《Ficium》 Chapter 1 - Rebirth ¡°Hello.¡± Dawn stared forward, looking at the formless¡­ form before them. ¡°Hello,¡± it repeated, its face, voice, and cadence the same as before. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°You have died.¡± ¡°I see. So what now?¡± ¡°I have decided to reincarnate you into another world. An Isekai if you will.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Good luck!¡± A smile that didn¡¯t exist crept onto its featureless face.
When Dawn awoke, she found herself lost in a grassland. She glanced towards the sky; it was clear and the sun had just risen, telling Dawn that daylight would be for a while. Where¡¯s a town? Dawn wondered. She twisted and turned, glancing around, but saw nothing in the plains, not even a road. She saw mountains in the distance, and a forest covering a large chunk of the horizon. Perhaps a town is hidden by the trees. And so, she set off.
¡°Stop!¡± A guard yelled, wearing a draped animal skin and holding a big stick. Huh, they¡¯re speaking English. ¡°May I enter-¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°WHO ARE YOU!¡± the other guard, dressed in a similar skin and wielding a different stick. ¡°I am Dawn Faith. May I enter this town?¡± The two guards came together and began whispering to each other. ¡°No. Leave now,¡± the first guard said, while the second began to windup the stick. Listening, Dawn swiftly walked away. But as she fled, she noticed a different town, far off in the distance. So she headed towards there.
¡°Please wait stranger,¡± a guard said, a smile on his face, before slipping into the town. The other guard stared at Dawn, and subtly licked his lips. But the moment didn¡¯t last, as the guard returned with an entourage of grinning men and women, holding sharp stones & big sticks. ¡°Ah,¡± was the last sound Dawn made before running, chased by a mob of villagers holding stones and sticks. ¡°Get back here!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s devour her flesh!¡± ¡°Consume the demon!¡± Demon? Maybe it¡¯s the clothes, they¡¯re all wearing animal skins, while I¡¯m wearing woven clothes. ¡°Whoosh!¡± a fireball roared, crashing into the grass near Dawn. Magic? Momentarily distracted, Dawn tripped. A shame. The crowd soon overtook her and began to strike her. The stones cut her, sticks bashed her flesh, and broke her bones. But even as her body collapsed, she didn¡¯t even let out a cry. With a face of concern on the guard who called the mob, he swung a large stone upon her head.
Dawn opened her eyes, discovering her view to be filled with leaves and trees. Keeping herself as hidden as she could, she glanced outside the woods and saw a crowd of people devouring a corpse. A corpse that looked an awful lot like her. A breeze swept through the trees, rustling the leaves and bringing to Dawns attention her clothes were not revived with her. Glancing around the woods, she saw the tree''s leaves were quite large, she ripped leaves off the trees and began laying them across herself. With pseudo clothes made, Dawn set off through the woods.
Through hours of wandering, Dawn found someone else in the woods. He was thin, draped in leaves as well, and tending to a small fire. ¡°Hello,¡± Dawn began, ¡°may I join you?¡± ¡°Ah, I take it the towns denied you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, take a seat. Why did they deny you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know no one here, and my former clothes were¡­ conspicuous.¡± ¡°Take it you lost them?¡± ¡°Yes. So, why did they deny you?¡± ¡°The cultists didn¡¯t like me being the next chief. Soon enough, I was exiled.¡± ¡°Hrm,¡± Dawn began thinking. What am I going to do now? What is my duty? ¡°So many will die because of them,¡± they continued. Aha, my duty. ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m going to become empress.¡± ¡°Empress?¡± ¡°I will make an empire and rule it. But I cannot rule alone. Will you join me?¡± Dawn reached out her hand, with the stranger staring at it. ¡°Where I¡¯m from, shaking hands shows someone accepting a deal. Will you accept?¡± He clearly fell into deep thought, but soon enough reached out and shook Dawn''s hand. ¡°Welcome. I am your Empress, Dawn Faith. What is your name, minister?¡± ¡°I am Stevin.¡± Chapter 2 - Imminent War ¡°Do you know how magic works Minister Stevin?¡± ¡°Not really. The cult claims that by eating people the runes come to them.¡± Runes? ¡°Do you know anything about runes?¡± ¡°Again, nothing. Just that runes are used and come to people,¡± Stevin said through a yawn. ¡°Hrm. The sun is getting low, so we need to take shifts so we don¡¯t get ambushed while sleeping. I¡¯ll take first watch, you sleep.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± was all Stevin replied before grabbing a bundle of leaves and wearing them as a blanket. Dawn glanced into the woods occasionally, while thinking of how to acquire runes. Perhaps meditate? With nothing better to do and occasional glances back into the woods, Dawn began to think. What was fire? What was that fireball? The hours crept forward, and Dawn began to see a symbol in her mind. A shape that meant ]Flame]. Opening her eyes, Dawn realized an issue. How do you power the rune? She didn¡¯t have long to ponder it though, as a wolf burst through the trees and bit at her. She barely managed to fall out of the way and scrambled over to Stevin, who was already beginning to stir. ¡°Wake up! A wolf is-¡± was all she could get out before being bitten. With all the force she could muster, Dawn rolled towards the fire, wolf in tow. It released her, but with the massive bite in her arm, it wouldn¡¯t be useable for a while. The pain and adrenaline clouder her mind, leaving only the rune floating in her head. Almost subconsciously, she raised her remaining arm and let something flow through her to form the rune midair. In a moment, the air was suddenly ablaze, and she charged the wolf with flame floating beside her hand. It tried retreating, but her suicidal charge was faster, catching the wolf''s fur on fire. It began to run away, but Dawn wouldn¡¯t let it. Extinguishing the floating flames, she grappled its legs. It tried biting her, but the flames on the wolf spread too quickly. It simply began to struggle, and soon fell still. Dawn got up, her arm leaking blood and her body somewhat charred from holding the burning wolf. But, she still lived. ¡°Are¡­ are you okay?¡± Stevin asked. ¡°Injured. It¡¯s midnight. It¡¯s your watch,¡± was all Dawn replied, before slipping under the leaf blanket.
Upon waking up, Dawn checked her injuries. Her arm was no longer bleeding, and her burns had receded. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake! Are you alright?¡± Stevin asked. ¡°Yes. Did you do something to heal me?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Then,¡± Dawn showed her arm to Stevin, ¡°do you know why I healed this fast? Do you heal this fast?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Maybe this is related to my earlier revival. Perhaps I¡¯m immortal, or at least very hard to kill. ¡°What happened with the wolf''s body?¡± Dawn asked. ¡°It¡¯s still there,¡± Stevin pointed to the body. Dawn got up and began looking at the wolf. It was thin, and its body was charred everywhere. ¡°Do you think this wolf was alone?¡± Dawn asked. ¡°Uhh¡­ yes? It didn¡¯t have more come after all.¡± ¡°I agree. It seems quite thin, so it was likely kicked out of its pack a while ago,¡± Dawn stood up as she spoke and turned to Stevin asking, ¡°How much food do you get daily?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± ¡°Hrm. We need food. You try and salvage meat from the wolf, I¡¯ll try hunting.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±
Dawn was very quiet, staring at a rabbit alone in the woods in front of her. Recalling the feeling from yesterday, she formed the rune again and fire burst into life beside her hand. Can I control it? Focusing, the flame condensed into a thin sheet. Dawn tried floating it further away, but she couldn¡¯t send it far from her. She pulled it back in, sent it out, and pulled it back in. If they sent a fireball, perhaps there¡¯s a rune that sends it flying. With no other choice, Dawn lept towards the rabbit, swinging the fire sheet at the rabbit. The rabbit dodged back, but she responded by sending the flame out further, striking at the rabbits neck. The condensed flame soared through the rabbit, separating the head and setting the fur on fire. Reacting quickly, Dawn dug her fingers into the ground, ripped dirt out, and covered the fire. While not perfect, Dawn managed to stop the fire from fully destroying the rabbit.
¡°Did you manage to get any meat from the wolf?¡± ¡°Yeah, but not much,¡± Stevin showed Dawn the wolf meat; it looked like half the wolf was still edible. ¡°I got a rabbit here,¡± Dawn lifted the rabbit. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Could you skin it then? I¡¯m cooking the wolf right now.¡± Dawn looked at the rabbit, before picking up a sharp stone and carving chunks of flesh off the rabbit, removing the fur. Soon enough, the rabbit was skinned. ¡°Here,¡± Dawn handed the skinned rabbit to Stevin. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t have to do it like that. You just need to separate the skin a little, and you can pull the rest off.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you later,¡± Stevin turned back to cooking the wolf. Dawn sat down and began experimenting with¡­ mana? Yeah, mana. She poured out some mana between her fingers and tried controlling it. It kept shaking, refusing to stay stable, but Dawn persisted. Soon enough, it slowly became more and more stable. Dawn kept going though, solidifying the mana into a sheet of mana. Tentatively, she reached out and poked it. The mana, it was solid. ¡°Meat¡¯s cooked,¡± Stevin called, reaching the skewered roasted rabbit over to Dawn, who took it and began eating quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll take first watch tonight,¡± Dawn said between bites, ¡°but first I need you to try something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Close your eyes, and focus on the mana in you.¡± ¡°Mana?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Dawn swallowed the final bit of rabbit before turning and facing Stevin. ¡°To cast the fire spells, I used an internal energy. I¡¯m calling it mana. What you need to do, is get in touch with your mana.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Stevin said, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. Dawn stared at him, waiting. After several minutes, Stevin opened his eyes and said, ¡°I can¡¯t feel it.¡± Is mana only in some people? Or did he just not notice it? ¡°Close your eyes again. I¡¯ll try something,¡± Dawn stood and walked over to Stevin, laying her hand on his shoulder and slowly flowing her mana into him. When he began shaking, she pulled back and asked, ¡°Do you feel it now?¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± Stevin stammered out. ¡°Open your eyes,¡± when Stevin opened his eyes, he saw a rune floating above Dawn''s palm. ¡°This, is the rune of [Flame]. Make one with your mana and try running your mana through it.¡± Stevin did as she asked, producing a small flame. ¡°Woh!¡± Stevin exclaimed. It¡¯s smaller and weaker than mine was. Perhaps¡­ In a moment flame burst before Dawn¡¯s hand, dwarfing Stevins flame. ¡°Why¡¯s yours so much bigger?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear to be stress or adrenaline. So my next two guesses are my understanding of the rune makes it more powerful, or that your mana is just weaker than mine. For now, when your watch shift comes up, try understanding and immersing yourself in flame.¡± ¡°Like¡­ set myself on fire?¡± ¡°No. Just understand fire. Stare at the fire. The world is fire,¡± seeing Stevin''s confused look, Dawn shook her head and said, ¡°Just try.¡± Dawn said goodnight, and for Stevin to wake her when the moon was directly overhead
When Dawn reopened her eyes, the moon was the first thing she saw, followed by Stevin with a large flame with him. ¡°Did you meditate on the rune?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I feel¡­ like I still don¡¯t understand it.¡± ¡°But this does confirm at least part of the issue was your lack of understanding of [Flame]. Well, get to sleep.¡± Stevin just nodded, before sliding under the blanket. Dawn sat down and began her routine. She¡¯d glance around, and when she found nothing she¡¯d begin practicing her mana manifestation (what she¡¯d taken to calling making her mana physical). She made a thin sheet of mana, dispelled it, and made another, trying to be faster and faster each time. And with the cycle repeating again and again, Dawn found herself capable of manifesting a sheet around a foot long in less than half a second. How can I use this? Tools? Weapons? But what should I wield as a weapon? I should start with a simple one for now. A sword? Too short range. A spear? No, a halberd. That should work fine. As the sun began to peak over the horizon, Dawn¡¯s practice had barely allowed her to form the halberd shaft. Dawn shook Stevin awake, told him, ¡°I¡¯ll go hunt,¡± and went out. Soon enough, she found a deer traveling. With a deep breath, Dawn tested her formation speed, making an axe in half a second. Dispelling the axe, she charged at the deer, barely managing to reach the deer before it began to flee. Diving and swinging her arm, the axe appeared in her hand and cut the deer''s heel. With the loss of its foot, the deer stumbled, allowing Dawn to stand and strike her axe into its brain. With the deer dead, Dawn began to drag it back to camp.
¡°So,¡± Dawn turned back to the deer, ¡°I just cut through the fur and skin and peel the rest off?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Stevin responded, keeping an eye on Dawn as she used a solid mana blade to make the first cut. With the first incision, Dawn began to pull the fur more and more off, until finally the deer''s flesh and fur were fully separated. ¡°Do you know how to manifest mana?¡± ¡°Manifest mana?¡± ¡°Make mana solid, like this,¡± Dawn made a blade to demonstrate. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Command the mana, like in a spell, but instead of running it through a rune, command it to be solid.¡± Stevin tried and unsurprisingly wasn¡¯t able to make anything big or stable, but it was manifested. ¡°Keep up the practice.¡±
The next morning, Stevin came to Dawn and asked, ¡°So, your majesty, what is our plan?¡± ¡°We¡¯re growing stronger, so soon we will annex the first town. But before we do, there are 3 things we need to figure out. How to enhance our physical strength, use fire at range, and heal. You will hunt monsters while I discover the runes. When you return, you will continue your practice on mana manifestation.¡± With a nod, Stevin set out, while Dawn closed her eyes and began to think of healing, of closing cuts and patching up bruises.
The days passed well enough, with Dawn becoming capable of making an entire halberd in a moment, and Stevin making a spear in a second. On the second day, Dawn found the healing rune and taught it to Stevin. On the fourth, Dawn took a break from her meditations to try and hunt again. Another rabbit was before her, but instead of her typical charge and slash, she tried something new. She encompassed her entire body with mana. The rabbit immediately fled, sensing the mana pouring off of her, but it taught Dawn a pair of valuable lessons. Her mana, when used, could be sensed. And, when she encompassed her body in mana it grew stronger, her senses sharper, and while she hadn¡¯t tested it, seemed more durable. She reduced the mana flowing upon her, focusing its power onto her sense instead. In a moment, the forest opened before her, with the animals so obvious to her new senses that ambushes felt more like a joke than an issue. Dawn set out after the rabbit she lost earlier, keeping her mana suppressed as much as she could. When it appeared in her eyesight, it kept looking around, likely trying to avoid her. With it in sight, she changed her enhancement to strength, preparing for a big spring forward. Inhale. Watch. Go. Flying right above the ground with speed faster than wind, she swung a mana blade right through the rabbit before bracing herself for the crash. Brushing off the dirt, Dawn inspected her kill. Perfectly bisected vertically. Powerful, but hard to use. Grabbing her prize, Dawn returned.
On the 7th day since she told Stevin the plan, she found the rune [Throw]. Teaching it to Stevin, she told him, ¡°Prepare. 2 days from now, we will begin the annexation.¡± Receiving a nod, Dawn returned to her training. Chapter 3 - Annexation ¡°Stevin. You¡¯ll stay back and hide in these woods. If I hurt someone too much, you¡¯ll heal them. Be as secret as possible.¡± Stevin nodded, to which Dawn walked out into the plains. ¡°May I speak with your chief?¡± Dawn asked the guards, a cold rigid expression was all that was on her face. One of the guards called a villager nearby and told them to fetch the chief. Their partner kept a close eye on Dawn while she waited, a tinge of fear upon his face. When the chief arrived, Dawn spoke without wasting a moment, ¡°Surrender the town to me. If you don¡¯t, I will take it by force.¡± The chief was shocked for a moment, before soon calming himself. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t agree to your-¡± Dawn struck midway through his response, manifesting her halberd, only missing the chief by the sacrifice of the scared guard. She pulled out the halberd from his shoulder, and swung at the other guard, enhancing her body with mana as she struck, cleaving through his stick before jumping at him and punching his face. With the two guards down, the chief didn¡¯t stay frozen. ¡°TO ARMS! WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK!¡± The townspeople rushed to the gate, while the chief retreated through the crowd. Too many people. Need more area attacks. Dawn swiftly formed a fireball, hurled it at part of the crowd, before throwing two more into the crowd, halting their advance as people tried to get out of the way of the fire. Taking advantage of the moment, Dawn rushed forward and swung with wild abandon, utilizing her heightened sense to gently redirect the halberd from hitting their heads. Having cleaved through around 20% of the entire town unscathed, the remaining villagers grew more skittish. Not quite. Still not willing to submit. Dawn rushed a second front, slashing through the villagers like cattle, her senses allowing her to improve her skills with every swing. One villager tried sneaking up on Dawn, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Dawn spun around and swung her halberd, lopping off the assailant''s hand in a single smooth swing. Kicking them back, Dawn turned back and yelled, ¡°CHIEF! Surrender, or I will continue!¡± The townspeople already had lost the will to fight, falling to their knees if they hadn¡¯t collapsed. The chief appeared, wielding a stone spear, and dug his heels into the ground. Recognizing the attempt, Dawn rushed him head-on. The chief thrust with all the power his body could muster, to which Dawn leaned her head out of the way and tackled him to the ground. She began to smash his face with her fists, taking subtle care to prevent her strikes from killing him. When his face was a bloody, crushed mess, teeth ripped from his gums, Dawn asked for a third time, ¡°Will you surrender?¡± raising her bloody fist above his head. ¡°I- I surrenzer!¡± the chief lisped. With her display of force complete, Dawn stood up and surveyed her new territory. The town was intact, only minor singing of buildings from her fireballs, but the people weren¡¯t fine. The ground was covered in blood, and most of the town was collapsed. The few who remained awake were prostrating themselves. ¡°Stevin!¡± was all she cried before he appeared inside the town. ¡°Heal any fatal injuries. Call me if you run out of mana.¡± She turned away, dragging the chief behind her inside of his house. Tossing him on the floor, Dawn sat down and began her questioning. ¡°How do you acquire food?¡± ¡°Ve-ve vunt.¡± He¡¯s hard to understand with that lisp. Dawn¡¯s hand glowed, as his body was forced to regrow his teeth. ¡°How often do you hunt?¡± ¡°On-once a day.¡± ¡°Calm down. I will not hurt you any longer,¡± when she saw the chief clearly not calm down, she told him, ¡°inhale. Hold. Exhale. Inhale. Hold. Exhale.¡± The chief followed her orders, his breathing stabilizing. ¡°Do you have specialized jobs?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Does everyone do the same thing every day?¡± ¡°Uhh,¡± the chief¡¯s mind clearly began to spin, trying to explain the town''s schedule. ¡°We have people hunt, people guard, and people rest. We swap roles every day.¡± Hrm. Constant hunting? The injuries would make that hard. ¡°Is anyone currently out hunting?¡± ¡°No, we were to do that later, but¡­¡± his implication was obvious, but Dawn didn¡¯t care. ¡°Do you know what agriculture is?¡± the chief shook his head. ¡°Growing plants?¡± he shook his head again. ¡°How much does everyone eat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ 3 large boars?¡± the chief¡¯s hesitation was apparent. Must not have standardized units, and go by size & feel instead. ¡°Come with me. We¡¯re going hunting.¡±
With the second boar slain and a trio of wolves lain across the ground, Dawn turned to the chief and asked, ¡°Is this enough?¡± He vigorously nodded, shock covering his face at her food acquisition in just an hour. ¡°Head to the town, and tell Stevin to come here.¡± Shortly, Stevin arrived, to which Dawn told him, ¡°Carry the wolves.¡± Loading the two boars onto her arms, one in each, Dawn walked back to town, Stevin following a few feet behind. ¡°How¡¯s everyone¡¯s injuries? Any deaths?¡± ¡°No one died, but some are unable to walk, and the amputee¡¯s hand hasn¡¯t been reattached.¡± ¡°Send the amputee to the same room as those unable to walk. I¡¯ll heal them when I finish delegating the cooking,¡± Stevin nodded, before hurrying off to the town.
The amputee had the strongest look of fear on her face that Dawn had seen from any of the villagers that day. No, the chief was more scared. ¡°Hold still,¡± Dawn held the girl''s wrist. Mana flowed through the stump, and soon flesh and bone began to grow. In minutes, her hand was good as new. With her healed, Dawn dropped her wrist, missing the expression of pure shock upon the girl, and walked to the first collapsed villager. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. What¡¯s wrong with them? No visible wounds¡­ concussion? Their pelt is coated in blood¡­ perhaps anemia. With an idea formed, Dawn cast the [Heal] spell, aiming first for the brain to regrow. With nothing happening after a minute, Dawn swapped to blood and noticed the face grow a little less pale. Anemia it is. With the first patient healed, Dawn moved to the second. Then the third, and fourth, and so on. When the entire room was healed, Dawn left without another word. What next? If the town can¡¯t hunt, they need food. While I can hunt, we won¡¯t be able to advance as a society. What did people on Earth do? Agriculture. But it¡¯ll take a while to get that started¡­ [Rapid Growth]. Dawn glanced at the sky, and found it was only noon. ¡°Stevin,¡± she called, to which Stevin immediately showed up. ¡°Every day you will hunt for food. Bring a hunter to make sure you¡¯re getting the right amount.¡± With Stevin''s nod, Dawn headed out to the forest.
I should collect a variety. Grains, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms. Livestock? No, too early to set that up. Dawn traveled throughout the forest, picking and carrying all manners of plants; an apple and orange, a bit of wheat and oats, and one mushroom. Soon enough, her hands were full. Forgot a backpack. Dawn shook her head dismissively, annoyed rather than embarrassed by her mistake. But this should be sufficient for a test run.
As Dawn stared at the ground, she ran over a mental checklist of what to do. Dig a hole, bury the seeds, cover, water. Digging¡­ my hands will do. Water¡­ I¡¯ll see if they have a jug or similar. Dawn stabbed her hand into the earth, and began tearing it up. With each scoop, she tossed it behind the hole and continued until the hole was half a foot deep. With the first hole done, she moved to the second, continuing until she made 5 holes. She grabbed the apple and tossed it in the first hole, followed by the orange into the second, and the mushroom into the third. With the wheat and oats, Dawn stared at them for a second. Do I need to prep them? There appear to be seeds¡­ I¡¯ll pull them off and toss the seeds in. Dawn¡¯s hand ripped the seeds off the wheat in a moment, to which she tossed them into the fourth hole, and repeated the motion with the oats for the 5th. With the seeds in the holes, she covered them with the dirt and set off to the village to see if they had a jug or something similar.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what that is?¡± ¡°Then how do you get water?¡± ¡°The forest has a river we drink from when we hunt, and the river is that way,¡± the chief pointed off in the distance, presumably to the river Dawn was unaware of. ¡°Be wary going there though, the other town drinks from there too.¡± ¡°The cannibals?¡± Dawn asked; the chief nodded, trying to hide the grief creeping onto his face. How to bring the water over¡­ redirect the river? Too much for a test. Carry it? My hands are too small¡­ mana manifestation.
Finding herself on the riverbank, Dawn formed a solid bucket and dipped it into the river. With great mental effort, she kept the bucket manifested as she held water with it. And with her water, she began to make the half-hour walk back to the field, every step a challenge of both holding the water physically and holding the bucket together mentally. But she persevered and was successful, taking an hour to complete the journey. Back at the small mounds where she buried the plants, she began to carefully pour the water onto the piles. With the plants watered, Dawn checked the time once again. The sun was nearing the horizon, so she headed back to town. Grabbing some food, she realized her lack of a home. A problem to resolve tomorrow. Dawn found a secluded section of town, laid down, and slept. When the sun rose, Dawn swiftly found the chief. ¡°Chief¡­ I don¡¯t know your name. What is your name?¡± ¡°My name is Samuel.¡± ¡°Ok. Prepare housing for me and a house for Stevin as soon as possible,¡± Dawn turned around and headed out. The field wouldn¡¯t water itself.
Dawn¡¯s second time watering the field was faster than before, taking 45 minutes rather than an hour to return with the water. Slow. But the forest grows daily¡­ perhaps some magic exists in the forest? But the point of farming here is to be outside the forest. I should investigate if [Rapid Growth] exists. Dawn sat before the field and closed her eyes. What is growth? For a plant, it absorbs CO2, draws up water, and combines them into food using the sun. So for growth¡­ Dawn began feeling a hint of knowledge in her mind. It was like with [Flame], but more complex. So rune learning speed depends on complexity. Dawn sat there, the hours ticking by. By dusk, she felt most of the rune coming together in her mind. She headed back and found a tent laid out for her. A temporary solution. Dawn crawled inside and slept the night away. And with Dawn rising again, she headed to Chief Samuel and told him, ¡°be sure to prepare a permanent shelter.¡± This time, she stayed, staring at Samuel. Fear crept onto his face. ¡°Do you understand?¡± He frantically nodded, so Dawn left to fetch the water. With the 40-minute return journey complete, Dawn began to finish her studies on [Rapid Growth]. Hours later, Dawn opened her eyes to the setting sun, with [Rapid Growth] in her mind. Stretching out her hand, the rune flared to life. A small twig pierced through the ground, leaves unfurled. But it did not stop, continuing to rise, branches poured off the sides, leaves appearing all across the branches. The branches seemed dedicated to piercing the heavens, but their rapid growth stopped, in tandem with Dawn''s collapse. Why did my mana consumption skyrocket? Was all she could think before sleep claimed her.
Dawn awoke inside her tent, the sun creeping through the wide opening. She crawled out, and rose to see a few townspeople with shocked expressions. ¡°How long was I out?¡± They remained silent. ¡°How long was I out?¡± Dawn repeated. ¡°A day,¡± Chief Samuel answered, pushing his way through the crowd. ¡°I see. I must be off them. I must water the crops,¡± Dawn began walking, scaring the crowd into parting for her. As she walked through the town gateway, Stevin appeared before her. ¡°Stop. You need to rest,¡± Stevin told her, an expression of concern apparent on his face. ¡°I do not. I collapsed due to mana exhaustion, but since my mana has recovered, so I am fine.¡± Stevin manifested a spear and pointed the tip at Dawn. ¡°Rest.¡± Dawn responded by smacking the spear aside, thrusting her hand to his neck, and throwing him aside. ¡°I do not need to rest,¡± she told him as she left through the gate.
Have I grown stronger? The thought crossed Dawn¡¯s mind as she poured the water over her crops without much effort, taking only 30 minutes, the same time as to simply walk the distance. Pouring the water, Dawn used [Rapid growth] on the apple tree once again, finding it easier. The mana consumption is lower¡­ perhaps it¡¯s the water. Dawn continued to use [Rapid growth] until she felt it draining her mana at a faster pace. Cutting the mana, she made the hour-long round trip to bring back water. Pouring it upon the tree, she recast [rapid growth]. So it drained my mana to compensate for the lack of water. With [Rapid Growth], I can teach the town to grow the food. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll begin the magic training. But the water¡­ water summoning? Seems too exhausting. Dig a well? I don¡¯t know how. Irrigation? Difficult, but better than the alternatives. Dawn manifested a blade and stabbed it into the ground, carving a line to the river. Should there be an outflow point? I¡¯d need to either dig a reservoir or make it flow back into the river¡­ Dawn returned to the farm, to the initial cut on the ground, and continued the other way to the river. I¡¯ll teach in the morning, and dig in the evening. Dawn glanced at the sun, finding it soon to be night. Tomorrow, she¡¯d begin. Chapter 3.5 - Kaleidoscope I Someone¡¯s coming. Jered thought, watching the approaching figure. When they got close, Jered scrutinized every detail he could. Untrustworthy. Strange clothes, no signs of exhaustion. ¡°Stop!¡± Jared cried out. ¡°May I enter-¡± ¡°WHO ARE YOU!¡± Jared''s colleague, Ryan, cried out. ¡°I am Dawn Faith. May I enter this town?¡± the mysterious woman said, no expression on her face. Jared stepped closer to Ryan, whispering, ¡°She can¡¯t be trusted. Strange clothes, two names, no sign of a weapon, yet she¡¯s uninjured.¡± Ryan responded, ¡°Yeah. You tell her to leave, I¡¯ll ready a swing.¡± Jared told her to leave, and before Ryan could even step forward, she left. ¡°When we get off shift, we need to tell the Chief this,¡± Ryan commented, Jared nodding in agreement.
Ooh? Have they sent a sacrifice as requested? Lovely. Jackson thought, seeing a figure approach from the other town. But when they got close, Jackson grew more concerned. The woman was beautiful, yes, but her dead gaze and strange clothing filled Jackson with fear rather than excitement. ¡°May I enter town?¡± the stranger asked. Ah, she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s getting into. ¡°Please wait stranger,¡± Jackson said, slipping into town to gather a crowd. She will help solidify my power. What a wonderful offering; they¡¯ll eat her right up. Soon enough, he gathered the people and went back to the gate. When she saw the crowd, she turned tail and fled. You won¡¯t get away that easily. Jackson lead the charge, rushing down the mysterious woman. She fled quite well, but soon after Ray¡¯s fireball flew by, she tripped. With her on the ground, everyone rushed her, crushing her. But she didn¡¯t scream. It was¡­ unsettling. Was the woman in front of him human? He shook off the thought, and finished her off. Jackson yelled to the crowd, ¡°A feast upon us! Satiate yourself as you please!¡± who responded by ripping her broken corpse into chunks and devouring them.
¡°Hello, may I join you?¡± a strange voice asked Stevin. Stevin glanced up, but froze for a moment seeing the most beautiful woman in his life before him. But the spell didn¡¯t last. ¡°Ah, I take it the towns denied you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, take a seat. Why did they deny you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know no one here, and my former clothes were¡­ conspicuous.¡± ¡°Take it you lost them?¡± ¡°Yes. So, why did they deny you?¡± ¡°The cultists didn¡¯t like me being the next chief. Soon enough, I was exiled.¡± ¡°Hrm,¡± the woman pondered for a moment ¡°So many will die because of them,¡± Stevin continued. ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m going to become empress.¡± ¡°Empress?¡± ¡°I will make an empire and rule it. But I cannot rule alone. Will you join me?¡± the woman reached out her hand. ¡°Where I¡¯m from, shaking hands shows someone accepting a deal. Will you accept?¡± Should I take it? What would the consequences be? Do I have anything to lose? No. If there¡¯s nothing to lose¡­ Stevin reached out his hand and took hers. ¡°Welcome. I am your Empress, Dawn Faith. What is your name, minister?¡± ¡°I am Stevin.¡± After a few moments of thought, Dawn asked, ¡°Do you know how magic works Minister Stevin?¡± ¡°Not really. The cult claims that by eating people the runes come to them.¡± ¡°Do you know anything about runes?¡± ¡°Again, nothing. Just that runes are used and come to people,¡± Stevin said through a yawn. ¡°Hrm. The sun is getting low, so we need to take shifts so we don¡¯t get ambushed while sleeping. I¡¯ll take first watch, you sleep.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± was all Stevin replied before grabbing a bundle of leaves and wearing them as a blanket.
¡°-up! A wolf is-¡± was the words that crept into Stevins foggy brain, before a sickening slash sounded out. Stevin hurried up, adrenaline pumping. He saw Dawn roll away, and call a massive flame before her. With a great hurry, she charged the wolf and grappled it¡¯s legs. The wolf burned, it¡¯s final expression one of terror. ¡°Are¡­ are you okay?¡± Stevin asked, approaching slowly. ¡°Injured. It¡¯s midnight. It¡¯s your watch,¡± Dawn curtly replied, before slipping under the leaf blanket Stevin had just slept under. Stevin slowly relaxed, the tension leaving his body. He didn¡¯t feel tired though, likely because he woke up and didn¡¯t do anything. He watched around, but nothing happened until morning.
Stevin heard a rustling, to which he snapped his head towards. But it was just Dawn rising, inspecting her injuries. She¡¯s mostly unhurt! ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake! Are you alright?¡± Stevin asked. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Yes. Did you do something to heal me?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Then,¡± Dawn showed her arm to Stevin, ¡°do you know why I healed this fast? Do you heal this fast?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°What happened with the wolf''s body?¡± Dawn asked. ¡°It¡¯s still there,¡± Stevin pointed to the body. Dawn got up and began looking at the wolf. It was thin, and its body was charred everywhere. ¡°Do you think this wolf was alone?¡± Dawn asked. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Stevin¡¯s mind raced, tried to compile an answer, ¡°yes? It didn¡¯t have more come after all.¡± ¡°I agree. It seems quite thin, so it was likely kicked out of its pack a while ago.¡± Dawn stood up as she spoke and turned to Stevin asking, ¡°How much food do you get daily?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± ¡°Hrm. We need food. You try and salvage meat from the wolf, I¡¯ll try hunting.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Dawn subsequently walked away into the woods, away from the camp. Stevin began to skin the wolf, but it was hard work. It¡¯s pelt was burned all over, and strangely taut to the flesh. But he kept at it, finishing soon enough. Gently placing the meat on sticks, Stevin prepared to cook. ¡°Did you manage to get any meat from the wolf?¡± Stevin was startled for a moment, responding, ¡°Yeah, but not much,¡± before showing Dawn the wolf meat. ¡°I got a rabbit here,¡± Dawn said, lifting the rabbit. ¡°Could you skin it then? I¡¯m cooking the wolf right now.¡± Stevin turned his back to Dawn as he carefully cooked the wolf. A few moments passed, and he heard, ¡°Here,¡± from Dawn as she handed the skinned rabbit to Stevin. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t have to do it like that. You just need to separate the skin a little, and you can pull the rest off.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you later,¡± Stevin turned back to cooking the wolf. In a short while, Stevin turned back, saying, ¡°Meat¡¯s cooked.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take first watch tonight,¡± Dawn said between bites, ¡°but first I need you to try something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Close your eyes, and focus on the mana in you.¡± ¡°Mana?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Dawn swallowed the final bit of rabbit before turning and facing Stevin. ¡°To cast the fire spells, I used an internal energy. I¡¯m calling it mana. What you need to do, is get in touch with your mana.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Stevin said, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. Internal¡­ energy. Is there anything? After several minutes, Stevin opened his eyes and said, ¡°I can¡¯t feel it.¡± ¡°Close your eyes again. I¡¯ll try something,¡± Stevin followed her orders, feeling a strange sensation flowing into him. His body rejected it, shaking in the process. ¡°Do you feel it now?¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± Stevin stammered out. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± When Stevin opened his eyes, he saw a rune floating above Dawn''s palm. ¡°This is the rune of [Flame]. Make one with your mana and try running your mana through it.¡± Stevin did as she asked, producing a small flame. ¡°Woh!¡± Stevin exclaimed. In a moment, a flame burst before Dawn¡¯s hand, dwarfing Stevin''s flame. ¡°Why¡¯s yours so much bigger?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear to be stress or adrenaline. So my next two guesses are my understanding of the rune makes it more powerful, or that your mana is just weaker than mine. For now, when your watch shift comes up, try understanding and immersing yourself in flame.¡± ¡°Like¡­ set myself on fire?¡± ¡°No. Just understand fire. Stare at the fire. The world is fire,¡± seeing Stevin''s confused look, Dawn shook her head and said, ¡°Just try.¡± Dawn said goodnight, and for Stevin to wake her when the moon was directly overhead. Stevin closed his eyes, recalling the rune. He couldn¡¯t just study, though, so every now and again he stopped to look around and make sure nothing was approaching. Every time he closed his eyes, it felt like he began to become one with the rune. And when the moon has risen to it¡¯s zenith, Stevin awoke Dawn, demonstrating his [Flame]. ¡°Did you meditate on the rune?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I feel¡­ like I still don¡¯t understand it.¡± ¡°But this does confirm at least part of the issue was your lack of understanding of [Flame]. Well, get to sleep.¡± Stevin nodded in agreement, slipping into bed.
The days with Dawn passed swiftly, with Stevin learned more magic. And every day, he felt a feeling in his chest growing stronger. Loyalty, for sure, but something else. It didn¡¯t matter, though, as Stevin was overjoyed at recovering his emotions. He did notice something odd, though, that his thin body began to gain muscle. His hair remained short, but its color grew more defined. Despite the rest of the changes to his body, he didn¡¯t grow any taller. He didn¡¯t mind, though. ¡°Prepare. 2 days from now, we will begin the annexation.¡± Stevin nodded, to which Dawn returned to her training. And when the two days passed, Stevin followed her to the edge of the forest. ¡°Stevin. You¡¯ll stay back and hide in these woods. If I hurt someone too much, you¡¯ll heal them. Be as secret as possible.¡± Stevin nodded at her orders, watching as she left. She began to talk with the guards, and soon enough the chief appeared. And Dawn struck. She tore through the guards, entering the town somewhat to fight the crowd that formed. Stevin stealthfully approached, hiding himself outside the walls. He inspected the guards, stopping their bleeding before glancing up to see Dawn punching the chief repeatedly. ¡°Stevin!¡± Dawn yelled, so Stevin approached. ¡°Heal any fatal injuries. Call me if you run out of mana.¡± Stevin nodded, so Dawn dragged the chief away. Stevin walked around, doing his best to stop bleeding and cure deeper wounds. He grew quite tired, but he managed to stop anyone from dying. But many wouldn¡¯t wake up. ¡°You all¡­ move the unconscious to an open room. And you,¡± Stevin pointed at a woman with a stump for a hand, ¡°join them.¡± After moving everyone to the town hall, Stevin tried to heal them, but was unable to do so. ¡°Ah¡­ Stevin?¡± the chief entered, nervousness all over his thin frame. ¡°Dawn was calling for you.¡± ¡°Understood. In the woods?¡± the chief nodded, so Stevin left.
After meeting up with her in the woods, Stevin informed her of the healing progress. She headed off, and soon enough left the town hall, so Stevin peered inside to see everyone healed, the unconscious beginning to rise and the amputee with a new hand. ¡°Stevin,¡± Dawn called, so he hurried over. ¡°Every day you will hunt for food. Bring a hunter to make sure you¡¯re getting the right amount.¡±
The days once again slipped past, with Stevin hunting in the mornings and hanging out with the villagers in the evening. They all chatted about random topics, and Stevin learned they didn¡¯t even know what to do without hunting. But one day, Dawn didn¡¯t return. Growing concerned she had been killed, Stevin excused himself and went to find her. In the middle of the field, a short distance away, was a small tree. And at its base¡­ Stevin raced over, using mana enhancement to practically fly over and check out Dawn¡¯s body. Finding her still breathing, he slung her onto his back and brought her back to town, gently laying her into her tent. Stevin was terrified that she wouldn¡¯t wake up the next day. But when a crowd began to form, Stevin¡¯s fear was replaced by a different feeling. He headed to the gate to stop her. And as he thought, she appeared. ¡°Stop. You need to rest,¡± Stevin told her, an expression of concern covering his face. ¡°I do not. I collapsed due to mana exhaustion, but since my mana has recovered, so I am fine.¡± Stevin manifested a spear and pointed the tip at Dawn. ¡°Rest.¡± Dawn responded by smacking the spear aside, thrusting her hand to his neck, and throwing him aside. ¡°I do not need to rest,¡± she told him as she left through the gate. Stevin lay on the ground, feeling like his heart was trampled on. He figured out the feeling that had been brewing in his chest, and what replaced his terror at her possible death. He was in love with her and was terrified of losing her. But she didn¡¯t care about him. He was, after all, just her minister.