《Bonded Summoner - Books 1-6 On Amazon!》 Book 1 - Prologue ¡°Didn¡¯t I say to stack more dots? Why are there only six dots on the boss right now?!¡± Jake rolled his eyes as he added a damage-over-time spell to the boss, acquiescing to the raid leader¡¯s stupid demands. His mana was more effectively used on just about anything else, but if it would make the guy stop yelling, he would waste it on something he was not specialized in. This was annoying, but he couldn¡¯t help but be excited as he faced the challenging boss with a group of people. Jake healed the small Dwarven Siegebreaker as he tanked the giant Infernal Demon around the room, the dichotomy between the two beings amusing him. While damage over time effects could be a viable strategy for a target that constantly went in and out of range for damage dealers, this was nothing more than a tank and spank. There was just something about Massively Multiplayer Online Games, or MMOs that always attracted Jake. Something about working as a team, each character progressing in their own special ways, really motivated him to spend most of his available free time playing them ever since he was a teenager. Despite enjoying playing his favorite game with his many friends, he was feeling like something was missing. The sense of accomplishment was diminishing, and the enjoyment of supporting others was limited by both their enthusiasm to play the game and to improve as much as Jake. Jake¡¯s primary character was the Summoner class in the game [The Labyrinth]. Often considered the jack of all trades, master of none class, in Jake¡¯s opinion, it was the ultimate support. Using the advantages of various summons, it could win any game of paper-rock-scissors. This was thanks to the amount of effort Jake put into each one of his summoned creatures, just so that they would be effective and available in case they were needed. His summons could buff, heal, tank, and they could even bring any damage type to a fight. This was on top of all the things that Jake himself could do: the only things he couldn¡¯t do on his own without his summons was tank a boss or bring sufficient melee damage to the fight. Thanks to this growth, Jake was no longer just a jack of all trades, master of none; he was the master of supporting his allies to bring out the best in them, being just what his party needed, which he loved. However, it looked like the game of [The Labyrinth] was out of easy-to-complete content, and many of his friends had lost the motivation to gear up, skill up, and complete some of the last raids of the game. It was because of that that Jake had bothered to team up with this group of man-children. The Summoner class had various specialization choices. Jake had chosen [Buffing] for his spells and for his creature focus: he chose [No-focus]. This gave a minor benefit to any summoned creature that was less than picking other specialties like dragons, elementals, or beasts. Instead, he would not receive any penalties for bringing different creatures or using different summon types, allowing him much more versatility than any of those. He went through all the effort to collect and earn many rare summons, to have the best of those available to him, to have an answer to almost any situation. That situation was about to happen. His small raid party of ten players was facing off against the giant Infernal Demon for the fourth time tonight. It was probably the second to last attempt before his raid party called it quits for the night. At ten percent health, the demon was supposed to unleash a wave of hellfire that would wash over the party, but they could not reach that point on previous attempts. A few classes had ways of mitigating this ability, but their specializations were often less desirable, and they had been hard-pressed to form this group. Other classes could avoid it for themselves only, but that would require them both to pay attention and save such ability for that precise moment. Jake had a solution, and this was the only reason they were here, facing this boss. He shared over the voice chat, ¡°Get ready. Placing Wartortoise in the center like planned in ten seconds.¡± As his internal timer counted down, he noticed that nobody in his group had bothered to head there, too focused on trying to maximize their damage to beat their teammates on a damage chart. He knew this train wreck was about to happen, so he started his plan: finish the boss himself. He knew that even the one-off abilities that would allow the party members to save themselves would not be triggered at the right time by his party members, or at least successfully by enough of them to win. Jake grinned as he realized that the raid leader¡¯s incessant focus on dots might actually be what makes this possible for him. Jake finished summoning the [Asmodian Wartortoise] with only a few moments to spare. With his spare time, he started acting on his plan. He drank mana potions, placed his mana font, and began summoning the other creatures he would need to make the impossible happen. The Infernal Demon released its wave of hellfire, encompassing the entire battlefield. Jake did his best to heal through a large amount of damage over time by those hit by the wave of hellfire. However, it only delayed the inevitable and gave his allies just a few more seconds of damage against the boss, damage that he needed. His ¡®friends¡¯ raged in the voice chat the entire time, blaming others for their own failure. The boss was now down to seven percent health and enraged. Jake was completely safe from the damage hiding behind the Wartortoise, as the activated ability created a barrier that protected those behind the giant turtle in relation to the boss, forming a powerful shell of water around itself. The turtle still took the damage, and Jake¡¯s plan was to use this, as he had activated a second ability: [Wartortoise¡¯s Rage]. The more damage the turtle took in the time the first ability was active, the more damage it could accomplish with the second. It just took an unreasonable amount of damage, so this turtle was particularly pissed. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. As the angry turtle took on the boss, Jake cast his longer cast-time summons. Normally, the boss would still have Jake on its threat table, causing them to come after Jake before the turtle because of all Jake¡¯s healing throughout the raid: more than anyone else in his party. However, once again, Jake had a plan for this: he had summoned a [Sharkgoblin Assassin]. It would normally be a useless summon in this situation, but he had found that when the goblin had access to water, exactly like the water given off by the turtle, it could create a domain in which it could spread and share its stealth ability with Jake and his allies. This took him off of the Infernal Demon¡¯s threat table. Jake loved interactions like these and found that there were few players that even knew about it because of just how many creatures there were in the game: tens of thousands. A Beast or Humanoid Summoner could not take advantage of this combination because the penalties involved would simply not allow access to both abilities; summons outside their respective specialization couldn¡¯t have access to everything. This was not the case for Jake¡¯s no-focus specialization. Sure, the beast summoner¡¯s Wartortoise would be even stronger and better than his, but then the Sharkgoblin could not interact with it in this way. The turtle was nearly dead, and Jake released his next summon: [Swarm of Vicious Blight-filled Mayflies], and once again downed more potions and started on his next. Jake could not use this summon during a raid under normal circumstances. Swarms for the Summoner class could be exceedingly powerful, but they came with one major downside: they did not follow the will of the summoner. This meant that they were now attacking both his turtle and the boss. Jake was only safe because of being inside the domain the goblin created. The mayflies had several effects. They filled their bites and claws with blighted diseases and poisons that stacked, reducing both the health and effectiveness of the boss. The best part, though, was that these actually extended his dead team member¡¯s damage over time effects, allowing them to help Jake from the grave. This would be a terrible idea to use with his party still alive, as these effects would probably hurt them a lot more than the boss, but Jake could do this because they were all dead. Jake summoned the mayflies for their last effect: when they died, their bodies would explode and release an acid that would add even more damage and sunder the enemy¡¯s armor. Jake¡¯s turtle died, his valor to forever be remembered, and Jake would only have but a few moments before the intelligence of the boss released another area of effect to both find and kill him. The boss did not much care to target swarming enemies, as they would die on their own to the boss¡¯s hellfire aura. A shame, Jake thought, as he would have to farm for hours to collect so many mayflies again. The mayflies were unlike his other summons he would simply need to revive at a temple. Swarming creatures just didn¡¯t have the same type of connection to the summoner, and when they died, they would have to be captured again, one by one. Still, this was the only path that Jake saw for victory. With that, Jake released his second-to-last summon, another humanoid. This time, it was a [Korstrazi Blademaster]. The Korstrazi come from a world nearly infested with demons; there is nothing they hate more. Because of that, they have become extremely proficient in killing them. Not only that, they use blights and poisons to great effect. The Korstrazi appeared, only to find the object of his hatred right in front of him. The blade master immediately charged the Infernal Demon and used even more blights and poisons, enhancing the ones already present on the boss. With the boss¡¯s armor sundered, the blade master¡¯s damage was quite impressive. The blade master had various attacks that were boosted by how many diseases and poisons were on the boss, which, thanks to the mayflies, were quite a lot. With the boss enraged, even with the Korstrazi¡¯s natural advantage against demons, he would be dead within a few swings of the Infernal Demon¡¯s giant axe. However, blade masters specialize in evasion, and they had an ability they could use only one time per ten minutes that allowed them to become near unhittable for thirty seconds. This allowed Jake to make his final preparation, as the boss¡¯s hit points dropped to two percent. The blade master would die in mere moments, as his evasion ability would wear off soon. The entire time Jake fought his one-on-one with the boss, the raiding party raged at him over the voice chat. They wanted him to hurry and wipe so that they could make another attempt on the boss; they did not think that Jake would win and that he was merely showing off. He was even threatened that they would not invite him back for future runs. Jake knew from experience they were just mad that they thought they could not get the loot from the boss for all their hard work. They wouldn¡¯t usually care less how or why the killing blow against the boss was achieved. If they could simply walk into the room and get the loot, they would gratefully accept it and move on. Jake just ignored their childishness and replied, ¡°Just wait a minute, guys. I will resurrect you when I am done.¡± They would get their precious loot, thanks to Jake. Jake cast his rarely used ephemeral summon: a [Blighted Dragon]. Casting this creature took up nearly all of his mana, which was why he rarely used it. It was the type of summon that would execute only one attack or ability before disappearing, like a certain fantasy game that was final, yet there were somehow like twenty of them. Blowing nearly all of his mana for a single attack was simply inefficient, and it was usually much better to cast several other longer-duration summons over a period. Jake could only keep his mana so high doing what he was doing because he had laid down the mana font and had kept his mana as full as possible. The legendary artifact called a mana font was reason enough for Jake to get added to the raid by itself. He spent countless days farming and hunting down what it needed to make this item, all so that it would regenerate mana for those near it, even during combat. Mana would hardly regenerate at all in combat, aside from his Summoner class and random buffs or abilities, so using the mana font allowed his mana regeneration to reach unprecedented levels. If this party had simply followed his plan, it would have been like a reset of the fight, as the other casters and healers could have regenerated most, if not all, of their mana. Even if the boss had nearly double the total hit points, they still would have won. They could only blame themselves for not being where they needed to be. With that, the blade-master died, and the Dragon released its blighted breath attack as it disappeared into motes of light. Once again, the blight added and fed on the blights already present on the boss, and it took an immense amount of damage and added even more damage-over-time effects. The boss was already dead, it just didn¡¯t know it yet. Jake sent in his goblin friend that had been protecting him the whole time, and it released its empowered backstab, killing the Infernal Demon. Book 1 - Chapter 1 - Youre Drafted! Jake thought his defeat of the boss would be met with cheers, but for some reason, everyone else in the party left instead. Were they really just jealous that Jake could finish the boss by himself, or just mad that he didn¡¯t listen to them and let himself die instead of trying to win? He did his best to put himself in their shoes, but he just could not understand how they could be so upset. He looked over to the loot he had earned with a sigh. While it was important to progress his own character with better equipment, he was more looking forward to having a team to take on the next dungeon. Still, there was nothing for it. He would have to find a new party to team up with and take on the dungeon again to proceed through more bosses, as the Infernal Demon was not even the last one. It was at that moment he noticed he had earned an achievement, [Last Man Standing ¨C finish a raid boss as the last one alive from over 5 percent health]. The effect of the achievement had an odd, perhaps ominous, statement: ¡°Account Marked.¡± Jake finished his usual post-raid tasks of replenishing his potions and reviving his summons and logged out of the game. Jake contemplated, there were several dungeons beyond the one they took on, but a party that didn¡¯t put in the kind of effort Jake did would be hard-pressed to ever reach them. He sighed as he looked at his photos next to his computer. Each picture showed him at a different school, with different people. Orphaned at the young age of 8, he bounced from foster home to foster home until he came of age and was able to live on his own, moving into his own place before even finishing high school. He could not immediately afford college, so he had gotten a job working the third shift so that he could both afford his own place and save up. Jake always felt that he only had himself, so personal improvement had been high on his list of priorities: he had taken up boxing for personal fitness and to also have something to focus on. He had also worked hard to keep all his grades up. While he hadn¡¯t earned the Valedictorian at his school, primarily due to his switching schools almost every year: he had still come very close. He yearned for family and thought that was perhaps why he had chosen the Summoner class in the first place: he wanted to be useful, to be desired, as he felt that this class had a lot to offer teaming up with anyone. He also didn¡¯t like being alone, something that a Summoner hardly had to worry about; an escape from his real life. Not only was his world of gaming running into roadblocks, but his career and personal life, too. He had recently quit his job working the third shift at the warehouse to finally look for a job that would use his computer science degree he had earned online, but it appeared there were no true entry-level positions. Every company wanted years of experience, even those jobs labeled as entry-level. On top of that, the few internships he applied for scoffed at his online degree. Then on a personal level, he had struck out enough times on the dating app that he was losing confidence there as well. It¡¯s not that Jake was bad looking: 23 years old, at 6¡¯1, brown hair with hazel eyes, and in decent shape. Jake felt he was attractive and had plenty going for him. The problem he had thought was due to working the third shift¨Chis available time was simply not meant for being involved with normal people. This was one of the main reasons for leaving his third shift job. To be honest with himself, between work and schooling, he did not feel he had the time for a relationship previously. Jake got up from his gaming desk. He would not spend any more time feeling bad for himself. He would continue to work on and improve himself, and things would change naturally on their own. Jake would continue to focus on the things that he could change and acknowledge the things that he couldn¡¯t. That was why he pursued his degree online despite working full-time at the warehouse and why he kept in shape. If they wouldn¡¯t hire him because he had no experience, then he would write his own application or make his own game. He would be his own boss and be successful at best, or he would at least have something in his portfolio to show prospective employers at worst. Jake decided he would also take a small break from his game and go back to volunteer work. Jake had given it up before due to simply not having enough time between work and school, but now, he had nothing but time. Volunteering both felt good and was a great place to meet people. He decided he would go for a run outside. Just as he was about to head out the door, he heard a voice. ¡°That was a good showing, kid. You even had a few more cards to play if that blight dragon wasn¡¯t quite enough, didn¡¯t you? Jake Hart, isn¡¯t it? Your drive and ingenuity are exactly what we need.¡± Jake was shocked by the voice. His apartment was locked, and the voice came from all around him. He began to wonder if he was hallucinating¨C ¡°You¡¯re not imagining me, kid. I¡¯m very real. I¡¯ll start from the beginning. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Odin.¡± The last few words came from behind him, and Jake spun around. In front of him was definitely someone that looked like he could be the god Odin. He had an eye patch, white hair, and a wizened face despite looking middle-aged, wearing some kind of armor that exuded power and a spear. There was palpable energy leaking off of him, giving Jake a feeling he had not felt before. His body felt heavy, as if the man¡¯s mere presence would push him to kneel. Was this divinity? Odin had a smirk on his face, and he was holding out his hand for a handshake. ¡°Are you going to just gawk at me? I greeted you¨Cyou are being a little rude. Yes, I¡¯m hearing your thoughts as if you were speaking them aloud, and yes, you are experiencing my divinity,¡± Odin said. Jake shook himself out of it and reached out and grasped Odin¡¯s hand to give it a shake. ¡°I- I¡¯m Jake. A pleasure¡­¡± His hand was engulfed in power, and he felt like the other man could crush him with ease. Odin released Jake¡¯s hand and replied, ¡°Yes. It is. Now, as I said, we need you. I¡¯ll do my best to bring you up to speed here. Many of the fantasy races and settings that you know of are actually real, and their respective universes are part of a greater multiverse.¡± Jake was about to ask a question when that bomb was dropped, but he was cut off by Odin, ¡°Save your questions. They will all be answered, in due time. My time here is limited, however, and the information I can provide you is restricted. We, The Alliance, are fighting a war with outsiders: eldritch-like beings as you know them. Their goal is to consume and consume until nothing is left. Their attack on our multiverse is an insidious thing, an expansive web spanning all over the multiverse as something that you might know: a dungeon. Tartarus, an infinite labyrinth.¡± Jake was surprised, as this felt a lot like the game he was playing. Still, he wondered what on Earth this had to do with him and why a god was now in his pathetic living room. Odin interjected, ¡°I¡¯ll get to that, in time. Just listen for now. Maybe this will help.¡± Odin gestured to his side, and what looked like a hologram of a giant tree appeared. As Jake looked, the leaves were made up of what looked like bubbles with worlds inside, with the branches being some sort of pathway that connected them. A giant black being of darkness and hate appeared, encroaching upon the tree. Jake saw a bunch of gods he recognized, from Greek gods such as Zeus or Ares, to Nordic gods like Odin himself, to Ra on his skiff, an Egyptian god. There were many others from all over the world and many that he had no idea who they were. ¡°This being arrived ages ago, consuming everything in sight. Us gods fought it, and many of us died. With each one it consumed, it became stronger. The war against it was a losing battle, so we had to change how it was fought. We formed [The Alliance], and together, we created a barrier called: The Framework.¡± Odin continued, ¡°The gods all worked together, gathering their various energies and powers.¡± A large barrier formed around the tree with a brilliant golden color. Millions of hexagons formed this sphere, and as Jake looked closely he saw pathways for entering the barrier. The being entered the barrier and how it moved or even looked became completely different. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°With this barrier, we created a trap. In order for it to enter our multiverse, it would have to fight us using rules like a game, similar to The Labyrinth you played. In order to consume or enter our worlds, it would use its dungeons and various other means, such as contests. These resemble aspects of MMO games you are familiar with. By doing this, it gave us a path to victory, as The Framework would allow us to take power from the enemy itself, instead.¡± Jake looked on in interest. The sphere began to move with the tree and the outsider inside. Eventually, a world not inside a bubble appeared and started to enter the shield. ¡°The tree floats through the cosmos, and new planets it encounters are called Fringe Worlds, such as Earth. They must go through a Trial to be integrated into the Yggdrasil and protected from the outsiders. During this Trial, it spawns dungeons as a form of contest. Enough victories of dungeons or trials by the inhabitants and Earth will be forever protected, or with enough losses, the world will become Contested, where it will have a chance to be consumed.¡± Small tentacles split off from the creature, made of blocks. It surrounded the world on its way into the barrier, several streams from the monster. Odin continued, ¡°For everything they destroy, the beings they kill, and their soul consumed, Tartarus expands more. It spawns more incursions and so on, and it will continue until it has consumed everything if we do not stop it. We have slowed it down, but we are not winning. It was a major victory in the battle against Tartarus, creating the barrier that is [The Framework]. But so far, it has only prolonged the loss of the war.¡± Odin let that ominous statement sink into Jake¡¯s mind. ¡°Earth is lucky, being on the fringe of where the outsider can reach. Its inhabitants are kept mostly unaware, as us gods and goddesses choose who participates in the first contest, but it is still under attack.¡± Odin continued, ¡°If things get worse, monsters can spawn on Earth and the invasion begins, everyone would be forced to fight this evil, making the world Contested,¡±he sighed. ¡°But still another chance to save the world.¡± Jake saw as the tentacles reached Earth, and the view of it enlarged, the world taking up his whole room. Portals appeared all over Earth, evil creatures emerging, attacking the people on it. A progress bar appeared, and as the invaders succeeded in destroying cities, the bar progressed for the invaders. ¡°There are countless worlds that are at this stage, where they are actively defending against dungeons and the creatures that Tartarus spawns on the surface, but it is a losing battle. With every death, they are only empowering their enemy. While we have won back some worlds, we have lost many more.¡± The progress bar completed with the invaders winning, and then the world was surrounded by black tentacles as the view zoomed out once more. Almost as if it was a result of it consuming the Earth, more tentacles grew out of it, approaching other bubbled worlds on the tree. ¡°To combat the outsiders, The Alliance has come up with many methods for accumulating power to fight them, and means of recruitment. I like to use games like [The Labyrinth] on Earth, to test people¡¯s mettle and introduce them to the concepts needed to be successful.¡± The hologram shifted to show a warrior that almost looked like Odin himself. An orb floated near the warrior and overlaid on top of him. ¡°My Einherjar, and those that I recruit to The Alliance, make use of The Framework. You can think of The Framework as an artificial intelligence, template and guide all in one. Its purpose is to guide us in the war against Tartarus and raise warriors. Like the game, you can choose a template or class that fits you. It then quantifies your advancement, and awards you for defeating enemies in the dungeon, granting skills and knowledge as you progress, as your soul grows, to contain them.¡± The warrior fought through enemies, and with each enemy he killed, the orb grew slightly. The warrior¡¯s attacks became faster and stronger, and he eventually powered up. He then cast a spell that looked like a flame. Odin continued, ¡°It also guides your advancement, helping you become better at your spells and skills, becoming a better warrior. Time is a valuable commodity, and those able to train you are often better used pushing back the outsiders. You might know of fighting through boxing, and that will help set what I consider the bare minimum, but you are not a warrior, at least not yet. The Framework will help make you into one in no time. ¡° Jake was filled with doubt. Him, a warrior? He was hoping to be a computer programmer! The hologram shifted back to the tree and the evil invader. Tentacles grew out from Tartarus, and golden orbs or portals blocked them. Odin continued, ¡°Lastly, there¡¯s the Artificial Intelligence portion of The Framework. It connects incursions from Tartarus to what we call Refuge¡¯s, allowing the initiated to destroy them and take that power back for themselves and to grow The Framework. It is like a general that directs our war against the outsider. Drafting or initiating people into The Framework has a cost. It has various benefits, but that cost is part of the reason we don¡¯t just draft everyone. A large portion of that cost is protecting the soul so that those defeated are not used to grow Tartarus, and instead, those people¡¯s souls can be revived or used in various ways to continue the fight against it.¡± Jake took that in. It appeared that those so-called drafted into The Framework were effectively immortal, or even more like how a video game character was. Still, despite this long introduction about this Framework and the alliance, Jake wondered what this had to do with him¨C Odin once again interrupted Jake¡¯s thoughts, ¡°So, I wanted to congratulate you. You¡¯re being drafted! Welcome to The Alliance.¡± Jake gawked at Odin, ¡°Wait a minute! Don¡¯t I get some sort of choice?¡± Jake thought that such a major task was not for him. He was no warrior, as Odin pointed out. Surely Odin should grab some Navy SEAL or something? Odin snorted but replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what being drafted means? Of course, you don¡¯t get a choice,¡± Odin smiled. ¡°Now, you accepted the agreement when you joined The Labyrinth that said that you would join The Framework if you were called upon, does your word not mean anything?¡± Jake was wide eyed. Was Odin talking about the terms and conditions nobody read when logging into the game? Odin laughed. ¡°You should really read something before you agree to it! Now, you mentioned the Navy SEALS. I have recruited a few of those guys, and they do well enough. A few have even become [Einherjar]. But they are few and far between, and at the end of the day: they are only human. The multiverse contains a myriad races, and Earthlings are extremely soft. Those SEALS train, becoming the best of the best on modern Earth. But do you really think they compare to Spartans that trained their entire lives to use weaponry that works well against outsiders practically from the day they are born? Let alone the equivalent of those but as a Titan, or Dragon, or something like this? That¡¯s not even mentioning the other paths to power in advancement in the multiverse outside of those that use the class templates you¡¯re familiar with in The Labyrinth. The rules that the Framework forced outsiders to use outlaw advanced weaponry such as guns. This goes both ways, as now the dungeon won¡¯t be able to spawn gun-wielding goblins or shoot a fire cannon at you for setting off a trap.¡± Jake realized that, of course, Odin was right. Just within The Labyrinth, Jake didn¡¯t even play a Human for his character; they were just not very good. Odin continued, ¡°With that said, there¡¯s only so many Navy SEALs, and many of them have lingering attachments. Drafting them is still done, but sparingly. For recruitment, we have to cast a wider net. We have hundreds of methods of finding people to draft, The Labyrinth was just one of them that I or many of us use. And don¡¯t look down on humans. I started out as one, after all.¡± Jake resigned to his fate. He tried to look on the bright side that he would be a part of something greater, but he had a hard time picturing where he would truly be successful as a warrior. Even in the game, he did not focus at all on doing damage himself, even if there were offensive summoners. Even fighting that boss, he only had creatures that could situationally produce a lot of damage, usually meant to be working together with his allies. He had a hard time imagining being some kind of immortal warrior, clearing dungeons of monsters. Odin looked at Jake, and his one good eye glowed. The feeling Jake got was that Odin¡¯s divinity spiked and grew, and he guessed that he was drawing some of his power. He fondly smiled at Jake like a father to his son, and Odin spoke, ¡°Jake Hart, know this. It takes a special person to be alone and kicked while you were down over and over again, yet still remain positive and continue to improve yourself and even help others. Many would give up or be filled with resentment instead. Continue to work hard as you always have, and you will find what you have been searching for all your life: a family and to matter in the world. Work hard on yourself like always, and you will be an excellent Summoner that helps us fight the outsiders and obtain glory and love beyond belief. I know that you will be mad that I forced you into this, but it is for the best. I will be turning this place into your Refuge. A shame that it¡¯s a dump, but everyone has to start somewhere. At the very least: it will be familiar to you. Even your computer will remain, but your ability to contact the outside world will be removed. I know you have no lingering attachments; that¡¯s part of why you were drafted. You will find new bonds, and you will find new happiness, that I promise you. This is all the time that I have and all the information I am allowed to give you without both of us paying for it. I will now initiate you into The Framework, activating your possibility for magic. I will even leave you some gifts. Good luck to you, child. The Einherjar will welcome you once you are strong enough to complete your Trial and can visit worlds outside your Refuge, but you are welcome to join any faction within The Alliance. We are all a part of the same team, after all.¡± Odin reached out his hand towards Jake faster than he could react. All the hair on Jake¡¯s body stood on end, and his heart nearly stopped from the pressure building in his chest. He felt a burning sensation, and then his vision went dark as he lost consciousness. Book 1 - Chapter 2 - Trapped in his own apartment When Jake woke up, his body was aching. He struggled to get up, feeling completely drained. He looked around and saw that his front door had been replaced with an ominous-looking portal. In front of it was a box with a letter on top. He looked over to his windows and saw almost nothing but a black void that he found to be quite unsettling. Jake did not feel well, and he was full of despair and frustration. He was sort of taken away from his home and was now going to be forced to trudge through dungeons killing creatures. This was something that happened to him many times already in his life: he was forced to move and leave schools for new ones, many times outside his control due to changing foster parents. Once again, he was forced away from the life he thought he finally had under some level of control. He was now all alone, unable to communicate with anyone until he completed this so-called [Trial]. He closed his eyes and took a few minutes to calm down before staring at the unsettling void outside his windows. Eventually, he acknowledged that he could not change this, so he would focus on what he could. He could prepare, and he could work through dungeons until he completed this [Trial]. He dragged the box away from the portal and then opened the letter. Welcome to [The Alliance]. Your sponsor cannot communicate with you again until you complete your [Trial]. We have included everything you need to be successful as a new initiate into [The Framework]. You can now access your [Menu] by just thinking of it. Note that framework access is only fully available in a framework [Refuge]. It is limited inside the dungeon to [Dungeon Information] and [Status]. Your home has now become a [Refuge] and is no longer on Earth! You can think of it as a magical spaceship that travels through subspace as it faces incursions or moves on to challenge [Tartarus]. You may only exit to challenge dungeons for now. Earn credits by selling monster materials on the [Alliance Shop] and [Multiverse Market], and some will be awarded for completing incursions. You can still go on the internet using your personal computer, but you may not intentionally communicate with the non-initiated of Earth. You can access the [Alliance Wiki], [Alliance Shop], and [Multiverse Market] from your [Menu] or personal computer, as well. Please note that while your tutorial incursion should have plenty of leeways for you to complete it: you do not want to procrastinate for too long, lest you run out of time and monsters burst forth into your [Refuge]. Good luck with your fight against the outsiders! Jake put down the letter and opened the box, which was fairly large. Inside, he found several books and what looked like a spear with a magical focus; a spear staff. Jake remembered, in the early game, this type of weapon made the most sense. Summon options were quite limited and potentially weak, along with the Summoner having very little in the way of supporting them. Thus, the Summoner needed to bring some melee damage to the table. Later on, it would be replaced with a pure staff, as melee damage from himself instead of casting was superfluous. The staff was a little taller than himself and looked mostly plain, with an inlaid blue gem-like focus near where the copper or bronze spear tip connected to the wooden shaft. It was a starter weapon that would do him well for a while. Aside from the spear and the books, the box was mostly empty, aside from another box. Inside the box was an assortment of fantasy materials, along with what appeared to be a small, handmade booklet for a ritual labeled: [Summon Familiar]. Jake had a familiar in the game, but the familiar was just a minor personal buff disguised as a cute pet. Not dissimilar from visual-only pets in various other MMOs, where they served no purpose other than to look cute or cool, or both. He wondered if things would be the same here; perhaps within the confines of the game, they did not undertake the effort it would take to make a familiar behave like what a common familiar might in fantasy stories. The box contained all the prerequisite materials for the [Summon Familiar] ritual. With the box unloaded, he looked at his [Menu]. It appeared in his vision but didn¡¯t obstruct it, somehow. [Menu] [Status] [Alliance Shop] [Multiverse Market] [Dungeon Information] [Alliance Wiki] Nothing outside the ordinary there, the letter telling him what to expect. He looked over the current dungeon allocation information. [Dungeon Information] [Dungeon: Beginner Goblin¡¯s Lair] [Time Left: 10 Days, 4 Hours] [Goal: Defeat Goblin Shaman] [Level |Boss: 1-2 | 2 ] He found that he would have just a little over 10 days to complete the dungeon and that the target appeared to be some sort of boss monster. This was plenty of time for Jake, as he couldn¡¯t imagine preparations for a beginner dungeon should take overly long. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. When Jake did something like make a character in a game, he tried to get all the information he could to make a plan with a high possibility of success while also remaining effective in the early stages. Instead, this was actually himself that he was building, and so he would want to spend even more time than usual. It¡¯s one thing to control a character with a keyboard and mouse. It¡¯s another thing entirely to cast spells and attack a creature with a spear staff. He needed to build up his confidence first. Within the Menu, there was a selection for choosing his class. He was almost certain that he was going to pick the Summoner class, but he looked at what he could select. He reviewed the list, and nothing really stood out to him that he would want to be rather than Summoner, except for one: Void Mage. This was interesting to him, as it wasn¡¯t even in the game he played. Jake felt that the Void Mage class was not really something that fit him as a person, however. Summoner was always the class that appealed most to him within the game, as it allowed him to support his allies in ways that made them all more successful as a whole. He selected it, and it provided some information about his new class to him. [Summoner Class: Tier 0] [+50% Mana Regeneration] [50% Mana Regeneration in-combat] [3 Spendable Attribute points per level] [10% Increase Effectiveness for Int, Wis, Cha] [Through their connection to the void, Summoners draw in energy and call forth creatures. Through their bonds and contracts, they draw power and can cast various magics.] It was nothing all that unexpected there, not very much unlike the game. He was currently at the 0th Tier, which was for levels 1-10. He now brought up his personal status, though things were less complicated here than he was expecting. [Jake Hart] [Age: 23] [Race: Human] [Jake Status Level 1] [Strength: 13] [Dexterity: 12] [Constitution: 12] [Intelligence: 16] [Wisdom: 15] [Charisma: 12] There was no health, and there was no mana. Jake guessed that the average human adult would be about 10 in each attribute or so. Being above six feet in height and in great shape, he felt it was fair to put him above the average on the physical attributes, for sure. Regarding his caster stats, he felt that this was accurate as well. He was well above average on these things, often considered more mature for his age, and nearly achieved top scores in his schooling. Jake started by reading the [Introduction to The Alliance] book. His door was now replaced with a portal that The Framework connected to a dungeon. The Framework was to assess dungeons that spawn all over Earth and connect them to appropriate Alliance members to clear successfully instead. All while preventing the outsiders from growing and emerging on Earth. As Jake advanced in The Alliance, he would slowly get more responsibilities to clear dungeons and travel the multiverse to reach other worlds. He would even have the option of teaming up with other Alliance members, if he so desired. At that point he could expand his Refuge, which used magic to add rooms and additional facilities that would help him be successful inside dungeons, or for rest and relaxation. The beginner guide showed that there were many other perks available in the future, though the information was restricted for now. Not everything was good news. It was made clear he could not go back to Earth, or any Fringe world, under The Framework. Once he completed his Trial, he could go to contested worlds or worlds called [Bastion]¡¯s, for which the details were limited for now, but not return to Earth. Not unless The Alliance failed Earth, and it became contested, and dungeons spawned there, anyway. If Earth succeeded in the world¡¯s Trial, that would be another way for him to visit. Jake tested the claim about his being unable to contact the outside world. He had friends he would still like to talk to even if they were not overly close. Jake went to his computer and tried to find his friends online and message them. He found that there was some sort of compulsion, and when he went to type into his computer intending to communicate, he found himself unable to. Jake felt it was disturbing, his body refusing to cooperate with his intentions. The intent was what it worked off of, as he could type into his computer just fine into search engines or otherwise or make notes. He could even print a webpage. He could make drawings and send them to people but figured that this was mostly useless for his purposes. Sending ominous pictures where he was trapped in his apartment and a request for the other person to keep trying to talk to him was just not going to end with worthwhile communication. Communicating using language appeared to be the restriction for the compulsion. Jake sighed as he wrapped up reading the [Introduction to The Alliance] book. There were a few topics leftover, but they were definitely best gone over when he was exploring the [Alliance Shop] and [Multiverse Market] and making his plans for his remaining [Credits]. It turned out the [Alliance Shop] was like a sponsored store for the organization he was now a part of, where what it sold was limited, the price fixed, and it was affordable. The [Multiverse Market] was like a popular auction website and marketplace, and it included sellers that were not even members of The Alliance. Even Jake could sell the items he got from the dungeon or crafting here, and there were many items he could not even understand for sale there. This led him to move on to the next stage of his preparations: reading the book on [Mana Control]. Jake was filled with excitement. Who didn¡¯t dream of learning to wield magic? It was up there on the list of top wishes, along with flying and becoming invisible. When Odin initiated him into The Framework, it knocked him out. He assumed part of what was done to him was unlocking his magic, or capability of using mana. Combined with this book, he would be able to embark on his journey of being able to use it. Though, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to do much with Mana Control on its own. Book 1 through 4 available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited! Hi there, RoyalRoad Readers! Book 1 through 4 of Bonded Summoner were removed from RoyalRoad and are now only available on Kindle Unlimited. After that, contact me by meeting on the discord link below, and I''ll be happy to help you out by providing the RoyalRoad Version (that is, the unpolished and almost draft-form of the story! The best version is on Amazon!). Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you there or on Patreon! Here is the page to pre-order the book, if you''re interested in owning it: Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Amazon Paperback, Hardcover, and Audible versions of the book are available Thanks for all your support up to now, I hope you guys will continue to support and enjoy my writing. Below is a link to the discord, where you can also contact me for a way to read the book, if you got stuck in a bad place. Click Here for Our Discord Chat! Book 2 - Chapter 1 - Advanced Summoning Token Jake, Ophelia and Fhesiah were now on their way in their [Refuge] traveling to a nearby world that they researched called [Ariminium], just after their first foray out to an amusement park on another world. It would still be a few days before they got there, but they were all quite excited at the prospect. This new world was contested and limited to Tier 0 through Tier 1 existences; capped at level 25. No enemies they faced could be greater than that, as it would force anyone that hit Tier 2 on the world to leave. Before they got there though, there was something that they needed to do. It was time to summon their new ally. Jake had gotten a high rating in the Champion¡¯s [Trial], and as a result, had gotten an amazing spear staff and the [Advanced Summoning Token]. The advanced summoning token allowed you to choose the approximate class choices you wanted to see, though instead of ten random it would only be five, those five should be much closer to what you wanted. Jake could choose between six major roles: Tank, Melee, Scout, Mage, Hybrid, and Healer. Not only that, but the class summoned would already be Tier 1, or level 10 at a minimum. They had already long decided that they wanted a True Healer rather than Hybrid like Jake and Ophelia were, so Jake was happy that he would have five to choose from now. Jake knew with a regular summoning token; he would be lucky to have only two to choose from. His previous summoning there was only one in the list of ten summons, as far as he could tell. The girls and Jake were now all dressed up in their equipment. They knew they were due for new armor shortly after they arrived in this contested world, but it cost nearly nothing to get Fhesiah geared up exactly how Jake and Ophelia were with drake scale mail armor; she was practicing getting used to wearing something other than her robes when fighting. They were full of funds after all the loot in the [Trial], after all. Jake now held the Champion¡¯s Spear Staff, and it was like a never-ending torch of its own. It radiated the feeling of home, and the Hearth gifted by Hestia was behind where they were summoning. They triggered the [Advanced Summoning Token] and were given a list. Fhesiah had her nose and face scrunched up in disgust; she was not thrilled about these choices. From her criteria, there were only two actual options right out of the gate: three of them were male. The first time, Jake thought it was some kind of coincidence that there was a Norse-god worshiping choice, but now that there was another one, he thought it couldn¡¯t be only that. The Centaur Paladin Jake was interested in was a Paladin of Tyr, the Norse God of War and Justice. Jake wondered just why he would receive an option for Tyr twice. Perhaps Odin had said something to him? There were countless gods or goddesses, and receiving an option like this twice could not possibly be coincidental. The three male healing options did not worship a God or Goddess Jake had heard of, despite doing his research on the matter. There were just so many, and people could eventually tier up until they more or less became one, besides. Once Jake reached Tier 4, there was a chance he could become one as well. One of the several paths to this was being a Champion of a God or Goddess, so he was already on a path. A female Human Cleric of Tyr was one of the choices. The other choice Jake thought was why Fhesiah scrunched up her face: it was a Dark Lamia. Jake pondered over the [Alliance Wiki] entry on [Dark Lamia]. The multiverse is massively endless, so there were several possibilities here, but all of them more or less pointed to the same thing: that they were an evil race. There were two major possibilities. One was that this [Dark Lamia] was simply a result of interspecies breeding of a lamia and a dark elf, or the other was that this was a race engineered by the Dark, Chaotic Pantheon of gods that the dark elves worshiped. The Dark Elf Pantheon embodied chaos, and introducing new races to create chaos in their underworld was something they often did, breeding and creating various other evil races to influence the world even further. The Arachne race was also examples of this, being part spider and part dark elf. A Dark Lamia was like the Arachne, in that it was a dark elf mixed with a snake. The snake portion began at about the waist level, the upper body appearing to be almost exactly that of a dark elf. The Dark Lamia was most likely a creation of these Gods and Goddesses of Chaos, and their society would not differ from the dark elf previously met: a matriarchal society full of treachery and evil. What gave Jake and his party pause was this [Dark Lamia]¡¯s class: Priestess of Hestia. Fhesiah said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this Wiki thing? Completely useless. It doesn¡¯t even say if she will have the right equipment!¡± Jake looked over to Ophelia. ¡°When Ophelia came, she had her armor, shield, and spear ready. Well, either way, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need to worry about that too much: the [Multiverse Market] has everything.¡± Fhesiah just gave him a blank stare, but smiled. ¡°You sweet summer child. Anyway, with what the goddess said before she left, I think she was hinting at this one.¡± Jake groaned and shook his head as he realized what she was originally referring to. Ophelia nodded before she added, ¡°The [Dark Lamia] might be evil and may be a monstrous race, but they should have within them the possibility of good. The Wiki says that they are quite large and very strong, having the strength of monsters or beasts. Their torso alone might be larger than we are tall, and that doesn¡¯t even include their tail, which can be five to ten meters long. I think we will value how powerful this priestess will be.¡± Jake remembered all the advantages that he thought the Centaur Paladin would have and realized that they should also apply to this Dark Lamia. Jake would bet that while the Centaur would win a race on an open plain, the Lamia would win on almost any other terrain, and still have the advantages of mass and power on their side, because of their massive size. Jake said, ¡°So, is that all in favor of the [Dark Lamia]? Of course, we won¡¯t be forever stuck with whomever we summon unless we want them to be. I forgot that Tier 1 might be a big disadvantage, too. This person we summon is unlikely to already have a [Mana Core]. Since we¡¯ve decided on the [Dark Lamia], let¡¯s make a few preparations for her with her room and such; She¡¯ll need a big room and I think we should raise our ceiling up a bit more.¡± Jake was happy to learn that this was one of his benefits of being a [Knight] as well. While normally they were coming close to the limits of their Refuge without having to spend some contribution points that they could now earn from now on, his limit was already extended. The girls nodded, and they got to it. They added space in various places to make more room for the Lamia to move around, their [Refuge] altering itself in flashes of light. Jake even expanded the space between his kitchen island and other fixtures so that if the dark lamia spent any time there, it wouldn¡¯t be too cramped. They also found something of a bed compatible with the Lamia species for their room. Jake was surprised at how much he could expand his refuge thanks to the benefit. It was like there was nearly no limit for their purposes, anyway. They made preparations, and now they were ready to meet their new party member. Jake triggered the Summon, and a large amount of light coalesced into a giant of a woman. She towered over them, and Jake could not see an ounce of skin on them. They were covered from head to tail-tip with black armor and while she wore an open-faced helmet, she even wore a mask over her face. Her hair, if she had any, was tucked into their helmet or her armor, perhaps. They had a giant mace on their back that was larger than a person, and they were currently five meters tall with their tail somewhat coiled on the ground. Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel like they had made a huge mistake. The woman in front of them looked like a weapon of war, covered head to toe in black armor with wicked spikes and serrated blades lining even their tail, which, with all the segments, blades, and spikes, reminded him more of a centipede than a snake. Just how could they move or coil their tail without hurting themselves? This Lamia might be even larger than the explanation of Lamia or Dark Lamia in the wiki. Jake thought her torso was even taller than him; that she would be 3 meters tall or taller with proportional legs. While they looked like they would be a powerful party member, Jake just couldn¡¯t see how they could end up being a family member. Jake just shuddered at how that tail could wrap around something and simultaneously crush and shred them to pieces. Everyone gasped, almost collectively; even the snake woman, though that might have just been her taking her first breath since being reconstituted by [The Framework]. Her pink eyes snapped immediately to Jake¡¯s, and he could feel her inspecting the [Summoner¡¯s Bond] that formed between them. She then glanced at Jake¡¯s spear staff, and her eyes widened before looking back to Jake, and the rest of his party. Jake cleared his throat and spoke, ¡°Welcome to our Refuge, Priestess of Hestia. I¡¯m Jake, Champion of Hestia and [Knight] of [The Alliance]. This is Fhesiah, the dragon-touched demoness, and Ophelia, Valkyrie of Hestia.¡± He then motioned for her to introduce herself. Her body raised up and Jake could see her uncoiling and moving her tail around, as she bowed her torso in front of them, before raising herself to a normal posture, for a Lamia, Jake supposed. She spoke with a happy, upbeat voice that was a bit higher pitched than he thought from such a large person. ¡°Thank you, Milord. I am Thokk¡¯Berri Nagy¡¯dosa, Priestess of Hestia. How may I serve?¡± Jake was a bit out of his element, but Fhesiah and Ophelia both wanted him to take the lead in this he could tell over their bond. ¡°Once again, welcome, Thokk¡¯Berri. You can start by telling us about yourself, and how you became a Priestess of Hestia.¡± She thought about it for a moment, but then she removed her mask. Underneath, a very pale, white-skinned, beautiful elf, instead of a tan or otherwise dark-skinned one like he expected. She looked pained and saddened to speak about this topic. ¡°I¡¯m cursed. Ever since I was a little girl, I¡¯ve been forced to hide my hideous skin. Thankfully, my betters were gracious and allowed me to live and serve them. Once I got older, I grew quite large, and they allowed me to train and wear this armor, and kill enemies in the Underworld.¡± She paused, and Jake was a bit horrified by what he was hearing, and a bit confused. When she said ¡®gracious¡¯ or ¡®allowed¡¯ she made it sound like she was genuinely happy that they had sort of helped her out more or less and let her serve them. Not only that, but she was far from hideous; she was just as beautiful as Fhesiah or Ophelia, though her pink, serpentine pupils were a bit unsettling. She also had some white scales just underneath her eyes, just above her cheeks. Just as he was about to ask her a question, she continued. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°One day, something started happening on the surface, and monsters began flooding our Underworld. They sent me away from the conclave to fight against these creatures with my unit. Some of these creatures were much stronger than those I faced in the Underworld, and it forced us to flee and seek reinforcements. A tunnel collapsed, and I fell down, alone, and I found a shrine. Trapped, I looked over the scrolls and books and learned it was a shrine to the Goddess Hestia. I read over the scrolls and found that I much preferred the Goddess Hestia over our Dark Goddesses, who had ignored my prayers during my life, and I prayed to Hestia for help. She appeared before me and agreed to help me if I joined [The Framework] and became her Priestess. She helped me escape, and I helped some people as she wished on the surface before I eventually died, her promise to find me a home in the next life.¡± Jake was surprised that the lamia could be so upbeat about her own death. Actually, the only thing she was not upbeat about was her curse. Jake decided he would ask about this later. For now, he realized they were all a bit overdressed. They really didn¡¯t have any plans to fight anything soon, and for now, it might be best if they learned about their new party member in a more organic way, especially since her armor was unsettling. Jake came up with a plan, and Fhesiah nodded her head in approval; their bond was now back to being one where thoughts could easily traverse it. ¡°Thank you for that. Your past differs greatly from ours, and I¡¯d like to tell you about ours soon. We are about to wind down for the day, so we will get ready to have dinner and the like. What kind of food do Dark Lamia usually eat?¡± She said, ¡°We usually have meat from various creatures, and there are different plants and mushrooms that grow well in the underworld. They let me have whatever scraps were left.¡± Jake just let that statement hang where it was, but said, ¡°Alright. I take it you don¡¯t have other clothes besides what you came with? Let the girls here help set you up. Your room is over there. I will get dinner started while they get you sorted out, okay?¡± The lamia looked confused. She had shaken her head no while he asked about her clothes, but when he got to the ¡®your room¡¯ and ¡®him cooking dinner¡¯ part, she was shocked. She said, ¡°Er, my lord, my own room? And you are cooking? I¡­ where are your servants? Am I the first one?¡± Jake was going to correct that misunderstanding, but Fhesiah interrupted and pulled one of the lamia¡¯s hands to the side, to drag her to her room. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Wifey will take care of dinner, while Ophelia and I take care of you. Let¡¯s get you out of this armor and into something a little more comfortable for hanging around our [Refuge].¡± Jake could barely hear the lamia saying, ¡°Wife? Is there another woman here?¡± as they dragged her away into the other room they created for her. Jake sighed; it looked like he was now zero for three for summoning going normal. Still, he was two for two in terms of them being great, so that was one way to look at it. He¡¯ll just have to wait and see about the third. Jake went to change before making dinner and decided to check on her status as he worked on everything to learn about what fighting alongside her might be like.
Summon Information: Thokk''Berri
Name Thokk''Berri Nagy''dosa
Age 39
Class Monstrous Holy Dark Priestess of Hestia
Race Dark Lamia
Monstrous Holy Dark Priestess Class: Tier 1 Rare
20% Effectiveness in Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom
+3 Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom per level
Born of a monster, this Priestess of Hestia heals others by fighting with their Monstrous Strength and Fortitude, using both Holy and Dark Magic.
Thokk''Berri Status Level 12
Strength 85
Dexterity 38
Constitution 75
Intelligence 32
Wisdom 43
Charisma 41
Thokk''Berri''s Level 12 Combat Skill Sheet
Mana Control Level 4
Advanced Melee Specialization Level 2
Advanced Monstrous Strength Level 2
Purifying Flames Level 2
Holy Dark Priestess Magic Level 3
Dark Magic -
Advanced Hearth Core Level 1
Summoner''s Bond Level 1
Mana Siphon Level 3
Thokk''Berri''s Level 12 Spell List
Holy Dark Priestess Spells Dark Siphon, Mace of Hestia, Armor of Faith
Dark Magic -
Thokk''Berri''s Level 12 Non-Combat Skill Sheet
Dismantling Level 2
Tailoring Level 3
Armor Crafting Level 2
Misc Skills: Mana Siphon
Jake¡¯s eye was twitching just looking over her list of skills and attributes. He didn¡¯t even know where to start, but this was completely not what he had in mind when he wanted a ¡®true healer.¡¯ She didn¡¯t even have an actual direct healing spell! Still, he was quite happy that she already had a mana core, and it had already been improved to advanced, which provided the same level of stats as a Bonded Hearth Core, just without Jake¡¯s benefits to them. If he had to guess, her monstrous constitution had something to do with her having one. After all, even goblins had mana cores, so her being a sort of half-monster made that seem plausible. Then when she became a priestess of Hestia, Hestia must have helped change it to a hearth core, which advanced when she changed Tier. Or perhaps, she was already Tier 1 when she became a priestess? It¡¯s hard for Jake to know. Jake reviewed the skills that were clearly different from what he and his other girls had or were otherwise familiar with.
Advanced Monstrous Strength Lv. 2
Effect: Increases Base Strength by +20, +5 per Level Increases Base Constitution by +10, +2 per Level This creature is stronger and more resilient than others, due to it having a magically monstrous constitution that improves its power and fortitude.
Dark Siphon
Surrounds self and releases a powerful dark haze that causes physical attacks against enemies to heal self and allies.
Armor of Faith
Concentration Spell, costing high amounts of mana regeneration. Surrounds Target with the Holy protection of the Goddess. Reduces damage from blows significantly, may have additional guidance from Goddess to turn an otherwise fatal blow into a serious wound.
Mace of Hestia
Infuses the Priestess with Hestia¡¯s Holy Might, allowing them to mete out punishment in the name of their Goddess. Releases an additional explosion of holy energy when striking the target, healing allies or damaging undead, demonic, or otherwise tainted in an area surrounding the user.
Looking over her abilities, [Dark Siphon] was some sort of indirect healing spell. The more damage she caused with that massive mace of hers or her ridiculous serrated armor, the more she could heal her allies. [Armor of Faith] was a sort of combination of defensive and health buffer spell just like he had hoped a true healer would have, and it appeared to be powerful. The alpha strike of an assassin was now much less likely to end someone permanently unless they were overwhelmingly more powerful, giving Jake or Ophelia time to heal or shield that person and then defeat the threat. [Mace of Hestia]...Just what the hell? Jake was in the same room with this woman, this goddess, and the only thing he could think about when seeing this ability was what on Earth could it possibly have in common with Hestia? Spears of flames were still the flames of Hestia, but this spell would just empower the priestess to smash the target with holy energy, in this case with a giant mace that was larger than himself, and once again provide healing in the area surrounding the priestess. When they meet again, Jake would have a hard time looking at the goddess the same way. Jake was confused about the Dark Magic, and Holy Dark Priestess spells. Jake reasoned that the Dark Magic spells must be non-framework related, but then there was [Dark Siphon]. And why the blank level? He¡¯d have to talk to Berri about this. That left her attributes, and the [Advanced Monstrous Strength]. Her monstrous body definitely was valuable here, that¡¯s for sure. To have 25 more strength and 12 more constitution, not even counting her class, which evolved from a sort of monstrous melee specialization since Jake never heard of a ¡®priestess¡¯ that would gain effectiveness to their strength attribute, and this was a tremendous deal. She was functionally even stronger than Fhesiah, and that was probably even before her size and mass were considered. Jake worked on dinner while he mused over this new party member. Certainly, she was very powerful. She would have all the advantages that he had originally imagined the Centaur Paladin having, and he realized that the armor was probably so heavy that she needed this strength to properly move. Jake had nearly finished dinner and realized that the girls were gone for a long time. While clearly, girls could take plenty of time getting ready and such, his girls were different, at least he thought. They could move with supernatural speed and grace, and they certainly didn¡¯t need makeup. Then he realized what was taking so long: Thokk¡¯Berri¡¯s armor. There were probably so many latches and buckles that something like that could take over an hour. A Knight had to have a squire just to become battle ready in probably around twenty minutes, but this woman was more like both the knight and the horse with barding, Jake mused. Jake finished preparing dinner, and he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when the three girls entered. Book 2 - Chapter 2 - Dinner with a Giant Snake-girl All three girls were dressed like they were going to a mall instead of just hanging around the house. Jake was most surprised at just how different the lamia looked, but Fhesiah and Ophelia both looked too sexy to just be eating dinner. They were both wearing too-short skirts and cute camisoles. The lamia was wearing an Earth band tee shirt, and it was just straining to keep her massive chest inside. She seemed uncomfortable with the clothing, and was grabbing at the skin on her arms and almost trying to hide behind the valkyrie; an impossibility. She also wore spiked bracelets. He guessed Fhesiah set her up with a sort of punk look, though with her long layered white hair, it wasn¡¯t quite right. The lamia too wore a skirt, and Jake got to see the first sight of her human and snake body without armor: her skin was very pale, and her hair was bone white, the same as her snake tail. Jake realized that her so-called ¡®curse¡¯ might just be a case of albinism. He noticed that Ophelia and Fhesiah were wearing skirts, likely because that was all the snake girl could wear at all. For now, he definitely thought he had to say something, as he had stared for perhaps a tiny bit too long. ¡°You girls all look wonderful. Thokk¡¯berri, is the shirt not comfortable? It looks good on you.¡± The lamia blushed but said, ¡°It feels nice, but I¡¯m not used to this kind of clothes. I¡¯m cursed, so I¡¯m used to hiding, well, everything¡­¡± Ophelia then moved out of the way and patted the lamia reassuringly, then said ¡°We told you that you don¡¯t need to hide your skin or scales anymore. Just look, Fhesiah¡¯s skin is very similar. Jake doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s disgusting at all.¡± Jake smiled at that and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Your white scales and hair look beautiful, too. Now, let¡¯s eat dinner, and we¡¯ll probably have some fun after that. Now, we weren¡¯t sure what to do about a chair, or if you wanted a pillow, or¡­ well, I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯ll have to help us out as to what would make you most comfortable here,¡± he said, as he motioned at the table that now had four table settings. ¡°I¡­ You want me to eat with you? I¡­ lamia don¡¯t really use chairs to eat. The matriarchs might have used a divan of sorts, but for them, eating and drinking was entertainment that lasted for hours¡­¡± Jake just nodded at her and motioned for her to the place he had set aside for her. She was almost afraid that they were eating together, but they all sat at the rectangular table, with her now on the other end of the table because of her gigantic size across from Jake and Fhesiah and Ophelia to his sides. They had upgraded the table to fit up to six people after the goddess¡¯ visit. Jake plated their food: some barbecue boar ribs with some sides. He had used some beast of a boar, and the rib bones were quite large with a lot of meat on them. He wasn¡¯t sure how much such a large person would eat, so he had made what he considered a lot extra: over double what he would normally make for just the three of them, and they often had plenty of leftovers that they took into the dungeon with them. They sat to eat, and the lamia towered over the table, but her waist was lowered to the appropriate place, Jake supposed. Jake and the other girls dug in, and they made their usual sounds of enjoyment as they started to eat. This was interrupted shortly after by a loud crunching of bones. Everyone froze and looked at the lamia, as she chewed on the entire bone pushing it into her mouth like some sort of strange wood chipper like it was nothing. She had a smile on her face as she chewed and crunched, and her eyes were closed as she enjoyed it. She went to grab another rib bone with a smile when she noticed everyone was looking at her. She was extremely embarrassed at the attention now, being afraid to even eat at the table in the first place. Jake just smiled at her and said, ¡°I made plenty of meat. Unless you particularly like the bones, how about you have as much meat as you like? It¡¯d help me out if you could eat it. I might have made too much.¡± ¡°I¡­of course, milord. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Jake said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about, we were just surprised is all. If you want to eat the bones, go for it. It just¡­ might take some getting used to, is all. If you like to, we¡¯ll be eating together, training together--¡° Fhesiah interrupted with a grin, ¡°Leveling up together.¡± Jake continued, ¡°And having fun together. We share the values of Hestia, and we¡¯re a family. We¡¯ll try hard and help each other be the best that we can be, and if you want to join us, you will be welcome. So long as you don¡¯t go out of your way to hurt one of us, you¡¯ll be welcome here.¡± The lamia was now in tears, but she looked happy. ¡°I¡­ your family? I can join it? Hestia¡­ she told the truth?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯ll be helping us with fighting the outsiders, right? If we¡¯re fighting side-by-side, I think that makes us a family of sorts just from that, doesn¡¯t it? We¡¯ll take that a bit further than just that, though, with the [Summoner¡¯s Bond] and all the other things that we do together besides fighting. Help protect us and others, and we¡¯ll do everything we can to protect you, too.¡± She cried some more, but the demoness and valkyrie all got up and wrapped their arms around the lamia in a hug from the sides. Even with them at her sides, there was plenty of space left for Jake to join, the lamia so large. It was just¡­ Fhesiah smirked at Jake, ¡°C¡¯mon Jake, family hug. Why don¡¯t you join us? We¡¯re all hugging this cute lamia. Don¡¯t you want to?¡± Even the valkyrie was enjoying Jake¡¯s plight. Jake did want to, but his head and much of his upper body were pretty much at the same level as her massive breasts. Because her torso was taller and larger than Jake¡¯s entire body head to toe, while her breasts might be proportionally the same size as Fhesiah¡¯s, they ended up being almost half the size of Jake¡¯s torso each. The demoness was really teasing Jake, making him have no way out of this one. He stepped forward to hug her, and the lamia herself had doubts that he would do it, but definitely did not seem against it. The bond was new and weak, so he couldn¡¯t get anything about why this would be, but he reached his arms around her and gave her a hug. His face and most of his upper torso were completely buried, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind this at all, and he could just feel her happiness through the bond. His arms wrapped easily around her lower back, which, while larger than his other girls, was still quite slim despite her size. She hugged him back, and they all enjoyed their group hug for a moment. They broke off, and the meal continued with little fanfare. The Lamia did not crunch on any more bones, thankfully. Jake did, however, notice that her canines were quite exaggerated as she consciously ate the meat off the bones ¡ª that she had what looked similar to vampire fangs. Also, her tongue was very much mixed somewhere between a human and a snake¡¯s, being able to extend out and easily lick off the barbecue sauce that ended up on her fingers. Jake realized that this woman differed from Ophelia and even Fhesiah. He would have to take care he didn¡¯t get into another amusement park situation when they reached contested territory. The food was enough for the lamia, and they decided to watch a movie. It would help her pick up on human culture, as there were many concepts foreign to her. Jake didn¡¯t already forget about what happened at the amusement park, after all. Jake tried to pick a silly romantic comedy, but the plan backfired as it probably made the lamia more confused about humans. The other two girls were completely used to most Earth human customs and culture. The lamia said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Do all these males want this Mary person? Why doesn¡¯t she just accept them all and take them into her household?¡± Jake then explained that this rarely happens with Earth humans, that it¡¯s usually just one man with one woman. She then asked, ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t the larger male just simply eat the other males? Especially the quirky one, which this story follows. He would be defeated within but a breath¡¯s time.¡± They would have a long way to go before she would understand humans at all, and Jake was surprised that she was able to go to the surface and help some at the behest of Hestia before her death. It had turned out there were in fact humans in her home world, and they were often captured for breeding and slavery purposes. They also learned that Lamia usually bred true, their children always being lamia. In addition, their race experienced sexual dimorphism, and the males were usually much smaller than the females. Human or elven males were often preferred over the males of their own race for mating or breeding purposes. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Fhesiah said in his mind, [You hear that, Jake? It sounds like you both have the right equipment, after all. Isn¡¯t that convenient? Now, let¡¯s head to bed. I believe it was my night tonight unless you want the lamia to join?] Jake just shook his head at her antics. Jake had a feeling if he offered the lamia to join him, she probably would. She would be under some sense of duty or such, but Jake much preferred to go the romantic route rather than the forced servant route, even if she might enjoy it all the same. They learned that in the end, what made the lamia drawn to Hestia was simple. It was motherhood. As a cursed, or outcast: she was not allowed to breed, though they would allow her to care for the children as one of her duties, so long as she kept herself covered. She dreamed of having children and family, but the gods of the dark elves ignored her prayers, so she turned to another. She very much enjoyed her duties caring for the other [Dark Lamia] youth, though after she donned her armor as an adult and joined her unit, it was a rare occasion. Jake was a long way away from being ready to be a father, he thought. They would need a place to truly call home, complete with an actual community before they would be ready to take the plunge. At the talk of children, both of his girls were giving him doe-eyed looks, like it was something that they desired someday as well. The night came and went, and Jake made everyone breakfast. The lamia was much more relaxed and actually looked quite happy as they ate and made small talk. After the meal, Fhesiah and Ophelia went to get dressed for their training, leaving Jake and the lamia alone together. Her voice was upbeat and happy sounding before, but now it was like she had removed her reservations about the situation. ¡°Milord, did you not want me to help with cooking? I was allowed to cook on occasion¡­¡± Jake just smiled at her and said, ¡°If you enjoy it, I wouldn¡¯t stop you from helping from time to time. As I¡¯ve said, we¡¯re a family here, and everyone contributes in their own way. Fhesiah often uses her cleaning spell to do most of the dishes and the living areas, then Ophelia is mostly in charge of keeping the training area clean and operational. I cook most of the meals and take care of most of the dungeon preparation and planning. How you want to contribute is up to you. We¡¯ll give you some time to figure out how. Just get used to living here with us for now; I know it¡¯s a major change for you on its own. One more thing. Just call me Jake. If it makes you feel more comfortable calling me Milord, that¡¯s fine, but just like you saw in that movie last night, people like myself are much more used to just using our first names.¡± ¡°I could never¡­¡± the lamia hesitated, and Jake spoke once again, ¡°I know you¡¯ve been cursed all of your life, but we won¡¯t ever treat you like you are. At a minimum, you are a valuable member of our party, and so you deserve to be treated as such, cursed or not. Now, let¡¯s show you what we get up to in the training area. When it¡¯s time for lunch, I¡¯ll show you where everything is in the kitchen and we can make lunch together. How does that sound?¡± When he finished the last sentence, large mounds of soft flesh surrounded his head and much of his upper body in a t-shirt, and arms wrapped around him. He could hear, but not see, the lamia crying. She said, ¡°You really don¡¯t care about my curse? You¡¯ll¡­ treat me like the other girls?¡± Jake was a little conflicted because while he should clarify that the other girls were his lovers, and he didn¡¯t see himself at that stage with her yet, he felt she was particularly vulnerable at the moment and might take him saying so as a rejection. ¡°I¡­ yes, of course. I¡¯m happy to have you here. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all be very close in no time at all.¡± Jake wasn¡¯t sure what she was thinking, but she went from crying to breathing heavily. He felt her embrace tighten, and her snake tail coiling around him, starting from his feet. He tried to look at her face and was pulled away slightly. When he saw her face, he thought he was going to be eaten- well, he supposed that his first thought was technically right. He was starting to feel no small amount of distress, as this was definitely not how he had wanted things to go down. It was at this moment that Fhesiah returned. ¡°Oh, is this happening already? Ah, but I think Jake¡¯s not quite ready for that yet. You should let him go, Thokk¡¯Berri. You will both enjoy things a lot more when he¡¯s as excited for it as you are.¡± The albino lamia¡¯s eyes snapped to Fhesiah, and she did actually let go. But Jake was not feeling good about where this was going. Her eyes narrowed, and her demeanor completely changed. Instead of the happy, upbeat snake girl, it was now a cold, almost malicious being in front of him and Fhesiah. She raised her body up into the air, and strangely enough, Fhesiah with a smile on her face floated up into the air with her to keep them eye to eye. The lamia spoke, ¡°You would get between me and my mate? I can smell him on you, sex demon. Shouldn¡¯t you be somewhere else getting all of your holes filled, instead of getting between us?¡± ¡°Oh my. I¡¯m not that kind of demon: my grandmother is a dark kitsune, but don¡¯t you think that was a little much? Don¡¯t you see that your ¡®mate¡¯ is a little reluctant? Why, wouldn¡¯t it be like a toothpick in a cave-type situation anyway?¡± ¡°So, you were a mutt instead. Is that supposed to be better? And you should worry about your own tightness, demon whore. I¡¯ll have you know that despite our size, humans and elves never want to go back to their kind.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that because they are not allowed to go back, their captors never letting them leave?¡± ¡°I tire of this.¡± The lamia then quickly snaked her tail around Fhesiah, faster and stronger than even she could react to stop it, floating in the air as she was. The tail wrapped tightly around her arms, and the tip even wrapped around her neck. Jake would be a little worried, but he knew that she didn¡¯t really need to breathe, at least for several minutes¡­ how he knew that he was not very proud of. Also, if he understood what he was feeling over the bond correctly, and the look on her face¡­ ¡°Wha¨C are you getting off on this? I can smell it¨C you really are a whore!¡± Jake could see the blush on Fhesiah¡¯s face, and she was both horny and embarrassed at the same time. From her thoughts, she was especially aroused by being embarrassed and dominated in front of Jake, the context of sexy times starting this whole encounter continuing. She had wanted a threesome for quite a while, after all, and she wasn¡¯t overly concerned about the lamia¡¯s strength harming her. There was a small chance, no matter how miniscule, that she thought this encounter could end in sexy times going into it. Jake tried to pull at Berri¡¯s tail to try to loosen it for Fhesiah, but her strength was just too much. Jake wondered what was going on, the girl being so nice and friendly before, but suddenly becoming so malicious when Fhesiah interrupted her. Was there more than one personality inside, or was this how Berri really felt? Ophelia now showed up, and she just had an amused look on her face as she watched the two girls. Jake looked at her in question as he tried to wrestle Fhesiah out of the snake¡¯s grip, couldn¡¯t she do something to stop this? Someone, probably Fhesiah, could get very hurt. She said, ¡°What, why would I interrupt their battle? A duel between women over a man is sacred. Hey, were there any more of those chips you made left?¡± Jake just stared at her blankly. He had thought that the valkyrie was ¡°almost human¡± to where it functionally didn¡¯t matter; she was just a human that had wings, right? But it turned out that thinking was flawed, and he was really saddled up with three monster women that simply didn¡¯t have the same way of thinking as humans now. Ophelia might now understand Earth''s humans and culture, but that didn¡¯t make her one. Jake saw that the lamia started to get a little more upset and was about to try harming the demoness in earnest; wrapping her up fully and bringing them both closer to the ground so that she could get the stronger portions of her tail wrapped around the demoness, instead of just the skinnier, near the tip portion, to bring more force to bear. So, he decided that enough was enough. Jake allowed as much disappointment as he could to seep over his bond with the lamia, and shouted ¡°Berri!¡± just as he thought that she might tighten the demoness to where a few of her bones might break, and started preparing his barrier spell to surround Fhesiah. The lamia reacted like she was struck, and the vicious gleam in her eyes disappeared. Her tail immediately slackened, and Fhesiah was dumped onto the floor, breathing heavily. Jake canceled his spell preparations, no longer needing it. The malicious snake woman was now gone, and the usually happy-sounding snake girl had returned. ¡°I¡­ oh no! I¡¯m so sorry, mistress! I had just gotten so excited, that when you got in the way, I sort of¡­channeled my inner¡­[Dark Lamia], I guess. Please, forgive me¡­¡± She looked at Fhesiah with upturned eyes, and Fhesiah just dusted herself off. ¡°You¡¯re forgiven, Berri- you¡¯re ok with us calling you that, right?¡± The lamia nodded and blushed at this, but Fhesiah continued, ¡°You gave me some ideas for fun things Jake and I can now do, so no apology is needed, so long as you control yourself in the future. I¡¯m not against you being with Jake as long as he¡¯s shared with us, but there¡¯s a time, place, and occasion for everything, right Jake? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help her understand these things going forward.¡± Jake had a wry smile on his face. While he mostly trusted her to do just that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel this would come back to bite him in some way like how she corrupted his loving valkyrie. At the same time, their relationship with one another is at least as or almost as important as her relationship with Jake, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel she was best equipped to help Berri with understanding humans; being one of a similar mindset who ¡®immigrated¡¯ semi-recently to Jake¡¯s life. Really, the whole interaction was strange. He thought that those under the framework weren¡¯t really allowed to harm one another. They were able to duel and spar, but their intent to harm did actually matter. As far as Jake knew, the same compulsion that made him unable to communicate with people of Earth would stop her from harming Fhesiah. Perhaps, despite the malicious Berri taking the wheel, so to speak, she did not really mean Fhesiah harm? But Jake could see the malice in her eyes; She really wanted to harm Fhesiah. Unfortunately, the emotions were cut off, until the ¡®good Berri¡¯ returned, so he couldn¡¯t use that as a hint either. Bonded Summoner Book 3 Live on Kindle / Kindle Unlimited! Hey, Everyone! It''s that time again. Bonded Summoner Book 3 Is live! https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0C6FR3TZB - Click Here To Buy it / Read it Now! "But JJ - I already read Book 3 for free here on Royalroad/Scribblehub. Why on Earth would I want to pay money, or read this again for free on Amazon Kindle Unlimited?" Why, that''s an excellent question, whoever you are. I''m sure many of my readers here are asking themselves that same question. The answers are the same for Book 3 as they were for Books 1 and 2, mostly. 1. Bonus Content. I created two completely new chapters from scratch, which add fun times and world building to the book. 2. Additional Explicit Interlude. I hadn''t fully intended it, but I hadn''t actually written the second interlude for Book 3 until I had already pulled the chapters down here. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. 3. Over 10k+ words of new content and conversations, besides just technically improving grammatical errors and everything else. I went from nearly 145k words written for Book 3 without the bonus content to almost 180k words in total for Book 3. This was also true of the previous two books. I also included a "Story so Far" Section in Books 2 and 3, which include the details of what happened so far -- perfect for a reread, or for those who waited patiently between books. 4. It supports me. Every purchase, every positive rating and review, gives Bonded Summoner more visibility -- and makes me want to keep writing it a little bit more. If you have kindle unlimited, please give it a download and share your opinions on what you like about the book! Oh, you''re still here? I should also mention that the Audiobook is out for Book 1: https://www.audible.com/pd/Champions-Trial-Audiobook/B0CBQL9589 Book 2 is also already recorded and is currently passing QA - The preorder should be live soon. Anne Marie Lebeaur and Jack Smith do an excellent job of narrating and bringing Jake, Fhesiah, Ophelia, (Bloodberri, Tanda in the future) to life. The book is written in third-person limited, and so the narration of the lines is done by Anne, along with all female voices. Then Jack does all the male character''s voices. His villains sound amazing and memorable, even if the author only gave those guys just a handful of lines before Jake''s party kills them! They did a better job than I could have imagined, bringing the girls and Jake to life in a way I couldn''t believe when I listened. Anne''s Berri in Audiobook 2 is fantastic! The bonus chapter in Book 2, "Berri the Baseball Manager" is so much fun, I''ve listened to it more than once. Anyway, now is a great time for you guys to do a reread, or listen to Bonded Summoner once more. I hope you guys enjoy it, and I''ll see you Wednesday! Book 5 - Where did it go? Hey, everyone! As of today, Book 5 - Chapters 1-43 are removed. If you missed them, you may join the discord https://discord.gg/NbNuqxfffF and request a epub/pdf format version of the RR/Scribblehub chapters. The remainder of the book will still be published here over the next few days, to be removed within a couple of weeks. The remaining chapters are <10% of the book, to satisfy KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) terms. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I''ll still be announcing Book 5 Release tomorrow, but you can preorder here! https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CJWDVY3L It has a bonus epilogue (not released here, and won''t be on the epub/pdf I provide) and several additional scenes, including various extended scenes and moments. See you soon! Book 5 Available on Amazon / Kindle Unlimited! - Plus announcements! Hey guys! Bonded Summoner Book 5 is now available on Amazon! Also, Book 4 Audio did come out on 12/26. AMAZON LINK Once again, I have had to pull the chapters for Book 5 here on RoyalRoad and Scribblehub for KDP Select Exclusivity requirements. If you haven''t read the earlier chapters of Book 5, come over to the discord, or read them on Amazon. Reasons to read on Kindle Unlimited, even though you already read here on RoyalRoad/Scribblehub: 1. 3 New chapters, including a bonus epilogue: A Very Berri Christmas - which was just a load of fun! Good feelings and happiness all around. 2. Additional content and updated scenes. I have added nearly 30k more words onto book 5(besides the 3 extra chapters, making it much more in total!). This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. 3. Major edits. I made yet another pass through, making sure to correct any grammatical errors. The overall quality should be much better than what released on Royalroad and Scribblehub Originally! 4. Supporting me. By reading (for free, if you have a subscription) or buying the book, I get money, and you make the story more popular. Everybody wins! (especially me). I hope once again everyone will help support my release on Amazon, and that everyone enjoys the improvement in quality. Next, for those that somehow missed it, I have a new series here on Royalroad! SOUL KNIGHT - Towers of Orion For those of you that might have tried Soul Knight and might not have liked the MC, I have added a new addition to the prologue that just might help things out a little. This will be my main focus for the time being, but I will still be working on Bonded Summoner Book 6. I typed about 500 words towards the prologue today, so it is something that is forthcoming. I am just planning out everything I want to have happen during the book and the next one, before I really sit down and start typing it all out. Still, I think in ~2 weeks you guys might start seeing a new chapter of bonded summoner every once in a while here, so stay tuned! And, once I finish writing Soul Knight Book 1, I should cycle back to Bonded Summoner again full time. We shall see how it goes. Soul Knight Book 1 Preorder Available on Amazon! And Bonded Summoner Book 6 Announcement! Hey, everyone! Book 1 is now available for preorder on Amazon Kindle Unlimited! Release is set for March 13th, only a few days from now! So wishlist/order/tell your friends! I made two covers, one for each of our awesome beastfolk girls. Please preorder, wishlist/download when it comes out, and give it another read! Click Here for Amazon! I think you''ll find it''s a bit different the second time around. I have had it professionally proofread, plus applied all the helpful fixes of Aalan and the many helpful others that provided suggestions and so on. I do appreciate all your help in identifying when something is unclear / incorrect! That said, there are a few extended scenes in the Amazon version, with somewhere like 5-10k additional words in total. If nothing else, a rating can go a long way to helping me out on Amazon. Five star ratings and reviews from a fan can make a significant difference in making the book look appealing to new readers! The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. There will be a paperback version, but I have not yet submitted it. Those that want to collect each of the books in that format should be happy with the result, I''m sure. Book 2 will begin airing here on RR/Scribblehub in about 2 weeks or so, so look foreward to it! If you missed the Book 1 chapters before stubbing and you are unable to buy the book on amazon / don''t have kindle unlimited, reach out to me on the discord: https://discord.gg/NbNuqxfffF Thanks for all your support, Patreon already has several chapters of Book 2 available for reading for those wanting to support me even further. I go full-time soon, and I can use all the help that I can get to keep writing! Bonded Summoner Book 6 has already started in the same/similar fashion over there on Patreon. In about 2 to 3 weeks, the chapters will begin airing here on Royalroad/Scribblehub, approximately 2 per week (Basically alternating between Soul Knight and Bonded Summoner, M/W/F). Once I am fully-full time, I may increase to 4 chapters in-total per week. I hope folks that enjoyed Bonded Summoner give Soul Knight a try. I know some didn''t like Nick at first, but I had taken quite a bit of feedback and had squared away the introduction, and most folks find him likeable and a lot of fun. Give it another shot! Anyway, thanks for your patience on Bonded Summoner, I know I had planned on starting up releases again much sooner. I''m excited about Book 6 and getting back into it, now that Book 1 of Soul Knight has been completed in its drafting. See you soon! Book 6 - Chapter 27 - Timone and Nessa - Challenge Timone and his Ravenwolf Tribe flapped their wings, flying toward the Alliance HQ. Conquest was nearing 85 percent, and the Dungeon Raid was soon to be triggered. This was their final chance to turn in their contribution with their Conquest Points nearly even, and the enemy was likely to be waiting. The winner of the battle would gain the ability to claim the Prime Instance, more or less deciding who would win ownership of the world: Hearthtribe, or a Subguild of the Obsidian Blades, one of their numerous enemies. Looking over to his side, Dahlia¡¯s smile was feral as she flapped her streamers with auril, her flight suit helping her keep up with the other flyers in the Battlegroup. Aisling¡¯s eyes glowed white, and she hummed. ¡°Looks like trouble ahead, my Chief.¡± Timone raised his brow. ¡°How much trouble? Enough that we should wait for our¡­slower allies?¡± While they primarily moved as the Ravenwolf Tribe for Conquest activities, there were many more on this world in various Battlegroups. In their several months of battle against the Rifts and their PvP enemies, Elysians and many new Hearthtribe recruits fought alongside them. Aisling giggled. ¡°Just the right amount! Our brethren are always ready for battle. If you prepare too much, I think the effect won¡¯t be as good. Our dear Dahlia will enjoy the hunt much more if we continue as we are.¡± Numerous times they had been attacked by additional monsters while facing a Rift challenge, but their people were strong and ready for any challenge. That both Timone and Dahlia could use Cyclic Resonance had saved their tails more than once, and Aisling¡¯s predictions had become even more reliable after she became an Auril Hero. Dahlia grinned, her song taking on the cadence of battle as they neared the city. ¡°Hmm, so that means there¡¯s a big fish in the city then? I hope it¡¯s not just numbers again, that was just monotonous. Really, it just felt like I was bullying them.¡± They had already won more than one PvP event, and several ambushes in the cities. Each time they stomped the enemy, and Dahlia was getting kind of bored. They swooped down toward the Alliance HQ, Timone¡¯s heart taking on the song of battle as well. His flock could feel his song shifting, the groups altering their formation and preparing their weapons. Javelins and bows were held and shields were hefted, the warriors getting ready for battle. As they neared, they spotted their many enemies. Spells built with the light of mana usage, enemy Norse and Greek casters coalescing numerous spells to attack. The beastkin were faster. Arrows and Javelins fell like colored rain, as Timone and his flock¡¯s howls and screeches filled the sky. Timone formed his raven flock, his auril manifestation, as auril in the area built. A large portion of the enemy had gathered in front of the HQ on the ground, dozens blocking off the PvP entrance. Others stood on roofs, their ranged weapons and staves ready to rain attacks down on Timone¡¯s beastkin brethren. Red hazes marked them in Timone¡¯s view, indicating they were PvP enemies¨Cnot that he needed that to know this¨Cthe Greek and Norse equipment was plenty obvious. Dahlia dove with her spear covered in bright light, her streamers flicking javelins right into archer¡¯s throats. Manifestations of wolves bit into their necks, nearly separating their heads from their bodies. With a laugh, her spear spun and twirled among the enemy as she danced, cleaving deep through their flesh, her auril infused blows shearing through their armor like it was nearly not there. A warrior attempted to guard with his shield, only for her streamer to latch on to his arm and yank it out of the way, and for her spear to pierce into their heart with a fierce thrust. Timone¡¯s ravens started slamming into numerous casters, the squishy enemies doing their best to counter with magical barriers and receiving protection from their allies. His ravens ate away at their flesh like a horrifying virus, taking just a few to weaken them significantly. His other wives sniped through their defenses with their bows, and Timone joined Dahlia in her furious melee assault. His brethren all sang the song of battle, auril being pumped into the surrounding area. Auril began to gather within Dahlia, as she began her Cyclic Resonance. Already, his people had wiped out nearly half of the enemies. While they were numerous, they were not a match for his experienced brethren¨Clet alone his fierce huntress. More allies of the enemies suddenly appeared on the tops and from the adjacent alleys, arrows and spells beginning to rain down upon the Ravenwolf Tribe. Much of it was focused on Timone and Dahlia, the center of their attack. Timone activated his Anti-Magic Zone, drawing his brethren to defend against the attacks with his dome of black energy. Auril heroes all, his Ravenwolf Tribe began preparing their attacks in counter. A man strode forward from a nearby alley, and his group¡¯s aura was far above many Timone had run into. Something pushed against Timone¡¯s auril control, the enemy party¡¯s magics encroaching his field. ¡°I am Baron Cassius, a direct descendant of the Divine Ares. It¡¯s time for you to give up and leave here, Hearthtribe. You¡¯ve given us a hard time for long enough, and this world will soon be ours.¡± Timone laughed. ¡°A child of a Divine? I¡¯m afraid your hard times are just beginning, young one. Unless your daddy himself shows up, you¡¯re not sending us home. We¡¯ll go on to kick all your trash out of all the first Tier Contested worlds.¡± Cassius growled as his team used their spells, their shimmering plate being covered in a bright light. Cassius used a shield and Greek xiphos sword, the man barreling toward Timone. But Dahlia met Cassius instead, the speed of her leap as she blazed across the battlefield in a single stride shocking. He only barely raised his shield up in time to block her incoming spear, the surprise on his face evident. Her streamers extended, spun and twirled with her attack, whipping and striking into the nearby members of his retinue and knocking them back. Javelins and arrows flew from Timone and his mates to attack the enemy party, and he took to the sky as he built up his flock of ravens for his eventual attack. As his auril heart pulsed, more and more ravens manifested for the attack. Spells and arrows rained down on Timone and his mates as well, but their armor¡¯s streamers and auril ravens whipped around and blocked them, preventing themselves from taking significant damage. Aisling swooped down with her spear, piercing into the leader¡¯s cleric as she covered him with whipping talon manifestations using her streamers. Despite covering himself with a glimmering barrier, her flurry of attacks shattered it in quick order, and his allies moved to defend him. ¡°Your healers are a little weak, child of Ares. You will not find any of ours unable to defend themselves.¡± She leaped away from their reprisal attacks, arrows from their mates piercing into the cleric instead. Timone focused on taking down the reinforcements as his wife took on the baron. He could feel her thrill of the hunt through her song of battle, streams of auril joining her throughout the cycles of her heartbeats. Every auril hero was a beacon for more auril energy, the area being flooded with Highland¡¯s will. As the battle went on, it was as though they were standing on Highlands itself. The baron¡¯s shield work was impressive, able to keep up with Timone¡¯s powerful, skilled wife. Cassius¡¯s xiphos bit heavily into her auril-infused streamers, Dahlia was only barely able to deflect his fierce attacks as she sought an opening with her spear. Her wolves of light attempted to bite into him, but they were met with well-timed shields of light. Timone sent his raven manifestations attacking archers and casters, as he dove and cleaved through them. His men and women followed his song, bobbing and weaving through the air and pouncing on the squishy targets. Despite being outnumbered, Timone¡¯s beastkin brethren were skilled and fierce. Their equipment allowed them to both defend and attack using their auril, the auril manifestations enabling special utility. Auril Heroes all, they fought with amazing coordination and with powerful attacks. They quickly downed their enemies, seeking vitals and having strong defense. Even when taking a wound, auril healing from themselves and other auril heroes kept them fighting. Timone¡¯s people showed their capabilities in the mixed environment. The enemy wasn¡¯t all human, but most of them could not fly like his flock. The beastkin could reach the second and third stories of the buildings, but the enemies on the ground could not easily reinforce their allies. When the beastkin took to the air, the soldiers on the ground couldn¡¯t join the fight. The beastkin were then able to rain attacks down from the sky, picking them off¨Cvery few of the Greek or Nordic warriors had useful counters. Baron Cassius¡¯s face was a mask of fury as Timone¡¯s mates finished off two of his party, the cleric and some kind of toga wearing mage who flung javelins that turned into lightning bolts. Suddenly, Cassius and the two remaining warriors shouted and grew to be double the size. Timone swooped down and protected his snow owl wife with his Shield of Faith and spear, while she countered a blow of the second which targeted her, manifestations of talons blocking the attack. Dahlia howled as her spear grew in both size and length, not even slowing her assault as her own bright light blazed around her, taking on the enlarged baron. ¡°I¡¯ll admit your warriors are strong, but they are not my match.¡± Cassius began shining white, the man activating some kind of ability. ¡°Holy Vengeance!¡± He shouted, before energy rose from his fallen comrades, and the man was empowered by his losing battle. Timone growled in annoyance. The corrupt man using anything with the word holy in the name was a horrible travesty. Filling his spear with his will, Timone leapt with a powerful flap of his wings, causing him to blaze across the battlefield. His raven flock gathered along his spear, as he pierced deeply into one of Cassius¡¯s allies, Timone¡¯s hawk parentage wife finishing him off with a fierce swooping followup with her spear. Meanwhile, Dahlia was all grins as the songs of their brethren sang their anthem, another cycle completing. Her body was covered in golden light, the auril of the seasons being drawn from their allies. Dahlia loved a thrilling hunt, and facing this powerful foe had filled her with excitement. Timone was sure this¡­excitement would turn to him in another form later that evening. Cassius¡¯s xiphos swung down powerfully toward his wife¡¯s head, but with a roar, Dahlia¡¯s spear became a beam of light which blasted away his sword, and crashed into his body and sent him into the air. The Obsidian Blade leader¡¯s armor cracked, but still landed on his feet. His body was covered in light, the two cycles had not been enough to bring him down. Still, Timone could see it was diminished. Dahlia¡¯s cycle continued, likely only able to build up one more before the ability was cancelled. Timone began his Cyclic Resonance, drawing in auril to him as well. Cassius charged Dahlia, and Timone started pelting his back with ravens. Death began spreading as the holy light fought it off, but the ravens kept on coming. He charged in with his spear, piercing Cassius in his shoulder from behind. Dahlia had activated her skills as Lugh¡¯s clergy, one which increased her strength and speed. Another was a fierce attack, that augmented her auril. It made it so each thrust was effectively two spears at once, the attacks difficult to block or deflect by Cassius. Wounds mounted on the man¡¯s body, her spear piercing his armored protection, and Timone seeking his vitals. Cassius was strong and capable, but he could not match their coordinated hunt¨Conly reduce the damage he took. He had some sort of self-healing, but it was not able to keep up with Timone¡¯s ravens. The damage began piling up, and Cassius roared as reality appeared to shift. His sword grew to become massive, and he held it over his head with two hands. The amount of energy contained within was massive, some power of divinity that Timone didn¡¯t understand. But he didn¡¯t need to. Dahlia¡¯s auril and all in the surrounding area rushed toward her spear, and Timone leapt next to her as ravens swirled around his. Their cycles were not yet complete, but they worked together on a combined attack. The two of them crouched together with their spears, preparing to counter the son of the divine¡¯s attack. At that moment, Timone and Dahlia¡¯s hearts beat in harmony, their songs combining as one. As Cassius¡¯s blade descended, Timone and Dahlia¡¯s spears thrust out with all their might. Their auril coalesced, Lugh¡¯s light of life and Cernunnos¡¯s punishing death into a larger spear of golden light. Crashing into the giant¡¯s sword, the blade was deflected, sending the man stumbling backward. Dahlia and Timone leaped together with their own roars, Dahlia¡¯s spear entering the man¡¯s enlarged throat, and Timone¡¯s piercing into his heart. The man dispelled into motes of light, leaving the impressive-looking xiphos to clatter on the ground. Aisling picked it up, and began marveling at the magical runes or sigils covering it. It was clearly a Framework created item, likely obtained in a Dungeon Raid or similar. ¡°Huh, we got loot! This is not bad. Their rank and file all has garbage, but these guys had the real deal.¡± The other fallen enemies also dropped random items, which they were happy to sell on the market¨Cafter all, Hearthtribe-crafted items were simply superior for their personal usage. Dahlia sighed in happiness. ¡°That was a great hunt. Now it¡¯s time for another Dungeon Raid.¡± After healing up and rallying their brethren, they marched inside the HQ. They turned in their contribution to the fixture, a strange pedestal within a large room with a varied landscape meant for confrontations. There were pillars and rocks, trees and even water. It was meant to not give any one type of fighter or mage an inherent advantage, and the room would shift and change over the course of several days. Checking their contribution, Timone gave a fierce grin. ¡°We won the battle, and our contribution now exceeds their alliance¡¯s pool of contribution, enabling us to have free rein to select the Prime Instance. That son of Ares idiot sure gave us a lot more than we required, too.¡± Dahlia asked Aisling, ¡°What would have happened if we waited for reinforcements?¡± Aisling hummed. ¡°Not entirely sure, it seems he would have left. I think he only fought because he thought he could win. If Vesuvius and Nadessa had arrived, he¡¯d have left with his tail between his legs.¡± Timone chuckled. ¡°He was not a bad warrior. It¡¯s too bad he¡¯s weak as a man. Good work, my mates. Now, it¡¯s time for us to prepare. For after this Raid, we will enter the second Tier. We¡¯ll pass on the torch to our younger brethren to continue the fight, and join a new one.¡± After the Raid was complete, they would save their first world as Hearthtribe. Ariminum was not far behind, but soon they would be a force that couldn¡¯t be ignored. *** Nessa swung her swords, sending blade-like waves of her frigid lake carving into the boss creature¨Ca horrifying golem made of shadows and flesh. Her cultivator and Norse allies continued sending their attacks into the boss, as Astalder kited it across the arena. It belched a terrible black ooze which contaminated her frozen lake, but her purifying scripture had already enhanced its cleansing capabilities. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Where it would be impossible for people to cross without being burned by ooze, her lake was busy clearing the area and allowing her allies better movement across the field. Thanks to her frost piling up on the boss and slowing it, Astalder laughed as he threw his axes periodically at the undead monster, recalling them to himself with a special ability. Humans and large cultivating demonic beasts sent special attacks into the boss, an array of different magics that were surprising. Fiery swipes of claws or poison breath, dangerous talons of lightning and sonic roars periodically slammed into the boss, the cultivators assisting their tamed beasts with arrows and similarly focused magical attacks. A clan of beast tamers had joined her in this Prime Instance, their intelligent beasts providing unique support. Her new allies were both strong and effective, and she couldn¡¯t believe her luck in gaining their allegiance. Being the daughter of Tyr, she was somewhat used to the Norse being relatively quick to come to her aid, or join her retinue. However, Tyr was far from the only Divine in the pantheon. She was seen as an important person that they wanted to earn favor for, but that was it. When she arrived on Aetheris, it was like the red carpet was rolled out. Her bloodline and its purity, combined with a mixture of what her father passed onto her, was felt by the natives. Because of this, they were quick to bow down like a Divine themselves had arrived. They didn¡¯t just favor her, they were quick to want to become her servants or hand over various offerings and treasures to earn her favor. The whole idea was strange to her. If she were really so important, wouldn¡¯t what they handed her equal trash for her? Yet they happily handed her their cultivation resources, which they really needed a lot more than she did. Nessa had done her best to¡­ re-appropriate the gifts she received among those that joined her cause. The new members were weak at the middle of the first Tier at first due to their middling Tier 1 world, but strong-arming them into joining the Framework, they were quick to grow. It was because of this that she was even further venerated, and she was able to form this elite force of allies over the last year. While the cultivator world wasn¡¯t Contested in the same way as a normal Alliance world, their contribution across the Sector was tallied toward its ongoing protection. Normally, they would have to wait for a Battleground, but now that she had convinced so many of them to join, they were having a significant impact. Joining in this Dungeon Raid would accomplish something similar to a Battleground win, keeping it from being consumed by Tartarus. The boss¡¯s health dipped below 20%, and entered the final phase as the creature sped up. It glowed a malevolent red, becoming larger at the same time. Nessa established her mirrors, creating four on opposing ends of the flat arena. She then stirred her Frostheart Cauldron, the latest addition to her arsenal. Soothing cold filled her body, her new scales shimmering with a blue haze as she stirred her bloodline. White scales were now interspersed along her body on her sides, starting from her neck. The scales continued along her shoulders and down the sides of her arms and legs, all the way down to her feet. They completely avoided the front of her body, with only a few along her spine and lower back. Her hair was now blue, another side effect from improving her bloodline further. While she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the look, she was confident in the strength she¡¯d gained in the last year. [They look beautiful, descendant of mine¨Cand that¡¯s coming from a connoisseur of scales. Your efforts of self-improvement have surely brought you closer to love and justice, just like your guild¡¯s namesake.] Nessa blushed at the teasing reminder of the silly guild name, but had a bit of pride in what the guild had accomplished. To rescue another world so rapidly was a tremendous achievement, and it wouldn¡¯t just stop here. Her efforts would build into several more victories just like this one, whether she led the attack or not. It was more than a little weird as Astalder picked up more girls for his harem, but she couldn¡¯t argue with the results. He was now even further entrenched in her camp, his cultivator women quick to browbeat away any hope of dissension of his. [Yes, your guild is doing well. I do think we are ready to form your core soon, now that we created the cauldron. The Raid Points from this Prime Instance should have all that we need.] ¡°Why were you so focused on making that, anyway? The effect is useful, but the glacial serpent¡¯s heart could have been a core formation material, couldn¡¯t it? The other objects to create the cauldron were worth a king¡¯s ransom, too. That Source Energy treasure had looked quite appealing¡­¡± [We have a few more opportunities for core formation materials, and Source Energy treasures. Let¡¯s just say that when you realize its full worth, you¡¯ll thank me from the bottom of your heart. Plus, don¡¯t you like that I can have a much more direct impact on the fight this way? Surely, you can see how powerful it is even now?] ¡°Of course, I can see the cauldron is powerful. Speaking of which, you¡¯re up, Nana.¡± Her frostheart cauldron pulsed, its flaming contents surging upward. The cauldron was now empty, but pulses from the strange metaphysical relic started to refill the container. Blue yin flames shot out of her spiritual temple, and she breathed the flame out of her mouth, also sending water serpents from her lake to meet the flame. But the flame was not hot¨Cit was a flame of cold. As her serpents froze, she lost control over them, the magical creatures she created to attack with swipes of her blades coming to a halt. Nana then sent pulses of her lake serpent bloodline out, an aura of her ancestry that she did not yet fully understand. Like a strange limb that she hadn¡¯t been born with, infusing her¡­Serpent Will was difficult for her. She had been making progress, especially as she had improved the bloodline and obtained her scales, but it was nowhere near what Nana could accomplish. Her ancestor controlled the large frost serpent of frostflame and ice with what Nessa could only compare to timed pulses, something she could not do on her own at all. The ice serpent roared as it breathed out flame into the boss, its powerful frostflame slowing and damaging its flesh and shadows despite its red gleam. An aura of shadow exploded throughout the arena, damaging those in a large area around it. Avoiding the attack, Nessa entered her lake, her body disappearing as she built her next attacks into her blades. The boss turned its attention to Nana¡¯s ice serpent, which snaked and twirled through the air as it dodged the giant construct¡¯s furious swings of its fists. The cultivators and Nords attacked the busy boss with renewed fervor at a distance, its health declining rapidly as they did their best to attack it from afar. Their distance reduced how much damage they were taking from the shadow aura, but it continued to pile up. More belches of ooze were sprayed, the Battlegroup needing to move out of the way or be harmed even more significantly. The beasts all roared in pain as the shadow aura damaged them, the Norse healers unable to keep up with the damage for much longer. Closing her eyes, she stood in her Spiritual Temple. Her pure lake represented her Qi, the water cold, clean, and pure. A small temple stood on a small island, a home for her human form. But her home, her lake, was being encroached. The black ooze had stained it, and while the frost within the lake moved in mysterious ways, scrubbing it away, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of rage for its encroachment. Her lake was her home, and she used it to protect her allies and friends. It was her sanctuary, and she would not allow this encroachment to continue any further. Her four mirrors faced a single point, her blades taking on a powerful gleam. Not needing to hide her assault, she burst from the water with a leap, slashing powerfully with two blades covered in frost. Enhanced by her will, her desire to protect her home, the watery ice bit deeply into the golem¡¯s form. And Nessa did not stop there. The shadow aura bore down on her, but the water formed a protective bubble as she spun and drew more water into her blade. The layer of water which her allies now tred shrunk, but she slashed two more times with fierce aggression as she pushed her dao, cleaving through the place she previously froze. The golem now tumbled into her lake as it was cut in half, the boss finally defeated. Cheers erupted from the Battlegroup, the cultivators receiving the victory prompt. The corruption disappeared into motes of light, the encounter coming to an end. Nessa drew her lake in, her mirrors shattering as she withdrew her Qi from the field of battle. She reviewed her victory prompt, finding plenty of Raid Points for a premium item were achieved. Nana looked over the items for her. [Hm, looks like we lucked out! There¡¯s a Tears of the Frost Phoenix, which is perfect for your core formation. We¡¯ll even be able to afford the Source Energy treasure for the serpent venom, which will be an excellent addition to your Path, your Dao.] Nessa grimaced. ¡°Venom? That¡­how does that fit in with my lake? I¡¯m¡­not so sure I like that as part of my path, venom is a¡­ coward¡¯s weapon. I thought my swords were a part of my path?¡± Nana was quiet for a moment, but when she spoke, her voice was firm. [Claws, blades, spears, fangs, venom, these are but a few things humans and beasts can use to kill, but they are all tools used to protect their homes and loved ones. Like it or not, you are a serpent. And while you have taken to the blade, I don¡¯t know that it resonates that well with you. In the end, it is just a tool that you use to slay the enemy. Is venom all that different? As a serpent of the frigid lake, your venom can be a powerful, versatile tool to protect your home. Just one more evolution of your bloodline, and you should have access to it.] Nessa frowned, thinking on it. In the end, even with what Nana had said about the blade, she had a hard time picturing her lake¡­with swords. Perhaps, she should consider venom further¡­ Nana continued, [Now, do not let me force you into your path¨Cyour path is your own. I can just feel it, that the blade is not your true calling. That said, do not allow your imagination to limit your choice. Shards of ice within your lake can be a blade that resonates with your path, sharp blades that harm those that encroach on your home, or endanger your friends. I believe what will resonate better with you, is for a venomous frost that purges the wicked, bringing justice to them even if you must be taken to the grave with them. For your eyes reveal the truth, and when you sink your fangs, your blades into your foe, they are deserving of your wrath. Your cause is righteous, and any that feel your venom should suffer, their fates coming to an end.] Nessa still hesitated, but she felt that Nana was right. She was starting to build conviction in her path of Home, her lake being a place of purity and protection¨Cher sanctuary. It was versatile, and she knew this could feed into numerous abilities, from a utilitarian perspective. Then, as Nana hinted at, it simply resonated well with her. And this new thing, this venom¡­something about it did too. Nana¡¯s smile could be heard in her voice, [Good. Now, it appears Hearthtribe once again has placed some even more unique items for sale, including some more Bloodline enhancing concoctions. We¡¯ll snatch those up, and once you¡¯ve consumed these treasures, we¡¯ll form your core.] Nodding, she made her purchases. Resting in her lake, later, she received a prompt with the accounting tally for all the completed instances. [Conquest Complete! Victory: Alliance.] [Overall Conquest Rating for Shadow Haven: B] [Personal Conquest Rating: A] [Dungeon Raid Rating Prime Instance: A] [Top Contribution: Love and Justice] [Previous World Energy Rating: Tier 1.61] [Ending World Energy Rating: Tier 2.03] [Contribution from Cultivators has increased the Energy Rating of their world, 12.3 percent has been allocated to the Mystic Expanse.] [Congratulations, Nessa Tyrsdottir! As the Designated Contribution Earner of your Guild with the highest Conquest Earnings, you are now the Planetary Ruler of Shadow Haven. Current Tax percentage on all Nodes worldwide: 20%] Nessa beamed. A Tier 2 world was now hers! And each world her new cultivator brethren of the Mystic Expanse helped claim, would strengthen their world, too. This was a unique advantage, when combined with her Relays, perhaps before the end of a few years, they could make it. She could see that Hearthtribe was doing phenomenally well, but she would soon be receiving some help. Xara from the Blizzardblade Clan and a man named Weiyan from the Righteous Flame Sect made their desires known to join her on the Mystic Expanse, along with a race of creatures called the Celestial Nekomatas. Things were truly looking good for Nessa. In the past year, she had accomplished more than she ever imagined. Perhaps, love and justice truly could go well together. *** Cassius groaned as he awoke from his resurrection, a frown crossing his features as he stepped out of the shrine in his Refuge. His servants scurried to bring him a drink, but he waved them away. He withdrew one from his Storage Ring as he tried to get his rage under control. He even lost his sword! ¡°Your¡­ Patron wishes to speak with you.¡± Fuck¡­this was really not what he needed right now. He gave himself a few moments to clear his head before he walked toward his communication room. On the display was a shadowed form, his patron. Or rather, the proxy in which his patron spoke. In frontier sectors like 87, the Divine were severely limited, unable to properly communicate their will. Every sentence requiring a purpose, and every word a cost. Which was why one of the first things his Patron had done when this war began was discover a way to cheat. ¡°You lost. You lost in front of all your subordinates, in front of all the residents, and to a mere¡­ Tier 1 Clergy Native with overwhelming numbers. Pathetic.¡± Cassius grimaced. He was the son of a Divine, he should be comparable to a Champion at the same Tier. That he lost to a mere clergy class while lowering himself and outnumbering his enemy was not something he could easily justify. Anything else he could offer were merely excuses, and his Patron would only get angrier at them. The Tier 1 Beastkin of Highlands were simply better trained, better equipped, and more powerful than the average recruit. Especially when their only choices for subordinates were from weaker natives. Still, he realized he had to try. ¡°The beastkin natives are far more capable than we imagined. That they won on over eighty percent of the conflicts so far proves this. They have unparalleled mobility, and even their magic technology could compete with worlds with a much richer history. The Celts have truly kept the wool over our eyes. They are the dark horse of this Sector.¡± His patron growled. ¡°And that¡¯s not all. That whore had really maximized her Champion¡¯s debut, earning a Homeworld that cannot be ignored. Having a Tier 2 world out of the gate means it is nearly impossible to starve him of resources. His party will be a thorn in our side in the War Trial, unless we take drastic measures.¡± ¡°Drastic measures?¡± ¡°Yes. We must prevent their world from entering the third Tier. For now, withdraw your wars in the first Tier, at least until the grace period ends. Focus on raising your people to the second Tier, to focus on this time.¡± ¡°Back off from the first Tier! But the cost of canceling¨C¡± The proxy narrowed his eyes, his voice a hiss of anger. ¡°Yes, back off. Your people are only feeding them, a whetstone for their warriors to be sharpened, and hastening their contribution earnings. Thanks to your losses, you are only aiding their recruitment and empowering their individuals. Their advantages are prevalent at the first Tier, but will that be the case in the second?¡± Cassius frowned, he didn¡¯t like losing his war so quickly. There were enough Contested worlds in the first that he should be able to avoid Hearthtribe, and just focus on pushing for victory and bringing his people to the second Tier. It was a shame. His feeder guilds were excellent at raising ruthless mercenaries, their reputations allowing for numerous ways to profit. Losing their freedoms in the first Tier would reduce his ability to recruit for quite some time. The proxy¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits. ¡°Just do as we say, or else. Here is a list of the upcoming Contests.¡± Cassius was more surprised that they would be abandoning the first Tier than he was over receiving a list that could only be obtained through one method: collaboration with Tartarus. By knowing which worlds were going to be Contested next, his men could weaken their defenses through various means, such as enslavement or sabotage, before the Contest even began. ¡°I see, then you want our activities to progress on these worlds then? Thanks to Tyr and his daughter, eyes are already on some of us. Are you sure we can afford to be so¡­blatant?¡± ¡°Let us worry about this. It should be easy enough to hide your activities on these worlds, they were chosen for this reason. You have plenty of time. Use disguises and proxies, just get it done. We must prevent Highlands from reaching the third Tier during the War Trial, or they can ruin everything.¡± Cassius nodded. ¡°So we¡¯ll strangle the child in the crib then. Anything else?¡± ¡°Yes, as it should have been already! Fail in this task like you¡¯ve already failed us, and you shall be used for empowerment of another. Are we clear?¡± He grimaced. Being sacrificed to empower some Tartarus entity was the same as being sent to hell, forced to suffer for all eternity. Even the most cruel Divine¡¯s afterlives were not so horrible, most only spending time with their memories and sins washing away as they paid for their wrongdoings¨Cusually for a timespan comparable to their original lifetime. Cassius swallowed. ¡°Crystal.¡± ¡°Good. Now focus your overwhelming numbers on your small victories as you withdraw, until their grace period ends. You¡¯ll have new instructions at that time.¡± The proxy disappeared, Cassius sagging in his chair. Taking deep breaths, he reined in his anger. He opened his Menu, and started sending a flurry of messages. He targeted the worlds near the outer rim of the Sector, focusing his forces on the few wins they could earn quickly. His subguilds had a few elites between them, so he just had to make sure they teamed up properly, and not their usual fighting for dominance. Cassius wanted results, and he needed them fast. Then he focused on the worlds in the second Tier, and those which would be Contested in the next year. This was an important time. As soon as the grace period was done, Hearthtribe and its allies would have two main choices for progression. The dungeon, or Tier 2 worlds. During the grace period, the dungeon would be the primary means. But the dungeon was full of vicious traps, the evil entity happily taking advantage of those that went too deep. The rewards were enticing, but all too many found themselves stuck or worse. Many would not progress at all inside, their constant deaths setting them back further than what they gained. Tartarus had even more tools to cheat with within, and the death rate was extremely high. It was why so few worlds had been recovered from the entity in the first place, only the strongest of heroes able to claim such major victories. But who was Cassius kidding? If Hearthtribe was full of elites like that raven¡­wolf man abomination and his wife, then perhaps they had much to gain while inside. This was all the more reason that Cassius and Avaron needed to make sure they got taken down a peg the moment they entered the second Tier. Looking at another report, he frowned. This¡­Nessa Tyrsdottir was really proving to be a thorn in his side. Just how did she become so capable? Not only did she defeat Avaron, but now she had claimed two Prime Instance victories. She would need to move up in Tier, or else her presence would be a detriment, but her guild¡¯s strength had skyrocketed beyond what anyone could expect. She had allied with Hearthtribe, but it was the same for many others. Looking over the numbers, Cassius¡¯s eyes took on a cruel glint. Perhaps, they would be even more aggressive with a certain Norse Divine¡¯s daughter going forward. Book 6 - Epilogue - The Family Continues to Grow Jake brushed Aiko¡¯s dark purple fur, pampering his kitsune daughter¡¯s fluffy tail. Giving happy chirps, her chest rose and fell at a soft rhythm. His kitsune wife sat next to him on a couch, reading a storybook for Nora and Clara to also enjoy, while Jake was joined by Ava on his other side. The family was once again relaxing in their Refuge, having returned to their home of Highlands. Blaze, his third lamia daughter, played with her big sisters and Ruby. Having red scales and hair, the girl was a little tyrant. Spoiled by her big sisters, she never rested when it came to having of fun and seeking of affection. Ruby was really starting to fit into the family, having better control or understanding over her body and the world around her. She now trained with the girls and Jake, practicing against his summons, and with Ava¡¯s battle body and Jasmina. Her claws were fierce, and Jake was a bit surprised by the strength and hardiness of the creature¡¯s medium-sized frame. The blood badgerdillo¡¯s body was now almost completely covered in red crystal like some sort of chrysalis, Fhesiah having fed her various blood related treasures from the vampire¡¯s sack and those she purchased or traded for. Sati floated over the hearthforge while Tanda and Ophelia worked the forge, helping them. She aided them in creating Qi-infused flames as Lia worked the Runic Crucible ability, allowing the two to more easily create the heavenly energy items. The fire spirits floated around the family, playing and joining in their activities. Faye had said the little sprites were soon to cross over to the second Tier, the swarm gaining in strength rapidly. Having been infused with energy from Bastet¡¯s Lamp and the Hearth of the Refuge, they were now reaching the size of a small child¨Cthe size that his children should currently be. The two new permanent summons could both talk now, using the mental speech of cultivators. They learned rapidly, digesting knowledge at a furious pace. Jake wasn¡¯t sure why, but both Sati and Ruby acted a bit shy around him. Often he had tried speaking with them, and while polite, their answers were a little¡­short. Yet he knew Ruby spent a lot of time speaking with Blood, Berri, and Fhesiah, and it was the same with Sati. Usually while he was¡­busy. Strange. Ava¡¯s daughter, a seed, was now planted near the World Tree on Highlands. From what he understood, a treant beastkin would be born¨Cthe first in over a thousand years. Already his daughter had sprouted, and while he found this method of birth quite strange, he just rolled with it. His egg-laying wife was odd enough already. Not being a part of their body tempering cycles, both lesser avatars of Avalara were now with seed once more, Jake doing his¡­duty to repopulate the treants of Highlands. Of course they would be changed from their original visages just like the rest of the beastkin, but he imagined that they would be welcomed on Highlands just the same. Blaze snaked toward Jake, jostling him as she crashed into him on the couch. Aiko growled at her sister for her pleasant rest being disturbed, to which Blaze hissed back. ¡°Dad! Show us more of your summons! Mommas say we haven¡¯t even seen them all yet!¡± Jake frowned and intended to reprimand his daughter lightly for her actions. However, Blood grabbed her by the ear with telekinesis. ¡°Ah¨C¡± ¡°First of all, when you want someone to do something for you, you ask, and you say please. Second of all, what you just did was rude. You disturbed your sister, and instead of saying sorry, you hissed at her! Be considerate of others, especially your dear sisters¨Cyou know that, two months old or not!¡± ¡°Aw, but mom, I wanted¨C¡± ¡°No buts. Say you¡¯re sorry to Aiko now. You wouldn¡¯t want to be disturbed during your time with Dad and mothers, would you? Just look at how disappointed your father is.¡± Blaze met Jake¡¯s eyes, then scrunched up her face, looking remorseful. ¡°S-Sorry, Aiko. I¡¯ll be¡­more careful. I got¡­excited.¡± She sighed. Aiko chirped, and Blaze¡¯s look was pleading. ¡°Sorry, Daddy. P-please, can you show us more of your summons? They¡¯re so cool!¡± Nyxa and Rena stood behind her, their expressions pleading, and even Nora and Clara both looked interested. ¡°What do you think, Aiko? Do you want to see them too?¡± She chirped in affirmative and nudged against his chest with a vulpine smile, so they ended their grooming session. Giving her some pats and kissing his kitsune wife and Ava, he got up. That his daughter understood him, but he couldn¡¯t understand her, was an oddity. He did have Fhesiah, Blood and Berri around to help, but his fox daughter was¡­a little odd to him. Still, she was definitely cute¨Cand fluffy. Drawing from his wives and the Hearth of the Refuge, he cast his numerous summons he had collected. His kids and his wives all clapped, pointing out the interesting creatures he had gathered templates for. Some second Tier dinosaurs had now joined his collection, powerful Highlands creatures capable of a wide array of abilities. The varied creatures of Ganestra joined them, along with a few from Ankhmar. The creatures of Highlands were definitely a mixture of flavored Earth mammals and avian creatures, mixed with dinosaurs. But his templates from Ganestra resembled monsters from games he was familiar with. From the specter he captured during his date with Ava, to beasts with breath attacks and giant insects, Ganestra and Ankhmar had numerous useful creatures. Jake now had a wide array of monsters to choose from, and he was excited to make use of them when the situation called for it. But most of all, he was excited about his Hearthtribe Templates. From Nadessa and her father, the War Treant, to Vesuvius and his daughter, Vexana the venomous cobra woman¨CJake now had numerous powerful beastkin to call upon. While individually they were not that all strong, especially compared to his wives: he could create ten Vexanas if he wanted to use her auril venom against an enemy, as an example. His daughters all gasped in excitement as each creature was brought out, and he showed off their abilities against each other. His large lava golem punched his death scorpion, crushing its carapace, while his ice devil sliced into the lava golem¡¯s side, freezing it. Jasmina sang a song, demonstrating her power to enhance his Vesuvius template, who fought off three Roxos as they dashed and spun around with a whirling dervish of blades. The Garuda even made an appearance, dueling Ava¡¯s battle avatar. He called out Valtor and his wife, Amara. The two worked together and cast a powerful blast of arcane lightning, a surprisingly powerful spell that blasted into Bill, much to Berri¡¯s delight and applause. The number of templates summoned in such a short duration was far beyond what he could accomplish on his own, but Jake was somewhat shocked at the effect he could bring out. Dozens of creatures now battled, as his daughters, and even his wives, oo¡¯d and aww¡¯d. Blaze clapped. ¡°Yay! This is awesome, daddy! What about the heroic beasts? Mommy told me they were some of the best ones!¡± Jake hesitated, knowing that the heroic beasts appeared to be against being summoned for anything but true combat. But he remembered that at the very least, Bree had shown some interest in his family¨Cshe had come to their victory celebrations, anyway. She hadn¡¯t yet met his children, and he had been waiting for the right time to introduce them. He probed his connection to Bree, and he nearly stumbled in shock from what he felt in response. Desperation. Something was going on with Bree, and he wasn¡¯t sure he understood what was going on. It was like the moment he probed the bond, the floodgates for the emotion were opened. His wives were instantly apprised of the situation and his plan, and each mother quickly scooped their daughters up, or floated them by their side with Telekinesis in the case of Blood and Berri. They shushed their daughters, letting them know what was about to happen might be dangerous. He drew in all the mana from his constructs, dispelling all but his permanent summons and restoring his available mana. Sati, Jasmina and Ruby looked on in interest, gathering nearby¨Cable to stay present thanks to the Refuge able to maintain them. The Garuda also floated in the air at the ready with Ava¡¯s battle avatar, the giant treant beast towering over everything. Jake summoned Bree¡¯s special template, the giant red boar appearing in motes of light. Bree had become larger now, being scaled up to the second Tier. Flowers on her body were aflame, her body covered in vine armor. Her auril heart pulsed, and Tanda and Ava both gasped. After a moment of what Jake knew was many heartbeats, Ava said, ¡°It looks like she needs your help.¡± Tanda added, ¡°It was your mark! It caused her¡­some kind of problem.¡± Jake frowned. ¡°So should I¡­ just try to re-mark her?¡± The boar¡¯s eyes widened and shook her head, even as more pulses of her auril heart could be felt. Ava shook her head as she walked up to Jake. ¡°It appears there¡¯s a problem with doing that. If you unravel your mark to form a new one, you¡¯ll lose your connection to mark her. She cares about this connection to you and doesn¡¯t want to lose it.¡± Jake could certainly feel that Bree wanted him to do something. She stared at Ava¡¯s battle avatar, looking between that and Ava. Ava closed her eyes along with Tanda, trying to talk with her. Lia was already holding Clara, but came to take Nora from her to hold them both up. Tanda smiled, her tail wagging. ¡°Oh! I think she wants you to do what you did with Ava. Let¡¯s make her a new body!¡± He looked between the three of them. ¡°Wait a minute. Why is it she can talk more now, and why did she wait until now?¡± Blood hummed. ¡°Is it not because the world was Contested? Even Ava was limited until the war was won.¡± Ava nodded. ¡°Not only that, but it seems there is more to her situation than we understood. Even now, she does not quite speak in words. I believe she¡¯ll be able to shed some light on the situation if we manage her request. If you do not make her a body and soon, you will lose her¨Cperhaps forever.¡± Jake thought about what they did when they created Ava¡¯s battle avatar. They had used a seed from Ava herself, their bond which led to her core, Oran¡¯s body and Jake¡¯s Fusion Summon with Tanda. Then, Ava forged her body with the requisite materials and energy using her core¡­ He frowned. ¡°We have the special seed from the Champion, so I think we have what we need, but will Bree be able to do the heavy lifting here? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m capable of combining all these disparate things to make a body, and I know our¡­materials originally were all meant for Ava, and she was needed to complete the process.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Ava had special skills, already understanding how to create an avatar. It was only because she was a world core that she had the skills and energy to make it happen. If Bree was capable of doing this, that meant she was likely much more powerful than he originally imagined. Bree looked him in the eyes, hers filled with firm determination. She nodded, then looked over to Bloodberri, pointing with her vines. Jake was a bit surprised. He could feel that she wanted him to use Bloodberri¡¯s fusion summon. He reached out his hand to Tanda, and her hand entered her hearth, grabbing the seed she obtained from calling Cernunnos during their battle with the enemy Champion. As she took it out, it pulsed with immense vitality and energy. Nurtured by her special ability, it had been fed by their Hearth of the Refuge, along with the flames of their family for all these months. It was green and gold in color, spiral fractal patterns running up and down the seed, which was almost the size and shape of an apple at this point. Bree looked at the seed with what Jake thought was respect, a small smile touching her porcine lips. Jake had previously felt something special from the seed, and now that effect had been amplified, perhaps by more than tenfold. It now almost felt like a Champion or a weak Divine standing next to him, or just like the world tree seed had felt. This item was clearly special, having a weight on reality that he couldn¡¯t quite fully explain, even after reaching the fourth level in Divine Energy Manipulation. Fhesiah was calming Aiko, running her hands through her fur. ¡°It really is something. Tanda¡¯s ability to nurture seeds like that one will surely come in handy in the future. To think, the most fertile soil is¡­¡± She looked at Tanda¡¯s chest with a smirk. Berri smiled, holding Rena and Nyxa¡¯s shoulders, and they protectively held on to Blaze. ¡°Yeah, Tanda¡¯s such a good girl! Amazing.¡± Her three daughters all clapped, joining in on the praise with beaming smiles. Tanda giggled, her tail wagging. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it! We¡¯ll do the fusion summon with Bloodberri!¡± She joined Jake at his side, and he closed his eyes trying to find harmony with his Monarch and Saint. Their hearths began to beat as one, Jake¡¯s connections within his hearth blazing. Finding it, a flame connected from his hearth to theirs, a rope of black and white holy flames. Focusing on his mark with Bree next, he felt her anticipation. She had been desperate, but now there was a flash of excitement mixed with desire. Jake triggered fusion summon while focusing on his connection to Bree, along with the seed. A portal opened up, and golden hexagons of the Framework covered the portal. Powerful energies burst forth, along with a familiar energy and vitality emerging from it. On the other side, Jake was shocked at what he saw. It was some kind of creature¡¯s face, but its teeth alone were larger than anything they had ever fought. Despite the portal being a distance of what was several football fields away from this being, its face took up the entire view. Tanda¡¯s ears were flat on her head. ¡°Some kind of¡­ dino-dog? Bree is¨C¡± The creature¡¯s head glowed, and something tore itself away as the golden hexagons wrapped around it. It was a shimmering haze, and from Jake''s bonded connection, he could tell¨Cthis light actually contained his mark. And that could only mean one thing: what just separated from the head was, at the very least, a piece of her soul. The haze flew into the seed, and Bree''s boar body began deconstructing into motes of light and combined with it, even as the portal closed. A blast of wind blew through the Refuge forest, the tree''s leaves and dirt being whipped into the air. The seed lit brightly, and the winds began to reverse, as it started to draw energy in. His wives shielded the children, but also sent their energies over to Jake through their bond. Ava smiled, and sent a large amount as well through the world core. Something that they could only do while docked and not Contested, the amount of energy entering their Refuge was immense. A vortex formed as streams of energy poured into the seed, along with something Jake hadn''t expected: a seed from the Hearthforge tree of Brigid. They had seen a few seeds or fruits sprouting on its branches, but they hadn''t quite been ready¨Cuntil now. At the arrival of the hearthvine seed, there was a fiery, and thankfully localized, explosion. It was bright and dense, and the flame started to compact even further before a second explosion occurred. Only this time, the explosion was composed of flaming vines. The explosion was about the size of a moving truck, and a creature had begun to form in front of the family. Four limbs formed first, a quadrupedal beast of some kind. Next, a tail and a head, the body a deep green. Red scales and flowers bloomed on its skin, and as the creature took shape, Jake was surprised. It was shifting into what appeared to be¡­something like a triceratops. An Auril Beast of the second Tier, it definitely looked different from how Jake had seen them depicted. The creature did not have flat feet to handle its massive bulk. Instead, its front and rear legs looked a lot more like¡­ a lizard or a dog¡¯s, now that its form had filled out a bit more. The vine armor made its return, as Bree¡¯s vines grew and weaved around its body. Her head looked a bit different from a triceratops that he was familiar with. On its odd crown, two larger horns extended far beyond what would have been its beak. It did not have a third horn, as it had more of a mouth of a carnivore, a muzzled jaw rather than a beak, some kind of mixture of a dog and dinosaur. The tail was different as well, having a spiked club, almost like an ankylosaur. Bree¡¯s auril heart pulsed, and Jake could feel the hearthvines within her chest and throughout the insides of her body. He could feel a boundless vitality within, a nurturing flame that embodied life and fertility. Its nature kept on changing, as if Bree were trying to alter or find her path, but Jake definitely felt like Brigid had some influence over the flames and her new body. Thinking on it, a triceratops was a lot like a dinosaur version of a boar or cow that represented Brigid. The body finished transforming, and Bree sat down on her hindquarters, her upper body rising to tower over the family. In her chest beat a powerful auril heart, a pulsing red heat underneath her green skin. The pulsing flame went through her body, the hearthvines underneath her skin like a secondary vein system carrying mana-fueled fire instead of blood. Blood smiled. ¡°Truly beautiful, and strong. This one feels like¡­ our goddess, Echidna. I believe she is kin of ours. Welcome, Bree.¡± Jake could also feel what Blood meant, and the portal which had opened felt a lot like when Jake, Blood and Berri had visited Echidna¡¯s home world in their minds. Tanda added, ¡°But also Brigid! I feel it in her flames, and in her heart¡¯s song.¡± Ava nodded. ¡°Yes, a bit of mother is within her. How nice to meet you once again, Bree.¡± Pride and satisfaction radiated from Bree, and Jake could feel what she wanted. Now that her body had been rebuilt anew, she wanted him to fix his mark. It had been worn down, and in truth, it felt like parts of his painting had been erased time and time again and redrawn with a different paint. Knowing he wasn¡¯t in for a fight again, he formed the mark with the flames of his hearth, the sigils forming the circle and branding her auril heart. Their connection formed anew, relief washed over Jake from Bree¡¯s emotions. ¡°Welcome back, Bree. If I had known you were in trouble¡­¡± Jake didn¡¯t want to blame Bree, and he didn¡¯t think he himself was without blame. However, more than once Bree had shown she was able to send emotion to him over their bond¨Ceven Isolde and Ainora could when he probed summoning their Templates. And yet, not even a peep came over it. He had every reason to believe that, if there was some kind of problem, that she could have reached out to him. So, just why didn¡¯t she, waiting for him to reach out to her? On top of that, things had just been relaxing on the home front. Not needing Bree or the other two for combat, he had no real reason to call out to them. Bree¡¯s auril heart began to beat strongly, and she looked over to Ava. ¡°Oh! It might be best if we connect, so she can speak with you.¡± Jake did his best to do so, his hearth beating and eventually connecting to Ava¡¯s as he found harmony with her and Tanda. His bond with Ava made this easier and clearer than ever. When that was complete, he heard her voice in his mind. ¡°I apologize for troubling you, Pack Leader. My other body had been¡­rather limited in how I could speak with you. At first, your soul wasn¡¯t whole, and I knew you weren¡¯t ready to help me how you did¨Cso I did my best to hold on. I was almost at my limits, and was in truth about to reach out to you. Now that I am here, I am fully at your disposal.¡± That was¡­an odd way of wording things. ¡°Can you tell us what is going on with Isolde and Ainora? You three always seemed connected in some way.¡± Bree hesitated, before her heart began beating once again, ¡°Certain memories of mine had to be sealed for me to be able to join you in this vessel, so I don¡¯t remember everything. However, they¡­were, or are, my sisters. We shared¡­a body.¡± ¡°Like Blood and me!¡± Berri nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s call them out, I want to meet them again now. Maybe we can talk to them properly!¡± Bree¡¯s expression and voice looked a bit pained, ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­that¡¯s not quite right, we were what you might call a Cerberus. And that won¡¯t be possible. We had¡­a bit of a falling out, and I¡¯m sure if Pack Leader were to summon their Templates, they will no longer drive them. As to why, I¡¯d rather talk about this at a later date. Perhaps, after I¡¯ve had time to¡­acclimate to my new existence.¡± She gave Jake a pleading look. ¡°As long as that¡¯s okay, Pack Leader?¡± Jake could sense how important this was to Bree, so as much as he wanted to know, he let it go. That she called him Pack Leader felt like a bit of a hint, but he left it at that for now. ¡°That¡¯s fine. For now, welcome. I¡¯m afraid there will not be much battle for a while, as our goddess wanted us to take a break and train. I know that was important to you.¡± Bree looked over the crowd gathered, and a smile tugged on her odd, dino-dog lips, revealing sharp teeth. ¡°I am excited to train alongside my new pack. I see that it has grown larger since I last joined you, and it is even more impressive than before.¡± She stomped over next to Ruby, Jasmina and Sati, and sat down beside them. Jake could feel contentment and pride emanating from her, but also focus. She was doing something to her body, her vines inside shifting around, and she was testing her auril capabilities. He knew she had done similar with her boar body. Tanda¡¯s wings fluttered. ¡°That was a surprise! You have so many Templates to summon now, Jake! I can¡¯t wait to see you fight with all of them now!¡± She swiped the air with her claws as if fighting an imaginary foe. Blood added, ¡°And our people are doing phenomenally well, conquering the first Tier and beating the Obsidian Blades trash. We are building up thousands of allies, preparing for the War Trial.¡± Ava smiled. ¡°Highlands will be ready. We are working hard to prepare and protect our people, giving them the best fighting chance one can have when the war begins anew.¡± She looked over to Berri, ¡°A certain castle is definitely going to be completed in time. Maybe even more than one.¡± Berri pumped her fist, her old excitement returning to her. ¡°Yes! We can then reenact the king of the rings movie! I¡¯m going to kick so much butt!¡± Lia was brushing Clara and Nora¡¯s hair, fixing it from the burst of wind from before. ¡°We have a lot of crafting and training to do! While we can¡¯t fight in the war, we can still train up our people at Headquarters, and help equip them. They have been fighting in the PvP war, but many are working toward finding their passion.¡± Fhesiah beamed. ¡°While we can¡¯t fight in the war, I still want to level up as much as possible.¡± She winked, and batted her brows. ¡°I think we all know what that means.¡± Aiko chirped a negative, and Rena frowned. ¡°What does it mean? Can you really level up without fighting?¡± Nyxa added, ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with mommy Faye¡¯s eye?¡± She tried imitating the wink. Clara said to Lia, ¡°Mommy quick, heal mommy Faye. Her eye is broken.¡± Ophelia rolled her eyes. ¡°I wish healing spells could fix what was wrong with her, but healing spells can¡¯t fix everything. Do not worry, daughter¨Cthere¡¯s nothing wrong with her eye. But here, now that the danger is gone, you can all go play now.¡± She retrieved several of the gifted widgets from Guan Yu and his brothers, the kids snatching them up and dashing away to play with glee. Jake and his wives, and his permanent summons watched them all play fondly, sometimes joining along. The children were their own perfect playmates, getting along well. He sighed, smiling at them as they all played. ¡°They grow so quickly. Parenthood has been a strange adventure of its own, but I wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything. I¡¯m glad Hestia fought to give us this special time, as we might not have it in the future.¡± Berri pouted, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°This is just the beginning! It¡¯s not enough. We need more babies to make our team! Blood and I will master the art of making babies, just you wait and see. I can get better at it, I just need more practice!¡± Faye nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Now, this is a line of thought I can get behind, but it takes at least two to tango. I will be happy to help you and Jake to get better at this, as many times as it takes.¡± Tanda laughed, her tail wagging, and Lia groaned. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll be in my forge.¡± Only over eight months had passed since they rescued Highlands, and they had a few years left to go before they could take part in the war once more. The family had grown, from building up their allies to making new ones. They would continue to sharpen their claws, preparing for the difficult War Trial. The grace period was over in a little over a year, and when that happened, things would change for Hearthtribe. Their second Tier worlds could then be included in these PvP events, and their guild would be forced to participate in Tier 2 Conquest. Soon, their people would be intentionally crossing over into the second Tier, to help prepare for facing the more difficult enemies. The doors to Tartarus, the dungeon on Highlands would soon open, enabling a new form of exploration, providing danger and opportunity both. Fhesiah smiled. ¡°I may have a few other surprises coming too, husband.¡± Jake frowned. ¡°Surprises? I thought¡­¡± He looked over to Ruby and Sati, the two already seemingly conversing with Bree in their¡­more animal fashion. Fhesiah nodded. ¡°That wasn¡¯t all! We have so many more allies coming to this Sector, and soon your kingdom will grow faster than the Obsidian Blade clan could have imagined.¡± Blood gave a vicious smile. ¡°Yes, I much like that. Those pathetic mercenaries will regret ever crossing us. Soon, our empire will grow, built upon the skulls of our enemies.¡± Ava gave a smile of her own. ¡°Many of us will make our debut, truly joining the family in combat. I am ready to show my strength, itching for a real fight.¡± Bloodthirsty wives aside, Jake knew they still had a bit of rest and relaxation left. Whatever the case may actually be, the Hart Clan would be ready to face any challenge. Book 6 Available for Pre-Order! Book 6 Stubbing 6/15 Hey Guys, JJ here again. I do apologize for not giving much time to finish the book, but it''ll be coming down in the next few days. It goes live on Amazon 6/20, so I want to make sure it''s down. As always, if you PM me on my discord, https://discord.gg/NbNuqxfffF , I''ll provide the pdf of the RR/Scribblehub version after 6/20. https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0D6RYJ5M1 Stolen story; please report. If you have Kindle Unlimited, giving it another read/rating helps me out a lot and helps me continue putting out these books. Next is Soul Knight Book 2, I am working on getting chapters of that up to my patreon. For now, Bonded Summoner is on a hiatus until I can get it completed. You should see Soul Knight continuing here on Scribble/RR once I get up to 10 chapters on Patreon, and I''m only up to three. In about two weeks I should start up again here. Bonded Summoner Omnibus Release + Announcements Hey guys. Bonded Summoner Books 1-3 are now available on both Kindle for only $0.99 in a single package, and Audible for a single credit (48 hours of professionally narrated Audio!) You can find the Ebook here on Amazon: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DVWFPTP1 And the 48 hour audiobook on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Bonded-Summoner-Omnibus-Books-1-3-Audiobook/B0DVZTTSP5 As for if there are any differences in the Ebook from previous versions, there isn''t much (beyond the Scribblehub/Royalroad version, that is -- on the Kindle version there are bonus chapters, many new scenes, a proofreader cleaned up the book, and more). I had a proofreader go through books 2 and 3 for errors and clean up the books a little further much like they did book 1, though looking at it as I re-read it, I may have somehow introduced a few. Frustrating. Somehow accepting the modifications added or removed spaces in weird places, creating a typo. Unsure why, but I cleaned up like 2 dozen of them just from my read through. I doubt I found them all. ANYWAY, if you purchase the ebook for $0.99 or audiobook, or give it a download and re-read on Kindle Unlimited and leave a rating, it helps me a TON! If you got time, it''s an excellent one to give the story a good reread -- after all, BS7 is on the horizon. It''ll help you get refreshed on the story and ready for the new book! Stolen novel; please report. For those that follow me on Patreon, I recently released Chapter 6 for Bonded Summoner Book 7 for the Legendary supporters, and the Prologue for the Epic Supporters, and I am releasing it on a M/W/F schedule. I am making excellent headway on the book, and that means a few things. That means that chapters should resume here on RR/Scribblehub for Bonded Summoner on Monday, March 3rd, and I should finish the book in a little over a month or so, and get back to writing Soul Knight 4. I''ve already been plugging away at Soul Knight Book 4, so hence the announcement here for that. I may release chapters on Patreon here and there once I feel I''ve made enough progress, and that means I will eventually resume here on RR/Scribblehub, perhaps before Bonded Summoner 7 has been completed -- I''m not sure yet. I don''t want to make promises, but I''ve already got a couple of chapters mostly done. I really don''t want to go over 6 months without writing a chapter from either of my 2 series again, so I will definitely do my best to work on it frequently. So just watch here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/61830/bonded-summoner-stubbing-book-6-615 For updates, and soon BS7 will begin airing once more. In about a Month I will have more news. I actually update about each month on the 8th, you can subscribe for free like a mailing list where I only really give updates monthly and about releases. I won''t spam you guys (though it might feel that way when things all align, audiobook releases + new book all at once, etc). https://www.patreon.com/c/JJBookerson Thanks for all your support guys, and I''ll see you guys next time. BS5 and 6 Character Listings / Reminders Character Listing Hart Family Children (These appeared in Book 6 either in the beginning or in the epilogue) Clara - Ophelia¡¯s First Daughter, a golden owl athenian/valkyrie Nora - Tanda¡¯s First Daughter, a raven beastkin with raven features. Rena - Bloodberri¡¯s first twin daughter, she shares light/white looks/scales like Berri. Nyxa - Bloodberri¡¯s first twin daughter, she shares darkness/black looks/scales like Blood. Blaze - Bloodberri¡¯s second oldest, born about 4 months directly after Rena/Nyxa. Has a fiery/lava look and disposition. Aiko - Fhesiah¡¯s first child, a kitsune that has taken the form of an actual beast kitsune. Potential Hart Family Bree - The Heroic Boar - One of the Goddess Echidna¡¯s 3 Cerberus Daughters, she had been driving many of Jake¡¯s summons, which you learn in a scene in Book 3 with the goddess. She had hijacked the Heroic Boar permanently, until Jake attempted to brand her over a silly argument and was successful. Now, she sees him as a worthy male that has defeated her and should be her mate, but her sisters, Ainora and Isolyn disagreed. She was given a new vessel through Jake¡¯s fusion summon, using the acorn which contained some purified divinity from Apophis¨Ca dinodog which was like a giant hound mixed with a triceratops, with the tail of an ankylosaurus Nessa ¨C Human woman cultivator with snake bloodline. A daughter of Tyr, she was originally a Human Cleric that Jake could have summoned when he used the Advanced Summoning Token. When he chose Berri instead, Tyr decided on another approach. Dumped in a cultivator vessel that matched her mother, an embodiment of a living lake¨Ca serpent, she ran into issues with her Divine Trait but learned that Jake would be an excellent partner¨Cwhether it be for her personal goals of bringing justice to evil, or her goals for love. She is currently working hard to advance herself, in hopes that she can get his attention, or just find success in her goal. Sati - An elemental spirit turned into sentient and sapient cultivator. During the Celestial Nexus Battleground, Fhesiah had discovered some fire elemental pixies within a cave, and convinced them to join her in her magic lamp. She also got trapped with two jerks for cultivators that wanted to consume or steal her body, so she trapped them back¨Cand fed them into a fire elemental that shared the flames of her own path, within her pill cauldron¡¯s special formations. The girl gained much more intelligence and sapience after that, and when she got sucked into some sort of Yoga inheritance, she changed further. Now, the living flame is often seen as an adult woman sitting in the lotus position, floating in the air and now in the second Tier as a result of the Celestial Nexus Battleground. Ruby - A badgerdillo raised in the heretical urns of the bloodbeast sect, Fhesiah had aided the creature in completing the rituals without being tainted by the blood. And she made sure it was a female for¡­reasons. Ruby currently resembles a centaur, in that she has four limbs arranged like how a horse might, but then an upper body with another set of arms or legs with claws there. She has been nurtured by the vampire¡¯s special items from the Celestial Nexus Battleground, but may be lacking a bit of intelligence to actually become one of Jake¡¯s mates. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Hearthtribe Brock - Armadillo with Buffalo parentage beastkin, Paladin of Hestia Bria - Mate of Brock, Badger beastkin, wields large axe polearm. Serena - Mate of Brock, Panther beastkin. Uses a bow. Priestess of Bastet, and has foresight/dreams of the future. Mindy - Mate of Brock, Sheep beastkin with horns. Priestess of Brigid Vanessa - Faun(Basically a satyress, a deer lower-half woman), Elysian. Nature Druid. Valtor - Sentient Armor, an Eternum. Head Administrator of his administrative clan of Eternum. Amara - Sentient Magical Tome, an Eternum. Leads most of Hearthtribe¡¯s magical research. Rhia - Daughter of Valtor and Amara, Sentient power ranger armor, Eternum young woman. Zorina and Mysticus - Magical divining tool (bird cage with chime) that can tell if someone is telling the truth, and magical abacus that can use mystical calculations combined with information provided to somewhat predict the future. Nadessa - Dryad. Former Arch Druid of Elysian Glade and Druid of Gaia, now an elemental druid of Lugh and was an ambassador for her people¡¯s Mass Migration. Rookard - Wolf beastkin with dark skin, former Chief of a wolf beastkin village. Rallied the beastkin of Highlands with ¡°There must be blood¡± chant and prayer. Vesuvius - Lava monitor beastkin, former Chief of the Sleeping God. Gets bigger as he builds up his auril. Yiming and Longwei - Warrior Brotherhood warriors, wearing Green and Red Asian armor. Yiming embodies the horse, and Longwei the tiger. Morwen and Bedwyr - Emberborn undead Priestess and Paladin of Arawn, the latter who usually rides on an undead horse mount. Masters of frost and death magic, they control servants of arawn ¨C undead slaves made from betrayers that are finding penitence. Seamus - Lion with heavy beastblood beastkin, Paladin of Lugh. Former Chief of Life¡¯s Haven. Tanda¡¯s Uncle. Timone and Dahlia - Tanda¡¯s (biological) mom and dad, Dahlia a white wolf beastkin and her dad a Ravenwolf like herself, but with raven tail feathers. Aisling - raven beastkin, clan-mother of Tanda. Can see visions/dreams of the future. Grayson - Turtle beastkin priest of Brigid, former Council of Cascadia. Drysander - Nadessa¡¯s father, a war oak paladin of Guan Yu. Known Enemies in Story Cassius - Leader of Obsidian Blades and Son of Ares. Threatens Jake to back down claim against War, Glory, Profit, gets a beat down from Timone and Dahlia. Avaron - Son of Loki, has powers of light. Tried to kill Nessa during greater rift and fails. Apophis - Sent first Champion against Jake in his Tier 0 Trial, hoping to pick off a potential Champion of Hestia¡¯s. Sent a summoner champion in the Fortress Assault, and sent A huntress/assassin in the Clash of Champions (Book 5) Greed - Sent Drakan dragon-flame eating warrior champion against Fhesiah in the Fortress Assault, and then the Locust (veradrith) Mentalist Champion against Jake in the Clash of Champions. Goddess of Eternal Night - Sent Champion Parasite inside of Alisara, to face Bloodberri during Fortress Assault. Then, sent Scorpion Rider Templar/Paladin Champion in the Clash of Champions, who faced off against Fhesiah Loviatar - Sent Champion snake humanoid from Drengrbjord, a huntress/assassin in Fortress Assault, facing off against Ophelia. Sent the Parasite Champion (Flee) in the Clash of Champions, who fought Bloodberri. Dreadbeast - Attacked Tanda in Book 3, an assassin/hunter sent to kill and finish off Cernunnos¡¯ final beast avatar. Balor - Masqueraded as generic death god in Highland¡¯s conflict, sending a dragon to kill Cernunnos and his daughter before it was integrated into the framework. Missed out on Clash of Champions thanks to Enforcer of Tartarus showing up. BS7 - Prologue Hearthflames wrapped around the spearhead and shaft, searing and suffusing the metal with Jake¡¯s unique mana and creating runes on the surface. Spreading out his flames, he used Manaweave Reinforcement to optimize the object¡¯s integrity, and maximize the mana¡¯s effectiveness. Smiling, he marveled at the spear as he held it in front of him. If they had this spear back during their first Trial, their Mana Blades would have cut through the dark elves and their armor like a hot knife through warm butter. They didn¡¯t have access to Epic quality items at that time, and yet now this was something Jake and Ophelia could mass produce. Stowing the spear away, he worked on another. The flames of his hearth quickly coalesced into the runes once more, Jake easily able to complete the enchantment rapidly with his proficiency. The Hearth of the Refuge quickly refilled his Hearthflames, allowing him to use them almost indefinitely, just like normal mana. He moved on to some more difficult materials. Qi-infused metals were now something Ophelia could make, and so Jake added some demonic runes of sharpness and cold to some swords. Making them for the Blizzardblade Clan, the many Tier 1 warriors would benefit from his creations. ¡°Aw, come on! That can¡¯t be right, you must be cheating!¡± A child¡¯s voice entered his ears, his focus being interrupted. ¡°Shove it, Blaze, we won fair and square! Just because you don¡¯t like birds and flying units doesn¡¯t mean using them is cheating!¡± It appeared Nora, Tanda¡¯s raven beastkin daughter, was not happy with Blaze¡¯s antics like usual. ¡°Birds are lame! Even Aunty Bree says so!¡± ¡°You take that back!¡± A shoving match began behind him, causing him to chuckle at their antics, and Aiko, chirped in annoyance from his lap. Petting his kitsune daughter¡¯s head, he ignored the other kid¡¯s bickering and continued with his work. While his kids got a little physical from time to time, getting hurt was a rare occurrence, and something quickly rectified. They¡¯d learn more from him letting the scene play out. Jake looked at the time in his Menu, realizing that it had been far too long, as it was nearly lunchtime. Once again, he had gotten carried away in his crafting. He turned to look over at his daughters, the four having decided to play their games while near their dad. Blaze and a new echidna daughter faced off against Nora and Clara, making it like snakes versus birds. It¡¯d already been over a year since the first of his children were born, and sixteen months since removing Tartarus from Highlands. His many daughter¡¯s ages, let alone names, were becoming somewhat difficult to for Jake to track. He had to cut off his loving Echidna wives from having more, because of a problem: she did get better at making babies, just as she had vowed. There were now six eggs waiting to be hatched, and just as many more had already been born since the day they summoned Bree¡¯s new body, making it fifteen echidnas in total. To have twelve more in just a little over eight months was absurd, and it appeared Jake had Zhang Fei to thank for her improvement: eating the special monster corpse he provided had somehow pushed her chimeral constitution forward, and then she was off to the races. On some level, he was thankful¨Cit proved that her odd echidna body trait could actually be improved. On the other hand, it had already produced a few headaches. Bloodberri was more easily able to fit in their body and soul tempering thanks to their ability to rapidly make and lay eggs, and Jake was able to alternate his nights between groups. After the first few sessions, he had started needing a bit of a break to recover his body and soul, as he could not keep up with all of his girls. He was being tempered with every session, after all, while his girls got to recover in between. That meant that they had some fun without the leveling. Each of his wives and mates found some time to enjoy their vacation, and fortunately, this meant their bedroom times never felt like they were just for the power ups. Thankfully, the idea that their family could form two baseball teams among all their children was finally enough. After these six hatched and the seeds from Avalara grew into treants, Jake would have well over twenty children out and about the Refuge. He was sure before the five years were up, Tanda and Ava might ask for more, but there were enough snake girls in his house now, in his opinion. Some hair started getting pulled, so Jake cleared his throat before feathers joined the mix. ¡°Alright girls, that¡¯s enough screen time for today. Come join me for some enchanting like you said you wanted to do like Aiko here, or try to go do something a little more productive. Remember¨C¡± ¡°Work hard today, bleed less tomorrow.¡± Blaze and Sharona sighed after both mimicking his and her many mother¡¯s words. Blaze added, ¡°Let¡¯s go see mommy Lia! Maybe she¡¯ll train us with these!¡± She grabbed a mace off one of the weapon racks, which Sharona, her younger snake sister with equally flaming patterns on her scales copied. The weight of the mace was difficult to hold in her smaller grip, but she still managed it. They were about to slither away, but Jake grabbed a hold of the maces and the two snake girls with his hearth flames with little more than a thought. Jake groaned, as he swiveled in his chair to look at them. ¡°Wait, at least take these instead.¡± He presented two training maces with a lot less¡­ violent points on them. Using his telekinetic flames, he placed the flanged and spiked mace back on the rack. Blaze pouted. ¡°Aw, but those were cooler. A-And sorry, Daddy. We did watch for a bit, but¡­¡± ¡°It was pretty for a while. But Space Wars is cooler.¡± Blaze and Sharona left, leaving Clara and Nora, who both looked remorseful. Nora and Clara flapped their wings to fly over to Jake. They landed next to him, and hugged each of his legs. They were both over a year old now, but they already looked to be nearly 6 or 7 years old. Still, Jake was huge now at nearly three meters tall, so they only reached a bit past his knee caps with their heads as he sat. Clara said, ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Daddy. We did really want to watch you, but Blaze distracted us when those two got bored.¡± Jake chuckled, and lifted them up with his flames and brought them into a proper hug. They squished him back lovingly, unable to wrap their arms all the way around him, as he engulfed them with his arms. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my dears. I have much more work to be done if you still want to watch. Then we¡¯ll go have some lunch.¡± The two nodded, and he placed them atop his shoulders as he continued for a time. He spent some time telling them what he was doing and why, and the two asked him dozens of questions as they oo¡¯d and aww¡¯d at him using his hearthflames for enchantments. Aiko listened and watched with rapt attention from his lap, her head barely reaching over the table. And Jake made sure to give the intelligent fox plenty of ear scratches and head pats, a reward for her diligence. Though, he had a sneaking suspicion that was the primary reason she was there. If she did learn something, that was still a victory in his eyes. When the alarms went off¨Cthe girl¡¯s stomachs growling¨Che realized it couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Stowing away his crafted items, he teleported himself and the girls to the living room, and Aiko chirped and immediately took off to a seat on the table. The kids had lost their privilege of using teleportation shortly after they learned of its existence. It was all due to one of them getting sick from an unending game of teleportation tag. Ava¡¯s lesser avatar was feeding two newly born echidnas with spooned food and sippy cups, and plenty of food was laid out for the older children to eat. Much of the family had gathered for lunch just a bit ago, it seemed. ¡°There you are, love.¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Master, and little Aiko, Clara and Nora. Would you like some lunch?¡± Jake looked over at the Celestial Nekomata maid, Yona, who was currently preparing food and drink on a cart¨Clikely to bring to the training area¨Cfor Ophelia and Tanda on the go. The catgirl had arrived about a month ago, where Fhesiah was more than happy to introduce her as his servant¨Cin all the ways he desired. He made it clear that he very much desired a nanny, and nothing more for the time being. Taking care of nearly twenty kids with several on the way was way too much work, even for them and with two lesser avatar¡¯s from Avalara¨Cat least with all the other tasks they did. Her arrival occurred when the rest of her race from Sector 81 had arrived, along with many of the other clans and sects that had met with Fhesiah during the Celestial Nexus Battleground. The Blizzardblade Clan and the Radiant Sun Sect were among those that arrived at the Mystic Expanse, their preparations to join the sector finally completed. It seemed that since many of them were of the Second Tier, they had to both pay a cost in CP to enter, but also receive several restrictions about where they could travel or how they could influence the war. A cultivator world was sort of like being a half-framework world, and they would often participate in the war by mostly only joining special events at the peak of their Tier. Joined to the Framework they would have fewer restrictions, but they would have to work hard to earn what Tartarus gained for their entry. Yona had both gray hair and fur, with black and white patterns of suns and moons, much like the rest of her race on what little fur she had. But unlike her giant cat people ancestors, she was mostly human and had two tails, with furry ears atop her head. Her short hair in a bob framing her small face, and with a shy smile often on it with her smaller body, Jake would definitely describe her as cute. In truth, Jake hadn¡¯t had a lot of time to talk to her. She was often busy helping with the kids or the chores and errands around the manor, and Jake was equally busy with his own tasks, helping the guild or managing his budding kingdom. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°We¡¯ll take some of those sandwiches. How have you been settling in?¡± Nora and Clara both took seats, and Yona started grabbing several sandwiches off the cart, placing them on a tray over her shoulder like a waitress. ¡°Oh, living here is just so nice, Master! I¡¯m so glad that Aunt Aria gave me this opportunity. Even though I¡¯m a servant, I¡¯m treated so very well. I am¡­not used to it yet, but the kids and your mates have all been lovely.¡± Jake arched his brow. ¡°Faye was telling me you became one of Bastet¡¯s priestesses. This should be well sought after, they really didn¡¯t treat you well?¡± Yona walked over and delivered sandwiches to each of the kids. ¡°That¡­is new, for our people. And that made me so happy when I learned it was an option. But¡­before then, I was really talentless. It felt like I was a burden in the wilds to my Clan. To think that this Framework¡­anyway, here is your lunch, Master.¡± She then set the plate down in front of his spot, along with a glass of Ava¡¯s honey apple milk, or nectar, with a smile. He thanked her with a nod and a smile, sitting down in his chair. Yona tucked the tray under her arms as she watched him and the kids tuck into the meal, her two tails flicking behind her as he took bites of his sandwich. Suddenly, Yona was startled. ¡°Oh! I better get these sandwiches to the kids, they get so rowdy when they¡¯re hungry!¡± She rushed away, pushing the cart down the hall. It seemed she hadn¡¯t yet mastered the storage bracelets, though with her in early Foundation Establishment, he thought it wouldn¡¯t be very long if she tried. Jake realized that moment with her was basically like nearly every interaction he had with her so far. Ava¡¯s avatar hugged him from the side before she sat down next to him with the two echidnas latched onto her with their tails, and asked, ¡°Was the morning productive as usual?¡± Nora beamed. ¡°Daddy made lots of stuff! The Guilds will have plenty of sweet weapons and armor to choose from!¡± Her feathers fluttered in place as she enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich, sharing the same seat with Clara who was doing the same. ¡°It was productive,¡± Jake replied to Ava, ¡°I got a lot done. It¡¯s just as Nora said. Our recruits will have some of the best items to earn for their hard work, though we¡¯ll need to limit how many high-quality items they can grab for themselves. If they over prepare for their Trials, they¡¯ll be worse off.¡± Ava nodded. ¡°Some struggle is definitely better for them, and the Framework agrees. What¡¯s on the docket for today?¡± Jake checked his Menu. ¡°Looks like training with some Hearthtribe, mostly. I¡¯ve got a meeting with Valtor later to go over our Sector-wide progress, making our final plans prior to the grace period ending, but I know that things are looking good.¡± Ava smiled, and closed her eyes, as if sensing something somewhere else. ¡°And the dungeon shall open soon, I feel it. Our people will soon seek to enter. Many rewards for those that succeed within, and even opportunity for heroes to be born.¡± Within the dungeon, there were ways to reclaim worlds lost to Tartarus. Those initiated to the Framework whose ransom wasn¡¯t paid would be rescued, and sometimes these numbers were quite significant. They would receive a new shot at life, even if they would now be somewhat lesser as a result of waiting in the void for some time. Jake was a bit envious. He was already starting to get a little stir-crazy, and their vacation was not quite over. ¡°I almost want to explore there myself. If not for Hestia¡¯s desires¡­¡± He took another drink of Ava¡¯s nectar. Fhesiah suddenly appeared, teleporting into his lap in her kitsune form¨Csimultaneously moving him away from the table¡¯s edge so that she could fit. She wrapped him up in her five velvety tails and arms, kissing him. Her cultivator robes had shifted to a purple with gold motif when she took on her kitsune form, and her generous chest was nearly spilling out of them as she smashed them up against Jake. ¡°Mmm, Ava tastes so good second-hand too! Our vacation is not yet over, husband. Why, raising all these children, can you even call it that? She wants us to stay out of conflict for almost four more years, but at least there should be some time between then and the War Trial.¡± Aiko chirped, and then leaped onto her mother¡¯s shoulder, nuzzling against her neck, to which she chuckled and hugged her in response. Jake chuckled, and returned his wife¡¯s embrace, and hugging both Aiko and Fhesiah to him. Their hearths flickered as they enjoyed some warmth for a moment, the two connection and sharing the joy of time spent together. Eventually, he said, ¡°I¡¯m already feeling pretty well-rested. But I guess I¡¯ll have to live a little vicariously through our people for a bit longer.¡± Fhesiah smirked as she shifted in his lap, and ate one of his fries. ¡°I think we¡¯d have gotten bored, to be honest. Of course Dahlia is no slouch, but even she was getting bored in PvP against those scrubs. It is much better for our family to continue uplifting Hearthtribe, and its many subguilds. We¡¯ll need them when the real fight begins.¡± [And make more babies, I say. Just imagine how many we could have at the end of five years, so many lovelies!] Berri added in Jake¡¯s mind, helpfully. Jake groaned. He really did not want to imagine that. ¡°We talked about this¡­¡± He replied in his mind. [I know. But¡­ each one is so amazing, so beautiful! We should make as many as we can, each one is so different, it¡¯s like opening a wonderful gift when they hatch. A-And, we¡¯re just short of two full teams of echidnas.] Jake narrowed his eyes. Was his wife addicted to baby gacha? What she said was true. Each of his daughters seemed to take after both flames in their hearth, but also monsters that she had eaten. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when one seemed to take a little bit after the muckbills she kept eating. Thankfully, that child also took a lot more after Avalara, having bark-like scales in addition to likely having some kind of flaming poison. This was one of the most recent births, and was still breast-feeding. He shook his head. ¡°Fifteen echidnas once they finish hatching is more than enough, for now. Already, Blaze has whined you spend more time in front of the incubator than you do with her, has she not?¡± Blood replied, [Of course, I told Berri this, but she can¡¯t help it. And I can¡¯t help but want to build our dynasty even larger too. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t forget that for now, you only have one son.] Hestia and Echidna had hinted that Jake could have a son through Bloodberri¨Cif the child carried his void bloodline. He did want another son, but wasn¡¯t willing to pull that lever as many times as it took to receive one from her¨Che was zero for fifteen so far already. If it happened, it happened. For now, one of Ava¡¯s three growing treant children was a son, and they were the slowest among his children to grow. The echidnas were likely to reach adulthood probably by the time they reached around five years of age, and his hearthian beastkin and valkyrie children, Nora and Clara, would be not that much longer. It was all thanks to their crazy race, the Refuge¡¯s immense vitality and the magic within them, along with all the magical food that they were putting into them. They were not entirely sure how his treant children from Ava¡¯s lesser avatar¡¯s would grow, as they would be different than the originals that grew on Highlands over a thousand years ago. Still, it appeared they would have many similarities. Based on their current growth, the treants would still mature faster than an Earth human. They would likely take ten years or more to reach adulthood physically, let alone mentally. They would spend much of their time asleep early in their life, and while they would listen to the world¡¯s song somewhat while they dreamed, Jake doubted it would be the same thing. One year after birth, his first treant daughter was only just starting to wake up and interact, the sapling-like tree having a face, arms, and hands. Finishing his lunch and thanking the chef, Ava, with a kiss, he went to go check on his other kids. Teleporting to the forest of the Refuge, their Sanctuary, this was where most of the family spent most of their time. The egg incubator, which looked a lot like a giant bread oven with a clear crystal door, tapped into runes on the grass floor¨Ca connection to the Refuge¡¯s Divine Hearth. Ophelia and Tanda were now giving Blaze and Sharona pointers, the two fiery echidnas often sticking close to one another. And now, Rene and Nyxa, the light and dark twin echidnas and Jake¡¯s two oldest, also got sucked into Blaze¡¯s pace practicing with a mace at the moment. Blaze was the second born echidna, and had a mixture of bright orange and dark red scales throughout her tail and on her arms, like lava was flowing through flames. Sharona appeared to have taken on Fhesiah¡¯s flames somehow, with red and gold scales instead. Blood and Berri also shouted out pointers as the girls swung their maces, while breastfeeding their newly hatched, and singing or talking to the other eggs in the incubator. Not far away in the clearing was Bree, who was resting. One of their echidna children was climbing her vines, but that didn¡¯t bother the dinodog one bit. In all, he didn¡¯t think Bree had changed all that much since he named the Heroic Boar, summoning it during the Life¡¯s Haven assault for the first time. The mixture of thick red hide and green vines mixed with fiery flowers on a large body were not all that different. But now, instead of the tusks of a boar, she had horns on a crown like a tricerotops¨Cbut only two. Then her mouth was more canine with large sharp teeth of a predator, and paws and claws to match at her feet. She had canine ears on top of her head, and finally a tail with a spiked ball at the end of it, like an ankylosaurus. Thanks to all her weaving of vines, she was like a walking, flaming tank. As the newest member of their strange family, Jake was admittedly a little put off by the intensity of her feelings. Learning that the day he and Blood bad pushed their wills against the unruly summon and branded her started a series of major changes for the Tier 4 being, was more than a little surprising. The idea that an argument that amounted to, hey, you should help us clean this up, caused a chain of events that might have influenced thousands upon thousands of lives was just bizarre to him. The climbing child, Moxy the possible muckbill child, stumbled in her climbing and started to fall, crying out loud as she did. Jake had nearly sent over some hearth flames to catch her, but a vine was waiting, and snatched her from the air. Bree chuckled. ¡°Careful there, little one. Go ahead and try again.¡± She brought Moxy back to where she was near the top of the mound that was her large body, and even grew a small vine for her to continue onto. Jake said, ¡°Thanks for helping watch them. I imagine it wasn¡¯t what you had in mind when you wanted to join us¡­our pack.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all, I am used to resting for long periods. Plus, I¡¯m still working on my form. Something about being here with my new pack feels so different. Closer. I often spent time with mother¡¯s¡­spawn, but, she¡­has a more hands-off approach, after her children reach a certain age.¡± ¡°Law of the jungle, is it?¡± ¡°Yes. Very much so. To coddle children and keep them from harm, can mean to weaken and bring about their demise.¡± ¡°But you caught Moxy.¡± Jake pointed out. ¡°Yes. Well, you were right there and watching me, after all.¡± She winked. ¡°But I also respect that my new pack has a more gentle approach to parenting. I don¡¯t think my mother is wrong¨Cher strength, and her children¡¯s strength, is her proof. But¡­ seeing your children grow, and your family¡¯s strength¡­ I believe that you can both be right.¡± Jake let out a breath, nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s necessarily a right, let alone perfect way to raise children. Every child is different, and so is every family. Just the mere presence of other children sends things askew from even a perfect plan. I think the best thing a parent can do is to love them and do their best, and more often than not that will lead to success. It sounds like Echidna does that, but she is just a lot more focused on setting them up for success at birth, and what happens after that...¡± Bree laughed. ¡°Yes, I suppose that is very accurate. She is definitely focused on that, and also providing us many opportunities to test ourselves. To struggle and surpass.¡± Jake¡¯s Menu pinged, reminding him that he had a schedule to get through. ¡°Well, I am glad you are enjoying yourself. I do need to get going. We¡¯ll practice together later sometime?¡± Bree gave a canine grin. ¡°Yes, I do think I¡¯d like taking on some more of your puppets when you¡¯re next available. Farewell for now, Chief.¡± Jake teleported from the clearing, leaving Bree with the vine climbing Moxy. She once again corrected the child, helping her reach the center part of her back. When she arrived behind her crown, she held on to several of the vines, now properly in a riding position. ¡°Ride!¡± Moxy said. ¡°Want a ride, little one? Very well. Aunty Bree will oblige.¡± Bree stood up, taking a break from her internal weaving and practice with the vast amount of auril energy. She would work on her avatar again later. As she stomped through the Hart Pack¡¯s Sanctuary, she couldn¡¯t help but think back to her arrival. It was a mess at first, but now¡­ she was feeling like she had joined an amazing pack. BS7 - Chapter 1 - Bree - Memories of Joining a New Pack ¡°My my, sister. Yet another day has gone by, and he still hasn¡¯t called you. You can¡¯t have too much time left on that brand.¡± Isolyn¡¯s hateful voice reached Bree¡¯s ears, interrupting her slumber. Their Divine Beast Cerberus body lay in their usual cave on Savage Eden, resting and recovering from their mother¡¯s spiritual surgery. Bree blinked herself awake, as her other sister spoke. Ainora sneered. ¡°Their Conquest was completed months ago now, wasn¡¯t it? What are you waiting for, sister?¡± Bree couldn¡¯t say it. That it seemed like something was wrong with Jake¡¯s soul, until recently. And, that only her pride was in the way of reaching out. While she desperately wanted to beg for help, she did not want to be a burden. Isolyn chuckled. ¡°Sister¡¯s really a wreck, don¡¯t you think? I think she¡¯s lost her mind over this male. But maybe she herself has doubts, and that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t reach out.¡± Ainora noted, ¡°Eventually, our offer to duel for our sister won¡¯t even matter. The mark will unravel, and then¡­well, you¡¯ve already given a lot up. Is there even enough left to make your own Beast Avatar and go to Sector 87? And why would you? He¡¯s not calling you, so he doesn¡¯t even want you.¡± Isolyn let out a rumbling growl from her canine mouth. ¡°You know, putting it like that kind of pisses me off a little. As if our Bree isn¡¯t good enough for some Tier 2 Human? Void affinity or not, we can destroy him with a mere snort of our nostrils. He should be begging for our magnificent sister with his face on the ground.¡± ¡°Well, even if this human called her. Could he really provide her with a suitable vessel for our duel? I know sister can probably manage something in time, but that boar would not be enough, I think. It won¡¯t even be able to manifest a divine trait, let alone one that resonates with our sister.¡± Bree wanted to argue, to defend her potential pack mate¨Che had defeated an Enforcer, after all. But this was far from the first time these two idiots made these same complaints and arguments. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little down, feeling so empty. Ever since she understood how unfulfilled her life had been, she had never felt so alone. ¡°You do realize that we just worry for you, do you not, sister? Imagine becoming attached to this male, and for him to not even reach the fourth Tier, let alone be able to reach the peak. You¡¯d be forced to watch him as he wasted away and died of old age after losing his sanity, and you would be alone once more, pining away for him. We don¡¯t want to see you suffer like this.¡± Of course, she understood this. In the end, if it was just a simple mating with an avatar, they would hardly care. But if she formed a Hearth Bond with him, as she definitely would, she would be stuck with a lesser partner forever¨Cendlessly watching and waiting for him as he was reborn, only to experience the painful cycle once again. Because odds were, if he couldn¡¯t reach it one time, he¡¯d be unlikely to reach it the next¨Cthough it could happen. She knew the truth, however¨Cthat he was destined for greatness. There wasn¡¯t a doubt in her mind. Bree just couldn¡¯t convince her sisters of that. Suddenly, a gentle probing of the bond arrived. It was so subtle because of the poor connection with the mark, that she almost didn¡¯t feel it. He often did this, wondering if it was okay to summon her for something less important than a real battle¨Csince before, she was such a bitch and sneered at him for doing it, just like her hateful sisters. Please! Please call me! She desperately sent these feelings, hoping Jake would feel or hear them. It was almost blissful as Bree¡¯s mind was brought back into her boar body, leaving her nagging sisters behind. Her auril heart beat, sending out its call to the world. She took a deep breath, finally back in the Refuge, with the children gathered around. As much as she wanted to enjoy it, she was still a bit worried. Because her sisters were right. Would Jake have what she needs, to make a proper vessel? It was important to do it all in one fell swoop, if at all possible. She heard a voice back, and this time, it felt more clear. The Framework was finally allowing her to speak, though not with words. Bree looked over at Avalara, the lesser avatar. The Celtic descendant just smiled back at her, her gentle, soothing voice washing over Bree. She did her best to convey what she needed, and to her disbelief, they held an artifact which contained a small amount of divinity in the little wolf bird Tanda¡¯s chest. Just enough for what Bree needed. A core to hold her essence, and those sneaky divine even snuck in a sort of gift¨Ca hearthivy seed, from Brigid¡¯s tree. Bree wished she could see the look on those smug bitches¡¯ faces as she created an excellent vessel¨Cperhaps even better than the beast avatars that they would send. It still had remnants of Brigid¡¯s divinity, but she made them hers, with the power of the¡­magic apple, merging and shifting it to match herself and her desired body. Just where did they get such a treasure? A primal satisfaction filled her. She was reborn with her own body and soul, and with a small fragment of her nascent divinity. Her sisters now had a completely useless head within their giant body, permanently slumbering within them. However, odds were, they had a new puppet to play with. Bree asked her new pack for some time to get her feelings in order, and to get used to her body before she told her story. Right now, it felt like she wanted to cry tears of joy, but she was also riddled with anxiety. What if her pack leader rejected her? These feelings were all new to her, and it was like she could barely even function. What if he didn¡¯t reject her, and then they lost their duel instead? No. She wouldn¡¯t think that way. She had reinforced the mark and suffered because she believed that her mate was worthy. And she only made the bet because she believed that they would win. Still, it was easy to imagine that her pack leader may not feel as strongly about her as she felt about him. He had no idea about her struggles, or what his actions had caused. Which was why she had to tell him. Even if it was difficult for some reason she couldn¡¯t explain. The days and weeks went by, as Bree worked on the vines within her body. It wasn¡¯t just on the outside, but on the inside as well. Using Flesh Shaping, a skill that she knew the dragoness was a little too familiar with, she continued to shift her body into her desired state. An auril heart beat within, but a fiery monster core¨Ca hearth with vines running along her veins, did as well. The family was always close in their forest, their children playing and the adults often training or others crafting. She felt like she was growing closer to her pack, the children calling her Aunt Bree. Food was often brought to her, and it was always delicious and helped her with her task. The auril beast meat of Highlands was amazing, and Jake¡¯s cooking made it even more delectable. Having spent much time thinking about things, she called on them to have their talk. She was still not truly ready. The emotions were¡­all so new. But she had to confront her new pack leader. Clan Hart gathered around, the six, or seven depending how you look at it, gathering around in front of her. Bree rose her upper boy high, resting on her hind legs. A very canine pose. Her voice came out as she hoped it would when she finished her body, though a little deeper thanks to her size. ¡°Thank you for your patience with me, pack leader.¡± She bowed her head slightly Jake looked a little uneasy at her obeisance. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. We¡¯ve all been dying to hear your tale, but we have been plenty busy.¡± Bree chuckled. ¡°Ah yes, the children. So busy, so rowdy.¡± She sighed. ¡°So, I had told you before that I was a Cerberus. And this was true. You likely saw just how large I was when you used your spell to summon me, so it should not come as too big of a surprise that, along with my sisters, I was a Fourth Tier Divine Beast. One that was approaching true divinity and godhood. As well as a direct descendant of Echidna.¡± The shock on the family¡¯s faces showed that it was in fact a surprise, though Berri clapped. ¡°Yay! I knew you were strong, and you¡¯re kinda like my Aunty. How nice that you¡¯re here now!¡± ¡°What does all that mean?¡± It took some time to explain that with three heads and thus minds and souls, she was a bit like Bloodberri. However, Bree and her sisters had not gotten full sentience and sapience until the Third Tier, and more intelligence in the Fourth, where Bree, Ainora, and Isolyn had started building up a bunch of devout followers through their conquest successes. Bree was worshiped like many might imagine a dragon or natural calamity might be, which was actually a very poor means of divinity. As their worshipers only hardly resonated at all with her, so how much each worshiper gave in terms of faith energy was minimal. Still, the idea was certainly that you build up enough followers, then it wouldn¡¯t matter. ¡°For the longest time, we three had felt that something was missing. We were so bored, and so lonely. We often fought with one another, so we really did not get along with other random champions or their gods either. So when Mother came by and stoked our interest in some puppets we could play with, we pounced on the opportunity.¡± ¡°Really? You three were the ones driving the otter? And the badgerdillo?¡± Jake must have known that there must have been something weird about his summons, but that some divine entity of some kind was driving them was likely bizarre to him. Bree gave a canine grin, as her eyes glazed over in remembrance. ¡°It was fun. It was novel. In truth, as silly as it might seem, that was the most fun we¡¯d had in years. Hundreds of years.¡± Ophelia arched her brow. ¡°Years? I thought you Tier 4 existences can make avatars easily¨Cit¡¯s how most of your kind do battle. Couldn¡¯t you do like a dozen otters at once on your own if you wanted?¡± Bree replied, ¡°And fight Tartarus? Not really. While we can form a beast avatar, it must be linked to us. There are many dangers, and Tartarus loves to target us. When the three of us are together, we work well. When we¡¯re by ourselves, we have weaknesses to exploit. Anyway, we got bored of that game for a long time, spending most of our time sleeping, just gathering our faith energy. Combined with our mother¡¯s struggles, we kind of¡­ became apathetic. Plus, it took a long time for our bodies and faith energy to grow. Outside of protecting our Territory we had won, we mostly slept.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Ophelia said, ¡°Okay, so¡­you three enjoyed fighting with the puppets. And you even got to fight a few enemy Champions, but limited as you were. Then, you hijacked the Celt¡¯s beast avatars, getting something much more substantial. Is that right?¡± Bree laughed. ¡°Yes, and Isolyn and I were happy to get even nicer puppets to play with, but Ainora was so pissed! She got a feline, and sunlight rather than her lightning! Whereas Isolyn and I¡­¡± She grinned. ¡°Anyway, yes. But each of these avatars had something in them, a small portion of their patron¡¯s divinity. It helped us¡­or rather me, solidify in my mind what might be missing. In us. You might say that it planted the seed of doubt in our¡­ choices to be alone or select a mate, in me.¡± She continued, ¡°Mother always said she knew what was missing. That we should just take a mate, and that would solve all our problems. But she can be so¡­overbearing with it, you know what I mean? Like an addict telling you how wonderful the thing they were addicted to is.¡± Bree shook her head. ¡°We mostly ignored her.¡± Jake side eyed Berri, almost making Bree laugh. Berri definitely appeared to have a lot in common with her mother the Goddess, Echidna. Bree continued, ¡°Aside from that, we didn¡¯t want to make it our Path, our Eternal Essence¡­ and we didn¡¯t want to¡­just take any mate like she did. It actually caused a lot of fighting between us, as we tried to choose a mate. Can you imagine? Isolyn wanting a partner that matches her intense cold, and Ainora wanting a more¡­electrifying partner? We couldn¡¯t decide.¡± She added, ¡°So eventually, we three agreed that we would only accept a strong male that could defeat us. But¡­our pride combined with our other advantages was just too strong. In the end it only made us¡­so lonely.¡± ¡°Why would it do that?¡± Tanda asked. ¡°Were you really too strong?¡± Bree¡¯s vines pointed at Bloodberri. ¡°Do you really think that this one is fair? Imagine three. Three heads, minds, souls, and cores. Is that a fair fight against one? But we¡¯d pretend that it was, our blind pride not accepting otherwise. I suppose it should be a point of pride that we believed our three selves as one, but now I just see it as belligerent and arrogant.¡± Fhesiah chuckled, her smile becoming wide. ¡°I see, and like, where this is going. But¡­ doesn¡¯t even the Framework consider you more than one? Even before Bloodberri became a Champion in truth, I do believe there was an event where she was considered more than one. Tartarus likely took you on with two or three Champions or similar, didn¡¯t it?¡± Bree shrugged. ¡°We were a giant beast. Even before we had sentience and sapience, we were often considered more than one for balance purposes, and it¡¯s the same for others with considerable size. Also, to our surprise, there was only one nascent divinity forming, despite any efforts we made to keep things separate. We even had worlds where they only worshiped just one of us¨Cwe kept the other heads off the altar entirely, and it made no difference. So, we had plenty of evidence to support our arrogance.¡± Blood smirked. ¡°So then this all culminated into when Jake branded you. You felt like a superior male defeated you, or at the very least, a worthy mate.¡± Bree¡¯s flower flames brightened, and even her partially plant flesh started to take on a pinkish hue. Her heart started to pound, and a sort of¡­trembling built within her. Was this¡­fear? ¡°Y¨CYes¡­¡± She paused, and looked at Jake with wide eyes. ¡°Goddess, why is this part of the talk difficult for me? I have fought for thousands of years!¡± She sighed, doing the best she could to ignore her body. ¡°But¡­ it was more than just that. My body responded when he branded me, and I reflected on the feelings when I returned to my body, rescinding my connection from the¡­ puppet. Thinking about those feelings and how happy that made me, I felt¡­more fulfilled somehow, than I had in a thousand years. And I continued to reflect, all while my sisters nagged and teased me. It was like the illusion of grandeur was shattered, and I could truly see myself in the mirror¨Cthrough them.¡± Bree continued, ¡°Blood and Berri are actually very different from us three. We three are the same. You two are opposites, but even Isolyn and I¡­admit it. If you gave me ice magic, we¡¯d be almost exactly the same in the way we think. So when I really looked at them because they were so hateful of you¡­ I could only hate myself for it. If the roles were reversed, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be hating on Isolyn or Ainora right now.¡± Jake noted, ¡°It does seem like you three had every right to be prideful, though. There might be some arrogance there. But it sounds like you have achieved much, far more than most ever do. It seems impressive.¡± Bree smiled. While her pack leader did not need to respect her, it for some reason made her feel wonderful¨Ca shiver ran up her spin. ¡°And this is true. I am proud of what we have accomplished. However, your defeat of me had us fighting over the results. It caused an argument so intense that Mother herself had to get involved.¡± She paused, and then looked at him with determined eyes as her flames took on a somewhat pinkish hue. It was difficult for her to say as her heart began to pound, but she felt like if she just got it all out, she¡¯d be all the better for it. ¡°All because I wanted to join with the male that defeated me¨Cthe first male that deserved to be my mate. The only one in thousands of years to make me feel joy and contentment, even before defeating me. I desire¡­nothing more than to join my mate¡¯s pack, and I fought them fire, tooth, and claw to make them understand, and to protect your mark.¡± Jake looked uncomfortable at her declaration, while Fhesiah, Tanda, and Avalara all clapped. Tanda laughed, her tail wagging. ¡°Would you look at that, Jake? It¡¯s like you beat up a beastkin and brought her home! Even though you didn¡¯t try to. And, she was a giant cerberus, instead.¡± Avalara giggled. ¡°What a cute story! It¡¯s a lot like mine¨Cyou didn¡¯t know your speech was a declaration of love with me, either.¡± Fhesiah looked to the sky. ¡°Have I been going about this all wrong? Should I just wait for more waifus to fall from the sky? It seems like even if I do nothing at all, they¡¯ll just keep showing up, already won over somehow. Do my actions even matter?¡± Jake ignored his wife¡¯s existential crisis and admitted to Bree, ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in suddenly.¡± Bree let out a breath. ¡°I am not used to this. These¡­feelings¨Caside from the thrill of battle and similar, I am¡­inexperienced. I can¡¯t say that I like them all, but¡­ it is better than the nothing I felt for the longest time. And I know¡­what Tanda said is true.¡± She met his eyes once again, but this time, her body trembled in anxiety. She remembered her pain and worry about being alone, having now known what it feels like to, goddess, what was this? To have a crush? ¡°You didn¡¯t defeat me so that you could be my mate, and it is only your right to reject me, even after all that¡¯s happened¨CI know this. I still feel like I owe you a lot, for how you¡¯ve opened my eyes. I know the way us three were heading, it¡¯d only have gotten even lonelier at the peak. For that, I do want to repay you. To fight along with your family, and serve you¨Cto help you win this Sector. And¡­find my own Path. If, after that, you don¡¯t desire me to join your pack¡­¡± She hesitated, her pain and worry that she would be rejected spiking. ¡°...Then I¡¯ll just go home.¡± Jake seemed like he wasn¡¯t really sure how to reply. ¡°I¡­am happy for your aid. I don¡¯t know about making you my mate, but I will be happy to help you find your path. We¨C¡± Fhesiah interrupted, ¡°You do realize he¡¯s a mostly-human male and you¡¯re a giant dog dinosaur, right? He¡¯s at least a teeny bit worried that you¡¯re not compatible, if you catch my meaning. Well, I know I am.¡± Bree chuckled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite aware of that. I¡¯m sure I can work something out, much like this one here did.¡± She nodded over to Avalara. ¡°Of course, I want to appeal to my mate¡­ But¡­ there¡¯s¡­a problem with that too. You see¡­ I made a promise with my sisters¡­¡± Jake arched his brow. ¡°A promise?¡± ¡°Yes. In the end, I do love my sisters very much, but they were not happy that I was leaving, that I was giving up so much of what I earned and became so weak. As nice as this body is so far, it would get squashed like an ant by my old one. It¡¯s just a simple, undeniable fact.¡± Bree continued, ¡°They offered me to face them in a duel: me and you versus them. If you win, they will not only accept our pairing¨Cthey will join you in the great battle. Not as mates, mind you. Their arrogance still won¡¯t accept this as a true battle, unless you could defeat them in their true visage, and you can only do that if you took them on in their unfair two versus one. But they will join as true allies, instead. They¡¯ll fight with their all to help you claim this sector.¡± Ophelia¡¯s wings fluttered with excitement, ¡°That sounds like fun, I can¡¯t wait to watch the battle! But if he loses?¡± ¡°I promised that¡­ I would go back home with them¨Cthat I was wrong. Because of that¡­we cannot do something that would be¡­permanent. I only agreed to that with utter faith that we would win, and that we would gain their aid.¡± She was referring to the Hearth Bond, since that was very much permanent. Bree hadn¡¯t learned much about it, but their family had certainly talked enough about it for her to get the gist. ¡°You have that much confidence in me? Or us, rather.¡± Bree gave a very canine grin, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Oh yes. I felt like such a fool. Even feeling your Divine Reinforcement on myself should have been enough to know that you had immense potential. After seeing your flames against that life and death demon in the Raid, I knew for certain we could crush them. Together.¡± Jake asked, ¡°They came here to this Sector to fight us? When can we face them?¡± Bree snorted. ¡°They paid to send true beast avatars, and they are now probably leveling up in some Beast Realm. Mother doesn¡¯t have much in this Sector, but she does have a couple of worlds. However, it is to be at the peak of the Tier. We might be able to win sooner than that, but¡­ it¡¯s certainly in our best interest that we prepare as much as possible.¡± Berri was interested. ¡°I want to visit one of these! They really have two worlds full of beasts?¡± Bree nodded. ¡°Nearly every Divine sends some token forces to a new Frontier Sector in hopes of claiming new targets of growing Faith as well as helping in the big battle, and Mother is no different. Because it¡¯s best to send warriors at Tier 0 and Tier 1, it¡¯d be really stupid not to. It¡¯s like buying a lottery ticket for nothing that can win something with nearly every play.¡± ¡°Echidna did invite us to the Beast Realms when we last saw her.¡± Jake noted. ¡°They don¡¯t have people, right? How did your mother claim them, with no natives to initiate?¡± Tanda asked. Bree replied, ¡°Beast Realms are a little unique, in that ownership is considered a little different¨Calmost like cultivator worlds. There is no indigenous population, and Tartarus also doesn¡¯t gain much from the souls of beasts. So who owns it when it gets integrated? The answer is sort-of both, but it can be won over and claimed through efforts.¡± She added, ¡°Those efforts involve something her offspring are quite good at, rallying the many beasts to defeat the enemy, Tartarus beasts. The truth is that most Divine care little for Beast Realms because they cannot really obtain worshipers there. So Mother often works just a little harder and snatches them up. However, it doesn¡¯t really earn her much. She often uses what she gains to barter with other Divine, by raising more special beasts and resources.¡± Bree¡¯s vines twisted, and began weaving into knots like she had done with the boar body before. ¡°I still¡­ need to get used to this new body of mine. This place is special, I do like your home, and I appreciate that you¡¯ll help me find my path, if nothing else. I think that your family is on vacation will be good for me. I will prepare my skills, and¡­¡± She looked at Jake and smiled. ¡°And prepare my avatar, even if it must be a lesser one. But I can also see the value in a more compact body at times, so¡­ I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Fhesiah smiled. ¡°Well, Ava and I can help you a bit with that, and maybe I can learn a little more. I know Blood is very interested in learning what she can from you, as well.¡± Bree couldn¡¯t help but be warmed with a little pride as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m happy to share what I can, with who might become my future pack. I¡¯m afraid part of this has been somewhat taken from me¨Csealed by the Framework, and this is why it will take me a while. However, I know the broad strokes, and I do think I can achieve it in time. Time that we have.¡± That awkward conversation completed, Bree had spent much of her time within the forest of their Refuge, or at the Arena in Life¡¯s Haven. Sharpening her claws, and preparing for the battle with her sisters. Because she had waited a long time to have a mate, and seeing the void child with his powerful pack stoked the flames of her desire even further. She would be damned if she let her sister¡¯s stupid pride get in the way of her happiness. And if she could win her sisters over to join her, then her new pack would be stronger than ever. Strong enough to win a whole Sector out from under Tartarus¡¯ clutches. BS7 - Chapter 2 - Magical Prowess Having said goodbye to his kids, wives, and Bree, Jake headed to the coliseum. He shifted his Champion Vestments to match that of Hestia¡¯s desired clothing, wearing a toga with a shoulder and chest or heart guard, with the gem attached in the center. Following the theme of video game characters, Jake was now able to wear a special skin for his armor. Even if he had his armored faceplate down, he could still look as if he were not wearing them at all. It provided no real advantage, as he could still feel the equipment on him, and Tartarus enemies would see him as his equipment truly was. Really, it just made him feel a little less awkward speaking with people when he wore his full kit. Jake took the portal to the Life¡¯s Haven, and then flew through over the buildings and streets, covering himself in his telekinetic hearth flames. Having spent time here and there on it, he now had several means of generating flight. The spellform was the simplest and most efficient, as it was like creating a dozen points around him and shoving himself evenly through the air. The flames of his hearth would only slowly be expended, allowing him to return much of what remained of the spellforms back to the flames in his core when he was done. To onlookers, he looked like a man cloaked in flames, flying through the air. He mostly kept himself upright as he did this through the city, as speed wasn¡¯t really all that important. He arrived at the coliseum, and the place was busy with people all over. The stands had numerous people, primarily parents watching over their children and enjoying the prepared food. Warriors dueled and trained throughout the massive arena, and the children from many races and spriggons practiced their baseball and martial arts. The other main arena held the battle simulator, and it was usually just as busy, if not more so. People of all ages would join there to watch their warriors challenge themselves, whether facing mana constructs or duels between warriors for glory. That was where Bree and Ruby spent much of their time, it seemed. The two both loved to challenge themselves and others, and against the many constructs. The air was laced with mana and auril both, now that Highland¡¯s energy levels had risen. They were still not quite at their maximum, but Ava¡¯s proclamation about the dungeon entrances solidifying showed they had long since surpassed the second Tier by a large margin. Bloodberri was here, the two girls driving their training of the many young of Highlands. The numerous teens built their bodies and trained as groups, from passing medicine balls around and helping each other stretch, to practice fights and playing pick-up games. A few Eternum flew around and helped along with the spriggons, the unliving servants aiding with the children¡¯s training and practice. Watching the kids and teens with their tired smiles and bodies glistening with sweat and pride wearing their uniforms, Jake could see how Berri¡¯s focus on sports was certainly building some kinship among them. And the number of adults seen actually playing had increased, clearly seeing the value in the sport, as well as finding enjoyment in it. These many kids might end up being the cornerstone of the first Tier guilds Jake had built in the future, as they came of age and finished their training and preparation. They would then head off to the many worlds of Sector 87, saving lives and occasionally claiming them in the name of Hearthtribe. And if not Hearthtribe, they had a few arms or subguilds focused on different levels of focus and commitment. They even had a sort of engineering or crafting guild, who¡¯s entire goal was to rebuild cities and homes across worlds. Hearthtribe members would do it all as Jake saw it as important, but there were those that could dedicate their efforts to these things. Jake had mostly stopped here just to visit. He gave his lovely echidna wives a kiss, and played some catch with the kids. Since he often came here, the few he had spent time with in the past came over and showed off their gains. Their practice in the many skills and efforts in training their bodies had had results and he congratulated them, before he headed over to another arena. Morwen the undead priestess of Arawn was there, along with many of the Eternum and Emberborn, Elysian casters, and even some beastkin clergy. Some Warrior Brotherhood talismancers and battle maidens were there, everyone training their spells and magic. There were even some Mass Migration new arrivals among them. The banshees and harpies were selected, the latter being powerful wind or storm-based elemental casters. There was even a race of djinns that now lived in the southern deserts, which varied significantly in their types of magic, but many focused on fire magic and were compatible with Hestia and Brigid. The most substantial was that they migrated more Elysians or Fey. A large cadre of elves arrived, along with more treants, dryads, faun, naiads, and even some species not present on The Elysian Glade. Their Origins were less based on Gaia, but more Celtic in nature, which made them even more fitting here on Highlands. And of course, all of these Mass Migrations were fitting of Fhesiah¡¯s criteria, these races having a higher female to male ratio as a natural part of their species. In truth, the numbers of each of these entries were rather small in the big scheme of things¨Cless than the Elysians individually. However, this was meant to prepare for the future, to place more potential candidates for Hearthtribe into the funnel, so to speak. Only a scant number of these were in the second Tier at all, and it might be even beyond their imposed vacation before they were strong enough to join Hearthtribe in their Conquest. The beastkin had rocketed ahead in this past year, fighting inside the dungeon, doing incursions, and more. Target dummies lined the large area, and numerous constructs were available to test out spells and effects. Then, there were several small fenced off areas for magical duels, and the stone-tiled ground had many breaks and rents in them from various spell effects. There were also a handful of elves and other casters, as not everyone in Life¡¯s Haven was Hearthtribe. This was part of a weekly event that allowed the general public to join, both in an attempt to recruit more people, but also to collaborate and share some of their gains with allies and friends. The four coliseums were still Hearthtribe property, but they also had training rooms within the Alliance HQ with additional features and privacy. The final coliseum was for the many tamers of Highlands beasts, the larger creatures taking up a lot of space for their training. Bree and Ruby also spent some time there, facing off against and helping out with the many trainers using their beastly intuition. Jasmina too spent time there, as her songs helped heal and soothe the many beasts. Jake neared the arena areas in his flight, and set himself down, as he had found his targets. Sati, the living flame, floated a few feet off the ground in her meditative pose, facing off against Nadessa, the dryad Arch Druid within one of the many fenced off areas. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As a result of her second successful Raid, Nadessa had entered the second Tier. And she grew, both in height, and in apparent age to look like that of an adult, like many of the Elysians did, to Jake¡¯s surprise, and Fhesiah¡¯s delight. Nadessa raised her staff above her head, clouds and winds swirling around her. Lightning crackled within the dark clouds, like a localized thunderstorm. Having built winds and electricity around herself, she then sent the storm of lightning at Sati, like launching an angry dark cloud at her. A small smile touched Sati¡¯s lips as she spotted or felt Jake nearby, and she raised one of her clasped hands and pointed at the oncoming cloud. A small orb of flame was shot out, and it exploded at the center of the storm cloud. To Jake¡¯s surprise, the cloud rippled, before dispersing completely like a popped balloon. Nadessa was breathing heavy from casting her powerful spell, where she ran over to Sati. ¡°It¡¯s no fair. You¡¯re too tough!¡± Sati shook her head. Her words came out slowly, and quietly¨Cyet through her Qi, it seemed her small voice carried far. ¡°Your storm¡­is getting better¨Cstronger. But¡­¡± She paused, as if searching for the words. ¡°A summer storm is powerful and wild. Unpredictable and cannot be contained. You try¡­to contain it. It is¡­not good.¡± Nadessa snorted. ¡°Well, yeah. I can¡¯t exactly create a massive storm in the middle of battle¨Cmy allies will be struck with unpredictable lightning too! But I take your point. I will¡­think on this some more, and work on it.¡± Jake surprised the two of them when he spoke behind them, ¡°I think we can prepare the battlefield for you to use it, you just gather your storm far away from our army.¡± Sati turned to Jake, while floating, and inclined her head in a bow. ¡°Greetings, Lord Jake. Will you be joining us for some practice again?¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s the Chief. How goes it?¡± Nadessa spun around, and smiled as she leaned on her staff. ¡°Things are going well. I did want to practice with some of you for a bit.¡± Nadessa smiled. ¡°That¡¯d be great! Let me just¡­recover a little first.¡± Nadessa caught her breath for a time and recovered her mana, then the two oriented themselves in the distance from him, and he stood on the edge of the area. Using the fixture that would keep them from expiring, they started their magical duel. Sati was the first to kick it off with a spell. Several dark flames lit up behind her, like candles lit in the air¨Creminiscent of Fhesiah¡¯s kitsune flames. They shot at him like arrows, and he rapidly coalesced a series of runes in response, manifesting a large barrier of ice in front of him. The wall rose from the ground in an explosion of cold and frost, and only barely held up to the flaming missiles Sati had shot. The tiny bursts of flame formed cracks throughout the wall, and it looked like it wouldn¡¯t hold up for long, as the flames were alive, and weren¡¯t put out even though they had struck the solid wall. Jake was happy with allowing it to crumble, as he formed the runes of wind this time. With a blast of wind, his barrier shattered and was sent outward from him, sending jagged chunks of snow and ice at the two girls like a blast from a shotgun. But Nadessa had been preparing her spell, a weave of vines exploding in front of the pair, taking on the incoming frost. Sati created a sphere of flame above their heads, preparing a powerful attack behind their defenses. An array worth of runes rose above Jake¡¯s head as he created his own orb of flame, using Blood and Berri¡¯s flame. His ball of flames resembled an eclipse as Sati¡¯s sphere shot towards his. The light was sucked out of the area of the arena, and only shifting beams of flaming white light shot out from behind the shifting orb, targeting Nadessa¡¯s vines and setting them aflame. As Sati¡¯s orb of flame neared, it was slowed, giving Jake time to finish his next spell: a large spear of vajrafire flames, with magical runes lining its haft and spearhead. It pierced through Sati¡¯s weakened sun, and she and Nadessa were once again rushed on the defensive, sending flames and a blast of lightning of their own in response. Nearly all the spells Jake used just now were either empowered Tier 1 spells, or true Tier 2 spells. The three mages went back and forth, trying new spells to counter and attack one another. Having reached the second level of Hearth Runic Magic and Mana Control equivalent, Jake could now easily cast Tier 2 runic spells all on his own. When Jake had received his Mythic Hearth Staff, he had bemoaned the loss of the runic prisms¨Cbut Hestia had said something about wondering whether he would still need it or not. As usual, Hestia¡¯s words were prophetic, as Jake now saw very little value in his spell rods and similar for himself personally. Because now he did not truly have a rune limit. Where the mana was thick enough, he could draw enough mana from the surrounding area to manifest the runes into the spells he desired, nearly no matter how many he wanted to establish. Thanks to the denser mana and his superior control, the constructs would be more stable, making it all the easier to create, infuse, and link as many together as he wished. The difficulty in research and spell-casting came from not the cost in mana or the making of the runes, but finding a balance within the giant Sudoku-like puzzle of the linked runes. The more of the hexagons that he linked together, the more complicated the puzzle got, but also how powerful or varied the spell could actually be. He had wondered why he couldn¡¯t just buy a rune cheat sheet that would include all known spells, or things like this. Guilds desired to hoard the results of this magical research for their own benefit, and the Framework and Tartarus both supported this. Often, because his guild had researched the spells themselves, it would be better off than if they had learned the spell from someone or somewhere else. One could see it like a research tree within a 4X Strategy Game. Often, by unlocking a researched technology, it would not simply just provide the ability to cast a spell or build a special structure. Small, marginal benefits would be added as a result of the research as well, and the Framework was the same. The spells his people researched would have the magical outcome improved slightly, and this was part of why Nordic Runes just felt more powerful compared to the investment, to Jake. The rules for casting and the difficulty in researching and establishing a working spell just made them better. It was weird to Jake, but it was just one more way that his life and the war was fought like a game. Jake continued his practice, alternating through his many new functions he had worked out, and testing them against his other magical opponents. Whether it be large spheres or smaller balls, darts, arrows, spears, walls, novas, waves or cones, Jake now had tons of options for each element and how to attack or defend against enemies, plus his wives¡¯ more varied special flames. Now that the mana was dense enough, even wind-based attacks that he avoided before could be effective, giving him even more options for different types of attacks. Combined with having numerous spells of each element that were focused on demonic runes, Jake was starting to become a master of runes in truth now. Nadessa was panting once again, as they paused their practice. ¡°That was¡­great practice, Chief. Both of us could hardly keep up with you. I¡¯d need a whole team of druids to keep up if not for Sati here.¡± As Jake expected, Sati eventually, while blushing by how her cheeks took on a fiery-pink hue, asked him for some of his flames as she often did. ¡°My lord¡­may I? ¡­You know. Please?¡± The fiery woman was a bit addicted to his hearth flames. With a smile, he compressed his flames down, as if he were casting his Scorching Ray spell, making sure to add all the flames of his family together. Then, just before it reached the critical point, he brought it out of his chest and sent it over to her¨Ca dense ball of flame. Releasing his intent, she wrapped it in her Qi and brought it to her mouth, where it was like she drank it. She covered her mouth with her hand, as if wanting to hide her lips as she did this. The flames within her entire body brightened, and she shivered for a moment. Sati smiled. ¡°Thank you, milord. It¡­somehow is even tastier now. More like Highlands, our home.¡± Jake couldn¡¯t help but wryly smile at that. He had done some tempering with Avalara¡¯s true avatar last night, and it was like Sati knew this in a roundabout way. He was just about to say goodbye when Fhesiah¡¯s voice reached his mind. [It looks like we have a request for a meeting¨Cthe leader of the guild, Love and Justice? She¡¯s been working with our guild quite a bit in the last year, and it seems like she needs our help.] He was about to head over to see Valtor anyway. He would go see what was going on. BS7 - Chapter 3 - War Progress Valtor and Amara stood in front of the Sector Conquest map, waiting for Jake as he entered with Ophelia, Tanda, Ava, and of course, the rest of his girls in spirit. The party went to sit down at what was a rather modern looking conference table, while the two Eternum floated in front of the large hologram in the center, as if standing on the circular table. Ophelia and Tanda framed Jake¡¯s sides, with Ava sitting on the other side of Ophelia. The sentient armor wearing scholarly robes had changed. His helmet was now open-faced, allowing Jake and others to see his spiritual visage. He was now a bald middle-aged man, with what Jake would call an epic handlebar mustache. Upon accepting the Framework¡¯s aid in his evolution, a spiritual body was forged within his arcane-infused frame. Amara and any Tier 2 Eternum were the same. She had long and wavy hair, middle-aged looks, reading glasses, and flowing robes. Her spirit visage was like a motherly scholar, that now stood next to her floating book. Their spirit visages could interact with the world somewhat, but the Eternum became what was very much like a turquoise colored, flaming, floating ghost. From what Jake understood, there were very few advantages to this. It appeared it would even allow them to be much like a hermit crab¨Cand move their flame to other objects if they so desired. It also meant that their spirit would not necessarily die if their arcane frame was destroyed, their visage able to house their spirit flame. The flames of their hearths had only increased, but they had received even more control over their unliving flames. And now, it seemed like they would be nurtured with either auril or nethril, making it truly like the Framework had helped them become more a part of Highlands. Jake smiled at them. ¡°How¡¯s Rhia and Junior doing, Valtor, Amara?¡± Valtor grinned, taking a deep breath that Jake knew he didn¡¯t need. ¡°Fantastic. Just wonderful! After helping claim Ariminum and Argos, Rhia moved on to a few more PvP matches for the fun of it, before moving on to the second Tier. As for Valtor Junior, he¡¯s still learning and training, and spending time with our brethren helping around the HQ¡¯s, like many of our new young.¡± Amara said, ¡°As you know, many of the beastkin warrior families after aiding in claiming a world came back home, to do their duty, as it were. We had clashed on thirteen Tier 1 worlds, and after a year, we have since managed to tip the scales heavily in six of them, making excellent progress to save those worlds and push them toward the Raid¨Cand claimed two of them already¨CAriminum and Argos. We were driven from two entirely, the enemy already too entrenched.¡± Valtor added, ¡°We decided it wasn¡¯t worth the effort to try to reinforce them, as the enemy guilds were in fact working to rescue and earn them. We focused our efforts more on other worlds.¡± ¡°What about the other five?¡± Tanda asked, her eyes flashing and her tail wagging as she looked over the map showing Hearthtribe¡¯s progress with a bit of pride. Valtor waved his hand, drawing attention to the five worlds as they grew in the view. ¡°The other five are larger worlds, and our impact just hasn¡¯t been all that significant. They were making excellent progress thanks in part to the PvP¨Cstealing our enemy¡¯s contribution. But then our enemy up and left, as you¡¯re aware. With us no longer able to gain from them, and their guilds no longer contributing, the movement of the world¡¯s Conquest is simply less. We¡¯ve since been able to stay ahead of natives or other guilds and alliances, but it¡¯s a slow and steady crawl toward the victory and the Raid since our enemies left.¡± After the first six to eight months of PvP, the beastkin had proven that they were stomping all the crap Tier 1 guilds that were nothing more than mercenaries and thugs. Sure, their opponents had many warriors and some were talented, but many lacked the discipline to truly excel, spending more time at brothels and bars than they did in training. Their coordination was poor, and many of them were a lot like how Antonius was¨Clacking talents in magical energies. Very few had ever completed their Trials, so few had unique skills beyond what their guild might have given them. Jake wasn¡¯t sure what would happen with many of them in the second Tier, but he was sure that it would somehow be different then. It was around when Timone and Dahlia defeated Cassius, that it seemed like, despite all their talk and their threats, that they pulled out of most of the Tier 1 worlds. They focused on ones where Hearthtribe weren¡¯t involved, moving to the outskirts of the sector or to worlds that Hearthtribe were avoiding¨Cworlds that didn¡¯t much need their help to win. But the War Games were still active. If Hearthtribe showed up on any of the Tier 2 Contested worlds they were on, or one of their owned worlds in Tier 1, the fight would immediately be continued. Jake figured this was somehow their goal, that they had removed themselves from feeding Hearthtribe. Ophelia tilted her head. ¡°Our people are pretty dominant, though? I doubt many die even to Tartarus¡¯ machinations. Then, thanks to their wing suits or just the avian beastkin, they can fly to close Rifts both quickly and reliably. We have a few hundred on most of those worlds, don¡¯t we? Shouldn¡¯t it be like a landslide victory nearly everywhere we go?¡± Valtor chuckled, and shook his head as he stroked his mustache. ¡°The beastkin and our allies are truly wonderful, and your equipment, training, and enabling of them to reach their maximum strength and potential is special. However, it¡¯s only been a bit over a year. While our people are doing well on these other worlds, they¡¯re still focused on carrying on the Hearthtribe torch, its special charter¨Cits culture.¡± Amara smiled. ¡°They aid in rebuilding, continue their training and crafting, and spend some time recruiting as well. We are playing the short game, by taking on Rifts rapidly and coming to the native¡¯s rescue if things are particularly bad, like you did when you first arrived on Highlands. But we are also playing the long game, by focusing on rebuilding, protecting and enabling the natives. They build walls, rebuild homes, and get people back on their feet with food and healing.¡± Valtor grinned. ¡°And we¡¯ve sent smaller groups of them to a few of the worlds you were worried about¨Cthe ones offered by Baron Cassius. After winning some fights in PvP, we helped a number of people migrate here, and they¡¯ve been quite happy. Some were truly living like slaves, often just being kept from reaching a Nexus Node or HQ to escape. With our presence, we helped them make their way here, or go to another destination.¡± Tanda and Ophelia were all smiles and full of pride, and most of all, Avalara. Her people, the beastkin were fighting evil all over the Sector, and winning. Everything had worked out well. It¡¯s what Jake had planned, and that it was working out as his family envisioned was a great thing. ¡°So, what¡¯s our options for what¡¯s next for Hearthtribe then?¡± Ophelia asked. Valtor noted, ¡°We have a few Conquests in those four remaining worlds we heavily impacted¨CRaids soon to be wrapping up over the next year, and so the goal will be to hit those larger five worlds next with superior numbers. After that, there are only a few Contested Worlds where we can make a major impact left in the First Tier¨Cfor now. Our grace period will be up soon, but with your permission, we intend to shift focus for a time, for our newly minted veterans and those entering the second Tier to take on.¡± Jake thought about what he might be wanting to do. Those who finished two or more Dungeon Raids would often be near their contribution cap, and would be a detriment to the raid¡¯s difficulty. It was better for them to move onto the next Tier. ¡°The dungeon, is it? They¡¯ll still be early in their Tier, and with Obsidian Blades and the many other enemies, it might be best if they get some levels first.¡± Valtor smiled. ¡°You got it, Lord Jake¨CI do believe this is the best plan. While many world conflicts have level ranges for the Conquests in the Second Tier, Hearthtribe are early in the level ranges, no matter how you slice it. It¡¯s advantageous to them if they cut their teeth where PvP won¡¯t or shouldn¡¯t be a factor, before moving on. In addition, it will give us just a little more time to grow, train and prepare. To get more people at the second Tier well-trained and ready to join our Conquests before we face them.¡± While Tier 1 the level range was essentially from levels 11 through 25, the entire Tier, Tier 2 split it up and limited warriors. Typically, it was 26 through 40, and 41 through 50, for Tier 2 zones within that world, based on its total energy rating. If the world was near the peak of the Tier, they¡¯d have the two ranges available, and if it was a world at the lower end, like Highlands was currently anyway, it¡¯d only have zones at the lower range. Often, there were Tier 1 zones present on Tier 2 Contested Worlds, too. They would matter for the overall conquest, and it wasn¡¯t that they completely mattered less. It was nearly impossible for them to outright win the Conquest with the lower level zone¡¯s success, but losing their zones would be absolutely catastrophic to the war effort. Higher level alliance could still enter those lower zones, they would simply be limited to that level upon entry. Tanda¡¯s paws were flexing, and she was giving off a feral grin. ¡°So we¡¯ll sharpen our claws in the dungeon, and then they won¡¯t see us coming? I like it.¡± Amara smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. If there is a world that is in desperate need that we can make a big impact, we¡¯ll move out, of course, but that is the tentative plan.¡± Jake said, ¡°I see a number of advantages to this. But can a single dungeon entrance accommodate our thousands of warriors? How long will it usually take to explore a floor?¡± Amara nodded. ¡°It can. People enter a portal, and each floor of the dungeon is like its own world inside. Whether one party or a thousand, or ten thousand, it will just place them within random points throughout this pocket world, or drop them near a large exit. It could be a little crowded at first, but they should discover new floors rapidly in that case. Exploration will be necessary, and both the exits to our world and the entries into the next floor will often need to be discovered. Over time, we¡¯ll map out the floor and how it connects to other sections of the dungeon.¡± Jake realized there was yet another option if things were too crowded¨CAriminum had also reached Tier 2, and so its dungeon entrances could be explored in time as well. Valtor added, ¡°How long it will take will depend on numerous factors, from our efforts, to how large and complicated a floor might be. It could be an endless underground labyrinth, or even an open world like Highlands itself. It¡¯s rare for it to be a shifting one, or for it to be a special event altogether, or for it to have an intelligent race on the first floor, but even these kinds of things are possibilities as we go deeper.¡± Jake knew this, but the dungeons were somewhat underutilized as methods in the Alliance. The machinations of Tartarus were deemed to be even more dangerous there, and many worlds chose to avoid them outright. That was, aside from the basic need to explore and fight within them and prevent monsters from spawning from the dungeon¨Cpreventing what was called a Monster Tide. On a Contested World, there was some level of safety. With Rifts and the Conquest Map, it was often simple enough to just run away, perhaps head back to a village or city to rest safely, and wait for reinforcements to take one on for individuals joined to the Framework. People could seek out Monster Dens, or the small creations and spawns of the different types of associated Rifts. On Ariminum, it really had felt like Jake was playing an MMO, where he could leisurely get near the Rift, and then wait for others to join before challenging it, for example. It was even possible to travel safely through most allied territory, and the most one would have to worry about was the indigenous species of the world. In all, Jake thought it wasn¡¯t all that dangerous for a member of the Framework. The danger was all focused on hunting down and taking on the Rifts and their spawns. And of course, for the natives of the world¨Cthe Rift spawns would hunt them down in their cities and villages. But within the dungeon, not only were there many camps of enemies or monsters, it could spawn enemies nearby, usually a distance away and out of view. It could whittle a party away to the point of breaking, targeting its weaknesses and attempting to surprise and surround a party. In some areas it could even make physical traps that could be disarmed. Parties would need to struggle to escape if they were found wanting. It was similar to the Trials, in that a dungeon-master-like enemy was often calling the shots, trying to find ways to attack a weakness of a party or Battlegroup. This was much more challenging to do on a Contested world with mere machinations, but in the dungeon it could be like child¡¯s play. There were still rules, much like with the Incursions and Trials¨Cthe ability to merely crush them under a mountain or fill a room with lava without having a way to circumvent it wouldn¡¯t happen. But the leeway with the malicious entity appeared to be all that much greater, and thus the danger was higher and the rewards were also more significant. Within the loot or from found hidden treasures or challenges, there were objects that could permanently improve people¡¯s potential within, that Brother Zhuge had hinted at. Items such as potions that raised your attributes permanently or increased your affinity to a magic type, and there were even items that might help you form a special core or accept a new magic type, like Valor for example. Some were even tradable, but only within that item type and rarity. Or, among the party or Battlegroup who earned it¨Cthey could not be bought or sold. Jake was happy about that, as he would hate for people to get countless special items which didn¡¯t fit their party at all, and just sat collecting dust since nobody could use them. Jake had no doubts that Tartarus, within the dungeon, could find even more ways to cheat. However, he was reassured by Brother Zhuge that the Framework would ultimately make sure that it paid dearly for its transgressions outside of the rules, even if they died as a result. It just¡­couldn¡¯t much help while they were in the middle of things, or until they revived, more than likely. And he had seen it, even as the dungeon descended on Highlands. The branching tentacle or tree root construct had a mixture of Tartarus¡¯s black, and the Framework¡¯s gold throughout. It was just as much a part of the dungeon as Tartarus was, somehow. Ophelia pouted. ¡°I kinda wanna explore it right now. The dungeon sounds like fun!¡± Valtor chuckled. ¡°The initial exploration is going to be somewhat monotonous, and our brethren will definitely benefit more from it than your elite party. If a special enough event occurs, we can call you, but as you know, within the paths on other floors are actually paths to other worlds. If you defeat a Raid-level challenge, or an event much like what Fhesiah experienced with a Battleground, you can actually free a world from Tartarus¡¯ clutches. Of course, losing these events can have major repercussions too. So we will only take these on with our best party¨Ccalling you.¡± Tanda frowned. ¡°But won¡¯t calling us actually make it more dangerous? Tartarus wants to kill us and take our Divine Sparks, right? That means Champions could show up because we¡¯re there, or the boss will power up like at Life¡¯s Haven¡­ or worse, like the Dungeon Raid?¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Valtor nodded. ¡°It could, normally. But not if you seal yourselves before entry.¡± Jake realized what he was talking about now. ¡°I suppose sealing ourselves would work.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re in the second Tier, you may seal your Champion powers before entry. This will limit you to your base class¡¯s spells and abilities, but it will also prevent something like enemy Champions showing up, or your bosses powering up beyond normal. It will even reduce the party slots you take up. On the other hand, you won¡¯t be able to win Divine Sparks, or higher quality items from winning.¡± Jake said, ¡°Since we¡¯re on vacation, it makes sense to seal ourselves to participate¨Cand we may want to think about sealing a certain number of us for normal exploration and things like this even once our vacation is over.¡± He added, ¡°As for Hearthtribe exploring the dungeon, overall, I think that sounds like a great plan. So what about our Conquest Points? Anything useful we can do for now?¡± Amara replied, ¡°As you know, we¡¯ve invested much in our facilities to improve the training of ourselves and our allies¨Cthe Arenas, our Headquarters, and more. But we have been saving up, as it were, for establishing the special network and merger. And, we¡¯re finally ready.¡± Tanda tilted her head. ¡°Merger?¡± Valtor spread his arms out wide, as the sector map shifted to show Highlands and Ankhmar, the desert world where they defeated the necromancer and rescued the sandreavers from its control. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ve finally saved enough for merging Ankhmar and Highlands into one world!¡± Jake arched his brow. The idea that a world would even possibly be willing to merge their world felt dubious to him. On Earth, even if there were advantages to smaller, third-world countries becoming a territory of a more powerful nation, they almost always turned this down. And why wouldn¡¯t they? It was often like giving up their culture, their heritage¨Cas well as their autonomy. He supposed that in truth it was a lot like Jake was already their governor, but it was still a surprise. ¡°Ankhmar is willing? What about any downsides?¡± Amara smiled. ¡°We still haven¡¯t done the official poll yet, but it seems that they are! The people of their world had lost much of their population, both to the war, but also what followed after in the conflicts of succession. A true tragedy, but they also feel gratitude in their hearts for you, their savior.¡± Valtor said, ¡°In a way, merging their world with ours is a way of helping us. In others, it will improve their quality of life too. We¡¯ll help each other because it¡¯s also quite possible to at least partially solve the imbalance issue we have creeping up on us.¡± Amara brought up the world of Ankhmar. While there were mountains and lakes, and a few rivers, it was very much a desert world. It had numerous pyramids nearly all over the world that their people had painstakingly built as mass graves and monuments to their kingdoms. ¡°Their world is far more arid, and is both compatible with death mana and even nethril. Their many pyramids can create a semi-natural formation that, with Fhesiah and Avalara¡¯s help, can probably accomplish a decent counter to the world tree¡¯s immense life energy it¡¯s now adding to the world. The sandreavers will very much enjoy this new situation, and the people of the Kaemun Kingdom and others can live on the outskirts of the desert or near any oasis. It should be perfect, a win-win for everyone.¡± [Yay! Bulldozer¡¯s friends are now coming here!] Berri was excited her death scarab friend would be much closer to his brethren. The giant sandreaver had joined Hearthtribe, but the number of his people that came to Highlands and joined Jake¡¯s guild were few in number. Bulldozer did miss his many brethren, even if Hearthtribe kept him busy. Ava had been quiet for much of the meeting, just watching everyone in their enjoyment, her tail fluttering in pride. But now she spoke. ¡°It would be good for people to live in the Southern Hemisphere and other main continent. I had prepared the continents and land as I grew, but it is nearly empty of beastkin¨Conly beasts and monsters, as you will. There are some natural resources that will form over the years, so that the people of Ankhmar can take advantage should work out well.¡± It felt awfully strange to merge worlds, but it did sound like a decent win all around to Jake. ¡°You said something about a network?¡± Valtor nodded, and then the map shifted. Some lines formed between the worlds, between Highlands and a few others. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve already created the network links for a few of the Tier 1 worlds, like Ganestra, and the world Dahlia and Timone helped win: Argos. But the new Tier 2 worlds we won, Ariminum which upgraded, and we had wanted to wait. By linking them, they will grow more rapidly by the group of them.¡± Jake frowned. ¡°Why would they grow faster?¡± Amara replied, ¡°In part because of the Framework¡¯s aid, but also just by design of the network. The energies of the cosmos that planets absorb are complex and numerous¨Cit is not just mana. Many energies that are incompatible are outright discarded by the world, and those get sent down the network. With a network of many worlds, the overall growth of all is significantly increased.¡± The door to the room opened, and Fhesiah in her dragon form and cultivator robes walked through and looked around. ¡°I¡¯m not late, am I?¡± Ophelia frowned. ¡°Late for what? Meeting with Nessa? It¡¯s just going to be a video call, and it¡¯s in a moment.¡± ¡°Good. Good. Wanted to be here to meet this lady. I heard she¡¯s a Baroness, after all. It¡¯s important we meet and thank our stalwart allies whenever possible.¡± Ophelia rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t recall you joining the Warrior Brotherhood call just last week.¡± ¡°Well, you know how it goes. We¡¯re all so busy, busy. I just so happened to finish up my task and was free this time.¡± Fhesiah sat on the other side of Tanda. They then had a small chat and accepted the plans to merge the worlds and grow the network over the next year. The poll would likely be accepted by both worlds, thanks to Avalara prompting the many beastkin, and Hearthtribe spreading the word. Eventually, the call Fhesiah arrived for came in. Valtor and Amara had moved off the table, to float on the outside of the room instead, but Jake and his party remained sitting. The multiversal map hologram shifted into that of a woman. The image was an Asian woman with short and straight blue hair, wearing white robes with blue accents. There were blue scales spattered on her cheeks lining her eyes, and some trailing down on her neck. Her cultivator robes, which were more like a kimono than full robes, had slits for her legs on the sides, likely making it easier for her to run. There was what appeared to be several katana tied to her waist. She had some scales going down the outside of her thighs, and there was actually a snake tail which coiled around a single time completely around her near her feet, which was shown on the table. It was not nearly as wide or long as Bloodberri¡¯s, but he imagined it was only five or so meters long in total based on what he could see. [Is that¡­is she a snake girl? Jake! Hurry up!] ¡°Hurry up and what, Berri?¡± [Of course, we need more snake girls. You need to get her into our family! Before she finds another mate!] Jake did his best not to roll his eyes, and smiled at Nessa instead. ¡°It¡¯s good to finally meet you, Nessa Tyrsdottir. Valtor has told me you and your guild have been instrumental in some of our successes. We¡¯re happy to have such a valuable ally.¡± Nessa smiled. ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s great to finally meet you as well¨Cthough not in the flesh. I can say the same about you and your guild. We have very much appreciated your assistance.¡± Jake introduced his wives one at a time, and they each chatted for a brief moment. Of course, Fhesiah¡¯s introduction stood out. Her smile was wide. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to meet you, Baroness. You are so different from what I pictured. I hope you don¡¯t mind me saying so, but I was under the impression you were a human? We had been given the option to summon a Human Cleric of Tyr, but you seem to be¡­not a cleric or human at all? Nessa suddenly blanched, and seemed to look embarrassed with a little bit of a pink hue in her cheeks as she covered her face with the tip of her tail, as if hiding behind it. Tanda tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Nessa¡¯s tail pulled away from her face, and she cleared her throat. ¡°I¡­ just couldn¡¯t help but remember what happened, after that.¡± She took a deep breath, and then gave him a small smile. ¡°My father¡­ put me in this vessel that matched my mother a bit more as a result of that. It was a rough time at first because I had no contact with him or why he did this, but now I am happy about the result. I¡¯m sure I would have been happy if you selected me too, but things worked out well enough for me in the end. I¡¯ve now grown quite the following on my own as a result, and I¡¯m proud of what I¡¯ve accomplished.¡± Fhesiah nodded. ¡°Yes, I can see that. I heard you now own two worlds, and are working on several more, even while you aid us on others.¡± The blue-haired woman gave her a shy smile. ¡°Yes. Teaming up with Hearthtribe and Warrior Brotherhood has been refreshing, and meeting the Blizzardblade Sect and the Radiant Flame Sect along with the Celestial Nekomatas has been a big boon.¡± Jake asked, ¡°So they made it there alright? Fhesiah has told us a bit about them and their situation.¡± ¡°Yes, they are happy here in the Mystic Expanse. However, and this is why I¡¯m contacting you, there is a bit of a problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Nessa sighed. ¡°I almost didn¡¯t want to ask for help, but it seems my new friends in the Mystic Expanse are being targeted. Some¡­unorthodox cultivators have shown up on the world, and they are causing a lot of trouble for me and my new allies. Entire villages have been wiped off the map, and it is said that they are forcing some to join their crazy cult besides.¡± Tanda frowned. ¡°Wiped off the map? How did¡­they get there? A large army, or something above your Tier shouldn¡¯t be able to arrive on the world normally, right?¡± Nessa nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Thankfully, it seems that some early second Tier cultivators infiltrated, rather than massive sects, or an army as you said. However, it seems¡­it is a strange cult, and the influence comes from the beyond. With enough time, they might summon something more powerful, encroaching on the Framework¡¯s barrier. My ability to detect their taint when I am near is good, but¡­ it requires me to be near, and in danger to the cultists, besides. I could really use some help, I cannot scour the entire world for these cultists by myself, and my guild is largely busy with its efforts in Conquests. I was told by Xara that Senior Hart was instrumental in defeating some very different unorthodox cultivators, and I had hoped¡­¡± She looked at Fhesiah pleadingly. Tanda was a bit alarmed. ¡°Did you say taint?¡± Nessa nodded, and her tail tip seemed to shift as her coil beneath her moved. ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems these cultivators are somehow slowly tainting cultivator¡¯s spirits and causing people to join them together in this cult. Some¡­forcefully, it seems, as there are sometimes signs of struggle. They are gaining ground, and this is particularly worrying for more reasons than just one. They are also trying to cancel initiating the Mystic Expanse fully.¡± Tanda asked, ¡°Initiating it?¡± Valtor answered the question instead, ¡°As you might be aware, most cultivator worlds can be seen as half joined to the Framework. They do not go through a true Trial like other worlds, and the Framework¡¯s presence on their worlds is minimal. This is because cultivators usually refuse to join the Framework, and actually actively fight against it¨Cmaking it a detriment for us to have a normal Trial instead. In rare cases, if enough are accepting of its existence, they can decide to go through this Trial and join the Framework in truth. Because of the state the world must be in for this to actually occur, it¡¯s more like a world like Ariminum becoming Contested. It¡¯s an opportunity to earn more potential for the cultivators. And, to give Love and Justice an opportunity to claim the world¡¯s governance.¡± Nessa seemed to blush at the mention of her guild¡¯s name. ¡°So removing these cults should hopefully have a two-fold effect. And, with Senior Hart and her¡­special heritage, we can hopefully convince even more to accept Initiation.¡± Fhesiah was about to just agree for them, but Jake interrupted. ¡°That sounds like a unique challenge, and I do think we want to help. Would you mind waiting a moment? To let us talk and discuss for a bit before we give our answer.¡± ¡°Of course. Please, take all the time that you need. Here, I will transfer a bunch of information about the Mystic Expanse and what we¡¯ve found, for Valtor¡¯s perusal.¡± The call was put on a brief hold, allowing them to discuss amongst themselves, and Valtor had frozen in place as he seemed to be accessing his Menu, with Amara joining him. Jake mostly knew her answer already, but hoped she had some more substantial reasons. ¡°What do you think, Faye?¡± ¡°That sounds like something to break the monotony, and like these people could really use our help. It¡¯s about time I visited a cultivator world for real besides an auction, husband. I¡¯ll bring Ruby and Sati with me, make it a real adventure.¡± Jake¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but scrunch up in remembrance. Her last adventure hadn¡¯t really gone as planned. At the same time, he understood the truth. Fhesiah was currently the highest level in Jake¡¯s party. She had reached level 29 as a result of the Celestial Nexus Battleground, and she never truly slowed down in her cultivation. Her bloodline was being refined by the tempering with Jake, but she was also leveling up at the same time, as she so loved to do in the process, every opportunity she got. Crafting pills, utilizing her cultivation chamber when its energies were full and dense, and utilizing her hearth core, Fhesiah was already level 33. Other than true elite enemies, she would already give most cultivators near the peak of their Tier a real run for their money. He knew this Mystic Expanse world could have peak cultivators, but its energy rating was near the middle of the Tier rather than the top of it. People could still reach the peak without the Framework¡¯s aid, but it should be excessively rare, and at a high cost. It would take unorthodox rituals where people were sacrificed or similar, or some sort of lord or king that brought in resources from around the world for their personal consumption. Things that effectively concentrated the world¡¯s energy into a singular person or entity. Jake and the rest were not quite level thirty after the first year of their vacation. But he imagined that at the end of the five years they would just barely reach where Fhesiah was now with the ways that they were passively leveling up, maybe thirty-five out of fifty within the Tier at the most. Which was fine, since she would at least keep herself from entering the next bracket without them, her goal to reach 39 and just reject all Qi rewards until they caught up. Within the dungeon and the War Trial, their levels would come quickly. They were primarily focused on their skills, and that they had gained any levels at all was largely thanks to their¡­soul harmonization. Fhesiah snorted and shook her head. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be like that adventure. I¡¯m not going to another sector, nor a battleground where you can¡¯t come or summon me or reverse summon yourself at a moment¡¯s notice. Besides, we¡¯ll at least need you to drop us off, and you could visit too. Meet this Nessa in person, and some of my friends from the Battleground. I know I want to.¡± Tanda pleaded, ¡°We should help them out, Jake! They have tainted too. It might be related to Balor, the death god. The same that hurt my people so.¡± [Yes, and you should convince this snake girl to join us! Fhesiah said there was a whole clan of them, the blizzard whatsits, and¨C] Blood interrupted Berri, [And they¡¯ve already gotten with the Radiant Sun Sect, didn¡¯t they? Half the reason they all showed up here as well is because they were happy to join with the snake girls. But anyway, that this Nessa is a Baroness means I approve of her. It seems she already has a few worlds, so even a political marriage is possible. For whatever reason, most of the Sector Nobility are male, or taken, or pledged to their Divine in some way¨Calmost like nuns with a vow of celibacy. It¡¯s been frustrating.] Jake was a little surprised. ¡°You mean¡­you¡¯ve already researched and tried to find me a political marriage, Blood?¡± He could feel Blood¡¯s eyes narrow through his bond. [Of course I have. The more resources we have for the upcoming conflict: the War Trial, the more we can have control over our own destiny. To not consider such a simple option would be a disservice to us all. That said, there might be some options when we have a Tier 3 world under our belts¡­before then you are like a pauper prince to many of the¡­better options.] Valtor spoke up from the side. ¡°It seems Nessa Tyrsdottir has outlined a few targets, and with your help, she wants to hit them all at once so the cultists have a more difficult time coordinating their escape and more. This does seem like a job for most of you, though she does have a few resources of her own. The Blizzardblade Clan and Radiant Sun Sect are still getting acclimated, so they haven¡¯t left the world yet on tasks and should be joining us.¡± Jake asked, ¡°What do you think, Lia?¡± The Athenian valkyrie shrugged, but her golden wings seemed to flutter in what he knew was excitement. ¡°Seems like a good thing to take care of these cultists. This way we can stretch our legs a little bit. As for the political marriage thing, I¡¯m unsure for now. Bree is also sort-of waiting in the wings too. Might as well let Nessa know that we can help, I bet it won¡¯t take long thanks to our new methods of travel.¡± When it came to methods of travel when on a world, Jake now had several to choose from¨Cwhether it was limited by a Framework Challenge or Conquest, or if it wasn¡¯t. The Mystic Expanse wasn¡¯t contested, so that meant he could fly a fighter jet if he wanted. He didn¡¯t have one, but he did have several airship-like flying machines that would work. The second Tier gave him many more options than he had in the first Tier. It took them a minute to resume the call, but they hadn¡¯t made Nessa wait long. Jake said right away, ¡°I think we should be able to help. Valtor said we¡¯ll be attacking a few places at once?¡± Nessa beamed. ¡°Wonderful, I knew I could count on you. That¡¯s right. Just let me know how many are coming, and we¡¯ll coordinate our assault.¡± It looked like Jake and much of his family were going to be heading to the Mystic Expanse. Fighting a bunch of cultists wasn¡¯t what he had planned on when she had contacted him, but it would likely be an interesting challenge. BS7 - Chapter 4 - Fhesiah - Cultists and Caves ¡°I like this shuttle much better than mine.¡± Fhesiah smiled in remembrance of her adventure, as she looked over the balcony of Nessa¡¯s ship. It was much more reasonable than her ridiculous flying star-covered brick she had previously. It was funny that Jake was now flying it. The design of Nessa¡¯s was much closer to a boat, and looked like it could also float on the water. Fhesiah had taken a few hours and added her formations, much like she had done to her other one, to make it much more stealthy when they powered them. They wouldn¡¯t want the enemies knowing they were coming, after all. Nessa nodded. ¡°Yes, I am fond of it. The Mystic Expanse is truly a wondrous place.¡± The Mystic Expanse was a massive place, and it was strange how far she could see. Compared to Highlands and Earth, the horizon was much further away, allowing her to see thousands miles, and this was doubly so since they were flying high in an airship. The world was breathtaking. Fhesiah could see tons of magical geological features all at once, from mountains that despite being so far away were giant and pierced the heavens, to canyons so deep they looked as if the world was cleaved in two, hundreds of miles deep. There were even a few strange environments with powerful elemental Qi that she could see, from a roaming storm of wind and lightning that almost seemed as if it were alive by how it moved, to a massive lake that emanated a strange haze. She could tell the density of the Qi was high. Nessa saw she was looking at the massive lake, which was nearly the size of an Ocean on Earth. ¡°That lake is claimed by the neighboring Sects. I was thankful they gifted me some time within it.¡± Thankfully, the ship was moving quickly, which made it feel even weirder how fast the massive land features passed by. They were standing on the deck, and Nessa stood near her, with Ruby and Sati also looking over the balcony nearby. Nessa had numerous subordinates on the ship, from cultivators to Nordic warriors, though it was definitely tilted towards cultivators from this world at the moment. Unfortunately, Nessa¡¯s plan had the Hart Family all split up, and to Fhesiah¡¯s consternation, the woman hadn¡¯t even met Jake in person yet¨Ctheir communications included their arrival and assault points. Bloodberri was the only one waiting back at home with the kids, along with Avalara¡¯s lesser avatars and Yona, of course. Well, that Fhesiah weaseled her way into Nessa¡¯s party rather than heading with Jake or Tanda¡¯s parties was a small victory. Nessa had seemed a little reluctant to meet, for some reason. Fhesiah looked over at Nessa. ¡°Truly, I¡¯m surprised you have such a nice vessel. If you don¡¯t mind me asking: where did you get it? You¡¯re not a native of this world, right?¡± Nessa¡¯s snake tail was once again coiled around in a circle beneath her. The girl was shorter than Fhesiah by nearly a whole head, to her surprise. She imagined that Berri will probably treat her like a little sister, since that meant she was nearly twice as big. From what Fhesiah could tell, Nessa still primarily walked or floated with heavenly energy now, and her tail was little more than an accessory. Her guess was that its presence was new to her because sometimes when she started walking, she nearly tripped over it, forgetting it was there. The scaled woman seemed to notice Fhesiah¡¯s gaze on her tail, and she blushed as she placed the tip of her tail in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s¡­very new to me. I only recently refined and enhanced my bloodline, using one of your pills you sold, actually. It¡¯s very helpful in my lake or during battle, but I¡¯m not used to it on foot yet. In the water¡­it¡¯s so instinctual.¡± Nessa continued, ¡°As to the ship, it was¡­ sort of a gift. I helped win a Battleground for the Mystic Expanse and Aetheris, just like you helped out in the Celestial Nexus. One of the people there had found this, and they gave it to me when they joined my guild. We can¡¯t use it in most Framework events, but it is still valuable to have. I do thank you for those formations you added, it seems like it will help us with our current efforts all on its own.¡± ¡°How lucky, and it was no problem at all.¡± Fhesiah smiled, and decided to tease her a little bit. ¡°What¡¯s with your guild¡¯s name, by the way? How did you come up with it?¡± Nessa blushed. ¡°It¡¯s silly. It was¡­my ancestor¡¯s idea. But it was based on taking on some of Hearthtribe¡¯s ideals and culture, but also meeting my goals for what I had wanted to accomplish.¡± Fhesiah chuckled. ¡°Love is one of your goals? It¡¯s not just justice, right?¡± Nessa blushed and looked like she really didn¡¯t want to answer the question, but eventually, she sighed. ¡°I¡­ grew up as a Nord. A warrior princess, since I¡¯m Tyr¡¯s daughter. We battle maidens¡­it¡¯s often romanticized, finding our warrior husband, and joining him in battle and in life.¡± She gave a small smile, watching the landscape pass by over the balcony. ¡°I¡¯ve had a hard time of it, but when I was reborn into this cultivator vessel, my perception of finding love changed a little more. Perhaps, it changed even more than that when I awakened my bloodline. I certainly have someone filling my ear with nonsense about it all the time, besides.¡± Fhesiah thought about what she could mean for a moment, then gasped in realization. ¡°Your ancestor, could it be you have a bloodline ancestor? How fortunate for you.¡± ¡°You know of them? Very few on this world even have records¡­¡± ¡°I do, and yes, Bloodline Ancestors require that they had reached the third or fourth Tier, leaving fragments of their Nascent Soul behind in the River of Samsara. Sadly, I was unable to connect with one of mine this time around. Perhaps the world I¡¯m from was truly not a part of the Framework¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad, Nana is very helpful. I¡¯d have been completely lost without her. So, I do seek to find love, but my Divine Trait has really made it a challenge.¡± Fhesiah frowned. ¡°How would it¨C¡± Someone nearby started pointed and shouting that they were nearly there, and Fhesiah couldn¡¯t help but take a look at the city in the distance. It was massive, and with many Asian style pagodas and other buildings. They now activated the formations, enshrouding the ship in a special haze and making it difficult to spot or track. Their bearing had them heading off to the side, where a large mountain also held pagodas and shrines. Fhesiah said, ¡°Ah. Looks like we¡¯re nearly there. How are we going to find these cultists? Are we going to have to interrogate some people or investigate, or something like this?¡± Nessa shook her head. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t need to interrogate anyone. If they don¡¯t just fight us the moment we appear because they know about or are a part of the cultists, I should be able to see them with my Divine Trait. I can see and feel the truth of things.¡± Fhesiah arched her brow. ¡°The truth of things?¡± Nessa hesitated, ¡°I can see¡­what is like a person¡¯s true essence, it overlays their actual visage. A person lacking virtue is often marred with imperfections, and someone truly evil will often take the looks of a demon. That¡¯s not all, as I can see the truth, even beyond illusions. Thanks to this, if someone¡¯s tainted, their visage will be obviously shrouded in something disgusting and vile¨Ceven more so than the demonic look that evil people show.¡± Fhesiah was interested. Did she look like some kind of succubus then, as Jake and Ophelia would always call her? ¡°What do I look like? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± Nessa smiled. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to have met you in person. You¡¯re not much different from that living flame you brought, Sati, right? Except, she looks like a child, and you¡­¡± She blushed. ¡°You look much like your¡­ beautiful appearance, and not like a demon. Though, you also have some¡­ fox tails and ears? I guess Xara did say something about that¡­ but, you¡¯re hiding your height, and there¡¯s also a flame in your¨C¡± Fhesiah shushed her. ¡°Shhh, that¡¯s a bit of a secret, please do keep that to yourself if you can? We wouldn¡¯t want our enemies to learn how high we¡¯ve reached. You may see that with the others in the family if you meet them, as well.¡± Nessa frowned, before her eyes widened. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but Fhesiah continued, ¡°But that was sweet of you. And yes, you might get to see those fox tails and ears later. What about this one?¡± Fhesiah pointed at Ruby with her fan, who was inspecting her claws, and even swiping them in the air, bored. Nessa looked a little squeamish, her face scrunching. ¡°Almost like a child, bathed in blood? A savage. Pure, but violent. I do wonder what the odd¡­chrysalis covering her means because that is present in her essence, too.¡± Fhesiah was interested in that, as she too wasn¡¯t sure what would happen with the chrysalis that covered most of Ruby¡¯s body was completed. It wasn¡¯t a part of the many texts the vampire lord she killed had, and she wondered if she caused something strange to happen by altering the heretical urns, or if this was just some kind of¡­badgerdillo thing? She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to make her more worldly, but it¡¯s like herding a cat to get her interested in anything but¡­killing and eating. I¡¯ve spent a bunch of time with her, but she¡¯s around the kids more, or still spends most of her time fighting with the brutes in the arena. She¡¯ll never make a good waifu this way.¡± ¡°Waifu? What is that?¡± Fhesiah ignored her question, taking a look back to the city coming in view. It was truly epic in size, at over a hundred miles wide with numerous towering buildings. During the integration, it would likely be a place that many, perhaps thousands, of Rifts would target. ¡°At least Sati is heading in the right direction, training with the smart mages in Hearthtribe, and that is definitely rubbing off on her. I think both just need more life experience. Perhaps you can bring them with you?¡± ¡°Bring them? With me?¡± Fhesiah shrugged. ¡°Sure. Clan Hart isn¡¯t to directly take part in Conquest for a few more years directly, you can see this as we are on vacation and raising our children. I was going to send the two with some of the beastkin, but maybe you can make use of them? Your plan was to unite more of these cultivator clans, right? It¡¯d be nice if they could learn more about the multiverse in person for a while, traveling and seeing things rather than reading or being told stories.¡± Nessa¡¯s eyebrows were raised as she continued to appraise the two, and she gave a small smile. ¡°Their auras do seem quite strong, and they are extremely unique¨Cthat they¡¯re on my side might win over some clan¡¯s support. After I am done with this, I do plan on traveling some and meeting with more cultivator clans, and seeing more cities. I also have plans for Aetheris, one of the other worlds involved in the Battlegrounds I fought in. Once Initiation begins, we¡¯ll probably be taking part in some Rifts and Monster Dens for quite some time, before another Raid.¡± Fhesiah looked back to the mountain as they got closer. ¡°So we¡¯re sure this should be some kind of stronghold of theirs? What can you tell me about this place?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This is a powerful family, a Clan that has their castle on the mountain. I got a little lucky with tracking down a few of those that ran, and also some of those that they might have kidnapped. Most of them came here, while others were sent to the location Jake and Tanda¡¯s parties are hitting. Our first few attempts to gather information had failed. Previously, the ringleaders have always managed to escape, or otherwise hide how they were infecting these people. When we capture any of the cultists to interrogate, they actually expire, the taint consuming them.¡± Nessa continued, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve tracked them down to where they¡¯re gathering, I¡¯ve wanted to assault it, but much of my guild is busy. I¡¯d rather not call them all back, and the enemy seems to be quite dangerous. It was my hope that by hitting a few locations at once, you could learn enough to try to find a method to detect and defeat them, or just score a major blow against them.¡± Fhesiah nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, and make sure I keep them from running away. Though, maybe you should just come with me, and we¡¯ll get to the bottom of this right now.¡± Nessa¡¯s eyes were wide. ¡°What? Us two? Alone?¡± ¡°Four of us. This calls for infiltration. Sati, Ruby¨CGet in.¡± Fhesiah withdrew her lamp and the blood cauldron, to which the two leaped or flew inside without hesitation, entering the spaces designed for them. ¡°What the¡­how?¡± Nessa stared at the two items her friends went into. ¡°Your treasures¡­truly unfathomable.¡± ¡°It helps that this isn¡¯t a Framework challenge. Order everyone else to be ready for the fighting to start. To rain attacks down on our enemies and help us if we need it.¡± ¡°Um¡­okay. You¡¯ll take care of the enemies? I suppose you can call Bastet if things get difficult.¡± Nessa called out and gave her allies their orders, and then Fhesiah shifted using her Bloodline Transformation. While she didn¡¯t need it to do illusions, she was better able to achieve them in her kitsune form. The snake girl looked at her change in interest. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you meant. You have¡­two bloodlines? I thought¡­¡± ¡°Sure do. And¡­¡± Fhesiah prodded her with Divine Sense, and when Nessa realized what was happening, she let her communication in. ¡°You can hear me, right? We¡¯ll talk like this.¡± Nessa nodded. [Yes, I¡¯m familiar with this.] ¡°Good. Now, stick close. We need to be a little close for me to cover you with the illusion.¡± Fhesiah wrapped one arm around her waist, causing Nessa to blush. ¡°Why do I feel like¡­that was a partial truth?¡± ¡°You can do that too, detect lies when people speak? I suppose that makes sense. Let¡¯s be off!¡± Fhesiah ignored her question. Of course, she didn¡¯t need to be this close. She leaped into the air, taking the blushing Nessa with her. Invisible to most cultivator¡¯s perception, only those with a decent barrier would be able to detect them. They flew down and arrived at the back of the main pagoda¨Cthat was, a tower-like Asian building with multiple levels with eaves that fanned out on each one¨Cbut they quickly ran into a problem as she probed it with her Divine Sense. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. [What is it?] ¡°I can¡¯t pierce this building with my sensory, and I¡¯m betting if I go fast, they will be able to detect me. It¡¯s on a mountain. Cultists like caves, don¡¯t they? They don¡¯t sacrifice people in their living rooms next to their sofa and the fireplace, they do it in a nasty, damp cave with an altar.¡± Nessa tilted her head. [That¡­when you put it like that, it sounds kind of silly. But¡­I think you might be on to something, and it¡¯s at least worth it to check?] She flew around the mountain, and eventually, she hit pay dirt: A cave. They flew inside, and then through a winding cavernous path. Eventually, they found an entry-way, a door. Fhesiah did her best to dispel the defensive formation, without alerting those inside. The one up above was far more complex, and would have taken her hours. This one was made in haste, it appeared. Entering, it was clear they were inside the Asian-style building, with tatami-style walls and floors. She constantly swept it with her lighthouse that was her Divine Sense, looking for any traps. Eventually, her scrutiny did find a number of people in a large room, and they approached it. Nessa said, [I can feel it. There are tainted nearby¨Cmany of them.] ¡°Huh, looks like that might have been their back door¨Cthe escape. We¡¯re in business. If we just crashed the building up above, they might have run away through here. But it looks like I was wrong.¡± Nessa frowned. [Wrong about what?] ¡°They have some kind of legit church-looking auditorium setup in there. It¡¯s not just a nasty cave.¡± Nessa didn¡¯t get to respond, as Fhesiah surprised her and let out Sati and Ruby, the two appearing in motes of light, before she enshrouded them in her illusion and aura. Fhesiah looked at Nessa with a serious look. ¡°You¡¯re not going to mind if I go all out here, are you? With how many people are in this room¡­ We¡¯re not going to be able to have a friendly conversation with them, if you catch my drift.¡± [I¡¯m pretty sure the people in this room are either too far gone, or are complicit. They¡¯ve slain so many, thousands even! I think¡­even if there are some casualties¡­] Nessa¡¯s voice and eyes were pleading. [It¡¯s the right thing to do. We must defeat them here, and bring them to justice! Who knows what horrible thing they will summon if they are successful, or how many more will harmed if they escape.] Fhesiah grinned, and she prepared more fox fires. To her surprise, cold water started to flow out of and pool at Nessa¡¯s feet. She fought the urge to make some kind of joke about her being wet already, but she didn¡¯t want to scare her off. Plus, this was certainly serious enough. Despite the sheer cold emanating off of the small pond forming, it didn¡¯t seem to bother Fhesiah one bit. Stirring her dragon bloodline, her lungs and draconic claws and fist formed. Forming the illusion of light around her allies, she made it appear as if they were cultists and opened the door. The room looked like some kind of auditorium, leading downward, with row after row of people bowed toward the back of the room¨Cthe stage. In total, there must have been more than a hundred cultists present. They were pretty spread out, rather than clustered together. Judging from the pain on the cultist¡¯s faces as a haze drifted off of them when they prayed, Fhesiah could imagine why. On the stage was clearly an altar, with a horrifying eye and tentacles drifting off of it. The energies within were powerful, and it reminded Fhesiah of the dragon and vampire she faced¨Ca higher energy contained within them. There was a pool of blood on the altar, which the eye appeared to be tainting. They dipped their knives in it, which seemed to be a means for them to transfer the taint. A man screamed, as a bowl was brought to his lips, and the taint was forcefully put into him. Fhesiah realized she might actually have to call for Bastet in this fight, but perhaps not if Nessa could hold her own. Actually, she could feel a hearth within the girl. Perhaps, she had some form of flames that could help her with her dragon¡¯s breath. That was not the only thing on the stage, however. Corpses were strewn about and piled up in a corner, and being carried away by servants. Several more people were in chains on both sides of the stage, while other cultists were being empowered. The stage was large, allowing for what would be hundreds of people on it. Stairs were leading up on the right and left side of the room, but also stairs heading down¨Cbehind barred gates. Fhesiah¡¯s Divine Sense was cut off from looking deep, but it was clear that there was some kind of dungeon beneath them. The many people she swept over with Divine Sense, she had a difficult time telling that they were tainted. She could feel that something was definitely wrong, but her scans of each individual took some time. Nessa¡¯s voice was filled with worry. [So many cultists. This is worse than I could have imagined. We¡¯re vastly outnumbered!] Fhesiah smiled internally. Not for long. Since Nessa could simply see whether each person was tainted, she realized it was faster to just ask. ¡°Is everyone tainted?¡± [Not those who are chained, though I can see the ones in the back, it looks like they are slowly being corrupted. They are sacrificing some, but empowering and slowly converting others.] They walked into the room, with Nessa¡¯s puddle following. It had looked like her illusion was working well enough at first, but suddenly, the eye of the statue on the altar snapped to them. A malevolent aura rose from it, and Fhesiah knew the jig was up. She retrieved her Flame Lamp of Bastet and Hestia¡¯s Torch, and with a tap, dozens of the pixie elementals were launched. Ruby sensed that the fight was now here, and roared as she attacked the nearest cultist kneeling in prayer. Nessa¡¯s ice water began to spread down the stairs beneath them, filling the auditorium rapidly. Strangely, the snake girl¡¯s body started to enter it despite it only being at most a few inches deep, and mirrors made of ice rose from the water. [I will defend the area my lake touches, and attack those within it.] Fhesiah¡¯s fox fires shot toward the cultists on the stage, with a couple checking the strength of the statue and altar. The aura surrounding the black tentacles of the eye rejected the attack, and the cultists began preparing their own spells as they attempted to protect themselves against her flames. Infusing the flames with the power of her dao, the flames started to consume and overwhelm their defenses. Many grunted in pain and shouted in alarm as her flames overwhelmed them, but others managed to dispel them with the malevolent energy. Beams of corruption shot at the party, but they were met by Sati¡¯s flaming barrier, the girl simply gesturing one of her previously clasped hands. The cultists in prayer throughout the auditorium were a bit weaker, from the middle to the peak of the first Tier. But those on the stage were definitely firmly in the second. Ruby¡¯s claws were full of vicious red energy, and she was culling the herd of cultivators rather rapidly, sending waves of blood and wounding more. They tried to send their own attacks of various tainted elements at her, but her blood-filled aura swirled around her in defense, or she just tanked the blows of their attacks, laughing viciously as she went. Ruby now had many abilities that resembled the vampire she faced, and Fhesiah was truly starting to become impressed with her capability. And Fhesiah¡¯s pixies were not weak. Not needing to use her Framework ability since this was not an event involving Tartarus and the Framework, she had simply released them all from within her Mystic Lamp¨Cand two-dozen Tier 2 fire elementals with true mastery of fire were no laughing matter. Even if they were laughing as they burned you to a crisp. The fire elementals had grown in the past year, and they were devastating. Each of the several dozen pixies sent powerful blasts of flame into the cultists, lighting them on fire. Many of their enemies seemed to be somewhat fatigued from their prayer, which helped. Sati too sent red and purple darts of flame all over the battlefield, supporting Ruby and the pixies. The cultists were being culled rapidly, and just as they were taught, the little pixies were collecting as many of their sacks containing loot as possible, ready to bring them to Fhesiah for safe-keeping. She¡¯d reward them later. Gathering some dragon flames and kitsune flames within her claws, she compressed them as she swung her Celestial Dragon Claws of Fusion. She infused them with her dao of alchemical dragon claws, enhancing the power with her will. An explosion of cutting flame blasted out in a large wave, cleaving through enemies and lighting them on fire. She repeated the process with the other hand, sending them toward the back of the stage. The stronger cultists blocked with their own barriers and beams of darkness, but the power of her core and dao was not easy for them to handle. The little pixies helped spread the flames with glee, and the auditorium was being cleared rapidly. The frozen lake spread underneath, and it seemed Nessa could nearly teleport almost anywhere her lake touched, her body leaping out and slashing someone, then entering it and appearing somewhere else. Serpents made of ice also rose from the water, and were attacking some of the more powerful cultists, before they could bring their attacks to bear. Fhesiah was actually rather impressed with her capability because she knew with Jake¡¯s buffs she¡¯d be even stronger. The powerful cultists in the back recovered from Fhesiah¡¯s attacks, and the eye altar¡¯s malevolent energy had been building up to a devastating attack. Nessa sent to her mind, [That attack is terrifying. Can you stop it? If not, I think we might be in some real trouble.] ¡°You have a flaming ice hearth, right? Send me a bunch of your flames, and I should be able to take care of it even without my Goddess.¡± [Um¡­Okay.] ¡°Sati! Your flames of Yang.¡± A serpent made of fiery frost flames rose from the icy lake, and breathed flames toward Fhesiah, and Sati blasted a powerful red flame, its heat immense. With that, Fhesiah took a breath. Drawing in the frost flames and Sati¡¯s flames with her Alchemical Plunder, she mixed the golden flames of her family as she compressed them all together. Infusing it with all three of the daos of her path, she transformed and merged the flames together, creating her golden flame. Fhesiah smirked as she realized this was a wonderful proof that Nessa and Sati would be wonderful additions to her family. Through the hole in her chest, she released her dense ball of flames, the golden flames containing both red and blue hot and cold fires mixed within. It struck the eye statue and exploded, the red and blue flames washing over the enemies on the stage. Some of the chained people got blasted away from the turbulent winds, but it seemed she didn¡¯t overly harm them, thankfully. Her alchemical attack was now even more powerful than the flames that destroyed the vampire she faced, so they had actually overwhelmed much of the malevolent energy that had been building. Fire and ice covered much of the stage, and several of the strongest cultists were already defeated. The altar took a fair amount of damage, to the point Fhesiah was pretty impressed with her own work. The malevolence had noticeably decreased, the energy expended to protect itself against her attack. Mirrors rose from the water near the stage, and it seemed the lake water was traveling up and over the stage toward the altar. Nessa looked over at Fhesiah, her expression conflicted. ¡°That¡­was pretty amazing.¡± The four of them charged the stage, Fhesiah using her Bloodline Transformation to become a dragoness once more, and then using her Draconic Might. Her body increased in size, and her scales trailed all the way up her legs and arms. Filling her claws with her hearth flames, she dashed toward the final enemy. The powerful cultist had recovered from the frost flames, and now was drawing up much of the remaining energy from the altar. The taint was excessive, but Fhesiah hadn¡¯t actually used much of her resources in that previous attack¨Cmuch of it came from Sati and Nessa. The two flames swirled around her claws, as she crashed into the malevolent aura with her dragon claws. Ruby¡¯s claws of blood also clashed with the malevolent tentacles, and dozens of beams of flames were fired by Fhesiah¡¯s fire pixies, wearing it down from all over. Sati fired what was a lot like Jake¡¯s scorching ray, digging into the enemy¡¯s aura. Then, numerous serpents made of frost rose from the lake, fangs and blades of ice flashing and cutting into it from all sides. Thanks to her allies weakening the tainted aura, Fhesiah¡¯s claws pierced through and crashed into the horrifying eye altar with draconic strength. Her blow shattered the eye statue, and this caused the man to roar in pain, as if he himself was struck. When the statue was destroyed, she felt the Framework wrapped around something, and then sent a portion of it to both her and Nessa. It seemed they had recovered some faith or divine energy. The aura within the man lessened as a result of the statue being destroyed, and Fhesiah had a wry expression as the inevitable happened. Ruby snuck up behind the cultist, and bit the man¡¯s neck as four terrifying claws of blood pierced all the way through his body as he screamed. Blood was drained from the man as she feasted with glee, sucking all the blood out of his body. Nessa was midair with her two blades about to slash into him, but she had frozen, paling from the display. Thankfully, all the enemies present appeared to be defeated, and the pixies were now flittering about, sucking up the flames which were now covering much of the building and preventing it from burning down. Fhesiah scolded the blood badgerdillo. ¡°Damn it, Ruby. Gross, we talked about this? Just kill it and stuff it in your sack for later. We got you that special one for this purpose, after all. It¡¯s not becoming of a lady.¡± She wasn¡¯t really surprised when the taint entered Ruby¡¯s blood, and she had some difficulty fighting it off as her heart beat and the Qi within her pulsed. She was eventually successful, but it was clear that she couldn¡¯t just consume unlimited amounts of the blood¨Cshe would become tainted too. Fhesiah realized that seeing this interaction was helpful. ¡°Maybe it was good you didn¡¯t stuff the corpse in your sack. But we really need to get you that blood flame, Ruby.¡± Fhesiah noted, to which Ruby just chirped sadly. ¡°Blood flame?¡± Nessa frowned. ¡°Yes. It was in the texts I found from The Bloodbeast Sect, but the requirements seem quite difficult to find in this Sector. It¡¯s more a third Tier material than a second Tier one, but I think she needs it to form her own hearth. She has no affinity for any of the goddesses we¡¯re partnered with, or that would have been an option.¡± ¡°A hearth? Why does this matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the power of our family, for one. All of Clan Hart has one. But most hearths have purification properties, and it should help her with issues such as this. The number of enemies that have poisonous or acidic blood are numerous, besides.¡± Nessa blushed. ¡°That¡­explains something. What did it say is needed to make this? I might be able to help.¡± ¡°There are numerous creatures of blood and flames, but to refine their essences into something else that will spark a blood flame of your own in a cultivator is challenging to obtain. Here¡¯s a jade slip with many of the options they were aware of, I haven¡¯t been able to obtain any of them.¡± Nessa perused the jade slip. ¡°Nana¨Cer, my ancestor says she might be able to find a few of these and refine them for her in my¡­cauldron. There¡¯s a few alternates that should work.¡± ¡°Oh! If you could do that for us, we would definitely be in your debt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do for your aid. I take it this¡­Sati is like a living hearth, isn¡¯t she?¡± Nessa looked over to the floating fire girl, and she nodded. The lead cultist dead, Fhesiah grabbed his hand and found he actually had a high-end storage device. For cultivators at this Tier, they were actually a high-class item, only the dragon and the vampire having such a high-class device in that entire Battleground. It was a ring on his hand, and she was not surprised when she scanned it with her Divine Sense and found that it was trapped. ¡°Wait! Nana says¨C¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s trapped. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± She covered it with her hearth flames and unraveled the formation that created this effect. Her consuming kitsune flames quickly overwhelmed the object¡¯s defenses. Scanning the contents with her Divine Sense once more, she perused a few of the information crystals contained within. ¡°Hm, so it¡¯s kind of like the Bloodbeast Sect, but not really.¡± Nessa frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It seems they taint their blood with this ritual, the eye generating the taint through both sacrifice, worship, and pain. They then can wound people and infect them, and they are drawn to worship the statues to transfer the power that built up inside them. A cycle.¡± She turned to Ruby. ¡°So Ruby here should be able to detect them too. Isn¡¯t that right, Ruby?¡± Ruby nodded, and flexed her claws. Sati floated over, bowing to Fhesiah. ¡°I believe I can too, Mistress.¡± Nessa frowned at her. ¡°You can? None of my allies were able to.¡± Sati said, ¡°I believe¡­it¡¯s related to my purity. My flame can sense when such malevolence is near.¡± She lifted her finger, and a few fire pixies began floating around it. ¡°These can too.¡± Fhesiah smiled as she perused a few more information crystals. ¡°Based on this information, the places that Jake and Tanda¡¯s party are hitting are actually their only other major altars, but there are numerous smaller ones placed throughout the cities. But there are hundreds of field agents that will need to be hunted down.¡± She grinned. ¡°For that, I think Zorina and Mysticus might be able to help you out, and save you a lot of time and trouble. With all this information I have, they might be able to, together, help you narrow down where some of these guys are. Let¡¯s free the captives, and clean things up. Now that we destroyed the altar, the cultist¡¯s power should be less.¡± BS7 - Chapter 5 - Fhesiah and Nessa - Cleanup and Celebration They spent some time freeing the captives and hunting down cultists, and they got to test Sati and Ruby¡¯s capability in finding them. They managed to clear out all of the cultists from the building, calling in the ship worth of reinforcements. There were numerous other cultists within the dungeons, as well as the upper levels. On Jake¡¯s side, Jake, Avalara¡¯s Battle Avatar, and Ophelia took down their altar to Balor with no difficulties. His Scorching Ray, combined with Avalara¡¯s usage of her flames of conflict and Ophelia¡¯s powerful righteous vajrafire flames, cut through the malevolence with ease. All had the powers of purification, and the cultists were no match for Jake¡¯s summoned monster and beastkin army. Tanda¡¯s was easy for a different reason, as she had the most numbers with her. With the Radiant Sun Sect and Blizzardblade Clan, and a handful of strong Celestial Nekomatas, they took out the altar and the many cultists. After wrapping up their tasks, Fhesiah¡¯s party got back on the ship. They had many former captives in tow that would require healing and relocation, and even removal of some of their corruption. Many of their homes were destroyed as if the sect wanted to wipe them off the map, so others wouldn¡¯t realize they were gone with enough time passed. Jake could just call Fhesiah at any moment now, but she wanted to have at least one more chat with the shy snake girl. Fhesiah smiled at Nessa as they once again stood on the deck. ¡°So, it looks like Jake and Tanda¡¯s parties were victorious. Party at your place?¡± Nessa hesitated. ¡°Um, don¡¯t you guys have somewhere else you need to be? We do appreciate your assistance, but thanks to your success with extracting details from the cultists, I do think you¡¯ve helped more than enough. We do need to continue with recruitment for a time and campaigning for Initiation, but¡­ I wouldn¡¯t feel bad if you headed home now. You did offer me Sati and Ruby here, after all.¡± Fhesiah smirked. It seemed this Nordic warrior was shy, much like a certain other one was when she met her. ¡°Say? Was your Divine Trait why you didn¡¯t want to pair yourself up with any of us, especially Jake?¡± Nessa froze. It seemed like she wanted to deny it, but couldn¡¯t, for some reason¨CFhesiah had noticed a similar reaction before. ¡°Why¡­do you say that?¡± ¡°Just intuition. You¡¯re afraid to meet him, it feels like. You didn¡¯t even want me to go, but I practically forced my way onto this ship.¡± Nessa laughed a little awkwardly. ¡°Ahaha¡­ yeah, that was a surprise. You just appeared inside the ship just as we were about to leave! Um¡­can you keep a secret?¡± Fhesiah arched her brow. ¡°From Jake? If it¡¯s a pleasant surprise that will probably make him happy, I already keep many secrets. If it¡¯s related to love, I¡¯d be happy to keep a small secret for you.¡± True to her word, she lightened her connection to Jake. He was busy anyway, but she left only her emotions, rather than him being able to just view through her eyes or listen to her thoughts. Nessa blushed, and her tail twisted and wrapped around her arms, and some of her tail hiding part of her face. ¡°I¡­ Father said Jake Hart would pass in my Gaze, years ago, and it has been my goal to¡­ somehow join with him, for me to be his¡­battle maiden. I¡¯m sure Champion Ophelia understands this? I knew he would be compatible, despite my issue, and that he was a worthy warrior.¡± Fhesiah smirked. ¡°Yes, Ophelia was a Shield Maiden and pledged herself to Jake. But what is the issue with your Divine Trait? You talked about it before, is it the blemishes and scars thing?¡± Nessa sighed, and looked back out to the passing landscape. ¡°My Gaze, it forces me to see people¡¯s flaws in their character as flaws on their visage, like scars or blemishes, and I cannot turn it off. Very few men that are worthy warriors are not riddled with these, and many even have demonic features, like I told you about before. It makes me sick just being near them, and now, my bloodline is all about purity. Even small flaws feel like my partner would be impure and unacceptable, and I just cannot seem to help it.¡± Fhesiah thought about it for a moment. ¡°It sounds almost shallow, to have problems with just a few imperfections. I suppose it¡¯s different if a scar or mark was earned in battle or by birth, however. I can see how being reminded of even small character flaws every time you look at your lover is very different.¡± Nessa nodded. ¡°I do want to meet him, as seeing is believing. But¡­ I may have built up his image in my mind, and became fearful about him meeting my expectations. If he doesn¡¯t, it feels like I will really be alone for so much longer, or¡­forever, and that has me full of anxiety. And¡­meeting you and seeing you fight has made me even more worried, but about me instead.¡± ¡°You? Why would that be?¡± Nessa twiddled with her tail tip. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­you¡¯re so strong, and so are all of his wives¨CI saw the Dungeon Raid. And you¡¯re even heroic, too¨CI saw how you worked to avoid harming those in chains, despite your words. How can I be your match? I didn¡¯t want to be a weakling, or a woman that has no value. A battle maiden should never be a burden to her warrior husband. For that, I have improved myself, gathered allies and even worlds. But even still, he and his Hearthtribe pulls ahead. As it stands now¡­ I don¡¯t think he or his kingdom truly needs someone like me.¡± Fhesiah could see how worried she was, and how embarrassed she was by this detail. Even Ophelia had thoughts like this around the time Jake became a Champion. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fine? You shouldn¡¯t worry so much about this. In the end, half of my power is his, from his support of me. And Jake¡¯s kingdom has grown thanks to all of his wives efforts, is it fair to compare you alone to all of us combined? If you join us, the same can be true for you. He seeks to uplift his wives and empower them, the same as the people of his kingdom, his guild. It is his path, his Dao. So don¡¯t give up. I think if he knows you worked so hard and accomplished so much to get his attention, he will be moved and give you a chance.¡± Fhesiah smiled at Nessa. ¡°I think you are a fine battle maiden and serpent princess, besides. He cares what us wives think. I¡¯m rooting for you, and there is at least one more of his wives that you win by default thanks to your ancestry.¡± She chuckled thinking of Berri and Blood, ¡°And another already told me she had her eyes on you for marriage because of your efforts, and at least two of the others are, quite frankly, pushovers and would cheer you on too, so long as you get along with the rest of us. If you really want to join Clan Hart, your efforts have already begun to shine.¡± Nessa let out a breath and looked relieved, a smile returning to her lips. ¡°That¡­thank you for saying so, that helps me a lot. And thank you for your help today, we have saved so many thanks to your expertise and heroism. This is another thing I strived for, so even if things don¡¯t work out with Jake in the end¡­ I think I can be content with that.¡± ¡°Well, why wait? I can call Jake over, and we can have you go on a date, and hopefully join¨C¡± ¡°W-Wait a minute. Even if¡­ my Gaze is not a problem, I really do want to accomplish as much as I can on my own. It might be mostly my pride speaking, but¡­ I want to do this for myself. And¡­ I know that the War Trial is coming. It might help us sneak up on our enemies a little better if we wait until closer to the end to merge our¡­holdings in¡­ matrimony.¡± Nessa was now blushing furiously, hiding her face behind part of her tail and hands. Fhesiah chuckled. ¡°Well aren¡¯t you such a shy little battle maiden? How cute, that you, a daughter of Tyr doesn¡¯t think yourself good enough for my dear Jake. How about this? Just meet him, even if it¡¯s just viewing him from afar. Make sure he can live up to your Divine Trait, and let it firm your resolve, to work hard and prepare for the War Trial. That he¡¯s another reason worth fighting for, that you were not wrong in fighting for love and justice, the path you have chosen. I promise you that we need all the help we can get, and I¡¯ll even be your advocate.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do that, for me?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m trying to get Jake all the best waifus. To miss out on any good ones is a real tragedy, and I would be saddened if, after meeting you, that you didn¡¯t end up joining us in truth.¡± Nessa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°W-waifu. You meant wife? That means¡­these two?¡± She looked over at Ruby and Sati, then she hesitated, looking at Fhesiah with a frown. ¡°...Really?¡± Fhesiah shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a hobby.¡± She narrowed her eyes at Nessa. ¡°One that you should be thankful that I have.¡± Nessa looked alarmed. ¡°Y¨Cyes. Of course, and I am. I¡¯ll¡­do my best to aid these two, as promised.¡± Fhesiah laughed, the girl was blushing cutely¨Cshe would be a lot of fun to tease. ¡°I was just teasing. And Good! That¡¯s wonderful.¡± She gave Nessa a hug, causing her to freeze in place. ¡°All of us Harts are good and close friends¨Clike sisters. If you join us, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get along just fine, and accomplish much together.¡± Nessa returned her hug, and it almost seemed like she wanted to cry, with her eyes watering up slightly. She separated and then said, ¡°That sounds lovely. I¡¯ll try to meet with him. We¡¯ll have your party, it¡¯s the least I could do to thank all of you.¡± *** Nessa activated the fixture, and several people appeared within the room, including Astalder, who now stood next to her. Astalder laughed as he took in the party with wide eyes. ¡°Not bad at all. Nice party, Princess! This is really unlike you¨Chosting something like this.¡± Nessa groaned. ¡°Please don¡¯t make me regret inviting you. I can just turn that thing off, you know.¡± Most of her allies were working hard to claim another world, Astalder included. She had paid to have a fixture installed at a similar banquet hall at each world¡¯s Alliance HQ, allowing them to participate as projections within this hotel. The banquet hall they were in had numerous tables filled with refreshments from several cultures, those that both cultivators and the many Framework warriors would enjoy, where Nessa and Astalder now stood. Many blue and white cloth covered tables with chairs filled the hall, but also numerous lounging couches and sofas facing one another near the center. Many people were eating and drinking, but some were just relaxing and chatting with one another. It was important for her to keep it simple, to ensure the several locations could have a symmetrical experience. Numerous people were conversing, the various warriors from her guild that could make it, even from different worlds. She had decided to turn this into a wider celebration, a thank you for their many efforts. Nana, her bloodline ancestor that shared her body, interrupted her thoughts, [You should really do more things like this. They are not just a waste of time, even if they can often feel that way. People like to feel appreciated, even if it¡¯s a mere token.] ¡°I know what you mean, but¡­ don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little condescending? Their efforts are worth more than a few finger foods and booze. They are fighting for what they believe in. And even if they are resurrected, many of them have experienced death while doing so.¡± [That is a good point, but I have a better one. If your father came in here and patted you on the head and told you that you did a good job, are you sure that new tail of yours wouldn¡¯t wag like a dog¡¯s? That you wouldn¡¯t be thankful for it and think about it for a while, believing that he cared about you, when all he did was touch you? On some level, your people respect you¨Cit¡¯s why they follow you. Even a small token of appreciation can go a long way, even if you properly compensate them for their efforts.] Nessa blushed. While that conversation with her ancestor held a lot of words, it all happened rapidly as it took place in her mind. Astalder frowned. ¡°What are you blushing for, don¡¯t tell me you had some of this already? Anyway, no skin off my teeth. The booze and refreshments would still be here.¡± Nessa narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°I will have the servants take it then. Be good.¡± Astalder let out a huff, then mock saluted. ¡°Yes, Boss. So who are we meeting? Baron Hart and his wives? I¡¯ve heard about him.¡± Nessa narrowed her eyes at Astalder, surprised that the oaf would have heard anything. ¡°What did you hear?¡± Astalder snorted. ¡°What? I hear things!¡± At her glare from him being untruthful, he coughed and admitted, ¡°Well, it might have been one of my new wives. But anyway, he has some powerful subordinates, and they have dominated in PvP. The rumor is just that he¡¯s even stronger.¡± ¡°Kind of a useless rumor.¡± Nessa noted. She wondered where his wives were¨Cprobably cleaning up some other mess of his. It was like him to enjoy while others worked hard, after all. ¡°Well excuuuse me, Princess! Not all of us have useful rumors and tidbits. But one of their parties and their allies crushed the son of Ares¡¯ party, along with nearly a hundred reinforcements all at the same time¨Cthey were completely outnumbered, and since then, those cowards ran away with their tail between their legs. Even if he¡¯s only a little stronger than them, Baron Hart must be a big deal. Wish I was actually at the Mystic Expanse to duel ¡®em when he shows up.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. [Not quite new information to you, a dragoness with a bloodline as pure as Lady Fhesiah¡¯s would never lay with a weakling. But it¡¯s news that such rumors have met even the rank and file. Most of the rumors about you are the hateful things no doubt Avaron spread about you.] ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t remind me of that right now.¡± Astalder picked up a stone cup, which was had cultivator wine in it¨Csak¨¦. He took a drink, then his bearded face scrunched up. ¡°Bleh. You got some real beer here, I hope? This cultivator crap does make me all tingly, but you can¡¯t beat a good, big ole¡¯ stein of beer or lager.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t wanna hear about you being tingly, but there is some beer at the end of the hall. Please, try not to get too drunk.¡± Astalder mock saluted again as he walked away, and immediately began chatting with someone else who had taken a stein of beer¨Ca Roman warrior she recruited from the Battleground. A woman¡¯s voice chuckled behind him. ¡°Those Nords sure lack manners, don¡¯t they? But they can certainly drink and fight.¡± Nessa turned to find Xara, the snake woman standing there, grasping a man¡¯s arm to her chest. He was a human male wearing flaming robes, Weiyan. ¡°Ah, you two made it! Thank you for coming.¡± Weiyan smiled. ¡°We¡¯d never miss an opportunity to meet with our benefactors. But righteous and hard-won battles deserve celebration.¡± Nessa smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad we¡¯ve had such a major success. I do apologize for calling for your aid so soon, though. I understand you¡¯ve only barely been able to settle in.¡± Xara gave a serpentine grin. ¡°This one here needed a little break from leveling up anyway. No need to apologize, we did have the option to come to the call. We decided to fight and protect our new home.¡± Aria and a few more of her kind, the celestial nekomatas were next to show up. A few of them bounded over with feline grace, but rather than eating in a feral way, they sat and began floating items over with their Qi. A giant cat drinking beer from a floating stein was a weird sight, but these nekomata were intelligent cultivators. The matriarch of the clan, Aria, headed over to their party before sitting down in front of her. ¡°Nessa! It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Nessa smiled at her, giving a slight bow of her head. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, and thank you for coming. How are your people doing?¡± Aria grinned. ¡°Oh, the Mystic Expanse has been quite good to us, and the area you provided us was the perfect environment. The beast tamers from Aetheris have visited us, and that¡­feels a little odd, but we¡¯ve remained cordial with them.¡± Xara laughed. ¡°They want to tame you or your young, is it? I can see how that would feel more than a little odd. I know if some beast tamer came to my young to tame them like a beast, he¡¯d leave missing a few limbs, or not at all.¡± Aria¡¯s face scrunched up at that. ¡°Yes. We do let our young find their own Path, so we¡¯re not fully opposed to this path to strength. Still, it feels like it¡¯ll be a real challenge to make sure there¡¯s always good intentions and proper consent. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s all worth what can be gained, but their gifts to consider them were generous.¡± Nessa said, ¡°The tamers I met did seem very earnest and cared deeply for their tamed beasts. A deep connection like they form wouldn¡¯t be nearly as strong if it were exploitative.¡± Aria sniffed, and her tails flicked. ¡°And this is true. I guess it just requires proper oversight, like just about anything else.¡± After a time, while she was speaking with Aria and Xara, Aria¡¯s ears flicked and she looked over to some people raising their voices. Nessa turned to the commotion, and then she spotted the Hart family. Jake was walking into the hall with Fhesiah, Ophelia, and Tanda at his sides. They seemed to be wearing the Greek-themed clothing of red and white togas and toga-styled clothing, just like at Hestia¡¯s party. Seeing all of them with their flames in their chests, especially Jake, caused her eyes to widen in shock, and her breath to catch in her throat. He and his wives had no blemishes in her Gaze, and he looked both handsome and strong¨Clike a true warrior. Her heart thundered in her chest, as his Presence washed over her, and likely everyone at the party who was actually present. And Jake didn¡¯t only have a flame in his true essence, like Fhesiah did. It was like a flame of his family, each of his wives, and even who she imagined were his children were represented in the flames in his chest. He was like a living hearth, a place of home and safety, and the flaming cauldron and lake within her stirred, somehow wanting to join with him. Nessa was truly shocked. When she looked at any of the Divine, including her father, she would see a visual representation of their Eternal Essence in their visage. For her father, it was the Tiwaz rune on a war hammer, symbolizing justice and war. And she wouldn¡¯t only just see it. She would feel that he was justice, a warrior of the law and truth. And somehow, Baron Jake Hart was no different. She could feel that he was a Champion of Hestia, besides, but that he was a caring lover and father, and leader. It was shocking that he had already started to approach this level. While his wives¡¯ flames had started to build toward this, each having their own representations, she felt they were a stage behind somehow. But she also knew that they were somewhat hiding their flames and size, and that made sense. Nessa had been shocked to learn that they were Hearthians, as she knew that they were natives to this Sector. Knowing that Jake was a human from Earth, this meant that they had somehow earned racial upgrades and benefits, and to gain this amount by stealing potential for themselves was just as shocking as it was absurd. It meant that Hestia herself had gifted all of them a piece of the Hearthian Origin, and that their vessels were already somehow able to withstand it. Perhaps a little alarming, was that little black shadowy tentacles were emanating from his chest, latching onto his wives¡¯ flames, almost covetously. But with how the flames in their chests were stoked and caressed, she realized that most of all, it was lovingly. She wondered what that was, but she felt relief, and more than a little bit of pride welling up in her chest. A righteous vindication that her choices so far were right. And she couldn¡¯t help thanking her father, knowing that he helped her on this path. Nana snorted. [Yes, of course, thank Daddy for all of MY hard work. Jokes aside, I do have to admit he did have a good plan that both tempered you and set you on an excellent path. It did sound like you were a little bit of a self-righteous prick before I met you.] Nessa exclaimed in her mind, ¡°Nana!¡± [What, I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? Maybe Jake and his wives would have helped you become more grounded, but you thought your shit didn¡¯t stink. That you were a keeper of the law and the truth, and that anyone who wasn¡¯t perfect wasn¡¯t worth talking to. Well, you¡¯ve learned your lessons now, haven¡¯t you?¡± Nessa blushed. ¡°Why must you be so crude? But¡­you¡¯re right. That¡¯s all thankfully a thing of the past¨Cfor several reasons.¡± Nana laughed. [Well yeah, your shit don¡¯t stink when you don¡¯t do it anymore! A plus of being a cultivator. But yes. You can use your Gaze to find those that are only lightly heading the wrong direction or lacking or virtue, and bring them onto a more righteous path. Your power can find those whose hearts are wavering, and help them make the right choices, to become true heroes¨Clike that man and his family.] As she thought that Nana just might be right, it seemed that one such person was determined to make her wrong. Jake was conversing with a few warriors when Astalder and a friend of his approached. Nessa almost rushed over to prevent an issue, but Nana stopped her. She rolled her eyes as Astalder got the Roman warrior to get a promise for a fight. It seemed his plan was for Jake or one of his wives to fight the Roman warrior, and then Astalder would fight the Roman warrior later and compare. It was¡­stupidly clever, somehow. Nessa continued her chat with Xara, Weiyan, and Aria, until Jake and his wives arrived to meet with her. She gave her greeting, bowing her head to them. ¡°Baron Hart and Ladies, it¡¯s good to finally meet you in person. Thank you so much for your aid today and these past years.¡± Jake smiled at her. ¡°We¡¯re also thankful for yours, and I¡¯m happy you called us so that we could crush these evil cultists before it got worse.¡± Tanda¡¯s tail was wagging slowly, and she had a victorious smile on her face. ¡°That Balor had also tried to taint our world, and was nearly successful. I was happy for a just a little more payback.¡± ¡°Hi there, Nessa! I¡¯m Berri. It¡¯s so nice to meet you!¡± Berri then invaded her personal space and shook her hands with both of her massive mitts, and Nessa couldn¡¯t help but feel a little alarmed. She could see Berri¡¯s true visage, which meant an absolutely massive snake woman was now covering up nearly her entire view. The woman was nearly the size of many of the bosses she had to face during the Tier 1 Dungeon Raids or Greater Rift she experienced. At the same time, her flame was warm and loving. Pure of spirit. Still, while her disguise had her standing in front of her like an elf or human, her giant snake coils were now wrapped around Nessa, as if trying to keep her from escaping. Berri¡¯s coil sat just outside of her own, but while Nessa understood it wasn¡¯t real, it was weird. Just how did she even do that? Nessa¡¯s eye was twitching from the oddity, but she managed to smile. ¡°And you as well, we haven¡¯t had the chance to talk either. I know your sister Blood is often sending me reports.¡± Jake added, ¡°It seemed you worked hard to investigate them, so while we helped, I do feel that this was your victory.¡± ¡°It was¡­a challenge. When I was given the report of what was happening here, I did rush back as quickly as possible.¡± Ophelia asked, ¡°How did you track them down, anyway?¡± Nessa couldn¡¯t help but feel a little proud. She chuckled. ¡°Well¡­ I kind of cheated a little. Cultivators are smart, but, they are not much used to Framework items. Only those who are truly capable can sense there¡¯s something really strange about the item, let alone its true purpose. If anything, they sense that something is weird, and so they want it even more, to bring it back to their lairs to investigate it further and to unlock its secrets. They didn¡¯t imagine that it was meant to track them. We¡­handed a bunch of the items out to villages in the relative areas where they were going missing, and¡­eventually they went missing.¡± Jake gave her a small smile. ¡°That was clever. It¡¯s too bad you had to resort to that, but it seems these cultists were pretty crafty in hiding from you. Do let us know how you would like us to aid you going forward. Fhesiah told me she lent you Ruby and Sati, so I¡¯m excited for them to get some good life experience.¡± Nessa couldn¡¯t help but try to look deeper into his expression, and then look back at Fhesiah. Did he have any idea about her strange designs? They talked for a time making plans, and it seemed she would have Fhesiah around for a short time to help with recruitment to the Framework, but the rest of the family would head back to Highlands. Eventually, Jake and his family moved on to talk to the many other cultivators and warriors. Nessa did spot that the Roman warrior went outside and lost a melee match to Jake and Ophelia, though she knew that was going to happen just from feeling his aura. And Astalder¡¯s wives did end up showing up. To cart him away from making a fool of himself. Eventually, Fhesiah caught Nessa alone, after she finished speaking with her new Aetheris allies. Fhesiah smiled at her. ¡°So, how is it? Did he pass your Gaze? Still interested?¡± Nessa blushed, folding her arms. ¡°I know you were watching me. I think you should already know the answer.¡± Fhesiah smiled wide. ¡°Guilty as charged.¡± She started counting off on her fingers.¡±Let¡¯s see. Your eyes widened then dilated, your heart rate and breathing increased, your cheeks took on a lightly pink hue¨C¡± Nessa blushed further, but interrupted, ¡°If you know already, why¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m still interested, your sight is unique. How did he look?¡± Nessa tried to push down her embarrassment of talking about the topic, and took a deep breath. ¡°Just as he looks, you should be well aware of that part? I was surprised that he¡¯s not from a Core Sector, as those would usually have a god or goddess, or at least a higher Tier person deciding on their appearance¨Cand what would that be other than perfection? And then¨C¡± Fhesiah chuckled, and interrupted, ¡°Perfection, really? I do agree my dear husband is dreamy, and perhaps perfect for us since we love him so much¡­ but I think that perfect might be a little much?¡± Nessa couldn¡¯t help but still be shy about the topic, hesitating, ¡°I¡¯m used to people from the Core Sectors, from where I grew up. What I mean is, a series of features that are often uncommon naturally. Smaller pores. Symmetrical face. Hair only where one would want it. Broad shoulders with a narrower waist. He also has a ruggedness that is masculine, while not being overly so. Then, a softness that seems to match his caring personality. It feels almost as if by design, which is the case of those from the core sectors with powerful parents.¡± Fhesiah hummed as she thought about it. ¡°It is true, but he certainly wasn¡¯t like that when he was born on Earth. He did change a lot since he got his hearth core in the zeroeth Tier, and upgraded to Divine in the first. They have refined him in significant ways, and he¡¯s gotten even more attractive as he tiered up once again. But so have we, I guess we are all heading towards perfection.¡± ¡°On Earth he did? That he achieved such a thing so early is in fact a big deal. And then there¡¯s his strange presence¡­it made me feel cared for. Somehow, his spirit¡¯s visage looked just as caring and loving as I felt from him, which is just wonderful.¡± She paused, her eyes following Jake as he spoke to others. It took her a moment to remember Fhesiah was waiting for her to say something, ¡°There was something a little strange, and it would almost be alarming after what we just saw with the cultists.¡± Fhesiah smirked as she teased, ¡°You¡¯ve got it bad now, huh. What did you see?¡± Nessa was only partially used to being teased thanks to Nana, and she was sure she was blushing even more now. ¡°He had what looked like¡­tentacles connecting to you and Ophelia and Tanda, wrapping around your cores. I could only see them when one of you got close. But¡­they didn¡¯t feel or look gross.¡± Fhesiah looked down at her chest, as if trying to see it for herself. ¡°Aw, so he had his tentacles inside me the whole time? We¡¯re all bonded, so that must be his connection.¡± She grinned at Nessa. ¡°So it sounds like you¡¯re in? If you get a chance to join Clan Hart, you¡¯ll take it?¡± Nessa¡¯s long tail wrapped around herself on its own accord as she blushed. ¡°Yes, I¡­ think I have much to think about, and maybe look forward to. I will work hard and¡­help you with your hobby, too. Political marriages are¡­less than ideal, but it was the path that I was prepared for and willing to take.¡± Fhesiah chuckled. ¡°I know you have goals of your own, both for your guild and for yourself. I¡¯m looking forward to when you¡¯ve completed them, and can join our family in truth. When that happens, I¡¯m sure Jake will properly romance you and love will bloom between you quickly, and then you will fight by our side, crushing evil on both sides of the fence.¡± Nessa shivered at that. ¡°That sounds like a lovely dream. Thank you, Lady Fhesiah, for helping me.¡± ¡°Of course. I did say it, didn¡¯t I? I want all the best waifus for my dear husband, and you are a cute and dutiful one. Now, as for spreading the word and convincing many about initiating into the Framework, I have a fun idea. Cultivators love their tournaments, right? So why not host a grand one? And if possible, we could have a show. A person under the Framework ascending to the first and second Tier, while thousands watch. I think that will sell many on it, and we can show off both our guilds¡¯ influence and strength at the same time, even for Aetheris, who¡¯s visiting.¡± Fhesiah grinned. ¡°It¡¯s perfect, right? What do you think of my plan?¡± Nessa wryly smiled at Fhesiah¡¯s excitement. She couldn¡¯t help but feel this was another one of those, ¡®cultists like caves, right?¡¯ moments. At the same time, she was kind of right, and Nessa couldn¡¯t help but be happy she made a new friend and capable ally. A tournament did get these crazy old cultivators out of their caves and chambers, if the prizes and glory were good enough. And Nessa was looking at none other than perhaps the best alchemist in this sector, at least within the second Tier. Cultivators definitely like their pills and elixirs, too. She smiled. ¡°I do like it. Let¡¯s see what we can do.¡± BS7 - Chapter 6 - Brock - Highlands Dungeon Exploration ¡°An underground cavern, huh?¡± Brock and his party arrived through the dungeon portal. His clan was one of numerous parties entering at around the same time. He and his mates were one of hundreds of Tier 2 parties of warriors selected to make their first foray into the dungeon since it opened. They were currently standing on an incline within a cave, and only a small amount of light was available through luminescent flora. The party immediately began running auril through the runes on their armor, adding a small increase in the light present. Mindy, his sheep beastkin mate and Cleric of Brigid, noted, ¡°This place feels a little strange, but not all that different from those Incursions we used to do. Should we go down¡­or up?¡± Serena sighed, her panther ears and tail flicking in irritation. ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯d much rather find the exit and get our bearings first if we can. I think we should go up.¡± Brock frowned. ¡°But what if the exit is down? I guess we might not be underground at all.¡± Bria¡¯s eyes were focused on the top of the incline. She pointed with her large axe. ¡°Let¡¯s go that way.¡± Vanessa the faun druid frowned. ¡°I cannot connect with much nature where we are here, but let me guess. There¡¯s enemies that way?¡± Bria nodded as she shouldered her axe. That was all the words she would have to say on the matter. Brock shrugged. ¡°Might as well test ourselves against some of the enemies on the floor first.¡± Bria showed a grin that let her canine peek out of her lips, her badger tail swishing twice in excitement as she prepared for battle. Brock and his beastkin mate¡¯s auril hearts all began to beat the song of battle, and even Vanessa the Elysian Faun was more in tune with this, now that she was in the Second Tier. Her evolution to the Second Tier had changed her slightly. She didn¡¯t grow an auril heart, at least not yet, but something appeared to be happening to her which allowed her to at the very least hear the world¡¯s song, and certainly, her clan mate¡¯s heartbeats. He couldn¡¯t have been happier for his mate, but now it was time for battle. With a flex of his mind, armadillo scales began to cover his arms and body. This was his Sublimation in play, his will bringing his bestial nature into the world with the dense auril in his body, reinforcing his hide and bone armor. His glaive was enshrouded in dense auril as well, his blade extending and hardening as his party prepared for battle. Vanessa added a few buffs to each of them, each spell reinforcing what made them strong. Bria and himself got magical strength and durability, while Serena got some dexterity and agility. Mindy added some as well, granting them a defensive spell that reinforced their skin with her divine¡¯s protection. Bria was covered in fur from head to toe, and actually grew out two extra badger arms and claws to aid her in the attack. Serena was covered in shadows as she began to head up the cavern to scout. Mindy¡¯s light covered the party, bolstering their vitality. And Brock¡¯s aura did similar, the flames of Hestia forming a protective sheen on their bodies. In all, his party was very sturdy against enemies, and Brock was happy for it. Vanessa normally wouldn¡¯t be, but thanks to all their layers of protection, she wouldn¡¯t get taken out by a random blow. As Bria took a few practice swings with her new battleaxe crafted by Jake and Ophelia, Brock couldn¡¯t help but think of the Eternum, Falcor from before. As much as Brock liked Falcor the unliving battleaxe, it was now way too weird and awkward for his wife to wield him now, in part thanks to his spirit visage. Brock would have a hard time erasing from his mind how the ghost man shivered and looked pleased when Bria grabbed Falcor¡¯s haft. It wasn¡¯t sexual, but even Bria couldn¡¯t handle the weirdness¨Cit was like she was giving the man a pleasurable massage while she held him and fought, or something like this. Maybe if it was a female Eternum it could work out, but for whatever reason so few of them were born as weapons or even shields. It didn¡¯t matter. Clan Brock had gotten bigger, and things were going fantastic. Two of his new mates stayed back at home with the little ones, and now the rest of them could go on adventures to sharpen their claws, and punish the wicked. Their plans were to cycle mates out as they had children, or as they desired. His cow parentage beastkin wife was not much for fighting, but she thankfully loved taking good care of their children. Serena said, ¡°Two monsters in the cavern ahead, and numerous¡­ bat-like creatures in the adjacent chamber, sleeping hanging from the ceiling. Just a few dozen, though.¡± Brock thought of a plan. ¡°If we lure them here into this narrow cave, Vanessa can clear most of them out.¡± The party got into positions at the choke point of the cavern, and Serena shot one of the creatures in the eye. They were alligator-like creatures, which had thick hides studded with gemstones. ¡°The bats are coming too!¡± Serena said, as she clung to the walls and dashed past their three warriors, Brock, Bree, and Mindy standing side by side with their weapons. The two monsters surged toward them while they waited in the narrow space, and Vanessa built up her vines. Right after the two beasts passed the edge of the walls, a thicket formed, and Brock speared his polearm into one of them, his glaive taking it in the shoulder. Brock manifested his will, and a shield made of scales crashed into the other one and stopped it in its tracks. Bria¡¯s axe swung downward, its elongated blade digging deeply into Brock¡¯s target and nearly taking off its long head. Red auril sent blood scattering as the monster wailed, and its eyes suddenly gleamed with magic. ¡°It¡¯s a basilisk! Look away!¡± Vanessa suddenly called out, as shrieks from bats and wails from the monsters filled the small path. Brock closed his eyes just in time, as a wave of magic crashed into him. He got knocked back by the force of it somehow, and he pushed his auril to where he felt the blow, and lashed out and latched onto the beast with his cape flaps. Following the sounds of the movements: the scrabbling of the claws on the stone, the groan of pain from Bria¡¯s extra claw and its manifestation parting the creature¡¯s flesh¨CBrock brought his polearm around with a powerful swing, and cut deeply into the other side of the basilisk¡¯s neck. Having connected, Brock then tackled into the creature with his buffalo horns, shoving his polearm deeper into the monster¡¯s flesh, and keeping its maw away from his allies. Twisting his face away from the basilisk, he opened his eyes to check on the battle. Mindy¡¯s mace and his shield manifestation kept the other basilisk busy, her blows having a slight stun effect, dazing the monster as light splashed onto her allies, healing them. Serena¡¯s arrows had turned the monster into a pincushion, chunks of flesh missing from various places on its body, and one of its eyes now missing. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. An angry bat made it through the thicket, but Serena¡¯s arrow took it right in its face, taking it down. They weren¡¯t exactly bats, looking like some kind of stone lizard with wings. More scrabbled through with wounds to their bodies and wings, but Vanessa¡¯s vines were alive, and snatched others out of the air and crushed them with stronger and thicker piercing vines. She now shot numerous thorns from a spitting plant she created, and their party was allowed to focus the two basilisks down and finish them off. A few of the lizard bats flew away, as dozens were killed by Vanessa¡¯s murderous thicket. Blood was drained from the creatures, their corpses deposited on the ground. Brock grinned. ¡°Good work, seems these monsters are no problem for us at all. Time for cleanup.¡± Each party member used the Loot skill on the creatures as they restored themselves, and then they headed further into the cavern. ¡°What¡¯s this gold stuff on the wall?¡± Mindy ran her hand against the vein of gold, and it truly shimmered in the light. With a crash, Bria axe cut deeply into the wall, cracking it and sending a large chunk of the ore onto the ground. Brock went to pick it up, but when he touched it, and it disappeared into motes of light despite him not triggering his Storage Bracelet. [1 Gold Claimed. Deposit at Node to collect for Dungeon Outpost.] ¡°What happened to it, you put it into your bracelet?¡± Vanessa asked, frowning. He replied, ¡°I just¡­claimed a gold, we need an Outpost to make use of it. Let¡¯s find the exit, then we can come back once we figure out what it might be used for.¡± They fought through the caverns, running into various monsters and challenges, much like the first. The gold was numerous, so they didn¡¯t focus on collecting it overly much, just grabbing a few here and there. They were only lightly taxed and didn¡¯t have to use their strongest abilities, and they eventually ended up topside. Brock was shocked as stood at the edge of a cliff. There was an entire world beneath them, and it looked nothing like Highlands. A vast prairie was in their view, his Clan standing on a craggy hill of stone. Similar mountainous hills could be seen dotting the vast landscape, with various biomes and even structures visible. Her helmet taken off to see better, the wind blew across Mindy¡¯s curly hair, and she kept it out of her eyes with her hand. ¡°Wow, so it¡¯s more than just the caves. It¡¯s a whole world down here.¡± Brock spotted a tower, and what looked like a castle, and even a fenced off village in the distance. There were camps of monsters in some areas, but he saw many places where they could easily hide, among the rocks or trees. Especially around places like the tower and castle, there were numerous monsters of many kinds. Serena pointed. ¡°Oh! Look. It¡¯s more Hearthtribe. They¡¯re fighting something!¡± Brock had hardly made out the village in the distance, but now that he looked closer, he realized his mate was right. It was clear now that Vesuvius had grown, and was fighting something with several small groups. ¡°Let¡¯s help them. Vanessa, get on.¡± With a blush, she wrapped vines around special bones on his armor from the front, growing them around her. Vanessa could fly on her own for a time now by using elemental winds and the same flight suit, but it would use too much of her mana to travel, and she was having difficulty controlling it. She would waste her resources and have them unavailable when they arrived, so instead she connected herself with her harness, ready to have Brock glide her through the air with him. The wing suit was reinforced by auril-infused feathers, and was standard equipment for all beastkin. As 2nd Tier Auril users, maintaining lift with a few flaps of their wings on their suit and flying was a simple task. The party took off from the cliff, gliding, and heading to join Vesuvius and their allies in the fight. As they neared the fighting, it seemed to be a mix of monsters and warriors. Ogres, giant lizard-like monsters, and monster wolves were fighting against the beastkin, Elysian, and Emberborn parties, nearly forty of them already rallied together. As they made their approach, Brock couldn¡¯t help but look at the Emberborn and how they¡¯d changed. The priestesses now had a cold flame in their chests, and a powerful dark aura covering their filled out fleshy bodies. They now no longer looked like ghouls, with their skins pulled tightly against their bones. Their skin had also gone from pale to having a lightly blue hue. And it was the same for the men. They now looked more human-like, the power of nethril granting them an increased sort of unliving vitality from their time in the cold north, combined with what the Framework and likely Arawn himself must have invested in them. They too had a cold flame in their chests, their flaming skulls gone and covered with skin. Clan Brock landed, and Bria immediately started carving into the monsters, with Brock and Mindy covering her flanks. Rookard and his wolf beastkin howled as they launched a powerful ranged assault mixed with dashing warriors, and the reptilian beastkin took the brunt of the enemy¡¯s charge with their larger bodies. His clan¡¯s songs joined the symphony of the beastkin in battle, pushing back the ogres and their supporting monsters. More and more allies joined as they fought, fighting to the enemy¡¯s walls. The treants eventually fought next to the reptile beastkin, the numerous auras and manifestations increasing the diverse warrior¡¯s power. The ogre¡¯s maces were large and devastating, and a few shamans supported them with strange spells that enraged and empowered them. As the killed enemies were risen by the Emberborn priestesses as undead, and auril flooded the area from the world of Highlands, they quickly overwhelmed the enemy and stormed the village. Brock could feel Vesuvius¡¯ song of triumph, the warrior fighting for the glory of Echidna as he fought a large ogre warrior. And Brock¡¯s mate Bria was like a storm of claws and her axe, cutting deeply into the giant ogre Boss. Eventually, the boss was killed, and the Node was claimed. A sort of bubble spread out from the center of the village, extending a short ways outside of the walls and likely underground. [City Node Claimed by Hearthtribe. No monsters may spawn within the field, but it provides zero protection. Construction is allowed within the barrier. Explore and claim more Nodes for more benefits.] Rookard was standing at the Node, his eyes reading something within his Menu. Several Clan heads joined in looking over the options within the Node, and they were joined by Morwen, the Emberborn Priestess of Arawn. She no longer wore a veil with her priestess robes, but the lack of her heart¡¯s song or even a beating heart was just too weird for Brock. Even the nethril beastkin had a beating heart, even if it was different. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Rookard?¡± Brock asked. Rookard frowned as he perused something within his Menu. ¡°It looks like¡­our goal here is to create a settlement, allowing us easier access to explore further. We can build real walls, and even some automated defenses, if we provide the materials. How strange.¡± Brock said, ¡°What kind of materials? I found gold in that cave in the distance.¡± He pointed off in the direction it lay. Rookard replied, ¡°Well, there¡¯s a quarry for stone, a forest for wood, and mines for gold¨Cand even some things called mana stones. We must claim them and defend those Nodes, in order to stockpile them. Then, we can build defenses and also things that produce special resources we¡¯ll want to take home with us to Highlands, even.¡± Brock asked, ¡°Why would the dungeon give this to us, though? It seems like this makes it easier for us to defend?¡± Morwen said, ¡°Part of it is the Framework granting it to us. For the Tartarus, it¡¯s all a part of the dungeon¡¯s trap. It encourages us to stay here, where it can target us more easily. We will want the benefits of this Outpost, and then even die to defend it. What Tartarus gets from each of our deaths will help it build towards a Monster Tide, where it will eventually be able to send monsters and encroach our world.¡± Brock said, ¡°I don¡¯t get it, what¡¯s the point for us then? Can¡¯t we just go to our portal over there instead of staying here? We have a settlement just outside the dungeon we built.¡± In addition to being able to exit the dungeon from the Outpost portal, it seemed that there were several exit gates placed throughout the floor, and his party had seen one as they flew to help. Rookard frowned. ¡°It looks like if we lose it, that will also cause a Monster Tide. In some ways, that seems like a detriment to even owning it.¡± Morwen nodded. ¡°Even if we never claimed it, we would still have to fight in the dungeon to prevent a Monster Tide. It sounds like it¡¯s in our best interests to make use of this. The advantages are very real. I can even portal to my Refuge from here, making this a convenient place for me to gain experience. And entering through the Outpost gives the same experience every time, allowing us to explore rather than being placed randomly.¡± Vesuvius grinned. ¡°I think it¡¯s simple. This dungeon is providing us with a means to take things from it and benefit for ourselves. It might try to use that to its advantage, but we just need to be the ones that do. We just have to never lose.¡± Rookard chuckled. ¡°Too true, my friend. Let¡¯s take and take from this dungeon, and give nothing back.¡± His grin became wolfish, and many beastkin of Hearthtribe shared his look¨Cincluding Brock. The dungeon was an enemy the beastkin wanted to take a lot from. Freeing their world was far from enough to sate their vengeance. BS7 - Chapter 7 - Nora and Jake - Family Time Nora dashed through the woods of their Refuge, chasing after the bouncing ball as fast as she could. The ball sped up and slowed down, erratically changing direction and bounced even on air, like magic. Clara was hot on her tail, giggling all the while. ¡°I¡¯ll get it this time!¡± Nora said, her breaths heavy as she ran, flapping her wings for any boost to her speed. Clara laughed. ¡°No, I will!¡± The echidna girls, Blaze and Sharona were gaining on them, but she and Clara were faster. Until the ball smacked into a tree, and bounced off, reversed direction and sped up. Nora jumped up and reached as high as she could as it flew over her, but it was just out of reach, even though she flapped her wings. She scrambled to change her direction, but now the echidnas had caught up. ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s mine!¡± Blaze rose her larger body high, snaking upward to grab it. From the bushes in a blur, Aiko leaped out and snatched it from Blaze¡¯s grasp, before running across the clearing and into another set of bushes. ¡°Aww¡­¡± Clara said, her shoulders slumping. ¡°Now we¡¯ll never catch her.¡± Blaze growled and entered the bushes, while Nora and Clara did their best to take to the air and chase after her, but it was a half-hearted attempt. Aiko was just too fast, and good at hiding besides. It was why she had to count to twenty before she joined the chase! ¡°Let¡¯s go see our new sisters for a bit.¡± Clara said, and Nora nodded. Flapping their winds and gliding through the air, they arrived near the center of the woods, a large clearing with the many shrines and special trees of Cernunnos and Brigid. Blood and Berri¡¯s presence washed over Nora, giving a warm and happy feeling. There were small hints of¡­something else, but she couldn¡¯t really put her finger on what it was. Just that¡­she wanted Nora to grow big and strong. It was helpful that there was always plenty of food in the clearing to help them do just that. Yona was there, the cat girl maid handing out nectar and¨C ¡°Ooh, french fries and chicken!¡± Clara spotted the meal at the same time, and they fluttered over to have a snack, grabbing plates. Nora hadn¡¯t realized she was so hungry, until this moment, and started eating right away. A soothing voice called into the clearing addressing everyone, and Nora just knew it was Berri speaking, ¡°Eat up, little ones, so you can grow big and strong. Yona brought plenty of food for all of us.¡± Indeed, the cart was always filled with numerous snacks and nutritious foods, and at Mother Blood¡¯s watchful, narrowed eyes, Nora and Clara both quickly added a few apple slices and dried veggie slices. They were like chips, just not as good. Nora and Clara quickly dug in to eating the delicious chicken nuggets and fries, dipping them in a tasty red sauce. They washed their food down with nectar, and they watched the many other Hart children do the same. Bloodberri was hugging two of her eggs with sections of tail, and another in her arms. Rena was here too, and was doing the same. There were only four left unhatched now, with many newborns about. Rena had her tail wrapped all the way around one, hugging and talking to it. ¡°And when you come out, we can play catch! Then, we¡¯ll sing and dance, and eat yummy food. We¡¯re all waiting for you to come out, little sister. I can¡¯t wait.¡± Nyxa was playing catch with the many little echidnas, each one having the colors of one of the flames of their mothers, except a few. Blood was also floating and throwing a ball around as usual. Some of the little echidnas chased after and wrestled with their mother¡¯s tail, working hard to gain proper function of their snake bodies. Truly, Blood and Berri could do many things at once. They had a lot of tail to work with. After eating, Nora and Clara joined playing with the little ones, playing games and helping teach them new things. Clara read a few of them books, while Nora helped their younger sisters with a puzzle on the play mat. Later, they all played together with one of the many brain-teasers or puzzle boxes that their Dad or Uncle Guan, Zhang, and Zhuge provided. Nora and Clara really loved solving these, and she was happy that the echidnas too were curious about them. Eventually, new presences washed over Nora and Clara, two guardians and protectors with different flavors, causing their heads to snap in that direction. ¡°It¡¯s mommies!¡± Nora and Clara both said at the same time, then were quick to flap over to their two bird-like mothers. Both of them were pregnant now, and both Nora and Clara were excited about their new brother and sister on the way. The echidnas were all great sisters, but Nora and Clara were so outnumbered. Nora arrived in Mother Lia¡¯s arms first, as that was just how it worked out. She said hello to her baby sister inside before she moved over to her Mother Tanda¡¯s embrace. Her head up against her mother¡¯s chest, she could hear her mother¡¯s song as she looked up at her. Tanda ran her furry paws through Nora¡¯s feathery hair, causing her to sigh in happiness. Tanda then flapped her wings, and brought them up into one of the many large hammocks they had within the main clearing. ¡°Are you two girls having a good time? We saw you two being such wonderful big sisters.¡± Ophelia nodded as she wrapped her daughter Clara in her arms and wings, but brought her up next to Tanda and Nora on the hammock. ¡°Yes, we do love it so when you help out like that, and keep your smaller sisters company.¡± Clara was hugging her mother tightly in return, just as Nora was. ¡°I like reading books too! And, I love to see them all learning.¡± Nora felt her mother¡¯s baby bump as she hugged her, and then a little jolt from inside. ¡°Oh!¡± Tanda chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s moving a lot now. Say hello to your little brother.¡± Nora said, ¡°Hey, little bro! I can¡¯t wait to meet you.¡± She rubbed her mother¡¯s tummy and continued to talk with her mother about her day, and Clara did the same with her mom. They did this as they relaxed in the hammock, and eventually the many echidnas were brought up as well, to say hello to their other mommies and get hugs. The little echidnas also loved saying hello to their future brother and sister, all telling them how they couldn¡¯t wait to play. Eventually, a new presence entered the clearing, washing over Nora and her many sisters. Over ten heads snapped in his direction, and smiles bloomed on their faces. ¡°It¡¯s daddy!¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Yay! He¡¯s here!¡± Many snake girls surged toward him, barely giving him a moment to get his bearings before he was surrounded by them. Jake laughed as he appeared in motes of light from his teleport. ¡°Now hold on, there¡¯s no need to rush. Everyone is going to get a hug. More than one, even.¡± Nora giggled as she watched her father get swarmed by the many snake girls, They snaked up his body, wrapping around him and then hugged him tightly with their arms too. Blaze and Sharona even arrived into the clearing to join them in piling onto their dad. Aiko took a spot on his head, as the many snake girls wrapped around all of his appendages and torso, to where it looked like he was some kind of trapped prisoner. Even Rena let go of her egg to join the snake-pile, but Nora and Clara stayed attached to their mothers. Ophelia asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go to your dad and get a hug?¡± Clara shook her head. ¡°Nope. He said everyone would get a hug.¡± Nora nodded. ¡°That means he will be here soon enough. Group hug with mommies is even better.¡± Tanda laughed, her tail wagging. ¡°You got that right, daughter.¡± Her father eventually did make it over to them, and they all got just what they wanted. They leaped down into his arms from the hammock, and all four of them were enveloped in their large father¡¯s hug. Their bodies were all pressed together tightly, and their dad kissed all their heads one at a time. All five of them collectively made cute grunts as they squeezed each other together, and the warmth and love Nora felt from her father was both physical and magical. Clara said what Nora was thinking as she squeezed, ¡°Mmmm¡­love you, daddy! That was a good hug.¡± Jake chuckled, and patted Clara¡¯s head. ¡°Love you too, sweetheart.¡± After the hug and a whole lot more I love yous, Nora and Clara both leaped to their dad and repeated the process, without the mothers. He hugged his large frame to their much smaller ones and joined them on the hammock between the two mothers, with Nora and Clara on his lap. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Jake chuckled, as he ran his fingers through both Nora and Clara¡¯s feathery hair. ¡°What would you two like to play?¡± Clara was quick to ask, ¡°Can you read us a book?¡± Nora smiled. ¡°Yeah! I like that.¡± Jake arched his brow. ¡°You want me to read a book when we can play anything, really? Your mommy Faye is much better at it¨Cshe does great voices. Or Tanda. She can too, and she¡¯s got all the sound effects.¡± Clara said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­different when you read it.¡± Nora nodded, sharing her thoughts, and he smiled. ¡°Alright. Actually, I just got an idea. It makes me proud that you¡¯d enjoy it anyway, but your other¡­less patient sisters¡­ just might need a little more than that to pay attention.¡± Nora and Clara took their spots with their mothers, and Jake sat in the clearing with a book. The echidnas all gathered around, and the treant children¡¯s branches and leaves even seemed to bend toward him. Many of them sat on their mother¡¯s tail-seat, her almost endless coil wrapping all the way around the clearing more than once. As Jake started to read, small images started to appear, detailing the scene. Ophelia gasped. ¡°Oh! Great idea Jake¨Cmanagrams. That¡¯s perfect.¡± Blaze clapped. ¡°Yay! It¡¯s like a movie now!¡± While dad was reading, clan mother Faye arrived, and Aiko joined her on a hammock. A few of the snake girls were happy to hug and greet her, and then enjoy one of her five tails as a fluffy blanket or belt as they listened to the story. When Jake finished the book, a soft chime went through the Refuge, and many of the echidnas groaned, while others clapped and cheered as they started to change their clothes and get ready with their uniforms. Blood said, ¡°The teachers and students will be here in just ten minutes, girls. Everyone over to the classroom, so that you can focus.¡± Blaze looked at her father with a small pout and big eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t you teach us today, Daddy?¡± ¡°Of course I can, but you¡¯re all in different places and learning different things. You know why we send you there.¡± Clara nodded, then repeated all the things they¡¯d been told. ¡°Because we get to be around other adults that aren¡¯t our family, and they also bring other kids for us to be around and interact with. We can¡¯t just be around dad and our many moms all the time.¡± Nora said to Blaze, ¡°You like showing off to the other kids anyway, don¡¯t you?¡± Blaze blushed but still hesitated about going, wanting to stay. Jake added, ¡°If you¡¯re good and finish your lesson, we¡¯ll all play a match of Space Wars later.¡± ¡°Yay! Okay, I¡¯ll go. Let¡¯s go, Sharona.¡± She tugged the smaller fiery snake girl with her. Berri cleared her throat. ¡°And Baseball? And Baseball too, right, Daddy?¡± Jake chuckled. ¡°Fine. But only three innings, five outs. Nine is just too long. Then we should visit Harmony peaks for a bit and get out of the¡­house. A few of the newly hatched haven¡¯t even seen it yet.¡± Nora and the remaining children left the clearing, leaving only their mothers and Jake, as well as a few eggs and treants. *** Jake still had Ophelia and Tanda wrapped around him, their wings, and a single arm underneath him as they leaned up against him on the hammock. He ran his hand over Tanda¡¯s smooth belly, feeling for any response from the child inside. They were now a few months pregnant, and that meant they were not far off from giving birth to their second child. Fhesiah floated above them, and Avalara¡¯s lesser avatar joined them on the other side of Tanda. Her tail was fluttering as she lay and relaxed, basking in the warmth of all their presences. Her other avatar was within the classroom, helping out with Yona and making sure they got the attention they needed, or that they kept it. Tanda had a contented smile as Jake felt her baby bump, her wings fluttering in happiness. ¡°Thanks for indulging me, my mate. I realized this was probably our last chance for another child for a while, and my body was telling me it was time¡­ I¡¯m sorry I¡­got all the others wanting more too.¡± Ophelia blushed. ¡°And¡­me too. I know you felt like there were too many already¡­ Thanks for indulging me, my chosen. I wanted to join my best friend once again. I love the idea that our kids will have a brother or sister the same age as they grow.¡± With how all the races of children grew at different paces, he certainly saw the appeal. All of his children were Hearthian in the end, which certainly appeared to accelerate things when they were inside their Refuge with the Divine Hearth. But even among them, the echidnas certainly stood out as growing more rapidly. Then, the treants were much slower. Avalara giggled. ¡°Such is the way of it. Many beastkin families are very much the same. I¡¯m happy that my dear stag is willing to do his duty. Jake chuckled. ¡°I had to do my duty once more, as the beastkin would say. But you were right, Tanda. The first stage of the War Trial might last quite some time once it begins, and so this might be our last chance for a while. But now you¡¯ll take the tea, right?¡± She needed to drink a tea to avoid her usual going into heat like her people did. If this happened every single six months or so, it would never end. Like a certain snake girl that could never have enough. Tanda blushed and nodded, but then closed her eyes and enjoyed him kissing her smooth and rounded belly. A tiny kick met his lips, causing him to feel a little wrong, and she laughed. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like daddy¡¯s kisses, it looks like. I¡¯m so glad we have a boy on the way.¡± Berri harrumphed from the other side of the clearing, still holding on to her eggs in front of the incubator. ¡°Hmph. I think we should have as many babies as possible, while we have the time. At least finish the second snake girl baseball team¨Cand then the bird girl one too!¡± Fhesiah hummed from where she floated. She had decided to join the girls in having a child, but had been thinking about the specifics. It was possible to choose between a boy or girl, kitsune or dragon, or even a demon or demoness. ¡°Aiko did seem to be a little left out in some ways. So having another baby kitsune to keep her company would be kind of nice¡­ I think that¡¯s what we should do when we¡¯re ready, husband.¡± Jake let out a breath as he thought of it. ¡°I think now should be the right time. With Lia and Tanda already nearly done with their pregnancy, we¡¯ll be able to go back to tempering while you two move on to yours. And as always, Ava can keep me company with that, with her true avatar.¡± ¡°Of course, my stag, I am happy to help you grow. But you know, a few more treants would be nice, too¡­ We have to bring the Highlands treants back. While we love the Elysian ones too, they are not the same. Three is a good start, but a few more¡­¡± Jake looked over at Bloodberri, and knew she also wanted as many as he was willing to give them too. ¡°Yes, my mate. We¡¯ll¡­be sure to have some more soon.¡± With Ava, the lesser avatars could have children at any time because they would likely never be useful in combat. She may even improve her skill, to control another lesser avatar at the same time. Of course, she had already worked on the skill for hundreds of years, and so improving it took a significant amount of time. He reached around Tanda and ran his fingers through Ava¡¯s hair and scratched her deer ear. She leaned over into his touch, though with Tanda laying next to him, it was a little crowded. Nevertheless, she managed to lean over her enough and get a quick kiss. Berri¡¯s eyes had widened, as she had heard his thoughts. ¡°Is it almost time? Oh, goody!¡± Her breaths came in heavily, and he half expected to be wrapped in her tail and tugged off to the bedroom in her excitement, but instead she calmly placed her eggs inside the incubator. Then she came by slowly and joined Jake by hugging his head from behind¨Chis head engulfed in her large chest. She had to rise up a little to meet them on the hammock, but that was no issue for her. Still, he could feel her excitement, happy to have a few more children with the others. While she hugged him and he enjoyed her embrace, he moved on to rubbing Ophelia¡¯s rounded belly instead, giving it his attention. Berri seemed to shiver in happiness. ¡°Thank you. I know you worry about giving all of the children the love and attention they deserve, just like you worry about giving us wives all the same. None of our children here will ever feel a lack of love, I promise.¡± Blood scoffed. ¡°Blaze did mention the attention thing, but she only said that in response to wanting us to play Space Wars all day with her. We are hardly ever gone from this clearing, except when we are helping out in the arenas¨Cand often, we bring a few of the girls, too. I¡¯ve been trying to temper her neediness because she¡¯s a bit spoiled, thanks to her bigger sisters. Having some extra new little sisters and brother might actually teach her some responsibility.¡± Jake narrowed his eyes at that. That was how most parents usually saw value or excuses to have pets, not children. Avalara giggled at his thought. ¡°I think that¡¯s a normal thing, for little ones to need time to find harmony with others, even their family or clan¨Cshe¡¯s only a little over a year old. As she truly starts to sharpen her claws, discipline, respect, and humility always comes. And she will be perhaps the biggest sister, at least for now, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll feel a duty to the others, too.¡± The kids were gone now, with the exception of the treant children who had already fallen asleep, so it was quiet in the clearing. Each of his wives took time hugging their two pregnant sister wives and discussing potential names as Jake pampered them both with some back and shoulder rubs as they lay on the hammock. Each gave blissful sighs as he dug into their muscles around their wings, and as always, Tanda enjoyed Jake fluffing her tail, head, arm, and leg fur with the brush. Of course, his wives were bursting full of magical energies, and they hardly felt the rigors of pregnancy like human women from Earth. And especially not from the birth. It was like a strange joke how the kids burst forth from the fiery hearth and into the world with no issues. Even Bloodberri would just shove out the eggs with ease. It seemed Tanda wanted to go with Timothy for their son¡¯s name¨Cthe same as the hero of the beastkin who liberated them, and gave his life to defeat the first tyrant and save the world. Avalara agreed it was a wonderful name, and Jake was happy to add to the legacy. Ophelia¡¯s second daughter¡¯s name was still up in the air, and she thought it was best to come up with the name after she saw her. The same was done with Nora and Clara when they were born. Their pregnancies were accelerated, so every aspect had to be enjoyed during this short stint. They even spent time singing and talking to Bloodberri¡¯s eggs, hugging and running their hands along them. Jake noted, ¡°It sure is a great thing to be able to take our time and enjoy this.¡± Fhesiah smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. Once our vacation over, it will be just go go go, fight and be heroes to many. I like that we have gotten to focus on ourselves and our family for a few more years.¡± Lia nodded. ¡°And to focus on our friends. When the vacation is over, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be able to stand on their own, and be valuable allies to us, just like Hestia had hoped. I can already see how quickly the beastkin are growing.¡± Avalara smiled, and closed her eyes as she listened to the beastkin around the world. ¡°Many are still singing the song of battle, and they are helping Highlands grow. Every enemy they defeat, and every level they gain while away, gives something back to their home. It will take thousands of warriors reaching the third Tier to boost the world¡¯s energy in a significant way, but what our enemies don¡¯t know is that it is inevitable.¡± The family enjoyed their game of space wars once the kids were done with their schooling for the day, and then Jake and the girls all played baseball with their kids, and their adult kid, Berri. Seeing so many snake girls on the field was comical to Jake, their cute little baseball outfits while wearing their hair up in ponytails and with added skirts brought a smile to his face. Berri¡¯s energy for the sport transferred to all of the kids when it came to enjoyment, and a few of the echidnas, like Rena and Blaze, even took baseball seriously. They eventually wound down after dinner with a cute movie about a rat that controls a human to cook food at a restaurant. Then the parents put them all to bed in their own large room with many hammocks and nest-like beddings. The snake girls surprisingly loved the hammocks just as much as the bird girls, and they would often alternate between joining the snake-pile in the nest of blankets and pillows, and sleeping in the hammocks, depending on their desires. Ava and Yona would often watch and check on the numerous children while sleeping, helping make sure that if they woke up, they didn¡¯t disturb their many sisters. The parents would often work around the clock, since they did not require sleep. Sometimes they would spend the night with the children or at least help put them to sleep, but the kids had gotten used to not expecting it. With the children put to bed, the parents returned to their own bedroom. BS7 - Chapter 8 - Clan Hart Vacation Comes to an End Jake and Ophelia hammered at the ingot, their souls in harmony at the Hearthforge tree in the Refuge. The kids were all sleeping, allowing them to hammer away and focus on their task. As Jake flooded his aperture for his Technique with mana from his hearth, the two¡¯s souls began to drift closer together and overlap, both in the state of the Guardian. Their hearths were connected, a beam of fiery lightning running between them. He could feel their soul¡¯s resonance, a vibration that filled his entire body with his lover¡¯s everything. From her thoughts to her emotions, to her dreams and the essence of her being. With every swing, the desire to protect her friends and loved ones, and with every infusion of the flames, Jake¡¯s desire to empower his family, to protect their goals and enable their dreams. Over four and a half years had passed since the day they rescued Highlands, and they were nearing the end of their vacation. It wasn¡¯t quite five years, but Hestia and her Pantheon agreed that it was nearly time to get moving. The final preparations before the War Trial needed to be made, and so Jake and his party were about to head into the dungeon in earnest. They had spent countless nights harmonizing their souls and their bodies, experiencing both pleasure and pain, and selfless devotion to one another with their dual cultivation technique. They increased their bond and the depths of their love for one another with every session, and this continued for years now. Their hearths synchronized in their beat to their hearts, and where Jake ended and Ophelia began started to blur. The sensations of Ophelia¡¯s as her hammer struck the metal were reflected in Jake¡¯s mind, and as Jake tweaked the flame and infused the metal, Ophelia was right there with him, coaxing the flame. In this special state, Jake tried to trigger his new Level 35 ability: [Fusion Ascension]. The divine flames from Jake¡¯s Hearth shot out both from the hearth in his chest, and through his bond and connections to his lover. In response, Ophelia¡¯s hearth did the same, meeting it in the middle. The flames then covered their entire bodies as the two were pulled together, and their bodies merged into one. The flames continued to cover the new figure, who was nearly androgynous as their features had merged, and they had golden owl wings and hair. The hearth flame blazed in their chest, the brightness and power filling the clearing. They did not miss a beat, as they continued to swing what was now a single hammer, and a powerful fire was still infused into every blow. A new flame and presence was borne, but the new being had a single-minded focus on their task. Somehow, infusing the flames of their family became even easier, activating both Manaweave Reinforcement and Mana Structure Enhancement to the molten metal at the same time. The mana suddenly flowed so much better for some reason. And with new insight into the inner workings of the metals and the mana, the skills accomplished their task even faster as the metal was hammered into shape. The special manas altered the structure in ways that made the armor stronger, more compatible with the vajrafire flames, the deathly tattoos, and even auril when she used it. Which would allow Ophelia¡­ The being standing at the forge froze. A sense of incongruity struck them, but a gentle nudge in their mind told them to ignore it and focus¨Cthe item was in a critical state. They needed to finish their work, to protect their family. They continued their hammering, working through the rest of the metal, pounding it into the perfect form. Minutes passed as they hammered, but their mastery shifted the magical metal easily, like a master artist molded clay into its ideal form. They eventually dipped it into the magical water, quenching the flames and trapping the mana and auril within. Pulling it out once it had cooled, they looked over the mostly finished item with more than a little pride. They had finished the most important stages, and there would still be much work to be done, but¨C Berri whined, [It¡¯s no fair. I wanted to be the first one to become one with Jake! But¡­congratulations sister. You did it, and it was really neat.] Tanda laughed. [Me too! But that¡¯s not fair, Berri. It¡¯s probably both you and Blood that need to find harmony at the same time, so it¡¯s just going to be even harder for you two. Good job, Lia!] The new being frowned, then their eyes widened. They dropped their hammer and their figures blurred, as they split and were ejected from one another, sending the pair stumbling to the ground. The hammers split again in a burst of golden flames, landing next to each other. Fhesiah laughed. [It¡¯s a good thing I nudged you, or that would have happened a lot sooner¨Cbefore you finished crafting your item. You two were so in sync and focused, you didn¡¯t even notice that you had merged. That was so strange. It was like you two became a new person altogether!] Blood asked, [I feel like I kind of know already, because we were there the whole time. But what was it like?] Of course, their Hearthian Bond allowed an intimate connection with each other, and this persisted while they were merged. Jake and Ophelia both frowned, as they tried to search for the words¨Cand they did arrive at the same thought at nearly the same moment. He was the first to speak. ¡°It was really like we were one, and I forgot for a moment which one of us I actually was. We had been in sync before, but this was more.¡± Ophelia added, ¡°It felt like¡­we were stronger than ever, too. Better. Our mana moved so easily, and our hearth flames were so dense and powerful.¡± She smiled at Jake. ¡°And I felt closer than ever.¡± The family had been trying to achieve the spell for weeks, ever since Jake earned it. They had tried duels and fights, and even tried it during their soul harmonization¨Cthe bedroom leveling. Each time any of them had attempted it, they had failed and even got pushed out of their resonance. Their Hearthian Bonds had increased once over the past few years, but as Jake checked his hearth enchantments on his core, he could see that something had shifted slightly once again. The hearth mana within both his core and the aperture of his Technique within his mind, had become more solid, tinged with Ophelia¡¯s mana rather than just his own. His and her core and bond had actually reached the third level as a result as well, a surprising fact. He reviewed his skill, looking for anything else he had missed. [Champion Skill: Fusion Ascension] [Find resonance with your bond, and ascend into one being. Equipment will be fused together matching the new being, attributes will be added together at 75% efficiency, and Class Bonuses will be added together. Skills will be improved by their resonance. Skills from both beings will be available to the one, and certain skills may be affected in special ways. Resource energy will be completely merged and added together in a 1:1 ratio, allowing for immediate usage. When the two beings separate, resources can be split by the Nexus based on desire. ] One might think that 75% efficiency was bad, but it was in fact quite powerful. Each attribute point was worth more than the last, and to have so much strength in a compact body was significant. Since the class bonuses were added together, it was more than enough to make up for this detail, besides. It would allow far more power to be brought about, allowing for devastating attacks. Jake knew that the last lines in the skill description about resources mattered the most with their Divine Energy, so they would have double or more the maximum amount of Divine Energy to call upon their gods with when merged. While his Energy Sharing ability allowed Hestia to manifest with more of the girl¡¯s Divine Energy and even their mana, this would likely allow him to summon their Divine instead, giving them more options. They would be able to use both of their hearth¡¯s manas from their cores to cast massive spells, their two minds and wills even stronger. Their hammers had even merged into one, and split when they split. Their clothes had become a strange amalgamation of the two¡¯s, but they weren¡¯t wearing their special equipment at the moment¨Cjust similar gym attire. He imagined that it would likely somehow balance the two equipments somewhat. Jake¡¯s actual weapon, the Divine Hearth, was more fluid, so that would make it simple with whomever he merged with. [Yes, it¡¯s all very interesting husband, but you girls are asking the wrong questions. We saw what happened to the equipment, but what kind of ¡®equipment¡¯ did Jakelia have? That¡¯s what I¡¯m calling that form, by the way.] Ophelia and Jake both rolled their eyes at Fhesiah¡¯s single-minded focus, and Jake replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think we had any equipment, as you like to put it. That might be why we couldn¡¯t do it while doing the soul harmonization, too.¡± Lia shook her head. ¡°Even thinking of a sense of self is what started to kick us out of sync. Focusing on what resonated with us and our task was what got it to happen and stick. So¡­having that kind of fun is probably out of the question, though I suppose if it were you merged with him, you just might be able to manage it, Faye. I know I don¡¯t want to stick anything into you, so Jakelia wouldn¡¯t, besides.¡± Fhesiah whined, [Aww, but I was hoping¨Cwell, I bet we could always grow what we need¨C] Jake decided to shut that down. Even thinking back to himself as Jakelia felt so surreal at this point, that it was like he was really another person altogether. ¡°Fusion Ascension will only be used for battle, training, and crafting, and certain people should probably get any other weird ideas out of their heads.¡± Fhesiah was definitely pouting. [I was mostly just playing. Mostly.] Really, it felt like quite the cheat move. But it was one that he was glad to have. Because he knew that the traps Tartarus and the evil divine would try to attack them within the dungeon would be more dangerous than ever, and with enemies on both sides of the War Trial, that was bound to be even worse. Jake was actually the only one that received anything special at this level. He had been a bit ahead of the girls¨Chim being a part of a hundred percent of the tempering sessions, and the girls only about one in three. One might think that would put him way ahead, but it didn¡¯t, exactly. As he pulled ahead, the girls would often be pulled along with him because the increased energies he required would simply level them faster. In addition to getting more and more expensive, besides. Ophelia picked up her nearly finished breastplate. It contained the heart guard and thicker pauldron, and space for the orb that Jake¡¯s equipment had. A bone-lined auril beast-leather suit would go underneath it, and she would of course have a helmet, gauntlets, and greaves to go along with it. They had decided to shift to this over the full chainmail plate for a few reasons. The first, was resource limitations. Covering their entire body with the special metals was just too costly. After four and a half years, with a number of worlds under their control and with taxes, drops from conquering worlds, and very successful guild members, Jake had thought that they would be rich by now. But the truth was a sad story. Their bedroom leveling and bloodline refining was an extremely expensive habit. They had to constantly source rare materials for Fhesiah to refine for their purposes, to continuously temper their bodies and souls. It was enough to bankrupt an entire guild, and even if Jake charged significant taxes on the worlds he owned, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough. Thankfully, Tanda¡¯s work had started to bear fruit, but the problem was that often by the time she would have resources grown that matched what they were needing for the refining, they would already need something more costly. The second, was that healing those less important areas of the body were actually quick and easy in comparison. They had auril which healed wounds, and all of them were healers and more. And the third reason was actually more or less the same as the first¨Ctheir tempered bodies had become exceptionally sturdy. It was difficult to actually find materials that were harder than their own flesh and bones when they needed to be. At this point, the primary reason for even wearing armor at all was enchantments, monster essence with special qualities, and runes. Jake was tempted to try enchanting tattoos on himself, Fhesiah and Bloodberri, but he realized without some kind of higher energy like what Tanda and Ophelia had in theirs from their crazy seal, it simply wasn¡¯t worth it. Their bodies were already suffused with such dense magical energies that their armor became a good target as a sort of magical battery for them. It was that aside from being similar to extra armor plating on a tank. The armor wasn¡¯t harder than their skin, but having more of it would reduce the chance of anything piercing a lot of it and into their flesh. This was why they focused on the heart and hearth guard, to add this thick plating to where they needed it most. In addition, the orb and defensive plating also served to hide their Hearth¡¯s status, though they were sure the enemy would likely know about it. They mostly assumed Tartarus would know their status, but their Alliance enemies might not. Ophelia commented on the breastplate as she examined and tested it with her mana and auril, ¡°Almost as good as the Mythic equipment from our goddess, but not quite. Those have grown a little as we have, and your enchantments have held quite good on them.¡± Jake smiled at her. ¡°With that done, assuming we can repeat that process for the other equipment, it¡¯s nearly time to go. Our vacation is nearly over.¡± He took a look at his status sheet, reviewing the changes with his recent core upgrade. [Jake Status Level 35] [Strength: 305] [Dexterity: 294] [Constitution: 318] [Intelligence: 298] [Wisdom: 334] [Charisma: 305] Jake¡¯s stats had increased by nearly 50% since he had entered the Second Tier at level 26. Nearly every stat was around two hundred, and now, everything was around three hundred. This was because two core levels had added forty to all stats, and nine levels of his Mythic Class which gave five to all stats per level, added an additional forty-five. But there was approximately another twenty-five to forty or so to all stats¨Cfrom years of practicing the Voidborne Soul Harmonization¨Cthe body and soul tempering technique. It raised Constitution and Wisdom at a higher ratio than the other attributes, especially for Jake, with those two standing out more than the rest. Jake and his wives¡¯ bodies were sturdy, and that was before they enhanced them further with Techniques or their armor¡¯s enchantments. [Jake¡¯s Level 35 Combat Skill Sheet] [Expert Hearth Control: 3] [Expert Hearth Runic Magic: 2] [Hearth Spells: Scorching Ray, Barrier, Spear, Renewal, Hearth Blade, Pyrokinesis, Construct] [Expert Energy Control: 2] [Advanced Spell-forms: 3] [Spell-forms Known: Clean, Mana Bolt, Force Push, Mana Blade, Flame, Telekinesis] [Technique: Resonance Bound: 2] [Expert Purifying Flames: 2] [Advanced Divine Energy Manipulation: 5] [Expert Champion Magic: 2] [Champion Spells: Hearth, Divine Reinforcement, Call Goddess, Hearthian Aura, Fusion Summon, Fusion Ascension] [Framework Spells: Bolster, Reinforcement, Haste, Cure Wounds, Advanced Stamina Regen, Summon Arcane Eye, Call Summon, Enhanced Capture Template, Manifest Template, Reverse Summon] Because he was able to use spellforms with his Hearth mana, Jake had practiced with them quite a bit over the past few years. That practice was what helped him finally be able to reproduce some of Hestia¡¯s spells. In the end, he didn¡¯t want to invest too much time researching special spellforms that accomplished different things. Instead, he had focused on the recreation of Hestia¡¯s spells by example, and as a result, the skill had improved, and it even noted a special construct spellform. He was sure the only reason his skill wasn¡¯t even higher was because he was merely copying the spellforms, like an artist who traces. [Monster Menagerie] [Permanent Summons: Zephyr the Garuda, Jasmina the Naga Siren, Avalara the Battle Avatar, Bree the Dinodog, Ruby the Blood Badgerdillo, Sati the Living Flame] [Jake¡¯s Level 35 Non-Combat Skill Sheet] This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it [Expert Cooking 1] [Expert Enchanting 2] [Subskills: Investment, Runic, Hearth, Manaweave Reinforcement] [Void-Divine Hearthian Core: 3] [Hearthian Bonds: Ophelia: 3, Fhesiah: 2, Blood and Berri: 2, Tanda: 2] [Hearth Bond: Avalara: 5] [Misc Skills: Eternal Oath, Energy Nexus, Energy Sharing, Auto-Loot] Jake¡¯s Monster Menagerie simply had too many templates to track. He now had templates from everyone he knew in Hearthtribe, along with countless Auril Beasts from Highlands, monsters from Ganestra, Ankhmar, the Mystic Expanse, and more. He and his wives had all hit the 35th level aside from Fhesiah who was 39 as planned, with Jake a bit ahead of them. Nearly all of Jake and his wives¡¯ skills were on the second level just like his, but he knew they were pushing the third because a few skills had already made it. With just a bit of deadly combat, thanks to their mentor¡¯s guidance and their hard work, they would definitely be hitting those next levels soon. Training was great, but the Framework seemed to give a lot more aid to leveling skills in conjunction to what they would gain from deathly combat. He and his wives had spent plenty of their time focusing on their Divine Energy Manipulation. The enemy Champions they faced all used various tools, from enhancing their spells to enhancing just about anything that they did. Jake previously had a very difficult time doing anything with the energy, and even as his wives all became Champions, they too couldn¡¯t do much better. It was like moving clay within their bodies, and they had difficulties doing anything meaningful with it. Part of the problem was that during their time trying to save Highlands, they had not wanted to waste much of the energy. They never wanted to show weakness because they knew that enemy Champions were hiding, and would exploit any sign of it. Then, they were often saving up and preparing for the final battles. Aside from a single attempt per few days as they kept their Divine Energy topped off, they didn¡¯t get many chances to do anything with it. And could one really get much better at anything, only making a few attempts for a few seconds per week? The Divine Hearth of the Refuge actually restored used Divine Energy at a ten times rate when not docked on a Contested World¨Cwhich Highlands no longer was. So over these years, they had many opportunities to blow it all. To exhaust their Divine Energy several times each month, and really get to practice and try different things almost daily. When they figured out the answer to why they were so terrible at it, they all felt so dumb. They knew that their resonance with their Divine determined their potential strength as Champions. And yet, they, who had so much resonance with their divine that their respective gods and goddesses actually went out of their way and sought them out, still had difficulty with it. Just why was it so hard for them? It was because they were treating it like a normal energy. It was not meant for them to wield, it was meant for the gods themselves. At least in part. When using it, it was like they needed to hold on to the things that resonated with their Divine¨Ctheir god or goddess¨Cclenching it firm in their mind and with their will. In a way, it took a little bit of piety as well. A reverence for their divine. For Jake, once he understood what was missing, this was all very easy. He already spent much of his efforts finding resonance with his wives, so finding resonance with Hestia when her path was so similar to his own was trivial. Then, a small prayer or grateful request combined with an intent helped the energy to move, just as easily if not easier than mana that he was already so comfortable with. Nearly all the enemy Champions had spoken a prayer of some kind as they called upon their Divine to summon them, and he was sure this was more than a stupid habit that told the enemy what you were doing. It was not meaningless. For things more complicated or for using it on abilities that didn¡¯t match their divine, it just took their will¨Cwhat they had learned to use with Advanced Energy Manipulation, or now Expert. And that led him to think about what his mentor, Zhuge Liang had said. He had wanted him to think about why the Framework had given it to his party. It was certainly to think about different means of controlling energy, but Jake now thought it was largely to help guide him to find the true reason he sucked so bad with Divine Energy Manipulation. In the end, his party didn¡¯t quite reach Expert with it. But he felt like they were close, and so they were now respectable with it. An interesting happening was that in those four and a half years of body and soul tempering, his bloodline had finally improved. It was not overly exciting, however. His body now had more regenerative properties, and the influence of foreign mana and spells felt to be even less. Then, his void lungs stored a lot more void energy, allowing him to breathe out and disrupt larger spells and effects¨Cor pass the energy on to Ira, who could use it for much more interesting things. [Bloodline Menu] [Bloodline Refinement Rating: C] [Traits: Void Lungs, Void Cells, Umbral Gaze] His Umbral Gaze was largely unchanged, but his void lungs and cells now showed additional information. [Trait: Void Lungs] [The orbs within your lungs draw in void energy with every breath. Through them, you have established a connection to the void. New: Your storage for void energy has increased, and you can now breathe breath it out and control it, creating a nullification field.] In truth, Jake had already been able to breathe it out¨Cbut primarily, he had used Ira¡¯s help on it. Now, he had some level of control over it with his Bloodline, and he imagined he was close to being able to use the void to accomplish more meaningful things. Even watching Ira and its actions with his Umbral Gaze was getting him somewhere with it, but it was slow-going. [Trait: Void Cells] [Cells within your body have harmonized with the void, storing significant amounts of void energy. Your body is naturally stronger, and more resilient against all spells. New: You have unlocked superior regeneration of your vessel, and increased the advantages of the void cells further.] Ira had also grown significantly, these past few years. Now that the creature had finally had some time to rest and grow within the dense energies of the Refuge, it was able to accomplish far more than it used to. It had entered a slumber and woken up some time ago and in the second Tier, and Jake was happy for it. Ophelia sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s already been four and a half years since we rescued Highlands. Time really flies.¡± Jake nodded. ¡°I know. But it seems our Guild¡¯s actions have gone deep into the dungeon, and Hestia thinks both we and they are ready for us to come out of our vacation. Our allies have grown, and she sounded truly proud of what we had accomplished.¡± Ophelia beamed, remembering her praise. ¡°She really did. And our Mentors feel like there¡¯s little left to teach us, until we get some more experience. It¡¯s almost time for us to join the fight once again.¡± Jake could feel her excitement. His battle angel had enjoyed many arena battles, but it was not the same as being in the thick of true combat. Not only that, but she desired to do honorable battle, rescuing people and worlds. He smiled at her. ¡°Let¡¯s try to find harmony again. We¡¯ll work on the rest of this gear together.¡± Her wings fluttered as her eyes lit in excitement. She brought out another ingot of the expensive material, and put it over the Hearthforge Tree¡¯s flame. The hammering began, and they focused on finding their harmony once more. They would master Fusion Ascension as much as they could while they worked on their final equipment, and then they would be ready. *** A few more days and weeks passed in a blur, and now Jake and Ophelia had teleported to the training area. Two behemoths were fighting, and Tanda, Bloodberri and Fhesiah were watching off to the side. Jake sat in between Bloodberri and Tanda, joining them, and Ophelia sat under Fhesiah, who was floating while eating spicy chips. The two had finally finished the rest of their gear, and while they did try to accomplish Fusion Ascension with the others, so far, only Jake and Ophelia had managed it. Thankfully, they could accomplish it reliably now, even in duels. Avalara¡¯s battle avatar, the giant humanoid reindeer with a giant tree as a mace now fought against Bree, the heroic dinodog. A large paw with deadly claws crashed into the immense mace, flames and death energy scattering into the clearing. Avalara was using her Nethril Sublimation, and it was like a deathly mire surrounded the pair and much of the large room, and her body was similarly covered in blackened vines and thick bark in some places. This training room was the largest one they had in their Refuge, and it was one that their children could not enter no matter what. Because it was where they practiced all their most powerful attacks. It had a special fixture that would keep the fighters alive, just like the boss health bars they faced in dungeon battles. The dinodog breathed out a powerful cone of flames, the fires containing monstrous energy and the fertility of spring. The wide stream of fire washed over and dried out the swamp with its intense heat, and started scorching Ava¡¯s battle avatar. Her dense nethril energies defended against it, but it was clear it wouldn¡¯t hold up for long. The treant reindeer gave out a low roar as she cycled over the swamp and herself to life, surrounding herself and her club in auril instead. Then with an apparition of a stag manifesting at the tip of the club, she swung her tree mace downward, and slammed it into the river of flame, dispersing it. That was when Bree lashed several twisted vines around the mace, and gave it a tug. Two large dinodogs then materialized next to her and leaped to attack Avalara, much like Rookard¡¯s wolves ability. Avalara stumbled for a brief moment, but quickly found her footing and dashed forward into a shoulder tackle with her antlers, crashing into Bree, who was charging. The two butted heads, and one elongated horn from Bree still pierced into Ava¡¯s shoulder just before Bree¡¯s face was shoved away to the side. The two dinodogs went after Avalara¡¯s sides, but numerous vines whipped from her treant body, and with manifestations of several animals, from wolf bites to hawk¡¯s talons, to bear¡¯s claws and dinosaur tails, smacked into the dinodogs and sliced into their bodies. The two giant women tugged back and forth, and the fight then became an outright brawl with claws and teeth, but it seemed each girl gave as good as they got. Until Bree¡¯s much more useful tail smashed into Avalara¡¯s face, knocking her aside and giving her an opening. Bree was just about to leap and go in for the throat with her mouth filled with flames, but suddenly the auril in the area stirred and the dinodogs were knocked away once again by the powerful vines whipping. The auril and nethril from the surrounding area rushed into Avalara¡¯s chest, causing a powerful golden flame to ignite. The golden flames traveled throughout Ava¡¯s body, and it was quite a similar effect to what Tanda accomplished with Cyclic Resonance. The dino dog¡¯s eyes widened, but she started to gather her own auril, the flowers on her body lighting up with bright flames, preparing her own attack in counter. The dinodogs broke apart and became a red mist which joined her, the flames within her increasing. Jake could really feel the power of life and fertility coming off of Bree now, but also a bestial feeling as her body was enshrouded with monstrous strength. In addition to the woven vines that covered her, a Sublimation of scales grew over her, a protection of auril, and her claws extended. It seemed Bree was powering up with an attack that was much like Fhesiah¡¯s draconic might, as the flames traveled to her arm and claw, and she swung as she leaped toward Avalara. The blast that came out of Ava¡¯s chest was a focused explosion. Like Jake¡¯s Scorching Ray but with a wider spread, her golden flames covered Bree¡¯s entire body, and spread out over the area. Bree was sent flying, a beam of red light striking her body and healing her as the flames engulfed her from the fixture above them. As she landed on the ground, much of her body was burnt. But she quickly recovered, starting to get back up. Bree seemed to take the loss in the clash well, chuckling as the beam restored her burnt flesh. Despite being a giant dinodog, Bree was able to speak normally, her voice coming out deep from the large monster. ¡°Damn. Seems when I fight you, I have to make sure I don¡¯t let you build that up.¡± Ava¡¯s battle avatar had a big grin with its large and flat teeth, and Ava¡¯s lesser avatar nearby smiled and answered. ¡°That¡¯s right, it takes me a bit to get warmed up. Like Tanda here.¡± She turned to Jake. ¡°I hope I¡¯m still worth it enough to call when you need me, my stag.¡± Her attack was reminiscent of Tanda¡¯s Cyclic Resonance, but a little different. Then, the cost to manifest her massive body was truly immense. Jake chuckled. ¡°Now that my core has grown, when mana is dense enough, I think it won¡¯t be an issue. But yes, I think it¡¯s best to only keep one of my permanent summons out at a time. If I summon two, there won¡¯t be much left for me to do much of anything else.¡± Tanda¡¯s tail was wagging, and she leaped into Jake¡¯s arms and crushed him with a tight hug. ¡°But my mate, if you bring the two of them, you don¡¯t need to do anything else. You¡¯ve given all your mates their buffs, and your Champion Aura protects us.¡± Fhesiah smiled at him fondly. ¡°Just let your girls do all the fighting, and have dinner ready for when we¡¯re all done. Then we¡¯ll all make sure to enjoy your dessert, to reward you for all your hard work.¡± Ophelia frowned. ¡°How is that supposed to be a reward?¡± ¡°Well, you know. I¡¯m a big fan of his custard, cream pies, or¡­am I not being clear enough? His baby batter. Berri likes that one.¡± Berri sighed, and got a dreamy look in her eyes. ¡°Yes. Any time Daddy wants.¡± Ophelia groaned. ¡°I¡­walked right into that one.¡± Bree was basking in the beam restoring her flesh. She was almost back to what Jake considered full health, from near-death, in less than a minute. ¡°How was it, Chief? Will you want to call upon me, too?¡± Jake chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve had confidence in you for quite a while now, but you certainly have shown me your worth even as the heroic boar. I feel like you¡¯re still finding your path, and the cost to summon you has in fact gone up. Still, you¡¯re worth it.¡± Bree grimaced. ¡°I think I know why that is, and you are right. I have a bunch of Divine Essence within me, and I haven¡¯t chosen my way to manifest it into a Divine Trait¨Cthis is likely why it takes more of your flames to manifest me.¡± She grinned. ¡°Is it about time for us to go, Chief? Finally, we¡¯re going to get back into the battle?¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯re about to go say goodbye to the kids now, then it¡¯ll be time for us to go.¡± The large dinodog¡¯s grin grew a little wider. ¡°Good. Then I have something to show you, that I¡¯ve worked very hard on.¡± A pulse rippled through Bree¡¯s body, fiery flames rippling through her, and then she started to shrink. Vines twisted and compressed, and flesh shifted. Flames and a green, auril haze covered the large body for a moment, as things continued to change. Eventually, a woman in a skin-tight green bodysuit, or rather an odd mixture of vines and scales, emerged. Fiery and wild red hair flowed down to her shoulders, and both ivory horns and two green canine ears sat atop her head. Her face looked elfin, with high cheekbones and her chin coming to a narrow point. Her looks certainly reminded him of Bloodberri and the Goddess Echidna, and her green eyes smoldered as she looked at Jake and watched for his reaction. A large chest and thick thighs were signs of her taking after the fertility goddess Brigid, but the muscles in her legs went beyond that. Really, if she didn¡¯t have canine ears on top of her head with the horns, he¡¯d think that she was a minotress or bovine parentage beastkin instead. Ophelia had long, muscular legs too, but these had an increased thickness that made it look like she could crush a watermelon between her thighs. A long tail of an anklyosaurus trailed off behind her and swayed slowly, with a bulbous spiked mace-like implement at the tip. Green Celtic tattoos ran along her lightly tanned body, accentuating her arms and legs, chest, and muscular abs. The woman¡¯s whole body was thick and dense, and Jake could feel the restrained violence contained within her frame. Like a bow pulled and taught, ready to erupt. All that mass somehow went inside this frame that was half a head taller than Jake, and it was difficult for him to imagine how that worked. ¡°What do you think, Chief? Do I pass muster now?¡± Bree had placed one hand on her hip, with the other arm bent, and her hand placed behind her neck in a pose. Jake smiled at her, trying to show some desire in his eyes¨Cshe had just worked very hard on her body, for him. ¡°You¡¯ve made yourself very attractive, and of course, strong. I¡¯m happy to have you in our pack, for now. It seems you¡¯ve certainly done everything you could to motivate me to win when we do end up facing your sisters.¡± She grinned, looking more than pleased with herself and his reaction. ¡°A girl needs to stand out, after all. You haven¡¯t even seen the best part, Chief.¡± The girl spun slightly, to show off her other ample asset. Her ass was very thick. There didn¡¯t seem to be an ounce of fat on the rest of her body, it was like it was all focused on her ass and chest. Fhesiah looked with undisguised interest, and said what Jake was thinking with a smile, ¡°You sure got that part right.¡± Berri twisted her head and her lower body, to look over her shoulder at where her ass used to be¨Csomething that Jake was sure most humans couldn¡¯t really do. ¡°No fair. I want mine back now.¡± Ophelia chuckled. ¡°Why now? Faye could have done that for you years ago.¡± Berri pouted. ¡°Because I was making babies before, and the stub things don¡¯t really work for laying eggs. Then, I kind of forgot. I want my juicy booty back, suddenly.¡± Tanda tilted her head, her ears twitching. ¡°Juicy?¡± She tried to copy Berri, to look at her own, but couldn¡¯t. Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel that Tanda did become a bit thicker, with the children she¡¯d had. Fhesiah chuckled at Tanda. ¡°Yes, even you became a little more juicy after a couple of children, Tanda. But I think that¡¯s kind of a function of your people, or something? You really look more filled out than before, and you look amazing.¡± Tanda¡¯s tail started wagging, and she nodded. ¡°Thanks, Faye. I think you¡¯re right. Many beastkin mothers do become a bit more¡­jucier after kids, I guess.¡± Fhesiah said to Berri, ¡°I¡¯m a bit better at it now, but our bodies are even denser and more magical now too¨Call those magical materials we use when we harmonize do count for something. It¡¯d take me a few days of effort. That few days might interfere if you and Jake are in the moment, and decide you want to make a child.¡± Berri narrowed her eyes at Fhesiah. ¡°I¡¯d rather continue to go booty-less, then.¡± Blood hummed. ¡°But we could just, you know? Avoid the stumps for thighs so that eggs can still travel through, but still make it where there¡¯s a hole on both¨C¡± Jake cleared his throat. ¡°I do believe we were about to say goodbye to the kids, weren¡¯t we?¡± Bree chuckled, her hands on her hips now. ¡°I thought the discussion was interesting, though? Our pack sure keeps things fun. But yes, I am ready for battle. I can¡¯t wait to show you my strength¨Cmy capability for violence.¡± Her auril heart beat powerfully in her large chest, filling her body with auril. A hearth burned within her as well, which Jake found interesting. Rather than a cyclical auril hearth like Tanda had just before she became a hearthian, Bree had crafted a more normal one¨Can auril hearth. This was actually much like what some of their beastkin clergy-based classes now had in the second Tier. And part of it was in thanks to the Hearthivy within Tanda, and the tree within their Refuge. Seeds would grow on both as the seasons passed, and they were used to ignite the hearths among their numerous beastkin clergy, through a small ceremony at the Shrines on Highlands. This allowed many of them to grow their own hearthivy, and cast limited magical spells. While not as good as having their own mana core in many ways, storage primarily, it gave them the longevity that matched the rest of the beastkin by drawing mana from the void to mix into their spells. In a way, this felt like a bit of a cheat. When Jake manifested a template, he needed to supply the construct with its mana for consumption¨Cit was a part of the cost. They could not generate their own mana, but true Tier 2 casters could control the mana in the surrounding area with their mana control, allowing them to cast spells slowly. But Bree¡¯s hearthivy would actually generate some mana, from her auril heart beating and stoking the flames of the hearth vines. So it was like if they were capable of both¨Chaving a hearth and decent mana control skill¨Cthey would have much more mana to work with. Unfortunately, whether it was due to the lack of capacity or capability, there were no true beastkin wizards among them, utilizing mana in this way. They needed to be clergy of Brigid to even have a hearth it seemed, and this led them to often be healers or self-healing offensive melee, much like Bree. While that was powerful on its own, it wasn¡¯t often what Jake desired. Ophelia sighed. ¡°Violence is so much easier than what we have to do now.¡± Jake hugged her from the side, and sent a feeling of support through their bond. ¡°I know. But it¡¯s important.¡± Berri said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Our lovelies are such good girls and boys. And strong!¡± Jake was not convinced that made it much easier. Saying goodbye was never easy. BS7 - Chapter 10 - Difficult Goodbye The party teleported up to the forest in their Refuge, their Sanctuary. Jake and his wives now stood across from the children in the clearing, not far from Bloodberri¡¯s incubator. The kids all knew that they were going to say goodbye for now. Because even if the parents were coming back, and hopefully within just a few days at most, this was the beginning of a change in their overall lifestyle. Their total children was a surprising number: 18 Echidnas, 2 beastkin, 2 athenian, 2 kitsune, and 7 treants. A total of 31 children, with three boys: 1 kitsune, 1 ravenwolf beastkin, and 1 treant. Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel that, with how strong the echidna would ultimately be, along with the others, that Jake could practically fight the war with Tartarus from his bedroom and home somehow. While that certainly seemed like a lot of kids in just four and a half years, he could have had more than triple that number if he had focused on it. Enough to fill a Dungeon Raid¡¯s worth of people in just a short time. He kept that thought to himself, as it just might make a few of his wives a little too excited about the idea, wanting to give it a shot. Tanda had wanted one more child after the Mystic Expanse event when she went into heat, and that sparked all of his wives to want at least one more before their vacation ended. It was with a promise that this would be the last set of children, until the War Trial first and perhaps second stage had completed, depending on the specifics. They knew that at some point, there could be up to hundreds of years for a stage of the War Trial to complete, so it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last vacation from adventuring they would enjoy. Fhesiah had decided on another kitsune to keep Aiko company, as many of her sisters were growing that much faster, and having a dragon could just potentially complicate things. Only the treants had grown and matured slower, and seeing how well Aiko got along with and took care of her little brother, Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel that Fhesiah had made a great choice. And Jake now had a ravenwolf son, whose features ended up much like Tanda¡¯s. Timothy was mostly a wolf parentage beastkin based on his features, with raven wings just like his mother. Their treant children were at the tree¡¯s edge with Avalara¡¯s lesser avatars. She hugged the growing toddlers to her, their lanky limbs still a little odd to Jake. The oldest ones could actually uproot themselves and walk around, but four of them remained rooted in place, mostly watching their brothers and sisters as they played while they listened to the song of the world. All of the treants were wonderful, and compared to his other children, felt more like normal children in their pace of growth. They just slept so much in counter to that. Still, they were all awake for this moment, and their large eyes watched the happenings with curious expressions, as Ava¡¯s two avatars hugged them, and Bree joined them in standing off to the side. Nora, Clara, Rena, Nyxa, and Blaze were all four years old now, having celebrated their birthdays. His oldest generation felt and acted like teens in most ways, having an intelligence and maturity far beyond their actual age. Aiko and Sharona had been born next, less than three or six months apart from Blaze. Most of the rest born later were around two and a half to three years old now, which made the second born beastkin and athenian look about ten years old, and the second wave of echidnas their early teens when compared to human children. Nora and Clara were only a little ahead of the bulk of the echidnas in terms of visible and mental maturity, but still a bit further behind the oldest echidnas. It was so strange to see that the first and second-born echidnas all looked as if they were fifteen or sixteen years old at only four years old. And perhaps more alarming, was that the Framework was already allowing them to activate access. This meant that they were already being seen as in the first Tier in truth. Their hearths had now ignited, previously starting out as partially dormant cores in their chests after birth. Mana had slowly gathered within the cores as they grew up, as it was suffused in their bodies. From meals to the mana flowing in the air. The Hearth of the Refuge somehow sent both gentle and dense energies, that did not harm their children¡¯s bodies. It made sense that it was a Divine-level item that it was capable of what should be impossible, as parents on other worlds would often have to regulate the mana density of family areas to protect them from harm. Jake felt both relieved and a little robbed as he looked at his children, and their smiling faces. He and his wives had gotten to be there for nearly all of their children¡¯s important growth. While it was short, they had seen everything, from their first steps or undulations or flight, to the first¡­swings of their deadly maces or other weapons, and even their first magical spells. Of course, most of them said their first words within minutes or days, so they were there for that too. Their children took knowledge and skills like a fish to water. By interacting with so many parents and children, teachers, tutors, allies and friends, they truly grew and matured far more than he could have ever imagined in such a short time. To explore the dungeon, or wage war against Tartarus on Contested Worlds, Jake and his wives would need to be away for extended periods of time. Thankfully, because of how the Refuge worked, he didn¡¯t think there would ever be situations that were more than a few days at a time, or more than a week or two without having any kind of warning at all. Longer events should normally have significant warning, allowing them to make plans to set their kid¡¯s expectations of a longer time away. Even while the Refuge was away from Highlands, their same teachers could come and continue their lessons, and they¡¯d still be able to meet with friends that came over in those instances. At any of the Outposts their guild had formed within the dungeon, Jake¡¯s party could create a portal to their Refuge, heading home nearly any time they wanted. In areas where this didn¡¯t exist, there were still often Safe Areas on a floor, where the little bubbles of safety were created. In those locations, they could also portal home. This was why, when they previously entered the dungeon, they were often only gone for at most part of a day. When they flew as fast as their party did, and the map and Outpost for that floor was already explored and completed, they moved insanely quickly from Outpost to Outpost. And the same was true on Contested Worlds, and would be in many of the different conflicts they could take part in. The Refuge was meant to be a constant place of safety and a place for Adventurers to rest, to provide some semblance of normality to what was essentially a soldier¡¯s life. Thanks to this, their kids were always just a small amount of travel and a portal away, whether in the dungeon or in a Contested World. Even though they were effectively teens in most of the ways that mattered, the kids were always being watched by an adult. Avalara would watch them with her two lesser avatars, and there was also Yona the nanny and maid, and lastly, Bree now had a much more humanoid form to help out. Despite all of those facts, that didn¡¯t make this moment less difficult for Jake and his wives. The mood was heavy as the parents looked on at their children fondly, and with a little reluctance to leave. No matter what, they would miss their many children while they were gone. This was a signal of a major change in their children and parent¡¯s lives, and all of the parents felt guilty and reluctant, except maybe Berri, or at least not for the same reasons. This signaled that there really wouldn¡¯t be any more eggs for some time, a true downer for her. There was no longer any eggs for her to watch, so she felt her kids would be fine for a couple of days with Ava watching them. Over the past few years, the Refuge was truly a place of joy and growth, and Jake¡¯s resolve both wavered and was strengthened by this. He now had a large, loving family, the thing he had wished for from the bottom of his heart for his entire orphaned life. Rena¡¯s white hair and caring expression looked a lot like her mother Berri¡¯s. Perhaps sensing the emotional heaviness, Rena said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dad, and Moms. Nyxa and I will help, and watch over the smaller ones! You don¡¯t need to worry about us, and you can focus on being heroes once more.¡± Blaze had her arms folded in front of her. Somehow, she was simply bigger than most of the other echidna children, now that they had grown. Bloodberri had eaten some sort of massive lava salamander boss monster corpse while she was pregnant with her, and that somehow seemed to transfer into her makeup. A few of the many echidnas were like this, but Blaze¡¯s was very pronounced, just like Moxy, the muckbill echidna. Blaze snorted. ¡°Who¡¯s smaller? We don¡¯t even need them anymore, we can take care of ourselves now.¡° The girl froze, and her eyes widened, and perhaps, realized that she was doing the opposite of reassuring her parents. She cleared her throat. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s right. Big sis Rena and Nyxa can watch over us all, while you¡¯re gone¨Cthey¡¯re almost like little mommies. I¡¯ll even help with the little saplings¨CI taught one of them the high five and fist bump last week.¡± Clara¡¯s wings fluttered, and she added, ¡°We¡¯ll miss you all, of course, but we know you¡¯ll be fighting for good. Saving people, and gaining honor and glory for our family and guild. They need you more than we do, now.¡± Nora pumped her fist. ¡°Yeah! They¡¯re going to be fighting all the bad guys, kicking their¡­rumps. And¨C¡± Nyxa interrupted, ¡°And we¡¯ll be good. We¡¯ll stay focused like we always have, preparing for our own life¡¯s challenges. Our teachers and tutors will still be coming here on schedule, and we¡¯ll continue our own studies and practice with magic. Then, mommy Ava and Aunty Bree will always be able to fill us all in on what you¡¯re doing, right?¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Blaze snapped her fingers. ¡°This will just be like¡­ Mommy Faye is in her alchemy chamber, Daddy is in his enchanting room and in the zone, Mommy Bloodberri is at baseball practice or with the orphans, and Mommy Ophelia and Tanda are at the Arena¡­.and all at the same time, which they¡¯ve done a few times. And just for a few days at a time instead of most of the day. Right? No big deal at all.¡± Ophelia frowned, her golden wings fluttering. ¡°Why do I feel like a piece of crap right now?¡± Tanda touched her stomach, and her ears were flat on her head. ¡°It¡¯s like a physical blow. Is she doing it on purpose?¡± Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel the same way, grimacing. Rena giggled. ¡°What sister is trying to say, is that we know you love us, and we love you too. We¡¯ll miss you, but we know that we¡¯ve been very blessed. You raised us to be strong, while giving us all the things, and all the love we needed. So now, you shouldn¡¯t feel bad that you have to be away for a short time.¡± Aiko chirped and nodded as her tail swished behind her and wrapped around her brother, who was letting out sad fox chirps. She chirped again, and then tilted her head in question. And somehow, Jake knew what she was asking. Is it time for hugs yet? Blaze nodded in response to Rena, ¡°Yeah! Why, our mentor brought over that one beastkin girl, and she said her mother went away, and then she never even came back. We know that our parents are way better, and would never be weak like that!¡± All of the echidnas, including Sharona, who was usually joined at her bigger sister Blaze¡¯s hip, deadpan stared at her. ¡°W-What. We know they¡¯re¨C¡± Berri giggled, and then dashed forward and hugged her fiery daughter¨Cwho already wasn¡¯t that much smaller than her. ¡°Thank you Blaze, for your reassurance. We do feel bad about leaving you, but we know that you girls will be well taken care of, and that no matter what happens¨Cwe will be back.¡± Blood added, ¡°It is because we know this that we can leave. If we didn¡¯t, we would fight tooth and nail to stay. But we believe in all of our lovelies, in that you are strong and can live without all of us for a short time. And, that we shall not be gone for long. If Tartarus tries to stop us from returning to you, then we will just make it pay in both blood and pain.¡± The many girls and the few boy¡¯s expressions turned a little vicious, with feral grins. Many of their claws at their sides began gripping, as if imagining crushing or clawing their own invisible enemy. Jake chuckled at just how fierce some of his children looked. ¡°That¡¯s right. We are going to fight hard to get back to our little ones because we all love you so very much. We want to make this world a better one and protect our homes, and for that, we do have to fight. Just as we know you girls and boys will, if that¡¯s what you choose to do.¡± He almost rolled his eyes as he said that. All of his children were vicious, and he knew there was zero chance that any of them wouldn¡¯t be forming Incursion parties and similar within the next few months, or at the very least, next year when the bulk of them unlocked the Framework menus for themselves. Rena, Nyxa, and Blaze were ready, but they might want to help their little brothers and sisters prepare as well, so they can form rounded parties among them. Jake continued, ¡°So for now, we¡¯ll say goodbye. No matter how many times we leave to fight, we¡¯ll always be back. We love you all, and we¡¯ll fight our hardest to come back to you as soon as we can.¡± Ophelia felt like she was ready to cry, her voice trembling as she looked at her two athenian daughters, and the rest. So many of them had come to her for training, and play fighting over the years, that she had spent time with all of them. ¡°So be strong for a little while. For us, leaving you¡­is harder than fighting the enemy.¡± Nora and Clara¡¯s faces scrunched up, and tears spilled from their eyes as they raced across the clearing to their moms. This started a series of all the other children doing the same, with many hugs and I love yous exchanged. While many rushed to their biological mothers and Jake, they all hugged their clan mothers and said goodbye as well. Everyone eventually got snake-piled, the oldest snake girls being especially larger now. Only Blaze was almost the same size as Bloodberri was originally, but the fact that they were as large or larger than adult humans even without their several meter long tails was surprising, especially with so many of them. All the mothers were forced to give many ear scratches and tight, loving hugs while they removed tears from their kid¡¯s eyes, and a bit of their own. Goodbyes said, it was time for them to suit up. They teleported to portal room, and switching equipment was nearly instantaneous, thanks to their Storage Rings. Knowing exactly what level they were working towards, they had crafted items with approximately level forty to forty-five in mind. They had used much of their guild¡¯s resources and connections to make their final pieces of equipment, and he was quite happy with the results. They would only replace them later when they found superior metals or materials. Because of what had happened with Tartarus¡¯ plot where the Enforcer showed up, they focused on demonic runes for their important enchantments, other than a few quality of life choices. Then, Celtic runes for places that auril would travel. Having reached Expert in Enchanting, Jake was able to somewhat match what he had seen on Odin¡¯s armor when he came to visit¨Cthe tiny runes all across the armor. He used this primarily for his Celtic runes, which needed auril to pass through the haft of their weapons and their auril leather undersuits. But he also increased the sturdiness of their breastplates, making them even more reliable. Ophelia, Tanda, and Fhesiah now all matched with their red auril leather and monster bone bodysuits, topped with their red and gold breast and shoulder plates with red accents and the runes looking like red tattoos on the otherwise plain gold. With Avalara or Tanda¡¯s auril or nethril running through it, the bodysuits now provided substantial protection and malleability. The red and gold greaves, helm, and gauntlets made it difficult for enemies to take out any of their limbs with excellent protection, but their focus was still largely on making sure the chest piece and helmet were the most sturdy they could accomplish. Fhesiah in the first Tier didn¡¯t have much mana or auril for running enchantments. But now that she was a hearthian in the second, her special core included some mana and auril storage. Combined with how she regenerated the two, she could easily power the enchantments even if they weren¡¯t Qi, and that would save her Qi for enhancing her body or casting her spells. Jake had Tier 2 Mythic Armor and a Divine Hearth as his weapon, but his shield was made in a joint work with Ophelia, making the two shields look quite similar, even if hers was still superior. It could hold his hearth flames, and he could make it act just like Ophelia¡¯s shield used to. He could make it hover near him as if he were holding it and fly around, as well as a sort of ranged focus for casting his spells, if he desired. Bloodberri was the only other one in the party with Mythic Armor granted by a goddess. When it was upgraded with the token, it still kept its transformative feature, and merely had its materials improved. As she leveled up, it now had its own orb like Jake¡¯s had, covering the hearth in their chests. The transformative feature of the armor was not necessary for them to rapidly equip any longer thanks to their Storage Rings. But it did enable them to accomplish interesting things with their unique body, including the odd battle carriage that they would make for Jake when he fought in mounted combat. The armor still had its odd-looking champion shield belt, along with having the style match the rest of them. Then, she had prepared for their needs in the dungeon, and Jake was excited to see how it worked out in truth. Bloodberri¡¯s weapon was one of the most unique of the bunch, in that it was alive and could also evolve and transform¨Cthe Chimeral Axe. They had fed it numerous meals over the past few years, and it had become even sharper and sturdier. It even had the ability to add a few strange attacks, though Jake saw them as relatively marginal in terms of what kind of utility they brought to the table¨Chis party was just so versatile already. Ophelia had her upgraded version of Retribution, the mixed polearm weapon capable of dealing more damage to targets that had harmed her or her allies. It had a long, lance-like spike at the tip, an axe blade on one side, and an armor piercing spike on the back of it. And Tanda had her transforming bow and polearm weapon. Hers took on the shape of a crescent moon halbred, or a giant recurve bow that had its own special seed quiver. Drawing arrows from her Storage Bracelet, she now had numerous options and could fire arrows rapidly. Ruby and Sati were still away, helping Nessa with her guild¡¯s goals. They were working towards finishing Aetheris¡¯ Integration Trial, and it shouldn¡¯t be that much longer before they should wrap up the Dungeon Raid there. He was sure he would be seeing the three in the near future¨Cwhen the War Trial came. And it was the same with Warrior Brotherhood. Timone and Dahlia had helped the brotherhood claim a Tier 2 world, solidifying their position in the Sector. The total number of worlds Hearthtribe or its allies owned was over twenty, with Hearthtribe having more than half of that number. They had surprised everyone within the Sector by claiming all the worlds they had set out to, rescuing them all. Thirteen was a lot, and several of them had reached the second Tier. Their subguilds had long-since broken off, and were working to claim even more across the Sector in the first Tier. These guilds were primarily full of any new recruits that grew up on any of the Tier 1 worlds they owned, and would slowly grow from the guidance of those they had left behind, both the magical knowledge and tech from before the Grace Period, as well as some of the support staff Valtor had brought up to speed. While they had not claimed any worlds yet, Jake saw more than one where they had solid chances of getting spots for the Prime Instance and claiming them. And that was in addition to all the support they were giving the natives of several worlds. Jake looked over at his wives and smiled. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re as ready as we could be. It feels a little strange to do battle for our first time nearly a third of the way through the Tier.¡± Fhesiah smirked. ¡°Yes, well, I did very much enjoy our method of grinding a lot better than your way, Husband. Still, I do enjoy my share of violence all the same, so I am looking forward to a few fights with a few of us unsealed.¡± Ophelia looked eager as well. ¡°Yes, nothing gets my heart pounding like an epic battle.¡± Tanda added, ¡°Me too! But I also can¡¯t wait to see our Hearthtribe friends. They¡¯ve been working hard in the dungeon, and while I¡¯ve seen a few of them at the Arena or when we¡¯ve helped them on events, they practically live inside it.¡± Berri added, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve smashed something worth smashing. But I¡¯ve had my fill thanks to baseball. And the Bill smushing simulator.¡± Jake rolled his eyes. ¡°That thing was expensive, but then you use it just for that¡­¡± Blood chuckled. ¡°I do have to admit I am excited about a good fight as well. We¡¯ve worked hard to fill in any of our shortcomings, and now it is time to show the fruits of our labor. To grow our potential, and show our people the strength of their king and queens once more.¡± They entered the portal, which transported them directly into the first floor of the dungeon, into a random location. It would soon be time for a real fight. BS7 - Chapter 11 - Clan Hart in the Dungeon Ophelia rode through the air on Valora, the powerful longma mount galloping through the sky. The draconic horse managed her pace, only running slightly ahead of the rest of the party. Fhesiah flew using Qi combined with draconic flight, the girl¡¯s speed even more substantial in the second Tier. Her Core now actually produced Qi from the void rather rapidly thanks to its Hearthian nature, and could use any within the air to fuel the flames of her paths rather easily. This allowed her to fly as long as she wanted. Tanda flew with her raven wings flapping, the girl even having tail feathers attached to her armor, her wolf tail wagging underneath it. Her auril enabled her to reach decent speeds, and she could keep up with Fhesiah quite well. And Jake rode on Bloodberri¡¯s back¨Cas she flew through the sky. Her Mythic transforming armor had several articulating bone structures attached, lined with auril beast hawk feathers. Much like the many beastkin could use flight suits and cape flaps, she could use wings as if they were her own. Using auril, she could flap her several sets of wings in an impressive manner. Combined with her lift generating snaking movements, she could fly rapidly, despite her heavy weight. ¡°See, Jake? Am I still awesome, or what?¡± ¡°As always, you¡¯re amazing, Berri. And Blood is just as awesome for indulging you.¡± Blood nodded. ¡°This was so much practice to get right. But I have to admit, it was worth it¨Cwe pushed forward our understandings of auril and light and dark to accomplish this.¡± Bloodberri now looked a lot like Echidna, the goddess, just with their armor added on. Jake could fly on his own, and perhaps a little faster, without taxing his resources overly much. But this made his snake wife happy, and they would have to slow to her speed anyway, so he was happy to oblige once more. This configuration did give them another small benefit. The Garuda, who they decided to name Zephyr, flew alongside them now, already summoned and capable of responding to threats. If Jake was wasting mana to fly, then he couldn¡¯t easily benefit by keeping his permanent summon active. And Ira now monitored the dungeon world for threats. Its new perception was even greater than before, and now, Jake thought if he faced that mentalist again, even scaled up to their new level, Ira would crush him with ease. Its control over the void was that much more impressive, allowing it to actually harm enemies significantly. The void wyrm¡¯s energy was still limited, but its ability to create a tear through space against most enemies was absolutely devastating. Jake could also fuel its space shredding attacks from his void lungs, making the creature very deadly on its own. The plan was still to keep its attacks and teleportations in reserve for the critical moments, rather than it helping in most fights. A big reason for this decision was to keep a low profile, to make it harder for their enemies to be aware of everything that it could do. As always, Ira has been one of Jake¡¯s major trump cards. So now, Jake¡¯s party made an impressive sight as they flew across the sky of the dungeon safely. This was not their first time, but it was interesting to see how much it had changed with each visit. It was still a surprise to Jake that the first several floors and paths of the dungeon were like a real-time strategy game or exploration map like some open-world style adventure and RPG games. As they conquered portions of the map, they revealed territory and access to certain challenges. Their base was frequently attacked, resulting in big battles that were difficult for all participants to survive. It was interesting how the mechanic worked, and certain elements actually carried into the next floors. The events they were called into were when they sieged the giant castle, which was in fact reminiscent of the Fortress Assault. Jake¡¯s sealed party went inside with a group of forty in total battle strength, and it was like a miniature dungeon raid. Once that was defeated, forces constantly spawned and attacked the outpost on timed events, almost like what the Greater Rift would have been. This was a little bit like a mini-world boss in MMO games, where almost monthly they could face the boss and get substantial drops and benefits. Or, in this case, they would destroy their Outpost if they could not be stopped. The Outpost when first claimed, had looked little better than the average beastkin village on Highlands. But thanks to their hard work, it now had tall walls and even a magical barrier. Then, it had minor magical siege equipment that provided a basic defense against the periodic raids of monsters. The Alliance members could then attack monsters from the walls, and these sieges were great as a leveling and even monster loot farming resource. Even within the walls, there was still danger during battles, however. There were monsters capable of sniping-type attacks, targeting mages and archers on the walls once the barriers went down¨Cand they almost always inevitably did. Deaths still occurred rather frequently during these events where the Outpost came under attack. It was less of Hearthtribe members, and more from the random Alliance that frequently wandered inside, but it was proof that people couldn¡¯t let their guards down even inside the Outpost¡¯s walls. The party passed an ominous looking gate, that was a dozen meters tall. It was similar to the one they went into for the Dungeon Raid, with ominous depictions of horrifying monsters wrapped around the pillars and gate itself. It was one of the four found on this floor, and had Framework scripts detailing the next floor¡¯s information now that it had been unlocked. Often, special events would look the same, just with different colored gates and also the Framework¡¯s scripts detailing very little about the possible threat contained within. Unfortunately, the gates were a bit of a mystery box in a sense, or rather, a Pandora¡¯s Box. By opening a gate, large battles which could influence the entire floor could occur, and a failure would lead to a Monster Tide on Highlands. Berri smiled in remembrance. ¡°This event was the most fun. I got to hit a lot of our new super baseballs.¡± Fhesiah smiled. ¡°And I got a lot of free Alchemical Breath attacks. All thanks to my understanding of my dear sister-wife¡¯s darkness.¡± Ophelia shook her head. ¡°That potion was a letdown, though. I can¡¯t believe it was only one strength. It said plus five!¡± Blood smirked. ¡°It was a potential improving item. I see it as we have nearly maximized our potential. That was not a disappointment to me. It was vindication.¡± Fhesiah grinned. ¡°True. We need better items than our subordinates can find and receive from their casual delving. They all received the maximum benefit, so they have the most to gain. Hopefully, with two of us unsealed, and obtaining things from higher-level events¡­¡± When unlocking another path or floor, his party was called upon to engage in the large event, with his party¡¯s champion status sealed. That one had somewhat resembled the Life¡¯s Haven boss battle, in that numerous tower-like structures spawned and rained attacks of various elements down on the Battlegroup. Bloodberri had taken to destroying them with Tanda, while Fhesiah and Ophelia raced around and took down the numerous dark casters that targeted the weakened members of the Battlegroup with shadow bolts. Avalara had tanked the large boss, as Hearthtribe fought in harmony to defeat the somewhat challenging boss battle. Flying through the landscape of the dungeon, the party continued on over a mountain until they came across the next ominous blackened gate, which was opened by a much smaller group. They entered the portal, and arrived in the next floor. This floor was much more closed off, and so they continued mostly on Valora and Bloodberri, running through the caves mostly on foot rather than flight. Blue stones lined the mostly narrow cavern walls, and Jake knew they were mana stones, an important resource for their Outposts. They were also refined into higher-tier mana crystals, above the ones that Jake fed Fhesiah at the beginning of their adventure, occurring naturally from the dense mana within the caves. The floor was nearly endless caverns with many ambush creatures, especially spiders and other nasty beasts, filled with mana. The mana was extra dense, and while normally, one might think their Mana Control skill would make this a huge benefit. But it was the opposite. The mana was too dense, and if one¡¯s control was not enough, spells would go haywire and backfire. Using Hearth Runic Magic by forming the runes first in their hearths made the floor trivial, but this place was still not one Jake and his wives liked to explore. Ira and Fhesiah prevented most of the ambushes, and the few trap triggers were spotted and avoided as well. The reptilian beastkin were used to such narrow spaces, and they had explored its depths. Vesuvius had gone on and on about how tasty the many mana-infused insect monsters were, and why he had explored it so extensively to Jake when he last updated his captured template. Jake would often meet up with his Hearthtribe brethren to update his captured templates, a requirement to keep his templates up to date. New skills and more wouldn¡¯t show up until he did. It took less time than the initial capture, and he found the results to be much better than if the Framework simply scaled the templates to his level. During that task, he would have chats with them and often found himself becoming a mentor to them, helping them plan out their progression. He was happy about this, but it had sort of snuck up on him. He found himself often repeating some of Zhuge Liang or Guan Yu¡¯s wisdom, or even things that Zhang Fei had shown or told Bloodberri. Of course, Jake understood that this was probably a large part of the three¡¯s goals in becoming their mentors. They brought their wealth of experience to the table and told them many stories. They helped provide pointers as they improved their skills, and helped them practice their numerous skills in their sessions each month. In all, Jake felt that mentorship was a little strange. They had said they were limited in what they could teach, but less limited than a god or goddess. But if they were able to talk so much, just how were they restricted at all? The big, important thing they weren¡¯t able to do, was directly teaching them skills or spells recognized by the Framework, by demonstration or otherwise. These had to be learned or earned on their own, and the most that the mentors could do was let them know about their existence. Once Jake and his wives had them, they could help direct them on how to improve or advance them. But even still, especially with magical theory, Zhuge Liang had to be very nuanced on how he brought things to Jake and Fhesiah¡¯s attention in order to help them advance. This was a part of the Conquest 4X game. To tell them precisely how to improve to the next level might actually cause their entire guild to lose the minor Framework benefits that would be earned by researching it themselves. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were far less limited, as Techniques were much closer to being general and personalized, compatible with individual instruction. They could certainly demonstrate how to swing their weapon better, and give pointers. Following the map provided, the party rapidly traveled through the caverns. Some monsters attacked their party from nearby paths, but they were mostly jokes to their party, the enemies that crossed their path quickly being riddled with powerful hearth flames and other deadly attacks. Eventually, they reached the Outpost of the floor, which was within a much larger, gem-filled cavern. Jake was surprised that these Outposts on other floors were linked, with special lines traveling through the cavern walls. Resources were sent between and stockpiled, and so it became important to build and defend the Outposts on more floors to gain access to all the special resources. Thankfully, these smaller resource-focused floors shouldn¡¯t grant the enemy much power for claiming it if the inhabitants of the floor were forced to retreat, and very few were required to man it. Primarily, those that were using the creatures for leveling, and some actually farmed the resources contained within the floor were often enough to handle the monster surges and wave type events within. Crafters were often attracted to these floors, as they could use the materials obtained on the floor directly. The monsters within ate the mana stones, and those with dense mana within their veins made excellent crafting materials. This floor was smaller in total, but the monsters were of a slightly higher level. The entry floor was intended from levels 26 through 29, and this one was meant for 30 through 33. While the entry floor had four paths that headed to other floors, this smaller one only had two. Defeating a few more wayward enemies, including a crazy slime lizard thing that had somehow surprised them, they passed through another ominous gate and portal. This one, they had once again been called upon to help open it, requiring what should have been a difficult Boss Battle with fifty participants. A dense vitality of life pervaded Jake¡¯s senses, like he had stepped into the dense jungles of Highlands. Tall trees and dense, giant flora surrounded them, as they once again took to the air. The trees were actually miles tall, their trunks thick, but defying what Jake would imagine were the laws of physics with the mana running through them. To reach miles high, they would need to be thicker than just about any skyscraper Jake had ever seen. They were wide, surely, but would otherwise have snapped at a third of the height, he imagined. And Jake¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t want to travel above them¨Cpowerful monsters roamed the skies and converged on nearly everything that did. While Jake was sure they would win, it was far more trouble than it was worth. Within the sparse branches of the massive trees, they were only occasionally attacked by similar monsters. It was easy enough for them to take a circuitous flight path, to avoid unnecessary fights, thanks to Ira and Fhesiah. At this point in time, several paths throughout the dungeon had been decently explored in the last several years, but not everything had been unlocked. This one was one of the most explored and built up in the last few years because the beastkin were most excited about this environment. It was the path most like the beastkin¡¯s home, an immense jungle with giant monsters exuding dense life or death energies. To Jake, it felt almost like a trap¨Cthat the dungeon made exactly what the natives of Highlands would be drawn to, just waiting until the right time to spring it. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. However, this was a lot like the life and death reflection¨Cthe final boss battle in the Dungeon Raid. The dungeon often would make challenges appropriate for the residents of the world, that sort of fit the theme or rewards in a sense. This was seen by many to be the Framework¡¯s influence, but the many Divine would not confirm or deny whether this was by design of the system they created or not. And it provided real benefits. Much of the special loot was life or death related, as this jungle too had immense vitality, or areas with powerful deathly energies. Even spending time within them could have special benefits. The few potential improving special items found on this floor actually improved a few beastkin¡¯s auril hearts or the Emberborn or Eternum¡¯s flaming hearths, the life or death enhancing treasures providing them with special benefits. Thankfully, resources from the floor were often provided to Fhesiah, which once again allowed her to make special pills for the beastkin to level up reliably. This floor was even larger than the previous one, but not long after their party took to the sky, they were forced to face a number of enemies¨Calmost like they were waiting for them. Most of them were giant insects or beasts, carrying various life or death energies. They were quickly swarmed by the large numbers of monsters. There was a giant lizard that lept from the trees that regenerated rapidly, a beetle that was strengthened by the life energy, and a swarm of mayflies that shot venomous attacks, among many others with similar skills or advantages. It was surprising the number that had gathered, but the numbers were the only thing surprising. The party spammed their much larger area of effect spells and ranged attacks, and whittled away at them while Ira roamed and checked for more oncoming enemies. Finding none, they eventually cut through them and finished them off. They killed enough of them that they decided to rest up for a bit and recover. To travel while low on resources was often not a good idea, as some of the floors actually had roaming mini-bosses or dangerous storms, and this one was no different. Then, the dungeon could use the opportunity to whittle away at them by sending more and more enemies on the way, until a swarm arrived with them low on resources. Besides, they had already been flying and fighting through the dungeon for several hours already. They had planned to rest when they arrived at the Outpost, but had been delayed. Perhaps this was on purpose by the dungeon, but whatever plans the dungeon had for them, they were sure that resting up now was the safest option. Bloodberri coiled their long and massive tail, providing a shielded resting area inside. It was almost like the armored snake tail formed a several meter tall wall, and they then brought their torso inside. From their storage rings, chairs were brought out, and Valora, Ira and Zephyr wandered around outside, prepared to defend them against any threats giving them a chance to act. They sat down to take a load off, and Jake, Bloodberri and Ophelia both drank some dense mana water to recover, while Tanda used her auril beast jerky, and Fhesiah used a Qi crystal. Fhesiah looked over the dense Qi crystal in her hand. ¡°It sure would be nice if they had a cultivator floor dense with Qi. I¡¯d like to get an item that would grant you guys Divine Sense, after all.¡± Ophelia said, ¡°Maybe the Mystic Expanse will have that? Their dungeon should be opening soon, we could help them explore it.¡± Jake said, ¡°True. Or, if we get something here, we could trade something for what they obtain there.¡± It had taken Nessa a couple of years, but she had finally, with Hearthtribe and Warrior Brotherhood¡¯s help, completed the world¡¯s Trial. Tartarus had tried hard to stop them with all sorts of machinations, from unorthodox cultivators to even an enemy Champion who led them, but Nessa had prevailed with her many allies. And to Jake¡¯s surprise, Nessa could earn Divine Sparks. A daughter of a true Divine, her Nascent Divinity had actually gained something when she managed to slay them. Now, they were working on Aetheris¡¯ integration¨Cthe other cultivator world, and they were nearing the end with their many new allies. The cultivators were certainly power hungry, and killing evil to level up and ascend was a rapid transformation. Fhesiah smiled wide and responded to Jake¡¯s thoughts about Nessa, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I think it¡¯s almost time now, don¡¯t you, Blood?¡± Of course, what Fhesiah was bringing up was for Nessa to join their family¨Ca political marriage. Blood smiled. ¡°Why yes, I do think it¡¯s nearly time. The little snake princess has grown, and her guild has outperformed even Valtor¡¯s predictions, and no doubt our enemy¡¯s. And so have Warrior Brotherhood, thanks to our assistance. We have over a dozen worlds in our network now, and she¡¯ll have five to her guild¡¯s name. It¡¯s quite a nice combination of holdings, don¡¯t you agree?¡± She added, ¡°It might be best that we do it soon. When the War Trial polls start coming in for the worlds involved, deciding how they will participate, it might be too late for us to gain the most benefits. In a sense, the first stage will be locked in, unable to be changed.¡± Ophelia frowned, and Jake could feel her heart waver. ¡°And what about what Jake thinks? Or me?¡± Tanda¡¯s tail was wagging, and she was clearly enjoying this topic. ¡°I think Jake cares most about what we think¨Che is always seeking harmony, like a beastkin clan head. And Fhesiah, Blood, and Berri are already sold. That our family will be stronger, and believe their hearts can beat as one. I met her, and I thought we could sing the same song¨Cand that means Ava is on board too.¡± Berri sniffed. ¡°And I¡¯ve kept in contact with her. I think she¡¯s a nice girl.¡± Jake was baffled. ¡°You did? Since when?¡± ¡°Yup. After the party where we killed the cultists, I messaged her. The poor girl is always busy. I had to share the best movies with her so she could relax, and make sure she knew how to play baseball for when we met again.¡± Tanda turned to Lia, ¡°So what do you think, Lia? Of course, your thoughts on the matter are important, too.¡± Ophelia gathered her thoughts, and Jake already knew them¨Cto an extent. This topic, even if not just about Nessa, had come up several times over the past few years. It had even been brought up about Yona¨Cthe maid. The girl was more than willing to become Jake¡¯s mate, and she had become an important member of their family over the years. Jake was starting to feel a desire for her, the more he saw her loving and caring attitude and felt her hearth¨Cbecause she had gained one, as part of becoming one of Bastet¡¯s priestesses. Ophelia sighed. ¡°You all know my concerns, and they¡¯ve been largely reinforced by what we¡¯ve learned about his hearth and his soul. More wives are easy to justify, for so many different reasons. But if Jake gives and gives, will he have any pieces of his soul left?¡± Jake could feel her worries. As always, she was trying to protect him and their family. Ophelia continued, ¡°I think if I had to choose one, Nessa is probably the highest on my list to pick, but our view of the multiverse is very narrow. This is just one sector of many. Still, that she worked hard to earn our respect and attention counts for a lot. If we look at a list of pros and cons, who could be better other than someone even stronger, like a goddess?¡± She hesitated, but eventually added, ¡°And after leaving all our kids at home, I feel that it wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing if¡­there were more of us wives in this family. But I just think about us leaving our kids at home, and¡­ if Nessa were here already, would one of us have decided to stay at home? And if one of us did, is that even a good thing for us? For our clan?¡± Jake said, ¡°We could have brought Nessa even with all of us. This event we moved for can have up to a hundred participants. But people can change. Their goals in life can change too, can¡¯t they? I don¡¯t see that as a bad thing at all, if any of you girls decided to change things up.¡± Ophelia frowned, her wings fluttering in irritation. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just¡­ Seeing our kid¡¯s faces, even though they put on a brave front¡­ I think even I would have been tempted to stay at home, and¡­ I don¡¯t think I like it. We need to keep fighting, to protect our many allies and friends, and to save those who need us. Even our children, our ability to protect them requires us to keep fighting to become stronger.¡± Jake did his best to envelop Ophelia with his Bond¨Cgiving her a hug with his soul. ¡°I¡¯d have talked you into it. I need my Loyal Guardian whenever we¡¯re challenged.¡± Ophelia smiled, and then blazed over to him with her Technique and gave him a strong hug that he could feel easily through his armor, and a kiss. ¡°Thanks¡­ I needed to hear that. And I know that¡¯s right, but¡­¡± Her wings fluttered, and she stayed seated in Jake¡¯s lap, and wrapped her wings around him. Fhesiah said, ¡°A cultivator¡¯s desire to strive for the peak, their thirst for power¨Ctheir personal momentum is one of the biggest aspects that determines those who can and can¡¯t reach the peak. If you stop progressing and slow down, you may stop and never continue. It is for this reason that most cultivators do not have children until they reach Nascent Soul¨Cthe third Tier. They destroy one¡¯s momentum.¡± Blood arched her brow and asked, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did you have children too already?¡± Fhesiah smiled. ¡°The New Heavens has changed my mindset on this of course, but also the rest of you. My family having them was the same as me having them, in that sense. While we all spent a little more time with the children we birthed, we truly treated them all as our Clan¡¯s children, giving them all the love and attention they needed. They¡¯re Jake¡¯s children, so they are all family.¡± Tanda nodded, but titled her head, confused. ¡°Of course? What other way is there?¡± Blood chuckled. ¡°For many other cultures, only those children a mother birthed would receive their love. Often, the other wives and children in a family like Jake¡¯s are considered competition for their male¡¯s love, as well as his resources and benefits. And because of the importance, the first born son was often killed over these kinds of squabbles and positioning done by the many mothers. A den of vipers even among humans, truly.¡± Tanda was horrified with her ears flat on her head and her eyes widened, but Fhesiah added, ¡°I knew that conflict was coming for our kingdom, our family, and it was coming soon enough. We slowed down, but we never stopped¨Cand I¡¯m not just talking about leveling up in the bedroom. We have properly mixed work with play, bettering ourselves and preparing for the next conflict. And doing it all while preparing our allies for the challenges that come.¡± She looked over to Ophelia. ¡°There is zero doubt in my mind you would have taken up your weapon and shield the moment our family and kingdom came to danger. This trip into the dungeon¡­maybe you¡¯d have stayed at home. But you¡¯d have been filled with anxiety watching through Jake¡¯s eyes, wanting to protect him, to carry out your role. You might have even begged him to summon you when that strange slime reptile thing burst through the wall in that last cave¨Ceven though Berri killed it with so fast with fire of all things.¡± Berri had used actual fire. She had gone out of her way to learn how to use the several fires within her hearth, for some reason Jake didn¡¯t know. Thanks to the mnemonics, she had gotten good with many runic Tier 2 spells now, but had previously only been good with her light mana, even sucking at switching over to plain mana. That was still the case, but she was very diligent with the other fires in her Hearth now. Berri shivered. ¡°It was super gross! I learned my lesson now. Gross things like the muckbill and similar are meant to be killed with fire. And why didn¡¯t Ira or you warn us?¡± Fhesiah laughed. ¡°Honestly? I saw it on the other side of the wall with my Divine Sense, and thought there was no way it could burst through it like that. It went through the porous wall like it wasn¡¯t even there. I saw it coming, but you were even faster than me somehow.¡± Jake could feel a bit of embarrassment from Ira over the issue. It seemed the creature thought the same thing, and only warned him when it was almost too late. It had underestimated an enemy, though, it was ready to kill the monster itself if Berri hadn¡¯t been so fast. Part of the issue was it wasn¡¯t even worth worrying about, but it had still surprised the whole party. Berri sniffed. ¡°We weren¡¯t flying, so I felt the vibrations from it moving through the walls through my snake body. I could feel it being all gross like it was.¡± She shivered again. Ophelia chuckled at their interaction, but turned to Fhesiah. ¡°Thanks for the pep talk, Faye. I think you¡¯re right, I¡¯m just having doubts. I¡­think Nessa is good for our family. When we met her, she seemed like she would be a good fit. Even if she was a Norse, but is now a cultivator snake girl somehow, she seemed to remind me a lot of me. If¡­ I was the daughter of a god, maybe.¡± Fhesiah frowned. ¡°It¡¯s unlike you to worry about this. I think you should have more confidence, sister, are you sure that isn¡¯t your tattoo, the seal, eroding your resolve?¡± Tanda looked worriedly at Ophelia, and channelled additional auril into her sealing tattoo. Over the years, they had kept the balance quite well. However, the tattoo wasn¡¯t just free power. There were times where it acted up, and it did seem to be causing her difficulties. They still used it for training, and those were the times she had gotten particularly moody and antagonistic. Thankfully, all their issues were relatively short-lived. But perhaps, it was waiting for the right moment to find cracks in her resolve. Times like now. Ophelia took a deep breath, closing her eyes. When the tattoo wasn¡¯t in use, it was a symbol that went on her shoulders. When activated, the sealing lines and tattoos would cover nearly her entire body, and even her face. ¡°You might be right, but I think we nabbed it in the butt early enough. I¡¯ll be more confident now.¡± Fhesiah smiled. ¡°Good. Back to the original topic, the story behind Nessa¡¯s transformation was certainly strange, but Tyr is a weird one and knocking up the embodiment of a living lake, a serpent, is not all that surprising to me. So that just leaves our dear husband. What do you think about Nessa?¡± Jake of course knew this question was coming. ¡°Tanda was right, of course. That you girls are on board, and she¡¯s attractive to me, means it¡¯s easy for me to be as well. I¡¯d like to get to know her better in a more intimate setting, rather than at a party with tons of people around. But I do think if she¡¯s truly seeking love and doesn¡¯t have the wrong idea somehow, I¡¯m interested.¡± Berri clapped. ¡°Yay! More snake girls! You know, there¡¯s at least three of these lamia on the baseball¨C¡± Jake cleared his throat. ¡°Let¡¯s take a rain-check on more discussions of more wives. I do think we¡¯re rested enough to get moving.¡± Berri pouted, but began to comply. As Bloodberri uncoiled and Jake hopped into the special basket on her back, Blood said, ¡°I do think Yona is worth considering more. She is a lovely and devoted servant, after all. And her moon and sun magic hearth within her could be a major benefit.¡± Jake was a little surprised that Blood was advocating for the maid, but put it out of his mind as they got on the move again. They traveled for some time, moving quickly through the air. Not that far from the Outpost, Ira alerted Jake of another threat ahead, and Valora whinnied not long after. A swarm of flying enemies was heading toward them, and Jake was more than a little alarmed by what he saw with his Umbral Gaze. And Berri was pissed. ¡°Flying spiders! No! Just no!¡± Her tail brought them to a hover, and then runes formed rapidly as Blood too worked hard to launch the eclipsing solar attack. A black and white sun was launched toward the oncoming swarm, and Jake launched his own using their flames as his other girls worked on their own magical attacks. Berri quickly dumped the flames from her hearth, using her Hearth Control. Darts of each of his wives¡¯ colors shot across the sky, striking spiders and setting them aflame. As the eclipsing sun arrived, the black insect-winged spiders slowed, and they attempted to spit black miasma at his party. These spiders were full of deathly energies, and were of various sizes, from the size of a dog all the way up to a pickup truck. Which was why when the beams of fiery light struck them from behind the eclipse, their bodies were significantly burned and purified, and the smaller ones completely erased. The large bolts and blasts of lightning from Valora and Ophelia quickly finished many of the wounded enemies off, sending the rest falling to the ground. Zephyr dashed forward with its winged swords, slicing through enemies and sending blades of wind into the swarm. Meanwhile, Fhesiah was launching dozens of darts of kitsune flames, and launched the demonic rune spell Dragon¡¯s Breath, the apparition exhaling a large cone of dragon flames and covering much of the flying spiders. While the family was using many of their same attacks from the peak of the first Tier, these attacks were even larger and more devastating. As their attributes scaled upward and their Mana Control and capacity increased, the amount of offensive power had more than doubled with just the same spells. It just took a little larger of an investment from them. Tanda shot numerous arrows from her bow, and learning from the Dreadbeast Champion, Jake had helped her craft new arrows which resembled his. A distance away after being fired, numerous dart-sized projectiles exploded in a frontal cone, still chock-full with auril. Her attacks pierced dozens of flying spiders with every shot, thinning the swarm significantly. As the monsters died, the party¡¯s Auto-Loot triggered, causing loot to appear within their Storage Rings. With a few more area of effect spells, they cleared out the incoming spider swarm, and Jake saw he had gotten numerous death-related items for crafting or alchemy inside his ring. The threat dealt with, they continued their trek through the sky. Eventually, they came over a hill and saw their Outpost in the distance. Their many allies and friends were waiting for them¨Cbut fighting off a huge army of monsters. BS7 - Chapter 12 - Uniting with Hearthtribe The party quickly joined the battle, once again using their Second Tier Runic Spells. The monsters were already busy trying to gather and scale the fifty-foot tall stone walls, so the large orbs of flames and lightning washed over large clusters of them, damaging and destroying dozens of enemies in a single moment. The monsters seemed to be a mixture of the same that they had faced before: giant insects and beasts, exuding the qualities of life or death. While Clan Hart¡¯s spells were devastating, it wasn¡¯t as though their grouping of powerful orb or wave spells changed the battlefield by that much. There were over five hundred defenders within the walls or in the air, and what appeared to be thousands of enemies swarming the Outpost. Several boss-level enemies had neared the gates of the outpost, where Vesuvius had grown to meet a giant scaled bear-like creature in melee, working in tandem with Darris, the turtle reptile beastkin. Drysander, Nadessa¡¯s war oak father and Paladin of Guan Yu, held off a giant angry scorpion with dozens of vines and roots, and Bulldozer the giant death scarab, met a different giant beetle with his large pincers, fending it off. Roxo spun with his talon-like blades, cutting into many of the enemies surrounding him. The avian beastkin launched attacks from the air, and swooped in with deadly spear attacks. There were some flying enemies as well, but they were far less numerous and easily defeated by the ranged attackers. Takoda the capybara beastkin and Missy the brachiosaurus fought side by side, along with numerous other beast tamers and their auril beasts, and even spriggons riding dinosaurs. Jake was surprised to see that there were actually those that had reached the second Tier, but he recalled Fhesiah mentioning that they benefited quite heavily from the pills she had made for the beastkin. Since they also supplied much of the resources for them in the first place, it was only right that they enjoyed plenty of them as well. Drawing in and desummoning Zephyr, Jake gathered his Hearth Flames. He could feel that Bree wanted to be summoned badly, and it was the same for Avalara. If he summoned one, the other would undoubtedly be unhappy. He nearly groaned at his difficulties. Was his summons having a will actually better? He remembered the game where he was a summoner, and his choices were exclusively based on whether a summon was better for the job or not. Fhesiah chuckled. [That¡¯s a silly thought, Jake. How could you even have it after seeing Bree¡¯s ass? And why, drinking Ava¡¯s milk from the source alone¡­] She trailed off, and Jake dutifully ignored the tirade of the best parts about his newer permanent summons. Jake was merely playing around. Whether he cast a giant fireball to defeat the enemy, or cast a dinodog shaped fireball mattered very little in the big scheme of things to him. He wouldn¡¯t have as much mana to cast large spells or manifest other templates, but he wouldn¡¯t really need to, thanks to his Mana Control and his powerful hearth. Because he was in a defensive battle where they were trying to push enemies away from the walls, he found resonance with his Monarch, Blood. The runes on his armor, Ophelia¡¯s through her chosen technique trait, and Bloodberri¡¯s shifted to take on a dark-gold hue, empowering all three of them, and limiting Jake and Ophelia where appropriate. Then he began drawing as much mana in from the surrounding area and his wives¡¯ regeneration, to establish his two large summons. Enhanced by Jake¡¯s resonance with Blood, Ophelia dashed in on Valora. Within a large cluster of the enemies, she sent out an immense wave of vajrafire flames in Consecration, as she blitzed through and sliced through the wounded creatures. The fiery lightning shocked and purified the monsters, as well as set them aflame, and damaged those with deathly energies significantly. Jake¡¯s Champion Hearthian Presence already added offensive and defensive explosions of flame by default, as well as reinvigorated allies and aided them with the restoration of unique resources, such as auril and mana. Having taken on the Resonance State of the Monarch, the offensive explosions now carried an additional heaviness that would knock enemies back. Then, it also slowed all enemies down within the range of Jake¡¯s Aura, allowing Hearthtribe superior control of the battlefield. The effect of his Aura covering his allies was seen almost immediately. Arrows and javelins being shot and thrown over the wall started exploding and knocking enemies back, causing even the large monsters to stumble and knock into others. The damage the auril manifestations of beasts accomplished was significantly increased, in addition to stopping the larger creatures in their tracks. Even spells made of ice from the Priestesses of Arawn carried the flames of Hestia and Jake, the icicles piercing into enemies and then exploding inside of them. Everything would be enhanced every few seconds, only those with far more rapid attacks not experiencing the effect with every blow. His Divine Hearth, his upgraded weapon which rested in his chest was like a vacuum, and drew even more mana from the surrounding area. Even still, when he finished drawing in mana and let out both of the familiar figures of Avalara and Bree right next to the bosses, it had taken much of his reserves. Bree appeared in her dinodog form, sensing her large size would be helpful here. Thanks to how she would be pushed into motes of light as Jake summoned her from the Refuge, she could choose exactly how she would be let out. Probably, she would only take on the form of a humanoid when facing others. The two large figures immediately began attacking the surrounding enemies, their claws or giant tree mace smacking or cutting into boss-level monsters. Vines danced in the area around them, manifesting Highlands creatures and dangerous dinodog bites onto the monster¡¯s flesh. Then, Avalara and Tanda began their Sublimation of turning the area around them into Highlands jungle. And it seemed that this process went even more quickly, thanks to the high vitality in the area, and from a few of the beastkin within the walls having done the same. These sublimations connected, and the density of the auril energy of the area increased substantially. This did more than just sprouted a jungle around them. As auril heroes, many of their attacks drew in auril from the surrounding area to enhance their abilities. Whether it be to improve the power of their attacks, or to create or keep their form for Rookard¡¯s wolves, Timone¡¯s ravens, or to empower something like Tanda¡¯s Cyclic Resonance. By establishing a sort of portal or connection to Highlands, this enhanced everything that the nearby beastkin did. Jake had been surprised to learn that warriors like Brock could also Sublimate on themselves, to form armor or bestial weapons. The bigger surprise was that Tanda and Avalara had many options for this, once they had mastered them. Tanda could now sublimate larger wings, cover her entire body with thick fur, and even grow slightly like the reptile beastkin often did. And now, when she wanted to, she could even create deathly ravens like her father. It was that Tanda and Avalara¡¯s connection to Highlands was far greater than the average beastkin, even among those who reached the Second Tier that they could create a connection to its jungle. From what Jake could tell, those who were capable of doing this were often those that had an affinity for becoming a clergy of Cernnunos. It wasn¡¯t always the case, but it felt like it was more often than not. Jake wasn¡¯t sure if this was because that meant they were closest to Avalara, but it was clear that each and every single one that could accomplish this was talented with auril, and had awakened easily. Several years of data was gathered by the meticulous Valtor. From that, it was learned that those that had affinity to become clergy outside of the Celtic gods often had difficulty awakening and required the serum Fhesiah helped create. At first, there had seemed to be no real difference, but after hundreds had become clergy of other Divine and these data points were recorded, a commonality in the statistics had prevailed. Of course, not every beastkin could become a divine¡¯s clergy, and that was one of the larger reasons why this was difficult to see. As the jungle Avalara and Tanda created grew at the base of the gates, the many beastkin were quick to take advantage of their Sublimation. They leaped into their allied jungle and started taking on the enemies at the base of the gates, as well as surrounding the bosses at the gates to rain fiery attacks upon them. While this dungeon floor felt somewhat like home, Avalara¡¯s Sublimation of the jungle was home. Enemies that encroached the jungle were attacked by it as if every tree and bush were alive, and Tanda¡¯s bow sang as she launched several Verdant Barrages, striking fierce blows and entangling enemies with deadly vines. ¡°Being sealed blows.¡± Berri said, switching to using her older spells as she was covered in white light. She surged forward with her Mace of Hestia ability, her weapon in the form of a big maul, and it crashed into a monster and exploded in white light. Blood shook her head at the results. ¡°Our twilight dance is stronger than that ability now. I guess we won¡¯t be using that.¡± Thanks to being sealed, Bloodberri could not use her Twilight Monarch ability, which granted allies nearby life and strength stealing abilities, as well as protection. Twilight Divide was also unavailable, which made her extra frustrated¨CBerri loved splitting enemies in two and creating a devastating explosion. Sealed, Tanda couldn¡¯t use Verdant Rebirth to summon her spriggons or other plant creatures, her Cyclic Resonance, or use her Avenging Strike. This still left most of her druidic and archery abilities, so she continued launching seed attacks with Verdant Barrage, and using her Rampant Growth and Plant Control to spread vines and both tear and crush enemies with them. Her cyclical auril hearth still drew in nethril from the deaths of her enemies, which she could still enhance herself and her ranged attacks using her Cyclic Avenging Flames. Fhesiah was the least restricted, only unable to use her Curse of the Sun and Moon, and her elemental summons. Dashing forward with Draconic Might and dangerous claws, she tore and shredded monsters apart with her immense strength, and charged her attacks with her torch of Hestia. Riding on Bloodberri¡¯s back, Jake stuck with her as his battle mount. They fought through the wave of monsters with the many beastkin, working together in tandem. Bloodberri swung her axe covered in their own hearth blade, and Jake stabbed out with his mounted weapon¨Chis Divine Hearth weapon taking the shape of a glaive with its length and its balance perfect for mounted combat. As he fought against what amounted to trash mobs to them, Jake was happy to see his many allies and friends, from Morwen and Bedrwyr joining each other in large frost-powered attacks, to seeing Brock and his wives. To Jake¡¯s surprise, Seamus the Paladin of Lugh and lion beastkin, now had several lioness wives in addition to his raven wife that fought near him. He even saw Grayson healing allies with his water, with a nymph¨Ca water dryad, and three reptilian wives firing their bows and throwing javelins near him, and casting spells. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. He could tell they were together, as each wore Clan colors and liveries, promoting their honorable contributions and glory on the battlefield. Rookard¡¯s summoned pack of wolves were becoming even more impressive in size and number, and they now fought alongside Bree¡¯s pack of dinodogs she created. The man had also picked up a few wolf parentage younger wives of his own that fought nearby, and included a dryad and a faun. Noticing a commonality, Jake was starting to feel a little weird as he watched the many battle harems of the beastkin and Elysians fighting across the battlefield. Of course, Jake knew that many of these strong male beastkin had several mates. However, while conquering Highlands, many of their mates were simply behind, and didn¡¯t participate in the major battles and conquests. At Life¡¯s Haven, Nature¡¯s Crossroads, the Greater Rifts, and the Dungeon Raid, it was nearly exclusively the male clan heads that participated. Only a few standout women had excelled enough to participate, mostly the avian beastkin that fought alongside Tanda, or the handfuls of reptile beastkin from Vesuvius¡¯ Tribe. Seeing them in battle now was a sign that they had finally caught up, and this filled both Avalara and Tanda with pride. There were many more out there at the other Outposts in the dungeon, or still participating in finishing up the final Conquests Hearthtribe invested heavily in. Drysander was far from the only treant with many wives hanging from his boughs as he fought, and Jake certainly saw a number of beastkin with fauns and dryads for wives. There were even a few humans, trolls, and orcs mixed in, with their own battle harems that formed around them. Many notable warriors who participated in the arena had started to join Hearthtribe, Jake had known. But seeing them here with their wives still felt strange. There were not many Lamias from Ganestra yet, but Berri mentally clapped at every single one she spotted. Fhesiah laughed in his mind, as she sent fiery waves from her Claws of Celestial Fusion, cutting through numerous monsters and clearing them out rapidly. [See how good it¡¯s working? They¡¯re all kicking ass. They¡¯re so well-coordinated, and their parties are so well-rounded.] Tanda¡¯s voice was filled with pride. [The beastkin seek harmony among their clans, and those that join Hearthtribe to punish the wicked and protect the weak will round out their parties for battle and adventure. Following their hearts, but also the guild doctrine.] Fhesiah said, [As a fun side note, thanks to Ankhmar merging with Highlands, I do think we¡¯re ready for another Mass Migration or two. The few we did were not quite enough.] Blood said, [It is true. Our ratio of women to men within our guild is starting to get a little away from the desired, and while many new beastkin reach adulthood, those that reach the level range of our guild rapidly are few. They are joining the Tier 1 feeder Guilds, but those will take a long time to join Hearthtribe in truth¨Cfollowing the Guild Doctrines we left them, they will have their own Conquests and goals they want to accomplish. We need numbers to compete with our many enemies, and that means putting more and more warriors into the funnel.] Jake had to admit, as he watched, that it appeared to be working very well. The beastkin were often amazingly coordinated thanks to their auril hearts, but that coordination persisted with the many Elysians that had joined their many families. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he felt that their coordination or strength was even better than before, and a big part of that could be how well their parties now balanced out. Many of the insect creatures had attacks that spat deathly or poisonous energies, but Jake¡¯s Aura helped protect them, and his flames made all of their ally¡¯s attacks deadly. Despite facing a vast wave of enemies, Hearthtribe cut a swath through the monsters with ease now that Jake and his party were there, and piercing the enemy¡¯s formation. The beastkin were truly in their element in a fight, their hearts singing the song of battle. He could feel it as they all fought, and he directed them as they dismantled their enemies to his instruction. Each of his wives had quite the kill count, from Fhesiah launching hundreds of darts of kitsune flames or her waves of Celestial Claws of Fusion being sent out, to Tanda launching hundreds of arrows and seeds from her bow. They led the charge, Hearthtribe fighting with both technique and coordination. Bree and Avalara were truly forces of nature, their sizes allowing them to both soak up damage but also unleash devastating attacks with their bulk. They both enjoyed fighting among the beastkin immensely, shredding and crushing their enemies with each passing moment. And Jake, despite having much of his mana reserved inside his two powerful creatures, still contributed significantly from Bloodberri¡¯s back with his Hearthblade. Each swing cleaved through enemies like a hot knife through warm butter, and with their deadly dance, the two would always line him up for a swing while accomplishing their own. Their tail shredded through enemies as they weaved through the battlefield, their spikes causing explosions from Jake¡¯s Aura. Eventually, the boss monsters at the gate were defeated, and the swarm of insects and beasts were pushed back and destroyed. It took quite some time to clean up the many enemies, as not everyone had Auto-loot like Jake¡¯s party. After the remaining monsters were looted with skills, the party met inside the Outpost with their allies. The many Clan heads had joined up, with Vesuvius conversing with Rookard about the loot obtained from the bosses. Jake leaped down from Bloodberri¡¯s back, and arrived next to Ophelia, Fhesiah and Tanda. ¡°How goes it, Vesuvius?¡± The large lava monitor beastkin grinned. ¡°It goes well, Chief¨Cthe loot was somewhat substantial. We¡¯re deciding on who gets a life affinity-improving item we¡¯d earned before. But we can all tell that danger lurks¨Csomething is stirring on the floor. It¡¯s like it knows what we set out to do today. We have several reports of monsters gathering, and parties being assaulted on their way here.¡± Rookard chuckled. ¡°It appears like those in this wave, they got excellent loot when this happened. With great danger comes great reward.¡± Drysander stomped over, and stopped just in front of him. Now that he was near, it was easy to see how he towered over Jake. Upon entering the second Tier, the many treants had grown even larger than they already were. The large war oak covered in battle scars chuckled. ¡°Of course it knows that our Champions are here. It is whispered on the wind, the forest itself speaks of it. Your people, the dungeon wants to eat the most.¡± Nadessa was riding in her father¡¯s boughs, and she spoke up from where she sat, peering down at Jake¡¯s party. ¡°It looks like you did decide on two. Jake and Ophelia, and the rest of you are sealed?¡± Jake nodded. ¡°We decided this was the best balance of risk and reward for our first delve. We may tune it depending on how this goes, but it¡¯s better not to become greedy. We know how it likes to lure us into a false sense of security.¡± It wasn¡¯t just improved loot that they would gain on clearing these events as Champions. He had learned that while Life¡¯s Haven had buffed up and they did not earn a Divine Spark, they had actually gained something, even beyond the special Epic+ Store and tons of CP. Their faith energy levels and ability to understand Divine Energy was just so poor at that time, that they could hardly feel it¨Cand they were so busy with Jake entering a rage from his Wrath State, besides. Much like when they killed the Necromancer on Ankhmar, they got a small sliver of something, and it increased their total amount of faith and divine energy contained within their vessels. The distinction between the two energies was not something Jake fully understood still, and the reason for this was that they were so close. When faith energy was particularly dense, converting it into the energies of the divine made the difference somewhat small. Looking at Morwen and Bedwyr with his Umbral Gaze, he could see faith energy throughout their whole bodies, while Jake and his party had the denser, more mysterious divine energy within them. The primary reason they went with Jake and Ophelia unsealed was that they could use Fusion Ascension. Having access to both of their Divine Energy in this form would grant them a significant advantage, that they were sure would allow them to flip the table and overcome any threat. At the same time, Jake hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to use it. The dungeon didn¡¯t seem to be aware of the overall strength of their hearth bonds for some reason, and enemy champions kept underestimating just how effective they were. In the Fortress Assault, their enemy had expended significant effort to seal the rooms, but Jake could have summoned any of his wives except Bloodberri at that time if he had wanted, and just stomped the Champions one by one. To add onto that, it seemed the enemy champions weren¡¯t really aware of Ira his familiar, either. It was hard to read an anthropomorphic locust Champion of Greed¡¯s expressions, but how he froze in place and seemed confused after Ira wrapped around his throat was interesting. This would be for their trial run. Depending on the difficulty, they would either reduce or increase their number of seals. He thought that even if this event went easily, they would at most only unseal one more of them for random dungeon exploration with their allies. The truth was, the War Trial events might have challenges where they couldn¡¯t even seal themselves. Wouldn¡¯t it be smarter for them to run around unsealed all the time, to have the right expectations and possibilities for growth? It may seem that way, but the battlefields would potentially be so large, they would often be forced to split their efforts up anyhow. It wasn¡¯t as if the battles would be the same as if they all five were all together, like doing Incursions or exploring the dungeon as a party. In addition, they wouldn¡¯t actually be the only Champions or their near-equivalents on the battlefield, with many children of Divine and beast avatars present and more. So in that sense, their difficulty wouldn¡¯t always be matched. Morwen interrupted his thoughts, ¡°This will be much like what was recorded in Life¡¯s Haven, then. The Boss or event will become more challenging. Our brethren will get a better challenge this time.¡± Vesuvius laughed. ¡°We did call Clan Hart for the bigger ones, but we hardly needed them in truth. We appreciate the aid and the security, but we¡¯d have managed.¡± What Vesuvius said was true. The last several events, they were hardly needed. After the first major one, they had only brought several of Clan Hart members, rather than the whole party. It was more a break from their usual tasks than it was that their guild actually required their help. Bedwyr sighed. ¡°It is a shame the Ravenwolf Tribe are not here. Their strength and skill will be missed.¡± Tanda nodded. ¡°Dad and his Tribe are off helping Warrior Brotherhood and baiting the Obsidian Blades into fights, to help them win access to the Prime Instance. It seems Mother is having a grand time.¡± Rookard laughed. ¡°Dahlia did love a good hunt. I almost pity our enemies. That Timone and her have access to your Clan-mother Aisling is really not fair. Having her helps with some of the communication issues, as well.¡± Jake couldn¡¯t help but grin at that. Timone and Dahlia were already quite strong. Combined with exceptional mobility, and having someone who could somewhat see the future on your team, was really busted. As she had reached the Second Tier, she was more actively and reliably able to peer into the near-future, he had learned. What Rookard was referring to about the communication issues was that their headsets they used on Ariminum and Highlands did not work within the dungeon, nor did many forms of magical communication. Many other magical tools were simply not allowed, including many exclusive flying tools like Jake¡¯s blimps and more. Even Storage Rings had certain limitations on what they could bring in, the items automatically being locked upon entry, unable to be removed. It was yet another reason for them to be forced to rely on the Outposts, since messages could travel between them. They organized their Battlegroup for the upcoming event, not really knowing what to expect other than that it recommended a maximum of 100 members levels 33 through 35 to assault. That the gate was more or less in view of the Outpost led them to believe the challenge was related. Unlocking a new floor required defeating a boss-level challenge, though the size of the Battlegroup varied. For smaller, resource-oriented floors like the previous mana stone cavern, a smaller, twenty-five person Battlegroup could unlock it by defeating a challenging boss or sometimes a special environment¨Cor both. Those that led to massive floors like this one and the entry, they required whole Battlegroups of various sizes, and could have long events like the Dungeon Raid. This was definitely the largest one they had attempted, judging by the numbers involved. While Hearthtribe had explored much of the floors and unlocked numerous paths or special events within, it wasn¡¯t just that exploration took time or effort. Challenges had numbers and level ranges required, and thanks to the Outpost system, it seemed to require quite a bit of build up and effort to unlock the different sections. There were even gated items that only unlocked with enough resources collected. There were also special timed events, that Hearthtribe had taken on without Jake¡¯s party. They simply were unable to head back in time to get them to join, and it appeared that this was by design. The benefits in these cases were the best, but there also appeared to be a major danger¨Cif they failed, the Outposts would come under attack. As Jake looked over at the ominous gate in the distance, he couldn¡¯t help but get a nagging feeling. That this looked a lot like something he¡¯d seen in the MMO. So Jake let his allies know his suspicions, and they made calls to the nearby Outposts. While it might just be a coincidence, it certainly didn¡¯t hurt to take a few extra precautions. Jake said, ¡°It¡¯s clear this Outpost might come under attack, whether from the challenge itself, or from Tartarus machinations. But we¡¯re used to what it can try to pull off. We¡¯ve prepared as much as we could, and are ready for a challenging battle. As always, we¡¯ll remain vigilant and fight with our all.¡± BS7 - Chapter 13 - Battlefield Skirmish Because of just how busy the floor was, Jake knew it was a good idea to build up some additional defenses. The second Tier druids brought out their own prepared seeds, combined with Tanda¡¯s special seeds, added living plants in a layer behind the walls. When Jake had chosen the Elysians for their Mass Migration, he knew that they would be excellent defenders. But he had no idea that they would also be an amazing engineering corp, capable of building defenses rapidly on the fly. With the numerous hostile plants of Highlands, they were able to make deadly fields capable of attack or defense. The treants and druids built up walls of plants, which would aid in any threat Tartarus tried to throw at them. The only reason they hadn¡¯t much used them or grown up the defenses further prior to this moment was that the Outpost system wouldn¡¯t allow for permanent constructions for very long. They would get worn away and absorbed into the Outpost in time, if the Outpost system wasn¡¯t used to create them in the first place. Since the bolstered defenses were only needed for the next day or so, Jake felt that was good enough for their purposes. The stone walls were now reinforced by a secondary wall of plants and rapidly grown trees, providing a second layer of defenses. Around the Node, some vine spitters and thick woven vines would provide a place of retreat as well. The five hundred on the floor were far from all the Hearthtribe in the dungeon. Because of how the paths split into many destinations, just two or three floors deep already had dozens of potential floors, and they had presences on all of them. Not only that, but many Hearthtribe were traveling and aiding others throughout their holdings¨Ctheir owned worlds, which were recently at war. Thousands were busy with their humanitarian efforts and personal training, as a Hearthtribe member should be. It was more or less a requirement for them to have a token presence on every one of the floors in the dungeon, farming resources and protecting the Outposts within the various events. It required substantial organization and investment, and Jake could see why many Guilds did not spend as much effort in the dungeon as they did on Contested Worlds. When they received word that a small number of reinforcements had arrived from the nearest floors to bolster their defenses if the worst came to pass, they began to move out. They didn¡¯t want more on this floor unless it was truly needed, as certain events scaled on the number of participants. Having them just a quick call away, in the mana stone floor or at the entry to the dungeon, was for the best. They organized their parties, making sure they had the strongest hundred in battle power among them to assault the event. They marched to the gate, though it wasn¡¯t very far¨Cclearly in view from the Outpost walls, only about twenty miles away. For people in the second Tier, they could run or fly over in mere minutes. As they neared the gate, it looked similar to the others that had unlocked a floor. However, it did appear a little different. The depictions of horror on the pillars of the gate looked more ominous, and the gate had a dark red hue as opposed to others which had ambiguous darker, almost black hues. It was on a hill between the two hills and a distance off center. Across from the hill that held their Outpost, there was one that looked suspiciously similar to the hill their Outpost sat on. Brock spoke up, ¡°This one seems a little different from the other gates we¡¯ve found?¡± Morwen spoke from the back of Bedwyr¡¯s mount. ¡°This challenge. What it unlocks will not be a simple floor. You could see the purpose of these challenges for the gates as being two-fold. The first, is the Framework making sure that we are ready. By opening the gate, the threat within the overall dungeon, all floors beneath it, will have increased. If left unchecked, the other side of the gate would become a place for monsters to pool up and eventually come through, potentially cascading through the floors until they reach Highlands should we lose it.¡± She let that sink in for a moment, and then continued, ¡°The second is for us to earn a major benefit. What¡¯s in this special event will be valuable, but it will likely be difficult to defend.¡± What Morwen said was true, and the Framework scripts on the gate matched that. It said little more than that this was a Pandora¡¯s Box, and only Guilds or Worlds that were ready for the overall dungeon difficulty to increase should continue. Whether this opened a new path to another floor of the dungeon, or opened a weekly mini-boss event, things would get more difficult. Even with the danger, the dungeon was like a natural resource of great value. The Outposts were not merely a useless village in the middle of the dungeon, that had no meaning beyond the enemy attacks or threat of Monster Tides for the natives of the world. Even if they didn¡¯t develop them into what they eventually became. Whether it be farming monsters for experience or their drops, to mining the blue stones from the walls, each and every floor had immense utility. Some of the Outposts even had special ways to convert resources into refined materials, making them like money producing factories. And the experience¨Cmany worlds were stuck early in the Second Tier. By fighting and living deep in the dungeon, the residents could transcend the world¡¯s limitations¨Ceven if they never joined the Framework, thanks to the energy density. Not only that, but entire worlds could be earned, and improvements to the world they were fighting for could also be claimed. Of course, there was a different, very important danger regarding fighting in the dungeon. If you were doing that, then who was defending and winning back Contested Worlds? Thankfully, if a world or guild wanted to retreat from the dungeon, it was possible to close the gates to reduce their investment in the dungeon¨Cit just required its own time and resource investment. Tanda noted, ¡°I wish we knew what we were trying to earn here, so we could focus our efforts on only the best stuff. Or maybe the best fights!¡± Vesuvius grinned. ¡°Our people enjoyed this floor the most because it resonated with us. Why not go further down the path? If it was a mistake, we¡¯ll have learned our lesson and focus our efforts everywhere next time.¡± Roxo, the raptor parentage beastkin said, ¡°My wives couldn¡¯t see much of what happened today in their dreams. But they felt¡­what happened today was a good thing.¡± Fhesiah and Ira both scanned the surrounding area, and there were numerous avian beastkin flying around the Outpost, looking for threats. They checked within dozens of miles, but they didn¡¯t find anything significant for an enemy plot. The floor was now quiet, now that the waves had been dealt with. As they entered the portal, it turned red. It gave them a period to enter, before the event would begin, even without the recommended number of participants. Eventually, the maximum entered, Jake¡¯s party taking over twenty members, despite having sealed most of his wives. It was because Champions were worth even more in this Tier than the five they were worth in the first Tier, at seven. The reasons were numerous, but the difference between an average warrior and a Champion only got larger and larger as they went up in Tier. Very few could overcome this difference. The closest he had heard of, was that with enough time, the most devout clergy of a god or goddess could build up enough faith energy in their vessel that they could certainly come close. But it was usually by fighting downward in Tier, from the fourth to the third, and similar. Then, even sealed, Fhesiah, Tanda, and Bloodberri each still took more than one. The reason appeared to be related to their third Tier Race rather than their sealed status, but it was unclear. On the other hand, spriggons took less than one, at a half. There were only a small number of these that had reached the second Tier, and a majority of them traveled with the Ravenwolf clan or with their monster tamers. They had brought a number of extra warriors on their trip to the gate, but not a large percentage of their forces. Whatever threat would come, the truth was that Hearthtribe¡¯s elites were a part of this roughly seventy participants. If they needed help due to some Tartarus plot, then it was much better for the large number at the Outpost to come flank the enemy instead once they came out, rather than get hit and defeated while the elites were inside. Arriving on the other side of the portal, the battlefield they found themselves placed in was much like the jungle of the floor they were in, just in a giant clearing. They all received a prompt the moment they arrived. [Battle will begin shortly. You have a period of one minute to prepare for battle.] All of their buffs, and Jake¡¯s summons were cancelled upon entry, so he had to buff everyone up again with his Divine Reinforcement. Bloodberri couldn¡¯t use her Twilight Monarch aura, so she used her old Armor of Faith ability on Jake and herself, like usual. Once again, Jake worked to bring out Avalara and Bree, as he read over the prompt. [Event: Battlefield Skirmish] [Defeat the Bloodwrought army for victory. Alliance Defeat will result in a Monster Tide and lose rights to earn Gate contents, closing forever. Victory will provide Tailored Potential Improvement Reward and begin the Resource War Battleground.] [2 Champions Present. In addition to reduced Alliance Battlegroup participant numbers, difficulty has been increased. Bloodwrought Abominations have been added to the enemy army, and the Personal Rewards have been increased.] [The Bloodwrought are a race of beastkin with a cursed vitality, survivors of an ancient war that went too far. Drinking from a tainted well of a deceased god, they perverted their blood and their minds. Losing their sanity, they were forced into an endless cycle of mutation and slaughter. Fueled by their rage and corrupted regeneration, they fight and mutate endlessly during battle.] Jake was not surprised at the prompt, as it was almost exactly what he had predicted. However, he was still a bit shocked by the specifics. It was an evil enemy race, and the part that surprised him was what they were. As the enemy army appeared some distance away, he realized they almost looked like beastkin, but their bodies were covered in eerie, pulsing veins that glowed either red or violet. Their eyes were crimson, and they did not wield weapons. Instead, jagged serrated bone blades or spines protruded from their skin or fur all over, making them like living weapons. Each had a bestial, feral look in their expressions, and many had fur or scales and muzzled faces like different animals, much like the Highlands beastkin with heavy beast blood. They were like a twisted version of the beastkin, that had been cursed or tainted. Some of them were quite large, bigger than Vesuvius after he enlarged himself, while others were smaller humanoids. And while they had feral looks, some of the smaller peoples¡¯ eyes shone with evil intelligence. The smaller ones held staves covered with skulls and other bones, making Jake think that they were some form of shaman or witch doctor. The Bloodwrought Abominations towered over the rear of the enemy army, reminding Jake of the many bone monstrosities they had faced on Highlands. They were massive six-legged creatures, stomping forward like giant lizards with grotesque heads with several mouths with too many teeth. They had tails in the back of them, which also¡­had several mouths and spikes and more. Their torsos were like a mound of grotesque blood and flesh, pulsing to the beat of their many hearts. Fleshy tentacles filled with the nasty veins and serrated or bladed bones undulated from the torso area as the monsters moved. Thankfully, the creatures appeared to be relatively slow. There appeared to be almost exactly a hundred of the Bloodwrought, making this like a PvP battle or war. Combined with their battlefield, it felt like a preview for what they would see shortly¨Cthe enemies they would face in the Resource War Battleground. Thanks to them appearing a distance away, they had time to prepare beyond the initial minute they were given. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Jake¡¯s Aura pulsed as he raised his staff in the air. His desire was sent out to the beastkin, speaking aloud only so the Elysians and Emberborn could hear. ¡°Spread out and form battle lines. Buff, entrench, and control.¡± The Elysians had always been experts in defense of their home. With Avalara and Tanda¡¯s Sublimation, this became effective even without them being next to the World Tree. The Highlands jungle appeared and started to grow, grass, bushes and trees rising from the fertile ground around them, joining the floor¡¯s jungle and taking it over. Drysander and a second treant stomped forward, and began rooting themselves into the ground¨Centrenching twenty meters away from each other at the edge. Even though the larger, giant-like Bloodwrought approached in the front of the enemy¡¯s army, Jake was confident in their sturdiness. When the treants had their roots in the ground, especially fertile ground like the jungle on Highlands or the special floor they were now in, they would heal on their own rapidly, making them powerful undying tanks. Of course, Avalara, Bree, Darris, and a giant Vesuvius would help take on the enemy¡¯s charge, and they took their places between the treants. Even Darris grew now as well, just not as much as Vesuvius did. Beastkin and Servants of Arawn with shields lined the front of the battle line they formed, and warriors with polearms stood behind them. Around thirty warriors stood in the front, ready to take the army¡¯s charge. A few standouts Jake noticed were some nethril warriors, ex beastkin betrayers finding penitence, and one true nethril beastkin¨Ca large mammoth that he knew Timone and Dahlia had faced. It seemed that the nethril beastkin betrayers kept their intelligence thanks to the ritual, and the non-betrayers seemed to regain some of it once they reached the second Tier. The mammoth beastkin had some of his memories restored, and there were new nethril beastkin appearing all across Highlands. It would take a few more years, but he assumed eventually he may have a lot more nethril beastkin in Hearthtribe that helped maintain the balance and punish evil alike. Many of them were like newly born children at the moment, but as they listened to the song of the world, they would grow. The mammoth was especially old and had been a rare one that survived for a long time, and this was why he was one of the only ones present. The beastkin clergy and Elysian druids all added their spells onto the beastkin and treants, empowering them. Morwen added her buffs of enhanced bone to the reptile beastkin, as well as her husband, Bedwyr, causing their bone armor to grow out from their special armors. Celtic runes now lined nearly all their equipment, empowering them as they were enhanced with Auril. Jake, while working with many beastkin enchanters, had added many songs to the gear to accomplish numerous things. Their auril hide and bone armors were like extensions of their bodies, and their special woods and metals going into their weapons were the same. And finally, the control began on the incoming enemies. Turbulent winds started to blow, the elemental druids beginning to slow the enemy¡¯s approach as they built up storm clouds above them. Vines grew out from the ground, the nature druids growing and wrapping entangling plants around the incoming enemy¡¯s bodies, a field of dangerous thorns appearing between the two armies. The tainted beastkin had little difficulty cutting through the vines and barely bled from the thorns as their bladed bodies passed through, but many had slowed their approach in trying to remove them. Already, the enemy was becoming scattered as a result, only the biggest warriors nearing the front lines unimpeded. Compared to Hearthtribe with its well-formed battle lines, it was clear who would have the advantage. The Priestesses of Arawn completed a magic circle, releasing several large novas of frost scattered throughout the enemy ranks, like giant rings of blue ice exploding outward among them. Morwen started building up toward her special spell enhanced by her faith in Arawn, her Winter¡¯s Embrace. Many of the tainted beastkin were frozen or slowed from being struck by the waves of frost, but others continued unimpeded. The shamanic casters in the back of the enemy ranks all began to gather magical energy, and the frozen tainted beastkin¡¯s veins started to pulse together, to a beat of a twisted heart. This seemed to embolden them, making them rush a little faster or break from their fetters of ice, with a hungry ferocity. As the other enemies neared, arrows and javelins were rained onto them, and explosions of flame knocked into them and tore flesh from their bodies. The manifestations of animal attacks enhanced by Jake¡¯s flames from the Highlands beastkin were especially powerful, but the odd pulsing veins of the tainted beastkin produced some strange results. Where a limb was torn off, the veins within them pulsed a deeper color, and another, somehow improved limb covered in blood grew to replace it. Thicker and sturdier, somehow. Where flesh was pierced and blood splattered, new, gross flesh was replaced, sometimes with bone. The new limbs or flesh were twisted amalgamations of tissue, blood, and bone, as the monstrous people mutated through battle. This all happened rapidly. It only took a few seconds for the lost limb or missing flesh to heal over, the monstrous people restoring themselves after taking damage. Jake could feel the unease of the Highlands beastkin seeing these horrible enemies in action. This was similar to what they would have become had they lost to the death god. A twisted version of themselves, a perversion of the life they held as sacred. He and his wives mostly held off from participating, for the moment. It was important to understand their enemy, as once they won, their people would be fighting them potentially frequently, and at least during the Battleground challenge, it seemed. Then, even from the prompt, it was like the Abominations were their responsibility, a creature added by Jake and Ophelia¡¯s participation in this battle alone. As the giant creatures were still stomping toward their army and lagging behind in the back of theirs, they left things as they were for now. They did their own tests, however. Darts of Fhesiah¡¯s draconic and kitsune flames smacked into the tainted beastkin, setting them alight. Ophelia sent her own vajrafire flames as well in the forms of spears, and Berri and Blood sent their holy light and dark flames, and Tanda fired her arrows using her cyclic avenging, deathly flames. Jake held off with doing more than casting small spells with his regenerated mana, as much of it was reserved for Bree and Avalara. The two were protecting the treant¡¯s and beastkin¡¯s flanks, Bree with her dinodog auril summons, and Avalara had actually formed two of her own¨Cstags that looked a lot like Oran the Stag. Watching closely with his Umbral Gaze, Jake could see the tainted veins being burned away by their flames. Where this occurred, the flesh didn¡¯t grow back. It seemed that in order for it to regrow something, a tainted vein needed to be at least near that portion of their flesh. He could see this was the case with the attacks blessed by the many clergy, their holy nature purifying the taint within them. When many limbs or bones were lost, they did not grow back. Thanks to Jake¡¯s explosive aura, which didn¡¯t apply to a hundred percent of a person¡¯s attacks, some of the Bloodwrought fell and did not get back up after just a few hits. Nearly two dozen¨Ca quarter of them had already been taken down by the ranged attacks, and none of them had even made it to melee yet. That was until a malicious wave of red and violet pulsed out from the witch doctors, the skulls on their demented staves shaking and their blackened teeth chattering. The tainted hearts of the downed and damaged beastkin pulsed as they were revitalized, and veins regrew throughout the flesh of the bodies. Limbs and bones then burst forth through their flesh as the previously dead beastkin stood, even those that appeared to be missing a head. They continued with a single-minded purpose, to rush toward Jake¡¯s army. The only ones that remained dead appeared to be the ones that lost their hearts. Valora whinnied, and Ophelia snorted. ¡°You got that right, Val. Totally gross. Guess we have our target now, huh?¡± Jake signaled his intent to the beastkin with his will, and said, ¡°Target the casters. Make this the first priority for all ranged to take them all down. Do your best to target the Bloodwrought¡¯s hearts.¡± The army of tainted beastkin reached the Highlands jungle area, a domain that now took up a good portion of the battlefield. The two treants were rooted near the edge of it, their bodies ready to take on the large incoming tainted enemies. They had grown from all the magic infused into them, and Jake knew they also had skills to absorb the plants near them or merge with them and control them. A large tainted bearlike beastkin was quickly met with Drysander¡¯s giant axe, the blade cutting deeply into the monster. One of Jake and Tanda¡¯s enchanted works, even being near Avalara¡¯s Sublimation caused the Celtic runes to light up with the energy, making the weapon sharp and fierce. Rootivian the Third hit the incoming Bloodwrought with a powerful downward stroke of his large maul that sent the large rhinoceros-like tainted beastkin crashing to the ground, ending its charge and digging its face deep into the ground. Many of its protective bones had shattered by the blow, and now the many beastkin leaped to attack, cutting and piercing into the downed, larger monster¡¯s flesh. Berri pumped her fist as Blood prepared one of her super baseballs, and infused the runes with her hearth mana. ¡°Yes! Get him Root! You are Root!¡± Rootivian laughed at Berri¡¯s enthusiasm, and seemed to get pumped up too as he fought the large monster in front of him. ¡°Hahaha, yes. I am Root! Taste nature¡¯s fury, heathens!¡± With a loud crack, Berri¡¯s swung living weapon sent the super baseball like it was fired from a canon. It struck one of the witch doctors right in the chest, and the ball exploded into flaming shrapnel, shredding through the caster¡¯s body and setting it and the nearby enemies aflame. Tanda and Rookard, among the other beastkin archers, were now on the hunt, sending powerful sniping shots toward the shamans and witch doctors in the back. It seemed that avian beastkin and the smaller reptile beastkin often chose archery as their specialty, so they now worked to take down the enemy effectively. Nadessa and a few of the elemental druids sent dark clouds pushing through the winds, a large thunderstorm now brewing above the enemy army. Lightning occasionally blasted downward, shredding and scorching the taller beastkin¡¯s flesh. Among the enemy Bloodwrought were smaller warriors compared to their larger counterparts. They roared, and covered themselves with blood from their fallen allies. They then fought with unnatural haste, and their bone blades now had a sickly red or violet glowing edge. It seemed their powers were truly varied, the Bloodwrought capable of numerous things¨Cmuch like the Highlands beastkin. Fhesiah hummed. ¡°It seems if Ruby were here, she¡¯d be quite effective against these people. It¡¯s too bad she¡¯s busy on Aetheris.¡± Avalara and Bree were crushing the enemies and their vines were piercing enemy¡¯s hearts, and the beastkin worked in harmony to slay the incoming horde of beastkin. Because the enemy were now in melee, the warriors had stopped throwing javelins and joined the fray, and only the avian beastkin avoided this. The enemy¡¯s extra bladed, mutated limbs and serrated bones were dangerous, but the beastkin were experts at melee combat. Despite their enemies often being larger, they were met with rune-covered shields and polearms, magical manifestations of defensive animals like turtle shells, thick scales, or deadly claws. The Highlands beastkin and the Elysians dismantled the Bloodwrought with superior skill, training and equipment, and Jake was proud to see it. And for where these things were found lacking, or their enemy overwhelmed their flank, their Chief Jake protected them with his mere Champion Presence. The melee had appeared to be an easy victory at first, because Hearthtribe was outmatching their enemies in ranged attacks and control. But Jake had noticed something with his Umbral Gaze. The blood which splattered onto his ally¡¯s flesh or even bark in the case of the treants, were starting to taint those that were injured. It was happening rapidly, and their bodies were starting to become unresponsive. Jake was forced to create a barrier for Rootivian, and Ophelia triggered Sentinel on Drysander, shielding them and coming to their aid on Valora. Just before the tainted blood could take over their hearts, Jake and Ophelia cast Renewal on them. Ophelia with her skill with the flames of Hestia, and Jake with his flames of Hestia from his Hearth, their Purifying Flames clearing the tainted blood from them. Having spent weeks and months practicing with his 2nd Tier Hearth Control, he could now reproduce this spell in its entirety, using his own flames, or Hestia¡¯s. There was not a significant difference between the two flames, only that hers were more holy. Because his also had a divine quality, his could accomplish many of the same things. He could convert his hearth mana into Hestia¡¯s flames at a decent rate, but it wasn¡¯t like it was one to one. Typically, he still found it worthwhile to do anytime where there was something to purify, otherwise his flames more than sufficed for the job. He spoke his thoughts, enhancing his voice with mana. ¡°The enemy taints us with their blood. Clergy, purify those who have been wounded. Warriors, protect yourselves from their blood wherever possible.¡± Of course, that wasn¡¯t something easy to accomplish. Not only because striking the enemy was required, and blood would often erupt as a result, but the enemy was also attacking with their blood somewhat. Their blood was lining their bone weapons, almost like a venom applied, or strange fleshlike blood as part of their mutated limbs. So Jake¡¯s request was similar to asking them to, ¡®try not to get hurt guys,¡¯ an impossible request on a battlefield. Still, he hoped they would try to fight a little more defensively. And by how the beastkin and servants of Arawn tightened their formations, he saw they were doing their best. Grayson chuckled. ¡°Right away, Chief.¡± An orb of water formed as he and his nymph wife manifested, gathered and then sent a wave of water washing over their allies on the front lines, with the purification and healing powers of Brigid contained within. To Jake¡¯s surprise, this also harmed the tainted beastkin, the enemy beastkin roaring out in pain. It was like they were dunked in boiling water, and their pulsing veins started to recede within them. He wished they had more nymphs along with them now, but their numbers were too few. There was much more back at the Outpost, so he would remember the water¡¯s effectiveness. The enemies started to fall rapidly, but the abominations were now nearing the battle lines. The enemy casters were the ones at the furthest back who had died, and tentacles now picked up what remained of their corpses. The casters Bloodberri, Tanda, or Fhesiah had focused on slaying, there was very little left, their bodies completely purified by the flames. But the ones their archers sniped and took out, much of their corpse was remaining. The tentacles were reaching out and grabbing the corpses, and bringing them to one of their many, horrifying maws before they crunched and chewed on what was left. The blood entered their bloodstreams, and veins bulged and empowered them as their twisted hearts beat within them. The monster¡¯s bodies pulsed with terrible energy, and started to grow slightly as a result. Jake groaned. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re up, girls. We have abominations to kill.¡± BS7 - Chapter 14 - Hearthtribe Supremacy Jake was just about to have his party move forward, but Morwen¡¯s voice interrupted him. ¡°Not to worry, Lord Jake. Allow us to show our strength.¡± Her magic circle lit up, and she finished her spell: Winter¡¯s Embrace. It was like a portal were opened in the middle of the enemy formation to another world. It was one of frost and ice, and it rapidly replaced the jungle in a wave, converting it into a winter land of ice and snow. Empowered by Morwen and seven priestesses of Arawn, the freezing cold spread from the middle of the enemy army, freezing the grass instantly and covering every enemy in its circular path. The cold wave struck the battle lines of the tainted fighting the beastkin, and it covered the abominations with intense cold. It was stronger than previous castings by a fair margin, and with even fewer priestesses contributing their efforts. And not only that, he realized that they had completed the casting even faster. Everything was nearly frozen over, but the veins within their bodies lit up inside their icy prisons, still pulsing. Some of the larger one tainted beastkin continued to move, but slowly. The abominations weren¡¯t completely frozen over, but they had been slowed by a thick layer of frost, their movements slowing to a crawl. The casters in Hearthtribe¡¯s army were not done. Nadessa and her mothers, along with druids riding in Rootivian¡¯s boughs, added their elemental magics to the storm clouds above. The storm had been randomly striking out occasionally. This build up was completely different by how the clouds rumbled and how there was a sort of polarity shift he could feel. If not for the protection of his armor and magic running through him, he was sure his hairs all over his body would be standing on end. Thanks to his Umbral Gaze, he saw the immense amount of magical energy that entered the cloud. Huge bolts of lightning then started striking down, pounding into the abominations and the frozen Bloodwrought. The bolts were even more powerful than before, and they struck deeply into the large abominations, scorching their horrible flesh and shattering large chunks of frozen flesh away from the tainted beastkin. With the enemies controlled, the beastkin cut through their frozen hearts, and Jake¡¯s Aura often caused the icy statues to explode into useless chunks. The abominations lost several of their legs and numerous of their tentacles from the thunderstorm, and the beastkin and Elysians quickly cleaned up the frozen tainted beastkin. Fhesiah laughed. ¡°Maybe we should have gone with two seals? They kicked the enemy¡¯s ass.¡± As Jake watched them more or less dominate this fight without his family¡¯s aid, he saw the true superiority of the elites of Hearthtribe. Sure, a big part of them defeating the enemy so easily and without losses was in part thanks to the effectiveness of his amazing Champion Hearthian Presence, his summons, and how much impact his other wives had even without going all out. He helped them maintain their resources, which in a long fight, had a substantial impact. And it was the same with Avalara and Tanda being present, their Sublimations enhancing every single one of the beastkin¡¯s attacks and abilities. While a couple of others in their Battlegroup had this similar connection, they simply were not as substantial as theirs. It also helped that part of the reward for the event was merely the right to fight in another one, Jake imagined. It was hard to make a one-to-one comparison, but this appeared to be at the level of Nature¡¯s Crossroads¨Ca secondary Alliance HQ reclamation, or perhaps, a Fortress Assault involving only two enemy Champions. And Jake knew this wasn¡¯t their true strength on the battlefield. Their numbers had been limited in this event, but his people would truly shine when they had much more of them together. The fight wasn¡¯t yet over, but Grayson and the nymphs in the army gathered their waters of purity, creating a decent-sized wave. Darris aided them in controlling it and adding onto it, and it washed over the enemy ranks, and crashed into the abominations that were still recovering from the ice covering them. The pulsing veins of the giant abominations had already removed much of the ice, and the monsters had sped up as they stomped toward the beastkin. But now, the army of tainted beastkin was completely destroyed, and their corpses and tainted blood purified by the holy waters. Which meant Hearthtribe were ready to receive the enemy, and they could focus on the abominations. Jake found resonance with Tanda, switching to the state of the Avenger. With the beastkin¡¯s hearts singing the song of nature¡¯s vengeance, the flames of his Aura took on a more offensive quality, ready to purify and destroy these defilers of life. As a result of Jake finding resonance with her and entering her state, Tanda¡¯s Cyclic Avenging Flames burned even more brightly, causing her arrows to become even more explosive and devastating. If she was unsealed, her Avenging Strike and Cyclic Resonance would certainly be enhanced as well, and even her spriggon summons would take on a more offensive quality. The javelins were brought out again by the melee, and the many archers started launching their attacks onto the giant creatures. Flesh was torn and exploded away as the taint within them was purified, the monsters shrinking with every strike. While they were massive, they weren¡¯t invincible. However, it was only after a large chunk of the flesh was burned away, that Jake noticed something with his Umbral Gaze. The monster¡¯s veins and flesh were starting to grow back, and the flames were losing some of their impact. It seemed the two creatures were mutating. Evolving. As time went on, he saw that there were limits though. While the monsters became more resilient, it couldn¡¯t become invincible against the purifying flames. Not only that, but their blood energies were not limitless. Before the monsters could reach Drysander and Root, the flesh and overall size had decreased by well over thirty percent. Then, the legs, tail and head were almost completely crippled from how many chunks were missing, and unable to grow back. Avalara and Bree rushed forward, and started tearing into the fleshy abominations with their weapons. The lightning from the storm clouds above once again picked up from the druid¡¯s efforts, and the Priestesses of Arawn were channeling their faith into their paladin. Bedwyr struck one of the bosses with his Icy Death attack, swinging his war scythe down and shredding and freezing a large chunk of one of the abominations with a stream of frost and death that advanced in a straight line. Numerous hearts were destroyed in that singular attack by deathly ice, and icicles were launched next that pierced the abominations. The fleshy tentacles reached out and tried to grab the beastkin, but they were answered by powerful attacks and a stalwart defense¨Cshields and polearms ready to deflect them. Eventually, Avalara released her flames of Conflict, a powerful blast of golden flames that seared deeply into the blob of a monster, burning toward its core where many hearts were. And Bree used her fiery might to pierce deeply into the other abomination with her claw, a blast of immense heat reaching inside and destroying more of its hearts. While Jake and his wives did help, they never let their resources go below eighty percent, wanting to keep themselves mostly topped off for the future battle. With one Abomination destroyed, the other was quickly surrounded and taken out as well. The fight ended without Jake and his wives needing to do much more than shield or heal allies, only casually assisting and watching over them. As the two abominations were killed, with Jake¡¯s Umbral Gaze, he watched the special faith energy from the kills drift into not only Jake¡¯s party, but all the clergy and warriors present. Like a white haze, spiritual energy landed on those present. Purified from the dungeon by the Framework, all present gained something, though Jake¡¯s party gained more. While non-clergy couldn¡¯t use the special energy directly, it still influenced their vessel in subtle ways. Ultimately, it was the Framework guiding their development. Jake imagined a warrior might have their body improved similar to how his Divine Hearth had done to him, and a mage could have their mind or soul improved as a result of being influenced by the superior spiritual energy. Of course, those who were clergy would ultimately gain the most from this, as they could actually directly use the enemy. For the average warrior, it would only add a small weight to each of their attacks and a small amount of sturdiness to their bodies. It might take a few major wins like this one, to see a noticeable result from this. [Battle Skirmish Victory! Overall Rating: A] [Personalized Reward: Elixir of Boundless Life] [Consuming this item will improve your affinity for life energy, and increase the vitality within you, increasing your constitution and wisdom. Can synergize with Life-related or adjacent Origins to produce improved results.] Each of his wives won similar items, with Tanda and Bloodberri each receiving a death related item. These appeared to be superior to what had been earned previously, as they were merely [Vials of Shimmering Vitality]. The fact that this improved their life affinity on its own meant that it was an exceptional item. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Only Fhesiah got an item related to Qi, receiving a Source energy treasure, which she was quite happy with. This would help her improve the strength of her Dao. For every single person at the event to receive something like this was substantial. And when they looted the beastkin and the Abominations, they received tainted blood as well as special bones, and perhaps grosser, their special hearts. [Providing enhanced recovery period for ten minutes prior to ejection from event. When ten minutes are up, the Battleground will commence.] The energy within the jungle clearing shifted, and now it was like they were standing in the special recovery areas of the raids or the Battlegrounds. Jake found his mana rapidly being restored, and he was sure that, combined with some pills which he saw several of the beastkin popping, they would be at a hundred percent and ready for the next battle. The family settled in to recover, and prepare. While this should have been all they were expecting, they would have to fight yet another difficult challenge. And they knew Tartarus never played fair. *** As Hearthtribe arrived outside of the event, he had been prepared and expecting some kind of ambush once again. That wasn¡¯t what happened, but what he saw was just as much of a shock. One of the giant trees had fallen onto their Outpost, the magical barrier and outer wall completely crushed by this single action. From what Jake could see, Tartarus had caused this in a ridiculous way. Dominos. The monsters had knocked one large tree over, and then that knocked into another, and then another. Given that they were miles tall¡­he imagined that more than a dozen were used to accomplish this. And that was why they did not detect such a thing in their checks. Unfortunately, they had underestimated Tartarus and its plots or at least how it might achieve them once again. They had checked in an over thirty miles radius thoroughly, and even further than that a little less so. There had been a few boss-level monsters spotted outside of that range, and a few groupings of monsters. But they were not substantial enough to imagine that they could be a part of a plot. Monsters were now attacking from the tree like some kind of several-miles-long ramp, and the four hundred Hearthtribe were now defending against them. The entourage of the Battlegroup had left the Gate to aid the Outpost, and had already arrived to reinforce them. In addition to those attacking from on top of the tree, there were many monsters that had now swarmed the gate from the base of the hill as well. The earlier waves had weakened the gates. They had not yet fully recovered from the damage done to them, so he imagined it wouldn¡¯t be long before they were destroyed. If that was all, Jake didn¡¯t think that was that big of a deal. The problem was that the Battleground challenge was now beginning. [Resource War will begin momentarily. Shields around the shrines to be removed in five minutes. Collect Resources by owning points and defending against waves of monsters. First to one thousand points wins. Maximum Battlegroup Size for defending against waves of shrines: 50. Point earnings are more rapid with larger waves and more defenders. Shrines toward the center of the battlefield are worth double or more, in the case of the center-most point. Resources must be returned to the Outpost to count, and those holding resources will glow blue in your sight. If those holding resources are slain, they can be recovered by the enemy team. Respawn within this Battleground is allowed. Resurrection occurs within Outpost once per hour on the hour until victory is decided. The Outpost can be attacked, and automatic resurrection can be disabled. Loss of the Outpost Node is an automatic loss of the event. The enemy¡¯s numbers have been based on the number of people present on the floor. New entries to the battlefield are allowed, and will be matched with reinforcements of the enemy force.] New features had been added to the landscape. Special shrines drew in energies from the air. These structures were placed around the two Outposts in an almost figure eight pattern around them. There were two on the far side of the Outposts, and three in between. This meant that two points were relatively safe to collect points at, being close to the Outposts, but the three points in the center were equidistant to both bases. Their actions would be completely visible to the enemy there. The enemy¡¯s army was much like they had seen in the event. Hundreds of tainted beastkin now marched down from their Outpost. Other than the large army, smaller groups appeared to be moving to claim the central points. Thankfully, Jake did not see any abominations. However, it did appear they were being led by several unique figures. ¡°Lia, rush ahead on Valora to the Outpost. I¡¯ll send Ira with you to watch over you. Then we¡¯ll teleport to you.¡± Activating her Vajrafire Blitz, the two bolted in the direction of the Outpost. They accelerated in a blur, then leaped through the air, where they ran rapidly through the sky. At the speed she was going, it would not take her very long for her to arrive. He considered retreating to the Outpost, and allowing them to just have the center points. He doubted ownership was actually a huge advantage. However, the enemy army was heading straight for his army, rather than only the center point. If they fled to the Outpost instead of facing them, that meant they would be able to join the monsters currently attacking the Outpost, which Jake thought was a lot worse than slowing them down. Jake said to their Battlegroup, his volume enhanced by magic, ¡°Clan Hart will assist with rescuing the Outpost. I want you to play interference with the enemy army in the center, taking care not to allow yourselves to fall. I want a fighting retreat, but don¡¯t get caught out by the enemy. We will do our best to reinforce you after we¡¯ve rescued the Outpost.¡± This time, they didn¡¯t have blimps, but those that fought in the West of the Highlands war, like Rookard¡¯s wolves and the Emberborn against the beastkin betrayers and legions of undead, were quite familiar with kiting and delaying tactics. Not only that, but Jake would likely leave at least Bree and Avalara with them, unless he felt he truly required them to rescue the Outpost. From afar, things weren¡¯t looking too good. For the time being, Bloodberri, Jake, Tanda and Fhesiah traveled with their army. They headed toward the center, wanting to get in position to delay and weaken the enemy, and become quite the nuisance until Jake¡¯s party could return, or they could be reinforced by some of the four hundred within the Outpost. Looking at the devastation caused by the larger-than-a-skyscraper trees, Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel a little stressed. After a vacation, they were immediately thrown into their enemy¡¯s dangerous plots. Jake said to his wives, ¡°I gotta say, this is a bit¡­disheartening. The plots Tartarus has used against the many parties within the dungeon were not that big of a deal. We come to the dungeon unsealed one time, then all this happens?¡± Fhesiah hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I think it¡¯s better this way. If it¡¯s exciting like this, it feels less like a job, doesn¡¯t it? What did you want to do?¡± She looked around at the dungeon, looking at the monster spawns and caves dotting the vast jungle landscape. ¡°Adventure in here fighting monsters like in a game, farming loot and levels in a sort of¡­endless grind? Then when we¡¯re done for the day, we go home each night to have fun, without much risk at all?¡± Jake arched his brow. ¡°That sounds pretty great? That¡¯s how it used to be, for a few months. I wish we could go back to those times.¡± Bloodberri, Fhesiah, and Tanda all turned to look at him like he was crazy. Berri said, ¡°That sounds boring.¡± Blood added, ¡°And that¡¯s coming from someone that sings at eggs for hours.¡± Ophelia chuckled over their bond. [If you wanted that Jake, you probably shouldn¡¯t have become the Champion of a Goddess.] Jake had to agree with that point. That was the single decision that increased their stakes in their adventuring life. Now, wherever they went, Tartarus would try desperately hard to try to get a piece of them. However, thanks to that choice, they now had the ability to influence the battlefield at a higher level. Like they were about to. As Ophelia and Valora neared the Outpost, Jake watched through her eyes to see everything. He was surprised at how well their people were defending. While the enemy had used the tree to smash a huge hole in the wall and destroy the helpful barrier that blocked ranged attacks, their people, the defenders of the Outpost, excelled in defense. Several treants entrenched themselves near the hole, and numerous druids grew various vines and roots to plug the holes, and emboldened them. In addition, they used the tree to grow more plants defensively, linking into their numerous preparations Jake had previously had them make. It became a wall of its own, making it a challenge for the wave of monsters to proceed and much easier for those within the Outpost to defend. The tree had smashed through the opposite end of the Outpost too, and that was plugged with ice instead. The water nymphs and many reptile beastkin with water and ice magics or abilities likely froze it, along with some clergy of Arawn. The enemy was less concentrated in this section, as the attack was primarily hitting from the other side and trying to destroy the gate, since their plot to create a hole had failed. Perhaps, the Outpost was already under attack when the tree fell. There were many flying enemies, raining attacks down on the defending Hearthtribe. The avian beastkin rallied to defend against them, but there weren¡¯t enough of them to fully counter and protect the Outpost Node. It appeared the majority of the flying creatures of the dungeon floor had arrived all at once, perhaps, those that were up in the boughs. There were numerous giant flying monsters, that were the size of bosses, spitting noxious poisons, acids, and other hazards onto the Outpost. It seemed the preparations in the center to protect the Node weren¡¯t quite enough. At the same time, perhaps the Node would have already fell if they hadn¡¯t done what they did. This was a much larger assault than the one they saw when they had arrived, and Jake¡¯s Battlegroup had taken much of the elites for the event, they were barely holding on. Thanks to their preparations with the plants, they were barely managing. The challenge was certainly the flying enemies. The Node, which was a tower at the center, had already taken some damage from what he could see. If the Node was destroyed, then the challenge would be lost. There was now a new building in the corner of the Outpost too, a shrine that was where Alliance would be resurrected every hour. Jake was somewhat tempted to use his Divine Energy to help clear the waves of enemies in a hurry, but his people had handled things well enough that now he wouldn¡¯t have to. Nevertheless, he was in the state of the Avenger at the end of the Gate Event, and he decided to stay in it. He could feel the songs of the nearby beastkin, and even those at the Outpost thanks to Avalara. They all sought vengeance, the enemy once again destroying what was theirs. And while they had defended well, it wasn¡¯t as if there weren¡¯t losses. Numerous had died from the furious assault, likely moments after Jake¡¯s party had entered the event. As Jake charged his mana for his Reverse Summon to arrive at Ophelia¡¯s side, he watched the Bloodwrought enemy forces on the move from their Outpost. They had a massive force moving to the center shrine, and Jake imagined it was close to a full four hundred or more. Only a dozen or two were heading to the three points in the center each, and it seemed their intent was to claim the entire center and those at their base in one fell swoop, while they attacked Jake¡¯s army. Since a majority of his people were busy defending their Outpost currently, things were off to a bad start for team Alliance. But Jake was sure that his people were superior, thanks to the skirmish. The dungeon needed its plots to even lightly compete with his Hearthtribe veterans and elites, and they were about to flip the board on the enemy. BS7 - Chapter 15 - Flipping the Board Jake arrived near Ophelia using Reverse Summon, and found himself in the middle of the Outpost. Attacks were being rained down on the tower above him, so he sent out his Hearth flames in the shape of a barrier as he held his Divine Hearth as a staff. After rejecting the attacks, he brought the flames back to him and condensed them. He then shot numerous bolts with his hearth flames into the countless large flying insects and creatures in the air from his staff. Hundreds of them. Like a mana bolt machine gun, he sent bullets of hearth flames into the monsters in the sky. They tore through the monsters like they weren¡¯t even there, as he was able to form numerous dense constructs that pierced right through them. He used all of the different flames of his Hearth, his seven flames, as his mana rapidly recovered and condensed. Each moment he fired his odd machine gun of hearth-flavored mana bolts barely used any mana from his reserves. Because he drew it in from the surrounding area and his weapon, aura, class, and core enhanced its recovery¨Cand also just a little bit from his girls. Meanwhile, Ophelia and Valora sent waves of lightning and fiery lightning into the surrounding enemies on the ground with Consecration, and sliced into them with her polearm as she passed through them as they ran. Each swing of Ophelia¡¯s was as fast as a blur, and every single one had the power and weight behind it that could match a large truck. Having mastered several levels of the flames of her hearth, she now wielded her vajrafire Hearthblade and even without her Chosen Technique. Thanks to his resonance state of the Avenger, the blade thickened, extended and became even more deadly on her side. Each swing cleaved all but the boss-level monsters in two, and sent purifying lightning into the target. And every few seconds, she would suddenly blur in another direction, activating her Vajrafire Blitz Technique to pierce or slice through another enemy. Like Ride of the Valkyries, the Technique enhanced her or her mount¡¯s speed in much the same way, only even better. As she improved her skill in it, she started to notice what it allowed for. This upgraded technique allowed her to move exceptionally fast for brief moments, and even reverse direction on a dime if she needed to. It made her incredibly difficult to deal with, and that was not even including how excellent of a fighter she was even without it. Clearing out the sky around the Node rapidly, Jake did his best to follow Tanda, Bloodberri, and Fhesiah¡¯s thoughts. The battle between Hearthtribe¡¯s elites and the Bloodwrought was just about to commence, but there was a new problem. They just received a prompt, as they spotted a particular enemy. [Champion of Dreadbeast detected. Defeat for reward.] It was a special Bloodwrought warrior that was covered in red and violet blood. Two of their tainted hearts pulsed in his chest, with two series of veins. He looked to be a dangerous type of dinosaur, like a T-rex humanoid thanks to his large reptilian face and giant maw. While the enemy didn¡¯t have any Bloodwrought Abominations, it seemed they had numerous powerful witch doctors and shamans with them, and perhaps a few paladin types, judging by their thick bone armor which was covered in a blood aura. Odds were, they were worshipers of the evil god, and they were some kind of elite much like those within Hearthtribe¨Clike Nadessa, Bedwyr and Morwen. Some of the four hundred plus enemies would be of a higher difficulty than those in the first battle, from what Jake could tell. And Jake doubted that the Dreadbeast Champion was alone¨Cthe other Champion might just be in hiding. It was going to be a little strange, facing off against an enemy Champion in a Battleground where they could resurrect each hour until it was completed. In the Dungeon Raid second stage, they faced some elite monsters that were almost like champions, and their respawns made them particularly dangerous. While his party learned how to counter them, the difference was that these enemy Champions could likely do the same. Resurrection was now less of a benefit than in the first Tier. Because now, many pure clergy such as clerics and priests had it, but it varied. Tanda and Ophelia would probably get it around the same time, at about level forty. Jake knew that Grayson already had it, and so did Morwen. If Bloodberri hadn¡¯t gotten it in the previous Tier, she would have it by now. This would be strange, but interesting battle. Their Divine Energy wouldn¡¯t be restored on Resurrection, and needed to be saved for a pivotal moment of the challenge. Comparing the two sets of threats, Jake came to a decision. He had faith that his elites, when using their delaying tactics, could hold the tainted beastkin away for some time. Jake and Ophelia would continue to handle the Outpost, while his three wives and Hearthtribe¡¯s elites slowed down and became an annoyance for the enemy. Because even if the enemy army wasn¡¯t coming for them, they had to be dealt with. If they weren¡¯t, they could easily steal the resources they gathered. Seeing Bloodberri cast the Runic spell of Giant¡¯s Growth on herself and withdraw one of her ¡®super baseballs¡¯ from her Storage Ring, Jake couldn¡¯t help but smile as she became even larger than she already was. It was nothing more than a boulder-sized sphere of Tier 1 magical iron, and thanks to that, she could bring nearly as many as she wanted to challenges such as this. Inscribed with the runes of light and dark, Blood and Berri could fill them with the mana from the surrounding area. Swaying her snake body and transferring her momentum, and filling herself with her twilight mana and monstrous strength, she could hit the several hundred pounds ball of metal with immense force. With a loud crack, the orb was launched at the enemy. One might think that the goal of the runes was to make a large magical explosion, or something like this. But the primary purpose of the runes was actually to increase the hardness of the orb itself, or in this case, provide some purification to the enemies that it struck. Because otherwise, the entire cheap construct would shatter from the force of her blow alone. Instead, the orb would shatter¨Conce it made contact with the enemy. Going hundreds of miles per hour. Like an artillery shell, the explosion of shrapnel when it hit was devastating. The Bloodwrought struck would outright explode, and the ones behind it were shredded with holy light or dark piercing shrapnel. Not to be outdone, Tanda took to the air with her Champion Bow, and used her own Cyclic Avenging Flames Technique, covering herself in deathly flames and becoming a specter of death. Jake didn¡¯t have tons of dragon spine bones after the Raid on Highlands, but he had obtained many large spines from Tier 2 Auril Beasts over the past few years. The flames filled the Celtic runes on the arrows and bow, and her draw power had reached crazy levels now. When she fired her bow, it was like launching a ballista bolt. Her shots pierced through several of the Bloodwrought, the auril flames from her technique causing the enemies to burst into deathly flames, which invaded them like a poison as it burned through their flesh. The arrows even released several seeds during flight with each and every shot from the Verdant Barrage skill, lining the grounds nearby with special plants that drew in life energy from the fertile area to fuel their rapid growth. The two continued their barrage, launching explosive artillery at the enemy, every several seconds. Nearly every single attack would kill an enemy outright from such a large distance, and wound many more. After only fifteen seconds of the two attacking, nearly two dozen had died, and many more were wounded significantly thanks to their veins being purified. Rookard joined their hunt, along with Avalara and Bree. They began using their auril summons to hound the front lines, and they even worked together to send flaming balls of vines and thorns at the enemy, and Rookard shot his own deadly bow. Other elite archers joined them, the beastkin flying or taking spots up in the trees. And now, Tanda¡¯s plants started to grow. Giant plants that looked like Venus Flytraps opened up, ready to take chunks out of the incoming Bloodwrought. Dozens of them had now spawned, and their vines now started to grasp and slow the tainted beastkin as the plant bulb attempted to take chunks out of their flesh. Fhesiah whistled. ¡°That¡¯s some good shooting. At this rate, we might not even need Jake and Lia¡¯s help.¡± The beastkin all cheered and as the enemy came close enough, some fired their own arrows and javelins to wound the enemies. The treants started their retreat though, as the enemy was already getting a little close. The enemy didn¡¯t take much longer to act in response. The shamans and witch doctors started chanting, and they released large waves of their red or violet energy into the beastkin army as they howled and roared. They all began to speed up, their marches taking on a fervorous pace. Then, they had a sort of film on them, a layer of violet light that would likely protect them against attacks. Bloodberri¡¯s cannon blast struck one of the enemies in the front, but rather than the metal sphere piercing them, it shattered immediately against the magic film, not even passing through the enemy. The blow was still devastating, sending the monster flying, and shrapnel exploding. But it localized the explosion significantly, much of it barely piercing the surrounding enemies. Tanda¡¯s arrow still pierced through the first enemy, but it did not pierce further than that. With how fast the tainted beastkin were moving, they likely wouldn¡¯t be able to whittle away the enemies much further. Hearthtribe had already begun strafing the enemy army and were preparing more spells to slow them down, but for the monstrous tainted beastkin in the front, it was like they smelled blood in the water. They started to rush toward Hearthtribe with even more haste. While the beastkin were fast enough to get out of the way, the slower treants would not. They started raining their arrows and javelins onto the enemy with their manifestations with more fervor, taking out large chunks and slowing them down. Back at the Outpost, Jake and Ophelia were working hard to reclaim it from the massive assault of monsters. With Jake¡¯s Avenging Aura covering the nearby allies, they cleared out the numerous enemies far more rapidly. And Ophelia was truly a monster of her own, with her Champion Hearth Guardian joining her. The winged warrior had a Hearthblade of its own at the tip of its spear, and it did a lot of work in finishing off any enemies or protecting allies with its Sentinel ability, shielding and dashing over to them. Valora stomped through the crowds and sent deadly lightning bolts into the fray. Now that she was a true Battle Mount, she did require more mana to invest in from Ophelia¡¯s side, but her offensive and even defensive capabilities now more than made up for it. Allies pushed to the brink of death were healed and rescued by Ophelia, Jake, or the guardian, and the air above the Outpost was quickly reclaimed. Only the largest of flying beasts were left now, and a handful of large wyverns and giant beetles that flew and rained poison down on Jake¡¯s allies. Coalescing the runes rapidly above his head, he created several blades of wind. Each rocketed out at the flying enemies, and shredded a wing right off of them. They careened toward the ground, and Jake began investing mana into manifesting some of his Templates as the many beastkin and various alliance warriors tore into the downed creatures. Having most of his mana invested in both Avalara and Bree at the moment really limited what he could do. He couldn¡¯t really gather enough mana at once to summon something like a large creature of Qi or a Tier 2 Auril Beast, without spending minutes of just standing around. However, he had visited Ganestra, Ankhmar, the Mystic Expanse, Aetheris, the dungeon, and even had a few captured monsters from worlds they obtained meant for taming brought to him. It was to the point where there were just so many options at Jake¡¯s disposal. It was now difficult to track of just how many templates he had captured. Many were situational, and he thought he had a pretty decent situation right now because the aerial enemies had been largely dealt with. There were still more, but the swarm was now eliminated, the remaining enemies much easier to deal with on the fly by the Avian Beastkin. Having seen how effective Fhesiah¡¯s fire elemental pixie friends were, Jake had collected something quite similar. He had captured those as well, but they were unfortunately a little too costly for him to manifest and use in large quantities like Fhesiah could with her lamp¨Cmost creatures made of Heavenly Energy were this way. This was often made up for by them being powerful if the situation called for it, but he reserved using them for the best situations. He started manifesting several ifreets from Ganestra¨Ca type of fire elemental spirit that was a lot like a fire imp. They were not impervious to physical attacks, but they were cheap and had a high level of mana control, to where they could continuously gather it from the surrounding environment and launch decent attacks. Weak on their own, but with a large number of them and with nothing directly targeting them, they could snowball into something fierce. And a few of Fhesiah¡¯s pixie friends could aid them in spreading the flames, as well as assisting by protecting them. Over a few minutes, Jake gathered mana and created a decent swarm of the ifreets, and finally released them toward the enemy. The swarm of fire imps shot dozens of respectable fireballs with each passing moment, striking the beasts, exploding, and spreading the flames. Each ifreet barely took any mana for Jake to maintain, as they were incredibly efficient. While that seemed exceptionally powerful to just amass thousands of the creatures given enough time, there were not only numerous counters, but they would not last forever. After controlling enough mana from the surrounding area, they would be dispelled if Jake didn¡¯t feed them just a little more. Many clergy and mages also had several options to purge or destroy constructs such as Jake¡¯s by destabilizing them. They could even do so with superior mana control, tearing away at the construct¡¯s if they were talented enough. It was only Jake¡¯s permanent summons that were resilient to this kind of spell, or if he invested enough mana in the manifestations. As Jake watched the battlefield around the Outpost, he realized several things. In truth, many of the beastkin were not a great matchup against the high life and vitality creatures. Most lacked the ability to counter the resilient beast¡¯s healing, only winning against them due to superior tactics and skill, or perhaps just by outclassing or outnumbering the enemies. Entangling vines from the nature druids were a weak method to kill them, and the tanky treants would find themselves facing off against the same enemy for a long period thanks to the enemy¡¯s sturdiness. Only the elemental druids did well at this. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. This was why Jake¡¯s Aura especially turned the tide of the battle¨Callies that had difficulty finishing the resilient enemies, would find their attacks enhanced by powerful fiery explosions and this allowed them to overcome the enemy¡¯s vitality. And now, an army of fiery imps flew around scorching enemies, and it was almost like a living wall of flame racing across the battlefield. It set everything aflame, and the three fire elemental pixie copies of Fhesiah¡¯s aided them, absorbing flames from downed creatures and sending them back out again at new enemies. A few of them got taken out by creatures that could shoot spit or launch spines and similar, but Jake quickly replaced those as he recovered his mana by drinking mana water, safely within the keep as he watched over the Node. Ophelia was now taking on some Boss-level enemies, but she had no issues with her living shield guardian taking the brunt of their attacks and dodging them on Valora. As strong as she already was, she wasn¡¯t even going all out yet. Her tattoo had not been activated, though she would likely only activate it in battles where they would consider using the divine energy as well. She was supported by their many allies, the beastkin rallying as a result of the swarm of monsters being thinned out. And now, Jake had to decide. Having brought this battle into a better place, he could now head back to the other girls. However, looking at them through their eyes, it seemed they didn¡¯t much need his help at the moment, despite the enemy almost reaching them before. Nadessa and the other elite druids had completed several large control spells as they rode their treants, and so did the Emberborn priestesses. The many plants Tanda had lined the floor of the forest, along with Avalara and Tanda¡¯s Sublimate jungle, had gotten reinforced with numerous vines thanks to the druids using their own Rampant Growth and other spells. After the plants had latched on many of the targets, Morwen¡¯s Winter¡¯s Embrace landed on them, freezing the many tainted beastkin in place and making a difficult to traverse terrain, which slowed them down and allowed Hearthtribe to pull ahead in their kiting. With those spells consuming much of the witch doctor and shaman¡¯s energies to try to get the army moving again, Tanda and Bloodberri had continued whittling them down with their powerful ranged attacks. Fhesiah had also pulled off a rather comical maneuver, where she used a mass illusion spell from her kitsune flames to nearly drag the front of the entire enemy army in a circle and away from the Alliance army. It worked for a time until the angry Champion roared and shocked them all out of it, but in that time, dozens were slowed and then slain by the javelins and arrows from the army. It wasn¡¯t all good. The Dreadbeast Champion showed he was also getting similar benefits as the abominations, from drawing in the tainted blood of the corpses or wounds of his slain or damaged brethren. He had succeeded in consuming two downed allies, but after that, Tanda and Bloodberri had targeted him, forcing him away from the corpses and back into hiding among his brethren. The Champion had gotten bigger and stronger as a result, his veins pulsing a deeper red and violet. Fhesiah now snuck around the enemy¡¯s army with her illusion, setting the more complete corpses alight. It seemed the Champion was smart enough to stay within his brethren¡¯s formation, with numerous of the elite witch doctors and shamans nearby. Because if he separated to go after the corpses, then Fhesiah would have blasted him with flames, and Tanda and Bloodberri also would hit him with all that they had. Jake knew that the Dreadbeast Champion could definitely pierce her illusion with Divine Energy, but she of course kept this in mind. Thankfully, a place where the Bloodwrought seemed to be deficient in was having any avian forms, or ranged attacks. They were all mammals or reptiles as their ¡®parentage,¡¯ which meant none of them could really keep up with her in the sky. This also meant that the few elites with their party also rained attacks down on the outside of the enemy army, while the enemy Champion just looked up at them with scorn. Back at the Outpost, with Jake¡¯s wave of ifreets and Ophelia and the army clearing out the boss-level enemies, the Outpost was eventually won. It had taken them nearly twenty minutes of difficult fighting, but they had eventually managed it. Now it was time for cleanup. A giant tree had smashed through the walls, and the Node and even the earth beneath the walls was now damaged by the sheer force. The Node had already lost over fifty percent of its health, the tower structure needing some repairs. In order to repair the node, mana or other resources had to be channelled into it, in addition to it consuming some of their stockpiled resources. The enemies dealt with, Jake had the pixies absorb the flames from the ifreets. Ophelia used her extended Hearthblade to cut deep into the massive trunk, attacking it from each side. The fire elementals then helped by cutting through the core of the tree where her blade couldn¡¯t reach with their flames, burning through what was a massive tree. They made four cuts in total, to remove the tree from where it pierced the wall. They then stood up the large cut pieces within the holes in the wall, and grew the thick vines between. Some treants would be watchful of this, able to meld themselves with these sections and make the wall more formidable if targeted, just like before. It didn¡¯t take much longer for the beastkin and Elysians to move out, leaving a defense at the keep. They ended up leaving far more than Jake would otherwise consider at around a hundred, for two reasons. This was a battle with Resurrection. This meant that in the case of a full sweep, it was important to leave enough forces. There needed to be enough that, while using the defensive structure of the keep walls and more, the forces could defend long enough for the rest of their people to respawn and not have a total loss. The other, was that they needed to rebuild their structures. Only by channeling mana and ferrying resources over from the depot within the walls, could these items be repaired within a reasonable amount of time. The siege engines, the magical barrier, and the main gate¨Ceach had this requirement before they could become operational once more. Jake sent more forces to the center to reinforce the army, but also a token number to claim the two resource shrines on their side of the battlefield to start gathering resources¨Cthe points necessary to win the match. He saw that the enemy had already gathered resources, though they only had a few dozen points after the first twenty minutes. The fighting on the battlefield was reaching a challenging stage. Before, the shaman and witch doctors had used something to increase their speed, which made it difficult to continue their kiting. The Alliance treants were only able to get away from them thanks to some ingenuity by Fhesiah with her illusion and the efforts of the druids, to create a difficult to traverse field of vines and hostile plants. Eventually, their unnatural haste had worn off, allowing the Alliance army to keep ahead and continue to kite them. But now, the enemy was able to crank the speed back up again, and this time, they had counters for both of their tools. Fhesiah¡¯s illusion failed almost immediately. It wasn¡¯t that the average soldier could see through it suddenly, it was that they seemed to know to follow something else instead¨Ctheir noses. Then, the many plants were targeted by the casters right away from each shot of Tanda¡¯s, perverting the vines with their own magic, drawing out their life force. Even Rookard, Bree, and Avalara¡¯s auril summons were drained by the shamans and witch doctors, forcing them to stop sending them in. And while Morwen and her priestesses hit them all with cold again, the enemy was prepared for this as well with a protective barrier of violet light. Jake didn¡¯t think it was a total loss, as clearly, those spells cost some of their resources from those casters to accomplish, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to use that for absorbing much more significant damage. However, it didn¡¯t help that it meant a final confrontation was about to begin. The treants could no longer run, and were forced to entrench themselves to face the enemy. He prepared his Reverse Summon, and while he did that, he also prepared his old mainstay: he manifested a single Arcane Eye. He raised it high to overlook the Outpost so that he could remain apprised of the situation there, before he portaled through the void to arrive at Tanda. Arriving next to her, combat had already begun in earnest. The treants and various elites had formed battle lines like they had at the skirmish, but Jake could see that the enemy¡¯s superior numbers were going to make this a difficult challenge. While Tanda, Bloodberri, Rookard, Avalara and Bree had reduced their numbers, it was still around three against one. Waves of water splashed and knocked some of them back, and then Morwen and her priestesses had frozen the wave and turned it into a large wall that protected their flanks for little more than a moment as they were surrounded. Avalara had switched to a deathly mire for her Sublimation, which the enemy was not prepared for. This seemed to be what actually prevented them from being overtaken rapidly. It was a surprise for the enemy to run into thick mud and a new type of attacking plant, the grasping deathly roots that came from the deathly swamp. With the enemies closing in, the many beastkin had landed numerous ranged attacks on the enemy, their bows and javelins scoring deadly hits against their hearts. Then, Tanda used the nethril from the area to devastating effect. She spawned numerous deathblooms with her Verdant Barrage. Their acidic mist caused much more harm to the enemy than it did to Avalara¡¯s swamp. The elemental druids had even used winds to blow some of the mist at the enemy, and melted their bodies away. And then Jake arrived. His Aura changed the battlefield in mere moments, once again. The explosions as each Hearthtribe warrior launched their attacks pierced deeply into the tainted beastkin¡¯s bodies, allowing many to score killing blows as they targeted their enemy¡¯s hearts. He summoned Ophelia to his side, and now it was time to go on the attack instead. Bloodberri and Ophelia each rushed in, and so did Tanda after transforming her polearm, having fired her bow plenty. She grew and covered herself with her wolf fur, sublimating a thick hide that merged with her auril beast and bone bodysuit. Avalara and Bree joined Jake as they rushed to meet the large tainted beastkin, and Jake found resonance with his Saint, Berri. His Hearthian Presence became a holy aura, which now healed his allies gradually and purified the taint within them. They fought side by side with their beastkin brethren, their Hearthblades easily cutting through the enemies and setting them on fire with their holy flames. Tainted blood was burned and purified with each swing, hearts targeted as enemies were cleaved in two. Jake¡¯s party moved with superior speed and power, cutting through enemies left and right. Avalara and Bree were at the front of their formation, taking the larger enemy¡¯s charges and knocking them aside for his party to cut through and finish. Their vines whipped with beast manifestations, damaging and controlling the enemies. The enemy tried to surround them with superior numbers, and special buffs did arrive on their bodies from the enemy clergy. Their bones became harder to pierce, and their strength and size increased. Auras of dangerous blood also protected them, but they were met with overwhelming strength and skill. Jake and his girls just met them with their own buffs. Einherjar and Giant¡¯s Growth were added to themselves, and they quickly cut a swath through the enemy. Avalara was still bigger than most of the enemies, and her deathly manifestations of animals from her vine whips and her giant mace were deadly. Each swing of her large tree mace sent enemies flying with their bones crushed, the auril and nethril energy enhancing her thick bulk with magical might. Bree empowered herself with her flames, and shredded enemies with her sharp claws, along with Fhesiah in her draconic form. Waves of flames from her Celestial Fusion technique engulfed many tainted beastkin, setting them alight and purifying them. Their beastkin, Elysian, and Emberborn elites kept up with them, joining each other on targets and finishing them off rapidly. Tainted blood still splattered on them from the enemies they slayed, but Jake¡¯s Saint Aura prevented the taint from taking hold. At this point, Jake thought the Dreadbeast Champion was going to run from the back where he was hiding, and try to escape to the Outpost. After all, their forces were nearly equal now, and the number the Alliance side had lost was not very significant. Their victory was inevitable in this first battle, and it wasn¡¯t even going to be close. The beastkin of Highlands had improved their ranged capabilities, and there was a feeling of vindication in this, for them. They were like the tainted beastkin before Jake and his family arrived to guide them, focused only on their natural tools and personal strength. But they had evolved their tactics and skills and truly began to excel, and this was the bigger reason they were successful against their more feral counterparts. The Dreadbeast Champion did not run. He crouched as his body twisted, his veins pulsing with a dark energy. He then leaped with shocking speed, heading directly for Jake. The rest of his party was surprised at his speed as he leaped through the air. Jake was fighting near the front of the battle lines, cutting down as many enemies as he could. But not surprised enough. Avalara crouched and had both hands on her large club. Twisting her body sideways, she met the Champion with a powerful swing of it. When she struck, a manifestation of a charging Highlands rhino smacked into him, and his body was pierced and launched in the opposite direction. The Champion¡¯s body crashed some distance away, after tumbling across the ground for dozens of meters. Berri beamed, clapping as she leaned her polearm against her chest. ¡°Yay! That¡¯s from that super baseball training. You did it, Ava! You¡¯re the best now!¡± Blood noted, ¡°That was a great swing. Are you not jealous, sister? Up to now, you¡¯ve never sent an enemy flying quite like that.¡± Berri sniffed. ¡°Baseball is no place for jealousy. Only hard work and commitment to the team.¡± Tanda and Ophelia riding Valora rushed ahead with their enhanced speed, and cut down several of the enemy clergy. The enemy sent powerful waves of blood that shifted into deadly spears in their defense of the Dreadbeast Champion, but Ophelia¡¯s Hearth guardian was ready, forming a barrier in front of them which absorbed the tainted blood. Their clergy quickly targeted the enemy¡¯s. Morwen¡¯s priestesses and Nadessa¡¯s druids launched ice and lightning, damaging them. Along with a quick swipe of their Hearthblade or Tanda¡¯s giant wings, they overwhelmed these spells and cleared the clergy and the remaining enemies out quickly. Bree was charging the downed Dreadbeast Champion, her dinodogs circling off to the sides as she ran down the center. Charging her own fiery attacks, the enemy barely finished recovering and stood as she neared. Despite being large, she moved faster than most could expect. Several bone spears launched toward Bree, but two vine shields materialized and both blocked and diverted them away from her in that same moment. Her horns pierced into the Champion, and then unleashed a powerful burst of flames into his body, as several thorny, flaming vines wrapped around him and tore into his body. He roared as more bone spears pierced out of his flesh at her, and he pulled himself off her horns and started to spin. Like a blender of death he shredded the vines that tried to assault him. She prepared her breath attack, but had to back away from the blender for a moment because he began spinning toward her like a deadly top. Her dinodogs then latched onto his legs with a deadly bite, despite the speed and danger his blades represented. They took several bone spears into their faces and necks, but they held on tightly in spite of this, stopping his spin. Bree breathed out her flames, and Jake did think he saw his blood light up and he began to mutate and evolve, his flesh and blood rippling across his body. However, the flames did overwhelm him in the end, and he died, being disbursed into motes of light. With the enemy Champion and the clergy defeated, the battle was easily won, the remaining tainted beastkin eventually defeated. The beastkin and Elysians were cheering for their victory, but Fhesiah frowned as she looked over the battlefield. ¡°That was¡­ a bit disappointing. He couldn¡¯t even defeat your summons.¡± Jake had wanted to test the enemy, and that was largely why he had sent Avalara and Bree after him, and why Ophelia and the rest had held back. If he could evolve, the most important thing was for Jake to make sure they left most of their aces for the most important conflict, to reduce his effectiveness. Jake imagined that an evolving enemy would only become stronger and dangerous as the battle went on. He said, ¡°I think one of two things is true. Either, from evolving or mutating as he keeps respawning as he fights us, he will combine that with and become more formidable with his Divine Energy. That combined with more of their plots, perhaps another hidden Champion, that might be their plan to win. Or, our enemy was already seeing this battle as a loss. The dungeon¡¯s intentions, from the start, might have been merely to test us and find our weaknesses for our next much more important confrontations.¡± Ophelia replied, ¡°Or, as always, it¡¯s just luring us into a false sense of security. We see how easy this is, so we leave and enter the dungeon with more of us unsealed. Then they bring out the stronger enemies, like the Enforcer when we least expect it, and when their advantage is the most.¡± Fhesiah frowned, remembering something. ¡°I think there¡¯s another possibility. Remember what happened in the two Greater Rifts?¡± Jake grimaced. In the first Greater Rift, the enemies sacrificed each other when they were going to lose, turning themselves into a single, giant demon. The second had the lightning elementals merging into a single, massive elemental. He sighed. ¡°I guess that¡¯s just as likely. He ate the blood from his already downed brethren, but hadn¡¯t sacrificed any¨Cbecause that would cause them to be unable to be respawned, even in this challenge. So if it would make him win¡­he will just draw as much blood as he can get from his living brethren, before he even faces us.¡± Blood shrugged. ¡°It seems dangerous, and it¡¯s true that our enemy likes to plot. But worrying about their plans or motivations will do us no good unless there is something we can do about them. By never showing weakness, those things will hardly matter in the end.¡± Ava¡¯s battle avatar grinned, and her voice echoed through their minds. [That¡¯s right. Hearthtribe hasn¡¯t shown their full strength yet.] Jake said, ¡°Now, we have to farm a bunch of monsters and these resources, it seems. When the enemy is about to respawn, we¡¯ll be sure to be ready for them.¡± Fhesiah grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s not forget that there is another opportunity. We can steal the resources the enemy gathers right now.¡±