡¯s face, Tempest Blade on its tip blazing with crackling lightning. He jerked out of the way, her blade of lightning glancing along the metal plate of his helmet instead. Lightning burned against the metal, the electricity sinking into the plates and running down his body. It should have stunned him. He grunted instead, his free hand grabbing her wrist and twisting. She screamed. The pain forced her staff piece from her grip. Tempest Blade sputtered out as the wood bounced over the floor. ¡°Let me go!¡± She pulled against his grip. But his Strength was immense, utterly eclipsing hers. It was too early for tears, but they were already flowing. She had to get away. She had to escape. Her staff. She needed her staff. She reached down for it. For what remained of it. For what she could salvage of it. The hand on her shoulder jerked her away. Jerked her out of the cathedral and back into the halls. The other paladins fell in around them, a circle of iron-fisted men. The captain held her close, marching her down the rightmost hall. She couldn¡¯t pull away. She couldn¡¯t run. Her heart pounded in her chest. She still had Focus. There had to be more she could do. But lightning hadn¡¯t phased him. What more could she do? They were going to kill her. This was how this ended. She¡¯d failed. Failed to get back to Kaye and Robin. Failed to find whichever of them had been dragged into this awful world. Failed Salos. What would happen to him if she died? Would he die, too, or simply become trapped in his necklace again? Would the next person to find him treat him like a person or a tool? No. No. No. She would not lose now. Not here. Not after everything. Her Concepts roared in agreement, Hearth screaming with her resolve, Wind howling against her containment. She blasted Elemental Manipulation. A sea of fire erupted from her skin. The wind swirled around them, whipping her flames into a firestorm, growing and growing until there was only heat and light. She would be free. They could not hold her. The air itself burned. Stamina: 11/138 Focus: 27/549 And it still wasn¡¯t enough. The captain¡¯s hand clenched tighter into her shoulder. His armor was hot against her back, but he didn¡¯t make a single noise of discomfort. Her knees buckled. Her body sagged. It wasn¡¯t enough. He dragged her down the hallway. Was there any way to hurt this man? ¡°Behave,¡± he rumbled in her ear. Behave? Like a dutiful child before a parent? Like a lamb to the slaughter? The flames burned brighter. Stamina: 10/138 Focus: 19/549 She funneled more Focus into the flames. If she was going to die, she was going to take this man out with her. It was hot. So hot. Hearth crowed in her chest. Wind fed it, gust after gust of oxygen-rich air into the furnace. Hotter. Hotter. His hands clenched tighter around her. They dug into her shoulder. Clamped around her wrist. They scalded her skin, the metal of his gloves superheated by her flames. She screamed. Her vision blurred. A door opened in front of her. The captain shoved her through. She tumbled forward, Elemental Manipulation and her flames flickering out as her Focus ran dangerously low. Stamina: 9/138 Focus: 8/549 Darkness crowded the edges of her sight. She crashed into glass. The floor. Her face pressed against it. She needed to get up. The priestess chanted. There was a surge of mana around her. Cass forced herself up. Her legs shook beneath her. She took a step forward. Her vision had dropped to a narrow pinpoint. All she could see was the priestess. All she could feel was her muscles screaming for rest. The priestess shouted the last word of her chant. The magic surged. Cass¡¯s legs gave out under her. She was falling. Her vision deserted her entirely. B.3-Ch. 20: Pellen: Concepts Pellen picked at the skin around her fingernails in a poor attempt to sit still before the priest of Will, the man who would appraise her compatibility with Arcane. ¡°No need to be nervous, miss,¡± he said. ¡°Just put your hand on the plate here.¡± He gestured to the plate of blue-black metal on the table. An Arcane shard¡ªa sliver of glowing gold crystal¡ªalready sat in the divot to one side of the plate. Pellen reached out and touched the metal. ¡°Now push a small sample of your Focus into the plate,¡± the priest said. Pellen squeezed all her eyes shut as she did as she was told, begging her Focus to be compatible with the Concept of Arcane. As if begging could change anything. ¡°That is plenty,¡± the priest said with a chuckle. ¡°Go ahead and stop.¡± Pellen pulled her hand back, her fingers immediately returning to their anxious picking. She needed to stop. The air was cold and dry. They¡¯d bleed if she kept this up. Her Vitality wasn¡¯t good enough to heal it quickly. There was nothing she could do now. Either she was compatible with Arcane and was just incredibly unlucky, or she wasn¡¯t and had just wasted five years of her life attempting to be something she never could be. The priest of Will placed his hand on the reading plate, his eyes closing to evaluate her results. The minutes stretched endlessly. Was she unlucky? Was she a failure? How strange was it to hope she was simply unlucky? His eyes opened a moment later¡ªa sad glint in his two eyes. Pellen could feel the tears welling. She knew what he¡¯d say even before he spoke. ¡°I am sorry, miss.¡± Pellen stood sharply, her eyes squeezing shut. She was incompatible. Tears beaded across her face. She¡¯d promised she wouldn¡¯t cry. Not in front of the priest. She was a proper adult. A proud student of the Academy of Arcane Arts. Not for much longer. But for now. She forced the words from her clenching throat. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I am certain you will find another path,¡± the priest said softly. His words flowed over her like a warm blanket. He was right, of course. She would find something else. But it would never be as a Professor of the Academy as she had dreamed. She rubbed her face, trying¡ªfailing¡ªto wipe away all the tears. ¡°Thank you.¡± She hurried out of the room before the man could try to comfort her further. She didn¡¯t want comfort. Didn¡¯t deserve comfort. She needed to make a decision. They would report her results to the academy sooner than later. At which point, she¡¯d be removed from her Professor track position. She could still become an Assistant. A second class Assistant. She wouldn¡¯t be allowed to lead a lab, but with the right Professor, she could continue her research. Probably. If it wasn¡¯t reassigned to an Assistant on the Professor track. What did an Assistant need research credits for, after all, if not to progress toward Professorship themselves? She bit her lip, walking faster down the halls and back into the main temple. The other option was to switch to a combat track. She still wouldn¡¯t get a Professorship from it, but she¡¯d be more likely to be hired as a mage if she could show she had certification in combat magic of some form. She¡¯d done alright in the Catacombs¡ªas pointless as that turned out to be. Perhaps Lady Alyx or Lord Kohen would even hire her again? Perhaps which ever one did not end up being Dragon Knight? She imagined the Dragon Knight would use the military¡¯s mages if they needed them. Was it wrong to hope Lady Alyx would not get a dragon so she might choose to hire her again in the future? Yes. Probably. She shook the thought from her mind. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. There were worse fates than combat mage. One could get a good position as a combat mage without a Professor title. But it would mean setting aside her research. Combat mages rarely invented their own spells. Not from scratch. Not the way Pellen wanted to. The third option was to admit she¡¯d been wrong, go home with her head bowed, and beg her mother to take her back. Admit she wasn¡¯t suited for magic and accept her place on the Dusk Light. Pellen¡¯s feet stepped slow and heavy as she stepped out of the temple. Miss Cass had asked she wait for her, though she hadn¡¯t specified where outside exactly. Pellen took in her surroundings, Unobstructed Sight searching the grounds outside for her. Her eyes darted to and fro, time crawling to a near freeze as she evaluated the space around her. No, Miss Cass was not here. Perhaps she was still speaking with the priests? She seemed to have some business with them, too. Pellen wondered what. Miss Cass was an odd duck. Pellen hadn¡¯t thought spirits still walked the Fractured Skies anymore. Supposedly, spirits like the slyphid hadn¡¯t been seen since the last age. They should be from other realms unreachable across the realm barrier and the inter-realm space. Slyphids in particular should be from the Aether realm, a legendary realm of twisting storms, blinding light, and choking aether. But Miss Cass had said she wasn¡¯t from there. And that there hadn¡¯t been other slyphids where she was from. Was there a realm of disparate spirits? What kind of environment would allow different kinds of spirits to coalesce together? Maybe some sort of fused realm, where fragments of other realms collided? It was theoretically possible from what she knew of realm models. Or had Miss Cass been the only spirit in a realm of physical bodied peoples? Miss Cass seemed quite comfortable with non-spirits, so perhaps that was the case. Where was she, anyway? Pellen looked around again, firing off another round of Unobstructed Sight. Again, time slowed as she took in the world around her on all its wavelengths. Light, heat, energy, she absorbed it all. Potential, Focus, Stamina, she evaluated it for all. Miss Cass was still not here. She wondered what Miss Cass wanted. It couldn¡¯t be to hire her again, could it? Or did Lady Alyx still wish to attempt to reward her for her part in the Catacombs? Pellen wasn¡¯t sure how she would tell the lady she could not take the promised reward. She could not in good conscience keep accepting Concept Gems until she received Arcane when no number would ever provide it. Would she still consider hiring her if she knew she did not and never would possess Arcane? She shook thoughts of Arcane away. She didn¡¯t want to cry. She wasn¡¯t ready to come to terms with the death of her dreams yet. She should just keep looking for Miss Cass. Time passed slowly. Every minute, thoughts of the strange slyphid were increasingly replaced with thoughts of home. Of the endless empty expanses between the isles of the archipelago. Nope. This wasn¡¯t working. She could not keep standing here. Miss Cass had asked her to wait, so she could not possibly have wandered off without her. Probably. Unless the business Miss Cass had was about hiring her, and she had somehow overheard the priest¡¯s appraisal and decided she didn¡¯t need a failure of a mage. Pellen shook her head. No. She would look for Miss Cass. If she were inside still, she would find her. And if she weren¡¯t, Pellen would go home and pack her bags. She nodded to herself and stepped back inside. The inside was no less busy than it had been before. Most of the worshipers were centered around the large statue of She of Stunning Brilliance and Striking Inspiration. A few accumulated around her shadow, projected on the wall behind her, representing He of Consuming Shadows and Slicing Betrayal. Not many. The God of Dexterity was not well-loved in Vaisom. She activated Unobstructed Sight again. In a moment, she could see the entirety of the Temple, every single person, whether she had a direct line of sight on them or not. Miss Cass was not here. She picked at her fingernails. Had Miss Cass actually left already? Had she¡­ Pellen shook her fears aside. No jumping to conclusions. Maybe she was still talking to a priest? Should she just keep waiting? No. She could do a little better than that. There was the priest who had seen her a little bit ago. He had also said he¡¯d send someone to talk to Miss Cass. Perhaps he would know if she was still talking? Pellen steeled herself and hurried up to him again. ¡°E-excuse me?¡± The priest smiled down at her. ¡°Ah, Lady Mage Ioptes. Did you forget something?¡± Pellen shook her head, her heart pinging at the title Lady Mage. How much longer would she be able to claim that title? ¡°There was another woman with me when you saw me. She asked to talk to a priest as well. Do you know if she is still talking or if she has already left?¡± The priest frowned. ¡°The woman did not wait, it seemed. By the time the priest I sent to talk to her made it to her, she was already gone.¡± Pellen¡¯s chest fell. Miss Cass had left? Just like that? Why? Had something come up? Maybe sudden business for Lady Alyx? ¡°Did you need anything else, Lady Mage?¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°May you walk your patron¡¯s path with pride,¡± he said with a wave. Pellen meandered toward the bench she¡¯d last seen Miss Cass sitting at. Maybe she had left a note or¡­ Pellen didn¡¯t even know why it mattered to her so much. Perhaps she just wanted to be needed. Especially now. When she would never be needed again. B.3-Ch. 21: Pellen: Divination There was nothing on the bench. Pellen slumped to the seat, burying her face in her hands. ¡°Lady Mage!¡± a boisterous voice called all too loudly through the temple. Pellen looked up. The swordsman from Lord Kohen¡¯s party waved at her as he walked up. ¡°Sir Daidyn?¡± she asked. Was everyone here today to pray for their lords? She once again wondered if she should do the same, though, again, she wondered who that lord would be. ¡°I thought that was you!¡± he said, still too loudly for the temple. A few people shot him dirty looks, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°You here with Miss Cass?¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°She asked me to wait for her, but it seems something came up, and she left without me.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s come out yet.¡± Pellen blinked. ¡°No. The priest said Miss Cass left before she talked to anyone.¡± He shook his head again. ¡°No, a Fortitude Priest was chatting with her right here, and then they went downstairs. She hasn¡¯t come back yet.¡± Pellen frowned. Was the priest she spoke to mistaken then? Perhaps another priest came and spoke with Cass before the one he sent her had a chance? Or maybe something else is going on, a dark thought whispered at the back of her mind. But why? What? She didn¡¯t have any good explanations. Pellen stood and walked back across the temple to the priest¡¯s door. She knocked. A moment later, a different priest opened the door. ¡°May I help you?¡± he asked. ¡°Did a slyphid woman come through here?¡± Pellen asked. ¡°About this tall,¡± she stood on her toes and held her hand up, ¡°Dark hair, fair skin, very blue eyes, blue robes? Carrying a staff?¡± The priest, an acolyte of Strength, frowned. ¡°I did not see. May I ask why you search for her?¡± ¡°Can we go back and look for her?¡± Daidyn asked. The priest recoiled. ¡°No. Only those with business may enter this way.¡± ¡°You mind looking around for her, then? I saw her go this way. There¡¯s only so many private rooms for talkin¡¯ with patrons, right?¡± Daidyn said. The priest reluctantly nodded. ¡°I can do this. A tall slyphid, was it?¡± Pellen nodded. The priest nodded and retreated into the back. Cass would be back there. This worry was unfounded. This was a temple. A sacred place. Was there a safer place in all the city? He returned a few minutes later, shaking his head. ¡°I saw no such woman that met your description. Perhaps you missed her?¡± Daidyn shrugged. ¡°Maybe we did.¡± ¡°Thank you for checking for us,¡± Pellen said with a shallow bow. ¡°May you walk your patron¡¯s path with pride.¡± The priest closed the door. Pellen picked at her skin. Was that all it was? Sir Daidyn said he saw Miss Cass enter. She might have left while Pellen spoke with the appraiser in one of those private rooms, and he may have missed her leaving. But the timing on that seemed wrong. Pellen¡¯s business had taken little time, and, by all accounts, Miss Cass had gone in second. Could Miss Cass have handled what she needed and left again in less time than it had taken Pellen to get her compatibility checked? It seemed unlikely. Something didn¡¯t sit right with her. A gut feeling she couldn¡¯t shake. ¡°Whatcha thinkin¡¯?¡± Daidyn asked. ¡°Are you sure it was Miss Cass you saw?¡± Pellen asked. He nodded. ¡°Not many with her looks around these parts.¡± That was true. Pale skin like Miss Cass¡¯s was uncommon in this part of the Continent. Combined with her shocking blue eyes, it was difficult to mistake her for anyone else. If Sir Daidyn said he saw Miss Cass, it was all but certainly her. ¡°Do you have a tracking skill?¡± Pellen asked the big wolf man. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s outside my wheelhouse. I¡¯m more about hitting the stuff in front of me than findin¡¯ new stuff to hit.¡± Pellen pursed her lips. She was probably worried over nothing. And yet. She hurried out of the Temple, stepping off the path into the bushes outside. Daidyn followed her off the path. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Pellen kept walking until she found a clear spot, then pulled Ehribak¡¯s Elementals 7th Edition from its pocket in her robes. What page was the ritual she was looking for again? Chapter 8: Scrying? Or was it 6: Divination? No. It was chapter 9. Ehribak classified it as dowsing, not divination, in all editions after the 4th. Silly really. Obviously, it was divination. The addition of the dowsing chapter was entirely unnecessary. There it was. She found a stick and drew a circle of runes in the soft dirt. She scribbled an approximation of the city within, a wide line running just off the center representing the river and a circle on it representing the temple. She added a few other marks for other prominent landmarks: the Palace, the Academy, the lower city Plaza. It wasn¡¯t a good map, but it would be good enough for now. Pellen skimmed through the reference one more time: Dowsing Ritual #26: Find Friend There is no shortage of spells for locating lost objects or people. The fundamental difference between most forms is cost and prerequisite. This is a comparatively weak rendition of this concept, focusing on quick and minimal. Unlike many Divination versions of this spell, no focus from the target is required; instead, only a map of the expected area and a personal connection to the target. The closer the connection, the more effective this ritual will become. Colloquially, one might say that the better friends one is with the target, the better this spell will work, hence the title. Instructions:
  1. Draw the illustrated rune circle upon a flat, solid surface.
  2. Place (or draw) a map of the area you wish to search for your target within the ritual.
  3. Chant the activation sequence below, keeping the image and essence of your target at the fore of your mind.
If the target is within the constraints of the map, their location will glow. If they are outside, the circle will instead light up. If the spell should fail (the practitioner¡¯s connection to the target being insufficient, the target dead, or the target rendered imperceptible through other means being the most common failure reasons), the circle will flash twice before falling dark. Remarks: - The more detailed the map used in this dowsing will result in higher fidelity in locating the target but also require a greater Focus cost by the practitioner and a deeper connection with the target. Greater fidelity can be achieved while mitigating these penalties by using low-detail maps and repeating the ritual to narrow down the target¡¯s location until they can be found via mundane means. Everything looked right. She held a hand out over the circle and read the chant from the textbook. She focused on Miss Cass. Her careless laugh. Her simple outlook. Her light spirit. Where was she? The last word of the chant left her lips, and Pellen looked down at the circle. It would glow, she whispered to herself. The lower city. The upper city. Something. It would glow. Mana coalesced around the circle, the dark blue of her mana shifting into the pale green characterizing this flavor of divination magic. Quietly, the spell asked the world where Cass was. And quietly, the world answered. The circle she¡¯d drawn to represent the temple glowed. Miss Cass was still here. That should be a relief. Miss Cass hadn¡¯t left without her. If Pellen was patient, Miss Cass would surely be out in no time. Except, where was Miss Cass then? She wasn¡¯t in the main room or with the priests. ¡°What is all this?¡± Daidyn asked. Pellen jumped, having forgotten about him entirely. ¡°Oh. I was just divining Miss Cass¡¯s position.¡± ¡°Where¡¯d she go?¡± Daidyn asked. ¡°Well, you can see,¡± Pellen paused. The light had gone out, the spell ended. ¡°She appeared to be in the temple.¡± ¡°So she hasn¡¯t left yet?¡± he said. Pellen nodded. ¡°Seems that way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s neat you can do that with magic. Kinda thought it was just for blowing stuff up.¡± He laughed. ¡°Can you tell where in the temple she is?¡± Pellen frowned. Wasn¡¯t that the question? She didn¡¯t have a map of the temple, but technically, she just needed a representational map, not a specific one. ¡°Maybe. One moment.¡± She scrubbed out her city map with her foot, then sketched a rough representation of the temple, this time drawn from the side rather than the top. It looked like a house (representing the temple proper) on top of a triangle (representing the spire and the basements within). Outside the house, she sketched a tree representing the gardens they currently stood in. For good measure, she added a bridge on either side of the triangle and some squiggles beneath for the river. She repeated the activation chant and watched as the triangle lit up. She pursed her lips, her fingers picking at the skin around her nails. ¡°Miss Cass appears to be in the basement.¡± That was not what she had expected. Of the options she¡¯d drawn, that made the least sense. She had expected the gardens or one of the bridges to light up. Maybe the main room. It was easy enough to believe Miss Cass had snuck out with a stealth skill, avoiding Pellen¡¯s Perception skills. But, for Miss Cass to have gone deeper into the temple¡­ Pellen couldn¡¯t think of a single reason Miss Cass would have chosen to do so. However, the triangle representing the private spaces of the temple was clearly lit. Cass had to be down there. She must have some reason, even if Pellen couldn¡¯t think of one. Miss Cass¡ª The light of her spell went out. Then, the circle flashed. Once. Twice. It fell dark. A bolt of panic ran down Pellen¡¯s spine. ¡°What did that mean?¡± Daidyn asked. Pellen was already repeating the spell. It had to have failed because her concentration had lapsed. Never mind, it hadn¡¯t done that the first time. Or maybe Miss Cass¡¯s stealth skill was interacting poorly with the ritual. Or¡­ The spell activated again. The ring lit up, then fell dark. Then lit up again and fell dark. ¡°Lady Mage?¡± the swordsman asked. Pellen shook her head. Miss Cass couldn¡¯t be dead. ¡°Come on,¡± Pellen said, climbing out of the flowerbed and back onto the temple path. ¡°I need proof.¡± ¡°Proof of what?¡± Daidyn asked, following her, his legs stretching further to keep up with her rapid steps. ¡°That Miss Cass is in trouble.¡± B.3-Ch. 22: Injured and Alone Cass blinked awake. The floor under her was cold. The ceiling above her was green. Everything hurt. She tried to sit up. A mistake, as she could feel her brains sloshing in her skull and every muscle screaming in protest. Stamina: 44/138 Focus: 66/549 Health: 70/133 She groaned and let herself fall back to the floor. ¡°Salos, are you awake yet?¡± she asked the empty air. She knew he wasn¡¯t. She could feel him cold and heavy against her chest. She was alone again. Still. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced a deep breath. The hearth in her chest thrummed to life. Warm. Ready. Okay. She could do this. First, was she in immediate danger? Atmospheric Sense quested out around her. She was in a room about the size of her old college dorm room, with even less furniture. It was just her and a pile of boxes on the far side of the room. No one else was here. A slight draft ran underneath the door, giving her an idea of the state of the hall outside¡ªempty. There was no other airflow in or out of the room, suggesting that there were no other entrances or secret hatches. For the moment, she was safe. As safe as she could expect to be. No imminent danger. What about her body? Everything hurt. It hurt too much to be from just the state of her resources. She wasn¡¯t missing that much Stamina or Health. The worst pain was in her left arm, from shoulder to wrist. She reached around to poke the shoulder. The pauldron was warped, finger holes drilled through the heat-softened metal by the paladin captain¡¯s immense Strength. The flesh beneath was little better. Her left shoulder, already injured from her adventures in the Catacombs, had been further burned by its contact with the captain¡¯s molten armor, super-heated by her skill. This was a reminder that just because her flames couldn¡¯t hurt her directly, the fires they started or the things they heated could still burn her. She wasn¡¯t fireproof, not by a long shot. The points his fingers had dug into her shoulder still held the heat, radiating lacing pain through the shoulder, entwining with the stabbing pain of her remaining puncture wound. And the pain continued as she worked down the arm to her hastily bandaged forearm. She¡¯d shoved what bandages she¡¯d had into the cut in her vambrace, wrapping the whole thing in more to hold them in place. But she could see the blood oozing through the wrappings, and every time she moved, the raw edges of the broken metal cut into the skin around the injury, adding fresh pain to the cocktail of suffering. Her right wrist burned, too. Not nearly to the same degree as her shoulder, but there were impressions of the captain¡¯s hand around her right vambrace and lingering heat from the lesser burns he¡¯d left beneath. She needed to do something about this or her Health would keep dropping. Cass shoved herself up into a seated position, ignoring the continued sloshing of her brains. Did slyphids have brains? Or did it depend on whether she thought she had them? She rubbed the spot between her eyebrows where a new headache was forming around the uselessly distressing thought. She needed a campfire and tea. Better wound dressing, too, if she had them. Luckily, they hadn¡¯t stopped to search her before they tossed her in here. Her Bag was still slung across her body. She searched through it and built herself a small fire from her wood stores and a quick application of Elemental Manipulation. The pain in her body fell as Beacon of Hearth and Home enveloped her. Hearth hummed in approval. She set up tea to brew beside the fire with herbs from her Bag and another ball of summoned water. While that brewed, Cass attended to her wounds, removing her hasty bandages, carefully extracting broken armor pieces from injured flesh, cleaning the cuts and the burns with summoned water, and treating them with herb mixtures under the guidance of Herbal Concocting. As she worked, she checked her notifications. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 18. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 17. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Stormstride Sprint has increased to level 18. Tempest Blade has increased to level 16. Trap Detection has increased to level 5. Not bad. Clearly, she was going to need these if she was going to get out of here. She¡¯d need every scrap of speed she could get her hands on, and any bonuses to her combat capabilities were welcome. She tightened the last bandage over her shoulder, sealing the herbal poultice against the burns. Herbal Concocting has increased to level 5. Oh, another one. That made sense. It had been a while since she¡¯d gotten a level in the crafting skill. Her tea was well steeped. Cass¡¯s Medicinal Tea [Although brewed by an amateur with no experience mixing their own tisanes, this combination of herbs is a potent brew with a delightfully earthy flavor. Minor increased resistance to illness Increased resistance to symptoms of diseases Increased Health, Stamina, and Focus regeneration] She sipped it and closed her eyes with a sigh, letting the earthy flavors take her away, doing her best to ignore the burnt, bitter undercurrent of the brew. This was good for her. It would help her recover faster. There would be time to heal. Maybe if she said that to herself enough times, she¡¯d believe it. Things looked bad right now. Really bad. She was on her own. Salos was still out. Alyx was¡ªAlyx wouldn¡¯t be coming for her. She would have to save herself. How? What did she know? She was in the basement of the city temple. The hallways looped. There was no escape. No one was coming for her. She forced another deep breath. What else did she know? There were quite a few paladins and a handful of priests who were enemies. At least eight paladins and their captain? Maybe more. Probably more. And at least three priests and their high priestess. Again, probably more. That was thirteen enemies who wanted her dead? She grimaced. Thirteen vs one. Thirteen enemies all past the Gate vs Cass¡¯s singular level 23. Another deep breath. Was that true? They were definitely her enemies. And there were definitely at least 13. And she was definitely lower leveled than all of them. But did they want her dead? They thought she was a demon. They had used plenty of force in her capture. But did they want her dead? She was at their mercy. Yet she was alive. Conclusion? They didn¡¯t want her dead. But then, what was their goal? Holding her? For what purpose? Her mind immediately went to ritual sacrifice. Images of her laid out over stone altars to eldritch gods and priests in black robes holding bone knives filled her head. No. Well. Probably not. Not eldritch gods, for one. The system had Identified them as the ¡®Order of the Copper Crescent Paladins.¡¯ Which was a cult, according to Alyx. But a cult dedicated to the goddess Fortitude, not some eldritch beast from beyond the stars. And for two, if they were going to sacrifice her, why would they have taken her away from their altar? She¡¯d been in what could only have been their center of worship. Why drag her away from it? What did they want with her then? According to Alyx, they¡¯d been kicked out of the city years ago. So, why did they still have a wing of the city temple? And how did that assassin in the city before the Catacombs fit into all this? Cass groaned. Was her kidnapping Alyx¡¯s fault for reasons entirely unrelated to their falling out? Had they kidnapped Cass to harm Alyx? But they¡¯d called her a demon. Only Alyx should know about that. Unless the cult had their own methods of detecting demon-ness. But then, had they attacked her that first time for the same reason? Was none of it because of Alyx? She sighed loudly. She didn¡¯t know. All of this was speculation. She needed to organize her thoughts. She started with the open questions:
  1. Who had kidnapped her? The Order of the Copper Crescent, apparently, but who were they? A religious order? A cult? If they were a cult, why did they have rooms in the proper Temple?
  2. Why had she been kidnapped? Was it because they hunted demons? Because Alyx had reported her to the authorities? Because they wanted to hurt Alyx?
If it was because Alyx reported her to the authorities, why had they attacked her before Alyx knew about Salos? If it was because they hunted demons, how had they known she was one? If it was to hurt Alyx, how had they known about the demon thing? She didn¡¯t like it, but the simplest explanation to that tangle of questions was they had a method of detecting demons. On the other hand, it had the side benefit of suggesting Alyx hadn¡¯t reported her to the authorities, which Cass found unreasonable comfort in.
  1. How screwed was she?
As she¡¯d observed a moment ago, there were thirteen or more cultists out to get her, each with some to considerably more levels than she had. She did not know how many other allies they might have. The captain had knocked her out of and disabled Wind Step. Wind Step! Was it still disabled? She pushed at the skill. It accepted the Focus but fizzled out, returning her Focus as there was no wind to step onto. That was more than it had done earlier. That must mean it was back, right? She¡¯d take that reassurance for now. But that meant the captain had an anti-magic or skill-canceling ability. Was it any skill, or just movement ones like Wind Step? No, it couldn¡¯t be any skill, or he would have used it to disable Elemental Manipulation, too. He also wouldn¡¯t have needed the high priestess to dispel Confounding Mists. What else could she dispel? Cass sighed. She¡¯d observed a lot, yet it just left her with more questions. Like the looping. How did the looping work? Was it a skill? Who¡¯s skill? The captain¡¯s? The high priestess¡¯s? The goddess¡¯s? How did she take it down? Could she escape without disabling it? Cass took another deep breath. This wasn¡¯t helping. There were only two options. Either escape was possible, or it wasn¡¯t. She gained nothing from assuming it was impossible. Better to act like she had some chance. What would make that chance for her? Recovering as much of her resources as she could was a good first step. B.3-Ch. 23: Alyx: Proving Alyx¡¯s heart hammered in her chest as she stood in the waiting room outside the arena. Above her was a stadium of eager viewers, all waiting to see who would be their new Dragon Knights. She flicked up her Blessing description again. Major Blessing She had already won. This was just set dressing. Just a show for the people. A dragon was hers. It was just a matter of which one. Around her waited the other finalists. Fioreya stretched by the door, calm and collected as always. Kohen paced the room length, his hand twitching toward his pocket, then away again with every other step. His final ace, she was sure. Ahryn hung in the corner, looking lost. There were a few others, too. Another cousin from the Sellen branch. Outside, on the arena field, a promising outsider fought his chosen monster. Kohen watched the others with hungry eyes and fidgeting hands. He could see the goal, but it wasn¡¯t quite within reach. It would not stop him from reaching, anyway. Which left Ahryn and the other girl in last place. Lost. In the wilderness. Unsure how they got here or why. It would take a miracle for either of them to be selected. One Alyx had no intention of providing. She flicked up her Blessing. Yes. She was a front-runner. She forced herself to stand taller. She was confident. She was strong. She would win. This would be definitive proof she was worthy of her name. That her mother wasn¡¯t the failure the city labeled her. She read her Blessing again. It was still there. It hadn¡¯t changed. The festival was almost over. Tonight, the Knights were chosen. Tomorrow would be celebration. Now was her last chance to show off for the dragons. One at a time, the remaining contestants would step onto the field and display their martial talents against a worthy opponent. Almost all of them had gone already. It had started with the weakest contestant, Ahryn, and worked up. Fioreya was next. And then it would be her turn. She and Telis had arranged for her to fight a level 32 Grildan Mountain Wolf. It was big. It was fast. It threw auras of darkness like blades. It would look impressive as her amber aura cut through the darkness. With her Blessing, she should be able to take out a monster three levels above her own. She flipped up the Blessing and read it again. There was a roar of excitement from above as the outsider slew the beast he fought, and the crowds went wild. The doors swung open, and with it came the cheering. Fioreya wasted no time. She refastened her helmet and marched into the arena, ignoring the injured outsider as she passed him. The cheering redoubled, becoming almost a physical force reverberating through her bones. Fioreya walked with ease under their gaze. She wore the mantle of Champion lightly, her head held high. Alacrity¡¯s Champion (Lvl 32) She did not quake before the eyes of their grandmother¡¯s dragon, watching from on high. She did not search the stands for the twin dragonlings. Instead, she fixed her eyes on the opposing gates. Gates that opened to allow a towering beast to be let into the ring with her. Elder Noctgolm Lvl 37 [An ancient beast from the forests of Alden, captured and prepared for today¡¯s events. Possessing powerful physical stats as well as lightning-fast magics, this is a formidable opponent.] The noctgolm lumbered forward. It walked on all fours, its front legs longer than its back, its back arched to hold its ugly head high. The head was like a frog¡¯s, all mouth and maw, if that mouth was full of large flat teeth, like grindstones. Its skin was grey, covered in coarse fur from head to toe, a black, bristled mane running along its back and between the twisting antlers crowning its head. Its hands were broad grasping things, each more than big enough to scoop a person from their feet and crush them, armor and all. But Fioreya was unperturbed. She¡¯d selected this beast. Alyx again looked to the stands. Her grandmother sat in her box high above the rest. The dragonlings should be with her or with their mother, the matriarch. She didn¡¯t see them in either place, but they had to be here somewhere. This show was for them before all else unless they had already picked their knights and needed to see no more. Alyx found herself scanning the rest of the crowds. There was Marco squeezed in among other martials on the second level. Telis was also likely near him, but her presence was too low for Alyx to spot from this range. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. There was comfort in knowing they were watching. A comfort tinged with regret. In disappointment. She squashed that disappointment. Cass hadn¡¯t come. Of course, she hadn¡¯t. Cass had picked Salos. Cass had chosen a dangerous monster over her. Cass¡ª No. Now wasn¡¯t the moment to think about Cass. Or Salos. Or the soul core. Now was for dragons. For her dragon. She went back to looking for the dragonlings. They had to be here somewhere. Even if they had picked their knight, there was no way her grandmother would let them skip an event in their honor. They were here to show off for the people as much as Alyx and the other contestants were here to show off for them. Their keeper¡ªAlyx¡¯s aunt and the city Steward¡ªwas also missing. She should not have let them out of her sight. They were too important. No, they must be here somewhere, just out of sight. Her aunt was probably with them, wherever that was. In the arena, Fioreya was already in the thick of it. Her sword was buried hilt deep in the noctgolm¡¯s forearm. A twist brought it free with an arch of black blood and a howling scream. The crowd ate it up, shouting in excitement. Amid the cheering of the crowd, there was another noise. Not from the arena but from the door behind her. Murmured arguing from outside the waiting room. ¡°Please,¡± a woman¡¯s voice drifted in. Most of what she said was lost amid the other rumbles of the arena, but Alyx caught two other phrases from her, ¡°Lady Alyx¡­ very important.¡± ¡°Damn, they¡¯re loud,¡± the outsider muttered, shooting a glare over his shoulder at the door. Alyx sighed. She should focus on the arena, on her skills, on preparing herself. But she recognized the voice, and a gnawing curiosity grasped at her guts. A worried one. Out in the arena, Fioreya leapt into the air, her sword shining in the late afternoon sun as she fell like a bolt of lightning onto the noctgolm, her weight effortlessly removing its arm from its shoulder. The beast was on the back foot but was still raging. Still, it would only be a matter of time until Fioreya¡¯s blade found its neck instead. Alyx stepped back toward the back door and the brewing argument. Two men¡¯s voices had joined the woman. ¡°Come on, just pass the Lady Mage¡¯s message on,¡± the larger man¡ªone of Kohen¡¯s grunts unless she was mistaken¡ªyelled down at the comparatively small guardsman. ¡°I cannot allow anyone to disturb the contestants,¡± the guard retorted. Between them stood Pellen, absolutely dwarfed by the two larger men, a bundle of something wrapped in her arms. ¡°Please, sir,¡± the little mage said, clearly not for the first time. ¡°If you could just¡ª¡± Pellen stopped, her many eyes twisting on Alyx. Alyx raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± ¡°Blessing holder, there is no need. Please focus on your preparation.¡± The guard put his body between Pellen and Alyx. ¡°Miss Cass is in trouble!¡± Pellen yelled behind him. ¡°What?¡± Alyx recoiled like she¡¯d been struck. She shot a look over her shoulder. Kohen had drifted closer, unsubtly eavesdropping. Mild confusion played across his face. Feigned or true? Was this a trap he set? It would be easy enough. Pellen and the big swordsman were technically Kohen¡¯s people. He could have hired them to disrupt her showing in the arena. If he knew about her falling out with Cass, he wouldn¡¯t even need to kidnap Cass to deploy this trick. Ahryn was beside him, very obviously listening. Pellen had launched into a story about waiting for Cass outside the Temple and Cass disappearing into the Temple¡¯s basement. Her voice was heavy with concern. Either the mage was a better actor than Alyx had expected, or her distress was genuine. Behind her, Fioreya was showing off. Lightning arched between sword and hand, sparking in every direction, destroying the summoned minions of the noctgolm. The shadowy figures exploded in shadow and lightning, one after another. It would be her turn any minute now. As soon as Fioreya was done showing off. As soon as the monster collapsed. ¡°Cass is very good at getting herself out of trouble, if she¡¯s even in trouble in the first place.¡± She wished it wasn¡¯t so believable that unnamed trouble had found Cass. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine.¡± The words rang hollow in her mouth, but she needed to believe them. This wasn¡¯t the moment to run off on a wild chase. Not when she was so close. She couldn¡¯t go traipsing off now. Not on something as weak as this. Not when it was almost her turn. Cass had made her choices. She¡¯d chosen Salos. Cass could take care of herself. The noctgolm staggered as Fioreya¡¯s sword sunk into its chest. The blade exploded with lightning, sparks arching over the entire field and swirling into a dragon, rising into the sky in a thunderous roar. Alacrity¡¯s Champion pulled her sword free, pushing the herculean body back. It fell, void of life. She held her sword up, and the crowds exploded in cheers. It was deafening. It was Alyx¡¯s turn. She turned away toward the arena, toward her future. She had to go. Cass would be¡ª ¡°I found her staff!¡± Pellen shouted over the crowds. Alyx froze. That couldn¡¯t be true. Cass went everywhere with her staff. There were better weapons, but Cass had barely looked at them. It was like another hand turned her body. She hadn¡¯t consciously turned to face Pellen again. But there she was, the little mage still standing in the waiting room doorway. Pellen held out the bundle in her arms, pulling back the fabric wrapping to reveal smooth white wood curling into a gnarled end. Alyx¡¯s hands reached out, plucking the wood from the mage¡¯s arms. It was in two pieces, shattered down the middle. Splinters hung from the broken ends. Rough etching ran the length of the wood¡¯s surface. Reinforcement runes, sloppily drawn by an inexpert hand. How had it broken? Alyx had seen the abuse Cass had put that staff through. Monster hides and stone facades. It had channeled an ungodly amount of Focus, transforming raw Will into unspooled potential. And now it was two pieces. Fioreya walked back to the waiting room. The crowds were quieting in anticipation. The far doors holding back Alyx¡¯s chosen monster creaked open. ¡°Your turn, Aretios,¡± Fioreya called from the arena door as she stepped inside. There was hardly a drop of blood on her. She barely looked winded. A cold corner of Alyx¡¯s mind whispered that Cass was either captured alive and would be held a while longer, or she¡¯d been killed on the spot. In either case, there was no hurry. There would be time. Time to fight her opponent and prove her worth with the blade to all that would see. It was madness to walk away from the arena now. She was so close to earning a dragon. So close to absolving her mother. But the living needed to come before the dead. Cass needed to remain one of the living. Alyx grit her teeth, her hands clasping around the staff fragment. ¡°Where did you find this?¡± B.3-Ch. 24: The Storeroom Cass had a poor sense of the passage of time, but it was probably several hours later when her resources recovered to acceptable levels. Stamina: 138/138 Focus: 439/549 Health: 68/133 So far, no one had come back to check on her. No one had noticed the smell of smoke or her medical herbs. If Cass didn¡¯t know better, she might have assumed they¡¯d abandoned her, forgetting about her very existence. But people generally didn¡¯t entrap others they didn¡¯t have specific plans for. Well, people generally didn¡¯t entrap others, full stop. But they were well past that, weren¡¯t they? Her injuries were largely unchanged in the hours they¡¯d been wrapped, though the oozing blood had finally stopped. Her Health stabilized with the intervention of Beacon of Hearth and Home and Herbal Concocting. She would have liked to hang around longer and recover the rest of her Focus, but there was no telling when a paladin would decide to check on her again. She had a hard time imagining they¡¯d let her keep her Bag or anything she¡¯d stashed in it if they caught her using any of it. No, this was an acceptable amount. It was time to find a way out. And, maybe once free, she¡¯d find another hole to hide and recover the rest in. She stood in the center of a runic circle, drawn in silver metal set into the floor and glowing with mana. The symbols making up its circumference were neither English nor the limited Jothi she could read. Liminal Mana Sense gave her only: Magic Circle [Purpose: Containment] Which¡­ Yes. Thank you, System. She never would have figured that out on her own. The paladins had said something about a ¡®Containment Field.¡¯ Was this it? She didn¡¯t feel contained. Perhaps she wouldn¡¯t until she attempted to cross the boundary? Slowly, she stepped toward it. Air passed easily over it. She stuck a foot out, one inch at a time, bracing for pain or backlash to stop her. A force pressed against her foot as it edged over the boundary like it was pushing through a heavy curtain. But that was it. Nothing happened as her body passed the circle¡¯s perimeter. Cass frowned. That wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d expected. The pressure wasn¡¯t enough to stop her. It didn¡¯t feel like much of a barrier. She planted her foot firmly outside the circle. Still nothing. Odd, odd, odd. She stepped out, still feeling that curtain push aside as she moved. Still, nothing happened. The circle continued glowing. Cass took a step away from the circle. Nothing continued to be the reaction of the hour. Maybe it was an alarm? Cass stared at the circle. A silent alarm? She saw nothing that suggested it was alarmed based on its flow of mana. The circle glowed brightly to Mana Sense, but it didn¡¯t flash or flow away from the circle in any way that suggested it was connected to anything else. But what did she know? Nothing about magic circles, that was what. The circle had to do something. Right? Cass set it aside for now. If it were an alarm, someone would be along soon to check why she¡¯d left her circle and probably shove her to the floor again. She¡¯d deal with that when it happened. Hell, them checking on her might even give her an opportunity to escape. In the meantime, she¡¯d look for a way out. Step one: calmly try the door. It was a heavy metal thing, imposing and uncompromising. There was no way it was unlocked. And even if it was unlocked, there was no way it was unguarded. And yet. Her eyes lingered on the apparently useless circle filling the majority of the room. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Perhaps the door would just open. It didn¡¯t. That would have been too easy, Cass supposed. She jiggled the handle again, anyway. It didn¡¯t budge. She pressed her weight against the door. It didn¡¯t move. She pulled against the frame. Nothing happened. Definitely stuck. Probably locked. That was what she expected. That was fine. What now? What was step two? She already knew there was no other exit. Atmospheric Sense searched for others, anyway. The room appeared to be an old storage room. Boxes lined the wall. Most largely empty. One had a collection of candles. Another had linens. Nothing obviously useful to her cause. Another exit had not manifested in the hours since she¡¯d last looked. The draft under the door remained the only significant flow of air. It was enough to feel the state of the hall outside. It was still empty, with no guard as far as Atmospheric Sense could tell. An odd choice. They might have been standing far enough away from the door that she couldn¡¯t feel them. Maybe standing at the end of the hall? Then again, her eyes drifted back to the magic circle. Maybe there really was no guard? She¡¯d assume there was a guard for now, just outside her senses. Easier to plan for there to be one and discover there wasn¡¯t than assume there wasn¡¯t and be forced to improvise later. What would she do if she encountered a guard? She was unarmed. Her staff was gone. Her heart twinged at the thought. The image of shattered wood exploding before her filled her mind. She grit her teeth. It was just a stick. There would be other sticks in the future. Nicer sticks. But she had to get out of here for that. In the meantime, she had a couple of daggers in her Bag. Salos¡¯s Erizen¡¯s Blade [Class: Dagger (Bladed) The dagger made for Erizen, for his acceptance into the Arcanum Custodia. May he stand at his mistress¡¯s side, ever bolder. Reduced perception of blade. Minor reduced perception of wielder.] and the Uvana assassin¡¯s Skill Sealing Dagger Class: Dagger (Bladed Weapon) [A blade forged with Felsworn Iron which cuts off access to all System skills and severely cuts the effect of Physical Row stats.] She drew Erizen¡¯s Blade from the Bag for now. Debuffing the paladins with the Skill Sealing Dagger would be nice, but she¡¯d have to stab through their Fortitude first to make that happen, and so far, she¡¯d had minimal luck cutting through their armor, even with a weapon she was comfortable with. With a weapon she didn¡¯t have a skill in, she would be swinging wildly at best. The bonuses to her Stealth Erizen¡¯s Blade provided would be more effective at this stage. Better to avoid the fight entirely if she could help it. Armed with her dagger of choice, she returned to the gap under the door. Question: How much wind was needed for Wind Step? Even without activating the skill, she could feel that the little bit drifting under the door wasn¡¯t enough. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to explain how she knew. It was kind of like how she knew the color of her robe was blue. She couldn¡¯t explain its blueness any more than she could explain the air¡¯s un-stepableness. That being said, she could create quite a bit more wind with Elemental Manipulation or Tempest Blade, more than enough to ride. So, perhaps the better question was how small of a space could she follow wind through? No time like the present to test it, she supposed. Stormstride Sprint was the cheapest method of summoning a gust, so she backed up and Sprinted at the door, angling the resulting wind down with just a touch of Elemental Manipulation. Focus: 433/549 She focused on Wind Step¡¯s reaction to the conjured wind as she ran. It responded positively until the front hit the space between the glass brick floors and the metal-plated door. Then, it promptly informed her she would not fit. She skidded to a stop before she slammed into the door, scowling. She had expected that, but she was still unhappy to hear it. So no slipping out under the door with Wind Step. She was reasonably confident she could slip through a small space with the skill, just not one that small. What next? See if she could brute force her way through? That seemed like a solid step 3. Now, the question was how? She pressed her hand against the door. It was cold metal. Maybe there was a wood core in the middle. Maybe there wasn¡¯t. Cass didn¡¯t know that much about door construction. What she did know was she wasn¡¯t going to punch her way through it with her Strength. She considered trying anyway but didn¡¯t relish the idea of breaking her fist in the attempt. But maybe she could kick it down? Wasn¡¯t that what they did in the movies? It was worth a try. She kicked at the handle with her heel. As far as she could tell, it didn¡¯t do much of anything. Maybe she could ram it down with her full body weight? How much did she weigh now? Was it the same as Earth Cass? That would be a fair bit. Then again, she wasn¡¯t exactly physical-bodied. What did that mean for her weight? Was it less since she was a spirit? More for unknowable magic reasons? Cass shook the thought aside and backed up to the opposite end of the room. She regarded the door. This would probably hurt if it didn¡¯t work. It might hurt if it did work. Nothing for it but to try. She put her head down, and Stormstride Sprinted across the room, angling her good shoulder into the door and willing the Wind to part and push her even faster. She slammed into the door and bounced off, landing hard on her butt. She winced, rubbing her shoulder and butt in turn. Yeah. That had gone about as well as she¡¯d expected. She wasn¡¯t going to brute force the door open that way. What about the walls? The brick to either side was glass. In theory, that should be much more breakable. In practice, she doubted the brick was ordinary glass. It would be a poor construction material if it were. She drew her dagger and drove it at the brick. A shard flaked off, but it was a shallow scratch. The rest of the brick did not appear to have any intention of fracturing. With more carving, she might get somewhere, but it would take just short of a million years. There had to be a better way. A magic way? B.3-Ch.25: The Door Cass put a hand on the door. It was cold under her open palm. Solid. Immobile. Elemental Manipulation hadn¡¯t worked on the crystals in the Catacombs or the glass floor in the hallway. Would it work on metal? Surely, it would be more fruitful than her attempts at applying Strength to the problem had been so far. She pressed with Elemental Manipulation, pushing her Focus into the material. The metal of the door was indifferent. This wasn¡¯t impossible, but the metal had no interest in listening to her commands. She lacked something to make it work. Power? Knowledge? Technique? She didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t get a notification from her Bonus Range trait, offering her an angle on it. The skill was utterly silent about what it would take. She could keep forcing it, but there were more things to try. She shifted to the right, her hand sliding over the smooth glass brick of the wall. Maybe the glass making up the rooms was different from the glass in the hall. She pushed Elemental Manipulation into the wall. Just as before, the glass slipped out of her grip. Someone else¡¯s mana definitely was affecting the glass, protecting it from arcane manipulation. She wasn¡¯t going to force her way through with magic. Cass glared at the door and wall, turning the problem over in her mind. No fortress was impenetrable. There was always a weakest link, just by definition of ¡®weakest.¡¯ Was it the walls, the ceiling, the floor, or the door? The door, Cass decided. The glass making up most of the room was empowered, but the door wasn¡¯t. The door was several parts. There had to be some part of it she could exploit. The door itself was sturdy. She could not break its panels. But what about the latch? She grabbed the door¡¯s handle again and pressed Focus into it. Her Focus flowed easily into it, the metal happily accepting Focus. It was a minor effort to contain it to the section of the door with the latch. She¡¯d tried this trick once before, on a tile in a very different temple. She had about half her total Focus and even less skill in applying it then. She also needed far less detail now. Focus: 403/549 She could feel the latch''s general shape on the door''s far side. That was all it was. A bolt slid into place to hold the door closed. No fancy lock. Just a bolt. A heavy bolt. A bolt she couldn¡¯t move with Elemental Manipulation. Could she blow it out of place with air? Could she even move air on the other side of the door with Elemental Manipulation? It was worth a try, even if she didn¡¯t expect it to work. She reached across the glass wall and the metal door to the open space on the far side. Her Focus flickered with the effort. It was difficult to picture it working, which only made this harder. She grabbed a handful of air and yanked it into the bolt. But the air broke on the iron bolt, flowing around the latch instead of pushing it. Focus: 362/549 Cass sank to the ground from the effort. That wasn¡¯t going to work either. Maybe if she could materialize stone with Elemental Manipulation, she could use that to push the bolt out of place, but she had never managed to up to now. She held her hand out, palm up, and tried it again anyway. Willing stone to exist where it hadn¡¯t before. Air was easy. Fire sprang to her fingers. Water reluctantly came when called. But stone? Stone refused. There was a trick to it. Cass was sure. It was a refusal, not an impossibility. The same way moving metal was a refusal. Maybe with a higher skill level. Maybe with more practice. Maybe with some insight. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. It didn¡¯t feel like it was happening now. What did it leave her? She could materialize water. Could she do what she wanted with that? Cass pushed herself back to her feet to try it. She summoned the water on the far side of the door. She could feel it wrap around the bolt. But it wouldn¡¯t push. The metal was too heavy; it slid right through the water instead. She let the skill fall. What else did she have? What else could she do with this skill? She could move matter (air, water, stone) and energy (lightning, fire). She could materialize some matter (air, water). She could change its temperature (fire). She paused. She had asked for very, very hot fire that one time to disinfect her drinking cups. And she¡¯d gotten it. As she¡¯d rationalized then, temperature was just another aspect of it. No different to manipulate than position or velocity. Could she change the temperature of other things she summoned? An idea budded in her mind. She moved from the latch to the hinge side of the door. This room was a storeroom, not a prison. It had been designed as such. The biggest thing to note about not-prisons was the hinges of the doors could be on either side. In a long hallway with lots of storerooms, it was convenient if the door opened inward so they did not obstruct the hall when open. That put the hinges on the inside. Where Cass could easily see and manipulate them. They were wrought metal things, much bigger and heavier looking than the kind she was used to seeing on doors on Earth. But they were still within the range she thought she could handle. She summoned water over the lower of the two hinges, forcing the water into the hinge. Focus: 342/549 Then she pulled its temperature down. Down. Down. Her Focus dropped precipitously with every drop in degree. But she could feel the ice forming. Could feel the ice pressing against the bounds of the metal hinges. Could hear the crack as ice strained and metal bent. And then the snap as one of the hinge¡¯s pins flew off, and the door sagged under its weight. Focus: 283/549 Cass grinned at the broken hinge. Even this fantasy universe was subject to the laws of physics. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 23. That was the same level as she was overall. The skill swelled in that nebulous space skills lived in, both ephemeral and present in her chest. It was snug, almost cozy, and yet tight like it was warning there was no further space to grow. The image of roots outgrowing their pot, growing in tighter and tighter circles, sprang to mind. Was this a hint from the system that her skills would not grow beyond her current level? Or, perhaps not from the system, given there was no pop-up window. Maybe it was her body doing the warning. She added the questions to the pile to ask Salos when she had some free time. For now, it was time to finish breaking this door. She stood and focused on the upper hinge. Water slipped into the mechanism with ease and froze with her focused effort. Focus: 225/549 The hinge burst, metal yielding to the expanding ice, and the door fell to the floor with a clang of metal on glass. A single level, and that was already easier. Cass poked her head out the now doorless doorway. If there were guards, they heard that. No way around it. Except the hall was empty. No one was around. Cass pressed out with Atmospheric Sense. Surely, her eyes were wrong. And yet, the air promised that no one was around. Really? They left her entirely unguarded? Cass shook her head. Part of her was sure this was a trap. There was no other explanation for why escape would be this easy. Except, she also couldn¡¯t think of a single reason a complicated ploy like this would be worth their time. Maybe that circle was supposed to have done something. Maybe they expected the door to keep her inside. Maybe they assumed she¡¯d be passed out longer. Either way, she was free of her prison. It was time to see if their space-looping trick was still in effect. Which way had she come from? She didn¡¯t remember. More pressing things had been on her mind when they¡¯d marched her down the corridors. Well, if the looping were still in effect, it wouldn¡¯t matter much which way she went, would it? She turned right, flicking on Stealth as she walked. It grumbled that there was no cover here and the area was too well-lit. She ignored its complaints, finding comfort in the quiet whoosh of air around her body, subtly diluting her presence. There were more doors on either side. Storage rooms like her prison or inhabited by priests or paladins? Places to hide and recover Focus, or more enemies to run from? There was a crossroad ahead where two corridors intersected. Atmospheric Sense warned someone was approaching from the right side. Cass¡¯s heart thumped in her ears. She couldn¡¯t be caught again. Would they bother capturing her alive a second time? She sidled up to the wall, inching her way backward. But there was nowhere to hide. Stealth whirled around her, the winds pulling apart her presence. She wasn¡¯t here, they whispered. She wasn¡¯t here. This was nothing but an empty hallway. Nothing here but the wind. B.3-Ch. 26: Stealth Cass heard their voices next. ¡°Can you believe we need to add a third containment circle,¡± one of them complained to the other. A man¡¯s voice. A touch nasally. ¡°We weren¡¯t even done with the first two.¡± ¡°Third?¡± another scoffed. A woman¡¯s voice, sharp like high heels on tile. ¡°I think you mean fourth.¡± The pair walked toward her. Atmospheric Sense said their hands were full. One carried a stacked set of box-like objects in their arms. The other had a bag in either hand. Their clothing flapped around them as they moved. Priests then. Or workmen. The man snorted. ¡°You didn¡¯t help with the storage room renovation. What are you whining about?¡± ¡°I can complain about what I want to,¡± the woman snapped. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s too many of these. I¡¯m exhausted from the ones I did work on. I doubt anyone else is in much better condition.¡± They stepped into the intersection. Priest of Fortitude (lvl 19) Priest of Fortitude (lvl 23) Cass held her breath. They weren¡¯t looking for her. They were weaker than her. They weren¡¯t combatants. They could still raise the alarm if they spotted her. How quickly would their paladins get here if they shouted? How far would Cass get? ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Tonight¡¯s the big night.¡± The man sighed, readjusting the stack of books in his arms. The books glowed silver in Cass¡¯s Mana Sense. ¡°I suppose,¡± the woman agreed. The bags in either hand were filled with brushes and chisels intermixed with sealed jars of shimmering silver powder. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll get boons?¡± Neither so much as glanced in Cass¡¯s direction as they turned right down the hallway, away from Cass. ¡°With that many demons?¡± the man said, ¡°I would hope so! Maybe I¡¯ll finally get Iron Heart.¡± ¡°Oh, looking to become a paladin?¡± the woman teased, but Cass¡¯s thoughts drifted away from their chatter, her mind spinning on the pair of words: ¡®many demons.¡¯ How could they have more than one? Were there other demons here? That was bad, wasn¡¯t it? Cass was still convinced Alyx was wrong about the risk Salos posed, but there had to be some kernel of truth to Alyx¡¯s fears. How dangerous would a rogue demon be to the city? Could these people hold such a dangerous creature? She¡¯d slipped out of their grasp with comparable ease. What would happen when their other demons escaped? Cass shook her head. She had to have misunderstood. And even if she wasn¡¯t, what could she do about it? Monsters like Alyx had described weren¡¯t something she could stop. The best thing she could do was escape this place and warn the authorities. Yes. This changed nothing. Focus on escape. The pair of priests had disappeared down the corridor. She was alone again. It was too quiet. There was too much empty space. Too many empty rooms lining the hallway. What was it all for? She crept forward. She needed to put as much space between herself and her prison before they noticed she was gone. Ideally, she wanted to figure out how to get out of here before they found her. It didn¡¯t take long for her to stumble into familiar surroundings. A meeting point of five hallways, two on either side of the one she currently stood in. A pair of big doors directly across from her. A banner with a copper crescent hanging from the ceiling. A pair of guards were at the door. She¡¯d reached the center of the loop. And caught up to the pair of priests who¡¯d passed her. One guard opened the big door for the priests, and the two entered. In the brief window the door was open, Atmospheric Sense poked inside to find a collection of priests hunched over the floor in circles. The doors shut again before Cass could gather any further details. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. What were they doing in there? She¡¯d seen the beginnings of magic circles in there earlier. Perhaps they were finishing them and adding another one? Why? What exactly was happening tonight? Cass shook her head. She did not want to stick around to find out. Her focus needed to be on escape. Speaking of. What now? She lurked a little down the hall, Stealth spinning furiously around her to hide her presence. Did she dare get closer to the paladins? Not yet. She turned around, retracing her steps. She¡¯d run away from the center via most of the other four corridors, but she hadn¡¯t tried turning around down this one. There had always been too many enemies too close on her heels to try it. What would she do if she ended up back where she started? The halls looked all alike to Cass¡ªgreen glass walls and floors. Maybe she should find a place to hide until night. They had to sleep at some point, didn¡¯t they? Except, the priests had said something about tonight being special. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t. Maybe they would be even more active after dark. There would be a way out. She would find it. She repeated that to herself as she stalked down the halls. And yet, less than ten minutes later, she again faced the center of the loop. Cass glared at the doors. She was doing something wrong. There had to be a way to navigate this place. The cultists were doing it. Case in point, a pair of paladins walked into the crossroads from the hall to Cass¡¯s left. ¡°Shift change already?¡± one of the two standing guards asked. ¡°Yup,¡± one newcomer said. ¡°About time,¡± muttered the second guard, stretching as he stepped away from the door. ¡°Later,¡± the first guard said with a wave. The newcomers took the guard¡¯s places while the relieved guards walked in opposite directions. Where were they going? Was one of them leaving the complex? She could follow one of them if she were careful. If the two standing guard didn¡¯t notice her slip through. Did she go left or right? It was a coin flip. She didn¡¯t have enough information for it to be anything else. The two stepped into their respective halls. The guards settled into their relaxed but ready stances. It was now or never. Cass Stormstride Sprinted down the hall, Stepping onto the gust before they saw her. She hooked her wind to the left, landing behind the paladin with Stealth flaring to the max. Focus: 173/549 Would they see her? Was she too close? All she could hear was her pounding heart. Surely they could hear it, too. Yet the guards behind her stared blankly down the middle hall. The man in front of her continued plodding forward without turning. She crept behind him, taking half a step for each of his. Slowly, the distance between them increased to something far more comfortable. Cass followed him through the halls. He turned left at the first junction. Straight through the second. Left again. Then right. There wasn¡¯t any pattern Cass could see. But he didn¡¯t hesitate at any point. Wherever he was going, he was confident in the path. Could he be leading her out? Ahead was a large, open area swarming with people. There were two dozen paladins, at least¡ªmaybe more. Most of them were sparring, wood swords snapping at heavy shields. Some rested along the edges of the room as their Stamina recovered, some chatting with one another, some with focused expressions. All of them in the green and copper of the Copper Crescent. Cass hung back. This was not the exit. What now? What had she learned? There were other points of interest in these halls than the central cathedral. It was possible to navigate from one to another. That meant the twisting couldn¡¯t be random. Or, if it was, the cultists had some method of stabilizing the randomness. Before Cass could decide what to do with that information, a paladin ran into the room from a hallway on the far side of the room. ¡°Everyone at the ready! The demon escaped. Orders are to spread out and find it!¡± Like a disturbed ant¡¯s nest, the orderly paladins jumped into a frenzy, men and women trading sparring equipment for live steel. Cass¡¯s blood ran cold. They¡¯d discovered she was free. She couldn¡¯t stay here. She turned and ran down the hallway, hoping Stealth would hide her a little longer. They poured from the room behind her, heavily armored paladins stomping down the hallway. There were so many. Running would just put her back where she started, spiraling around the central cathedral until they caught her. She needed to hide. She whipped around the corner of a crossroads. Where could she hide? There were countless doors along the hallway. She yanked on the nearest handle. Locked. It didn¡¯t budge. The paladins stormed closer. The next door. Locked. The next. Locked. Locked. Locked. She turned the next corner and pushed at the next door. Locked. The hallway came to a dead end in front of her. How? Why now? She was in an endlessly looping complex. How did she stumble down the one hallway that ended? Behind her, she could feel the paladin¡¯s approach. They didn¡¯t know she was so close. They would search around her prison first, wouldn¡¯t they? Maybe around the central cathedral? There was no reason for them to come this way. And yet, they continued toward her. If she backtracked to the crossroads, would they see her? Did she risk it? There were two more doors here. She¡¯d try them first. She crossed the hall, yanking on the next door¡¯s handle. It didn¡¯t move. One left. All the way at the end of the hall. Unlike the others, it was locked on the outside. She could see the latch. The latch would be a giveaway that she was hiding here. Could she use it as a faint? Open it and then run somewhere else? They were close. There wasn¡¯t time for another plan. Was there even time for this plan? Was hiding here the best she could do? They stepped into the crossroad behind her. She unlatched it. The door swung open. Cass darted in and shut the door as quietly and quickly as possible. Stealth has increased to level 12. B.3-Ch. 27: Prisoners Cass wasn¡¯t prepared for what she saw inside. A dragon. It was huge. The dragonlings had been about the size of ponies, plenty big but tiny compared to the beast before her. This dragon filled the room, as wide at the shoulders as a car, long enough that even curled around himself, he made SUVs look small. He was mostly a dusty brown, the luster entirely absent from his scales. A rash of molting peeling scales crisscrossed his body in burnt amber and ash grey. His mane was matted and overgrown, hanging in twisting dreadlocks around his neck. Heavy chains held it to a single post in the center of a magic circle etched in the floor. Both were covered and glowing with magic runes. Sores wore through its scales where the manacles chaffed. Countless gashes ran across the creature¡¯s body, some scarred into puckered ridges and others still oozing from blistered patches. The dragon lifted its head to stare at her as she entered. Its head was gaunt, its skull prominently poking against its slack skin. One of its horns was broken, the last quarter of the twisting bone simply missing, leaving a jagged stump in its place. Both were covered in chips and scratches. It growled at her. ¡°H-hi?¡± Cass stuttered. Feral Dragon Lvl 38 [There was a time when dragons were the most noble of all peoples, flying high and proud above the Fractured Skies. That time is no more. Now, dragons are a cursed people. When bound to a guardian knight and blessed by their god, they retain the reasoning of a person, but lacking such a bond, they fall to the instincts of a beast. This is one such beast.] What was a dragon doing in the basement of the Temple? A feral dragon at that. This city all but revered dragons. She couldn¡¯t imagine that anyone would take kindly to finding one treated like this. And yet, there was evidence it had been here a long time. Sores had been worn into the dragon¡¯s scales where the chains chaffed. Though still huge, its body hung gaunt, its ribs visible through its scales, its limbs atrophied. Its growling intensified. It was a deep, rolling sound. A warning Cass wanted nothing more than to heed. She stepped back, pressing against the heavy metal door behind her. What now? Would the paladins outside stop to check the unlatched door? Would they hear the dragon¡¯s growling and come to investigate? She should leave as soon as she could. This dragon would not get her out of here. It could not answer any of her questions. It was feral and wild and looked like it wanted nothing more than to devour her whole. And yet, it was also clearly an abused animal. ¡°Who did this to you?¡± Cass whispered. She stepped toward the creature slowly. The dragon snarled, his wings flaring out. They were tattered things, rends and holes running up and down the membrane. Blood oozed from some of the tears. Cass stopped, her hands out and open. She didn¡¯t mean it any harm. Did it have breath attacks? Dragons in the stories had breath attacks. Fire or lightning or frost or something. But if it did, wouldn¡¯t its captors have done something about it? She couldn¡¯t imagine that it would have been left able to defend itself like that. Not give the rest of its state. Cass inspected the circle around it. Magic Circle [Purpose: Containment] That made her pause. They¡¯d tossed her in a similar one and it hadn¡¯t stopped her. Maybe this wasn¡¯t safe. But there were the chains as well. Runic Concoction [Purpose: Containment. The effects added to this object include: Reinforcement.] Yes, Cass recognized the pattern running along the chains and post. They were similar to the ones Alyx had helped her add to her staff. But this clearly did more than reinforce the metal. There were a lot more symbols drawn in the material and it glowed all colors of the rainbow to Cass¡¯s Mana Sense. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Would they do this to her if they caught her again? She glanced over her shoulder. The door was still closed. The air just outside it was still. Had she gotten lucky? Had the paladins passed her by without noticing? They must have. They would have been here by now if they¡¯d noticed. The dragon lunged forward. Cass jumped back, again pressing against the door. The dragon¡¯s chains strained. It pressed against the edge of the magic circle. Its jaws snapped open and shut, trying, failing to grab her. Cass relaxed. It couldn¡¯t reach her. The cultists weren¡¯t utterly inept at holding prisoners. Perhaps they had just underestimated her. She took another step forward. What was she going to do? She didn¡¯t have any way to heal the creature. All she had was Beacon of Hearth and Home, but that was a passive healing. Would it do anything for the long abuse this dragon had suffered? And she needed to keep moving. There was nowhere to hide here, nowhere but behind the dragon¡¯s big body. But, well¡­ It snapped at her again as if to illustrate what a bad idea it was to hide within reach of that creature¡¯s jaws. But she couldn¡¯t just leave it here either. She probably had a little time. She could leave it a parting gift. She scooted around the edge of the room, leaving the dragon and the circle it was trapped in wide berth. It tried to turn with her, its lips snarling the whole time, but the chains held it in place. There wasn¡¯t room for it to stand or turn around. She would leave it a campfire and the benefits of Beacon of Hearth and Home. It wouldn¡¯t be much, but it would be something. Maybe, if it went undiscovered long enough, it would be enough for its wings to heal and its sores to close. She could hope. The longer the campfire went without being spotted by the cultists, the better. She wished she could hide the fire somewhere in the room, but again, the best she could do was hide it behind the dragon. They¡¯d probably immediately smell the smoke, but if nothing else, placing it on the far side of the room would buy the fire another couple of seconds as the cultists had to walk around the dragon to put it out. It wasn¡¯t a good plan, but it was all she could do for the creature. She rummaged in her Bag for the last of her Flintshooms and some of her logs, setting them up in a simple platform structure as close to the dragon as she dared. If she reached out, she could probably touch it over the magic circle¡¯s barrier. Hopefully, the warmth of the fire would be a comfort. She lit it with a small spark of Element Manipulation summoned flame. The Flintshrooms didn¡¯t smoke too much, maybe it would last a while before the cultists noticed. Already, she felt better, the warmth of Beacon mixing with the comfort of Hearth in her chest. Maybe she could hide here for a little while. Just until her resources were recovered? The dragon¡¯s growling subsided as the warmth expanded. Perhaps even in its feral state, it could feel the calm of her skill. She sighed. Demons and dragons? What was this cult doing? Even as an outsider, Cass could see there would be blood if the Grand Duchess found out about their activities. She shook her head. When she got out of this, she¡¯d tell Alyx before leaving. Her heart twisted at the thought. Was she leaving? Of course, she was leaving. She couldn¡¯t count on Alyx to let her into the family Vault anymore. When Salos returned, they¡¯d look for other leads toward the Custodia. She¡¯d look into the gods that didn¡¯t yet have champions. It would point her to her sibling. Even if Alyx had been willing to travel with a demon, they¡¯d be parting ways here, wouldn¡¯t they? Alyx would be heir to her family¡¯s title. She had a future here. She had no reason to go traipsing across this violent world for Cass¡¯s sake. Family had to come first. Cass understood that. The door swung open with a gust of air, interrupting Cass¡¯s train of thought. She jumped to her feet and snuffed out the fire with Elemental Manipulation and her boot. Had she stayed too long? Had they noticed the latch? Did they know she was here? A group stepped into the room. She needed to hide, but no furniture had manifested in the room since the last time she looked. Cursing under her breath and pushing Stealth to the max, she stepped into the magic circle. It felt like pushing through a curtain again as she stepped over the boundary. She could only hope that, after they didn¡¯t find her, going the other direction would be just as easy. The dragon¡¯s tail thrashed as she approached. It snarled as the intruders grew closer. Cass Dodged the tail and slipped into its shadow by its back leg. The way it was lying on it, it shouldn¡¯t be able to claw her without significant shifting. She hoped. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s in here still,¡± a man¡¯s voice called over his shoulder back into the hall. ¡°Damn, Johnten. He probably forgot to latch the door again,¡± another voice cursed. ¡°What¡¯s it matter?¡± a third voice asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like old Kelstor can cross the containment circle. It¡¯d need a proper soul for that.¡± His words were met with cruel chuckles. ¡°Because it¡¯s procedure,¡± the second voice grunted. ¡°Redundancy is the best defense.¡± ¡°Well, clearly, it¡¯s fine. Kelstor is here and the demon isn¡¯t,¡± the third voice grumbled. ¡°How would it even get all the way over here? We¡¯re on the opposite side of the complex.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s capable of,¡± the second voice said. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have been able to get out at all.¡± ¡°Come on, we need to find it,¡± the first voice said. The door shut again, and the latch closed with a shunk. She breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn¡¯t expected to find her here. That was the only reason they hadn¡¯t looked harder. Easily leaning across the circle¡¯s boundary, she relit the fire. Her fire crackled and the warmth of Hearth washed over her, soothing her nerves, and hopefully the dragon¡¯s too. She patted its flank softly. A window popped up in front of her face. Blessing of Alacrity detected. Beginning Binding Process. ¡°What?¡± was all Cass could say before the world went black around her. B.3-Ch.28: Binding Cass found herself in her campground. The wind whipped wildly through the trees, and the fire pit glowed with welcome at her side. Behind her stood her tent, open but empty. Around her towered redwoods, their tall branches piercing a star-filled sky. Somewhere far behind her, she could hear the rush of waterfalls. Had there always been waterfalls at this campsite? She didn¡¯t think so, but there was something right about it. Unlike the sharp divide before her. Three steps forward, and her campground ended. Soft, pine-needled soil gave way to black glass. The stars did not grace the black expanse above it. There was nothing out that way. Nothing but a dragon standing defiant, even amid his injuries. ¡°Who are you?¡± the dragon growled. It was the same dragon. Dusty brown scales and matted mane. But he seemed even more injured here. His body was covered in open wounds, many dripping with blue Focus, like blood. Chunks of flesh had been torn off. Scales peeled. His wings broken. ¡°How dare you taunt me with a partnership when you already hold one.¡± ¡°Partnership?¡± Cass repeated. This was her soul well. The place she¡¯d built when she¡¯d fought Salos that time. Why was the dragon here? Why was she here? Context clues suggested this was how Dragon Knights formed their contracts with their dragons. But shouldn¡¯t it be more complicated than simply touching the dragon? Wait! ¡°You¡¯re talking!¡± The dragon glared at her from over the boundary. ¡°Naturally.¡± ¡°I was told feral dragons can¡¯t do that,¡± Cass said. His glare deepened. ¡°They can¡¯t.¡± Except he clearly was. How did she break the news to him? Or was there some other complexity here? Cass Identified him again. Dragon Soul Lvl 38 [A dragon¡¯s soul is a fragile thing. Incomplete. Broken by a curse long ago.] ¡°Are you here to taunt me?¡± he asked. ¡°Is this a new form of torture those wretched Crescent cultists have devised?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. They would never sacrifice the sanctity of one of their member by fracturing their soul enough to do this.¡± He was muttering to himself more than Cass. ¡°Wait!¡± Cass interrupted. It almost sounded like he knew what was going on. ¡°I¡¯m not with them. They kidnapped me.¡± ¡°That I do find more believable,¡± he muttered. ¡°Do you know what they want with us?¡± Cass asked. It seemed like a long shot, but she¡¯d take anyone else¡¯s speculation over endlessly looping through her thoughts on the subject. ¡°Us?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know your story, but they are a group of fanatics. A sect of Fortitude¡¯s followers. Of all the gods, Fortitude hates demons most. So, the Order has made it their mission to eradicate them in her name.¡± ¡°Demons,¡± Cass repeated. ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± The dragon squinted at her. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know what?¡± Cass crossed her arms over her chest. A dry chuckle resonated from his throat. ¡°That dragons are born demons?¡± Cass frowned. That didn¡¯t square with what she knew about demons. Or dragons. ¡°I was told demons are hungry things that do everything in their power to eat other souls?¡± Alyx and Salos had pretty much agreed on that point. The dragon nodded as well. ¡°And I¡¯ve never heard anyone say anything of the sort about dragons,¡± Cass continued. Rather, they were revered. The Grand Duchess and her dragon ruled the city with awe and might. The dragons were the duchy¡¯s strength. ¡°No?¡± he snorted. ¡°Surely you know the fate of feral dragons?¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Without a knight, you go crazy?¡± Was that it? ¡°Dragons only have half a soul,¡± he said. Cass frowned again. His soul was battered and beaten, with chunks missing and cuts oozing, but it was still a far cry from missing half. Then again, the stuff in soul wells were more about visualization and feeling than anything else. Perhaps he visualized his half a soul as an entire dragon? ¡°You don¡¯t look convinced,¡± he said. ¡°I promise it¡¯s not a difficult concept.¡± It wasn¡¯t. But also, ¡°How does one measure a soul?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said you are born with only half a soul,¡± Cass said. ¡°That¡¯s all dragons? Always?¡± ¡°Since the first was cursed during the last age, yes.¡± ¡°But how can you tell that you only have half a soul? I¡¯ve only got half the limbs of a spider or an octopus, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve only got half a body.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°How do you know that your soul isn¡¯t exactly how it¡¯s supposed to be?¡± ¡°Because it isn¡¯t,¡± he snarled. Cass stepped back. She¡¯d clearly crossed some limit of his patience on the subject. ¡°Sorry.¡± That hadn¡¯t answered her question, but moving on was probably more fruitful. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the whole, Order of the Copper Crescent, demon hunters thing for a minute?¡± He grumbled. ¡°There isn¡¯t much more to say about it. They are a vile group that makes our cursed lives all the harder, trying to kill as many of us as they can wherever and whenever they can. Us and our knights.¡± ¡°And any other demons they can find?¡± Cass asked, thinking of herself and Salos. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The dragon snorted. ¡°There are no other demons.¡± Cass wasn¡¯t so sure of that. Obviously, there was Salos. But there were also the demonic constructs made with his soul. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t be counted the same? Where did such things fall on the Crescent¡¯s priority list? Another thing she left alone for now. ¡°So, to be clear, dragons are demons. This Order hunts demons. You¡¯re a dragon and, therefore, a demon?¡± He looked unimpressed with her. Cass continued to the main point, ¡°Then why haven¡¯t they killed you yet?¡± Or, more importantly, her? He chuckled. ¡°A demonic soul chomps at the bit to chase demonic souls.¡± Not a straight answer, but his meaning was clear enough. ¡°They use you to find other demons?¡± ¡°They tear away pieces of me to fuel their spells for finding demons, yes.¡± She knew what damage to the soul felt like. An ache that you couldn¡¯t heal. Pain entirely sourceless yet all-consuming. Daggers of ice into flesh you did not possess. Lightning down nerves you didn¡¯t know you had. To do this intentionally to any creature. To do it repeatedly. The wind whipped around her, gusting into a gale. Cold. Restless. Furious. To know that she didn¡¯t have the strength to stop it. The campfire burst to life, doubling in size. Indignant. ¡°Who are you anyway?¡± the dragon asked. ¡°Not a member of the Order, obviously.¡± Cass shook her head. ¡°Just another victim like you.¡± He snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t look like a dragon. What could they possibly want with you?¡± Wasn¡¯t that the question. A question that had only one answer, as unpleasant as it was to admit. ¡°I might be a demon, too.¡± He laughed. ¡°You? A demon? You don¡¯t look broken.¡± ¡°Well, how would you know?¡± Cass shot back. It should be reassuring to hear him disagree, but it just felt dismissive instead. As if all her fears were wasted energy and she was dumb for worrying. ¡°You don¡¯t look like half a soul.¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t know how to see.¡± He snorted. ¡°If anything, you look¡­ Hm. Well. I¡¯ll admit I don¡¯t know what to make of that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cass crossed her arms over her chest, a scowl on her lips. ¡°You understand a halfling, despite their name, is not actually half a human?¡± the dragon said. ¡°Sure,¡± Cass said. If anything, that might have been a better example than her earlier comment about spiders and limbs. ¡°And a giant is not double a human?¡± ¡°Sure?¡± ¡°Your soul is a bit like a giant. Far larger than it has any right to be, even for a spirit.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Cass asked. ¡°It means, at a glance, your soul looks like a demon¡¯s. All the damage you¡¯ve done to it doesn¡¯t help. But it looks to me like all the damage has been healed over. Mostly on your own.¡± ¡°Mostly?¡± Cass repeated. ¡°You let your bond fix some of it by my eyes,¡± the dragon said. ¡°What, exactly, does that mean?¡± Cass asked. ¡°What are the teaching Dragon Knights these days?¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not a Knight.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°But you hold a bond?¡± ¡°Not to a dragon.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the same kind of bond,¡± he repeated. Cass shrugged. He squinted into the distance, past Cass. Toward the sound of the waterfall behind her. ¡°Another spirit? No. That. That is a demon, isn¡¯t it?¡± Cass shrugged again. The dragon backed up a step. ¡°Shadows take me. You are bound to a demon?¡± ¡°Hey! You were just saying you were a demon. What makes a non-dragon demon worse?¡± Cass crossed her arms again, glaring at the giant lizard. ¡°A dragon cannot help their situation. We are tragic victims of a war we did not ask for. We have been cursed and blessed in turn. Blessed with the Knight bond which stabilizes the half soul. Blessed so that our demonic System skills are sealed. We hunger for souls but cannot claim them. ¡°That, on the other hand,¡± he glared past Cass again, ¡°Was torn in two. Intentionally. Nothing stops it from clawing into a soul and devouring them live. Nothing stops it from Sundering healthy souls, cracking open their soul wells like eggs, and slurping up the being within. Nothing can stabilize them. They are slaves to the madness and the hunger.¡± ¡°Okay, but how do you know any of that?¡± Cass asked. This was nothing she hadn¡¯t already heard before. The specifics about dragons were new, but the fear around the ¡®madness¡¯ of demons was well-tread ground. Even Salos had warned her about it. Well, she hadn¡¯t seen it yet. Not in the senseless madness that everyone was warning her it would be. So far, she and Salos had only ever been a danger to the things possessing Salos¡¯s soul cores and themselves. There were no wild rampages through the innocent or uninvolved. Worse, besides Salos, everyone telling her this seemed to believe in demons the same way a medieval peasant might have believed in unicorns. Somebody, at some point, had seen something similar. They existed, in so far as rhinoceroses existed. But every other detail was hopelessly wrong and no one talking about them was truly convinced they were real. This dragon wasn¡¯t any different. ¡°Well?¡± Cass prodded. The dragon grunted. ¡°Why would I doubt the words of my goddess?¡± ¡°A goddess told you directly this was how this all worked?¡± Cass asked. She supposed that was possible. Maybe Alacrity (she assumed it was Alacrity they were talking about anyway) made time to tell all the dragons about their condition. There seemed to be comparatively few of them. It was possible in a world with direct divine intervention. ¡°No. Not to me. Not directly,¡± the dragon said. ¡°But Alacrity¡¯s priests are well informed on our situation. There is much passed down among our family as well.¡± Cass nodded slowly. That made more sense. And also meant that they were working off of worse than third-hand information. Was it possible it was right? Yeah. Maybe. Maybe she¡ªor perhaps just Salos¡ªwould explode in hunger for souls and they would level the city alone. But then again, ¡°My demon and I have the same kind of bond as a dragon and their knight. You just said so. Now I even have Alacrity¡¯s blessing, just the same. Shouldn¡¯t that be all the safeguards we need?¡± ¡°If forming this kind of bond with just any demon was possible, do you think we would fear them as we do?¡± ¡°But I do seem to have one,¡± Cass prodded. The dragon continued to glower. ¡°So, in summary, I¡¯m not a demon. My demon is probably well contained by the same safeguards dragon demons have. The Copper Crescent is holding you to harvest ingredients for their creepy magic. They¡¯ve kidnapped me because I¡¯m bound to a demon, and they probably don¡¯t care about the difference. That about sum everything up?¡± The dragon sighed. ¡°Why are you here again? Why did you try to bond with me?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to. I just patted you because you seemed sad and hurt, then ended up here. The company has got to be nice, though, right?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He slumped to the floor, settling in a sad lump, the energy leaking from him. ¡°So, while I¡¯ve got you, we should talk about next steps,¡± Cass continued. ¡°Next steps?¡± the dragon repeated. ¡°Well, I¡¯m in the process of breaking out. I had no interest in what those Crescent guys were up to, and now that I know their plans for me are either murder or ingredient harvesting, I find my interest dropping further still. ¡°Obviously, you¡¯re coming with me now that I know what your deal is.¡± The dragon blinked at her. ¡°What?¡± Cass just stared back. ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay here getting your soul sliced up for parts, do you?¡± ¡°No, but I am not in control of my body. I barely feel it or the passage of time.¡± That was probably for the best, all things considered, but it was decidedly inconvenient now. ¡°If anything, I should ask you to kill me and set me free that way,¡± the dragon continued. ¡°Without a Knight, I am far too dangerous to everyone.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Cass said. ¡°I¡¯m not here for that.¡± ¡°Even if it would end my suffering?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°If we really, really can¡¯t find a way to get you out of this, then maybe I¡¯ll think about it. A mercy killing is probably better for you than an eternity of torture. I won¡¯t pretend otherwise. But I refuse to believe those are our only options. So let¡¯s set that aside for much later, ¡®kay?¡± He blinked again. ¡°But how do you expect to escape, much less with me?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what we need to talk about, silly.¡± B.3-Ch.29: Bond ¡°So, the easiest solution sounds like you should make me your Dragon Knight,¡± Cass said. That should fix the rabid feral dragon thing, if nothing else. She¡¯d made herself comfy in front of the fire, leaning back in her extra wide camp chair, one leg hanging over one arm of the chair as she preferred to sit. ¡°No,¡± the dragon said. He lay on the opposite side of the fire, still predominately on his empty side of the soul well, but his head and front legs hung over the divide to be closer to the fire. His wounds were closing up as they spoke. Something about how he sat exuded a comfort he hadn¡¯t had when they¡¯d started. Cass sighed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I will not bind myself to another demon.¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Cass said. ¡°Is now really the time for pride?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about pride,¡± he said. ¡°This is very practical. I can¡¯t be sure your bond with the demon is as stable as you claim, and even if it is, I don¡¯t know that your soul can support both of us. Even if it can now, there is no way to know if our combined future growth won¡¯t break you, dooming all three of us.¡± Cass frowned, but that made a kind of sense, she supposed. ¡°Is that why it¡¯s one knight to a dragon?¡± He nodded. Cass ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Fine. Fair enough, I suppose.¡± She was a little disappointed she wouldn¡¯t be binding with a dragon, but she already had enough trouble with her demon. ¡°Not even temporarily?¡± ¡°One does not temporarily bond with a dragon. These things are for life. Until one partner dies.¡± He got quiet at that, his eyes closing. Every bit of good sense told Cass she should leave that alone, but curiosity got the better of her, and the question slipped out, anyway. ¡°Were you bonded previously?¡± He nodded. Good sense encouraged her to stop there. ¡°May I ask what happened to your knight?¡± He stared into the dark. The fire crackled. The shadows shifted. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t answer. Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have pressed. ¡°They killed her,¡± he said. His voice crackled with the fire, burning with a pain Cass couldn¡¯t touch. ¡°They killed her in front of me. They killed her and I could not stop it.¡± He closed his eyes. What did he see behind his eyelids? Was it her last moment? Did it haunt him? Was his feral mind trapped in that terrible moment? Cass coughed. Good sense had been correct. She should not have pressed him on it. She brought them back on topic. ¡°Okay, no binding.¡± ¡°No binding,¡± he repeated. ¡°So how do I get a giant dragon out of the temple and to someone you can bind with?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°Which is why you should kill me and save yourself.¡± Cass rolled her eyes. ¡°Walk me through all the ways that saving you doesn¡¯t work if you want me to kill you.¡± He grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t bind with you because I have a demonic bond and it would not be safe. Why can¡¯t you bond with someone else?¡± Cass asked. ¡°They would need a fresh Blessing from Alacrity, for one,¡± he said. ¡°Her blessing opens the soul. Without it, a whole soul cannot connect with mine. And if it has been too long since they received the bond, the opening will close again.¡± ¡°Well, good thing it¡¯s the Festival then, and there are plenty of people with fresh blessings from the Catacombs, huh?¡± Cass said. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°And they would need to be willing to bond with me.¡± He said it like he was pronouncing a death sentence, disgust and doom in his voice. ¡°My understanding is being bonded with a dragon is a huge power boost and very socially advantageous here,¡± Cass said. His lips curled into a grimace. ¡°Bonding with a dragonling is a boost. A dragonling is a blank slate. A dragonling and a young martial will grow together into an unmatched power. The dragonling can take on their Knight¡¯s Concepts without interference. ¡°Bonding with a grown dragon, like myself, provides no such advantages. I have Concepts from my last bond. They define me. Replacing them would cripple my combat capabilities. Same for my new knight. They would have their own Concepts, they couldn¡¯t just take mine. That would cripple them instead.¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t just mix?¡± Cass asked. That was something one could do with Concepts, wasn¡¯t it? Salos had mentioned combining fragments of Concepts before. Would combining whole Concepts be different? ¡°Why would you ruin perfectly good Concepts?¡± he asked. It was like that then. ¡°But someone might be willing,¡± Cass pressed anyway. He shook his head. ¡°Only a crazy person, more desperate than sensible.¡± ¡°But they could exist.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Technically. Sure. Such a person who also has a fresh blessing might exist. You might even find them. ¡°Okay, then I do that,¡± Cass said. Problem postponed until after she had escaped. ¡°But they still need to bond with me,¡± the dragon said. Cass narrowed her eyes. He¡¯d said that like it was a gotcha. But, ¡°Yes? That is the goal?¡± ¡°But I am feral.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Cass nodded. That was the problem. ¡°I won¡¯t stand still to let someone do that safely.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I would if I could. But there is only madness acting on my physical body. I will try to kill anyone who gets too close.¡± Cass frowned. ¡°Then we just need to constrain you. I mean, I¡¯m touching you now, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯re chewing my arm off. Are you?¡± ¡°You would know if I was.¡± ¡°So, no problem. The cults done the hard work for us.¡± ¡°That assumes you can remove the cult,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not removing the cult.¡± Cass emphatically shook her head. ¡°You have any idea how many of them there are? Too many. That how many.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I am sneaking out of here, telling an appropriately leveled authority figure they have an illegal cult in their basement, and letting them handle it. I¡¯ll come back with someone with a Blessing after.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure you can sneak out?¡± he asked. Cass shrugged, putting on a brave face. She wasn¡¯t sure. But that wasn¡¯t what he needed to hear right now. ¡°I¡¯ve sneaked this far. Perception doesn¡¯t seem to be their strong suit.¡± ¡°But if you are spotted, you will be killed,¡± he said. ¡°They didn¡¯t kill me the first time.¡± Cass puffed up the bravado. Anything to keep him from asking her to kill him. Anything to keep from needing to do it. That said, why hadn¡¯t they killed her the first time? ¡°Why did they capture me? Do they need multiple demon souls to harvest off of?¡± He shook his head. ¡°They probably are waiting until Fortitude¡¯s moon is high to dedicate your death to her in full.¡± Cass stared at him. That sounded like¡ª But that¡ª ¡°They were going to sacrifice me to their god?¡± It was something she had considered. She had discarded the theory almost immediately because it was barbaric, but she had considered it. ¡°What else would they do with a sacrifice?¡± he asked like that was the part she was objecting to. ¡°Do you people just do that here? Sacrifice people to gods?¡± Cass groaned. The dragon shrugged. ¡°Depends on the sect and the god. But, yes, it is an ¡®easy¡¯ method of dedicating a lot of potential to your god all at once, which is the most foolproof method of gaining boons in return.¡± Cass rubbed her face. Great. Human sacrifice was something she needed to worry about, too. Sure. Why not. Was that actually worse than wanton murder? She didn¡¯t know. Right this second, it was useful to her, though. It meant they would likely try to recapture her rather than kill her if they found her. ¡°Sure, whatever. Fine¡ªAgh!¡± Cass¡¯s frustration transformed into pain as the world quaked around her. There was a pressure all around. Like an overstuffed balloon about to pop. ¡°It looks like our time has ended,¡± the dragon said. He stood up, returning to his side of the soul well. ¡°Save yourself. Do not risk yourself for me. If you can, end this suffering of mine.¡± ¡°Wait! I still don¡¯t have a plan!¡± Cass yelled after him. She could feel her connection with him shaking. His body faded, his side of the world filled again with trees and forest. And as suddenly as it began, it was over, the pressure gone. Cass stood in her campground. A System window appeared before her. Evolution Complete. Choose new functionality B.3-Ch. 30: Return A wave of emotion crashed over Cass. She collapsed back into her chair, looking at her options. Salos was finally done absorbing the soul. He was back. The tension slipped from her shoulders. With him at her side, who could stop her? Well, there was a new worry that he wouldn¡¯t be on board to rescue the dragon, but she was pretty used to bulldozing that kind of complaint these days. She¡¯d figure something out. She just needed to pick one of these upgrades. Evolution Complete. Choose new functionality: [1. Shifting Mind - allows you to swap bodies with your demon, allowing you to use his Separate Form and he to use your main body. General skills, Concepts, and levels remain your own. Racial skills remain tied to the body. 2. Fused Mind - allows you to subsume your demon¡¯s mental facilities, fusing your knowledge and skills into a single identity. Reduces independent functionality of Separate Form greatly. 3. Subordinate Mind - allows you access to your demon¡¯s mental facilities at will, allowing double the mental tracks. Limited facilities reserved for control of Separate From as necessary.] She grimaced at the options. Most of them were unpleasant. Very unpleasant. She discarded Fused Mind immediately. That sounded far too much like she and Salos would get squished into one person. Not Cass and not Salos, but something new and different. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t. Maybe she¡¯d get all of Salos¡¯s knowledge and walk out of it still Cass, but she doubted it. Subordinate Mind didn¡¯t sound much better. Best case, that was absolute mind reading¡ªnot terribly interesting to Cass. Worst case¡ªand if Cass¡¯s reading of this was accurate, more likely¡ªthis would let her hijack his brain to think her own thoughts. What exactly happened to Salos¡¯s consciousness when she did that? She didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t like what she was imagining. Which left just one option: Shifting Mind. It was aggressively fine, but she struggled to think of a use case for it. Was there a reason she would want to be a cat, or she¡¯d want Salos to be her? But, even if it was only mediocre, it was leagues better than the other two options that creeped her out just thinking about them. She picked Shifting Mind. There was a new pressure on her head and a warmth on her chest. Around her, the wind whirled and pulled. Everything shook. The trees behind her fell. Cass leapt to her feet, scrambling away, even as the wind pulled her toward the destruction. To her horror, the ground on that side of the camp collapsed, the edge racing toward her as the darkness ate up dirt and plants. It stopped a few feet from her campfire. Hesitantly, Cass took a step toward the edge. She hadn¡¯t felt any fear standing hundreds of feet in the air on that suspension bridge a few days ago, but here in her soul well, her old fear of heights reared its head. Still, she made it to the edge. The soft dirt along the edge had become solid, black stone. From beneath it, a torrent of water poured down the cliffside. Rather than cliffs, it was closer to a chasm cutting through her soul well. Water poured down each side, pooling at the bottom before flowing off somewhere else, the water never rising or falling. It was familiar, yet she was still surprised to see it here. She was certain that her campground had not featured such a chasm. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Before she could question it, a familiar voice floated up the chasm. ¡°Abyss and blood, what was that?¡± There, at the bottom of the chasm, standing up to his knees in the water, was a slender man, maybe an inch or two taller than Cass, but easily a quarter lighter. His body was all lean muscle under dusty purple skin. He looked up, and familiar gold eyes met hers. ¡°Salos?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Cass?¡± he replied. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this my space?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Oh. Huh.¡± He looked around, confusion on his face. ¡°One second.¡± He stepped into the waterfall below her, reappearing a few minutes later at the top, hauling himself over the stone lip. ¡°Ah, that makes more sense,¡± he muttered. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked. ¡°Yes, this does appear to be your soul well,¡± he said. A smirk slid over his lips. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think you knew how to come and go as you pleased.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t,¡± Cass admitted and then explained her recent predicament. For now, she left out the part with Alyx. ¡°How do you get yourself in so much trouble in so little time?¡± Salos asked. They moved over to the fire pit. Cass sat back in her big camp chair while Salos perched on Robin¡¯s stool. Cass shrugged. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s enough about me. How are you feeling? You look more solid than the last time I saw you here and a lot less cat-ish than last I saw you at all.¡± Salos looked down at his hands. ¡°Yes. It seems two portions of one¡¯s soul does wonders for one¡¯s self-image. And did you really expect me to picture myself as a cat?¡± Cass shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know how any of this stuff works.¡± ¡°Well, it works off image. I don¡¯t think of myself as a cat, so I am not.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I think we¡¯re getting sidetracked. I assume you were given a choice in upgrades for my necklace?¡± Cass nodded and shared the options and her pick. He grimaced at the options. ¡°Oh. It looks like I can once again only thank you for your choice. Those sound¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely awful,¡± Cass finished for him. He nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have woken up at all if you had chosen Fused Mind.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too.¡± He shook his head. ¡°What a terrifying artifact. I can¡¯t help but wonder why it was designed this way. What was she trying to accomplish? Why did it end up in storage instead?¡± Huh. Cass hadn¡¯t even considered that. Her relationship with Salos wasn¡¯t how most demons worked from what she¡¯d gathered¡ªthough how much she could trust those accounts was open for debate. It stood to reason it was the necklace that was different. But that just begged the question, why? ¡°The System didn¡¯t make it?¡± Salos shook his head. ¡°I do not think so. At least, probably not. It is too man-made. The System likes gems. Natural treasures. Skills. Traits. ¡°It isn¡¯t impossible,¡± he allowed. ¡°But objects like this are usually made by people and redistributed by the System. Especially given where you found it, the System said it came from somewhere specific, did it not?¡± ¡°Some sort of Restricted Reward Pool, I think?¡± Cass said. Salos nodded. ¡°That means it was probably in one of the locked stores we had in the Deep.¡± ¡°Which means?¡± Cass asked. Salos sighed. ¡°It means she did not intend for it to get out into the world.¡± Why had she made it? For what purpose would the goddess have intentionally hurt Salos like this? Alacrity had mentioned that she¡¯d sliced Salos¡¯s soul apart multiple times. Was this necklace just the prototype for something else? Or had her experiments with his soul taken her in a different direction after this first attempt? Cass changed the subject instead of poking any of that. ¡°So, what¡¯s up with the chasm?¡± Salos glanced over at it. ¡°I think it is what remains of my soul well.¡± ¡°Is that normal?¡± Cass asked. ¡°For soul wells to fuse?¡± His lips pursed, still staring at it. ¡°No. Not to my knowledge. Perhaps in this era of dragons and knights, this is common. But when I am from, it was one soul per soul well. There was certainly no fusing of them.¡± ¡°Should we be worried about it?¡± Cass asked. He was still staring at the chasm. ¡°It is probably fine. It just means that I have a little more influence in this space than I would have expected.¡± ¡°That sounds like something I should worry about.¡± ¡°You are welcome to try to stop it,¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t a challenge. Rather, it was a resigned sigh. ¡°Come on, you said you were in a magic circle with a feral dragon? You should wake up and make sure it isn¡¯t biting your arm off.¡± ¡°Wait, is time passing?¡± Cass asked. She¡¯d just assumed things had paused in her soul well. That was what happened when she talked to Alacrity in her temple. ¡°Yes, very much so.¡± Salos stood up and offered Cass a hand. ¡°Come along now.¡± Cass grabbed it. ¡°How do I get out of here again?¡± ¡°I would have thought you¡¯d know that, you¡¯ve done it before.¡± She had, hadn¡¯t she? The wind gusted around her, eager. Cass stepped onto it and rode it up. B.3-Ch. 31: Shifting Mind Cass¡¯s eyes flared open. She was leaning against the dragon¡¯s flank. Its scales were hot, like her stove top when the oven was on underneath. She pulled away as the dragon shifted, its neck craning against its chains to reach her, but falling short. Salos, you there? Cass asked. ¡°Here,¡± he said as he materialized on her shoulder. Cass breathed a sigh of relief. She knew it hadn¡¯t been a dream, but she had still worried. He inspected the dragon beside them, his eyes ignoring her still smoldering campfire behind them. ¡°What a sad sight.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Cass agreed. She kept her hands to herself this time, not wanting to trigger the bonding process again. ¡°We need to go, though.¡± ¡°Agreed, you¡¯ve done what little you can for him,¡± Salos said. With a heavy heart, Cass stepped over the magic circle. Again, there was a pressure on her body as she pushed across. It was heavier this time. Less curtain, more like water. She pushed across it anyway. But something knocked Salos from her shoulder. He landed on his feet inside the circle. ¡°Come on, Salos,¡± Cass said. ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± he said, his cat face pressed against the circle¡¯s boundary. ¡°I can¡¯t get through.¡± ¡°What? Why? There is barely any pressure.¡± ¡°Barely any pressure, she says,¡± Salos huffed. ¡°This looks unpleasantly like a soul confinement array.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Cass asked as she bent over and picked him up. She tried to carry him across, but it was like pushing a rock into thick clay. ¡°OW ow ow ow, stop!¡± Salos howled. Cass dropped him. ¡°I could have gotten you across,¡± Cass said. ¡°And I would have had my face flattened in the attempt,¡± Salos muttered. ¡°My soul is too weak to push across the boundary. Not all of us are freaks like you, with three times the ordinary soul.¡± ¡°Is that why those barriers suck?¡± Cass asked. Salos rolled his eyes. ¡°Come back to this side. I¡¯m going to try dematerializing. Let¡¯s see if you can carry me across in the necklace. If nothing else, I can try slipping into your soul well and that should definitely work.¡± Cass did as he asked. He settled into the necklace. It was nice to feel it warm again after so long with it cold on her chest. She stepped over the boundary easily. As easily as the first time. Salos materialized again once she was over the line. ¡°Now we just need to break out of this room,¡± Cass said. ¡°They locked you in with the dragon?¡± he asked. ¡°Well, not intentionally.¡± He hummed to himself. Cass tried the door just in case they had somehow forgotten to lock it. They hadn¡¯t. She was about to freeze the first of the door¡¯s hinges when she felt bodies moving down the corridor outside. Cass scurried backward, flaring Stealth. What¡¯s happening? Salos demanded. Someone¡¯s coming! Cass explained. There still wasn¡¯t anywhere to hide in this room. Stealth suggested she stand in the corner behind the door and make herself as small as possible. She hurried over there as the door swung open. Salos¡¯s shadow skill draped over her as she got into position, the darkness deepening in the corner. A pair of paladins entered. Their eyes swept the room, glazing over her corner without incident. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the high priestess is making us prepare this one for tonight,¡± the first grumbled. ¡°This is a priest¡¯s job,¡± agreed the second. The pair of them knelt over the runes of the circle. ¡°This is what I get for learning runes.¡± ¡°Would you rather be searching for that escaped demon?¡± the second asked. ¡°Maybe I would. When was the last time we got any action down here?¡± The second snorted. ¡°I hear it¡¯s got a nasty zap. Tollmen felt it through his Fortitude.¡± ¡°Tollmen¡¯s a big baby. He raises his Fortitude every chance he gets because he can¡¯t stand pain, not because of his dedication to our Lady.¡± A mean-spirited chuckle escaped the second paladin¡¯s throat. He paused and sniffed the air. ¡°Is that smoke?¡± The first looked up from the runes. ¡°Smoke?¡± They looked around again, straining around the dragon. Paladin number 2 saw her fire first. ¡°What the!¡± He hurried around the room to the fire. This is our chance to leave, Salos pointed out. What are they preparing him for? Cass asked in return. None of our business. Cass didn¡¯t like it. Sacrifice? Probably, Salos agreed. Why now? Cass asked. Probably a good night for it. All the gods have different conditions for an ideal sacrifice. But they¡¯ve held him a long time to harvest parts of his soul. Why would that change now? Cass asked. They might think you are a better option for that now, Salos suggested. But they are looking for me, Cass pointed out. Would they prepare to kill him when they can¡¯t even keep me contained for a day? Salos hummed next to her, only audible because he was right next to her ear. They may have other demons more manageable than both of you. That wasn¡¯t impossible, she supposed. The priests had mentioned three containment circles, which implied three things they wanted contained, which in turn implied multiple demons. Even if the dragon was one of them, that still left at least one more. Except, as far as Cass could tell, no one else had seen a demon in this age. Well, no one had seen a non-dragon demon. Was this cult just that good at finding them? Or did they have more dragons? A thought struck Cass. A terrible, terrible thought. Like a dragonling? Salos¡¯s humming stopped. Yes, perhaps exactly like that. Cass ran out of the room, the door still open, Stealth silencing her steps and decreasing her presence to little more than a whisper. Why do I get the sense you want to do something about this? Salos asked. I don¡¯t approve of torture, Cass said, her hands clenching at her sides. I definitely don¡¯t approve of torturing children. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Abyss. A long, low sigh hissed from Salos. His emotions twisted beside her, spilling over into her like water in a too full glass bumped across the table. It was cold and regretful. When you put it like that. Do they already have them? Cass asked, pushing out with Atmospheric Sense in every direction, forcing her awareness behind every door. No. The city would have been a war zone if one of the dragonlings was missing, right? Not if the grand duchess thought the issue could be resolved quietly, Salos said. The halls were quiet. She could feel bodies in distant corridors. She could feel the angry growl of the dragon they had left behind. But there was no sign of dragonlings. Or if one or more of the dragonlings had a habit of disappearing on their minders? Cass added, suddenly remembering Ahryn and the dragon in the library and Kohen¡¯s loud complaints in the mansion. Yes, that would do it, Salos agreed. How would they have gotten a whole dragon down here? Cass asked. Even the dragonlings weren¡¯t that small. Pony sized, at least. People would notice if you brought them through the front and didn¡¯t bring them out again. Presence reduction¡ªSalos began. ¡ªHow much would you need to hide the biggest celebrities from half the city? Cass interrupted. I don¡¯t know I¡¯d go that far with their fame, but yes, I see the issue. It would require quite a lot of skills or specialization to achieve, especially if the dragonlings did not wish to be hidden. Cass stopped on a dime as she felt a paladin approaching. She cursed under her breath. Another was coming from the other direction, too. She Stormstrode away, Stepping on the summoned gust and ripping down the corridor as soon as enough air had formed. The paladin¡¯s head whipped back and forth, clearly searching, probably for her. This isn¡¯t working, Cass muttered. I don¡¯t know where I am and I don¡¯t know where they¡¯d hold the dragonlings if that is what they are doing. Salos hopped off her shoulder, his feet landing silently on the glass floor. He frowned at it. Glass is not ideal, it holds memory poorly. But let¡¯s see if I can find us some answers. He closed his eyes, listening to something only he could hear. Or perhaps seeing something only he could see? Meanwhile, Cass kept an ear on Atmospheric Sense, looking for the next patrol. Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 19. The increased level pushed out her range again. The air was strange down here. It didn¡¯t flow the way it should. Instead, it circled in unnatural ways. Around and around. Abyss, Salos muttered. The glass suggests there is no exit, as ridiculous as that is. The air agrees, Cass offered. He frowned. Are there skills to warp space? Cass asked him, describing her experience trying to escape the paladins earlier. Salos cursed again. It¡¯s a closed space. What do we do about it? Cass asked. Kill the skill owner or find the key to breaking it, Salos said. Either way, the skill owner will know when we do. I don¡¯t think I can beat any of them. The lowest was at level 29. The captain was level 40. Almost double your level, Salos winced. You have managed that in the past, though. Sure, one enemy like that at a time. Because the other option was dying. Not this many of them. Not all at once. Well, don¡¯t fight them all at once then. Cass groaned. It was simple when he said it like that. One more problem, Cass said. I¡¯ve lost my staff. So? Salos said. You have my dagger, right? Well, yeah, but I don¡¯t have a dagger skill. I have a staff skill. Whose fault is that? Everyone should have a dagger skill. Salos, Cass groaned. Do we have to do this now? Sorry, sorry. You don¡¯t have a weapon skill for the weapon you have available. You are right. This is serious. It would be one thing if we had space for you to maneuver or a solid front line to keep them off you. Then you could use just your magic skills. In these corridors, however, you will struggle without your staff. Maybe she could take a few of them out under the cover of Confounding Mists? It was expensive, but she had a lot of Focus these days. She checked her resources: Stamina: 91/138 Focus: 201/549 Health: 68/133 She could probably squeeze two uses of that skill? Probably. There were a lot of paladins. The math didn¡¯t look good. Truthfully, you would struggle even with your staff, Salos continued. The corridors are too tight to get good swings going. Though, I suppose thrusts would be fine. You don¡¯t thrust much, though. The dagger would be better in this environment. If she knew how to use it. How does one usually get weapon mastery skills? Cass asked. Maybe she could stab a wall or something until it unlocked. She didn¡¯t want it, but it would be useful right now. One generally trains with a master for a couple of years. Children pick it up faster. You¡¯re special, you might get it even still faster. Even for you, I would expect it to take a few days¡ªshort of the System rewarding you with it for completing a trial or quest. So you¡¯re saying I definitely can¡¯t get it in the next five minutes? Cass confirmed. He snorted. Something like that, yeah. An idea flickered at the edges of her mind. But you have a dagger skill. Blade Mastery, not just daggers, but yes. I want to try something, Cass said. The question was, how did she activate it? Was it the same as any skill? She felt around for it, unsure if it would be with her skills in that ineffable place not in her chest but also not-not in her chest. She reached and found it. Shifting Mind. The world twisted around her, disorienting, dizzy. One moment she had been standing tall, listening to the air around her. The next the world was huge. Colors shifted, the shadows becoming shallow, promising things. Her paws could feel the thrum of ghost feet over the glass, indistinct and hazy. Her tail flicked back and forth, releasing a fraction of her pent up anxiety. She stared up at herself. No, not herself. Not really, not anymore. Not right now. ¡°Oof,¡± her body¡ªSalos¡ªgrunted, staggering. He stumbled back, leaning against the wall. ¡°What did you¡ª¡± he cut himself off, switching back to telepathic communication as he gathered himself. Warn me next time. I said I was going to try something, Cass said. He glared down at her. To Cass¡¯s surprise, his eyes in her body were still his usual gold, rather than her blue. Be more specific next time, he said. Her stealth skill had stopped when they¡¯d switched. She reengaged it. But the telltale signs of wind she¡¯d come to expect barely flitted around her. He stared down at her, alarm on his face. What¡¯s with all the wind? What? Cass asked. It¡¯s like a cyclone around you. Cass looked around, shaking her head. There is usually way more than this when I activate Stealth. Your Stealth? Wait. At this size, I should activate mine too. A pool of shadows appeared around him, unnatural to Cass¡¯s eyes. He grunted. Why are they laying so thick? Are the shadows around you when you activate your Stealth skill always so defined? Cass asked. She¡¯d never paid much mind to Salos¡¯s version of the skill. He shook his head. They are usually¡ªHe stopped mid-sentence. Cass, check your skills list. Understanding immediately dawned on Cass. Most of her skills were the same as always. Only a few were missing¡ªno, they had been replaced. Unavailable Skills: Atmospheric Sense Confounding Mists Wind Step Temporary Skills: Stone Memory Dark Vision Shadow Step Abyssal Aura Their racial skills had been swapped. Or, perhaps more accurately, been left behind in their swap. But that explained just about everything. Her Stealth winds were still there, she just couldn¡¯t feel them as well without Atmospheric Sense pointing them out to her. Similarly, with Salos¡¯s Dark Vision, she could easily see through the shadows. Meanwhile, Salos struggled with the opposite, feeling more of the air and seeing through less of the dark. I don¡¯t like it, he said. Cass nodded. She felt blind without Atmospheric Sense. I think I am going to get a headache from your Atmospheric Sense skill. I do not have the Alacrity to process this much information. Not with how much my Perception is pulling in. Let¡¯s get out of the hall, Cass said. This is more disorienting than I expected. Swap us back, I don¡¯t trust myself to find us an empty room with Atmospheric Sense yet. Cass engaged the ability again and again, the world twisted around her. This direction was easier, or maybe just more familiar. She returned to her body without stumbling. Stealth hadn¡¯t even slipped, the surrounding shadows seamlessly traded for her winds again. Ugh. That¡¯s unpleasant, Salos muttered. Come on, let¡¯s find a spot to practice. B.3-Ch. 32: Alyx: Breaking in ¡°And we found the staff there.¡± Pellen pointed at a rubbish pile behind the Temple. It was mostly food scraps decomposing into fertilizer for the gardens. Alyx¡¯s hand clenched around her sword hilt. She, Pellen, Telis, and Marco stood in the temple¡¯s shadow by one of the back service doors. Cass was still missing. They¡¯d asked inside. The priests all shook their heads, claiming no one had seen Cass. It had been hours already since Pellen had seen Cass this morning. The priests she had spoken to then had probably already ended their shift in the main hall, returning to more intimate duties to their specific gods or goddesses in their private halls. Pellen had led them outside, to where she¡¯d found Cass¡¯s staff. Alyx stared at the pile. Why was Cass¡¯s staff here? How did it break? Was it broken before or after it was thrown away? What did either option say about Cass¡¯s fate? ¡°Sir Daidyn very graciously searched the rest of the pile for me,¡± the little mage continued. ¡°He didn¡¯t¡ª¡± She faltered. She took a deep breath. ¡°He didn¡¯t find a body. And my spell can¡¯t find her anymore.¡± Pellen squeezed the edge of her tome, the vast majority of her gaze dropping to the gravel-covered ground. ¡°But you¡¯re sure she was inside the temple?¡± Alyx asked. Pellen nodded. Alyx¡¯s stomach dropped. That had been the answer she¡¯d expected. But she had wanted Pellen to say anything else. ¡°What exactly is the plan?¡± Telis asked. Alyx rubbed her face. Wasn¡¯t that the question? ¡°You don¡¯t have any authority to search the Temple.¡± Telis crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°And they will not take kindly to you breaking in to do so.¡± That was an understatement if Alyx had ever heard one. On either side of the river, within the city of Velillia and quite a ways beyond, the word of the Grand Duchess was absolute and, by extension, even the word of a disgraced bastard carried weight. But here, over the river¡¯s waters, on the Temple Spire, even the Grand Duchess bowed her head to the gods and their speakers. Not much, but even the respectful nod was a lot coming from a woman like her. If Alyx provoked the Temple, her grandmother would not rescue her from their ire. Poke her nose in the wrong place and they would have her executed for sacrilege. Even simple trespassing could be met with serious consequences. And, if Cass were held against her will, they would have to do much more than trespassing to get Cass out. ¡°Why would the temple imprison Cass, anyway?¡± Marco asked. He scratched his chin. ¡°Not to doubt your magics, miss mage.¡± Pellen shook her head. ¡°No, I agree. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Why indeed?¡± Telis asked, her eyes meeting Alyx¡¯s with a single raised eyebrow. Alyx¡¯s skin crawled. Abyss. Telis knew. Telis definitely knew. There was only one answer to the question of why. It had to be Salos. Someone must have discovered his nature. Which meant rescuing Cass would mean rescuing a demon-conspirator. And Telis knew. ¡°You should forget all this,¡± Telis said. ¡°Return to the coliseum. It would be irregular, but you are the Major Blessing holder. I am sure we could convince the duchess to give you another chance to present yourself to the dragonlings. Even with this delay, as long as you go back now, you could still win one of them.¡± Unspoken, her eyes added, ¡®You need not throw everything away for a demon.¡¯ If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. That was the correct course of action. Alyx knew it. For so many reasons, that was correct. It put herself first. Her future first. Becoming a dragon knight would make her a figure of import in Vaisom. On the Content. It would absolve her mother¡¯s failings in the eyes of society. It would honor her family¡¯s name. And Cass had made her decisions. She had chosen to harbor a demon. Alyx had tried to talk her out of it. Gods, she had tried. She turned the words of their last fight over and over in her mind. Other things she could have argued. Other ways she could have convinced Cass about Salos¡¯s danger. And none of it made a difference. Was Alyx really going to throw away her future for a criminal? ¡°Lady Alyx?¡± Pellen looked up at her, her eyes huge in her face. Alyx closed her eyes. Why did it have to be the temple? This would have been easy if Cass had gotten herself scooped up by bandits or had fallen into a monster lair. ¡°You ignored her for days,¡± Telis pressed. ¡°She ran off on you.¡± ¡°Her efforts got us the Major Blessing,¡± Marco said. ¡°And that¡¯s worth antagonizing the temple?¡± Telis snapped at him. He shrugged. Telis rang her hands at him. Pellen was still staring. Alyx shook her head. ¡°Tell me she¡¯s somewhere else, Telis.¡± Telis looked away. ¡°What will you do if she truly is held by the temple?¡± ¡°Is she?¡± Telis scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not omniscient.¡± ¡°But you could find her if she was somewhere else in this city?¡± ¡°In an hour. Maybe, two.¡± The admission came out grudgingly. Unwillingly. Because they both knew that wasn¡¯t fast enough this time. Alyx needed to know now. Every minute she waited was another in which Cass might be in mortal danger or torturous pain. She turned away from Telis. She stepped toward the temple¡¯s back door. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this,¡± Telis whispered. Alyx hesitated. But, ¡°She saved my life. She granted me the Lord of the Deep¡¯s kill and the Major Blessing. I will repay that.¡± But those were just words. The debt was just an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m breaking in,¡± Alyx declared. Telis¡¯s shoulders slumped. Marco nodded in approval. Pellen bounced on her toes. ¡°I¡¯m finding Cass, no matter what trouble she¡¯s gotten herself into.¡± Whether Cass wanted to see her or not. ¡°But you all do not need to come with me. This will not go over well with the temple. There will be consequences. I owe her, but the rest of you cannot say the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Pellen jumped to Alyx¡¯s side. ¡°I owe her too. I don¡¯t know what trouble she¡¯s in, but I won¡¯t let you two face it alone. I can do this much.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Alyx said. Would the little mage¡¯s determination change if she knew about Salos or would that faith crumble? Could she support Cass just as emphatically? ¡°I¡¯m not lettin¡¯ yah out of my sight,¡± Marco said. ¡°You think I¡¯m gonna¡¯ let you face these consequences alone?¡± Alyx smiled softly. She should turn him away. His loyalty to her was because of her mother. It was one thing when she was striving to reclaim her mother¡¯s glory, but he shouldn¡¯t risk himself when she was actively discarding her chance to recover that legacy. But she couldn¡¯t make the words of dismissal come. She nodded in thanks instead. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Alyx said. The back door was a simple service entrance. It wasn¡¯t locked. People came and went through it too often for that. It swung open without difficulty. Inside, the halls were more of the blue glass. ¡°Wait!¡± Telis called. Alyx looked over her shoulder. The butler strode forward, her head high, her back stiff. ¡°How are you going to find Cass on your own?¡± Alyx glanced at Pellen. The little mage flushed. She flipped open her book, thumbing through the pages quickly. Marco just shrugged. ¡°It can¡¯t be that hard?¡± Telis shook her head, a hand resting on her forehead in exasperation. ¡°And you planned on just walking in? Like this? Fully armed?¡± ¡°Cass is in trouble. Trouble means weapons.¡± Marco slapped his buckler strapped arm against his chest. ¡°You will be caught in minutes,¡± Telis said. ¡°Honestly. Group up around me. Quickly now.¡± Marco snorted and stepped beside the butler. His form shifted, like a mirage in the distance, as he drew close. Alyx¡¯s eyes slipped off the pair of them. ¡°All of you now,¡± Telis snapped. ¡°If you are going to do this, we are doing it right.¡± Alyx took her place on the opposite side of Telis, Pellen falling in behind them. ¡°Thank you,¡± Alyx whispered. Telis¡¯s nose lifted, but she otherwise acted like she hadn¡¯t heard her. That was fine. This was already more than Alyx deserved. She stared down the hall. She was coming, Cass. Just wait a little longer. B.3-Ch. 33: Copper and Ice Cass and Salos skulked down the halls. Cass clenched the dagger in her hands. They had the ghost of a plan and were just looking for an appropriate target. A pair of paladins stormed down the hall, crossing hers. Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (Lvl 32) Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (Lvl 29) Let¡¯s go, Salos whispered from her shoulder. She shook her head. One first. We haven¡¯t seen a single one on their own, he pointed out. I don¡¯t think we can handle two at once. Her earlier attack on the pair guarding the door had not ended well, though that could be argued that was more to do with their reinforcements than the fact there had been two of them initially. It¡¯s as good as we¡¯re going to get. She hated he was probably right. They¡¯d been here too long already. They¡¯d been skulking around the halls long enough to reliably navigate between the dragon¡¯s room, the central cathedral, and her original prison at will. Her Focus had had time to recover considerably. Stamina: 138/138 Focus: 498/549 Health: 68/133 They had already spent too long looking for a lone paladin to try this on. Go, Salos urged her. Atmospheric Sense assured her the next nearest patrol was a ways off. These two were as isolated as they¡¯d get. She raised her dagger, calling a Tempest Blade to its edge. The lightning crackled. Now or never, Cass. She threw it, throwing all her Will behind the blade¡¯s flight. She angled it between the plates of lvl 29¡¯s arm armor. ¡°What!¡± 29 grunted as the lightning jolted down his body. ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± lvl 32 shouted. Cass threw another pair of Tempest Blades down the hall as she retreated from the men, keeping her distance. 32 stepped in the way, his shield taking both blades, leaving burnt metal across its face. ¡°The demon!¡± he yelled and charged down the hallway. 29 joined him as the lightning stun wore off, speeding up to run shoulder to shoulder with 32. Ready, Salos? Cass asked. Ready, he said, leaping from her shoulder. She didn¡¯t know if she was, but she did it anyway. She threw another set of Tempest Blades. One hit each of the paladin¡¯s shields, doing nothing but burning the paint. But the third blade she made of wind. She Stepped on it, riding it over their shoulders and twisting around them. As she landed, she pulled at Salos: Shifting Mind! The world twisted around them. She was again standing in front of the charging soldiers. They loomed in front of her tiny cat body. But Salos, now wearing her form and holding his dagger, was behind them. In his hands, the dagger slid between armor plates of 32, cutting unseen for even more damage, his Hidden Edge skill multiplying the damage his blade did going in and coming out again. 32 grunted in pain as the blade came out again. He spun around, his sword leading. Salos stepped back, the blade tip passing within a breath of his skin, before diving back in, his blade punching through plate metal to find purchase in 32¡¯s side. It took 29 another second to register that his quarry was no longer in front of him or to realize that the grunting of his partner meant they were behind him. Cass could see understanding bloom in his eyes. But she wouldn¡¯t let him join his ally against Salos. She darted forward in the cat form, pulling hard on Elemental Manipulation, flames springing from her feet. She slashed at 29¡¯s ankles, her flames heating his greaves, but her claws failing to break the metal plates. He stomped and stabbed down around her. She Dodged out of the way of foot and blade, too fast and too small to be hit. But she couldn¡¯t hurt him, either. Maybe if she could summon lightning with Elemental Manipulation, she could stun him, but for now, only Tempest Blade could create lightning from nothing, and she still needed a weapon to channel that skill through. Salos was having no such difficulties. He ducked under 32¡¯s sword, driving his dagger into a gap in the man¡¯s armor, between thigh and knee, and pulling it free again with a spurt of crimson blood. 32 swung his shield in between them, belatedly. But Salos had already moved, twisting around his left shoulder, and driving the blade under 32¡¯s pauldron. 29 swung at her again. She leapt up onto the arm. With her Dexterity and current size, it was little different from when she had run up the arms of the golems in the Catacombs. She left flaming footprints across his armor with Elemental Manipulation. He didn¡¯t even bother to swat them out, that was how little the fire bothered him. He dropped his shield to reach for her. She slipped around his hand, her claws reaching for his neck. Surely, flames to his direct skin would do something. His gorget covered most of it, but there was a crack between the metal collar and his chin. Her claws swept across it. She drew blood. There was the scalding smell of flesh. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. 29 grunted. His hand grabbed her by the scruff. ¡°Gotcha!¡± She howled, twisting and scratching. But his hand and arms were armored. He grinned at her. The blood on his chin could have been mistaken for a shaving accident. He raised his sword and leveled it with her chest. She snarled. She struggled. But his hand was a vice and her body was so small, her Strength so low. Alacrity burned, speeding her thoughts as she looked for another answer. Stamina: 124/138 Focus: 395/549 Health: 68/133 She couldn¡¯t claw her way out. Fire had done nothing. She couldn¡¯t use Tempest Blades without a weapon. His stupid metal hand held her tight. If only she could manipulate metal. Could she? Not directly. Metal still ignored her attempts at direct manipulation. But, there were many ways to manipulate things indirectly¡­ She summoned a ball of water above her and slammed it into his hand. Some of the water ran off the metal, dripping to the floor. But plenty filled the space between his hand and the glove. She dropped the temperature on the water. The cold crept through the metal and into her fur. She ignored it, pulling the temperature down. There was a creaking. A crack. Focus: 335/549 A scream. After all, what was the difference between a metal glove and a metal hinge? He dropped her and his sword. He clenched the frost encased hand with his now empty free hand. The metal of his glove was ruptured from the sudden increase in internal pressure, his hand pinched from the sudden loss in space. Cass dashed away. That had worked even better than she¡¯d expected. Physics was great. Could she do that again? Maybe to another body part? No, she was probably limited to enclosed parts, like the fingers of his gloves. The ice had too much room to expand out the sides of his less enclosed plates around his arms and legs, and she didn¡¯t think she could summon or freeze enough water simultaneously to burst his chest plate. But hands and feet in gloves and boots? That seemed doable. She darted between his legs, summoning more water and forcing it down his boots. It splashed around his feet and over the glass-slick floor. Before 29 could take a step away, Cass had already shifted Element Manipulation from summoning water to freezing it. The ice formed inside his metal shoes, the metal buckling and snapping. He grit his teeth, suppressing further screams. The water on his legs froze around him, arresting his movements as the ice spread further. A sheet of glass-smooth ice bloomed around his feet, its mirror finish reflecting his struggle as he pushed against the binding. Focus: 272/549 The ice didn¡¯t restrict him long. It cracked under his far greater Strength. But Cass had expected that. In throwing his weight against the ice at his feet, he was off balance. His next step¡ªso sure it would be on solid ground¡ªwas unprepared for the slick ice. His foot slid out from under him. He crashed to the floor. Cass leaped onto his chest and summoned another round of water over his body. She didn¡¯t expect to burst the metal of his chest armor, but the ice could freeze him in place. He struggled against it, pulling one arm out of the ice, only to push against the frost-covered floor with the other. Cass froze the lowered arm. Again and again. It wouldn¡¯t hold him forever. Her Focus wouldn¡¯t keep up. But it just needed to be long enough for Salos to do his work on 32. Focus: 248/549 And boy was he. He snaked around the paladin, far faster than the man had any way to respond. Salos¡¯s blade found gap after gap. Shoulder, thigh, back. Not every strike triggered Hidden Edge, but many did. Blood dripped from countless wounds. The paladin¡¯s tabard was stained with blood, the green turning a grisly brown. And not for a second did Salos let up. The paladin swung after Salos, his sword glowing with some skill. It didn¡¯t matter. It had to connect with Salos to do something to him, and it didn¡¯t so much as brush Cass¡¯s cloak hem. His dagger slipped under the man¡¯s armor. A strap was cut, a plate fell and bounced across the floor. This, Salos whispered across their bond, dodging around another sword strike, is why Dexterity is the best stat. Watching him dismantle the paladin, it was a compelling argument. The paladin¡¯s sword slashed after Salos, but he effortlessly ducked it, diving into the man¡¯s guard and burying the dagger in his chest, puncturing plate mail like it wasn¡¯t even there. The paladin staggered, but he grit his teeth in a bloody grimace. ¡°You think you can kill one of Fortitude¡¯s Righteous?¡± Salos pulled back, dodging out of the way of yet another sword strike. He scowled at the paladin with her face. ¡°That should have punctured your heart. What are you made of?¡± It was strange to hear him speaking with her voice. Strange to hear her voice with that much disdain. 32 grinned, though he must be hurting, even with his supernatural amounts of Fortitude. He pounded his chest, seemingly unconcerned about the amount of blood pouring from his latest wounds. ¡°I fight to rid this world of your vile kind. You think the goddess would let her faithful fall before you?¡± Salos looked entirely unimpressed, yet concern simmered under the surface, bubbling over their bond. What¡¯s wrong? she asked. Their skin and armor are reinforced with some skill. The body within is largely standard, if backed by frankly unnecessary levels of Fortitude, Salos explained. Not surprising, just annoying. Slightly more problematic, I think they have another skill¡ªor with our luck, goddess-granted trait¡ªprotecting their hearts. That last stab should have killed him. Instead, it felt like I hit stone. How problematic is ¡®slightly more¡¯? Cass asked as she added another layer of frost to the paladin below her. Depends how reinforced their necks are, Salos muttered. Fortitude specialists are the worst. You can cut their limbs off, but as long as they are alive, they¡¯ll just keep coming. They just don¡¯t feel the pain like they should. There is no stopping power in any of the wounds you inflict. I hate them. The only thing worse is Vitality specialists. 32 rushed at Salos again, entirely unconcerned about the trail of blood he was leaving. Salos slipped around him, his dagger angling for the man¡¯s throat. A breath before it connected, a shimmering panel of light appeared between Salos¡¯s blade and his target, turning the blade aside. ¡°My goddess protects me, demon!¡± 32 taunted, his sword swinging around for another strike. ¡°Abyss,¡± Salos cursed. He stepped out of the way. Or tried to. The blade got a piece of him, leaving a long gash on Salos¡¯s¡ªher body¡¯s¡ªthigh. Salos cursed again, shaking his head. This is going to be very annoying. You okay? Cass asked. Focus on your opponent, Salos grunted. 29 jerked up, the ice between them cracking into shards with the sudden movement and sending Cass sprawling. Cass scrambled away from him, spreading another layer of ice over the floor around them as she fled. It looks like we¡¯ll have to bleed them out, Salos continued, more to himself than Cass. I hate having to cut down Health reserves. 29 staggered to stand, his feet slipping over the ice. I sliced this one¡¯s neck earlier, Cass pointed out. Suggesting it isn¡¯t an automatic skill, like his heart? Small comforts, I guess. Down the hall, Salos launched another attack on 32, his dagger dancing into opening after opening. Blood spurted from gaps in 32¡¯s armor. 32 swung his sword at Salos¡¯s hip. Salos melted around the sword. There one moment and nothing but a shadow as he appeared behind his opponent the next. His dagger stabbed at 32¡¯s neck from what should have been a blind spot. A shimmering green shield materialized between blade tip and Fortitude-reinforced skin. Fortitude¡¯s Protection [A spell created by the faithful of Fortitude to protect their cause.] The skill was very similar to the one the captain had used to protect his subordinates and the priestess, although this was much smaller than the version he¡¯d used. Cass shared the notification with Salos. He clicked his tongue. I hate Fortitude specialists. But he didn¡¯t slow. His dagger found its way between ribs, through joints, into muscle and bone, twisting and pulling free with more blood. Yet the man refused to fall. B.3-Ch. 34: Copper and Cold This isn¡¯t working. Cass and 29 stared at one another across her ice field. He was unarmed and panting from exertion. His sword lay on the ice behind her. His shield lay under a layer of ice in the opposite direction. Cass had limited methods of injuring him and an ever-decreasing budget of Focus with which to work. Stamina: 120/138 Focus: 248/549 Meanwhile, Salos continued stabbing Lvl-32. His dagger plunged into an already bleeding gap in the armpit, twisting to widen the wound further. 32 retaliated with a swipe of his own, his sword scraping across Cass¡¯s chest plate. Salos returned with a torrent of slashes. Nothing remained of the paladin¡¯s tabard. Yet the man refused to fall. No, it¡¯s not, Salos agreed. But I don¡¯t have any other ideas. Cass didn¡¯t either. But she needed to do more than watch. 29 acted first, running at her. Or his sword behind her? No. She couldn¡¯t let him have that. She darted back, summoning water and freezing it over the sword. Focus: 228/549 He skidded to a stop, ice scraping up into a pile along the sides of his feet, and darted the other direction. Toward his ally and Salos. Why? He was still unarmed. What could he do against Salos? She Sprinted after him, even as she strained to understand his plan. Even as she struggled to think of a way to stop it. Salos¡¯s dagger skidded across 32¡¯s breastplate, the tip scratching an ever deeper line across the metal, before darting out of the way of the next sword strike. 29 stopped hard on the ice beside his shield. Under his Strength, the ice cracked. He was freeing his shield? Why? An image of the previous paladins blasting aura from their shield filled Cass¡¯s vision. Right. In their hands, a shield was an even more dangerous weapon than a sword. He snapped the shield up, ice still encrusting either side. His aura glowed through the shield. Aura Bash [A Skill concentrating one¡¯s aura into an object to empower a weapon or tool. Estimated time to execution: 2 sec] He aimed it at Salos and Lvl-32. He was willing to risk friendly fire? Or was he counting on 32¡¯s Frt being high enough to take the hit? Salos, look out! Cass warned. He glanced her way out of the corner of an eye as he darted around to the far side of 32, his dagger digging into the back of a knee. Would that be enough? Cass had lost 50 Stamina with Liminal Dodge turning a glancing blow of that attack into a miss. Salos didn¡¯t have the same skills and his Frt was almost certainly lower than hers. [Estimated time to execution: 1 sec] Cass leapt onto 29¡¯s shoulder. Her claws scraped against the metal of his pauldron. It was not enough to stop him. Not enough to even distract him. She could channel fire through her paws or freezing ice, but fire had yet to phase them and the pauldron wasn¡¯t enclosed enough to crush with the expanding ice. His aura burst from his shield. The recoil threw her back from his shoulder and blew the ice away. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Cass, with her Alacrity sped mind, watched in painfully slow motion as the blast of aura flew. As 32 disappeared in a burst of silver mana to reappear on the far side of Salos. [Unknown Spatial Warp Skill] Salos¡¯s eyes widened as the blast approached, his cover suddenly behind him. No. Shifting Mind! The world shifted. There was a dagger in her hand. She could feel 32 behind her. A wall of green aura filled her vision. CASS! Salos screamed. Color inverted. Her body shifted to the left. Stamina: 45/138 The blast continued through her shoulder. Cass flew into the wall behind her. The air left her lungs. Cass wheezed. The floor shifted underneath her. That had cost 75 Stamina? And it hadn¡¯t even completely negated the attack? Hell. What would those do to her if she took that straight on? Was she falling? Her head hit glass. Everything was sideways. Salos was yelling. The paladin stepped toward her. Cass, switch back! Oh. That was a good idea. Shifting Mind. The world twisted around her. Her vision swam. The ringing in her ears continued. But she was standing on her feet, all four of them. Cass blinked. She watched her body¡ªSalos¡ªshoot back to his feet. He lunged forward, his dagger planting deep in 32¡¯s chest in the wound he¡¯d made earlier. He twisted the blade, widening the gouge. He sneered with her face. ¡°What?¡± 32 grunted. Are you alright? Salos asked her as he pulled his dagger free again. I think so, Cass said. 29 stared at Salos, perhaps surprised by her body¡¯s apparent recovery speed. Had they expected her to be stunned for longer? What possessed you to swap in for that? Salos asked, ducking around another sword strike. His concern blazed across their bond. Could you dodge it? Cass asked, purposefully ignoring his emotions. Well. No. His concern pressed harder against her mind. Liminal Dodge mitigated the damage. She¡¯d made the right call. That would have killed you. Instead, it nearly knocked you out. Cass shook her head. Don¡¯t say that like that¡¯s worse. I don¡¯t know if I can swap us back if you pass out and I¡¯d rather not find out today. I doubt you would have lived much longer if you had. 29 shook himself. His eyes shifted from Salos and 32 to the floor. Scanning for his sword? Why not just spam Aura Bash from range? Was there a cooldown? Or maybe a cost? He staggered across the broken ice field, his gait unsteady and his body sluggish. Definitely a cost. Do aura attacks cost Stamina or Focus? Cass asked Salos. Usually Stamina. Why? How else does Stamina drain? Salos¡¯s gold eyes on her human face flicked over his opponent to 29, his eyebrow raising. Look at you. Anything that tires out the body. Physical exertion is the primary way. Some poisons. Extreme temperatures. Cass grinned. She could work with that. She darted under 29¡¯s legs, summoning more water and freezing it into ice with every bound. The ice crept up his legs. He kicked the ice away. Cass climbed up his body, leaving a trail of ice over his armor. None of it would hurt him. None of it would touch his Health. Focus: 188/549 He swatted at her. She dodged around his hand, slipping around to the left shoulder. She encased the joint in frost. Focus: 168/549 He flexed his arm, and the ice broke, but Cass had already re-coated his legs. Focus: 148/549 He was slowing. Every new layer of ice sapped at his Stamina. But her Focus was fading fast too. Who would outlast the other? He was teetering, his body sagging. But he still had the energy to kick apart the next layer of ice. Focus: 128/549 There had to be more she could do. Something else she could Manipulate? She was already doing everything she could think of with water. Fire would run counter to her current strategy. Wind didn¡¯t cut them and she wasn¡¯t sure she could create a cutting blade with Elemental Manipulation. There was no stone to manipulate, and even if there was, she wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d do with it that she wasn¡¯t already doing with ice. She added another wave of ice to his sword arm. Focus: 108/549 He swung his arm against the wall behind him, breaking the ice away. His breathing was ragged. He stooped in his armor. His eyes burned as he glared at her. But he didn¡¯t fall. What else did she have? She couldn¡¯t do anything more with Elemental Manipulation. She had no weapon to summon Tempest Blades on. Did she? Salos had been very careful when he¡¯d picked this cat form. It had been a priority he could use his Blade Mastery Skill in it. Were her claws considered blades? Tempest Blade sprang to life along her extended claws, lightning dancing along the tips of her paws. She cackled, flexing her claws and shooting the lightning into the paladin¡¯s body. His muscles spasmed beneath her. His knees gave out. His body fell to the ground. He groaned, still awake, though the exhaustion and the pain were finally kicking in. He tried to push himself back up, but Cass lay down another layer of ice, again freezing him to the floor. Focus: 78/549 B.3-Ch. 35: Copper and Flames Cass took a deep breath as her opponent¡¯s struggling slowed to ineffective wriggling beneath thickening ice. Across the room, Salos¡¯s attack had not stopped. 32 was covered in cuts. There wasn¡¯t a joint in his armor that wasn¡¯t bleeding, and a good number of his plates had new, bleeding holes. And yet he still hadn¡¯t fallen. Salos dashed behind him, his dagger again diving for the man¡¯s neck. Again, that shimmering shield appeared in the way. Something tugged at Cass¡¯s attention as it did. Salos, do that again. Salos leapt back as the paladin¡¯s sword swung through. He rolled her shoulders. Sure, it¡¯s not like body shots are any more effective. Cass pulled up Mana Sense to max as Salos slipped around the man again and slashed his neck from yet another angle. Mana burst around the man¡¯s neck as the shield manifested, glowing vibrant green in her Mana Sight yet fading out of existence entirely when the blade fell away. Now the heart again, Cass directed. Why? Just try it, please. Salos didn¡¯t argue further. He slipped through the paladin¡¯s guard again, the blade puncturing a new hole in the man¡¯s chest. There wasn¡¯t the whisper of mana reacting there. Still hard as rock, Salos reported as he pulled back. You going to tell me what the point of that exercise was? His rock heart isn¡¯t magic. Cass explained what she¡¯d seen. Interesting, but I¡¯m unsure what we can do about it. Salos danced through another flurry of the paladin¡¯s sword strikes. If it¡¯s really stone, Cass said slowly, a twisted idea spinning into her mind, maybe I can Manipulate it. Hardly, Salos shot her down. You can¡¯t just directly affect other bodies like that. Every body has its own domain that outside skills cannot directly alter. Otherwise, mages could just manifest rocks in their opponent¡¯s brains and be done with it. There was a kind of sense to what he was saying, but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve done it before. You have not. In the Deep, fighting the Lord. I summoned a Wind Blade inside its body. It had been hard. Harder than forming Wind Blade typically was. And she¡¯d needed a bonus range modification to do it. Is that what Skill Injection is? she asked. Salos actually stumbled at the question. 32 drew a cut across her forehead. Salos recovered quickly, wiping the blood away with the back of a hand and leaping back. How do you know that term? Bonus range offered it to me back then, in the Deep, Cass said. Unease rolled across their bond, but he sent the sentiment of agreement over it. If you can do that with Elemental Manipulation, and you have the Focus for it, then sure, your plan might just work. Focus: 78/549 Stab him in the heart again and then switch with me, Cass said. She had to have enough. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Alright. Again, Salos drove his blade into the puncture wound he¡¯d driven in the paladin¡¯s chest plate, driving the blade into the paladin¡¯s heart. As the blade pierced his flesh, Cass activated Shifting Mind. The world spun. The dagger was clumsy in her hand, but she didn¡¯t fight the existing momentum. It drove down, hitting something hard. ¡°How many times will you try this before you understand?¡± the paladin cackled, no idea his opponent had changed. She reached through her dagger for the object with Elemental Manipulation, only to find no stone. It was metal. Steel. Never mind Skill Injection, she couldn¡¯t Manipulate that. But she couldn¡¯t just pull back either. Her mind whirled to maximum speed, her Alacrity accelerating her thoughts until time crawled. She couldn¡¯t Manipulate the metal. There was no getting around that. But hadn¡¯t she found a perfectly good method of bursting metal pipes earlier? What was a heart, but a liquid filled tube, twisted into an odd shape? What was blood, but iron filled water? She turned her Elemental Manipulation on the blood. Yet it slipped from her grip. A pressure pushed her back. The skill emphatically said this was a bridge it would not cross. Blood was not water. Blood was not an Element. Why? How was blood special? The skill refused to negotiate. No. Not her skill. The System itself. There wasn¡¯t time to fight the entire System. She could unravel this mystery later. Time to pivot. What else could she do? There had to be more. If not Elemental Manipulation, could she do something with Tempest Blade? Maybe a Tempest Blade through his heart? It would be simple enough to summon a lightning blade along the surface of her dagger. There was plenty of space in the gouge Salos had dug in the paladin¡¯s chest. But could lightning burn through enough metal to breach his heart? What if she summoned the blade super-imposed over the heart? The same way she¡¯d killed the Lord of the Deep? She reached for it. Lightning formed along the dagger¡¯s edge. It pressed against the steel heart. Cass willed it to extend through that space. To replace the metal, if that was what it took to breach its defenses. Error: You are attempting to manipulate the Body of another Being. Injections are outside the standard range of your skill¡¯s function and require significantly more Focus to perform. Cost is too great against chosen target. Without further warning, the Tempest Blade broke under her. The lightning fizzled out. There had to be something else. Another skill. Another application. She kept coming back to Elemental Manipulation. But she couldn¡¯t manipulate either the steel flesh or the blood within. What can you do, she asked it. As usual, the skill was silent. She¡¯d been able to summon a Tempest Blade in his chest along the blade¡¯s length. Some summoning was possible as long as she wasn¡¯t trying to replace his flesh with her summoned material. Air couldn¡¯t cut the steel. She¡¯d never managed a cutting edge with water. She couldn¡¯t see creating the pressure water would need to cut through steel here, either. Fire could burn. Burn steel though? Could she get it hot enough? Steel melted in the thousands of degrees, several magnitudes more of temperature change than freezing ice had required. How much Focus would that cost? Too much. Almost certainly too much. If only she could freeze the blood. But she couldn¡¯t. Could she? What was fire? What was fire, really? Not an object. Not really. Not the way water was an object. She didn¡¯t start her campfires by replacing wood with flames. They started from the ignition of nearby heat released from her summoned fire. It was nothing more than a chemical process¡ªthe release of heat and light. Could she summon the reverse? A chemical process that consumed heat instead? What would that look like? What would that be? A blue flame sprang to mind. Cold to the touch. Dim. Devouring. She could feel it. It was ephemeral, hovering at the edge of what she knew was possible. She reached for the substance, nameless but real. Elemental Manipulation pulled away from her, resisting, rejecting her command. But Cass didn¡¯t let it escape. She flooded the skill with Focus. Focus: 58/549 With more. Focus: 32/549 Until the skill submitted. Focus: 18/549 And a ball of cold flames formed at the tip of her blade. The cold radiated up the handle, pulling the heat from her hand. Pulling the heat from the body before her. Pulling the heat from the blood within. ¡°I am unkilla¡ªAH!¡± His exclamation was cut off with a grunt of pain. His shield fell from his hand as he clutched at his chest. ¡°What¡ª¡± he tried to choke out, but his lungs failed him before he could finish that sentence, suddenly too frozen to continue pumping. He crumpled to his knees, Cass followed him down, holding the dagger¡ªholding her summoned blue flame¡ªagainst his metal heart. This was worse than she¡¯d imagined. Heat was pulled from across his body. Frost crept across his paling skin. His heart pounded under her as it tried¡ªas it failed¡ªto spread heat from his center of mass through his bloodstream. As it only spread the cold instead. And then came the snap of metal. The snap Cass has been waiting for. It came with a rush of energy. Experience. His life, becoming her power. Cass released her skill. The cold flames died immediately. Cass dropped the dagger, all the strength leaving her body. The paladin was very dead. B.3-Ch. 36: A Breath Cass stared down at the paladin¡¯s body. He was dead. She was alive. But he was dead. She¡ª She had killed him. Salos hopped up next to her. ¡°Good job.¡± Cass nodded mutely. ¡°Did an exit open?¡± Salos asked, already focused on the next task. Already looking to evaluate if killing this man had served them. Cass reached out with Atmospheric Sense. The air hadn¡¯t changed. It continued in its strange looping pattern. As trapped as ever. Killing this man had done nothing. She forced herself to take a deep breath. This man was a torturer. He didn¡¯t deserve her pity. Her sorrow. She forced herself to her feet. ¡°The other one?¡± ¡°Passed out,¡± Salos said. ¡°You expended most of his stamina. Good job. I gave him a good whack to finish the job.¡± She nodded. It was cold. ¡°Let¡¯s drag him out of the hall. Maybe this one will know how to get out of here,¡± Salos continued. She nodded and melted the ice off of the man with Elemental Manipulation. It came so easily. She hadn¡¯t checked her notifications yet, but she''d be surprised if she hadn¡¯t gotten a level in it. ¡°Switch with me,¡± Salos said when she¡¯d removed the last of the ice. She blinked down at him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Do you have the Strength to lift him?¡± Salos asked. Cass looked down at the unconscious man. He was no smaller than any of the other paladins they¡¯d run into, more easily compared in size to refrigerators than people. She shook her head. ¡°Come on, time¡¯s wasting,¡± Salos said. She activated the skill, closing her eyes as a human and opening them at her feet as a cat. Salos didn¡¯t immediately lift their captive. Instead, he moved up the hallway, trying the various doors until he found one which opened. Only then did he return and lift the corpse. Cass cocked her head to one side, watching him. ¡°Melt as much of the ice as you can,¡± Salos said as he carried the remains of 32 away and into the open room. Ah. They were hiding the evidence. How long would it take for someone to find him? She should hope they never did. She should hope that she was long gone, the activities of these monsters reported to the authorities, and that the authorities removed them from the premises before his body was found. She focused on the ice instead. It was easier to encourage it to return to room temperature than it had been to drop it down to freezing. Focus: 9/549 There was still a puddle when she was done. Nothing for that. She didn¡¯t have the Focus to evaporate it. Salos was back by the time she was done. He hefted 29 up on a shoulder. How her body didn¡¯t crumple under the man¡¯s weight, Cass could only attribute to the magic of stats. Salos must have a lot more Strength than she did. Though, even he struggled to move the unconscious man to the open room. Cass followed him inside. The room was another storage room, this one full of big crates. A nook had been created in the boxes, just out of sight of the door. The glass under her feet whispered through Stone Memory about where he¡¯d put the body. She ignored it. She didn¡¯t need to know. She didn¡¯t want to look. Salos dropped their prisoner in the corner of the clear space and riffled through her Bag, frowning the entire time. ¡°You have forgotten about most of this stuff in here, haven¡¯t you?¡± Her eyes flickered closed. Her Focus flickered on the edge of consciousness herself. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He shook his head, pulling a cord from the Bag and tying the paladin¡¯s legs and arms together. ¡°I doubt that will be enough to hold someone with his Strength indefinitely, but it should buy a little time to make him cooperate.¡± Salos glanced over at her, his frown deepening. ¡°Should you start a fire?¡± Oh. That would help, wouldn¡¯t it? She nodded dumbly. ¡°Can you switch us back?¡± he asked. Right. Yes. She did that like this? She swayed on her feet as she had only the two of them again. Her body was heavy. But she didn¡¯t need to stay standing. She dropped to the floor. ¡°Cass!¡± Salos leapt up to her as she landed on her butt. That hurt a little. She was fine. Where was her fire stuff? Salos pressed against her leg. He was warm. That was nice. She found a log and kindling and her fire striker. It would have been easier to summon fire, but she didn¡¯t have remotely enough Focus for that. She¡¯d have to do it the old-fashioned way. She fumbled the wood and such into a pile. Her fingers were numb. She dropped the fire striker. She got it the second time. The flames sprang up with warmth and comfort. Cass was out before she could put away the striker. *** Cass jerked awake later. Salos was in her lap. The fire had burned low. Salos shifted in her lap. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± She nodded. They were still in the storage room, the boxes around them untouched. Their prisoner still lay unconscious across the fire from her. The corpse lay among the boxes behind her. ¡°They haven¡¯t found us yet?¡± she asked. He shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been lucky.¡± How much longer would that luck hold? As long as she could hold on to it, she promised herself. She leaned back against a crate and opened her notifications. Level Up! + 1 Dex + 1 End + 1 Wll + 1 Ala + 4 Free Points Atmospheric Sense has increased to level 20. Wind Step has increased to level 14. Stealth has increased to level 13. Elemental Manipulation has increased to level 24. Tempest Blade has increased to level 17. A level and five skill levels. This brought her up to level 24. She was close to the Gate now. ¡°What exactly did you end up doing to that other paladin?¡± Salos asked. ¡°It didn¡¯t look like Skill Injection.¡± Cass nodded. ¡°Tried that first. Cost too much.¡± He nodded. ¡°That makes sense. The further apart the level between practitioner and target, the greater the cost. What did you do instead?¡± ¡°Summoned reverse fire,¡± Cass said. ¡°Reverse fire?¡± Salos repeated. Cass nodded. She held a hand out and demonstrated. Elemental Manipulation resisted again, but it was easier this time. Was that an effect of the increased level or the certainty that it was possible? With a burst of Focus, a flame-like substance appeared in her palm. It was cold, but not unpleasantly so. It wasn¡¯t very bright, though it produced some blue-tinted, almost silver, light. It danced like fire in her hand. Though, it almost seemed to curl into itself to Cass¡¯s eyes. ¡°Astraum?¡± Salos said. ¡°What?¡± Cass asked. He gestured at her little fire. ¡°The flame of the stars, Astraum.¡± Cass snorted. ¡°Is that how stars work here? They¡¯re made of this stuff?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± he asked. ¡°How did you even summon such a thing if you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Rationalized its existence based on fire,¡± Cass said with a shrug. She hadn¡¯t really expected it to work. Or for it to produce light. She¡¯d intended to create a simple endothermic reaction. She¡¯d assumed it would be lightless, sucking up the heat and producing¡­ She wasn¡¯t sure how that would work. She supposed she should be happy it had worked out. She closed her hand, snuffing out the flame. It was as easy as snuffing out the life. ¡°That seemed powerful,¡± Salos said. She nodded. ¡°Funny how quickly a human body shuts down when its core temperature drops that low that quickly.¡± Funny in a terrifying kind of way. ¡°I imagine if he hadn¡¯t let me keep the dagger in his chest, gloating about his invincibility and everything, he might have lived quite a bit longer. I wonder if he could even feel the cold through his Fortitude.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to ignore your body¡¯s warnings if your Fortitude is too high,¡± Salos agreed. ¡°If one wants to go down that route, Perception is critical. Ideally, one registers their body¡¯s sensations via Perception while blocking the body-stopping pain via Fortitude. Not that it matters for either of us, of course.¡± Cass snorted. She poked at her newest set of wounds, a long gash across her thigh and the cut on her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m not loving these gashes on my body you¡¯ve left me.¡± Salos shrugged. ¡°Learn to use the dagger yourself and we won¡¯t have to do that again.¡± Cass sighed. She couldn¡¯t argue with that. Her whole body hurt. She was supposed to be resting still. She probably would have slept all day if she hadn¡¯t been arguing with Alyx. Maybe her Health would be fully recovered by now. Instead: Stamina: 124/141 Focus: 247/549 Health: 71/134 That could be worse, but she was still only at half Health. Given all her bonuses, this was probably shockingly good recovery time. Somehow, that failed to make her feel better. She¡¯d spent way too much Focus in that last fight. Summoning water and then freezing it was not efficient. Would it be cheaper to summon ice directly? Could she even do that? She held her hand out, imagining a ball of ice forming in her open palm. The image of the frozen corpse overtook her vision. Her heart leapt to her mouth and the skill dropped. ¡°You alright?¡± Salos asked, his gold eyes trying to meet hers. She nodded. She could feel his concern at the edges of her soul. He could see that her little nod was a lie. He probably didn¡¯t need to feel her soul to see it, either. But he didn¡¯t press her on it. Just sat against her, warm against her leg. There would be time for grief when she was safe. When the dragon was safe. Now she needed to recover what she could. For the moment, she needed to do something with the Free Points. More Health and Focus? Or just more power? The paladin¡¯s armor was strong. Would she be able to cut through it if she had more Will behind her magic? It couldn¡¯t hurt. Wll 82 -> 86 B.3-Ch. 37: Questions Cass¡¯s Focus had only come back up to 306 when the paladin she¡¯d knocked out with the cold woke up. He grunted awake, his head snapping to and fro as he tried to figure out what had happened and where he was. Cass didn¡¯t wait for him to get his bearings. ¡°Welcome back,¡± she said, pulling the rickety chair she¡¯d found amid the crates up in front of him. She¡¯d been kind enough to sit him up, but not kind enough to find a second chair. He had to look up at her from the floor. ¡°Demon!¡± He lunged forward, his arms flexing against his bindings. For now, they held, and he sagged back as it became evident he could not reach her. Cass sighed. ¡°Would you believe me if I said I wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Lies!¡± ¡°Can you take this a little more seriously?¡± she asked. ¡°Maybe yell something that isn¡¯t horribly cliche?¡± To his credit, he only glared at her in response to that. ¡°I have a couple questions,¡± Cass continued. ¡°If you answer them, I¡¯ll leave you tied up here with the door open and one of your friends will find you in no time.¡± ¡°I will tell you nothing, demon!¡± Cass pinched the bridge of her nose. There was the carrot. She¡¯d hoped it would be enough. Salos had said it wouldn¡¯t. Salos hopped up on the back of the chair, his gold eyes burning down at the man. ¡°Refuse to answer us and we will kill you and hide your body. None will find you until the summer warmth sinks through the glass and turns your flesh to rot.¡± Jeeze, tone that down a little, Cass said. His angry tail flick was the only indication he¡¯d heard her. ¡°Let¡¯s start with an easy one,¡± Cass said. ¡°Who are you people?¡± He grinned at her. Or maybe ¡®grin¡¯ wasn¡¯t the right word. Grins weren¡¯t that malicious. ¡°We are the Order of the Copper Crescent. The most devout of the Goddess of Fortitude. She of Unyielding Might and True Endings.¡± Identify had told her half of that and simple observation skills had told her the rest. But that was fine. Step one was to get him talking. ¡°And why did you lot kidnap me?¡± This was another question they knew the answer to, or they thought they did, at least. ¡°Why would our glorious order capture a demon except to slay you in the name of our goddess?¡± The fanaticism went through to the eyes. They were crazed. ¡°It didn¡¯t look like you all were planning to kill me,¡± Cass prompted. ¡°Your captain had me in the palm of his hand, yet I was tossed in a cell instead. An odd way to slay demons, if you ask me.¡± ¡°We will slay you in good time. Don¡¯t you worry. As soon as the Copper Crescent rises, we¡¯ll send that twisted soul of yours to our Goddess.¡± Did that mean anything to you? Cass asked Salos. Copper Crescent is one of the moons. I wasn¡¯t aware it was associated with Fortitude. In my day, it was a symbol of the Lady of Will. And of the Custodia. And this sacrifice business? Cass asked. Was that common back in your day? No. Not particularly. ¡°You and that dragon are finally going to meet Fortitude tonight,¡± the paladin cackled. ¡°Oh, slaying the dragon too,¡± Cass cooed. ¡°Finally working up the courage to fight it, then? How long have you been cowering in front of it?¡± ¡°No one but you demons are cowering,¡± he hissed. ¡°We¡¯ll set you free to the Goddess when you deserve it and not a moment sooner.¡± ¡°Oh, and why does it deserve it now? After all this time? Good behavior?¡± ¡°It¡¯s replacement is on its way,¡± he grinned. ¡°You expect me to believe you found so many demons all at once?¡± Cass laughed. The man smirked. ¡°Why would we keep such a big dragon if there are so many little ones we can snatch today?¡± Looks like we were right, Salos said. Not that we can do anything about it. Do I need to remind you we don¡¯t even know our way out? I¡¯m working on it, Cass assured him. So far, she¡¯d stuck to topics she was confident he wanted to talk about. The virtue and strength of his organization, the awful things they planned to do to her, things that made him feel strong. People loved talking about that kind of thing¡ªespecially this kind of person. This was where it got tricky. He wasn¡¯t going to want to tell her about how to leave or which of his allies controlled the skill separating this part of the building from the rest. This was where Cass would have floundered in the past. Earth Cass would have panicked at this point. Whirling thoughts and mounting desperation would have had her blurt the first thing she thought. But now, Cass had so much Alacrity time slowed to a crawl. Slyphid Cass had as much time as she needed to craft the right script for what she needed next. ¡°Oh, is that all?¡± Cass asked, affecting a bored tone. ¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t kill the dragon you have then.¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± the paladin demanded. Off balance. Confused. Good. Now, what was that supposed to mean? ¡°Well, you might end up with no dragons if you do,¡± Cass said with a shrug. He glared at her, the gears in his head turning. Did he understand her implication? No, he was thinking too much. She needed to spell it out. ¡°I¡¯ve already stopped them.¡± He laughed in her face. ¡°No, you haven¡¯t. Margino and Caelis left ages ago. You couldn¡¯t have caught them!¡± ¡°When was the last time you talked to them?¡± Cass asked. He blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°When did you last see them?¡± Cass repeated, a taunt echoing in her voice. She could see the gears turning behind his eyes again. She cut that off with another question. ¡°Did you see me kill your friend? The one on patrol with you?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You killed Genson?¡± Genson was the dead man¡¯s name. Genson, the name of the man she¡¯d killed. Genson. She shoved aside the guilt and remorse, throwing it in the corner with every other horror she¡¯d ignored. She¡¯d have time to unpack that later. When she was safe. ¡°Easily,¡± Cass said, forcing her voice sharp and confident. Forcing a grin to her face, her lips peeling back in a cruel smile. ¡°So tell me, why couldn¡¯t I have killed Margino and Caelis?¡± ¡°But they left after you were captured.¡± Good. This line of questioning would never get where she wanted if they hadn¡¯t. Cass snorted as if his statement should matter. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And no one can leave the captain¡¯s perimeter! No one!¡± he yelled. Cass smirked, though inside the panic was rising. It¡¯s the captain¡¯s skill? Abyss, I was afraid of that, Salos muttered. I can¡¯t beat the captain. He was level 40. So much higher than her level 24. But the cultist didn¡¯t need to know that. So, projecting a confidence of someone else, Cass continued goading her victim, ¡°And what makes you so sure?¡± ¡°No one can get through it without his permission.¡± ¡°Is that what he told you?¡± She leaned back, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You can¡¯t trick me, demon. You didn¡¯t kill the extraction team. You haven¡¯t left the Sacred Grounds. You wouldn¡¯t still be here if you could.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Cass said flatly, ¡°You got me. I¡¯m lying about something easily confirmable once you escape my clutches. Why ever would I do that?¡± The cultist¡¯s eyes narrowed. Again, the gears were spinning. What did he believe? She didn¡¯t need him to believe her, not with all his heart. Just a crack of doubt was enough. ¡°I¡¯m surprised,¡± Cass continued before he could organize his thoughts. Before he could come to any hard decisions about whether or not he believed her. It was time to fish for what she actually wanted to know. This was a gamble. He¡¯d probably see through her if she was wrong, but if she was right, escape without fighting the Captain might be possible. ¡°It looks like I know more about how your Captain¡¯s skill works than you do. It¡¯s a shame following a simple pattern of turns is enough to slip through it. It might be an obstacle if it wasn¡¯t.¡± The cultist snorted. ¡°What?¡± Damn. There wasn¡¯t a way out like that then? She stuck to her story, anyway. Her eyes widened in fake surprise. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°The captain¡¯s skill doesn¡¯t have a weakness like that!¡± ¡°Is that what he told you?¡± Cass asked, the patronizing tone heavy and cloying. ¡°Did he tell you anything about how it works? Have you pressed it at all? Or did you blindly accept it would keep you safe from the rest of the temple? Did you blindly accept he could hold you here all he wanted?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trapped!¡± he snarled. ¡°I¡¯m not a demon like you. I am an honorable Paladin of the Copper Crescent! I have his permission to come and go. That¡¯s the only way in or out, demon. Your lies can¡¯t trick me. I don¡¯t know what you think holding me here will accomplish, but you¡¯ll get nothing from me. The Captain¡¯s skill is infallible. Our Goddess granted it to him for his dedication to her cause.¡± Well, that¡¯s about what we expected, Salos said as the man continued ranting. Cass kept her displeasure from her face, but it ran rampant across her bond with Salos. If there is another way through the skill, I doubt he knows about it. I doubt there is, Salos said. It is sounding increasingly like this is a god¡¯s boon skill. So long as his patron favors him, it will be as if his level, or at least that skill¡¯s level, is many times its listed strength. Anything we can do about that? Kill him, get him to renounce his goddess, get the goddess to renounce him, or convince him to let you go; I think those are your options. Cass hid her scowl. Neither of the new options sounded more achievable than the original two. We done with this? Salos asked. I guess so. She didn¡¯t have any other questions for him. Salos hesitated beside her, his claws flexing over the glass floor. Cass raised an eyebrow at him. What? You won¡¯t like what I¡¯m going to suggest. Cass frowned. What? He represents a sizable amount of experience. Salos looked up at her, his gold eyes pointed. You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t like where this is going. You should kill him. I don¡¯t¡ªHow did she voice this? It was irrational, wasn¡¯t it? She¡¯d already killed a man. What was a second? She couldn¡¯t even claim it had been self defense. Not really. She¡¯d ambushed them. She¡¯d attacked them. She could have continued avoiding them. A way out would present itself, eventually. Killing them hadn¡¯t made her any safer. Hadn¡¯t brought her any closer to escape. But it had given her another level. And that did make her safer. That was another thimble of power against the next person who attacked her¡ªor who she chose to attack. No. None of this was relevant. These were cultists. They did human sacrifice. They kidnapped her. They were kidnapping baby dragons. They had tortured another dragon for years. They were evil. Capital E Evil. Maybe even all-caps EVIL. If this wasn¡¯t an acceptable target, was anyone? Was anyone? I don¡¯t want to kill, Cass whispered. I know, Salos whispered back. He looked away, his claws sinking into the wood of the chair back. Regret rolled across their bond, cold and sticky against her soul. But leaving him alive is dangerous. When he takes a minute to stop and think, he¡¯ll realize you were looking for a way out. And then what? Cass asked. They already know I¡¯m trying to escape. If they had other measures to lock this place down, they would have already activated them. How would this one change that? Cass stopped, repeating the question to herself. How could this man change their situation? How could she still use him? There are too many unknowns already, Salos insisted. Killing him removes one. He paused, his claws scraped across the wood. I would do it for you if it would give you the experience. Cass shook her head. The sketch of a plan was forming. We don¡¯t know where the captain is. Frustration bubbled over from Salos. It won¡¯t take us long to find him. Will it? Cass asked. We¡¯ve been wandering their halls for ages and haven¡¯t run into him yet. What if he has additional spatial distortions around him? Salos scowled at her. ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Cass said as the cultist¡¯s rant ran out of steam. ¡°This has been fun, but I think it¡¯s time to go give your boss another ¡®hello¡¯.¡± Cass twirled her dagger as she turned away from him. ¡°Get back here!¡± the paladin shouted, struggling against his bonds. What are you doing? Salos hissed. Finding a direct path to our target, Cass said. She waved to the paladin and stepped out of the room, leaving the door open a crack. As soon as she was out of sight, she threw up Stealth to its maximum. Abyssal Aura, please. Sure, fine, explain what you are doing. Now. Cass grinned down at Salos. Would you please slip back in there and discretely release our prisoner? What? Ideally, in a way he¡¯d believe he slipped out of his bonds himself? Why? Salos repeated. You could just kill him. Why would you release him? Because dead men can¡¯t convince our enemies that I can leave when I want or show us where their captain is. Dead men can¡¯t confirm whether the dragonlings have already been kidnapped. Dead men are useless to us. Salos grumbled. Dead men can¡¯t stab you in the back, either. Dead men are worth more than their share of experience. Which do we need right now, Salos? A level or a way out? Salos¡¯s grumbles grew louder, but he slipped from her sight without another argument. Cass stepped away from the door. A moment later, the paladin burst through it. His head whipped back and forth before he ran down the halls. I hope you know what you¡¯re doing, Salos muttered as he hopped onto her shoulder. Cass Stealthed after the man, her presence no more notable than a stray gust. She hoped so, too. B.3-Ch. 38: Ahryn: Light Message Ahryn was used to being ignored. It was usually better than being noticed, if he was honest. He was used to their low expectations. He was used to missing them, anyway. It mostly didn¡¯t bother him any more. But he¡¯d hoped today would be different. He stared up at the darkening sky as he walked through the city. Kohen walked a few steps ahead, an easy grin on his face. He wanted an early celebration for his performance in the arena. With Alyx abandoning the competition today, he probably thought he¡¯d guaranteed himself a dragonling at the ceremony tonight. The hand in his pocket anxiously fiddling with something was the only tell that he still harbored doubts. Kohen would be a fool not to. Alyx was the Major Blessing holder. It was still entirely possible for the dragonlings to pick her, even without performing today. And, with Fioreya named Champion, it was hard to imagine anyone else being chosen. Ahryn had still hoped. Images of his opponent in the arena flashed across his vision. The claws. The fangs. The bristling fur. He¡¯d selected a modest opponent. A level 24 Bogbenz, a medium-sized feline monster from the swamps to the South. He had a level on it. It should have been disadvantaged in the open space of the arena without deep pools of swamp water to ambush him from. He pressed a hand to his bandaged side. The pain was familiar, but unwelcome. They¡¯d told him to pick something weaker. That with his condition, he needed to be careful. That he shouldn¡¯t push himself for this. But Fioreya had slain a beast five levels greater than her own. Kohen had picked and beaten a stone bear two levels stronger than he was. Alyx¡ªhad she gone¡ªwould have easily killed a wolf three above her. And he¡¯d barely survived his fight. If he could have hidden his face as he limped off the field, he would have. Should he be glad even his grandmother had left before he¡¯d finished? The first stars began to poke through the day¡¯s dying light, though the moons were not yet up and the sun hadn¡¯t quite set. Their cold light embraced him, soft and gentle. With a thought, he grabbed a small bundle of that burgeoning starlight and wrapped it in his favorite skill: Light Message (Starlight) [Communication is the most important part of any relationship, but sometimes the spoken word is insufficient. Wish it to be so and you will be heard. Send messages to a target for a small Focus cost. Increased cost dependent on message length and travel distance. Association with the Concept of Starlight decreases message cost and allows the target to respond at the cost of the skill owner¡¯s Focus so long as the skill owner is under the light of the stars.] How did it look today? he asked the open air. The starlight carried the thought away to his closest friend. Perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have. They¡¯d promised to create some distance before the ceremony. They hadn¡¯t been doing a good job of it. It wasn¡¯t only his fault alone, but it was perhaps unevenly enabled by his Light Message. By him sending them. Then again, she¡¯d never once not responded. He could feel the response settling on the edge of his mind now. Every time, he braced for it to be a request that he stop. That they end this before she swore herself to her knight. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. He knew he¡¯d never be strong enough to be that for her. They¡¯d made their peace with that a long time ago. Or, he thought he had. Until insanity took him and he¡¯d run headlong into the Catacombs because of a stranger¡¯s encouragement. He¡¯d survived. He¡¯d done well. He had a blessing like Alyx and Kohen. He¡¯d gotten it on his own merits instead of on Kohen¡¯s coattails. But he still wasn¡¯t their equal. She needed to pick someone strong for her knight. He needed to support his brother. He couldn¡¯t steal Kohen¡¯s dragon. Not that she had any intention of picking Kohen. She¡¯d whispered as much to him days ago. He¡¯d tried to convince her otherwise. He probably could have tried harder. He wasn¡¯t very good at supporting Kohen. Braced, he opened the message. Ahryn! Help me! He froze, her scream ringing in his ears. What¡¯s happening? he sent back. He must be misunderstanding. The dragonlings were the most well-protected beings in all the city. In all the duchy. Strange knights have us. I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re taking us. Ahryn, please, help me. I¡¯m scared. The world fell out from under him. There was no other explanation for why he was on his knees. This couldn¡¯t be happening. This couldn¡¯t be happening again. Not again. Not again. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Kohen loomed over him. Looking down on him. ¡°Emenie.¡± Her name slipped from his lips. ¡°That¡¯s one of the dragonlings, right?¡± Kohen said. ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in trouble.¡± Kohen stood a little straighter at that. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in trouble,¡± Ahryn repeated. He couldn¡¯t sit here. He couldn¡¯t let that happen again. ¡°I have to save her.¡± He didn¡¯t even know where she was. Where are you now? Ahryn sent. I don¡¯t know. They shoved us in a carriage. I tried to bite him, but he was too strong. It¡¯s dark, Ahryn. A carriage. Then they were still on the move. Could he use that? He checked his Focus. Focus: 112/126 I¡¯m coming for you, he sent, watching his Focus drop with the effort. Focus: 105/126 It dropped 7 points. He knew 3 was the minimum when standing beside his target under a clear night sky. It cost between 20 and 30 to send across the city on such a night. She was close. Hurry, I¡¯m so scared, she replied. His Focus dropped again. Focus: 99/126 Only 6 points that time. The message lengths were about the same too. She was getting closer. Assuming she started at the Palatial Hill, that suggested she was moving toward the river and the lower city. Tell me about the man you tried to bite, he said. Focus: 93/126 He was a knight. I don¡¯t know. Focus: 87/126 That¡¯s okay, just tell me what you remember. He was a knight. So he had armor? Focus: 82/126 That was 5 points. Still getting closer. ¡°Hey!¡± Kohen was yelling. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you spacing out?¡± Ahryn wasn¡¯t listening to him, his entire attention on Emenie. Yes. Big armor. Heavy armor, she sent. Focus: 77/126 Heavily armored enemies? Kidnapping dragonlings? Is Velkora with you? he asked. Focus: 73/126 4 points. They had picked up speed. Or were moving toward him more directly. I think so. It¡¯s so dark. Focus: 69/126 His mind ran through the maps of the city he¡¯d long ago memorized. The lower city changed weekly, new buildings coming up, old buildings collapsing. But the upper city rarely changed. He knew the shapes of the broadways and the splits in the avenues like the back of his hand. And there were only so many roads that a carriage could travel down at that speed in this direction. A carriage crested the hill and rumbled down the road. How many knights were there? he asked. Focus: 66/126 It flew past them, barely missing them. Kohen was yelling at the driver¡ªsomething about recklessness and paying for crossing him. Ahryn was too busy staring at the driver to listen. He wore a heavy cloak, covering his clothing, but the bulk of his shoulders almost looked like heavy armor. I don¡¯t know. They got past Auntie, Emenie said. Focus: 62/126 The cost increased again. ¡°That carriage,¡± Ahryn said aloud. ¡°I¡¯ll tell mother about it. Don¡¯t you worry, she¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re fined for driving at those speeds,¡± Kohen ranted. ¡°The dragonlings are in it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kohen shouted. Ahryn was already running. He wasn¡¯t good for much, but he still had to try. B.3-Ch. 39: The Captain Cass and Salos stalked the fleeing paladin through the halls, their combined stealth skills hiding them in plain sight as the man ran through the complex. Even if they hadn¡¯t, all eyes were on the paladin as he shouted about his urgent news for the captain. Who would have stopped to look at the shadow creeping after him? In minutes, they were in the Copper Crescent¡¯s center of operations. It was a busier section of hallway, the doors to either side open and filled with men and women at work. Paladins went in and out continuously. Out patrolling for her. Coming back with reports that they had seen nothing from her. Performing other duties which had nothing to do with Cass, presumably. All of them were leveled like the two she¡¯d fought earlier. Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (Lvl 31) x 8 Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (Lvl 32) x 14 Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (Lvl 33) x 9 These were just the ones around their command center. How many were there if she included the ones patrolling or performing other tasks? Forty? Fifty? More? Never mind, the captain, she couldn¡¯t handle this many. Not on her own, not with Salos, not even if she had the help of Alyx or Marco. Cass set that thought aside. Alyx wasn¡¯t here. Alyx might not help her even if she was. Cass shook that thought aside. That kind of speculation did nothing for her. Instead, Cass focused on Stealthing through the increasingly busy hall. Stealth was not invisibility. But in some ways, it was even better. Anyone not actively looking for her¡ªassuming their perception wasn¡¯t too high¡ªwould simply disregard her presence, finding her as unremarkable as the tiling of the floor or the bricks of the wall. The issue was the ¡®actively looking¡¯ part. And the ¡®perception wasn¡¯t too high¡¯ part. They were looking for her, but not in the center of their base. So far, Stealth encouraged her to walk tall and with purpose. Like she was supposed to be right where she was. It was ridiculous that this would work. Especially since, as Fortitude specialists, they should have complimentary Perception. Not necessarily the highest Perception, but it should be in their top three or four stats, according to Salos. That being said, if 29 and 32 were any indication, Perception was not a priority in their growth. Then again, they might have just been the worst among their ranks. 29 had bought her lie completely after all. He ran into one of many rooms along the main hall. ¡°Sir! You may be in danger, sir!¡± he yelled. ¡°What!¡± the captain snapped. His voice was deep and rolling like a beast¡¯s. There was a murmured answer that didn¡¯t quite carry down the hall. Cass slipped up to the door in question to peer within. The captain stood in the center of a well-furnished room. A map hung from the wall behind him, marked up in red, purple, and green ink. Before him, 29 quivered before his boss alongside a line of other paladins and a priest. The captain was a huge man. Easily a head taller than any of the others, and broad enough at the shoulders to fill the doorway on his own. And he was horned, like a bull. They started from his bony forehead and curved up in spiral ridged horns. He wore a long sword on his back and a shorter one at his hip, but even the shorter one looked too long to be easily swung in the halls. A long rectangular shield leaned against the desk behind him. It was so big, Cass wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to lift it even with her System granted Strength. Order of the Copper Crescent Captain (Lvl 40) He was no less intimidating looking now than he had been when she¡¯d been captured. I don¡¯t see how we can kill him, Cass said. I don¡¯t like our odds, no. Salos said. How bad is it? Cass asked, though even without a breakdown, level 40 seemed far outside her ability to handle at her level 24. Well, he isn¡¯t human, he¡¯s a Tauran. If I remember right, they get 2 points of Fortitude for every level. I think they get a few other free points or something too, but I don¡¯t remember now. By itself, that means he has 80 points of Fortitude. Cass blanched. What do you think the two we dealt with earlier had? 100? 150? Hard to say. Been a long time since I fought Fortitude specialists with my current amount of Strength. Then 80 isn¡¯t that bad? Cass said, though even as she said it she could feel Salos wasn¡¯t done. If it was just the base level up stats we needed to worry about, then yes. But, not only may he have placed Free Points into Fortitude, we need to consider where he put his Extension¡ªthat is, which stat he chose to increase every level at the First Step. Were I in his shoes, I would have placed mine in Perception to balance the 2 Fortitude a level. However, a devout of Fortitude? I think it would not be unreasonable to assume he sprang for Fortitude again. That is another 31 points of Fortitude, bringing us up to 111. Next, assume he has, oh, I don¡¯t know, 20 skills? At level 40, I would be embarrassed if less than two-thirds of them weren¡¯t past the Gate. Call that 13 Gate leveled skills? I don¡¯t know the exact breakdown on the bonus for Tauran skills thresholds, but I think it would be underestimating to assume they get 2 to a skill¡¯s primary stat at the First Step and another 3 at the Gate. Again, estimating half his skills are Fortitude based, that brings us to about¡­ a little over 30? Maybe 35? Again, this is an underestimate, I think. And it doesn¡¯t account for other skills which might consider Fortitude a secondary or tertiary stat. This brings us up to 146 Fortitude. Cass nodded. Which is in line with your guess about the other two. Sure, except those were humans, 10 levels under this one. Cass sighed. Implying there are some other buffs or bonuses? Probably bonuses from their Goddess of Fortitude? Salos nodded. Exactly. I think it would be safe for us to assume their Fortitude stats are being doubled at least. Putting him at nearly 300? Cass groaned. With a healthy, if not exceptional, Strength and Perception, unless I miss my guess, Salos added. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. That was obscene. Her highest stat was her Will at 86. All her stats added together were only 449. Can I even scratch him? Cass asked, thinking of how little her Tempest Blade had done against the previous group of Paladins. ¡°You mean to tell me you got in a fight with the demon and you lost?¡± the captain growled, his conversation continuing, unaware of the murderous sidebar Cass and Salos were having. ¡°She killed Genson, sir,¡± the paladin said. ¡°She¡¯s a demon. Her level is highly misleading. Even you might be in danger, sir.¡± ¡°Preposterous,¡± the captain snarled. ¡°All of it.¡± ¡°She, um, claimed to have stopped the extraction team too, sir.¡± The captain threw his hands in the air. ¡°How would she have done that? She¡¯s trapped here!¡± ¡°She claimed she could come and go as she pleased.¡± The captain sneered. ¡°Just because we don¡¯t understand how she got out of her containment field doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s a ghost. No one can leave or enter our Lady¡¯s Sacred Ground.¡± He snapped at the priests standing at the edge of the line. ¡°Have we figured out how she got out yet?¡± The priest shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re still investigating, lord.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been investigating for hours!¡± he roared. All of his subordinates flinched away from him. I think even I will have difficulties piercing his defenses even with precision strikes, Salos admitted. Cass shook her head. This isn¡¯t going to work. We can¡¯t kill something we can¡¯t cut. ¡°Nothing appears to be wrong with the array, sir,¡± the priest explained. ¡°The evidence suggests the demon either broke it and then reengaged it after or somehow slipped through without destroying it. Neither of which¡ª¡° ¡°That is ridiculous!¡± the captain snapped. ¡°A demon ¡®slipped through¡¯ a containment field? Those things have fractions of souls. The edges decaying. A healthy person can¡¯t get through that field. You think a demon could?¡± ¡°No, sir,¡± the woman responded. ¡°That is why the priests are still investigating. They are certain they will find signs of tampering if they look.¡± We need to find a way out of here, Salos reminded her. Through him is the only way. ¡°Tell them to hurry up,¡± the captain yelled, pacing across the room and back. ¡°The demonlings are on their way. If something is wrong with the field, I want it fixed before they get here.¡± ¡°Of course, sir,¡± the woman said. We just need him to drop his skill, Cass said. Granted, convincing him she wasn¡¯t a demon and that he should let her and any dragons he had kicking around go seemed no easier a feat. Could she slip out as they brought the dragonlings in? It would mean leaving them here longer while she went for help, but that was a more reasonable plan than trying to sneak them out with her. And either way, she would need to return for the feral dragon. ¡°Find the girl. The sealed space isn¡¯t that big. She¡¯s not even at the Gate. Have there been any other casualties?¡± the captain barked. The second man shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Yet, he says,¡± the captain muttered. ¡°Fine. New orders: kill the demon girl on sight. The dragonlings are too important to risk with a rogue element in our halls.¡± Cass¡¯s stomach sank. She had no illusions about how alive she would be if those had been the orders from the beginning. ¡°Sir!¡± the paladins saluted. ¡°Get a move on!¡± the captain yelled, sending his subordinates scattering. ¡°And tell whoever¡¯s lurking outside to just come in and give me their report!¡± Cass¡¯s eyes shot wide. RUN! Salos yelled. Unnecessary, because Cass was already Sprinting away, pulling Wind out of her way and pressing herself forward with it. Behind her, she could hear excited shouts and a single enraged word: ¡°WHAT!¡± There was a bang. A huge body burst from the command room and barreled down the hallway. She was fast. There was no arguing about that. She had all the speed of a 61 Dex runner, aided by a Concept that screamed speed and freedom and a skill with the single desire to run faster. Cass was fast. And with her 47 End, she could be fast for a long time. The captain was an entirely different beast. Every footfall on the glass floor propelled him yards with his considerable Strength. He gobbled up the distance between them, bursting forward like a bullet from a rifle barrel. His whole body radiated mana, strong enough she could feel it with Mana Sense without looking at it directly. Worse, he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Stop her!¡± The captain¡¯s order rang through the air. Every body in the hall stopped what they were doing. With barely a pause, the nearest paladin¡ªpapers falling from his hands as they flew to his sword¡ªstepped in front of her. Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (Lvl 34) She didn¡¯t have the strength to bowl him over, even with all her speed and the added gust from Stormstride. I¡¯ve got him, Salos said as he leapt from her shoulder and onto the man¡¯s face. Cass ducked right while Salos¡¯s claws raked into the man¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t enough to stop him, but it startled him enough that Cass could slip around him before his sword could find her guts. She flew past him, darting around the many other paladins in the hall before her. Paladins filled the surrounding corridors. Men looking for her when the captain had thrown up the alarm. Men running to surround her on his orders. Behind her, their captain pounded down the hall, his huge body blowing through any of his subordinates that were not fast enough to chase after her or get out of his way. Even with those road hazards, he would catch her in a straight sprint. She couldn¡¯t let it stay that kind of contest. She darted right, turning down another corridor, barely slowing. But slowing. He skidded past the turn. One of his hands grabbed the corner, yanking him back. His eyes burned into the back of her head as he chased. He¡¯s catching up again! Salos yelled, his voice emanating from her necklace. He must have demanifested as soon as she was past his victim. Suggestions? Cass demanded, her thoughts flying in every direction to find an escape. Another turn. She channeled Elemental Manipulation through her feet, willing a sheet of ice to materialize behind her over the intersection. She darted left as the ice took hold. The captain¡¯s hands snapped behind her, barely out of reach. She didn¡¯t stop to watch him fall. Focus: 286/549 Running will not be enough, Salos said. We just finished talking about how his Fortitude is too high for us to do anything about! Cass yelled. That was before he started chasing you! Now we need to find an answer, anyway. The captain wasn¡¯t on the ground long. Cass had barely turned the next corner and he was up again. Would the trick with the ice work again or would he be prepared for it this time? How long could she keep this up? Stamina: 97/141 Her heart pounded in her chest. Would he kill her when he caught her like he¡¯d ordered his men? Not if. When. Would he kill her on the spot, or would he drag her back to the ritual table in the cathedral and cut her heart out for his dark goddess? Would he lock her up in a small room and slice her soul to ribbons? She could outrun them for now, but how long could she keep it up? As long as she needed to, whispered the Wind. But that wasn¡¯t a long-term plan. True escape meant breaking the captain¡¯s skill. And that seemed just as impossible as hurting him. Maybe she could freeze him to death with astraum against his heart. But that required her to pierce his armor and Fortitude with her dagger, all the while standing in range of his sword. And would he stand still and take it like his lower-level subordinate had? No. She was trapped down here with him. Trapped as long as he was alive. Trapped as long as he wished to hold her. He charged behind her, his body and shield exploding with mana as he burst down the hall. The air screamed to get out of his way. Cass Stepped onto it, letting his mad rush gust her forward and around a corner. He careened on into the far wall at the end of the hall, his shield crashing into the glass and leaving an impact crater before him. He turned and growled, his eyes flashing with frustration. Perhaps he was trapped with her as much as the reverse. Cass cocked her head at the thought. What if being trapped in here became a problem for him? I have an idea, Cass said. How concerned should I be? Salos asked. It¡¯s a plan you¡¯re already familiar with, Cass said. Very concerned, got it. Oh, shush, Cass said, explaining the outline she had in mind. B.3-Ch. 40: Salos: Releasing the Dragon Salos did not like the plan. But as usual, he did not have a better one. His heart hammered in his chest as he leapt from Cass¡¯s shoulder into her shadow and Shadow Stepped out around a corner and out of sight. His Stealth pushed out to the maximum as he waited for Cass and her pursuers to pass. It was an eternity of tense worry she would be caught. It was a matter of seconds as they raced by, none the wiser that the true demon lurked just out of sight. Now, to stay that way. He scampered down the halls, from one shadow to the next, unseen as much because no one was looking for a black cat as because his experience kept him out of their gaze. Distantly, he could feel Cass running. Her heart beat to a frantic rhythm; her good sense terrified, but her Concept singing. Those sensations overflowed their bond, drowning his own collected calm. Yes, Cass¡¯s emotions were the only reason for his pounding heart. Cass would be fine until he got back. He had done solo missions like this all the time back in the day. Operating independently was his M.O. His target was just ahead. The door was shut, but that wasn¡¯t an issue for his Shadow Step. He was behind it with a thought. Before him was the dragon. It was a sad sight. Dragons were proud people. Vain. Greedy to a fault. But noble. Kind. Honorable. Annoyingly so. The thing snarling before him was none of these things. The dragon¡¯s scales were smeared in grime, the luster gone entirely. The horns coiled back, chipped and flaking. In truth, the dragon¡¯s state was none of his business. Bleeding heart Cass could cry about it. He had a job to do. He circled the runes on the floor. He could feel his Runic Knowledge skill straining. He knew more about runes than this. All of it was hazy. So much of that knowledge had been supported by the skill. A skill that was now a fraction of its old level. There were a lot of symbols that he recognized only for the meaning to slip through his mind like a broken sieve. He recognized enough of it, though. There was one of the repeating sections describing how the field should hold its contents. There a section outlining power sources. Over there, a clumsy repair where a sword or claw scratched through the pattern at one point. This was more than a simple containment field¡ªa ritual to hold a monster within a bound field. This structure also sapped the strength of the creature within and suppressed Focus recovery. Impressive, but probably the bare minimum needed to hold a dragon against its will. People thought that a single misplaced rune would collapse the entire structure. And that was technically true, if the working was poorly designed. A well-made structure included several layers of redundancy. Especially for something as critical as a containment field. That being said, there was always a weak point in any design. Redundancy cost more to run. More materials. A bigger circle. Everything was a balance and a tradeoff. This was no exception. There would be a section only repeated once. There would be a rune the inscriber struggled with that he could exploit. There would be sections he could short or overload. He just needed to find them. The dragon was still growling at him. Salos ignored him. There. The holding pattern on this side was missing a Verinth rune. What about over there? He continued his slow pace around. Cass¡¯s heart pounded in his ears, her emotions overflowing. How close had the paladins come to catching her? Yes, the inscriber surely had trouble drawing Gollsorn, too. That was the third sloppy carving of the character. A mental image of the circle built in his mind¡¯s eye. With the aid of his skill, he simulated changes. Would weakening this section bring the whole thing down? How about that one? If he supercharged this side, would that unbalance the entire working? He made his changes, his claws scratching into the floor with the aid of his Transcribe skill. It wasn¡¯t efficient, and he cursed whoever had chosen Morden Glass for the floors, but rune by rune, he altered the pattern. And then the door opened. Salos jerked around as the paladin walked in. The dragon roared as she entered, straining against its chains. The lights of the runes flickered. The dragon¡¯s Strength surged, but the chain held. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Give it up, Kelstor,¡± the paladin said. ¡°It¡¯s finally ending. You can rest soon.¡± Her voice was soft for a woman who had held the dragon captive for who knew how many years. ¡°This is the last time. Just hold still.¡± She approached slowly, unaware Salos lurked on the far side of the dragon or that the runes protecting her from the dragon¡¯s immense strength had failed. She held a stone disk in one hand. It pulsed in a way Salos couldn¡¯t describe. It wasn¡¯t a light. And it wasn¡¯t physically changing. Not a sound. Not the way her voice was a sound. And yet, it pulled at his attention. Promised things he didn¡¯t understand but wanted. He shook his head. What she was doing didn¡¯t matter. He raked his claws through the last rune he wanted altered and felt the pressure from the field drop entirely. The dragon lunged at the paladin. She jumped back. ¡°Woah! Stop that!¡± The dragon gnashed its teeth in response. Its chains strained to hold it back. Salos slipped over the now inert circle and up to the post to which the dragon was chained. More runes ran up and down its length. More Focus draining runes. Runes for suppressing Will. Runes for strengthening the post. Runes for reinforcing the chains. Say what you would about this Order of the Copper Crescent, they understood redundancy. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do this the hard way,¡± the paladin said, holding her empty hand out. It glowed the sickly green of Fortitude. ¡°Hold.¡± Her word rolled over Salos like a tsunami. He froze in place. Invisible chains held him in place. His mind split. He wanted to continue toward the post and finish releasing the dragon. And yet, he had to stand still. It wasn¡¯t a want. It wasn¡¯t a decision. It was a fact. He had to hold. A Command. Only Cass should have that power over him. The dragon froze too, its muscles strained against the Command. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the woman said as she approached. She placed the disk flat against the dragon¡¯s forehead and began a chant. How did this woman have Commands? She wasn¡¯t his master. She wasn¡¯t the master of the dragon, either. A skill? It couldn¡¯t be. If it were that easy to corral demons, the Custodia wouldn¡¯t have been half as necessary. Demons would have been a joke, not an epidemic. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t a powerful Command. Already, it loosened around him. The truth that he had to hold still fading until it was just a ghost over his skin. He bolted forward, his claws tearing into the runes of the post. The enchantments they carried buckled. He hadn¡¯t been careful about it¡ªa dangerous thing to do. Recklessly destroying empowered runes could blow up. The space within could warp. The energy contained could do any number of wild and unpredictable things. That was fine for this purpose. He wanted the post the runes were written on to break. Break it did. The energy bolted up the rod, arching through the chains, shocking the dragon. The paladin yelped in surprise, her hand pulling back, her disk pulling away from the dragon¡¯s skin. The dragon roared. Pain and anger and bestial madness echoed off the walls. He tore against his bindings. Chain snapped, his returned Strength finally greater than the metal¡¯s integrity. Jaws snapped at the paladin. Her shield was up in seconds, though the panic was obvious on her face. The dragon¡¯s maw clamped down around it, crushing closer to her body with every second. ¡°Release!¡± she shouted, her voice again a Command. The dragon flinched, its jaws loosening for a fraction of a second. Long enough for her to pull her shield from its mouth and turn for the door. Not long enough for her to make it far. It lunged. The jaws snapped shut. She screamed as they closed around her torso, biting through the metal of her armor and the Fortitude of her body. The dragon roared as her corpse collapsed in pieces to the floor and then slammed its way through the doorway. It wasn¡¯t an elegant process. He was far too big for the door. His head fit through, as did its neck. But its shoulders caught on the frame. It pounded against them, glass shattering with every impact. It roared down the halls with every attempt until, finally, it was through. Flames sprung up around its body, licking its scales and melting indents in the floor. Voices down the hall shouted warnings. They would have been better served keeping quiet and hiding. The dragon tore down the hall and out of sight. A moment later, the shouting was gone, but the roaring continued. Feral indeed. Salos picked his way out of the remains of the containment field. He needed to return to Cass, but he had questions. What exactly had they been doing to this dragon? How had the paladin Commanded him? She was far too dead to answer the question directly. Identify had little of interest to share about her corpse. Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (Deceased) Lvl 33 [The body of a vile demon hunter. Rejoice, for you have triumphed over a most hated enemy. Her soul is unguarded. Steal it before her goddess claims it to her halls.] He grimaced at the description. Every death looked like that to him now. A demon thing, he assumed. One he had no intention of humoring. He ignored it. It would be gone in a moment, the temptation removed for him. He focused on his investigation. None of her equipment suggested it offered the ability to Command. None, save the disk she¡¯d pressed to the dragon¡¯s body. Soul Scalpel [Class: Tool A device designed to slice pieces of a soul off of an already damaged soul, creating soul cores from the harvested piece. - Grants minor Command over entities who have undergone this treatment to holder] Salos blanched. That answered his questions. Answered them and more. What an awful devise. Was this a common tool in this era? He¡¯d never seen¡ª Pain laced through him as a memory flickered at the edges of his tattered mind. He was tied to a table. Containment runes ran over every inch of its surface. They coated the bindings holding him down. They ran over his skin. Painted? Tattooed? Branded? She stood over him. A disk in hand. A Soul Scalpel. She pressed it to his skin. Screaming.